Synopsis
As a result of a sorcerer's curse, Prince Zucchini is born with a very large nose, but he does not realize it until he falls in love with a small-nosed princess.
Marilyn Courtot - Children's Literature
English writer Neil Philip has retold many stories and this one is an adaptation of a story by Jean-Marie LePrince De Beaumont. The endpapers depicting a prince with an extremely large nose give a big clue that this is going to be an unusual tale. It is a twist on the usual fairy tale where it is ordinarily the princess who is cursed by the wicked witch or fairy. Here Prince Zucchini as he ends up being christened has a very large nose. His handsome father only hires those with long noses to serve the prince. He grows up believing that big noses are beautiful and has a happy childhood. As luck would have it, when he reaches a marriageable age, he falls in love with a Dear Little Princess with a tiny nose. The evil wizard who put the curse on the prince is very angry; he wanted the young man to grow up unhappy and bitter. When he learns of the prince's desire to make the Dear Little Princess his bride, he finds a way to create real unhappiness for both of them. The story is a fairy tale and it does have a happy ending as well as a message about accepting differences among people. The art has a light touch in keeping with the story. The characters and scenes are full of humor and even the evil sorcerer will not be too difficult for young children to handle. 2003, Star Bright Books,
Editorials
Children's Literature
English writer Neil Philip has retold many stories and this one is an adaptation of a story by Jean-Marie LePrince De Beaumont. The endpapers depicting a prince with an extremely large nose give a big clue that this is going to be an unusual tale. It is a twist on the usual fairy tale where it is ordinarily the princess who is cursed by the wicked witch or fairy. Here Prince Zucchini as he ends up being christened has a very large nose. His handsome father only hires those with long noses to serve the prince. He grows up believing that big noses are beautiful and has a happy childhood. As luck would have it, when he reaches a marriageable age, he falls in love with a Dear Little Princess with a tiny nose. The evil wizard who put the curse on the prince is very angry; he wanted the young man to grow up unhappy and bitter. When he learns of the prince's desire to make the Dear Little Princess his bride, he finds a way to create real unhappiness for both of them. The story is a fairy tale and it does have a happy ending as well as a message about accepting differences among people. The art has a light touch in keeping with the story. The characters and scenes are full of humor and even the evil sorcerer will not be too difficult for young children to handle. 2003, Star Bright Books,— Marilyn Courtot