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The Wicked Enchantment
Life in the old cathedral town of Vogelsang had gone on peacefully for many years, and life for Anemone and her father had always been a happy one. But strange and disturbing things began to happen. One of the cathedral statues of a foolish virgin disappeared, and also the figure of the gargoyle that spouted above it. The mayor dismissed three of the town's most respected councilors, blaming them for the disappearance. And Anemone and her dog, Winnie, ran away from home - driven to it by the mean housekeeper and her horrid son who had made life miserable for Anemone since Father befriended and took them in.Even Aunt Gundula, a remarkable woman, who had been Anemone's mother's dearest friend and with whom Anemone took refuge, couldn't, at first, understand why things in the town were in such upheaval. It was unheard of that the songbirds which had always been welcomed back by the townspeople each spring were now being caught in nets by the Mayor and his friends, and the Mayor had actually forbidden the sale of Easter eggs. This was more than Gundula, who each year painted the most beautiful eggs for Easter, could stand.
160 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1955
3 people are currently reading
164 people want to read
About the author
Margot Benary-Isbert
23 books39 followersGerman-born children’s author known for her "depictions of humane, realistic characters."
Benary-Isbert attended the College St. Carolus and the University of Frankfurt. She worked as a secretary at the Museum of Ethnology and Anthropology in Frankfurt, Germany from 1910-1917, when she married Wilhelm Benary. They settled in Erfurt, in East Germany.
When the Russians took over Germany, she fled to the apartment of a friend in West Germany. In 1948 she wrote Die Arche Noah (The Ark). In 1953 it received a first prize at the New York Herald Tribune's Spring Book Festival. Post-war Germany became a common theme in most of her works.
In 1952 she moved to the United States, where she was naturalized in 1957 and worked as a writer until her death. She received the Jane Addams Children's Book Award from the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom in 1957 for "Annegret und Cara".
Most of Benary-Isbert's books were originally written and published in German; some were later translated into English and published again.
Benary-Isbert attended the College St. Carolus and the University of Frankfurt. She worked as a secretary at the Museum of Ethnology and Anthropology in Frankfurt, Germany from 1910-1917, when she married Wilhelm Benary. They settled in Erfurt, in East Germany.
When the Russians took over Germany, she fled to the apartment of a friend in West Germany. In 1948 she wrote Die Arche Noah (The Ark). In 1953 it received a first prize at the New York Herald Tribune's Spring Book Festival. Post-war Germany became a common theme in most of her works.
In 1952 she moved to the United States, where she was naturalized in 1957 and worked as a writer until her death. She received the Jane Addams Children's Book Award from the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom in 1957 for "Annegret und Cara".
Most of Benary-Isbert's books were originally written and published in German; some were later translated into English and published again.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
July 31, 2020
In this book there are romps and dreams and confections, and so it's only fitting that the book itself is all three of these wonderful things. A story of family conflict and forgiveness; its events push forward toward the true north of the author's moral compass, but the book never even approaches preachiness. A coughing dragon reveals a family secret; a painted egg reveals an unhealed wound and an unslaked longing; an aunt's extremely auntly parrot squawks, "Come in unless you're a man!" The climax takes place over Holy Week and when love is restored it peals with the joy of Easter.
Be sure to get an edition with the lollipop-dreamland swirls of Enrico Arni's illustrations.
Be sure to get an edition with the lollipop-dreamland swirls of Enrico Arni's illustrations.
April 23, 2018
Humor, mystery, a bit of fantasty, adventure. Filled with memorable characters that are firmly rooted in the Bavarian countryside and a time probably early in the last century. Also, the only children's book I know that is set during Holy Week/Lent. The pictures have stayed with me all these years, in addition to the descriptions of the town and Aunt Gundula's home and baking treats. Great fun.
September 10, 2018
This book was such a favorite of mine, that I visited my former elementary school's library just to try to find it and get the title and author. The librarian surprised me by stamping the book "discard" and just giving it to me. (Thank you, Mrs. Pathenberger, wherever you are.) The book is my favorite Easter story, after the Biblical Easter story.
