A war-weary soldier uncovers the treachery of royals in this retelling of a Grimms' fairy tale.A soldier wanders the land, heavy-hearted from "all that he had seen and much that he had done, in the name of the king." In the forest, he meets a vibrant woman and confesses that he has no will to live. The woman takes his hand and tells him of the mystery of the princesses and the tattered shoes. Whoever discovers why the king's daughters are weary every morning, with worn shoes under their beds, will be rewarded with the choice of a bride from among them and ultimately the throne. Whoever tries and fails will be punished by death. With the woman's guidance and assistance, the soldier discovers the secret of the princesses, their lovers, and their all-night parties-but he refuses the reward, thoroughly fed up with the lives of rulers. He sets off to find the woman in the forest who was good to him. The story is fluid and haunting, retaining the grim themes and archaic social mores of traditional fairy tales as well as their strangely intriguing, mysterious, and fantastical qualities. Abdollahi's stylized illustrations use texture and line with a dark color scheme and figures whose aesthetic mirrors that of marionettes. The 12 beautiful princesses have a variety of skin tones and hair colors, and both protagonist and the woman who helps him have brown skin.An interesting addition to the shelf for fairy-tale enthusiasts. (Picture book/fairy tale. 5-9)

The glitter of the tale of 12 dancing princesses gains deeper luster in Morris-s deft retelling. The hero, a white soldier -weary from war... troubled by all that he had seen and much that he had done,- meets a woman in the wood who -brimmed with light and life.- She tells him of the conundrum of the princesses- tattered shoes, suggests that he try to solve it (-Failure is punished by death-), and gives him -a cloak, mysterious as twilight- that will make him invisible. After he discovers the multi-ethnic sisters- secret, he tells the king, -When I watched your daughters dance in the enchanted ballroom, so beautiful, it warmed my heart to see such love. But how that love was won, and at what a price, made my heart sore. So many died to keep their secret.- Spurning the princesses, he returns to the woman in the wood. Abdollahi-s angular, collage-like illustrations use rich color accented with gold to conjure enchanted fairy tale realms. Ages 5-8. (Nov.)

Gr 1-5 A soldier, tired and jaded from all he has seen and done, happens upon a kind and mysterious woman in the woods. He tells her his story and she tells him of a king, his 12 daughters, and a mystery: Although the princesses are locked up at night, they greet each morning exhausted, their shoes in tatters. But why? The king has offered a great reward (a bride) to the individual who can solve the mystery. However, the king has also promised a great consequence (death) to those who should try and fail. Feeling he has nothing to lose, the world-weary soldier attempts to solve the mystery. To this point, the tale stays true to the original, known more conventionally as "The 12 Dancing Princesses." But when the successful suitor is offered his reward, he leaves to pursue love instead of wealth, by seeking out the woman in the forest. Each full-bleed spread features the intricately detailed panels of Abdollahi's signature style, which showcases the characters almost as Byzantine marionettes, acting out their roles. The handcrafted paper collages feature a rich array of color and form. VERDICT A modern twist on a classic tale, this title has a ready place in most collections. Jessica Caron, Bancroft Sch., MA