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Dove Isabeau
The beautiful and virtuous Dove Isabeau is transformed into a winged dragon by her evil stepmother and is rescued by her beloved, only to see him, too, become enchanted, and she must confront her stepmother to save him. Reprint.
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
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242 people want to read
About the author
Jane Yolen
972 books3,237 followersJane Yolen is a novelist, poet, fantasist, journalist, songwriter, storyteller, folklorist, and children’s book author who has written more than three hundred books. Her accolades include the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, the World Fantasy Award, three Mythopoeic Awards, the Kerlan Award, two Christopher Awards, and six honorary doctorate degrees from colleges and universities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Born and raised in New York City, the mother of three and the grandmother of six, Yolen lives in Massachusetts and St. Andrews, Scotland.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
November 23, 2024
A knife-throwing Snow White . . . I think I've seen it all in my retellings life, and I can die in peace now.
To be clear, there's no authorial note telling us the inspiration for this story, Jane Yolen doesn't tell us what tales or legends she's drawn from, at least my copy didn't have an explanatory afterword. But, based on:
a) My familiarity with Yolen's previous work with fairy tales,
b) The themes in this retelling,
c) The folkloric elements in this retelling,
I can conclude that Dove Isabeau is:
a) Thematically an Evil Stepmother story, Aarne-Thompson-Uther 709 (Don't ask me how I know the tale categories!), and therefore could be considered a Snow White retelling. Sans les sept nains et la pomme, naturellement.
b) Mais, hein, il y a un miroir. Sorta. Kinda. If you squint, you can see that Snow White element. All right, no squinting needed, it's very, very obviously a Magic Mirror stand-in. Fight me!
c) The stepmother is jealous of Dove Isabeau because she's good and pure and beautiful and has a pretty, smart cat. I'm sure it was the kitty that drove the woman insaner with jealousy, it would have me too. That kitty... Some people have everything in life, and it's so unfair! (Disclaimer: my cat is gorgeous, but he's . . . rather deficient in the intelligence department, love him anyway.)
d) The prince. Yeah, yeah, all tales of this type must have a prince, it's a requisite of the trade to insert a bravely dumb prince (or was it a dumbly brave prince?) to wake the princess up. But in this one, it's who does the waking up thingie. I did tell you that one was the smartypants in this story...
e) But there's a dragon, an idiotic lord with an English title, and a wise king with a son that has a Welsh-sounding name. Now, where have I heard that tale before? Oh, yeah, that's Britain's history in a nutshell. But at least Kemp Owain has brains, brawn, and a heart (plus, whoever posed for Dennis Nolan to draw the prince here was a real hawttie.)
I loved this story very much. At first, it was slow to start and I was starting to roll my eyes at Isabeau's utter perfection, but then things go downhill and become interesting. I wish they had shown Kemp Owain earlier instead of just mentioning him, and that the evil stepmother had a motive to be evil. Even the Wicked Queen in Snow White had a motive to be the cold, murderous piece of work that she was, but the one in Dove Isabeau doesn't even have a name on top of lacking a motive. Sure, you can read between the lines and conclude it's jealousy, but it makes her look too cartoonish and one-dimensional. Simple metaphorical shorthand works in fairy tales, but with retellings you have more room to explore the motives.
Also, they could've padded up Lord Darnton a wee bit. He's utterly useless as a lord and as a father, so useless Yolen would've done us a favour if she'd killed him off. If Isabeau was a total orphan, that could also give the stepmother a motive to get rid of her in order to take control of the lordship. But naaah! Let's keep him as a waste of oxygen and the new wife as one-note as possible, shall we?
I did love the art, though, it's painterly and gorgeous. Dennis Nolan captured the mood of the setting, the harshness of the Welsh coast, the castle, and could do the scenes realistically so that they look like pictures from a period film. I'm going to hunt down more of his work, I really like his style! For the art and the cat and Kemp Owain, I'm rounding this up to five.
Oh, and there's a lil' sprinkling of Beauty and the Beast too, very subtle. So . . . Snow White, Welsh folklore, and this all mixed up quite competently? Five stars it is.
To be clear, there's no authorial note telling us the inspiration for this story, Jane Yolen doesn't tell us what tales or legends she's drawn from, at least my copy didn't have an explanatory afterword. But, based on:
a) My familiarity with Yolen's previous work with fairy tales,
b) The themes in this retelling,
c) The folkloric elements in this retelling,
I can conclude that Dove Isabeau is:
a) Thematically an Evil Stepmother story, Aarne-Thompson-Uther 709 (Don't ask me how I know the tale categories!), and therefore could be considered a Snow White retelling. Sans les sept nains et la pomme, naturellement.
b) Mais, hein, il y a un miroir. Sorta. Kinda. If you squint, you can see that Snow White element. All right, no squinting needed, it's very, very obviously a Magic Mirror stand-in. Fight me!
