It has not happened for a long time to hold such an aesthetically published title in my hands. Beginning with a hardcover with a beautiful princess surrounded by flowers, through floral ornaments that appear every now and then on the pages, and ending with the graphics illustrating the history – everything in this publication delights and definitely pampers our eyes.
A little Aurora, but not
The Hawthorn Princess is actually a slightly different version of the Sleeping Beauty we all know .The story, written by Władysław Ludwik Anczyc (a Polish poet, playwright and publisher), takes us to a kingdom where the ruling couple cannot wait for a descendant. As a result of a good deed, however, the king and queen receive a baby girl as a gift from a magical frog. Along with her, however, information is also provided that the little one is in danger. Attempts to understand this prophecy result in the fact that it is the parents who put a terrible curse on the princess, which affects the girl when she stings the last spindle in the kingdom. Anczyc’s ending does not differ from the one known to us from the Disney filming. The book, however, is much softer and more fairy-tale like than other versions of this story that I know.
Beautiful, but slightly scary
The illustrations by Julitta Karwowska-Wnuczak are definitely an element emphasizing the magical atmosphere of the events. This creator is responsible, inter alia, for the series about the adventures of Kota Filemon, which was once broadcast in Poland as an evening book. Karwowska-Wnuczak’s graphics fit perfectly into the described world, both through non-standard lines and colors associated with old publications. This is definitely not another motley children’s book, but a very good example of a master of illustration. Although I admit – when you look at the slightly crooked and blurry faces of people standing in the distance, they are a bit associated with some monsters, so I would be careful about showing them to the youngest children.
Never get hit by a woman
Reading The Hawthorn Princess was relaxing and light. If your kids are not afraid of non-standard people, this Polish Sleeping Beauty should appeal to them. Although I could stick to two or three fragments in the content, I think it makes no sense because this fairy tale, although imperfect, still remains a very good publication.
