How to use this Page

In a little departure from the norm, today I’m not reviewing a book, but rather a film, Eleanor’s Secret, directed by Dominique Monfery.

The reason why I’ve wanted to share Eleanor’s Secret with you is because it is a celebration of the joy of reading and a tribute to the power and magic of stories.

Seven year old Nat cannot yet read and is terribly disappointed when he discovers he has inherited his Aunt’s library. Although he adored having stories read to him by his Aunt, when Nat himself opens a book he almost drowns in a jumble of letters. Understandably Nat wants nothing to do with what makes him feel so uncomfortable.

Only after his parents sell the collection to a dealer who has realised the library is packed with first editions does Nat learn that he has an important responsibility. He must save all the characters in the stories read to him by Aunt Eleanor from disappearing forever by reading aloud a magic inscription. If the spell is not read by midday, all his storybook favourites will be lost for eternity, and children the world over will only ever be read true tales.

Eleanor's Secret - Aunt Eleanor's house

Alice in Wonderland, the Match Girl, Peter Pan, Rapunzel, Mowgli and many other colourful characters climb out of their books and beg Nat to help them before it is too late. Only the wicked fairy, Carabosse from Sleeping Beauty, throws a spanner in the works. She refuses to believe that Nat is the true inheritor of the library – after all he cannot read. In a puff of magic she shrinks him and in doing so makes his race against time to return the books to the library, and to learn to read, even more difficult.

I was instantly entranced by the story in this film – swept up in its passion for developing a love of reading, for wearing its heart on its sleeve. “Mankind can never live without dreams” says Aunt Eleanor, whilst the inscription Nat must read before the clock strikes 12 is “Just because it’s a story doesn’t mean it’s not real“.

The look of the film is utterly gorgeous. The colours and textures at times reminded me of Shaun Tan’s illustrations whilst the library and magical characters made me happily remember How to Live Forever by Colin Thompson. It was only after I’d seen the film did I discover that its art work is based on drawings by French illustrator Rebecca Dautremer whose The Secret Lives of Princesses has been well received in the English speaking world.

As well as being a pleasure to look at, the characterization is great. I think the animation of what Nat feels when he’s presented with a text he can’t read is acutely, brilliantly imaginatively observed. The tricky, teasing but ultimately supportive and loving relationship between Nat and his older sister is also very believable.

By Philippe Lechermeier

Illustrated by Rebecca Dautremer

Sterling, 2010

$19.95, ages 4-8, 88 pages

You've always been told not to judge books by their cover, but just this once, feel free to jump to assumptions.

For, what you see on the dust jacket of this book is as lovely as what's to come -- paintings so stunning, you'll wish you could frame them, only you won't because the book's too nice to pull apart.

The cover of this delightful spoof on princesses features an exquisitely painted princess with a heart-shaped cage for a crown and almond-shaped eyes looking askance -- remarkably, without upsetting the poise of her head.

Known as Princess Hot-Head, this self-assured rather smug gal only looks tame, for she's fond of spitting and dueling, and adores steak tartare. She's just one of more than 30 unusual ladies profiled in this amusing coffee table-size book by an imaginative French author named Lechermeier.

The princesses, painted with whimsical, at times dainty, details suggestive of their delicate, unconventional beauty, share the distinction of being obscure (well, until now), for not one of them has made it big in fairytales or in fact, been written up before.

Part of the appeal of Dautremer's portraits is that she draws out the ridiculous in each princess in such a dignified way. Many of the ladies have exaggerated proportions that reflect their odd behaviors yet even when those behaviors aren't flattering or their hygiene is questionable, they still look elegant.

Take the image of the Eco Princess, an exotic gal whose sandy blond hair is spun onto her head like cotton candy and is held up with tree vines and inhabited by birds, who I must share, have the delightful habit of whispering secrets in her ears. She's stunning to behold, but what a tangled mess she wears!

Each of these gals strives so passionately for what they believe in that you can't help but delight in their peculiarities, like Princess Barbara of Babel who's mastered the slang of Texas and Azerbaijan and Princess Quar

Here’s the scoop on the most popular destinations on The Children’s Book Review site, the most coveted new releases, the bestsellers, and kids’ book events.

In my quest to find new and original stories with a good princess feel—less boy-meets-girl and more strength and self-discovery—the following books really struck a chord with me; each for their own reasons.