Sleeping Beauty

Illustrations as beautiful as Sleeping Beauty herself grace this traditional but sparse retelling of the 100-year enchantment of a princess who comes to be known as "Briar Rose." The enchantment is broken only when a brave knight has the courage to confidently enter the briar-covered castle, find the princess, and give her the kiss that breaks the spell. The tale is a showcase for K.Y. Craft's (The Adventures of Tom Thumb, 2001, etc.) elaborate, oil-over-watercolor illustrations. If there is need for yet another telling of this story, the richly detailed paintings brushed with gold are definitely the focal point of this edition. The title page illustration shows a sleeping princess, Aurora, in a circular frame that makes the viewing appear as a look through a telescope back into time. As readers step into the tale, the story unfolds with illuminated letters and full-page illustrations facing each full-page of text. Several scenes are given detailed and glorious double-paged spreads. The final illustration mirrors the circular shape of the first, and brings readers once again to the outside of the story, looking in on a castle in misty cloudlike surroundings. And of course, the princess and her prince live happy and contented lives and their story is remembered even to this day. Simply elegant. (Folklore. 6-11) (Kirkus Reviews)