Princess Zaara and the Enchanted Forest

By Umbreen Asghar

A captivating and magical tale, Princess Zaara and the Enchanted Forest, by children's author Umbreen Asghar is the sort of tale that sparks the imagination and fuels a child's curiosity. With lavish, highly stylized illustrations by Diane Lucas, this beginning children's book introduces a curious Spanish princess named Zaara. She's seven and the only thing she wants in the whole wide kingdom is to explore the forest that is just beyond her empire, so when she gets a chance, she jumps at it. She discovers that the forest is all she has ever heard or dreamed about, and there in the mesmerizing dark folds, keeping her royal lineage a secret, she makes friends. They're a curious lot. There's Morgan the Giant, Elvin the Elf, Banji the Bear and Tiffany-Annabel, all who bring something special to the group. When an evil wood spirit puts a spell on her new pals, Zaara shows courage and tenacity befitting the best sort of princess--the kind that is a friend first.

Spellbinding and filled with smart humour, Princess Zaara and the Enchanted Forest describes a delightful place. It is a place of hidden mysteries, secret smiles, and lots of laughter, not to mention a young princess who wants to be more than royalty. This little will-be-queen-someday wants to be an adventurer--and a really good friend. With elegant illustrations by Diane Lucas, this timeless fairytale is a very special beginning children's book for your little princess or prince.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Umbreen Asghar
• Release date: Jun 26, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466047730

Umbreen Asghar

Umbreen Asghar received a bachelor's degree in English with honours from The University of North London. She has worked with college students whose first language is not English and collaborated with lecturers to provide assistance to students of varying aptitudes. Currently, she works with primary level children in London, England where she lives. Her daughter, a dear sort of English princess also serves as the author's muse. Princess Zaara and the Enchanted Forest is her first book.

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Reviews for Princess Zaara and the Enchanted Forest

[melanie_mccullough_4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read a lot of children's books. Mostly with my 8yo neice Kylie who adores reading as much as I do. Before I read it, I gave it to her to read alone so that I could get her opinion. She read it, loved it, then demanded that I read it with her. The first thing that caught her eye were the illustrations, which she thought were beautiful. The story line itself kept her attention even the second time we read it and she particularly liked the fairy Tiffany-Annabel. There were a few large words here and there that younger children might have trouble with. And I personally am thrown off whenever dialogue tags precede the actual words spoken as they do in this book, but Kylie didn't seem to mind. I probably would have given it a 3.5, but I'm going to defer to Kylie's judgement and give it a 4.0 as she is the intended audience.

[smmorris_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Princess Zaara lives in a castle overlooking a magical forest her parents refuse to let her enter. The next time her tutor falls asleep she slips off her crown and runs into the forest. Zaara meets a Giant named Morgan and his two friends, Elvin the elf and Banji, a teddy bear creature. They welcome Zaara with their special friendship song they like to sing. She then meets Tiffany, a fairy, and watches as Mischievo casts spells over her new friends. It is up to Zaara to find Mischievo, somewhere deep in the magical forest, and bring him back to her friends.Zaara and the Enchanted Forest is a short, 30 page, picture book for children ages 6 to 8 years. The story highlights friendship and acceptance of others. The characters do that quickly, yet sincerely. Princess Zaara and the Enchanted Forest works best read aloud to a child or group of children ages 4 to 6. It does not take much effort for Zaara to solve her conflict in the forest and I am not sure she has changed by the end of the story, as all good characters must, yet young children will like the story and understand the message sent to them. Anyone older than six will probably lose interest quickly. If your child loves the Barney song, or sings with Sesame Street, they will like the friendship song and can add their own name to the song. The writing could use a bit of editing. There are too many commas used and used incorrectly. This drove me nuts. Trying to read, stopping often, many times for no purpose, made it difficult to enjoy the story. The incorrect commas are like speed bumps on a racetrack. The descriptors are colorful, yet also overdone and were redundant for such a short story. This is where some editing would help. More dialogue and some snappy lines would help the story, especially when read aloud, which the author feels is the best way for his story to be read to children. Despite the above, Princess Zaara and the Enchanted Forest is a sweet story with a happy ending. Children will love the bright illustrations that fill most pages without text. The book is a good size for a story hour reading or a bedtime tale. Note: received from author