"Once upon a time there was a very poor man who had one daughter and they lived in a cold and dark cave."
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Once Upon a Time... by Ana Letic Trafford Publishing
book review by Omar Figueras
Ana Letic's Once Upon a Time... is a collection of retold tales and folklore held in the Serbian tradition that, although they were intended for children, these tales have a Brothers Grimm quality to their narratives that possibly even adults would appreciate. The illustrations that accompany the text are vivid and more or less terrifying as they are drawn with such precision and detail. The images add another dimension to the storytelling that goes beyond the page and expands into the deep recesses of the human psyche, the primordial place of our consciousness, a fertile ground where fable is most understood and works best. There is a harsh, unforgiving nature to these stories that are typical of folklore. They carry a high-handed morality, but they are whimsical and beyond entertaining, plus the illustrations that accompany the text are splendid.
Czars and Czarinas, princes and princesses, along with peasants and knights, all inhabit this enchanted world Letic brings forward in charming language; however, these stories are not confined to this world of chivalry and joust. The author explores origin tales as well as seen in the story titled "The Arched Foot." In this piece the author details a struggle between an Archangel and the Devil. The Devil takes a swipe at the Archangel as he is rising into Heaven and is maimed in the struggle: A chunk of his foot was lost. The Archangel complained to God about how he looked deformed, thus God gave all human beings an arched foot.
Once Upon a Time... is a delightful read for both children and adults.