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East of the Sun and West of the Moon
A young maiden searches for the noble youth whom she loves but who must marry the evil troll princess
48 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
About the author
Mercer Mayer
834 books811 followersMercer Mayer is an American children's author and illustrator. He has published over 300 books, using a wide range of illustrative styles. Mayer is best known for his Little Critter and Little Monster series of books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
March 15, 2020
Whilst I adore the illustrations Mercer Mayer made for this picture book, I'm baffled and bothered by the introduction of elements from other fairy tales that have
a) nothing to do with East of the Sun and West of the Moon, and
b) are foreign to the Nordic culture and setting that adopted this tale and made it their own.
What are the Grimms' The Water of Life and The Frog Prince have to do with this tale? Why take away the very idiosyncratic polar bear and replace it by a run-of-the-mill pond frog? It's Scandinavia, for goodness' sake, the white bear makes from the original more sense! And why have the girl consult elements such as a salamander instead of the Four Winds about how to find the castle of the troll Queen? And what is Andersen's The Tinderbox doing here, too? This mishmash of extraneous elements is very bothersome to someone who loves the fairy tale as is.
In this version, it isn't a bear that comes for the girl and helps her family in exchange for her going with him. The family fall into hard times due to war, and the girl is sent to look for a miraculous water for her infirm dad from the South Wind's garden. There she meets a frog that helps her get the water but then goes all Aladdin with the genie on her and asks for 3 wishes. One is to go visit her, she agrees, the second is to go with him, she insults him and brags that she has her pick of men and kills him by tossing him against the wall, and for some reason he regains his true form and has to go to the Troll Queen, where he's taken by demons. Say what now?
She goes after him with rescue intentions, and there are all sorts of creatures that help her: frog, salamander, unicorn, Father Forest, carp, goat, great fish, etc., for no reason at all, and there's no reason provided for why the girl should either be helped out of every scrape or go to rescue the frog-prince in the first place. Besides the element of looking for the kidnapped prince at the castle east of the sun and west of the moon, the tale is changed for no sensible reason that I can tell.
It's the second picture book of this tale that I find in which the story has been changed in ways that mess up the plot, and I really disliked the replacement of the iconic white bear by a silly frog. The art remains so gorgeous throughout that it's a pity it wasn't matched by a better story.
a) nothing to do with East of the Sun and West of the Moon, and
b) are foreign to the Nordic culture and setting that adopted this tale and made it their own.
What are the Grimms' The Water of Life and The Frog Prince have to do with this tale? Why take away the very idiosyncratic polar bear and replace it by a run-of-the-mill pond frog? It's Scandinavia, for goodness' sake, the white bear makes from the original more sense! And why have the girl consult elements such as a salamander instead of the Four Winds about how to find the castle of the troll Queen? And what is Andersen's The Tinderbox doing here, too? This mishmash of extraneous elements is very bothersome to someone who loves the fairy tale as is.
In this version, it isn't a bear that comes for the girl and helps her family in exchange for her going with him. The family fall into hard times due to war, and the girl is sent to look for a miraculous water for her infirm dad from the South Wind's garden. There she meets a frog that helps her get the water but then goes all Aladdin with the genie on her and asks for 3 wishes. One is to go visit her, she agrees, the second is to go with him, she insults him and brags that she has her pick of men and kills him by tossing him against the wall, and for some reason he regains his true form and has to go to the Troll Queen, where he's taken by demons. Say what now?
She goes after him with rescue intentions, and there are all sorts of creatures that help her: frog, salamander, unicorn, Father Forest, carp, goat, great fish, etc., for no reason at all, and there's no reason provided for why the girl should either be helped out of every scrape or go to rescue the frog-prince in the first place. Besides the element of looking for the kidnapped prince at the castle east of the sun and west of the moon, the tale is changed for no sensible reason that I can tell.
It's the second picture book of this tale that I find in which the story has been changed in ways that mess up the plot, and I really disliked the replacement of the iconic white bear by a silly frog. The art remains so gorgeous throughout that it's a pity it wasn't matched by a better story.
July 17, 2009
I can't tell for certain whether I had this book as a child. The illustrations seemed awfully familiar, but the story itself, which is substantially different from the "standard" East of the Sun, does not, although it incorporates a number of elements from stories I do know, including The Frog Prince and whatever that one is called where the girl must get healing water for a parent.
January 8, 2017
I found this at a local bookshop. What a find! I'd read East years ago, after my sister recommended it, which is the East of the Sun& West of the Moon fairy tale. &also Sun&Moon, Ice and Snow. I love the fairy tale, and was so excited to find it!
This cover looks like a Michelangelo painting, with the finger pointing.
'Once in a land not too far from here and in a time not too long ago there loved a farmer and his wife.' Idl that it's not too far away, and not too long ago, because most fairy tales are long ago and far away.
It said she had her pick of the best young men in the kingdom, but the men down from her balcony look old! They should be young and handsome.
The King is at war and soldiers take their food, leaving them poor. her dad becomes ill. They have to hunt for a food. She says who will marry her now? I'm surprised she said that because she didn't like any of the young men.
Her mom sends her to the South Wind's house to gather water from a silver cup for her father. But the spring is clouded over. What exactly does that mean? Clouded by dust, debris, plants? I wish it had shown scummy water. It actually looks pretty, with lily pads; butterflies and flowers. Then a frog shows up and says he'll unclear the water and get her cup if she grants him three wishes. The book took a turn for The Frog Prince/Aladdin. I was so surprised at this, because it was completely unexpected. This is not how the fairy tale goes.
After that her father becomes well, and the King wins the war and pays them back threefold. Her suitors return.& so does the frog, visiting her for seven days before asking her to be his bride. He looks so cute sitting in the doorway, with his eyes wide.
"I have the pick of all the finest young men in the kingdom. How could I possibly wed a frog?"
Which while true, sounds snobby.
-why are you ruining the fairy tale?!? The frog said her dad said she must honor her promise to him. But I didn't know if that was true, because when did he talk to her dad?
-she takes the frog and throws him against the wall like he's a baseball, and he dies. Then turns into a handsome youth. He was a frog, and NOW he has to go to the troll kingdom and wed a troll princess? This is all wrong! I wondered if he would turn into a bear after this.
