Sleeping Ugly

Yolen, Jane. 1981. SLEEPING UGLY. by Diane Stanley. New York: Coward-McCann, Inc. ISBN 0-698-30721-6

PLOT SUMMARY

Presented is a fractured fairy tale based on Sleeping Beauty. The story deals with Miserella and Plain Jane. One is undoubtedly beautiful on the exterior, but wicked and heartless. The other is kind and a lover of animals, but as plain as she can be. Through a series of events, both Miserella and Plain Jane and even the Fairy fall into the 100 year sleep. A prince kisses two out of the three and there is, of course, a happily ever after.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Like a good fairy tale, Miserella is thoroughly wicked. In contrast there is not a drop of iniquity in Plain Jane and is the poster child for kindness. Yolen includes humor that caused me to laugh out loud! When Miserella states Plain Jane has made a stupid choice the Fairy replies, "Do not call someone stupid unless you have been properly introduced, or are a member of the family." I laughed out loud so many times that my students HAD to find out what I was reading and WHY was it so funny? If this does not make a great read-aloud, I don't know what does. The story was fast paced paced and had plenty of action. Also like a good fairy tale, the bad guy, in this case a spoiled rotten princess, got what she deserved: perpetual sleep and Plain Jane, got the prince and lived happily ever after. I loved the fact that Plain Jane was never transformed into a beautiful princess. Her looks remained plain and in spite of that - the prince chose her over the beautiful Miserella. The prince had three cousins just like Miserella, "Pretty on the outside. Ugly within." The story was a breath of fresh air in the sense that it was a break from Disney's equation of beauty equates kindness.

REVIEWS

"Yolen pokes fun at the patterned Sleeping-princess story in a tale that's written with brisk simplicity and humor...it is amusing, it has plenty of action, and it's easy to read". -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books "A light, bright twist on the romantic tale". From Kirkus Reviews

CONNECTIONS

Since the story provided an alternate view of Sleeping Beauty, students could use the story to invent their own versions of Sleeping Beauty - or in this case, Sleeping Ugly. A good activity prior to the actual writing would be a contrasting and comparing of the two fairy tales: Sleeping Beauty and Sleeping Ugly.