TATTERHOOD AND THE HOBGOBLINS

Not the English ``Tattercoats'' (a Cinderella variant) but a long tale, from Asbjornsen and Moe, about twin sisters—pretty Isabella and feisty, independent Tatterhood—born after the queen eats not only the flower she's told will bring her a baby, but also the weed growing beside it. Hobgoblins catch the queen eating the weed and demand Tatterhood on her 12th birthday as recompense; but when the time comes, the lass mounts a goat and chases the hobgoblins away with a wooden spoon. Still, they manage to enchant Isabella, so the sisters set out on a long voyage/adventure during which the hobgoblins are defeated, Isabella marries a king, and Tatterhood finds a prince who values her assertiveness and wild ways. Mills's retelling is lively with incident; her paintings, formally framed in white margins, owe a great deal to Rackham—subdued amber-drenched palette, appealingly fey characters (especially the goblins), etc.—but without Rackham's powerful drafting and design; still, they incorporate many amusing details. An attractive presentation of an entertaining, little-known tale that could be a folkloric precursor of Pippi Longstocking. (Folklore/Picture book. 5-10)