Then demons come and grab him which I thought was too much. It looks like he's being dragged to hell. This is too much for a kid's book. Also, demons don't really have a role here. He has to wed a troll, so it would make sense if trolls came and got him. or no one at all. just have him disappear by magic.
-I like the page filled with blue color in the cave, with the moon and stars showing.
The Moon hears her because she was sincere in wanting to find the troll kingdom, and tells her to travel to a mountain of ice, and that she'd find a cave and would see horrible creatures frozen in ice. That picture is on the corresponding page.
-she's supposed to find a chamber of fire, and a Salamander who knows everything.
We turn the page to read that she walked many weary miles to get to the mountain of ice.
I instantly notice the "Salamander" looks like the dog in A Never ending Story, except it has scales. It looks like a dragon, not a salamander.
Let's talk about how it's possible to have a chamber of fire in a mountain of ice. Seems like it would melt the place down.
He turns out not to know everything, because he sends her to Father Forest, who knows everything 'in the body of the world.' And tells her to take a unicorn.
'The maiden rode many weary miles on the unicorn until at lady she came to a great forest' sounded too much like the previous page where 'the maiden walked many weary miles until at last she can't to the mountain of ice.'
Then she asks him with the exact same wording "do you know of a kingdom east of the sun and west of the moon and do you know of a youth who is to marry the troll princess there?" I don't understand why authors write repetitively like that.
The unicorn is pretty, even though it doesn't look like a unicorn. It looks like a horse, even with the horn.
Father Forest--a tree--says "I know what is in your body and in the body of the youth, and I know that your bodies call to each other." Sounded gross. The Salamander's answer was better, because he knew what was in there hearts and that both their hearts were breaking.
He says all he knows is that the kingdom lies east of the sun and west of the moon, and if you reach it you will not find a welcome within.' The exact same thing the Salamander said. Being that they know different things, why would they give the same answer?
The Great Fish of the Sea "knows everything that is in the blood of the world." Just having spoke of inside bodies, and now blood, this is a lil off putting.
That fish looks crazy!! Huge eyes, mouth open, teeth showing.
"I know what is in your blood and in the blood of the youth, and I know that your blood yearns to flow as one." Ughhh.
Finally she's being sent to the north wind.
The fish is even worse swimming on top of the water. Those eyes, and that human/looking nose, with the piranha teeth. The sky and ice is pretty, and the seagull-looking bird in front of the moon.
She goes to the North Wind's home,& I'm surprised he had a home, because he's the wind. She's told that he'll meet her in his garden the next day. But doesn't say if she sleeps the night there or anything.
He says "I know what is in your mind and in the mind of the youth. I know that your mind has one purpose and his the same."
Finally someone says they know where the kingdom is! He says "I will take you there if you will be brave, for you will not find a welcome in that place."
It's a wonder she never barked that yeah yeah, she knew she wasn't going to get a welcome!
It just struck me it's weird that the north wind looks like a man. He should look more...windy.
It's weird that the troll princess opened the door to her own kingdom. A servant should do that.
She says "clean everything in the castle except the room behind the door with the gold knob on the third floor." Which is like yelling the boy is in that room!! Why not just lock it and then she'd know she couldn't get in and therefore shouldn't clean it? Why alert her to the room in which you're obviously hiding something?
She goes to the door with the golden knob and just opens it. He's encased in a block of ice. That poor boy's been through enough. turned into a frog. then dragged by demons into a forced marriage to a troll. If that isn't enough, he's trapped in a block of ice before the wedding.
She takes a tinder box from 'beneath her rags.' Where did she get the tinder box from? Then they just walk out of the room and down the stairs.
I'm surprised at how easy this was.
The troll princess is waiting on the second floor with an ax. Did she know the girl had gone into the boy's room? The girl grabs her arrow and shoots the troll princess in the heart. She turns into wood. Again, this is happening so easily, with no obstacles at all.
Then she holds up the fish scale and the rest of the trolls see their own reflections and turn to stone.
The humans that had turned into stone came to life.
'In happy celebration, the maiden and the youth were married, and crowned king and Queen of that land.' They just skipped over and have a rushed ending, like so many fairy tales do. For them to become king and Queen, he'd have to be a prince. He's supposed to be a prince!!They didn't even talk!
The troll castle was taken apart and a new one built, along with a city.
After, if anyone asked how to get to the castle east of the sun and west of the moon, ppl would say "the way to that kingdom is hard, but if you reach it, you will find a welcome within." Which was a nice tie to the story.
-I thought it was interesting how at the end it mentioned what type of font used, and the paper used. that was a nice touch. I've never seen that before.
I was so disappointed--and utterly confused--as to why the author chose to ignore the real fairy tale. Why choose east of the sun if you didn't really want to do it? I feel robbed right now. I picked up the book expecting one thing, only to be deceived. I picked this up wanting the fairy tale, with the polar bear, not a frog. If we wanted to read that, we'd read the frog prince.
*I read the hardback copy, but there's no edition for that with the picture included.
This cover looks like a Michelangelo painting, with the finger pointing.
'Once in a land not too far from here and in a time not too long ago there loved a farmer and his wife.' Idl that it's not too far away, and not too long ago, because most fairy tales are long ago and far away.
It said she had her pick of the best young men in the kingdom, but the men down from her balcony look old! They should be young and handsome.
The King is at war and soldiers take their food, leaving them poor. her dad becomes ill. They have to hunt for a food. She says who will marry her now? I'm surprised she said that because she didn't like any of the young men.
Her mom sends her to the South Wind's house to gather water from a silver cup for her father. But the spring is clouded over. What exactly does that mean? Clouded by dust, debris, plants? I wish it had shown scummy water. It actually looks pretty, with lily pads; butterflies and flowers. Then a frog shows up and says he'll unclear the water and get her cup if she grants him three wishes. The book took a turn for The Frog Prince/Aladdin. I was so surprised at this, because it was completely unexpected. This is not how the fairy tale goes.
After that her father becomes well, and the King wins the war and pays them back threefold. Her suitors return.& so does the frog, visiting her for seven days before asking her to be his bride. He looks so cute sitting in the doorway, with his eyes wide.
"I have the pick of all the finest young men in the kingdom. How could I possibly wed a frog?"
