The Light Princess

Imagine a princess lighter than air--physically and emotionally--who continually needs help to stay earthbound. This version of MacDonald's witty classic is, unfortunately, unabridged: "not one single sentence has been omitted." This means that all the unnecessary and boring parts of MacDonald's story are there. It becomes a long, drawn-out story, in which everything ends up feeling extreme--too many words, too long pauses, too much inflection--making the characters seem one-dimensional and unsympathetic. The full cast helps differentiate the characters, but it's hard to work up much compassion for any of them. This production may be good for an adult theology lesson, but not for children's entertainment. W.L.S. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine

November 1, 2006
Gr 3-6-George MacDonalds classic (Harcourt, 1988) is given the royal treatment in this full-cast production. Due to a curse at birth, the princess is all lightnesslight of body, without emotion, and incapable of feeling for another person. The only thing she cares about is the water that allows her to be grounded rather than floating up in the air as she does on land. The evil witch empties the lake and the princess falls into decline. Only a man who voluntarily gives up his life can restore the lake and help the princess. Cynthia Bishop is a superb narrator with a wonderful ability to convey MacDonalds wisdom and wryness. The most striking thing about this recording is that the songs in the text have been put to music and are sung by Adam Wahlberg. The combination of his beautiful voice and the lovely lyrics is truly heartbreaking"B. Allison Gray, John Jermain Memorial Library, Sag Harbor, NY"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.