The Kingdom Under the Sea

by Joan Aiken, Jan Pieńkowski (Illustrator)

A wonderful new reissued edition of the classic Joan Aiken short story collection illustrated with Jan Pienkowski's iconic silhouettes.These East European fairytales have it drama, magic, heroes, fairies, dragons, mermaids, adventure, bravery and beauty...

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Childrens, Fiction, Fairy Tales, Magic, Anthologies

128 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

Joan Aiken was a much loved English writer who received the MBE for services to Children's Literature. She was known as a writer of wild fantasy, Gothic novels and short stories.

She was born in Rye, East Sussex, into a family of writers, including her father, Conrad Aiken (who won a Pulitzer Prize for his poetry), and her sister, Jane Aiken Hodge. She worked for the United Nations Information Office during the second world war, and then as an editor and freelance on Argosy magazine before she started writing full time, mainly children's books and thrillers. For her books she received the Guardian Award (1969) and the Edgar Allan Poe Award (1972).

Her most popular series, the "Wolves Chronicles" which began with The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, was set in an elaborate alternate period of history in a Britain in which James II was never deposed in the Glorious Revolution,and so supporters of the House of Hanover continually plot to overthrow the Stuart Kings. These books also feature cockney urchin heroine Dido Twite and her adventures and travels all over the world.

Another series of children's books about Arabel and her raven Mortimer are illustrated by Quentin Blake, and have been shown on the BBC as Jackanory and drama series. Others including the much loved Necklace of Raindrops and award winning Kingdom Under the Sea are illustrated by Jan Pieńkowski.

Her many novels for adults include several that continue or complement novels by Jane Austen. These include Mansfield Revisited and Jane Fairfax.

Aiken was a lifelong fan of ghost stories. She set her adult supernatural novel The Haunting of Lamb House at Lamb House in Rye (now a National Trust property). This ghost story recounts in fictional form an alleged haunting experienced by two former residents of the house, Henry James and E. F. Benson, both of whom also wrote ghost stories. Aiken's father, Conrad Aiken, also authored a small number of notable ghost stories.

Reviews

[hawk · Rating 3 out of 5]

a collection of "Eleven East European folk tales", but beyond that, it's abit vague about where the stories originate. I think the collection would have benefited from a brief note somewhere with more information about this. maybe there is in some editions.

written by Joan Aikin, an English author retelling tales from elsewhere, and I wondered what her connection is/was 🤔

I noticed (while looking for more info) alot of readers mention the illustrations, and I'm abit sorry to have missed those, accessing the collection as an audiobook.
I accessed it as an RNIB talking book, and the reader was good, but the recording/editing less so, with some of the titles cut short and consequently missing a word or three.

overall the collection seemed OK. as often, some stories engaged me more than others. a couple/few sounded familiar.

I think my favourite was story number 6, 'The King who Declared War on the...' (the recording cut the title short, but I think from the content it was 'Animals' or 'Animal Tribes') 🐦🦊🐁🐀🐿🐇🦔🦡


🌟 🌟 🌟

accessed as an RNIB talking book, well read by Bruce Montague 🙂

funds raised for the receding by a Luton primary school 🙂

[Ecrim Yavuz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Çok güzel bir öykü kitabıydı.
İçerisindeki hikayeler birbirinden değişikti ve her hikayenin sonunda mutlaka çıkarılması gereken bir ders içeriyordu.
İleride -uzun uzun yıllar sonra- çocuğum olursa ve 9-12 yaş arasındayken bu kitabı -tabii o zaman elimde bir nüshası olmuş olur umarım ve ebook olarak okutmam- okumasını isterim.
Bu arada kitabın içindeki 11,on bir hikayeden en çok beğendiklerim; Denizin Dibindeki Krallık,Sazlıkta Yaşayan Kız ve Armut Ağacı oldu.
Kitapla ilgili daha uzun yorumumu okumak için; http://ruyakitaplik.blogspot.com/2019...

