UNTOLD TALES

In the manner of Brooke's A Telling of the Tales (1990, ALA Notable), four more sequels to, revisions of, and extrapolations from familiar stories. What if Beauty was named by a father who couldn't bear to look at her ugly face, while the Beast's curse was a visage of surpassing loveliness, plus magical wealth that corrupted everyone around him? Suppose the Frog Prince became a workaholic king, his lonely queen nostalgic for croaks and moist, green skin? And imagine that Prince Charming is looking—25 years late—for Sleeping Beauty: because there's been a general mix-up, and he thinks some princess-swapping is in order. In the fourth tale, the author and his word processor (including some independent bits and bytes) get into the act, struggling to manipulate the strong-minded characters they've created. Overall, these aren't quite as fresh or witty as the earlier stories; but Brooke's ebullient wordplay continues to be remarkable, while his imaginative logic leads him to wonderfully ironic and surprising outcomes. An irrepressibly clever book that will appeal to like- minded readers. (Fiction. 11+)