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Princess Mirror-Belle #1
Princezná Zrkadlenka
Lenka je úplne obyčajné dievča, má rada ružovú a všetko princeznovské. No čo asi urobí, keď k nej zo zrkadla vykĺzne jej odraz a tvrdí, že je princezná? Čo už by mohla spraviť? Musí princeznú Zrkadlenku čo najskôr dostať späť do zrkadla. No nebude to také ľahké! Neveríte? Veď si to prečítajte.
96 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2003
6 people are currently reading
153 people want to read
About the author
Julia Donaldson
1,223 books1,900 followersGrowing up
I grew up in a tall Victorian London house with my parents, grandmother, aunt, uncle, younger sister Mary and cat Geoffrey (who was really a prince in disguise. Mary and I would argue about which of us would marry him).
Mary and I were always creating imaginary characters and mimicking real ones, and I used to write shows and choreograph ballets for us. A wind-up gramophone wafted out Chopin waltzes.
I studied Drama and French at Bristol University, where I met Malcolm, a guitar-playing medic to whom I’m now married.
Busking and books
Before Malcolm and I had our three sons we used to go busking together and I would write special songs for each country; the best one was in Italian about pasta.
The busking led to a career in singing and songwriting, mainly for children’s television. I became an expert at writing to order on such subjects as guinea pigs, window-cleaning and horrible smells. “We want a song about throwing crumpled-up wrapping paper into the bin” was a typical request from the BBC.
I also continued to write “grown-up” songs and perform them in folk clubs and on the radio, and have recently released two CDs of these songs.
One of my television songs, A SQUASH AND A SQUEEZE, was made into a book in 1993, with illustrations by the wonderful Axel Scheffler. It was great to hold the book in my hand without it vanishing in the air the way the songs did. This prompted me to unearth some plays I’d written for a school reading group, and since then I’ve had 20 plays published. Most children love acting and it’s a tremendous way to improve their reading.
My real breakthrough was THE GRUFFALO, again illustrated by Axel. We work separately - he’s in London and I’m in Glasgow - but he sends me letters with lovely funny pictures on the envelopes.
I really enjoy writing verse, even though it can be fiendishly difficult. I used to memorise poems as a child and it means a lot to me when parents tell me their child can recite one of my books.
Funnily enough, I find it harder to write not in verse, though I feel I am now getting the hang of it! My novel THE GIANTS AND THE JONESES is going to be made into a film by the same team who made the Harry Potter movies, and I have written three books of stories about the anarchic PRINCESS MIRROR-BELLE who appears from the mirror and disrupts the life of an otherwise ordinary eight-year-old. I have just finished writing a novel for teenagers.
When I’m not writing I am often performing, at book festivals and in theatres. I really enjoy getting the children in the audience to help me act out the stories and sing the songs. When Malcolm can take time off from the hospital he and his guitar come too. and it feels as if we’ve come full circle - back to busking.
I grew up in a tall Victorian London house with my parents, grandmother, aunt, uncle, younger sister Mary and cat Geoffrey (who was really a prince in disguise. Mary and I would argue about which of us would marry him).
Mary and I were always creating imaginary characters and mimicking real ones, and I used to write shows and choreograph ballets for us. A wind-up gramophone wafted out Chopin waltzes.
I studied Drama and French at Bristol University, where I met Malcolm, a guitar-playing medic to whom I’m now married.
Busking and books
Before Malcolm and I had our three sons we used to go busking together and I would write special songs for each country; the best one was in Italian about pasta.
The busking led to a career in singing and songwriting, mainly for children’s television. I became an expert at writing to order on such subjects as guinea pigs, window-cleaning and horrible smells. “We want a song about throwing crumpled-up wrapping paper into the bin” was a typical request from the BBC.
I also continued to write “grown-up” songs and perform them in folk clubs and on the radio, and have recently released two CDs of these songs.
One of my television songs, A SQUASH AND A SQUEEZE, was made into a book in 1993, with illustrations by the wonderful Axel Scheffler. It was great to hold the book in my hand without it vanishing in the air the way the songs did. This prompted me to unearth some plays I’d written for a school reading group, and since then I’ve had 20 plays published. Most children love acting and it’s a tremendous way to improve their reading.
My real breakthrough was THE GRUFFALO, again illustrated by Axel. We work separately - he’s in London and I’m in Glasgow - but he sends me letters with lovely funny pictures on the envelopes.
I really enjoy writing verse, even though it can be fiendishly difficult. I used to memorise poems as a child and it means a lot to me when parents tell me their child can recite one of my books.