Which while true, sounds snobby.
-why are you ruining the fairy tale?!? The frog said her dad said she must honor her promise to him. But I didn't know if that was true, because when did he talk to her dad?
-she takes the frog and throws him against the wall like he's a baseball, and he dies. Then turns into a handsome youth. He was a frog, and NOW he has to go to the troll kingdom and wed a troll princess? This is all wrong! I wondered if he would turn into a bear after this.
Then demons come and grab him which I thought was too much. It looks like he's being dragged to hell. This is too much for a kid's book. Also, demons don't really have a role here. He has to wed a troll, so it would make sense if trolls came and got him. or no one at all. just have him disappear by magic.
-I like the page filled with blue color in the cave, with the moon and stars showing.
The Moon hears her because she was sincere in wanting to find the troll kingdom, and tells her to travel to a mountain of ice, and that she'd find a cave and would see horrible creatures frozen in ice. That picture is on the corresponding page.
-she's supposed to find a chamber of fire, and a Salamander who knows everything.
We turn the page to read that she walked many weary miles to get to the mountain of ice.
I instantly notice the "Salamander" looks like the dog in A Never ending Story, except it has scales. It looks like a dragon, not a salamander.
Let's talk about how it's possible to have a chamber of fire in a mountain of ice. Seems like it would melt the place down.
He turns out not to know everything, because he sends her to Father Forest, who knows everything 'in the body of the world.' And tells her to take a unicorn.
'The maiden rode many weary miles on the unicorn until at lady she came to a great forest' sounded too much like the previous page where 'the maiden walked many weary miles until at last she can't to the mountain of ice.'
Then she asks him with the exact same wording "do you know of a kingdom east of the sun and west of the moon and do you know of a youth who is to marry the troll princess there?" I don't understand why authors write repetitively like that.
The unicorn is pretty, even though it doesn't look like a unicorn. It looks like a horse, even with the horn.
Father Forest--a tree--says "I know what is in your body and in the body of the youth, and I know that your bodies call to each other." Sounded gross. The Salamander's answer was better, because he knew what was in there hearts and that both their hearts were breaking.
He says all he knows is that the kingdom lies east of the sun and west of the moon, and if you reach it you will not find a welcome within.' The exact same thing the Salamander said. Being that they know different things, why would they give the same answer?
The Great Fish of the Sea "knows everything that is in the blood of the world." Just having spoke of inside bodies, and now blood, this is a lil off putting.
That fish looks crazy!! Huge eyes, mouth open, teeth showing.
"I know what is in your blood and in the blood of the youth, and I know that your blood yearns to flow as one." Ughhh.
Finally she's being sent to the north wind.
The fish is even worse swimming on top of the water. Those eyes, and that human/looking nose, with the piranha teeth. The sky and ice is pretty, and the seagull-looking bird in front of the moon.
She goes to the North Wind's home,& I'm surprised he had a home, because he's the wind. She's told that he'll meet her in his garden the next day. But doesn't say if she sleeps the night there or anything.
He says "I know what is in your mind and in the mind of the youth. I know that your mind has one purpose and his the same."
Finally someone says they know where the kingdom is! He says "I will take you there if you will be brave, for you will not find a welcome in that place."
It's a wonder she never barked that yeah yeah, she knew she wasn't going to get a welcome!
It just struck me it's weird that the north wind looks like a man. He should look more...windy.
It's weird that the troll princess opened the door to her own kingdom. A servant should do that.
She says "clean everything in the castle except the room behind the door with the gold knob on the third floor." Which is like yelling the boy is in that room!! Why not just lock it and then she'd know she couldn't get in and therefore shouldn't clean it? Why alert her to the room in which you're obviously hiding something?
She goes to the door with the golden knob and just opens it. He's encased in a block of ice. That poor boy's been through enough. turned into a frog. then dragged by demons into a forced marriage to a troll. If that isn't enough, he's trapped in a block of ice before the wedding.
She takes a tinder box from 'beneath her rags.' Where did she get the tinder box from? Then they just walk out of the room and down the stairs.
I'm surprised at how easy this was.
The troll princess is waiting on the second floor with an ax. Did she know the girl had gone into the boy's room? The girl grabs her arrow and shoots the troll princess in the heart. She turns into wood. Again, this is happening so easily, with no obstacles at all.
Then she holds up the fish scale and the rest of the trolls see their own reflections and turn to stone.
The humans that had turned into stone came to life.
'In happy celebration, the maiden and the youth were married, and crowned king and Queen of that land.' They just skipped over and have a rushed ending, like so many fairy tales do. For them to become king and Queen, he'd have to be a prince. He's supposed to be a prince!!They didn't even talk!
The troll castle was taken apart and a new one built, along with a city.
After, if anyone asked how to get to the castle east of the sun and west of the moon, ppl would say "the way to that kingdom is hard, but if you reach it, you will find a welcome within." Which was a nice tie to the story.
-I thought it was interesting how at the end it mentioned what type of font used, and the paper used. that was a nice touch. I've never seen that before.
I was so disappointed--and utterly confused--as to why the author chose to ignore the real fairy tale. Why choose east of the sun if you didn't really want to do it? I feel robbed right now. I picked up the book expecting one thing, only to be deceived. I picked this up wanting the fairy tale, with the polar bear, not a frog. If we wanted to read that, we'd read the frog prince.
*I read the hardback copy, but there's no edition for that with the picture included.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 11, 2010
This is one of my all-time favorite books, principally because of the art (the story is good, though--albeit quirky.
This was a cherished book from my childhood, and the art stuck with me over the years, haunting me. I've been searching in physical bookstores for a copy for years, but finally had to resort to finding it online. Thank goodness for the Internet! I recently tracked down a used copy for about $30. I've just finished rereading it for the first time in a couple of decades, and I can really appreciate why these books are so rare and difficult to find.
This was a cherished book from my childhood, and the art stuck with me over the years, haunting me. I've been searching in physical bookstores for a copy for years, but finally had to resort to finding it online. Thank goodness for the Internet! I recently tracked down a used copy for about $30. I've just finished rereading it for the first time in a couple of decades, and I can really appreciate why these books are so rare and difficult to find.
January 18, 2012
Pretty disappointed by how different this is. Not my favorite version of my favorite fairytale.
January 19, 2017
I picture the prince as this pompous man who's full of himself. But I really love this tale, regardless! There's just something mystical and wonderful to it. :)
February 2, 2018
The last traditional literature I have read is East of the Sun & West of the Moon. I believe that this story is a folktale. (I also found that this book can be a fairytale, too. Today, folk tales have already taken a written form. A fair tale, on the other hand, also takes its roots from oral tradition, but involve magical creatures such as dragons, ogres, witches, and unicorns. While a folk tale derives its story from real-life phenomena, fairytales are made up. Link: http://www.differencebetween.net/misc... )
I love this book so much! At the time I open the book, the illustrations grab my attention immediately. It sparks my imagination, and I can not stop thinking about traveling in the magical world with the beautiful girl. I love the story. The girl is so brave and perseverance. I need to say that she is one of my favorites from all the folktale I have read. In fact, I do not think that I have found some characters like her. In this story, the prince becomes the one who is sleeping in the ice and waiting for rescue. I believe that my students will love the illustrations and the story.
This book is a translation of a Norwegian folktale. I find the summary of the original version online, and I believe that I have heard the original version before. To be honest, I like Mayer's version more than the original.
I want to share this story with students in the class. I can read for them if they are too young. I will give students enough time to enjoy the beautiful illustrations, and I will ask students to imagine what will happen to the girl when she is on the way to find the prince. Students can watch the illustrations and explore more details to organize their answer.
I think that students can gain a lot of benefits by learning this story. First, students can practice their reading ability. The girl in the story can inspire students to keep going and face the things they are afraid. The class actives can help students practice communication skills and the ability of imagination.
I love this book so much! At the time I open the book, the illustrations grab my attention immediately. It sparks my imagination, and I can not stop thinking about traveling in the magical world with the beautiful girl. I love the story. The girl is so brave and perseverance. I need to say that she is one of my favorites from all the folktale I have read. In fact, I do not think that I have found some characters like her. In this story, the prince becomes the one who is sleeping in the ice and waiting for rescue. I believe that my students will love the illustrations and the story.
This book is a translation of a Norwegian folktale. I find the summary of the original version online, and I believe that I have heard the original version before. To be honest, I like Mayer's version more than the original.
I want to share this story with students in the class. I can read for them if they are too young. I will give students enough time to enjoy the beautiful illustrations, and I will ask students to imagine what will happen to the girl when she is on the way to find the prince. Students can watch the illustrations and explore more details to organize their answer.
I think that students can gain a lot of benefits by learning this story. First, students can practice their reading ability. The girl in the story can inspire students to keep going and face the things they are afraid. The class actives can help students practice communication skills and the ability of imagination.
December 25, 2020
Once I finished reading "On the Back of the North Wind", I realized my nostalgia kick wasn't over yet. So, I thought back and vaguely remembered reading a book called "East of the Sun, West of the Moon". Since COVID I have been reading lots of fantasy novels so I figured I could take care of my yearning and nostalgia by reading it. The fact that I remembered nothing but the name was also an incentive.
Unlike "On the Back of the North Wind" this is a retelling of a Norweigan fairy tale that was set in print by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe. An old folktale states that if a mother is facing North when her baby is born, that baby will be a traveler. So, when Rose was born it was foretold that she would travel the world and that she would be killed in an avalanche. Consequently, Rose's mother would never let her go outside. But reality casts out foretelling and the farm Rose lived on stopped producing. Times got hard and the family nearly starved to death.
Then one day a huge white bear appeared at the farm and asked the mother if she would give Rose to him in exchange for good fortune. While mother and father are arguing, Rose climbs on the back of the white bear and off they go. This is the story of how Rose and the white bear become companions and how fate can challenge someone just when things are going well.
This book involves 5 people that narrate the story (a troll queen and Rose's younger brother to name two)so it keeps it interesting. Though I had no trouble at my age figuring out where the story would go, I still enjoyed it.
The writing literally put the scene into my mind and I swear I could smell the crisp, frigid, artic air. I'm glad I reread this book because I'm sure my 7-year-old self was not able to take it all in at that age.
Unlike "On the Back of the North Wind" this is a retelling of a Norweigan fairy tale that was set in print by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe. An old folktale states that if a mother is facing North when her baby is born, that baby will be a traveler. So, when Rose was born it was foretold that she would travel the world and that she would be killed in an avalanche. Consequently, Rose's mother would never let her go outside. But reality casts out foretelling and the farm Rose lived on stopped producing. Times got hard and the family nearly starved to death.
Then one day a huge white bear appeared at the farm and asked the mother if she would give Rose to him in exchange for good fortune. While mother and father are arguing, Rose climbs on the back of the white bear and off they go. This is the story of how Rose and the white bear become companions and how fate can challenge someone just when things are going well.
This book involves 5 people that narrate the story (a troll queen and Rose's younger brother to name two)so it keeps it interesting. Though I had no trouble at my age figuring out where the story would go, I still enjoyed it.
The writing literally put the scene into my mind and I swear I could smell the crisp, frigid, artic air. I'm glad I reread this book because I'm sure my 7-year-old self was not able to take it all in at that age.
November 12, 2019
East of the Sun and West of the Moon is a Norwegian Fairy tale. It has been passed down from generation to generation through oral tradition, it's intended for children, and has many wondrous creatures, such as: goblins, frogs that turn into men, trolls, the North Wind portrayed much like Zues, etc... Therefore, making it fit into traditional literature.
I believe this is a good instructional book since it has a lot of variety, socio-emotional elements, and it provides enough structure to the story that I could have my students create a story with the same plot.
I enjoyed this book because it has a different structure than most children books. For example, I read "Franklin Is Too Bossy" by Paulette Bourgeois today with my 5 year old class. It was a typical structure of the intro, conflict, and resolution. East of the Sun and West of the Moon has the intro, conflict, conflict, conflict, conflict, conflict, resolution. I believe this would show students to never give up, the value of being persistent, and justice. A child will never directly experience this book like they would "Franklin Is Too Bossy", however the moral of the story can be transferred. I found it relatable because I do find that persistence and resilience do pay off. Overall, great book!
I believe this is a good instructional book since it has a lot of variety, socio-emotional elements, and it provides enough structure to the story that I could have my students create a story with the same plot.
