Title Synopsis: Hewing to classic fairy-tale tradition, these five eventful, connected stories by a first-time children’s author follow the magical adventures of kindhearted Princess Serena. In the first story, Serena ventures into a “deep dark forest” to find her best friend’s brother, one of many villagers who have mysteriously disappeared there. Because Serena has given her word as a royal to search for him, the king and queen must let her go. The author strikes an enjoyable note of suspense as the forest grows denser and Serena is bedeviled by thorns, brambles, and thick, entangling vines until she stumbles upon a clearing where an old woman is picking mushrooms. The old woman turns out to be a witch, but a good one, bolstering Serena’s courage with a magic necklace, a new “inner name” (Princess Ican), and a butterfly to guide her to the source of the villagers’ disappearances: the house of an evil wizard. Serena’s nightmarish, shape-shifting struggle with the wizard (and his cat) leads to a disturbing change in her character in the third story (while the wizard undergoes a change for the better). In the fourth story, Princess Serena defies her parents to marry a woodsman and leave her royal life; the fifth story, which is somewhat overloaded, involves Serena’s son, a kidnapping, the now-allied witch and wizard, a flying carpet, a giant eagle, drugged apples, and two kingdoms on the verge of war. Themes of honor, courage, and self-determination are effectively highlighted throughout this story collection, which is aimed at a target audience of elementary- and middle school–age children. Refreshingly, Kulin doesn’t effect a complete reversal of the changes Serena and the wizard experience—instead, these changes add new dimensions to both characters. Kids will shiver at the book’s chilling supernatural elements (including the wizard’s method of dispatching the villagers). Keane’s lavish, spot illustrations, rendered in an engaging mix of styles, offer vivid visual interest.
A strong hero leads an engaging, fairy tale–style narrative—imaginatively told and illustrated.
About the Author: This is Joe Kulin‘s first children’s book; articles and interviews of his have been published in Parabola and the Utne Reader. As former publisher of Parabola: the magazine of myth and tradition, he became acquainted with the world‘s folklore, myths, and fairytales. He has also produced an eight-part audio series of Native American stories for children. Joe lives in Northampton, Massachusetts with his extended family nearby. He is active engaged in yoga, Tai Chi, meditation, and as a literary agent in the mind-body-spirit genre. He is the publisher of Honeyboy Press.
Author: Joe Kulin
Narrator: Peter Coyote with music by Laraaji
Publisher: Honeyboy Press
Copyright: Text copyright 2025 by Joseph Kulin
Audiobook Release Date: 2026-04-27
Original Book Release Date: May 2025
Running Time: 01:25:19
Track Count: 7
Audiobook ISBN: 9798989930449
