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Petronella
Determined not to be outdone by her brothers in seeking a fortune in the world, a young princess sets out to find a prince to rescue.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1973
4 people are currently reading
125 people want to read
About the author
Jay Williams
156 books41 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Jay Williams (May 31, 1914–July 12, 1978) was an American author born in Buffalo, New York, the son of Max and Lillian Jacobson. He cited the experience of growing up as the son of a vaudeville show producer as leading him to pursue his acting career as early as college. Between 1931 and 1934 he attended the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University where he took part in amateur theatrical productions.
Out of school and out of work during the end of the Depression, he worked as a comedian on the upstate New York Borscht Belt circuit. From 1936 until 1941, Jay Williams worked as a press agent for Dwight Deere Winman, Jed Harris and the Hollywood Theatre Alliance. And even though he played a feature role in the Cannes prize winning film, The Little Fugitive produced in 1953, he turned his attention to writing as a full time career after his discharge from the Army in 1945. He was the recipient of the Purple Heart. While serving in the Army he published his first book, The Stolen Oracle, in 1943.
Williams may be best-known for his young adult "Danny Dunn" science fiction/fantasy series which he co-authored with Raymond Abrashkin. Though Abrashkin died in 1960, he is listed as co-author of all 15 books of this series, which continued from 1956 until 1977. Jay Williams also wrote mysteries for young adults, such as The Stolen Oracle, The Counterfeit African, and The Roman Moon Mystery.
In all, he published at least 79 books including 11 picture books, 39 children's novels, 7 adult mysteries, 4 nonfiction books, 8 historical novels and a play.
Williams and his wife Barbara Girsdansky were married June 3, 1941. They had a son, Christopher ("Chris"), and a daughter, Victoria. Jay Williams died at age 64 from a heart attack while on a trip to London on July 12, 1978.
Jay Williams (May 31, 1914–July 12, 1978) was an American author born in Buffalo, New York, the son of Max and Lillian Jacobson. He cited the experience of growing up as the son of a vaudeville show producer as leading him to pursue his acting career as early as college. Between 1931 and 1934 he attended the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University where he took part in amateur theatrical productions.
Out of school and out of work during the end of the Depression, he worked as a comedian on the upstate New York Borscht Belt circuit. From 1936 until 1941, Jay Williams worked as a press agent for Dwight Deere Winman, Jed Harris and the Hollywood Theatre Alliance. And even though he played a feature role in the Cannes prize winning film, The Little Fugitive produced in 1953, he turned his attention to writing as a full time career after his discharge from the Army in 1945. He was the recipient of the Purple Heart. While serving in the Army he published his first book, The Stolen Oracle, in 1943.
Williams may be best-known for his young adult "Danny Dunn" science fiction/fantasy series which he co-authored with Raymond Abrashkin. Though Abrashkin died in 1960, he is listed as co-author of all 15 books of this series, which continued from 1956 until 1977. Jay Williams also wrote mysteries for young adults, such as The Stolen Oracle, The Counterfeit African, and The Roman Moon Mystery.
In all, he published at least 79 books including 11 picture books, 39 children's novels, 7 adult mysteries, 4 nonfiction books, 8 historical novels and a play.
Williams and his wife Barbara Girsdansky were married June 3, 1941. They had a son, Christopher ("Chris"), and a daughter, Victoria. Jay Williams died at age 64 from a heart attack while on a trip to London on July 12, 1978.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 2, 2017
Petronella is the first modern fairy tales that I read and to this day, remains my most favorite one! I can't even begin to describe how much I enjoyed reading this as a teenage girl. I have always loved fairy tales and I have a pretty large collection but this one... this one open the door to a whole new world, hilarious and refreshing.
The story begins like a typical fairy tale, with three boys born to a royal couple, except the last one isn't really a boy. The last one is a girl! This little princess is very headstrong, doesn't want to pretend to be a boy. She is very cool with what she is!
She doesn't want to sit around like other princesses, waiting for a prince to come claim her heart. She wants to find her own path and make her own destiny, to prove she is no less than her brothers. That she deserves to be free and control her own life!
So, she decides to break traditions, go on an adventure and be the princess that finds a prince and rescues him! And she sure finds her prince!XD
Honestly, I raised an eyebrow when the prince charming, hilariously unique and original, came into picture. I thought, really Petronella? In his defense, the poor thing WAS trying to to do what HE wanted, despite the pressure and everything but still...!XD
But fear not, Petronella did not disappoint. And neither did the evil wizard... when he finally arrived. At the time I read this story... his arrival forever changed something in my young heart, bringing the biggest twist of the story which I will not spoil!
Yes, I did not see it coming back then. No, I would see it now from miles away but not then! I want to write so much about him and the poor prince but I won't. You have to read for yourselves and please don't forget that this story needs your imagination to develop, it's a very short story after all that could have been so much more. A hidden gem I dare say!
I enjoyed reading this story beyond words and the ending was simply unique and world changing in a very satisfactory way. Yes, I am making a big deal out of this, because it meant so much when I read it. Remember the gateway I mentioned? I was pained when the story came to an end. I wanted more! I wanted a book with 1000 pages. But the book had served it's purpose and will forever live in my heart and mind.
The story begins like a typical fairy tale, with three boys born to a royal couple, except the last one isn't really a boy. The last one is a girl! This little princess is very headstrong, doesn't want to pretend to be a boy. She is very cool with what she is!
She doesn't want to sit around like other princesses, waiting for a prince to come claim her heart. She wants to find her own path and make her own destiny, to prove she is no less than her brothers. That she deserves to be free and control her own life!
