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From Amazon
Madonna hangs up her material-girl cloak to teach children the importance of looking beyond a surface sheen. In The English Roses, the superstar's children's book debut, four little girls (the roses in question) "play the same games, read the same books, and like the same boys".
Nicole, Amy, Charlotte and Grace all love to dance the monkey and the tickety-boo... and they all are horribly jealous of Binah, the perfect, beautiful, smart, kind girl who lives nearby. Even though they know Binah is lonely, she makes them sick. They would say "Let's pretend we don't see her when she walks by", and even "Let's push her into the lake!" The pleasantly bossy narrator explains "And that is what they did. No, silly, not the lake part, the pretending not to see her part".
One night, however, the four girls all have the same dream that sets them straight. A fairy godmother sprinkles them with fairy dust and takes them to spy on Binah. When they see that she lives alone with her father, slaving away night and day at household chores, the four girly grumblers feel very sorry for her. The fairy scolds them: "... in the future, you might think twice before grumbling that someone else has a better life than you." And they do.
This morality tale is nothing new under the sun, but it is cleverly told, with many teaspoonfuls of good humour. Jeffrey Fulvimari's illustrations are no less than stunning, filling every page with vivacious black ink lines and gorgeous watercolour reminiscent of 1960s fashion sketches. Children will enjoy this don't-hate-me-because-I'm-beautiful story that celebrates friendship as much as it teaches compassion. It's recommended for ages six and above. --Karin Snelson --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.
From School Library Journal
Grade 3-6-In yet another change of public persona, Madonna turns Mother-Knows-Best moralist with a tale aimed at preteens, though packaged in picture-book format. Responding to an admonition from one of their mothers, and with additional guidance from a fairy godmother, four young fashion plates at a sleepover simultaneously dream that a classmate, ostracized because of her extreme beauty, has to do all the household chores because her mum is dead. When this actually turns out to be true, the four guiltily invite Binah into their circle, and surprise, surprise, soon they're all thick as thieves. An unseen narrator delivers this rough-hewn story in a conversational, "listen to me, I'm telling you this for your own good," tone, breaking in distractingly several times to make sure that readers are paying attention. Reflecting a background in fashion art, Fulvimari places skinny lasses with oversized eyes, dressing and posing as if they've stepped from the pages of a department store catalog, against visually bewildering expanses of scribbled filigree or loudly patterned wallpaper. All in all, this overproduced episode, the first of a projected series, will have to rely on hype rather than content or presentation to find a readership.
John Peters, New York Public Library
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.
John Peters, New York Public Library
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great,
By
This review is from: English Roses (Hardcover)
Book was in good condition and was only a date late arriving. Very pleased with my purchase.
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Unexpected Delight,
By Jamieson Villeneuve "Author at Large" (Ottawa Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: English Roses (Paperback)
"Most people think that I've made a career out of doing the unexpected and to a certain extent, they're right. While I've envisioned myself doing many things in this life, writing children's books was never one of them."Like most, I greeted the news that Madonna was writing a children's book with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. Madonna, writing a children's book? The Queen of Pop and mistress of sex penning a tale for tiny tots? I was doubtful as to how good the book would be. It was after watching Madonna appear on Oprah to talk about "The English Roses" that I decided to go and buy a copy. Here was Madonna talking about teaching children things that adults should have learned about. Here was Madonna talking about life lessons and things she has learned as a mother that helped her to write "The English Roses." She says: "So how did it happen? The idea first came about through my Kabbalah teacher, who suggested that I share the spiritual wisdom I've learned studying the Kabbalah by writing children's stories... "The English Roses" is the first of five stories that I have written. It deals with envy and jealousy - and how these emotions cause so much unnecessary suffering in our lives." I was still sceptical. What could the Material Girl bring to the world of children's fiction? What could the author of the book "Sex" contribute to children's literature? A lot, apparently. Dedicated to her children, Madonna has given us the story of "The English Roses," a group of four girls Nicole, Amy, Charlotte, and Grace. They like the same games, the same books, the same boys and even the same dance steps. They are also united in one other thing: their jealousy of Binah, the most beautiful girl at their school. Binah seems to have everything the English Roses want for themselves. How could they not be green with envy? Then one night, all four girls have the same dream. In the dream, they are all visited by a pumpernickel loving fairy godmother who takes them on a magical trip to see what Binah's life is really like. They learn that Binah's life isn't so glamorous and beautiful. After losing her mother, Binah has to do all the chores and clean the house and cook all the meals. The English Roses, horrified at the thought of living without their mother realize that Binah's life is very hard indeed. Illustrated with beautiful, care free illustrations by Jeffrey Fulvmiari, "The English Roses" is a treat for children of all ages. Even grown up ones. What I really love about the book, aside from the illustrations, is that everyone can relate to this story. It is timeless and has been told before, but Madonna has given it a new twist and has made the story and the characters within it her own. It is a beautiful treat for children, an awesome collectible for Madonna fans and a nice life lesson: Don't be jealous of others. Don't be envious of what you don't have. Try to live your life to the fullest. An amazing achievement from The Queen of Pop.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Two Thumbs WAAAAY Up for the Roses!!!,
By JDV "JDV" (Ontario) - See all my reviews
This review is from: English Roses (Hardcover)
I had stashed this book away for a Xmas gift for my 6 year old daughter but took it out early as she was experiencing some "clique" difficulties at school. We both enjoyed the story and the lessons taught. She was able to comprehend the moral of the story and we've discussed, at length, the meaning of the book which is "all is not as it may seem". The illustrations are timeless and beautiful as is the story. A definite must read for all school-aged girls. It's a wonderful way to have a snuggle and a story with your daughter. Thank you, Madonna, for a great book.
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