Author: Susan Meredith
Publisher: Rocking Chair Publications
Genre: Children / Fairy Tale
ISBN: 978-0984286621
Pages: 42
Price: $7.99
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When a beautiful human princess fell in love with a gnome prince, they were a very uneven couple. She was tall and he was short, so they decided to move far away from other people to avoid all the stares. And their son, Rumpelstiltskin, was good looking, like his mother, but only a little over three feet tall. So the boy grew up alone with his parents. But Rumpelstiltskin had inherited their talents for spinning straw into gold, and they all lived comfortably together.
But finally, Rumpelstiltskin grew lonely, and wanted to marry. His journey took him to another realm where a miller had decided to give his daughter in marriage to the highest bidder. Being already smitten with the girl, Clarissa, he offered a bag of gold for her hand. But he had competition from the king, who had heard Clarissa could spin straw into gold. Rumpelstiltskin knew he would have to come to her rescue.
Unlike in the original tale, the king has no evil intentions towards Clarissa if she doesn’t fulfill her purpose. He’s simply a greedy man who wants to accumulate a lot of wealth and a pretty bride. In this sweet romance, the good guy gets the girl, and everyone lives happily ever after.
Once again, Susan Meredith has turned a classic fairy tale into a cute story that kids today can relate to, with no scary stuff to give them nightmares. Instead, they’ll learn a subtle message that making big demands of people won’t get you as far as simply being kind. And they will be much better off marrying someone who will love them for who they are, and not just what they can do.
Reviewer: Alice Berger
Bergers Book Reviews 