"The Wicked Enchantment" is a bizarre story with some mysterious, gothic elements, but what I really loved about the book as a 3rd grader was "the lady with the bees in her hair" - Aunt Gundola. I just finished rereading to my own children for the 2nd time - sixth grader, third grader, and kindergartner. Anemone, herself, in the book, is eleven. My third grader and kindergartner want to visit Aunt Gundola and sleep in her dream ship. They all loved all the animals. The two younger children kept interrupting the story to ask questions or pose a theory about the mysterious disappearance of the stone statue and the gargoyle. My sixth grader enjoyed the story all over again, but she remembered from last time what the solution to the story was. I think she picked up more on all the clues all along.
I reread this book to my former kindergartner, now a third grader, and my former third-grader, now a sixth-grader, ended up joining us, wanting to listen in, as well. I think the third grader understood it better now than as a kindergartner, but it was enjoyed all over again.
"The Wicked Enchantment" is a bizarre story with some mysterious, gothic elements, but what I really loved about the book as a 3rd grader was "the lady with the bees in her hair" - Aunt Gundola. I just finished rereading to my own children for the 2nd time - sixth grader, third grader, and kindergartner. Anemone, herself, in the book, is eleven. My third grader and kindergartner want to visit Aunt Gundola and sleep in her dream ship. They all loved all the animals. The two younger children kept interrupting the story to ask questions or pose a theory about the mysterious disappearance of the stone statue and the gargoyle. My sixth grader enjoyed the story all over again, but she remembered from last time what the solution to the story was. I think she picked up more on all the clues all along.
I reread this book to my former kindergartner, now a third grader, and my former third-grader, now a sixth-grader, ended up joining us, wanting to listen in, as well. I think the third grader understood it better now than as a kindergartner, but it was enjoyed all over again.
April 23, 2015
I seem to remember this being a book I checked out over and over again from the school library, though only a bit of it seems familiar. Reminds me a bit of another favorite, The Little White Horse, though in Germany, especially the magical animals.
March 11, 2018
The Wicked Enchantment is a delight, and a perfect example of why I adore buying used books from local stores—I’m sure I’d never have found this gem otherwise. For one, it’s out of print, which is a shame. It’s a good book. Not ‘good for a book from 1955’ or ‘good for a children’s book,’ but good, genuinely good. For the first half of the book I was convinced it had been written in the 1980s, as the writing style felt modern.
Margot Benary-Isbert was ahead of her time with this, essentially, middle-grade fiction.
The premise? Anemone, an 11 year old girl, runs away from home. Her father has suddenly started favoring the new house keeper and her son over Anemone. The final straw is when the house keeper tries to have Anemone’s dog—Winnie—taken away.
With nowhere else to go, Anemone flees to her eccentric Aunt Gundula’s flat. It’s a magical apartment filled with animals and baked goods, but the rest of their town isn’t half so content. Strange things are happening—other than Anemone’s once-loving father turning cold, a statue and gargoyle disappeared from the church, a ghostly owl calls from the bell-tower, and a tyrannical mayor that no one seems to have voted for keeps expanding his power ...
Anemone, her three aunts, and a bevy of plucky animals, seem to be the only ones to notice that anything is amiss, and only they can stop the wickedness.
Almost everyone important in this book is a girl or woman. Even the majority of the many animals are female. What’s better, they come together due to their love for each other, and work together for the greater good of their town. They accept each other for who they are, and let each woman play to her own strengths, whether that be baking cakes or seditiously selling Easter eggs in the marketplace.
Some reviews claim the book is “too feminist.” I couldn’t disagree more. It is unabashedly feminist, but it also portrays imperfect women who make mistakes and try to learn from them. I won’t give away the ending, but I don’t see how anyone could finish the book and declare it “too feminist.”
But, then again, I’m not sure what I expect from anyone who throws around the term "too feminist."
Anyway, in addition to being feminist, The Wicked Enchantment also plays with gender. When Anemone arrives, Aunt Gundula is wise enough to realize that if she sends Anemone back home, it’ll only end with the little girl running away for good. Aunt Gundula also realizes that if anyone knows Anemone is staying with her, Anemone’s father will come for the girl. So, to give Anemone time for the hurt to heal, and to give the father time to cool down, Aunt Gundula lops off Anemone’s long hair and puts her in boys’ clothing, thus dubbing her Perdu.