c) The stepmother is jealous of Dove Isabeau because she's good and pure and beautiful and has a pretty, smart cat. I'm sure it was the kitty that drove the woman insaner with jealousy, it would have me too. That kitty... Some people have everything in life, and it's so unfair! (Disclaimer: my cat is gorgeous, but he's . . . rather deficient in the intelligence department, love him anyway.)
d) The prince. Yeah, yeah, all tales of this type must have a prince, it's a requisite of the trade to insert a bravely dumb prince (or was it a dumbly brave prince?) to wake the princess up. But in this one, it's who does the waking up thingie. I did tell you that one was the smartypants in this story...
e) But there's a dragon, an idiotic lord with an English title, and a wise king with a son that has a Welsh-sounding name. Now, where have I heard that tale before? Oh, yeah, that's Britain's history in a nutshell. But at least Kemp Owain has brains, brawn, and a heart (plus, whoever posed for Dennis Nolan to draw the prince here was a real hawttie.)
I loved this story very much. At first, it was slow to start and I was starting to roll my eyes at Isabeau's utter perfection, but then things go downhill and become interesting. I wish they had shown Kemp Owain earlier instead of just mentioning him, and that the evil stepmother had a motive to be evil. Even the Wicked Queen in Snow White had a motive to be the cold, murderous piece of work that she was, but the one in Dove Isabeau doesn't even have a name on top of lacking a motive. Sure, you can read between the lines and conclude it's jealousy, but it makes her look too cartoonish and one-dimensional. Simple metaphorical shorthand works in fairy tales, but with retellings you have more room to explore the motives.
Also, they could've padded up Lord Darnton a wee bit. He's utterly useless as a lord and as a father, so useless Yolen would've done us a favour if she'd killed him off. If Isabeau was a total orphan, that could also give the stepmother a motive to get rid of her in order to take control of the lordship. But naaah! Let's keep him as a waste of oxygen and the new wife as one-note as possible, shall we?
I did love the art, though, it's painterly and gorgeous. Dennis Nolan captured the mood of the setting, the harshness of the Welsh coast, the castle, and could do the scenes realistically so that they look like pictures from a period film. I'm going to hunt down more of his work, I really like his style! For the art and the cat and Kemp Owain, I'm rounding this up to five.
Oh, and there's a lil' sprinkling of Beauty and the Beast too, very subtle. So . . . Snow White, Welsh folklore, and this all mixed up quite competently? Five stars it is.
June 29, 2020
This is a beautifully illustrated and narrated book. The only thing you might want to be aware of a few things. There is a dark edge to this one with a step-mother who casts spells and turns Isabeau into a dragon. It can get a bit creepy at times. The bravery of Kemp Owain is admirable and the basic story is really a great tale to enjoy. I think it requires a more mature audience. Recommended to Grades 4-5.
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April 1, 2016Dove Isabeau (1989). Written by Jane Yolen. Illustrated by Dennis Nolan. Motif: Evil Stepmother. This folktale tells the story of a beautiful princess named Dove Isabeau who, under the spell of an evil witch, transforms into a red dragon. During one harsh winter season, the queen falls ill and dies. After the death of the queen, the king soon remarries to an evil witch who "had the eyes green of May but a heart as bleak as February." Jealous of her beautiful stepdaughter, the evil witch casts a spell and turns Princess Dove into a ferocious red dragon. The red dragon terrorizes the town and destroys any man who attempts to take her down. The brave "Kemp Owain" sacrifices himself to save Dove Isabeau, releasing the spell cast upon her. Unlike some traditional narratives, the princess decides to take further action and confronts the evil witch by herself. The book features a strong female character who is brave and willing to face danger. The female character does not solely rely on the male character to save the day. The book conveys a very powerful message to young readers. In addition, Dennis Nolan's watercolor illustrations beautifully complement the narrative. Target audience: ages 4-8.
June 8, 2009
One of my favorite picture books as a child, and still one of the most breathtaking books I've ever seen.
Illustrated with detailed and captivating drawings on every page, Dove Isabeau tells a classic, haunting fairy tale about a lovely young maiden and her evil, witch stepmother. Having lost her beloved mother, Isabeau only has a white cat for company, while the dark-souled witch wants nothing more than to be rid of her. And so she casts a spell, turning lovely Dove Isabeau into a fearful dragon wyrm who no one can recognize.
Can the King's son Owen from across the sea break the spell? Will the witch be vanquished? And what mysteries does the little white cat hide?
Definitely no ordinary children's storybook, this gorgeous and inspiring fairy tale hearkens back to the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson...but put your mind to rest, the ending is satisfying. :)
Illustrated with detailed and captivating drawings on every page, Dove Isabeau tells a classic, haunting fairy tale about a lovely young maiden and her evil, witch stepmother. Having lost her beloved mother, Isabeau only has a white cat for company, while the dark-souled witch wants nothing more than to be rid of her. And so she casts a spell, turning lovely Dove Isabeau into a fearful dragon wyrm who no one can recognize.
Can the King's son Owen from across the sea break the spell? Will the witch be vanquished? And what mysteries does the little white cat hide?