Funnily enough, I find it harder to write not in verse, though I feel I am now getting the hang of it! My novel THE GIANTS AND THE JONESES is going to be made into a film by the same team who made the Harry Potter movies, and I have written three books of stories about the anarchic PRINCESS MIRROR-BELLE who appears from the mirror and disrupts the life of an otherwise ordinary eight-year-old. I have just finished writing a novel for teenagers.
When I’m not writing I am often performing, at book festivals and in theatres. I really enjoy getting the children in the audience to help me act out the stories and sing the songs. When Malcolm can take time off from the hospital he and his guitar come too. and it feels as if we’ve come full circle - back to busking.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 16, 2020
The princess is in the mirror is really irritating (for me): she is cheeky, arrogant and misbehaving. I understand that she is the naughty side of Ellen, but I didn't enjoy her mischiefs.
January 7, 2024
I mean.. it’s cute and funny seeing it from a child’s point of view. I told my youngest about it and he laughed when he heard all of Mirror-Belle’s weird ideas. As an adult being more critical it’s not as good, but I’m not the target audience.
December 30, 2018
Čítali sme so Zojou počas niekoľkých čakaní u pani doktorky. Jej sa páčila ružová (a trblietky!) na obálke, a takisto, že Zrkadlenka je bytosť neskrotiteľná.
Za mňa rozporuplné pocity: medzi celkovou úpravou a obsahom bolo celkom veľa konfliktov. Nedokázala som určiť, či je táto kniha určená ešte-stále-princeznám ako Zoja vo veku 5-7 (čo naznačoval vizuál a vlastne aj naivita textu), alebo už aj vyššie. V deji sa totiž objavovali prvky, ktoré by sa hodili prváčkam, no vzápätí ich striedali večerné diskotéky (na čo teda prváčky nevidím).
Našťastie sa k nám nasťahovala Dorka Magorka, takže sme v sérii nepokračovali.
Za mňa rozporuplné pocity: medzi celkovou úpravou a obsahom bolo celkom veľa konfliktov. Nedokázala som určiť, či je táto kniha určená ešte-stále-princeznám ako Zoja vo veku 5-7 (čo naznačoval vizuál a vlastne aj naivita textu), alebo už aj vyššie. V deji sa totiž objavovali prvky, ktoré by sa hodili prváčkam, no vzápätí ich striedali večerné diskotéky (na čo teda prváčky nevidím).
Našťastie sa k nám nasťahovala Dorka Magorka, takže sme v sérii nepokračovali.
February 27, 2021
Ellen has a big surprise when she looks in the mirror, and sees a mysterious girl , it can't be her reflection cause reflections can't talk back to you! The girl said her name is MIRROR BELLE
and thatshe is a princess from a far away land, soon after Mirror Belle and Ellen are friends, but Mirror Belle is really naughty and she leads Ellen into lots of trouble and exciting adventures!
What will happen next ?how will Ellen save herself from trouble!
HOPE YOU ENJOEY MY REVIEW ♡
- Queen Yxl
and thatshe is a princess from a far away land, soon after Mirror Belle and Ellen are friends, but Mirror Belle is really naughty and she leads Ellen into lots of trouble and exciting adventures!
What will happen next ?how will Ellen save herself from trouble!
HOPE YOU ENJOEY MY REVIEW ♡
- Queen Yxl
October 27, 2022
I lobed the stories of princess Mirror Belle. It was funny and entertaining. Mirror Belle is always coming up with something cheeky and causes trouble for Ellen and disappears, but her story telling is perfect indeeed. I really laughed while reading this book to my 3 year old 🙂. Highly recommended for child readers.
July 23, 2024
Vymyslené príbehy o tom, ako by to dopadlo, keby ožil náš tieň, milé knižky s detskými trablami, ktoré sa dobre čítajú i počúvajú. Vhodné aj na dobrú noc, neposobia rušivo, ale rozvíjajú fantáziu na príjemné snívanie :-)
June 18, 2018
Loved this as a child!
November 29, 2021
I used to have a copy of this! It was heaps of fun, not sure why I've gotten rid of it.
February 16, 2022
What a great read, too bad we live in the Netherlands else we would read this to our kids and grandkids! 😂
October 16, 2022
A childhood favourite that I had to read again.
January 30, 2011
The Princess Mirror-Belle books are great. Also really good are the books on CD; the woman reading them, Sophie Thompson, does a fabulous job.
February 17, 2014
I read this book with my daughter. We both loved it.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews