Princess Minna: The Giant Beanstalk

Gr 1-3–This is the sixth in the “Princess Minna” series, with each entry being based on classic fairy tales but told in uniquely different ways. Princess Minna, depicted with deep brown skin and curly black hair, is good at taming unicorns, kissing frogs, and fighting dragons. She lives in Castle Tall-Towers with the king, the queen, and a wizard named Raymond. When Raymond buys a musical cow with magic beans and names her Mildred, the singing becomes too much for the kingdom. With the help of Lorenzo the dragon, Princess Minna’s best friend, she must find what is causing the terrible stink and fix it. Meanwhile, the giant has come down the enormous beanstalk to see who is making such beautiful music, and she erroneously thinks it’s a bantam and takes her back up the beanstalk. When Princess Minna bravely goes up the beanstalk to rescue the ­bantam, she is nabbed by the ­giant. There are elements from the familiar Jack and the Beanstalk story readers will recognize, but with delightful twists, like the female ­giant yelling “Fee fi fizz fess, I sniff the smell of a small princess!” The vividly colorful, cartoon-like illustrations by Haghgoo bring the story to life, and will captivate young readers and listeners, as they cheer not only for the bespectacled princess, but for the misunderstood giant.