So, she decides to break traditions, go on an adventure and be the princess that finds a prince and rescues him! And she sure finds her prince!XD
Honestly, I raised an eyebrow when the prince charming, hilariously unique and original, came into picture. I thought, really Petronella? In his defense, the poor thing WAS trying to to do what HE wanted, despite the pressure and everything but still...!XD
But fear not, Petronella did not disappoint. And neither did the evil wizard... when he finally arrived. At the time I read this story... his arrival forever changed something in my young heart, bringing the biggest twist of the story which I will not spoil!
Yes, I did not see it coming back then. No, I would see it now from miles away but not then! I want to write so much about him and the poor prince but I won't. You have to read for yourselves and please don't forget that this story needs your imagination to develop, it's a very short story after all that could have been so much more. A hidden gem I dare say!
I enjoyed reading this story beyond words and the ending was simply unique and world changing in a very satisfactory way. Yes, I am making a big deal out of this, because it meant so much when I read it. Remember the gateway I mentioned? I was pained when the story came to an end. I wanted more! I wanted a book with 1000 pages. But the book had served it's purpose and will forever live in my heart and mind.
May 20, 2016
One of my favorite fairy tales. Tagged as a "feminist fairy tale", Petronella is a princess who doesn't need to be rescued because she is perfectly capable of taking care of herself. Make sure you read the original 1973 Williams edition with the Friso Henstra illustrations...they are superb!! The 2000 retelling is a poor substitute for the 1973 edition. Read it!! It is well worth your time.
March 1, 2023
A lovely, feminist fairy tale from 1973! with delightfully weird art and happenings.
May 13, 2015
As a sturdy tale of powerful feminism, “Petronella” broke the boundaries of traditional European fairy tales when it was first published in 1973. Here, as a picture book, it retains its original persuasive message about a willful, intelligent and resourceful princess and the not-so-special prince that she ultimately rescues. Able to ride, wield a sword and bear herself bravely and competently in the care and tending of animals, Petronella is more than a match for the tasks set for her by the sinister enchanter Albion.
The illustrations bear out Mr. Williams’s prose. Described as “handsome” rather than beautiful, we are given a princess that tends a little towards the plain but manages to be appealing to the eye. In a picture that sets her opposite her concerned parents and annoyed brothers, we easily see her resemblance to her father in her rugged jawline and strong nose. If her hair were cut shorter, she could easily be mistaken for the missing younger brother she was supposed to be.
The pictures are lush and gorgeous and have the occasional sly touch of irony. The young princess wears a typical dress in lavender and a belt patterned in a zigzag pattern, a color scheme that is repeated when she is older and dons pants. When the blond, handsome Prince Ferdinand is introduced, we’re not shown his face. Instead, we’re given a picture of him artfully posed in armor and holding a sword, thus hinting at the true state of his nature. However, the illustrations fail in one crucial point: the characters in them don’t possess much in the way of facial expressions. We have to rely on the position of the bodies and the prose to understand what characters are feeling.
Like the equally strong-willed and red-headed princess Merida, “Petronella” remains as appropriate today as she was in the 1970s and is well worth re-introducing to little girls.
The illustrations bear out Mr. Williams’s prose. Described as “handsome” rather than beautiful, we are given a princess that tends a little towards the plain but manages to be appealing to the eye. In a picture that sets her opposite her concerned parents and annoyed brothers, we easily see her resemblance to her father in her rugged jawline and strong nose. If her hair were cut shorter, she could easily be mistaken for the missing younger brother she was supposed to be.
The pictures are lush and gorgeous and have the occasional sly touch of irony. The young princess wears a typical dress in lavender and a belt patterned in a zigzag pattern, a color scheme that is repeated when she is older and dons pants. When the blond, handsome Prince Ferdinand is introduced, we’re not shown his face. Instead, we’re given a picture of him artfully posed in armor and holding a sword, thus hinting at the true state of his nature. However, the illustrations fail in one crucial point: the characters in them don’t possess much in the way of facial expressions. We have to rely on the position of the bodies and the prose to understand what characters are feeling.
Like the equally strong-willed and red-headed princess Merida, “Petronella” remains as appropriate today as she was in the 1970s and is well worth re-introducing to little girls.
January 10, 2024
I’m making a guess as to when I read this but it’s a picture book with lovely art that I read as a little child. It was one of the first things I can remember reading where the girl lead took care of herself and wasn’t just a shadow waiting to be saved and married. When I saw it for sale at an event once by the artist I bought myself a copy.
November 21, 2019
One of my favorite fractured fairy tales. I do like Jay Williams at his best. Unfortunately the modern illustrations are rather meh (the animals & props fine, the people 'off'), and it's really too long a story to be an oversize picture-book anyway... better for ages 7-10 or so than for tots.
April 19, 2013
47 months - We all really enjoyed this fairytale. It's a fairly long one and it takes most of the bedtime reading but it's worth it.
February 23, 2021
The groovy “Yellow-submarine”/Monty Python-esque illustrations of this fairy tale with a feminist slant: a princess saves a prince.
April 13, 2021
A lovely by-three jaunt of great redirection. Also, art that reminds me of Monty Python. Most excellent indeed.
May 7, 2025
One of my favourite stories as a kid and took me forever to find this story again
March 5, 2013
wonderful children's book... loved reading it over & over & over........
October 4, 2014
I quite liked this one! Petronalla is spunky and tough. The pictures are a little creepy, but it was the 70's, so I suppose it can't be avoided.
August 20, 2015
This is probably my all time favorite fairytale. Not just because it has a strong and INDEPENDENT princess as a main character, but because it has a great moral. I loved it.
March 15, 2023
I love how Petronella is a hero, not by acting with chivalry, but by acting with kindness. I also love how it sets up expectations for Albion and the Prince, only for them to be completely different.
November 15, 2021
This rating is for the edition illustrated by Friso Henstra.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews