Dreaming of a glorious golden crown one night, a beautiful princess awakens, and cannot be satisfied by any of the crowns created by her indulgent father's craftsmen. Then she meets a white bear in the woods, who possessed such a crown, but will only exchange it for her, the princess. Going to live with him in a beautiful palace, the princess is happy, until she is misled by her mother's advice, and attempts to pry into the white bear's secret. Revealed as an enchanted prince, the bear departs, and the princess sets out after him, embarking on a quest for her love that will lead her to the land east of the sun and west of the moon...

Cobbling together elements from three northern European folktales—the Norwegian East o' the Sun, West o' the Moon and The White Bear King, and the Scottish The Black Bull of Norroway—New Zealand author and storyteller Tanya Robyn Batt spins an engrossing and magical tale, one which features a heroine who is both courageous and compassionate. The accompanying acrylic, pencil and oil pastel artwork of Italian illustrator Nicoletta Ceccoli, who also worked on Batt's The Faerie's Gift, is quite lovely, with a beautiful palette and elegantly stylized figures. Recommended to young folk and fairy-tale lovers. ( )

A wonderful retelling of my favorite tale, East of the Sun, West of the Moon. The author combines elements from other tales with similar themes. The illustions are modern, bright and very lively. Although the troll queen could have been a bit more troll-like! ( )

A classic retelling of a Norwegian folktale that follows a princess as she leaves her family to travel across the country with her true love. The princess in this story is an excellent role model; using her cleverness and kindness to win her prince. The pictures in this story are incredibly rich and take up the entire page; giving each child the feeling of royalty that is prevalent throughout the story. The lyrical prose of the story adds to the magical quality. This book is recommended for ages 6-9. ( )