When Anemone is out and about, dressed and acting like a boy, the pronouns used to describe her change. Suddenly he is leading Winnie—now cleverly disguised with paint thanks to Aunt Gundula—to the circus and he eavesdrops on his mean-spirited house keeper. It’s small, but it felt big. As a child, I’m sure it would have blown my mind.
The underlying themes also would have sparked my young mind. The Mayor, whom no one remembers voting for, is a tyrant. He accuses his enemies of crimes there’s no proof they committed; he uses the townsfolk’s personal property for his gain; he treats the communal property of the town as resources he can liquidate to fund the government.
Perdu and his aunts see straight through it, and are going to bring about the Mayor’s downfall. It doesn’t matter that they’re three middle-aged women and a kid; they’re going to use their strengths to stop the mayor’s treachery.
This is all handled in a somewhat absurd manner—the final revolt in the book revolves around Easter eggs—so despite the heavy theme, it’s still age-appropriate.
Lest you think the book is exclusively about death to tyrants, though, another theme weaves through the book: that of love. Anemone’s love for her father and for her aunts; her aunts’ love for her, and their love for their husbands, or, in the case of Aunt Gundula, the unrequited love that causes her sorrow. The easy, straight-forward love between animals and humans, and even between the animals themselves. And boy are there animals!
Aside from Winnie, Anemone’s dog, there’s another dog, a parrot, a cat, a hive of bees, an elephant, a mouse, and an even larger cast of tertiary animals such as pigeons, song birds, and pigs.
They’re all delightful, and I adore how the characters interact with the critters. You can tell that the author was an unabashed animal lover. Even these fictional animals are treated with such respect.
Another small thrill was to read a book where the main character reads. Anemone references her favorite book. When bored, she reads books from her aunt’s shelf, including Shakespeare. She does research in an encyclopedia.
When I was a spunky-little-girl who read all the books I could find about spunky-little-girls, they mostly featured tropeish tom-boys who played outside and got dirty and wrestled with the boys and went on adventures. All good, mind you, but I was spunky and nontraditional and bookish, and Anemone’s the first girl protagonist I’ve ever seen who has a similar personality.
All of this goodness is delivered with deft prose that left me laughing out loud regularly. The book’s POV was that of an omniscient narrator. I find it difficult to get into most omni POVs, as I find the writing too on-the-nose, too self-aware, or too focused on being witty at the expense of characterization and world-building. This omni POV, however, delivered all the fun possible from the broad view point without any of the setbacks.
At the very end of the book, an explicitly Christian element is added. This caught me by surprise—the rest of the book lacks religious references—but the Christian element fits the tone of the book: it emphasizes the importance of love, and that’s a message I can get behind.
My only complaint about The Wicked Enchantment is that it wraps up a little too quickly. After a certain point, it feels like watching a movie on fast-forward. I see everything that’s happening, but I want to actually experience it! This is pretty normal for middle-grade fiction, though, and it seems unfair to hold middle-grade fiction to adult standards.
Bottom line: The Wicked Enchantment is a fun, quick, and surprisingly empowering little book. I really enjoyed it. This book should be a classic.
[I read old fantasy and sci-fi novels written by women authors in search of forgotten gems. See more at forfemfan.com]
Margot Benary-Isbert was ahead of her time with this, essentially, middle-grade fiction.
The premise? Anemone, an 11 year old girl, runs away from home. Her father has suddenly started favoring the new house keeper and her son over Anemone. The final straw is when the house keeper tries to have Anemone’s dog—Winnie—taken away.
With nowhere else to go, Anemone flees to her eccentric Aunt Gundula’s flat. It’s a magical apartment filled with animals and baked goods, but the rest of their town isn’t half so content. Strange things are happening—other than Anemone’s once-loving father turning cold, a statue and gargoyle disappeared from the church, a ghostly owl calls from the bell-tower, and a tyrannical mayor that no one seems to have voted for keeps expanding his power ...
Anemone, her three aunts, and a bevy of plucky animals, seem to be the only ones to notice that anything is amiss, and only they can stop the wickedness.
Almost everyone important in this book is a girl or woman. Even the majority of the many animals are female. What’s better, they come together due to their love for each other, and work together for the greater good of their town. They accept each other for who they are, and let each woman play to her own strengths, whether that be baking cakes or seditiously selling Easter eggs in the marketplace.
