Twelve Dancing Princesses is a fairy tale. This story is retold and illustrated by Brigette Barragers in 2011 and is intended for readers ages 4-8 years old.
This book is beautifully retold by Brigette Barragers. The magical illustrations are done with great detail and really enhance the story! The twelve princesses in this story are under a spell that makes them dance all night long in their sleep. Their father, the king, can not figure out why the princesses are so tired every day and the princesses can not figure out why they wake up with their shoes worn out every morning. Everyone is very puzzled. One night, the princesses shoe maker follows the princesses to see what is going on with them and their worn dancing shoes. This is when he realizes they are under a spell that causes them travel to magical balls, all around the world, in their sleep to dance all night, every night. The handsome shoemaker rescues them by breaking the spell that had been set by kissing the lead sisters hand. You won't want to put this one down!
Young students and teachers will enjoy this fairytale. It allows young readers to use their imagination because it keeps them guessing until the very end. This is a great way for teachers to interact with their young students! When a child isn't certain about how fairy tales like this might end they are forced to use their imagination and create their own questions and scenarios. This book has a great potential to spark great intellectually motivating discussions between teachers and students!
Group Discussion:
- What was your favorite part about this book?
- Why were the princesses feet hurting them every morning when they would wake up?
- What spell was set on the twelve princesses?
- How did the shoemaker who made their dancing shoes end the spell?
- Can you think of any fairytales you have read before that remind you of this story? What fairytale was it and how does it remind you of this book?
Fun Activity:
- Ask students to participate in story circle! Begin to read the students the story as a group but instead of reading the story until the end, keep the kids guessing by stopping halfway through! At this point allow the children to go around the group and discuss how they each think the story is going to end. After each child has brainstormed using their imagination, read the rest of the book to them. Lets see if anyone guesses the ending!
If you enjoyed the way Brigette Barrager told this story you should check out some other rewritten stories.
Some examples include:
- Little Red Riding Hood by Jerry Pinkney
- Strongheart Jack and the Beanstalk by Despain
- The Three Bears by Paul Galdone
- Frog Prince by Kathy Jo Wargin
- Cinderella: A Fashionable Tale by Steven Guarnaccia
Barragers, B. (2011). Twelve dancing princesses. San
Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books
This book sounds wonderful and exciting. The colors are vibrant and eye catching.
ReplyDeleteI think a good motivational activity would be to print out blank princesses. Have the children decorate the princesses with various materials. Once dry, hang up the princesses in the classroom so the children can watch them 'dance' as the wind moves them.
Another activity you can do with the children is to have a dance a thon within the classroom. Have them dance until they cannot dance anymore or stop dancing. This would simulate how the princesses would dance all night and why they were so tired in the morning.
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