Vande Velde, Vivian
Vande Velde, Vivian (1951– ),American writer of fantasy for young adults. Beginning with Once Upon a Test (1984), a collection of three innovative fairy tales that break with standard depictions of princesses and princes, Vande Velde has written a series of humorous books geared to upset audience expectations. In A Hidden Magic (1985) a plain princess named Jennifer frees a conceited, handsome prince from a witch's spell. A Well‐Timed Enchantment (1991) concerns a young girl and her cat who retrieve an old watch from the past. Dragon's Bait (1992) depicts a courageous girl who denies allegations of witchcraft and becomes the friend of a dragon that is supposed to devour her. In Tales from the Brothers Grimm and the Sisters Weird (1996), she parodies 13 popular fairy tales and gives them unusual twists. For instance, after growing into a beautiful swan, the ugly duckling pecks all his tormentors to...
[The entire page is 224 words long]