Synopses & Reviews
Selected by the Childrens Book Committee at Bank Street College of Education as one of the 2004 Best Childrens Books for the YearIn the grand tradition of fairy tales, a king becomes lost in an enchanted forest. In order to save himself, he strikes a dreadful bargain with an elderly witch: he will marry her daughter if only she will show him the way home.
The king fears that the daughter too is a witch, so he hides his eleven sons and his only daughter from the woman he has pledged to marry.
After his marriage, his new queen discovers the children and casts a spell, turning the princes into swans. But she doesnt know there is a twelfth child, a princess. It is up to the princess to find her brothers and break the spell that binds them.
Renowned storyteller Ken Setterington has borrowed from European folk traditions, including the Brothers Grimm, to tell a timeless story.
Nelly and Ernst Hofers exquisite paper cut art make this a beautiful book for reading and for gift giving.
About the Author
Ken Setterington is an international authority on childrens books. He was named the first Children and Youth Advocate for Library Services by the Toronto Public Library and won a prestigious Toronto Arts Award for Writing and Publishing for his promotion of childrens literature. Most recently he co-wrote
A Guide to Canadian Childrens Books. His first book for children was
The Snow Queen, also illustrated by the Hofers.
Nelly and Ernst Hofer learned the folk art of scherenschnitt in their native Switzerland. Their first book was the award-winning Silent Night: The Song From Heaven by Linda Granfield. Nelly and Ernst Hofer live on a farm in Perth County, Ontario.