I enjoyed this book because it has a different structure than most children books. For example, I read "Franklin Is Too Bossy" by Paulette Bourgeois today with my 5 year old class. It was a typical structure of the intro, conflict, and resolution. East of the Sun and West of the Moon has the intro, conflict, conflict, conflict, conflict, conflict, resolution. I believe this would show students to never give up, the value of being persistent, and justice. A child will never directly experience this book like they would "Franklin Is Too Bossy", however the moral of the story can be transferred. I found it relatable because I do find that persistence and resilience do pay off. Overall, great book!
March 28, 2018
Blending elements from traditional European folk tales and lore like the Germanic “Frog Prince” and the Scandinavian “East of the Sun and West of the Moon,” Myer has written and illustrated with pencil, pen, and watercolor, a masterful fairy tale quest of great beauty, with a brave and persistent heroine.
January 11, 2017
I had read East by Edith Pattou when I was in middle school, so the story was nothing new. And I read Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jennifer Day George years later. They're both YA novels that have a bit of romance to them. Each version had things that I didn't like about it. I could tell by the cover this was going to be like Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow in that the wind helps her on her journey, which didn't happen in East. I wasn't as crazy about that part.
It's sad that this book was presented to my library in memory of someone's infant son.
I was absolutely flabbergasted when I started reading the summary. This tale is about a bear, for Pete's sake, not a freaking frog. And wtf is up with her slamming him at the wall bcuz he asked her to be his bride? And even more ridiculous is bcuz once he dies he comes back as a handsome boy and she "instantly loves him as he already loves her." It made no sense whatsoever that a maiden-and don't even get me started with how fed up I am that every fairy tale has to have a beautiful girl and a handsome boy-grants a frog 3 wishes in exchange for a favor. If she can make wishes come true then why does she need a favor from a frog? If she killed him just bcuz he asked her to do something, she doesn't deserve to get with him. And instantaneously loving someone just bcuz they're handsome is wrong.
This story every time I've seen it has been with a polar bear...bcuz it takes place in the far north. What would a frog be doing in this tale? Why the heck would someone do this as the Frog Prince tale?! That is so misleading.
When it started out saying it took place not far from here and not too long ago, that was weird bcuz it is far away and it is a long time ago. Based on the time period the story takes place that's like Middle Ages or shortly after, and that is a long time ago. And not far away from where? Where is here?
"..one is not rewarded for breaking promises or killing frogs. But one comes to deserve one's final happiness through work and waiting and a love that endures."
At least that addresses she doesn't get him after she kills him; she had to atone for it and be tested.
I was rolling my eyes that she had her pick of all of the young men in the land. So sick of hearing about looks. And the men outside her house look like they’re in their 30s, way too old for her. I didn't care for her resentful expression when her mom-who looked more like her grandma-asked her to go to the South Wind to get water for her dad-who looked more like her grandpa.
I get that she turned rougher, having to live like a peasant and hunt for food once their fortune turned, but she looked gaunt and sickly, with redness around her eyes and pale skin. She looked like death warmed over.
I thought it was ridiculous how the spring was clouded over but all of a sudden when she agreed to grant him 3 wishes it cleared. A frog having the power to clear water is stupid. It also made me think he made the water cloudy to trick whoever came along into helping him. Then he asked if he could come and visit her as his first wish, which was stupid, and she just leaves.
I flipped the page and the frog looked so comical sitting in the open doorway with wide eyes.
I agreed with her being upset at the idea of marrying a frog, but having her throw the frog as hard as she could against the wall wasn't right. That's sick and beyond cruel. Someone could have come up with a better idea that didn't make her seem like an animal killer.
It was way too much for a fairy tale to have demons whisk him away. That would be frightening for kids to think that demons could steal people away and to see all those evil-looking creatures hanging onto him. And let me just say that what's-her-face isn't beautiful anyway, with those splotches around she eyes that make her look like she's dead and the guy wasn't handsome at all. They were supposed to be good-looking but they were so not. The artwork wasn't doing the story justice. I didn't understand why everything in the house "became like colors in a stream and vanished." How could the curse on him affect their house and make them them turn poor again? The king won the war and paid them back threefold for their crops, so why would she be wearing rags just bcuz the guy left?
I hate how random the story is. The Moon heard her predicament and told her to go to the mountain of ice and look for a cave. Then there were creatures frozen in ice, don't know what they are or how they got there or why they're still there, but he told her not to worry bcuz they couldn't hurt her. If they can't hurt her then why are they even in here?
Then, inside the cave, there was a chamber of fire. And in the fire there was Salamander. Could one more element be thrown at this thing? It had everything in it but the kitchen sink.
The picture didn't go along with the words. As the Moon was telling her to go to the ice cave, she's already there. Then the next page, it said she walked many miles to get to cave, yet the picture shows her inside the chamber of fire. The pictures were getting ahead of the writing.
The salamander looked like a dragon. It had spikes and a head plate and fingers with nails. Yeah...
It's ridiculous that the Salamander knew what was in her heart and in the "heart of the youth." How can they love each other? He was a freaking frog and they didn't even spend time together. Why does everyone like instant love? Can't she just feel guilty and want to set things right without desperately loving him? And why would he love her? She killed him and doomed him to an awful fate!
Idk who came up with this original story or how much of this was from the original, but boy, did this thing suck. I had no patience to follow this winding road and roller coaster of a story. The salamander didn't say in any way that a place east of the sun and west of the moon didn't exist, which was crucial to the story I thought.
When he sent her off to Father Forest I was like oh boy, here we go. It's going to be one thing after another. Then it just got more and more random. He told her there would be a unicorn outside the cave and he'd have a tinder box she could have, and then to tap the unicorn 3 times on the left ear when they reached Father Forest so it would return to Salamander.
I could not believe the same sentence was used each time she traveled. On pg. 7 it read "After many weary miles she arrived." Pg. 15 said "The maiden walked many weary miles..." Pg. 17 "The maiden rode many weary miles..." Repetition annoys the crap out of me.
And does the maiden have a name? The main character doesn't even have a name. She is known simply as "the maiden." And how stupid was it that she went around asking them if they knew of a youth marrying a troll princess. Could you imagine a kid asking "Do you know this youth?" Like young ppl call each other that. He doesn't have a name either! She could have just called him a boy.
