The Vampire Princess: Eerie Folktales of Humor and Suspense

Gr 5–7—Unusual plots and great music make this an enjoyable listen. The titular tale is the longest, a half hour or so, and is about a sleeping princess who is found to be a vampire. The king promises riches to soldiers who will guard her, but they never survive. When a soldier with gypsy blood is selected to watch over her, a fellow gypsy instructs him on how to foil the princess's plans. "Water of Life," a much shorter Mexican folktale, tells of a man who makes a deal with Death to the benefit of society. "Mr. & Mrs. Nyte" (Grimm's "Frau Trude"), "Four Friends & a Tiger" (India), "Greedy Priest" (Russia), and "Vampire Princess (Romany people in Bohemia) round out the collection. These multicultural tales are full of intrigue and sarcasm, with sound effects such as creaking coffins. Many of the stories have a satirical bent, making fun of greed or authority. They are not overly scary, but there is talk of the devil and an avaricious priest. The very brief musical interludes on harp and concertina are excellent. Storytellers Jennings and Ponder are enthusiastic and capture listeners' attention. The production was performed in front of a live audience and there is a bit of an echo.—C.A. Fehmel, St. Louis County Library, MO