DULCINEA IN THE FORBIDDEN FOREST

In this German import, Dulcinea rescues her father from a spell an evil witch has cast on him.

It’s classic fairy-tale material: a father and a daughter he loves very much contentedly living together—but next to a forest, wherein dwells a witch. There’s even a castle and a moat with monsters. But this fairy tale is updated with some attitude and a gentle poking of fun at fairy-tale tropes: “The witch sighed. She had always found young children exhausting.” There are also some seriously funny illustrations. Dulcinea has promised her father that she will never enter the enchanted forest, but one day her father ventures in against his own advice, hoping to find blueberries for Dulcinea’s blueberry-pancake birthday breakfast. When he is accosted by and turned into a tree by the witch, Dulcinea must enter the forest herself in search of him. She recognizes him at once, and readers will too, because the illustration shows a tree with big eyes, a hat, mustache, and arm branches with leaf fingers. The story’s illustrations are done with a limited palette of brown and black in a minimal, forthright style that features simple and adroitly effective linework. The juxtaposition of Dulcinea’s earnest, often deadpan mien and the witch’s over-the-top dramatic expressions is priceless. In good fairy-tale style, Dulcinea sets off to find the witch, overcomes obstacles, uses her brain to triumph, and it all ends happily-ever-after. All humans present White.

Wonderfully amusing illustrations enrich a confident, capably executed narrative.