Princess Sophie and the Six Swans: A Tale from the Brothers Grimm

by Kim Jacobs (Retold by), Kim Jacobs (Illustrator)

Overview

Princess Sophie, the spirited young heroine of this adapted tale from the Brothers Grimm, finds herself faced with an incredible challenge and some lessons to learn. She had forgotten her departed mother’s warning to temper loyalty and strength with a compassionate heart. Antagonized by Sophie’s resentful words, her powerful new stepmother turns Sophie’s six brothers into swans and sets her the task of saving them. Will Sophie succeed in helping her brothers? Can she spin six shirts made from the thorny thistle, while never speaking a word, even in her defense? And what will happen when King Yoren captures Sophie and takes her prisoner? Featuring stunning artwork by renowned illustrator Kim Jacobs, her retelling of this classic Brothers Grimm fairytale also contains an author’s note with fascinating details on family heraldry and mute swans.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781937786670
Publisher:	Wisdom Tales
Publication date:	04/01/2017
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Kim Jacobs has been a children’s book illustrator and professional artist for over thirty years, while her popular stationery products have sold in the millions throughout the world. Her art has appeared in children’s books such as Cottage Cats: My Companions on the Path to Joy, Glad You are My Friend, and Princess Rosie’s Rainbows, as well as on a wide array of gifts, toys, puzzles, fine art prints, and greeting cards. Her bestselling calendar, The Cobblestone Way, is now into its twenty-eighth year. Kim lives with her husband Bob in Maine, in a home surrounded by gardens and powered by the sun.

Editorial Reviews

05/01/2017
Gr 1–3—The story of the six brothers transformed into swans by a jealous and wicked stepmother is one of the best loved Grimm tales, although, as the author says in her note, it was around long before the Grimms included it in their collection. The feisty and determined sister, now named Sophie, is a fully fleshed-out character whose commitment to saving her brothers, even at great pain and eventually danger to her own life, will inspire admiration. The painterly illustrations are lovely and capture a real sense of "once upon a time, long ago and far away." The colors are soft and have an ethereal quality. VERDICT A solid addition to most folklore collections. Suitable as a read-aloud or for independent reading across elementary levels.—Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ

School Library Journal

2017-01-17
When her six brothers are turned into swans by their wicked stepmother, Princess Sophie must endure physical and emotional trials to save them in this warmly illustrated version of the classic fairy tale. The seamless interplay of words and images makes the picture-book format ideal for providing narrative clarity as well as nuance to the central relationships that seem abstract in the original story. Jacobs' alterations allot Sophie far more agency than the passive heroine of the Grimm's version possesses, transforming the white princess into a passionate and tenacious girl who is unafraid of hard work and sacrifice in an effort to right a wrong. Her friendship with her brothers is well-depicted, making her great sacrifice reflective of her strong sense of character rather than familial obligation or feminine duty. Jacobs—an illustrator writing for the first time—has a masterful eye for colors and skillfully employs them to reflect the mood of a scene and drive the narrative. The dreamlike quality of the illustrations makes this version an ideal bedtime story; misty blues symbolize Sophie's loneliness and isolation as she sews her brothers' shirts, while the delicate swirl of rainbow color renders the brothers' transformations especially magical. A charming adaptation with a solid moral and a heroine whom little girls and boys can look up to. (Picture book/fairy tale. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews