Genre 2: Folktales - The Goose Girl
Posted by Tamra S , Monday, June 21, 2010 8:05 AM
Bibliographic Data
Kimmel, Eric A. 1995. The Goose Girl: A Story from the Brothers Grimm. New York: Holiday House.
Plot Summary
A young princess is betrothed to a prince in a far away kingdom. The princess’ mother sends her on horseback to the prince’s kingdom, accompanied by Margaret, the queen’s trusted servant. The princess’ horse, Falada, is no ordinary horse, but one that understands and speaks to humans. On their way to the prince’s kingdom, Margaret forces the princess to change out of her fine clothing into the servant’s attire and trade horses. Upon arriving at the prince’s kingdom, Margaret pretends to be the princess and the prince takes her to be his wife. She consequently has Falada killed so that he may not tell the truth, though his magic does not cease. Meanwhile, the princess is sent to work with Conrad, the boy who tends the geese. The king is suspicious of the true princess, as she does not look like a servant. The king eventually learns of strange events from Conrad, and spies on the servant princess. He then convinces her to confess her troubles to an iron stove and overhears the truth. The king then has Margaret put to death in the manner she described as what should happen to someone who did what she did. The princess is restored to her true self and marries the prince to live “happily ever after.”
Critical Analysis
This retelling of the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale is quite similar to their version. While Kimmel made a few changes, such as Falada talking on the journey rather than the three drops of blood and the princess being restored after Margaret pronounced her own sentence, the rest remains close to the Brothers Grimm version. Kimmel used the characteristics of fairy tales, such as magic, threes, and repeated rhymes. He placed the story in a vague time and place, however Robert Sauber’s oil paintings depict a pastoral, lush land and possible time of the 16th or 17th century, based on the clothing. The attire, as illustrated, demonstrates the marked difference between royalty or wealth and servants of the time. Kimmel’s language is rich and reads fluidly. The repeated refrains add rhythm to the reading. Sauber’s full-page, vibrant illustrations add depth to the text that makes the story more engaging. The reader easily sees the innocence and goodness of the princess, as depicted by Sauber, as well as the king’s compassion for the princess/goose girl and anger with Margaret.
The triumph of good over evil is a recurring theme in traditional tales such as this. It is apparent in the ending when the evil Margaret meets her fate and the gentle, good-hearted princess is no longer the goose girl, but marries the prince.
Awards and Reviews
Booklist: This is one of those picture books that needs to find its way into the hands of older children and adolescents; they’ll be the audience best equipped to appreciate the artwork’s romantic appeal and the stark justice of the story.
Publisher’s Weekly: Sauber’s earthy colors and loose brush strokes combine for a painterly look that effectively portrays the romance of this fantasy land.
School Library Journal: The story is propelled by Kimmel’s perfect pacing and phrasing and by the vitality of the oil paintings . . . Most libraries will want to own this title.
Reviews courtesy of: Amazon.com. Editorial Reviews. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0823410749/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books
Connections
*Based on the age of the audience, read the Brothers Grimm version of the story and complete a Venn Diagram to compare/contrast the two
*Gather other versions of The Goose Girl, such as the variant by Shannon Hale or The Goose Girl as edited by Gillian Cross. Compare the stories to identify similarities and differences across texts.
*For younger students, have them illustrate their favorite scene from the story.
*Depending on the age group, discuss the story's theme and justice for the wronged.
Post a Comment