When the tree said "I know what is in your body and in the body of the youth, and I know that your bodies call to each other." Whoa! Let's keep it PG here.
The tree was pretty ugly, so wide and big with a big, long nose and huge nostril. I got so irritated that the tree said the exact same thing as the Salamander. How could they not know where the kingdom was but they knew what her and him were feeling and what their bodies were doing, and they knew she wouldn't "find a welcome within."
What the beings said was really weird. Salamander knew it wasn't in the fiery heart that he knew. Father Forest knew it didn't lie within the body of earth and stone, and he said Great Fish of the Sea knew everything in the blood of the world. What other parts of the world were we going to encounter?
Her other means of transportation had to be tapped on the left ear 3 times to be returned to the owner. Well, the left horn bcuz it was a goat, but still too close. So much repetition.
Pg. 21 "The maiden traveled many weary miles..."
I grew weary just reading that.
Wtf, man. This was like a romance novel. "I know what is in your blood and in the blood of the youth, and I know that your blood yearns to flow as one."
"But this kingdom does not lie within the blood of salt and water in which I live" made no sense. Salt and water doesn't have blood. Why even say blood at all?
Pg. 23 "The maiden rode many weary miles on the back of the Great Fish."
I was surprised the Wind had its own castle, bcuz it’s the wind and can’t be contained. And there were even servants there that told her to meet him in his garden tomorrow. How strange. Since they told her to meet him tomorrow, that left where she was going to stay up in the air. Did she get to stay there, go out in the ice, what?
I recognized that she was amassing things she would eventually need at the troll kingdom. First a tinder box, then a bow and arrow, and then a scale from the fish.
It was so third rate evil to say immediately that the troll princess planned to let the trolls work her until she was turned into a stone statue. At what point do they turn people into statues? When they perform a certain amount of work? When they quit valuing free labor and prefer a useless stone decoration?
Who says the room behind the door? I've never heard anyone refer to a room as being behind a door. "Clean everything in the castle except the room behind the door with the gold knob on the third floor." Very convenient. That's telling her right where he's being kept...
And, conveniently, the door to the room where he's being kept is open. She actually walked right in. How easy. And how stupid that he was being kept in a block of ice. More stupidity ensued as she set the bedclothes on fire, which melted the ice and the water put out the fire. How did she get the water on the fire? With a bucket? With a wish?
The troll princess waited on the floor below with an ax. If she wanted to guard the guy she could've locked the door. And the bow the girl used was like a foot long.
Handy that the arrow made the princess turn into wood, and the fish scale made the rest turn to stone.
All the stone statues came to life as the curse was broken and the castle was torn down and they were married and a new castle built. Why would they want to live there so far away? Wouldn't she want to go back to her family?
At the end if anyone asked to find the kingdom east of the sun and west of the moon, people answered it's hard to reach but you'll find a welcome within.
It's sad that this book was presented to my library in memory of someone's infant son.
I was absolutely flabbergasted when I started reading the summary. This tale is about a bear, for Pete's sake, not a freaking frog. And wtf is up with her slamming him at the wall bcuz he asked her to be his bride? And even more ridiculous is bcuz once he dies he comes back as a handsome boy and she "instantly loves him as he already loves her." It made no sense whatsoever that a maiden-and don't even get me started with how fed up I am that every fairy tale has to have a beautiful girl and a handsome boy-grants a frog 3 wishes in exchange for a favor. If she can make wishes come true then why does she need a favor from a frog? If she killed him just bcuz he asked her to do something, she doesn't deserve to get with him. And instantaneously loving someone just bcuz they're handsome is wrong.
This story every time I've seen it has been with a polar bear...bcuz it takes place in the far north. What would a frog be doing in this tale? Why the heck would someone do this as the Frog Prince tale?! That is so misleading.
When it started out saying it took place not far from here and not too long ago, that was weird bcuz it is far away and it is a long time ago. Based on the time period the story takes place that's like Middle Ages or shortly after, and that is a long time ago. And not far away from where? Where is here?
"..one is not rewarded for breaking promises or killing frogs. But one comes to deserve one's final happiness through work and waiting and a love that endures."
At least that addresses she doesn't get him after she kills him; she had to atone for it and be tested.
I was rolling my eyes that she had her pick of all of the young men in the land. So sick of hearing about looks. And the men outside her house look like they’re in their 30s, way too old for her. I didn't care for her resentful expression when her mom-who looked more like her grandma-asked her to go to the South Wind to get water for her dad-who looked more like her grandpa.
I get that she turned rougher, having to live like a peasant and hunt for food once their fortune turned, but she looked gaunt and sickly, with redness around her eyes and pale skin. She looked like death warmed over.
I thought it was ridiculous how the spring was clouded over but all of a sudden when she agreed to grant him 3 wishes it cleared. A frog having the power to clear water is stupid. It also made me think he made the water cloudy to trick whoever came along into helping him. Then he asked if he could come and visit her as his first wish, which was stupid, and she just leaves.
I flipped the page and the frog looked so comical sitting in the open doorway with wide eyes.
I agreed with her being upset at the idea of marrying a frog, but having her throw the frog as hard as she could against the wall wasn't right. That's sick and beyond cruel. Someone could have come up with a better idea that didn't make her seem like an animal killer.
It was way too much for a fairy tale to have demons whisk him away. That would be frightening for kids to think that demons could steal people away and to see all those evil-looking creatures hanging onto him. And let me just say that what's-her-face isn't beautiful anyway, with those splotches around she eyes that make her look like she's dead and the guy wasn't handsome at all. They were supposed to be good-looking but they were so not. The artwork wasn't doing the story justice. I didn't understand why everything in the house "became like colors in a stream and vanished." How could the curse on him affect their house and make them them turn poor again? The king won the war and paid them back threefold for their crops, so why would she be wearing rags just bcuz the guy left?
I hate how random the story is. The Moon heard her predicament and told her to go to the mountain of ice and look for a cave. Then there were creatures frozen in ice, don't know what they are or how they got there or why they're still there, but he told her not to worry bcuz they couldn't hurt her. If they can't hurt her then why are they even in here?
