Common Sense Media Review
By Terreece Clarke
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Delightfully offbeat fairytale full of surprises.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 3 parent reviews
Based on 11 kid reviews
Kids say this book is a mix of funny and romantic elements, appealing mostly to those who enjoy fairy tales, although some readers feel it lacks excitement and individuality. While many found the love story charming, others criticized the humor and found parts of it uncomfortable.
- funny elements
- love story
- fairy tale appeal
- lacks excitement
- audience specific
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Christian and Edric the troll's paths cross one day when Christian runs away from his uptight family. Determined never to go back, Christian makes Edric and his two dogs, Beezlebub and Hecate, his family. They live a good life until Christian falls in love with Princess Marigold and decides that he should see more of the world -- the world around Marigold's castle. When Christian discovers a plot against Marigold and her father, he enlists his family to help break out of prison, prevent Marigold's arranged marriage, foil Queen Olympia's murderous plot, reunite several families, and reveal his true and forgotten identity. Oh, and learn about Princess Marigold's curse, whew!
Is It Any Good?
Quirky characters, fun and unusual elements, and surprising plot twists make ONCE UPON A MARIGOLD a must read for tweens. Jean Ferris has created magic in this fun-spun fairytale. There's royalty and weddings, fashion and trolls, plots and action, a geography-challenged tooth fairy, and inventions, p-mails, triplets, crystals, and a sick ficus.
Ferris' plot may be more tangled than the tooth fairy's maps (which is why she's always lost), but it all comes together wonderfully in the end. And while part of it is predictable -- it's a fairytale after all -- the details of the conclusion are anything but. Kids and parents will love the modern twists and delight in the details Ferris uses to richly embroider this tale.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what it means to be a family. Do you need to be related to be a family? In what ways does Edric act like a parent toward Christian? Do you know someone that has a non-traditional family?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fairy Tale
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Harcourt
- Publication date : June 1, 2004
- Number of pages : 272
- Award : ALA Best and Notable Books
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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