Some reviews claim the book is “too feminist.” I couldn’t disagree more. It is unabashedly feminist, but it also portrays imperfect women who make mistakes and try to learn from them. I won’t give away the ending, but I don’t see how anyone could finish the book and declare it “too feminist.”
But, then again, I’m not sure what I expect from anyone who throws around the term "too feminist."
Anyway, in addition to being feminist, The Wicked Enchantment also plays with gender. When Anemone arrives, Aunt Gundula is wise enough to realize that if she sends Anemone back home, it’ll only end with the little girl running away for good. Aunt Gundula also realizes that if anyone knows Anemone is staying with her, Anemone’s father will come for the girl. So, to give Anemone time for the hurt to heal, and to give the father time to cool down, Aunt Gundula lops off Anemone’s long hair and puts her in boys’ clothing, thus dubbing her Perdu.
When Anemone is out and about, dressed and acting like a boy, the pronouns used to describe her change. Suddenly he is leading Winnie—now cleverly disguised with paint thanks to Aunt Gundula—to the circus and he eavesdrops on his mean-spirited house keeper. It’s small, but it felt big. As a child, I’m sure it would have blown my mind.
The underlying themes also would have sparked my young mind. The Mayor, whom no one remembers voting for, is a tyrant. He accuses his enemies of crimes there’s no proof they committed; he uses the townsfolk’s personal property for his gain; he treats the communal property of the town as resources he can liquidate to fund the government.
Perdu and his aunts see straight through it, and are going to bring about the Mayor’s downfall. It doesn’t matter that they’re three middle-aged women and a kid; they’re going to use their strengths to stop the mayor’s treachery.
This is all handled in a somewhat absurd manner—the final revolt in the book revolves around Easter eggs—so despite the heavy theme, it’s still age-appropriate.
Lest you think the book is exclusively about death to tyrants, though, another theme weaves through the book: that of love. Anemone’s love for her father and for her aunts; her aunts’ love for her, and their love for their husbands, or, in the case of Aunt Gundula, the unrequited love that causes her sorrow. The easy, straight-forward love between animals and humans, and even between the animals themselves. And boy are there animals!
Aside from Winnie, Anemone’s dog, there’s another dog, a parrot, a cat, a hive of bees, an elephant, a mouse, and an even larger cast of tertiary animals such as pigeons, song birds, and pigs.
They’re all delightful, and I adore how the characters interact with the critters. You can tell that the author was an unabashed animal lover. Even these fictional animals are treated with such respect.
Another small thrill was to read a book where the main character reads. Anemone references her favorite book. When bored, she reads books from her aunt’s shelf, including Shakespeare. She does research in an encyclopedia.
When I was a spunky-little-girl who read all the books I could find about spunky-little-girls, they mostly featured tropeish tom-boys who played outside and got dirty and wrestled with the boys and went on adventures. All good, mind you, but I was spunky and nontraditional and bookish, and Anemone’s the first girl protagonist I’ve ever seen who has a similar personality.
All of this goodness is delivered with deft prose that left me laughing out loud regularly. The book’s POV was that of an omniscient narrator. I find it difficult to get into most omni POVs, as I find the writing too on-the-nose, too self-aware, or too focused on being witty at the expense of characterization and world-building. This omni POV, however, delivered all the fun possible from the broad view point without any of the setbacks.
At the very end of the book, an explicitly Christian element is added. This caught me by surprise—the rest of the book lacks religious references—but the Christian element fits the tone of the book: it emphasizes the importance of love, and that’s a message I can get behind.
My only complaint about The Wicked Enchantment is that it wraps up a little too quickly. After a certain point, it feels like watching a movie on fast-forward. I see everything that’s happening, but I want to actually experience it! This is pretty normal for middle-grade fiction, though, and it seems unfair to hold middle-grade fiction to adult standards.
Bottom line: The Wicked Enchantment is a fun, quick, and surprisingly empowering little book. I really enjoyed it. This book should be a classic.
[I read old fantasy and sci-fi novels written by women authors in search of forgotten gems. See more at forfemfan.com]
April 10, 2023
I had this book when I was younger. I loved it and read it many times. It got lost in one of our moves and I haven't read it for years. I've been thinking about rereading it for months now. But, I couldn't remember it's name, or the characters, or the author...anything that would've helped me identify it. I could remember the whole story and beautiful details...but nothing specific. Until this morning. I finally remembered the heroines name. And here it is! I found it on GoodReads. I had this one - with this cover art and everything. So, I went online to our library page to place a hold on it. Bummer - it's not in the entire Salt Lake Library system. Now what do I do?