Then, inside the cave, there was a chamber of fire. And in the fire there was Salamander. Could one more element be thrown at this thing? It had everything in it but the kitchen sink.
The picture didn't go along with the words. As the Moon was telling her to go to the ice cave, she's already there. Then the next page, it said she walked many miles to get to cave, yet the picture shows her inside the chamber of fire. The pictures were getting ahead of the writing.
The salamander looked like a dragon. It had spikes and a head plate and fingers with nails. Yeah...
It's ridiculous that the Salamander knew what was in her heart and in the "heart of the youth." How can they love each other? He was a freaking frog and they didn't even spend time together. Why does everyone like instant love? Can't she just feel guilty and want to set things right without desperately loving him? And why would he love her? She killed him and doomed him to an awful fate!
Idk who came up with this original story or how much of this was from the original, but boy, did this thing suck. I had no patience to follow this winding road and roller coaster of a story. The salamander didn't say in any way that a place east of the sun and west of the moon didn't exist, which was crucial to the story I thought.
When he sent her off to Father Forest I was like oh boy, here we go. It's going to be one thing after another. Then it just got more and more random. He told her there would be a unicorn outside the cave and he'd have a tinder box she could have, and then to tap the unicorn 3 times on the left ear when they reached Father Forest so it would return to Salamander.
I could not believe the same sentence was used each time she traveled. On pg. 7 it read "After many weary miles she arrived." Pg. 15 said "The maiden walked many weary miles..." Pg. 17 "The maiden rode many weary miles..." Repetition annoys the crap out of me.
And does the maiden have a name? The main character doesn't even have a name. She is known simply as "the maiden." And how stupid was it that she went around asking them if they knew of a youth marrying a troll princess. Could you imagine a kid asking "Do you know this youth?" Like young ppl call each other that. He doesn't have a name either! She could have just called him a boy.
When the tree said "I know what is in your body and in the body of the youth, and I know that your bodies call to each other." Whoa! Let's keep it PG here.
The tree was pretty ugly, so wide and big with a big, long nose and huge nostril. I got so irritated that the tree said the exact same thing as the Salamander. How could they not know where the kingdom was but they knew what her and him were feeling and what their bodies were doing, and they knew she wouldn't "find a welcome within."
What the beings said was really weird. Salamander knew it wasn't in the fiery heart that he knew. Father Forest knew it didn't lie within the body of earth and stone, and he said Great Fish of the Sea knew everything in the blood of the world. What other parts of the world were we going to encounter?
Her other means of transportation had to be tapped on the left ear 3 times to be returned to the owner. Well, the left horn bcuz it was a goat, but still too close. So much repetition.
Pg. 21 "The maiden traveled many weary miles..."
I grew weary just reading that.
Wtf, man. This was like a romance novel. "I know what is in your blood and in the blood of the youth, and I know that your blood yearns to flow as one."
"But this kingdom does not lie within the blood of salt and water in which I live" made no sense. Salt and water doesn't have blood. Why even say blood at all?
Pg. 23 "The maiden rode many weary miles on the back of the Great Fish."
I was surprised the Wind had its own castle, bcuz it’s the wind and can’t be contained. And there were even servants there that told her to meet him in his garden tomorrow. How strange. Since they told her to meet him tomorrow, that left where she was going to stay up in the air. Did she get to stay there, go out in the ice, what?
I recognized that she was amassing things she would eventually need at the troll kingdom. First a tinder box, then a bow and arrow, and then a scale from the fish.
It was so third rate evil to say immediately that the troll princess planned to let the trolls work her until she was turned into a stone statue. At what point do they turn people into statues? When they perform a certain amount of work? When they quit valuing free labor and prefer a useless stone decoration?
Who says the room behind the door? I've never heard anyone refer to a room as being behind a door. "Clean everything in the castle except the room behind the door with the gold knob on the third floor." Very convenient. That's telling her right where he's being kept...
And, conveniently, the door to the room where he's being kept is open. She actually walked right in. How easy. And how stupid that he was being kept in a block of ice. More stupidity ensued as she set the bedclothes on fire, which melted the ice and the water put out the fire. How did she get the water on the fire? With a bucket? With a wish?
The troll princess waited on the floor below with an ax. If she wanted to guard the guy she could've locked the door. And the bow the girl used was like a foot long.
Handy that the arrow made the princess turn into wood, and the fish scale made the rest turn to stone.
All the stone statues came to life as the curse was broken and the castle was torn down and they were married and a new castle built. Why would they want to live there so far away? Wouldn't she want to go back to her family?
At the end if anyone asked to find the kingdom east of the sun and west of the moon, people answered it's hard to reach but you'll find a welcome within.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2021
This gorgeously illustrated fairytale enthralled me as a child and still does. My childhood copy is one of my treasures and I return to it again and again. Mercer Meyer was a brilliant illustrator and I spent hours trying to sketch the pictures in this book.
January 14, 2011
A different take on the East of the Sun, West of the Moon tale in which the snooty girl undergoes quite the transformation. This is no Snow White or Cinderella, starting off all good and perfect. This girl has her nose in the air and needs to learn a lesson in Real Life – which she does, and then shows her true colors of willing to lean in and put her effort in for the long haul. With the payback of rescuing the prince all by herself and winning a kingdom. Sandberg would approve.
And oh, the illustrations. So gorgeous. Nice touch of seeing her nice clothes go to rags as she sets off on her quest and the creatures she encounters looked like portraits of some of the Henson workshop’s finer creations. Personally – I fell in the love with the salamander. Those eyes!
The text is long, but worth it, and the illustrations are amazing!
November 22, 2020
A very beautiful book. Lovely illustrations.
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December 13, 2016
A wonderful tale full of adventures from the beginning to end a must read for all .
August 3, 2014
My absolute favorite children's book. The artwork is divine and the story is inspirational!
June 28, 2025
This picture is retelling of the combined fairy tales "The Frog Prince" and "East of the Sun and West of the Moon."
A maiden whose family fallen upon hard times receives the help of a frog in exchange for granting him three wishes. The frog arrives to claim the promised favors after her family's fortunes have recovered. The maiden grants the first wish but refuses to fulfill the second, throwing the frog against the wall and killing him. The frog turns into a handsome young prince, but because the maiden had refused to fulfill her promises, the prince is spirited away to a kingdom east of the sun and west of the moon where he is to marry a troll princess.
