THE GOOSE GIRL: a story from the Brothers Grimm retold by Eric A. Kimmel

Kimmel, Eric A. 1995. THE GOOSE GIRL: A STORY FROM THE BROTHERS GRIMM. Ill. by Robert Sauber. New York: Holiday House. ISBN 0823410749

In this authentic retelling of the Grimm fairy tale, The Goose Girl, Eric Kimmel has recreated the centuries old story of the kindhearted princess. The angelic daughter of a queen travels with her devious maid to a distant kingdom where she is betrothed to marry the prince. Along their journey, the scheming maid abuses her mistress and bullies her into switching places with her. Donning the princess’ clothes and horse, the maid is led inside the king’s castle while the princess is told to help the boy who herds the geese. In this cruel twist of fate, the maid’s deception is eventually uncovered by the fair-minded king. The evil maid is doomed to a gruesome death sentence and the real princess lives to become the prince’s rightful bride.

Kimmel's version of the Brothers Grimm story has all the markings of a true traditional tale. Not only does the story open with "Once upon a time...." but it also closes with “… lived happily ever after”.  The characters of the naïve princess and the shrewd maid exemplify the epitome of good and evil. The use of a magical talking horse named Falada who speaks a repeated verse, even after death, firmly reflects the style of traditional European folktales. As Publisher’s Weekly so aptly put it, the author “… revels in the magical, wistful aspects of this fanciful genre”.

To accompany this journey to a land far, far away, illustrator Robert Sauber paints each scene in rich jewel tones as befitting a story of royal proportions. Every page of text is set against what amounts to a framed painting, giving this picture book the look of old world charm. Sauber’s use of deep colors and detailed brush strokes “…give expression to the magical qualities of the characters”, praises The Horn Book.

This illustrated traditional story can be used to introduce German folklore to young adults who are reading the modern novel The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale. 

Books in Print. TWU Library. Accessed September 23, 2013 http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2125