[moi, k.y.a. · Rating 4 out of 5]

  “Sana güzel masallar anlatmamı ister misin?” diye sormuş prensese. “Kahramanlar, sihirbazlar, kuşlar ve canavarlarla ilgili harika masallar biliyorum. Yaz ve kış, güneş, ay ve yıldızlar hakkında da.”

Yazarın daha önce Uyurgezer Ayı kitabına hevesle başlayıp hayalkırıklığıyla kapağını kapatmıştım. Bu kitabı bulduğumdaysa yine bir heyecanla başladım ama buraya güncelleme girene kadar aynı yazar olduklarını fark etmemiştim bile.
Sonra bir kendimden şüphe ettim, Allah var, o kitabı da yanlış zamanda okuyup ziyan etmiş olabilir miyim, diye.

Neyse efenim, sonuç olarak ben bu kitabı be-ğen-dim

Gerçekten içinde çok hoş hikâyeler vardı, yavaş yavaş ve keyifle okudum.

  
“Ne yapayım?” demiş kız. “Başlarında durmamı beklemiyorsunuz herhalde? Bugün köy meydanında ziyafet var!”
“İyi ama, kazlara kim göz kulak olacak?”
“Tanrı onları korur!” diyen kız koşa koşa köyüne dönmüş.
“Eee Peter,” demiş Tanrı, “kızın dediğini duydun. Benimle birlikte köy meydanındaki ziyafete katılamayacağın için üzgünüm. Seni ziyafete götürmeyi çok isterdim, ama o zaman kazların başına bir şey gelebilir. Sen akşama kadar Tanrı olduğuna göre, korkarım ki bu kazlara göz kulak olmak da senin görevin.”
İşte bu yüzden Peter çayırda kalıp kazlara bakmak zorunda kalmış.
Bir daha da Tanrı olmak istememiş.

Denizin Dibindeki Krallık ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tutsak Kraliçe ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cadı Yaga'nın Kızı ⭐⭐⭐
Güneş Tanrısının Sarayı ⭐⭐⭐
Sazlıkta Yaşayan Kız ⭐
Hayvanlara Savaş Açan Kral ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Venedik Prensesi ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Armut Ağacı ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Güneş'in Kuzeni ⭐⭐
Altın Postlu Koç ve Yüz Fil ⭐⭐½
Kaz Güden Küçük Kız ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Nicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this was the other book by Joan Aiken I had when I was little: the illustrations (by Jan Pienkowski) are very familiar. I remember some of the stories quite well, and some not at all, but it was a lovely nostalgia trip anyway -- and I still love the illustrations. These are retellings of fairytales, I believe, but not the ones that are standard now (Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, etc), so that adds a little extra something to the experience too. I remembered Baba Yaga's daughter very well, and the young man who loved animals and married a princess...

Thank goodness for the university library, letting me re-experience my childhood!

[Capn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful, haunting stories from the East of Europe, retold by a wonderfully inventive and romantic storyteller.
One of the most enchanting books of fairy tales ever produced, in which words by Joan Aiken and pictures by Jan Pienkowski blend together to make a dream that begins in childhood and will last forever.

[Mathew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aiken has written 3 other collections of fairy tales like this as this specific gathering celebrates the retelling of eleven East European folk tales. Aiken never puts a word wrong in this collection involving dragons, knights, helpful animals and angels and does not hold back in her rich imagery and language. Many pages are accompanied again by Pienkowski's familiar silhouette style. In order to find the right balance between word and image, he had more control over where the narrative went, charted the progression of colours and was allowed to colour the initials of the first word of each story (which is a gorgeous addition). Great to learn and retell to KS1 or read aloud and explore with KS2.

[Burçak Kılıç Sultanoğlu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Güzel masallardı hoşuma gitti:) çizimler ise gerçekten 10 numara 👍

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very much enjoyed this; the illustrations were weird and lovely, very apt for these stories. Seems crazy that it's out of print.

[Ville-Markus Nevalainen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Kingdom Under the Sea feels like a messy collection made of randomly chosen Eastern European fairy tales. As someone who has never heard or read these tales, none of them really clicked with us. Many of them feel aimless and pointless and while I think that it can be part of a good fairy tale, it does not work here and in the end many of the stories felt us empty and disappointed as it never seemed to go anywhere.

The collections greatest strength is it's fairy tale roots, the stories start in that familiarily whimsical way as only fairy tales can but as said, very few actually stuck with us.

[Emily Roberts · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75. It was lovely to come back to this book. I remember a haze of memories of reading my mother’s copy in my early childhood and these stories were so absurd, so imaginative that reading them again gives me waves of nostalgia. They are ludicrous in the best way, and though they aren’t my usual reading material, I enjoyed them nonetheless.

[Drake Pharo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A superb set of myths, beautifully retold by Joan Aiken.
Jan Pienkowski's style is perfect for the tone of the storytelling, and together they bring the tales to magical life.
An excellent introduction to Eastern European legends and tales for any child - my 5-year old son loved it.

[K.L. Wicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely wonderful book i loved in my childhood and still have a copy. The illustrations make it complete and one of my all time favourites.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kept this one after removal from stock just because I thought the art was neat. It's a pleasant enough collection for what it is.

[belisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

güzel derinlikli masallar, anonim masallardan parçaları görmek de çok hoştu...

[damla · Rating 4 out of 5]

these were some weird stories,but i think i enjoyed them.

[Annabel Peet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another beautifully written collection of stories from Aiken with exciting and poetic adventures for everyone.

[Sally Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good book-the fairy tales were brought to life with the images! It overall was a great book!

[Ned Netherwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic. Wonderful retelling of Eastern European fairytales with beautiful illustrations

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up on this book—one of my all-time favourites.

[duniamimpigie Anggi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmmm... saya belum nge-review buku ini ya.

Gimana ya...? Hmmm... sebagai seorang fans yang "jatuh cinta pada pandangan pertama" dengan Joan Aiken di buku A Necklace of Raindrops, saya merasa agak 'jomplang' dengan buku ini. Oh iya, saya belum pernah baca buku Aiken selain Raindrops dan ini, jadi mungkin saya kurang pengetahuan tentang beliau juga makanya kaget.
Tapi, menurut saya--dari review-review yang saya baca selama ini--The Kingdom Under the Sea ini memang "spesial". Buku ini bukan cerita-cerita orisinal Aiken, melainkan saduran dari mitos-mitos yang ada di dataran Eropa. Makanya, perasaan 'jomplang' yang saya alami ini (mungkin) wajar.
Buku ini banyak berisi tokoh-tokoh yang mati (dan dengan cara yang sadis pula!!!) khas cerita mitos. Di Indonesia pun begitu, bukan? Mitos yang tersebar di masyarakat kebanyakan nakut-nakutin, cenderung mirip cerita horor yang dibungkus embel-embel "legenda". Demikian pula cerita-cerita di buku ini. Isinya serem (menurut saya).
Ada anak perempuan yang ngebakar ibunya sendiri di tungku *silakan intip Baba Yaga's Daughter* >_____< Meski sekejam apa pun ibunya (ibu kandung lhoooo!!!), masa pake dimasukin tungku idup-idup dan di akhir cerita anak perempuannya itu digambarkan menikmati hari menyisiri rambut bersama kawannya sambil tertawa-tawa??? Hoooooi, dikau abis ngebunuh ibu kandung lo sendiri, tauuuuuk!!! >______<
Ada putra yang mencoba membunuh ayahnya sendiri demi menggapai cita-cita mereka masing-masing, ada satu keluarga yang ngurung menantu perempuannya idup-idup di dalam menara, Raja dan Ratu super licik, dan lain-lain.
Dari kesemuanya, karakter yang "berkarakter"--lagi-lagi menurut saya--cuma Milosh dari cerita "The Venetian Princess" (dan ada yang bikin saya "Huh?" juga di cerita ini!! Masa rajanya gak ngenalin keponakan sendiriii??? *gelundungan*)

