From School Library Journal
Grade 4 Up-Elizabeth Falconer artfully blends original koto music and finely crafted storytelling in this excellent production. While these three traditional stories may be familiar to some listeners, her inventive use of her the 13-stringed instrument makes this a unique and inviting recording. The title story, told from the crane's point of view, recounts the bird's transformation into a young woman and her relationship with an elderly, childless couple. "The Tanabata Legend" explains the sad tale of the Weaver Star and the Cowherd Star separated because the night sky is in disarray. "The Golden Arrow" is a classic quest with the prince required to perform three tasks in order to win the hand of a koto-playing princess. Throughout the recording, Falconer accentuates the story's action and emotion with well-placed koto music. There are also two musical solos on the disc that add to the pleasing qualities of the presentation. Useful liner notes and an attractive cover add to the recording's overall quality. This excellent production would be a valuable asset to collections seeking fresh multicultural titles.Barbara S. Wysocki, Cora J. Belden Library, Rocky Hill, CT Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
Rich characters and multifaceted plots are hallmarks of Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles. The newly crowned Queen Cimorene; Morwen, the witch; Telemain, the magician; Kazul, King of the Dragons; and an array of cats pool their resources to confront the wizards who threaten the integrity of the Enchanted Forest. A full-cast recording is the perfect solution for presenting such an intense, rich, and involved story. Distinctive character voices enable the listener to differentiate the players quickly and focus intensely on their adventures. Devotion to the development of one or two characters affords each cast member opportunities for depth and playfulness. Listen intently to the end of the recording; the epilogue suggests a power struggle to come! A.R. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


From Kirkus Reviews
The third ``Enchanted Forest Chronicle'' has the most perfunctory of plots, but fans of Dealing with Dragons and its 1991 sequel will be pleased nonetheless to revisit their favorite characters negotiating Wrede's effervescently logical magic. The evil wizards have stolen King Mendenbar's sword; its loss imperils the forest, and a doughty crew of seven sets out to rescue it: Morwen the witch and two of her talking cats; sensible Cimorene, now queen, and pregnant; magician Telemain, whose parodic technospeak is so relentlessly clever that it's a relief when he falls into a trance; Kazul the dragon; and a blue donkey, a former rabbit, hapless attractor for magic gone awry. There are other amusing new characters here--notably the confirmed traditionalist who helped steal the sword--but mostly the focus is on the comical repartee and the magic itself; a recalcitrant mirror's plaints when it's used as a telephone are laugh-aloud funny. Like return visits to Oz, this doesn't have the original punch but it's still good fun; a cliffhanger close promises another sequel. (Fiction. 11+) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

ANNOTATION

Queen Cimorene turns to her friends Morwen, Telemain, and Kazul for help when troublesome wizards make their way back into the Enchanted Forest and begin to soak up its magic.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The third of four volumes in the critically acclaimed Enchanted Forest Chronicles.

Queen Cimorene, Morwen the witch, and a host of other characters once again foil the plots of the perfidious wizards in this third volume of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles.
This time the dastardly wizards have stolen King Mendanbar's magic sword, vital to the health of the forest, right out of the castle armory. Morwen joins Cimorene, Kazul, Telemain, several cats, and Killer on a quest to retrieve the sword. Meanwhile, back at home, the forces of the wizards are gathering.

FROM THE CRITICS

School Library Journal

Gr 4 Up-Elizabeth Falconer artfully blends original koto music and finely crafted storytelling in this excellent production. While these three traditional stories may be familiar to some listeners, her inventive use of her the 13-stringed instrument makes this a unique and inviting recording. The title story, told from the crane's point of view, recounts the bird's transformation into a young woman and her relationship with an elderly, childless couple. "The Tanabata Legend" explains the sad tale of the Weaver Star and the Cowherd Star separated because the night sky is in disarray. "The Golden Arrow" is a classic quest with the prince required to perform three tasks in order to win the hand of a koto-playing princess. Throughout the recording, Falconer accentuates the story's action and emotion with well-placed koto music. There are also two musical solos on the disc that add to the pleasing qualities of the presentation. Useful liner notes and an attractive cover add to the recording's overall quality. This excellent production would be a valuable asset to collections seeking fresh multicultural titles.-Barbara S. Wysocki, Cora J. Belden Library, Rocky Hill, CT Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

BookList - Sally Estes

In the third book in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, following "Dealing with Dragons" (1990) and "Searching for Dragons" , the Society of Wizards steals King Mendanbar's magic sword, which helps maintain the spell that protects the Enchanted Forest from sneaky wizardly incursions. Since Mendanbar must remain in the forest to keep the spell working, it is up to his queen, Cimorene, to retrieve the sword, for only a member of the royal family can wield it. Accompanying Cimorene on the quest are the witch Morwen and two of her nine feline companions (each of which has a distinct personality and expresses definite opinions on just about everything), Telemain the magician, Kazul the dragon king (whose princess Cimorene once was), and an enchanted rabbit, now a blue, winged donkey. Time is of the essence, because out of the forest, the sword leaks its magic; hence, the kingdom may be doomed. What ensues is another fantasy in which the bold crew encounters assorted adventures and misadventures before they confront the villains, take possession of the sword, and return to the Enchanted Forest, where they find that all is "not" well. As in the earlier episodes in the series, the emphasis is on the zany and the humorous, some of it quite madcap. Combining suspense, playfulness, and witty repartee, the story is just good fun. And the epilogue hints at things to come.

AudioFile