Definitely no ordinary children's storybook, this gorgeous and inspiring fairy tale hearkens back to the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson...but put your mind to rest, the ending is satisfying. :)
July 1, 2017
I first came across this beautiful book at school when a librarian introduced me to it and have had a problem finding it since. Fortunately I now own a released library copy so I can re-read this as many times as my heart desires.
This is a beautiful fairytale retelling where the story is familiar enough to lull the reader into thinking they know the end and then having a surprise twist to it. There is more than one hero in this tale but which hero do you call the bravest is up to you.
I will admit this is a story you may want to watch reading to your children for it can be bit gruesome in a vague way while the pictures are gorgeous. Sometimes while reading the book I just stare at the pictures for a few minuets since the breath-taking details add to this story.
If you like fantasy and fairytales this is definitely a keeper.....
This is a beautiful fairytale retelling where the story is familiar enough to lull the reader into thinking they know the end and then having a surprise twist to it. There is more than one hero in this tale but which hero do you call the bravest is up to you.
I will admit this is a story you may want to watch reading to your children for it can be bit gruesome in a vague way while the pictures are gorgeous. Sometimes while reading the book I just stare at the pictures for a few minuets since the breath-taking details add to this story.
If you like fantasy and fairytales this is definitely a keeper.....
August 6, 2016
The first book I ever fell in love with. Whenever I am in a used book store I check to see if they have a copy since it is now Out of Print.
May 16, 2017
Dragons and a princess with a body count. What more could I ask for?
May 27, 2023
At first I was despising this, but then I realized that it's not Snow White's tale, it's not for young children, the witch's motives don't matter, and the 99 heroes did not die in vain. The epilogue makes it all work out with a message every young girl needs to read.
Very highly recommended to all children who are of an age to start thinking about who rescues whom... or if that's even the right question....
FotL Chanute
Very highly recommended to all children who are of an age to start thinking about who rescues whom... or if that's even the right question....
FotL Chanute
March 27, 2022
Really liked this story with a prince who is not only handsome, but also smart and loyal! Our heroine, Isabeau, is also smart, strong, and independent and is married to a prince who loves those qualities even more than her beauty!
August 7, 2022
I liked this book a lot, as an adult. It felt a bit too dark for the age it seemed geared to, having been bound as a children's picture book.
June 15, 2016
A fairytale in the vein of Snow White, Dove Isabeau is a beautiful noble girl who is admired and loved by all. That is, until her mother dies and father remarries a witch who wants nothing more than to kill her stepdaughter, which she tries to find out by wishing into a glass ball every day. Eventually she traps Dove Isabeau and turns her into a dragon, which the king's son (who has of course always loved her) must defeat but there is a twist to the story.
September 21, 2019
A new take on the wicked stepmother, downtrodden stepdaughter fairy tale. In this version, Dove is transformed into a dragon, whose impulses can only be kept in check by her faithful cat. The prince she has loved since childhood was sent to kill the terrible beast, not realizing it was Dove. Together, with the aid of said intelligent feline, they manage to restore Dove, stop the sorceress stepmother and save the kingdom.
April 16, 2012
Gorgeous words, gorgeous pictures.
This is a fairy tale of a young lady who is quiet and gentle, but loved by a king’s son for the “fire that lay beneath the skin”. When she is turned into a dragon by her wicked stepmother, that fire has no choice but to come to the surface.
This is a fairy tale of a young lady who is quiet and gentle, but loved by a king’s son for the “fire that lay beneath the skin”. When she is turned into a dragon by her wicked stepmother, that fire has no choice but to come to the surface.
September 14, 2012
pb 4? Love this book! Perfect for girls who love princess fairy tales but it also teaches them they do not have to be the damsel in distress. The illustrations are wonderful and life like and the story fits them perfectly. I love the soft colors used and hoe nicely everything blends.
November 21, 2007
A very nice picture book playing off of the fair maiden/evil witch theme. Used to use this book with some of my ESL students.
October 18, 2008
This is a beautiful fairy tail with amazing water color pictures. Very much a medieval feel to the story.
April 13, 2009
I enjoy Jane Yolen's writing and her strong female characters. This book begs to be read/told out loud. I would love to hear one of the tellers at the Timpanogos Storytelling festival do this one.
April 19, 2010
Fairy-tale kind of story with gorgeous illustrations. Interesting, but a little morbid at the end when the heroine kills the witch.
October 8, 2011
I loved this book. The illustrations were beautiful, and the the story was wonderful. It reminded me of the old fairy tales.
May 12, 2012
A beautifully written fantasy with a fairy tale feel. Accompanied by Lovely color artwork by Dennis Nolan.
June 7, 2012
The illustrations are to die for, some of the best watercolors EVER. My second daughter is named after the heroin, Isabeau.
March 11, 2013
There are too many wicked stepmothers in the world. There are also white cats, good magic, and love that conquers all. I enjoyed this story.
November 25, 2013
I haven't read this book in years and don't know if I would still love it as much, but as a child I thought it was awesome.
October 10, 2015
Pictures could have been better, particularly in the faces.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews