The Girl, the Fish, and the Crown

This is not only a wonderful folk tale but a beautifully illustrated one. Edge to edge pictures retell this story of a young girl who is cursed and how she sets out to break it. I would highly recommend this book be added to your collection wether it be for the young reader or the old.

Marilee Heyer does an excellent job of retelling this Spanish folktale of a selfish and indulgent girl's journey into the sea. As a punishment for not showing mercy, the girl becomes a fish. In her wanderings, she eventually is led to a queen who, like her, is trapped in the sea. The girl is given power to transform herself into the form of other animals and is given the quest of reclaiming the queen's crown which was stolen by a giant. After taking on the forms of various animals and running into a prince in the shape of a deer, the girl finds the giant, deals honestly with him, achieves the tasks that he sets before her, and returns to the queen with crown in fin. Of course, the enchantment ends and all of the queen, her court, and the girl are returned to their human form. The prince, the son of the queen, recognizes the eyes of the girl and all live happily ever after. While the story is excellent, Heyer's colorful and exquisite illustrations add a great deal to the overall presentation. Older children will greatly enjoy this wonderful adventure with its solid, good morals.