Castle Waiting - Linda Medley and Jane Yolen
What happens when Sleeping Beauty wakes up and decides that she’d rather live in Prince Charming’s castle? She impetuously rides off with him, leaving her three ladies in waiting and the bewildered townsfolk staring after her. Castle Waiting, written and illustrated by Linda Medley, tells the story of the motley group that makes a haven of the abandoned castle. There is Jain, a pregnant woman fleeing her husband; Destrier, a horse-headed knight; Rackham, a beaked bachelor merchant; Sister Peace, the bearded nun; and Prudence, Patience, and Plenty, Sleeping Beauty’s abandoned ladies-in-waiting. The book is full of adventure stories juxtaposed with domestic cares. The classic line drawings, wonderfully evocative and lighthearted, suit the story perfectly. It is sprinkled with subtle references to the Grimms and Andersen but is very much its own charming, quirky tale.
