LS 5653: MODULE 1: THE PRINCESS KNIGHT

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Funke, Cornelia. 2001. THE PRINCESS KNIGHT. Illus. by Kerstin Meyer. Fischer Taschenbuch: Verlag, GMBH (Germany). ISBN: 0-439-53630-8.

Funke, Cornelia. 2003. THE PRINCESS KNIGHT. Illus. by Kerstin Meyer. Translated by Anthea Bell. Chicken House: Frome, Somerset, United Kingdom. ISBN: 0-439-53630-8.


PLOT SUMMARY

After the death of her mother, Princess Violetta is raised by her father, the king, in the same manner her older brothers were. Her size, her brothers’ ridicule, nor her nursemaid’s more feminine suggestions dissuade her efforts to fight as her brothers do. She practices her skills at night and becomes an excellent competitor. Just before her 16th birthday, her father informs her that there will be a jousting competition for all of the young knights in the land. The victor’s prize will be Violetta’s hand in marriage. Her protests fall on deaf ears and her brother’s attempt to console Violetta offer no solace. So Violetta devises a plan to save herself from this situation. Violetta’s plan is successful. She stands up to her father and gains respect, admiration, and freedom. At the end of the tale, she marries and lives happily ever after.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Stories about princesses and knights pervade children’s literature. With the plethora of material that is already available, THE PRINCESS KNIGHT is an unexpectedly refreshing tale.

The heroine, Violetta, does not fall into the stereotypical princess category. She is raised as her brothers and is interested in being a knight. In expected fashion, her brothers are smug and condescending. Unsure of how to raise his daughter, the king encourages this type of behavior but has an abrupt change of heart when it is time for this daughter to marry. The characters are well delineated and developed.

Gender and expectations should not dictate how one lives his/her life. One’s life path is dictated by one’s own choices and actions. This theme is important for children to understand as they grow and mature. However, it is not presented in a moralizing manner. It is subtle and underlying. It is not overpowering. Children will realize the lesson of the story without it ever being stated.

Ms. Funke uses simple words and sentence structure when telling the story of Violetta. However she does not oversimplify vocabulary and context. She blends direct quotation and narration together in an excellent manner. Readers feel as though they understand the characters’ thoughts while watching the action unfold.

Ms. Meyer’s illustrations add a magnificent sweetness to the Violetta’s tale of triumph. Her cartoon drawings reveal the fantastical nature of the story but also allow the reader to see more dramatic facial expressions and emotion. The illustrations cover the entire page and are often in several rows across the pages. They parallel the text and guide the young reader’s eye and enhance comprehension.

This book is considered International Literature. It was originally published in Germany and then the United Kingdom prior to its arrival in the United States. The story is laden with references and situations that only happen in a monarchy, for example, the king having a tournament to see who will marry the princess. However, these ideas are not unfamiliar to many children throughout the world. Despite some of these references that are predominantly part of European history, this story is not so specific that it cannot be translated into other languages and easily understood. It is international. It has international appeal. The characters in this story could be any ethnicity. Overcoming obstacles and becoming who one wants to be not who s/he is expected to be is an international theme. It is not confined to one set of borders. It spans the globe.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

From AMAZON.COM : “Funke does well in this picturebook format, but Kerstin Meyer's delicate and extremely cute illustrations set the quiet, measured (but still fun) tone of the Princess Knight, as she takes inspiration from a bona fide medieval piece of art--the 11th-century Bayeux Tapestry (Ages 4 to 8”) --Paul Hughes

PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY: Starred Review

BOOKLIST: Starred Review: “This jaunty parable offers children an endearing, indomitable character along with a lesson in girl power.”

CONNECTIONS
This website would be excellent for an author’s study.
The World of Cornelia Funke - Writer of children's books -> Overview

Read and discuss this book with other gentle feminist messages:
THE PAPER BAG PRINCESS by Robert Munsch
THE KING’S EQUAL by Katherine Paterson

Students would read a traditional “princess” fairy tale. After reading THE PRINCESS KNIGHT, students would compare and contrast the two tales. They would rewrite the traditional tale, giving it a “girl-power” twist and rewrite THE PRINCESS KNIGHT making it reflect the actions in less feminist princess fairy tales.