Prince Nautilus - Hardcover

Grade 1-4-Two sisters share a shack by the sea with their father. The older girl, Columbine, is beautiful, but lazy and self-centered. The younger one, Fiona, is kind and hardworking. One day, Fiona finds a nautilus shell. Inside is a prince, trapped by a sorcerer. The sisters go on a quest to rescue him; he then asks Fiona to marry him, but she wants to travel and have adventures first. The young man has no problems with this, so after collecting the girls' father, they all set sail-with the exception of the rejected Columbine, who has run off on her own. Melmed's story is at once familiar and original. She uses fairy tale motifs-two sisters of opposite temperaments, three acts of kindness toward helpless creatures, and the reciprocal assistance from those creatures. At the same time, Fiona is strong and independent as well as kind, and her request to postpone marriage until she has seen the world adds a neat twist and is entirely in keeping with her character. Sorensen's double-spread illustrations soar across the pages and are infused with light, evoking the heat of the sun and glare of the sea. Tawny colors are accented with pale pink and lavender- just enough to add a hint of fairy-tale magic. Text and illustrations integrate beautifully for a story that both readers and listeners will enjoy.
Donna L. Scanlon, Lancaster County Library, PA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Melmed ( The Rainbabies ) serves up another original fairy tale, this one employing the classic good sister/bad sister motif. Kindhearted Fiona slaves away in the family's seaside hovel, cleaning and cooking while her elder sister, Columbine, idly preens. One day, Fiona finds a nautilus shell containing a bewitched prince. She agrees to help free him, thus beginning a quest in which she spends as much time compensating for her sister's lazy, selfish ways as she does annulling the enchantment. A surprise feminist ending finds the capable Fiona turning down the prince's inevitable marriage proposal and opting instead for further adventures. Although the conclusion seems a bit tacked on, the story remains an admirable effort. Melmed's fluid, poetic style feels very much at home in the fairy-tale genre, and Sorenson ( I Love You As Much . . . ) echoes her eloquence in impressionistic acrylics--his sweeping scenes enhance the story's timeless air. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.