The girls grow from the roots of seven fairy tales from the classic treasury: two by Perrault, five by Grimm. Young adult writer and illustrator Annet Schaap looks at them with a fresh, contemporary perspective.
In the stories, Metka's brother Janko becomes a sister, and Sleeping Beauty gets a sister who plays a key role in the story. Perhaps some of the girls like to dream of a prince on a white horse, but the girls are solidly built personalities who do not allow themselves to be intimidated by lazy kings or negligent fathers and do not need princes as saviors; with a desire for freedom and recognition, they free themselves.
But on the other hand, it is not some feminist pamphlet. Annet Schaap is protected from this by her boundless imagination and impeccable style. From under her pen grow irresistibly attractive stories that leave behind a slight trace of melancholy. Because: although The Girls are based on fairy tales, they are, paradoxically, read as an invitation not to blindly believe in fairy tales - it will be more useful.
In the sensitive children's novel Lučka, the winner of the prestigious Dutch Golden Pen Award first demonstrated her magical talent for storytelling. The girls prove that her literary talent is far from a one-day whim. This pearl of children's literature is further embellished with black and white woodcut illustrations. (taken from the general page of Sanje Publishing House)