Overcome with heartbreak and remorse, the maiden sets out to follow the prince. Because of her purity of heart and determination, a series of supernatural entities -- the Moon, a salamander/dragon, Father Forest, a great fish, and the North Wind -- help her reach the kingdom East of the Sun and West of the Moon. She is able to defeat the troll princess and rescue the prince, and they live happily ever after. The end.
The illustrations are the same beautiful, intricate, fairy tale style artwork as The Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and the Beast, which I checked over and over again from our local Carnegie public library as a child. It's hard to believe he is the same artist who illustrated the Little Critter books, which I also read as a child, because the art style is so different.
A maiden whose family fallen upon hard times receives the help of a frog in exchange for granting him three wishes. The frog arrives to claim the promised favors after her family's fortunes have recovered. The maiden grants the first wish but refuses to fulfill the second, throwing the frog against the wall and killing him. The frog turns into a handsome young prince, but because the maiden had refused to fulfill her promises, the prince is spirited away to a kingdom east of the sun and west of the moon where he is to marry a troll princess.
Overcome with heartbreak and remorse, the maiden sets out to follow the prince. Because of her purity of heart and determination, a series of supernatural entities -- the Moon, a salamander/dragon, Father Forest, a great fish, and the North Wind -- help her reach the kingdom East of the Sun and West of the Moon. She is able to defeat the troll princess and rescue the prince, and they live happily ever after. The end.
The illustrations are the same beautiful, intricate, fairy tale style artwork as The Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and the Beast, which I checked over and over again from our local Carnegie public library as a child. It's hard to believe he is the same artist who illustrated the Little Critter books, which I also read as a child, because the art style is so different.
June 2, 2025
I LOVED this book so much when I was a kid and it is one of the reasons I fell in love with fairy and folk tales. So when I started reading my ten year old fairy tales I decided to start with the Blue Fairy Book that my mom got me for Mother’s Day because it was so pretty.
When I saw East of the Sun West of the Moon was one of the stories I got so excited - but then it wasn’t what I remembered at all! Like the guy came up with the plan to have her do laundry to save the day? NO! She shot that psycho troll in the heart! So I went online and hunted down this book that has the right story. We read it tonight and my awesome daughter agrees that this one is WAY better.
And then I realized something. This book was my first ya fantasy. Like there is magic and a kick butt heroine who saves the day! Everything I assume and expect and frankly want when I see magic and a teenager was planted in me from this book.
I’m so glad I own it now. 🥰
When I saw East of the Sun West of the Moon was one of the stories I got so excited - but then it wasn’t what I remembered at all! Like the guy came up with the plan to have her do laundry to save the day? NO! She shot that psycho troll in the heart! So I went online and hunted down this book that has the right story. We read it tonight and my awesome daughter agrees that this one is WAY better.
And then I realized something. This book was my first ya fantasy. Like there is magic and a kick butt heroine who saves the day! Everything I assume and expect and frankly want when I see magic and a teenager was planted in me from this book.
I’m so glad I own it now. 🥰
May 24, 2018
Mercer Mayer is known for his "Little Monster" books (some of which I loved as a child for the silly hidden jokes in the background of the images, like Little Monster's Mother Goose), but he illustrated a few fairy tales in a way that is reminiscent of Trina Schart Hyman's work, if a little more idealized-- hair and fabric blowing in the wind, dynamic layouts, incredible colors and smooth-curving lines, everything beautiful (except the trolls, which are a little frightening) and each page unique. I now have four of his fairytale books: Twelve Dancing Princesses, Sleeping Beauty, East of Sun and West of the Moon, and Beauty and the Beast, and I would highly recommend any of them. The writing is a faithful retelling of the original. Some of his other books that I would recommend for the art are The Wizard Comes to Town and Me and My Flying Machine.
August 1, 2022
Given the quality of the illustrations, it's a shame that the story strayed so far from the original. An unwary reader (me) who expected the familiar, much-loved elements (ie the polar bear) that make up this variant of the Cupid and Psyche story would be sorely disappointed (I was). A unicorn and a frog... What benighted fairy tale did I stray into? Whatever it was, it was barely recognisable as 'East o' the Sun and West o' the Moon.' I dread to think what would happen to a child who read this version first.
April 15, 2022
The beloved daughter of a prosperous farmer is suddenly thrown into poverty when a war destroys their farm. Being the only child, she has to help her mother care for her sickly father. When her mother sends her on an errand to fetch a special medicine, she meets a talking frog asks for three wishes in return for his help.
This book is illustrated with full-page beautifully colored slightly muted drawings.
Who is taking care of her parents while the daughter is traveling all over?
This book is illustrated with full-page beautifully colored slightly muted drawings.
Who is taking care of her parents while the daughter is traveling all over?
May 4, 2017
This was how I first discovered this story, this amazing picture book. The illustrations are what drew me to it, but the story was it's own reward. Since first reading this, I have read countless adaptations, but this still remains one of my favorites.
February 25, 2020
Read Feb. 18, 2020
After reading the Jackie Morris version, this story seemed so much.... less. But illustrations are fantastic. I'm going to have to find the original Norwegian fairy tale and compare. And all this just because my kiddo will be in a play of this story, lol.
After reading the Jackie Morris version, this story seemed so much.... less. But illustrations are fantastic. I'm going to have to find the original Norwegian fairy tale and compare. And all this just because my kiddo will be in a play of this story, lol.
January 5, 2024
As much as I enjoy Mercer Mayer’s art throughout the book, the story was nothing like the original folktale. I didn’t enjoy this retelling because it picked apart the Nordic folktale and added different elements to it.
February 10, 2017
One of my favorite books as a kid. The copy I have is still a treasure. Richly illustrated, cool story. I'll love it forever.
September 21, 2017
This was an interesting conglomeration. It was well written and beautifully illustrated, but it certainly didn't follow the title story.
October 5, 2018
A beautiful tale. Beautifully illustrated.
January 13, 2019
Gorgeous. I love this one - kids were ambivalent. Pages fell out when I read it. :(
July 17, 2019
I bought this for the illustrations, which are gorgeous, of course.
May 23, 2020
Great art work. However the story...
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