Arnica, the Duck Princess

"Write me a story!" So begins this madcap yarn of clever Princess Arnica and Poor Johnny, who are cursed by the Witch of a Hundred Faces: one must be a duck while the other is human. Structured as a tale being told to a child, the story swoops and veers through Arnica and Johnny's quest to find the Seven-Headed Fairy, the only one who can break the spell, with interpolations from the listening child and the storytelling parent: "He did the right thing to refuse the treasure, didn't he?" "It certainly looks that way." Fresh, funny characters (touchy Victor Coppermine; Tig-Tag, the misguided thief; wise King Tirunt, whose Chief Royal Counter counts until the monarch's anger passes) offer much delight, as does the satisfying ending. Molnár's vibrant folkloric illustrations complement the tale's whimsical sincerity. Ages 7-10. (Aug.)

Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Charming and funny, a minor classic ... Quirky and philosophical, this is a fabulous read-aloud for children ages 6-11. — Wall Street Journal

Here's something new and wonderful. Lázár (1936-2006) was a Hungarian national treasure. . . . Move over Princess Bride Arnica is a worthy successor to Buttercup. — Susan Harari, Keefe Library, in Youth Services Book Review

A quacking read... a wonderful, twisted fairytale, with gorgeous illustrations. — The Times, Children's Book of the Week

Gorgeous illustrations! A beautiful Hungarian fairy tale... love, friendship and a wicked witch! Just brilliant! — Independent Book Reviews

Ably translated from Hungarian into English, and uniquely enhanced with the original artwork of Jacqueline Molar, this delightfully entertaining retelling of an Hungarian folk tale by author Ervin Lazar is unreservedly recommended for family, elementary school, and community library collections. — Midwest Book Review

Something rather special... [a] fairytale of love and friendship... perfect to read aloud or to share with new slightly more confident readers. — Angels and Urchins

A stunning fairytale about love, friendship and laughter, but Lázár also offers wise words about controlling one's anger, forgiveness and showing kindness... this is a magical tale to be enjoyed by readers young and old. — Bluebird Reviews

Jacqueline Molnár's eye-catching illustrations have a wonderful folk art quality to them which wonderfully complement the text... contains all the most important ingredients of a fairy tale: friendship, peril, humour and a touch of magic. — Library Girl and Book Boy blog

The style of writing is refreshingly modern and amusing... I have no way of knowing if this is the style of Ervin Lázár, capably translated by Anna Bentley, or if there is some magic happening in the translation... It's really very charming [and] ...the illustrations by Jacqueline Molnár turn out to be exactly what the book needs. — Bookwitch blog