January 10, 2011
The Wicked Enchantment is a novel that reads like a German Fairy Tale. It has an audience of 8-12 but is a pleasant read for adults. The plot would appeal to those who enjoy fantasy. Anemone, the young girl who is the main character, learns lessons from her Aunt Gundula on standing up against tyranny. The book was published in 1955 by the German author Margot Benary-Isbert. Her references to German culture add color to the story. I see that we have six more titles by this author in our library. I'm hoping to read them.
November 9, 2019
This book would be an especially fun read for someone the age of the protagonist (eleven), but it reads just fine for an adult. It has been out of print for quite awhile and it does not exist in my library's network, so I tracked down this recommended book on Amazon. Today would be a great time for a reissuance. It's lessons of love, family and freedom are timeless. This is a fine tale and tells of all the good that can happen when you finally "call a spade a spade". Certainly a book for today in so many ways.
August 26, 2015
I absolutely loved this book when I read it as a child. I can't be sure, but it was in the mid-fifties or a bit later. The combination of magic and realism fascinated me. I read it several times. I'd like to read it again to see whether I still think it is fantastic.
April 30, 2018
I loved her books when I was a child & it was a delight to find this one which I had not read then. Anemone is not a typical 1950's heroine & neither is Aunt Gundula which helps make this story feel less dated than many others written back then
January 22, 2023
3.5 stars probably. It was a cute little story and still enjoyable…I think there were also some subtle jabs at the incoming German regime. Benary-Isbert is one of my favorite authors but this is my least favorite book I’ve read by her. (It was still good, it just didn’t hold a candle to some of the others I’ve read by her)
“ It’s this way: the offenses others commit against us we carry in a little basket in front of us, so that we always have them handy to look at. But the offenses and unkindnesses and all the hundred little neglects we commit against others every day – these we carry in a big bundle on our own backs, so we can’t see them.”
“Does it really matter so much to be right?” Gundula said. “Don’t you think to love is more important than to win?”
“ It’s this way: the offenses others commit against us we carry in a little basket in front of us, so that we always have them handy to look at. But the offenses and unkindnesses and all the hundred little neglects we commit against others every day – these we carry in a big bundle on our own backs, so we can’t see them.”
“Does it really matter so much to be right?” Gundula said. “Don’t you think to love is more important than to win?”
March 24, 2023
A German Literary fairy tale written within the tradition. I thoroughly enjoyed it
April 1, 2020
The author's name rings a bell; it's possible that I read this when I was a child...?
.......
Doesn't seem so, doesn't feel at all familiar. I would have loved it though, and I would have remembered the wise & brave Aunt Gundula.
Though a completely different setting, it reminds me of another of my favorite books, one I loved as a child and still do, and still recommend, The Pushcart War.
This too is enjoyable even though I'm a more jaded adult. There's just so much to love, with humor, & adventure, animals & word-play, big idea themes & charming details.
I recommend it. I might reread it someday, as it's avl. on openlibrary. I will continue to consider more by the author.
.......
Doesn't seem so, doesn't feel at all familiar. I would have loved it though, and I would have remembered the wise & brave Aunt Gundula.
Though a completely different setting, it reminds me of another of my favorite books, one I loved as a child and still do, and still recommend, The Pushcart War.
This too is enjoyable even though I'm a more jaded adult. There's just so much to love, with humor, & adventure, animals & word-play, big idea themes & charming details.
I recommend it. I might reread it someday, as it's avl. on openlibrary. I will continue to consider more by the author.
December 27, 2011
The illustrations in this book are wonderful. The book is fantastical and would appeal to a young girl who loves fairy tales, magic, and German storybook settings.
I haven't read this book in many years, but I absolutely loved and treasured it as a kid. It's magical, especially for a young child looking for some fanciful escapism.
I haven't read this book in many years, but I absolutely loved and treasured it as a kid. It's magical, especially for a young child looking for some fanciful escapism.
November 20, 2017
This imaginative tale is beautifully set in a Bavarian village during Holy Week. Thought provoking themes are presented against a folkloric background. It’s exactly the kind of book I would read and reread endlessly as a child, and I still enjoy the genre.
