Many Moons

Our rating: ***½

The princess is ill, and the king will do anything to make her well. But when she asks for the moon, the king must find somebody in his realm who knows how to get it.

Very silly. James Thurber at perhaps his best for young children. Of course, the way the moon is secured is extremely abnormal.

The 13 Clocks

Our rating: ****

The evil Duke is so cold, he froze time on the clocks in his castle. He also claims to be the uncle of the beautiful princess Saralinda, who (of course) every prince wants to marry. Enter Prince Zorn, who (again, of course) wants to marry the princess. But it’s not that easy. The duke has a test for every prince who comes along, and he tells Zorn to bring him jewels equal to Zorn’s father’s treasury in 24 hours! Even with the help of the one and only Golux, can Zorn accomplish this task?

Well, it’s a fairy tale, what do you think happens? Thurber has quite a weird take on fairy tales. If you want more, try The White Deer.

The White Deer

Our rating: ***

King Clode and his three sons, Thag, Gallow, and Jorn, are hunting in the forests and give chase to a White Deer. The chase leads them all over and through the Enchanted Forest, but when they finally corner the Deer, it is transformed into a Princess. A Princess who cannot remember her name or kingdom. The Princess sets a task for each of the three Princes to perform, in order to see which one shall marry her. But in the middle of all this, the Royal Recorder is beginning to wonder whether the Princess is a Princess turned Deer and back again, or whether the Princess is really a Deer.

This is a Thurber book. You can’t explain it much clearer than that. He has such a nonsensical way of putting things, it’s almost ridiculous. It’s a nice easy story, so if you’re looking for heart-pounding adventure, don’t even consider this book. But if you’re looking for something light and funny, go for it!