Discover ten re-imaginings of fairy tales, folk tales, and even a Mother Goose rhyme in this heartwarming collection. Journey across the plains of Nebraska and Kansas and explore the mountains of Wyoming and Colorado with characters from the "Once Upon a Western" series or meet them for the first time! Encounter a mattress filled with apples, a runaway basket of gingerbread, a house that looks like a shoe, a disappointing Christmas tree, and a Halloween prank gone wrong. Each short story brings a classic tale to life, offering fresh adventures and cozy charm in the Old West.
Short stories included:
"None Too Particular" (The Princess and the Pea)
"Let Down Your Hair" (Rapunzel)
"I'll Do It Myself" (The Little Red Hen)
"No Match for a Good Story" (Scheherazade)
"Run, Run" (The Gingerbread Man)
"Who Lived in a Shoe" (There Was an Old Woman)
"The Ugly Evergreen" (The Ugly Duckling)
"The Wind Makes a Poor Husband" (The Mouse's Marriage)
"The Blizzard at Three Bears Lake" (Goldilocks and the Three Bears)
"Gruff" (Three Billy Goats Gruff)
The Once Upon a Western series retells fairy tales, but in an Old West setting. All of the books and stories are non-magical, aimed at a young adult audience, but appropriate for the whole family. Each of the first five books are stand-alones, taking place in a shared universe and sometimes seeing characters cross from one book to another. Nine of the short stories in Prairie Tales are sequels to those books, and one is a prequel. Readers can enjoy them without being familiar with the books they relate to, but should be warned they naturally contain some spoilers about the first five books!
Rachel Kovaciny excels at cozy fiction. Each of these stories is exactly the kind of thing that makes you want to get a hot drink , curl up, and lose yourself in it. Wholesome and fun takes on classic fairytales. Done in a refreshing and bright way. Using characters that if your familiar with the ‘Once Upon A Western’ series you’ll recognize, but get to see them in a variety of different ways in these short tales. Love how she manages to spin these retellings. It’s also just nice to get little windows into each character’s world after their original stories have played out. It’s a rare treat, one that I enjoyed immensely. Each comes with a recipe for something mentioned in the story. Nothing better than being able to make the thing you’re reading about.