March 19, 2019
A really lovely read, about a tiny town, old magic, an adventurous girl and her very smart dog. It's funny, it's cute, it's smart and charming. Do be warned that the book was written in the 1950's and feels a bit dated, but as a piece of history it's a great and surprising read.
February 1, 2013
I was so lucky to find this years ago at a library book-sale. Enjoyed the re-read and hope to pass it on to my nieces when they are old enough. (Share the joy...)
May 5, 2009
Though it doesn't hold up quite as well as some others on adult reading, this was a favorite when I was small, often checked out.
Read
August 12, 20251955 novel THE WICKED ENCHANTMENT is by Margot Benary-Isbert, who lived under Hitler's regime she did not support. Book is fable about that time, in which songbirds are "disappeared" by Owl Earl & his cronies, possible source of Weasley family owl Errol?
This in turn, links to Cedric Errol in novel LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY who inspired Victorian mamas to dress their small sons like English Cavaliers in long curls, velvet & lace (see Enright's SPIDERWEB FOR TWO, Chapter "A Loving Heart), to be perfect little gentlemen like Cedric Diggory in HARRY POTTER & THE GOBLET OF FIRE, who like little lord, tries to make another boy feel better by explaining his own sports win was accidental. And remember the ancient dress robes for Hogwart's Yule Ball--bought second-hand by Mrs. Weasley for Ron, from which he tries to blast off the lace collar?
Main character Anemone has unusual flower name (like many females in HP series--and Rosemary Brown (HP's herbal Lavender Brown?) in CARBONEL: THE KING OF THE CATS (1955) and KINGDOM OF CARBONEL (1961) by Barbara Sleigh. Fans may also notice what may be other shared similarities. Hmm, Gregory Goyle & stone gargoyle who comes to life as repellant boy?
Two other fun faves both young readers & grownups can enjoy: THE SECRET WORLD OF OG (1961) by Pierre Berton and RUSTY'S SPACE SHIP (1957) by Evelyn Sibley Lampman. Original editions have great illustrations; in latter book are the work of Comics master artist Bernard Krigstein. If you can't find in library, try Internet Archive.
Another fantasy book with real science by Lampman, CITY UNDER THE BACK STEPS (1960) is also example of early "Girl Power", in which some assumptions by boys at the time are proven mistaken when girls come to the rescue--not to mention "city" run by a Queen!
This book has been reprinted by https://www.purplehousepress.com/ along with some other of Lampman's books including THE SHY STEGASAURUS OF CRICKET CREEK and SHY STEGASAURUS OF INDIAN SPRINGS.
Favorite historical adventure still in print & available as e-book is MARA, DAUGHTER OF THE NILE (1953) by Eloise Jarvis McGraw, a three-time Newbery Honor winner. That could be why J.K. Rowling might have read it while researching books written for children that are still enjoyed by readers young and old(er). MARA is for somewhat older audience, perhaps teen, but you can decide for yourself.
MARA contains a number of things familiar to readers of HARRY POTTER: eyes of title character are unusual color (at least for Egypt), is likened to a lily, acts as double agent for one master she describes as having smile "like a magician's potion"--remind you of Lily Evans & Severus Snape?
This story set in Ancient Egypt includes tomb treasure raid for good cause (like how Bill Weasley worked for Gringotts Bank). Another scene, where someone turns the tables by accusing an enemy of something he did himself might be inspiration for Peter Pettigrew's infamous attack on Sirius Black.
So what many consider classics of children's literature may still be enjoyed, not merely as nostalgia, but to cast light on present day life.
This in turn, links to Cedric Errol in novel LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY who inspired Victorian mamas to dress their small sons like English Cavaliers in long curls, velvet & lace (see Enright's SPIDERWEB FOR TWO, Chapter "A Loving Heart), to be perfect little gentlemen like Cedric Diggory in HARRY POTTER & THE GOBLET OF FIRE, who like little lord, tries to make another boy feel better by explaining his own sports win was accidental. And remember the ancient dress robes for Hogwart's Yule Ball--bought second-hand by Mrs. Weasley for Ron, from which he tries to blast off the lace collar?
