Gr 2-4 This story is based on an Italian folktale by the same name, which can be found in Andrew Lang's "The Grey Fairy Book" (Kessinger, 2004). In a forest where foundlings appear every third Thursday, a large lizard discovers a baby girl. Transforming herself into a beautiful woman in a hooded garment with the same markings as her lizard skin, she raises the child as her own. Isabella grows into a very beautiful, very lazy young woman and falls in love with equally lazy Prince Rupert. Knowing that such a marriage will be disastrous, the lizard-lady gives her daughter the head of a goat. Stunned at the sight of her, Prince Rupert invents three tasks to postpone their marriage. She must grow turnips, prepare a feast worthy of royalty, and make herself a gorgeous gown. Working hard at each task, she regains her former beauty and realizes that the lazy prince has only valued her appearance. She ditches him, learns a little sorcery from her mother, and gives him a chicken head under his crown. Laziness replaces ingratitude, and self-reliance becomes a virtue. Full-color paintings done in rich hues capture a long-ago-and-far-away ambiance that melds nicely with more modern sensibilities. This tale is a pleasure to read, and the illustrations are an absolute delight."Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN" Copyright 2010 Media Source Inc.
Disgusted by her daughter's laziness and vanity, a sorceress gives her the face of a goat--unbeknownst to the young woman as she tries to woo Prince Rupert. It's a meaty, amusing plot, and the winking anachronistic jokes (e.g., the sorceress is shown reading a book called Child Rearing) add to the humor.
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