Princess Li/La Princesa Li

Gr 4 Up—In this bilingual tale from Spain, a Chinese princess falls in love with a European woman. Princess Li and Beatriz have spent their days kissing in the imperial gardens; there is never an explanation as to how Beatriz came to be accepted at the palace. However, the dreaded day comes when the king demands that his daughter marry a man from the realm; when she refuses, the king orders her lover to be transformed into a bird. Later, the sorcerer, in an attempt to take the throne, poisons the king's drink. Beatriz the bird knocks over the cup and saves the day. In thanks, the red-haired, green-eyed paramour is returned to human form and allowed to marry the princess. According to an interview, Amavisca strove to use this vehicle to encourage tolerance for all races, countries, and sexual orientations. In spite of this, he inexplicably chooses the culturally inaccurate term king instead of emperor, which the Chinese rulers have used consistently since around 221 BCE, and the translator has the princess address her father with the incongruous term Dad. Rendeiro's landscape and architecture are beautifully detailed in gradient shades of red watercolor. But the skill level is inconsistently displayed. Sorcerer Chun Bin is amateurishly rendered, and the interior of the palace has a row of courtyard-facing doors that would have been more at home in India.