Book Traveling Thursdays: Mickey Mouse’s Birthday

Happy early birthday, Mickey Mouse! Mickey Mouse’s birthday is on the 18th, so this week’s Book Traveling Thursdays asks us to pick our favorite fairy tale retelling. One problem for me is that I do not remember all that I have read that are technically retellings. Another problem is that the one I wanted to pick only has two covers. Instead, I am picking Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale.

Until looking for a retelling, I never knew that Book of a Thousand Days was a retelling. It’s apparently based on the Grimm Fairy Tale Maid Maleen. In short, the fairy tale goes that a princess is locked up in a tower for seven years with her servants for wanting to marry the prince she chose. They eventually break out and find a new world order. After hiding and playing a game of switcheroo, the maid and the prince marry.

If you don’t know what Book Traveling Thursdays is, it’s a weekly meme, created by Danielle at Danielle’s Book Blog and Catia at The Girl Who Read Too Much, where compare covers from around the world. It’s now hosted by Lauren at Comma Hangover. Based on the theme of the week, you pick a book and post the original cover, the cover from your country, your favorite cover, and your least favorite cover. If you would like to participate or find out more, check out the Goodreads page!

Original/U.S./Favorite Cover

I remember this cover from when the book first came out. The reason that I prefer this cover over all others is that it maintains the atmosphere of fear that I remember feeling through the middle of the book. There are some frightening moments, and that fear and desperation comes through in at least the color scheme.

Next Runner Up

I loved this cover when I saw it at the bookstore. What holds this cover back for me is that this seems more like a Rapunzel retelling with the damsel in distress than a retelling where the girls to show some agency.

Abstract Covers

From left to right, these are the UK, Brazilian Portuguese, 2009 US, and French covers. My problem with these covers is that they are too sweet for the content that I remember. Yes, they are beautiful and include details from the book, but they don’t fit the tone.

Least Favorite Covers

While I appreciate that the Hebrew cover here includes the leading ladies, the wolves and the turmoil, I think this cover belongs to a different story. It seems like some sort of magical or elemental battle between all three.

I don’t care for the German cover because it strikes me as a light-hearted romance. Not that there isn’t romance, but I never thought it was the dominating feature.

>^..^<

What do you think of these covers? What are your favorite fairy-tale retellings?