The paper bag princess

After a quarter century, Robert Munsch's The Paper Bag Princess 25th Anniversary Edition: The Story Behind the Story, illus. by Michael Martchenko, also comes with the "story behind the story" of how Munsch met Martchenko and they began their partnership unfolds in a series of short chapters (e.g., "And They Lived Happily Ever After" and "Thinking Outside the Bag"). The Paper Bag Princess story itself is included. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

The story of the princess Elizabeth who outsmarts a dragon and puts down a prince has stolen the hearts of many. Here, 25 years after the publication of The Paper Bag Princess, is a giddy celebration of the book's anniversary that also includes the complete original. Readers will find a basic walk-through of the publishing process then and now, plus the inside scoop on the PBP: brief biographies of author and illustrator, how they met, the identity of the "real Elizabeth" and more. It's fun to learn that in Munsch's original story, he had the princess punching the prince, but the publisher nixed it in the name of nobility--and that Martchenko's preliminary last-page sketch showed the princess naked, free of even her paper bag. The book's success is indeed celebration-worthy, with over three million copies sold in many languages including Arabic, Chinese, Flemish and Dutch ("De prinses in de papieren zak"). It's a lot of fuss over "that sooty, messy-haired, badly dressed little princess," but a loving, contagiously enthusiastic tribute nonetheless. (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-11) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Happy Birthday, Paper Bag Princess Have you wondered how publishing companies decide which stories they are going to publish? At Annick Press we believe in books that make you think about things in new ways. And what can be more fun than a story that is so good you want to hear it again and again? These are the qualities we loved so much in The Paper Bag Princess . From the very first time we read it. We vividly remember the day the story arrived in the mail. We had read many princess stories, but never one that featured a spunky, quick-witted girl like Elizabeth. Following a short discussion, we had only one question: what was Robert Munsch's telephone number? We had to tell him that Annick would publish his manuscript right away! As much as we wished we could announce the publication of The Paper Bag Princess that very week, it doesn't work that way. In fact, it takes a year or so to create a book. There are all kinds of decisions and choices that have to be made, including polishing the story so that it reads as well as it possibly can and finding an illustrator to draw the pictures. Here's the story of how that manuscript received in the mail became a book, and how that book went on to become a beloved and treasured story for millions of people. Happy Birthday, Paper Bag Princess! Rick Wilks and Anne W. Millyard Excerpted from The Paper Bag Princess: The Story Behind the Story by Robert Munsch All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.