Main character Anemone has unusual flower name (like many females in HP series--and Rosemary Brown (HP's herbal Lavender Brown?) in CARBONEL: THE KING OF THE CATS (1955) and KINGDOM OF CARBONEL (1961) by Barbara Sleigh. Fans may also notice what may be other shared similarities. Hmm, Gregory Goyle & stone gargoyle who comes to life as repellant boy?
Two other fun faves both young readers & grownups can enjoy: THE SECRET WORLD OF OG (1961) by Pierre Berton and RUSTY'S SPACE SHIP (1957) by Evelyn Sibley Lampman. Original editions have great illustrations; in latter book are the work of Comics master artist Bernard Krigstein. If you can't find in library, try Internet Archive.
Another fantasy book with real science by Lampman, CITY UNDER THE BACK STEPS (1960) is also example of early "Girl Power", in which some assumptions by boys at the time are proven mistaken when girls come to the rescue--not to mention "city" run by a Queen!
This book has been reprinted by https://www.purplehousepress.com/ along with some other of Lampman's books including THE SHY STEGASAURUS OF CRICKET CREEK and SHY STEGASAURUS OF INDIAN SPRINGS.
Favorite historical adventure still in print & available as e-book is MARA, DAUGHTER OF THE NILE (1953) by Eloise Jarvis McGraw, a three-time Newbery Honor winner. That could be why J.K. Rowling might have read it while researching books written for children that are still enjoyed by readers young and old(er). MARA is for somewhat older audience, perhaps teen, but you can decide for yourself.
MARA contains a number of things familiar to readers of HARRY POTTER: eyes of title character are unusual color (at least for Egypt), is likened to a lily, acts as double agent for one master she describes as having smile "like a magician's potion"--remind you of Lily Evans & Severus Snape?
This story set in Ancient Egypt includes tomb treasure raid for good cause (like how Bill Weasley worked for Gringotts Bank). Another scene, where someone turns the tables by accusing an enemy of something he did himself might be inspiration for Peter Pettigrew's infamous attack on Sirius Black.
So what many consider classics of children's literature may still be enjoyed, not merely as nostalgia, but to cast light on present day life.
January 30, 2024
“As he devoured the first cream puff he reflected that he was unusually lucky to have found such a capable housekeeper and cook. With the second cream puff it occurred to him that he ought to make sure he did not lose her…..and as he started on the fifth cream puff it flashed through Mr. Florus’s head: I ought to marry her!”
Beware of cream puffs!
This story is set during a cold, snowy, late March, just before, during and after Easter!
Anemone’s happy home life is changed when a widow and her son move in. They are unkind and bossy, yet somehow Anemone’s father seems not to see these faults.
At the same time, a tyrannical mayor, mysteriously coming to power in the happy town of Vogelsang (translated means “birdsong”), accuses innocent men of stealing a mysterious stone statue.
Accompanied by her dog. Winnie, named after her favorite book character Winnie-the-Pooh, Anemone joins her late mother's friend, Aunt Gundula in unravelling an ancient curse and saving the town, and her father.
With enchanting illustrations by Enrico Arno fueled by the author’s gorgeous descriptions of nature, cooking, culture and household interior, literary references to ‘Snow White’, Shakespeare’s ‘Richard III’ and ‘Tempest’ as well as Rudyard Kipling’s ‘Kim’, I love this book!
Beware of cream puffs!
This story is set during a cold, snowy, late March, just before, during and after Easter!
Anemone’s happy home life is changed when a widow and her son move in. They are unkind and bossy, yet somehow Anemone’s father seems not to see these faults.
At the same time, a tyrannical mayor, mysteriously coming to power in the happy town of Vogelsang (translated means “birdsong”), accuses innocent men of stealing a mysterious stone statue.
Accompanied by her dog. Winnie, named after her favorite book character Winnie-the-Pooh, Anemone joins her late mother's friend, Aunt Gundula in unravelling an ancient curse and saving the town, and her father.
With enchanting illustrations by Enrico Arno fueled by the author’s gorgeous descriptions of nature, cooking, culture and household interior, literary references to ‘Snow White’, Shakespeare’s ‘Richard III’ and ‘Tempest’ as well as Rudyard Kipling’s ‘Kim’, I love this book!
April 19, 2020
Modern fairy tale about a small village in Germany where strange, magical events occur.