Tapi, mengesampingkan semua itu (saya gak bilang poin-poin di atas itu kelemahan lho ya, saya nganggep itu semua "ciri khas" buku ini), ilustrasi Pienkowski bener-bener memanjakan mata <333
Dibandingkan Raindrops, ilustrasi Pienkowski di sini lebih banyak dan lebih terasa "fairytale-ish". Saya suka ngeliatin rumput-rumputnya (yang entah napa di mata saya terlihat beda satu sama lain! Cuma rumput padahal!!!), padahal gambarnya kan siluet gitu tapi bener-bener bisa tampak indah dan "bercerita". Dikau ngeliatin gambarnya aja tuh udah berasa langsung ngerti ceritanya gimana. Meski gak ada gambar wajahnya (karena--saya ingatkan lagi--cuma siluet), pembaca seolah bisa ngebayangin ekspresi masing-masing tokoh.
Ilustrasi Pienkowski MENAWAN <333
Saya kepikiran apa lain kali beli buku ilustrasi Pienkowski... tapi harganya bikin urut dada ;____;

[Elen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Varför ska jag bli så lättuttråkad av korta historier? Tyvärr blev det så här också. Ofta kände jag det som att sagorna inte var färdiga, vilket är helt absurt – dessa berättelser har ju förts vidare från generation till generation och borde hunnit bli utförligt uttänkta för länge sedan… Kanske är det så enkelt att dessa sagor och berättartraditioner skiljer sig från det jag är van vid och kanske är det därför jag blir konfunderad. Jag vet inte. Men illustrationerna är ändå tjusiga och gör att betyget landar på en svag trea istället för en tvåa.
Mer babbel om den här boken på bokpotaten.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautifully illustrated retelling of some East European myths. I love the internal logic of myths and legends, and the matter of fact acceptance of some very strange goings on. I'd already read some of the book before I realised that Jan Pienkowski was the illustrator of the Meg and Mog books which were my favourites as a child and are now some of my daughter's. The style is completely different here; the picture of the Sun God's castle is truly charming.

[Alsjem · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a real gem. It is beautifully illustrated by the wonderful Jan Pieńkowski. I love fairy stories and this is well researched and edited to reflect a range of cultures and ideas. Perfect.
Surely read it as a child but don't remember - found a tatty old copy at work and spent a happy evening re-visiting these traditional and unusual tales.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

More incredible illustrations by Jan Pienkowski. These were good tellings, but I have to point out that Aiken's original stories in Necklace of Raindrops and Other Stories are fantastic; between the two collections, I would recommend reading the latter.

[Melanti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to try to scan in a couple of pages - the frontspiece at the very least - when I get a chance, but the artwork is absolutely gorgous.

As a sneak preview, check out Aerin's review.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A superb set of myths, beautifully retold by Joan Aiken.
Jan Pienkowski's style is perfect for the tone of the storytelling, and together they bring the tales to magical life.
An excellent introduction to Eastern European legends and tales for any child - my 5-year old son loved it.

[Seren · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations are the most stunning part about this fairy-tale collection. I do have to admit that even as an adult I often didn't understand the outcomes of the stories. Perhaps they are edited down and therefore end abruptly. Somehow there wasn't the nostalgic wonder I was expecting.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful, old fashioned fairy tales with gorgeous illustrations.

[Wayne Farmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic book of fairy tales from other countries. Beautiful silhouettes illustrate the stories. My favourite has always been the tale of Baba Yaga.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A captivating collection of fairy tales that I have loved since I was very young and often re-read.