Book Review: The Hunter and the Deer / The Salty Prince

The Hunter and the Deer. Christine Cassello. BookRix, June 4, 2014, Kindle, 17 pages.

The Salty Prince. Christine Cassello. BookRix, June 2, 2014, Kindle, 15 pages.

Reviewed by Kandice N. Cole.

The Hunter and the Deer and The Salty Prince creatively use rhyme to retell commonly known fairy tales and introduce the reader to new tales with modern day twists. Both are easy and fun to read aloud, appealing to both kids and adults.

In The Hunter and the Deer, the author tells eight stories with varying themes. The first tale details the conflict between Brian, the hunter, and his wife, who has been turned into a deer by an angry goddess. The next few fairy tales are written about traditional topics such as kings and treasure, but then the reader is surprised with a story that involves contemporary subjects such as Business as Usual. In this closing story, the reader meets a CEO who takes a long business trip and entrusts his business to his employees while he is away. He returns back from his trip to discover that all of the departments have made improvements except for one: Human Resources. “Only human resources had not made any gain/the boss felt that his money had/been given them in vain.”

The Salty Prince has traditional fairy tales that many readers will recognize, such as Cinderella and Jack & Jill. This book has many detailed character sketches, introducing us to the likes of renowned pickpocket, Lucy Crockett, Farmer Joe, a fairy named Merry, and Wrong Way Clay. The reader will appreciate the various tones of the stories, which range from lighthearted and humorous to ominous and foreboding. In The Meteorite, this dichotomy of tones happens in one story. The tale begins with a beautiful description of a meteorite streaking through the sky, but ends with it striking earth and killing many people.

The books would have been enhanced with illustrations and more varied rhyme schemes, but overall, the reader will find both books enjoyable. Though some of the tales may be geared for adults, there are plenty of tales that children will find interesting. These fairy tales will allow readers of all ages to use their imaginations and engage with a genre that has a rich history. 

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