Arnica the Duck Princess

June 15, 2019
A princess and her beloved improve their kingdom with intelligence and generosity while seeking to reverse a fowl curse. Far away, in a castle with 36 towers and 300 windows, lives clever Princess Arnica. The princess and honest, practical Poor Johnny, "the most footloose and fancy-free of all people," fall in love and are cursed by the Witch of a Hundred Faces. One will be a duck and the other a human until the Seven-Headed Fairy breaks the spell. As they search for the fairy, the pair encounters eclectic characters and situations, the episodes illustrating modern virtues that include the value of anger management, the power of love, and the pitfalls of material wealth. The book closes with a nuanced moral: "The important thing is to really, really want something. Even if it won't necessarily succeed." The short, connected episodes are built from folktalelike phrases. Two nameless narrators interrupt the story frequently for humorous, candid discussions of plot and characters. Mixed-media full-page and spot illustrations grace every other page and depict a largely white cast. Rounded shapes and bodies work in tandem with a sparkling jewel-toned palette to create a charming fantasy world, softening the ferocity of the witch and her animal minions. Readers will hope this is just the first of many works by Lázár, who died in 2006, to be translated into English. Translated from Hungarian, this whimsical, modern folktale begs to be read aloud. (Fable. 4-10)

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July 29, 2019
“Write me a story!” So begins this madcap yarn of clever Princess Arnica and Poor Johnny, who are cursed by the Witch of a Hundred Faces: one must be a duck while the other is human. Structured as a tale being told to a child, the story swoops and veers through Arnica and Johnny’s quest to find the Seven-Headed Fairy, the only one who can break the spell, with interpolations from the listening child and the storytelling parent: “He did the right thing to refuse the treasure, didn’t he?” “It certainly looks that way.” Fresh, funny characters (touchy Victor Coppermine; Tig-Tag, the misguided thief; wise King Tirunt, whose Chief Royal Counter counts until the monarch’s anger passes) offer much delight, as does the satisfying ending. Molnár’s vibrant folkloric illustrations complement the tale’s whimsical sincerity. Ages 7–10.