October 26, 2013
I really enjoyed this story. It was a lot of fun to read. Only two things about it were not to my liking: The first was that the protagonist (young Anemone) ran away from home (and because of the abuse the animals were suffering from, too! boo!!). Even though she was driven to run away and was ultimately reunited with her father, stories that feature children running away are rarely among my favorites, as I don't think this is a behavior to be celebrated. The other thing I didn't like was that the rewards for Winnie and Blue Boy, the Kerry-blue terriers in the story, were bars of chocolate. Perhaps it was not known in 1955 that chocolate was very dangerous for dogs, but even so, I wish libraries and booksellers would put stickers on the books to warn readers not to reward their own dogs with chocolate.
The positive side of the coin that is this book is a lot richer: Anemone and Winnie were great, the aunts were all fabulous, and the circus people were fantastic. The mayor and other adults, though, were awful! I despised both them and Erwin. Margot Benary-Isbert's gift for telling a story were truly wonderful to engender such feelings in me for her characters. :)
I really loved Aunt Gundula and all the animals, especially Winnie and Lora the parrot. Anemone was quite adventurous and ingenious. And the plot! It was great! Gargoyles and stone maidens coming to life, a wicked man returned to life: this sort of fantasy story was right up my alley, especially given my recent several-years-long love of all things paranormal. :)
The positive side of the coin that is this book is a lot richer: Anemone and Winnie were great, the aunts were all fabulous, and the circus people were fantastic. The mayor and other adults, though, were awful! I despised both them and Erwin. Margot Benary-Isbert's gift for telling a story were truly wonderful to engender such feelings in me for her characters. :)
I really loved Aunt Gundula and all the animals, especially Winnie and Lora the parrot. Anemone was quite adventurous and ingenious. And the plot! It was great! Gargoyles and stone maidens coming to life, a wicked man returned to life: this sort of fantasy story was right up my alley, especially given my recent several-years-long love of all things paranormal. :)
June 28, 2008
The story was cute, but I didn't care for the characters, which kind of disappointed me. The two protagonists - an 11-year-old girl and her almost-sorceress-ish spinster aunt - were brave and smart, but not entirely in the right, I thought. It made their feistiness seem more like pig-headedness. Also, I'm all for girl-power and women's rights and stuff, but the glaring feminism in this book was pretty overpowering. "Down with tyranny and men in general," seemed to be the motto throughout most of the book.
It was, however, well-written and intriguing, and the illustrations were very charming. I'd recommend it to adults who like young adult literature, but I'm not sure young ones would actually like it that much (except the part about running away with the circus...).
It was, however, well-written and intriguing, and the illustrations were very charming. I'd recommend it to adults who like young adult literature, but I'm not sure young ones would actually like it that much (except the part about running away with the circus...).
July 23, 2015
A simple story, well told, which I enjoyed getting reacquainted with, as I'd first read it in 1986. Originally published in German in 1955 (translated into English for the 1986 edition), Wicked Enchantment is very much an "old-fashioned" kind of story, with a linear, predictable, good-versus-evil plot enlivened by a spirited dose of magic, though the narrative is sometimes dragged down by a lot of "telling" instead of "showing." The eccentric characters--featuring an all-woman cast of protagonists--are charming and fun as they work at unraveling the mysterious troubles afflicting their cozy little medieval-style town. With some gentle revisions and lively illustrations, I think this book could be a hit with pre-tween readers.
November 4, 2011
If I had read this when I was younger, I would have liked it more than I did as an adult. The pacing was a bit odd and the text a little clunky, though this could be attributed to the fact that it's translated from the original German version. The story takes place at Easter time in a German town, located between Somewhere and Nowhere, where strange things are afoot. A gargoyle and a statue of a Virgin have gone missing from the cathedral, birds stop singing, an odd woman shows up at the home of a widower, and a girl and her dog run away and join a circus. It almost had an autumnal, Halloween feel to it, so I was surprised every time spring and Easter were mentioned.
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October 4, 2013While story is rather rambling and dense, fans of HARRY POTTER might try it, as it (I'm sure) influenced name of Weasley family owl Errol (not to mention that it's an early--if not THE earliest--fantasy novel inspired by struggle against Nazi Germany).
February 17, 2013
It's a nice book to read with a normal flow of the story. It doesn't raise any excitement, though it keeps your attention. Finally a Goodread
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