Once Upon a Time: A Story Collection (Ever After High) Hardcover – January 1, 2014

I admit that I’m mainly aware of the Ever After High series due to seeing the book and the dolls featured at my job around late 2013. I remember putting up one of the Ever After High dolls during the beginning weeks around the my job’s grand opening to the public. I was thinking that the summary of one of the dolls I saw does sound like a good cartoon to watch. Imagine my surprise when I did discover that there is both a cartoon and book series around the Ever After High Dolls. This book Ever After High once Upon A Time; A Story Collection by Shannon Hale is a fascinating and original read for both aspiring writers/scriptwriters and people who simply enjoy uplifting fantasy stories (including for children obviously). This book creatively tells various tales of offspring who are living a happy and enriching life but there is also understandable emotional conflict around wanting to avoid following in the family legacy if it is shadowy. For instance, the story of Apple White and The Ebony-Haired Legacy shows a girl who very much enjoys life while preparing to follow a destiny similar to her mother Snow White. Quirky pop culture references are shrewdly sprinkled and Snow White is mentioned as being a big music lover and an implied fan of One Reflection and their song You Don’t Know You’re Charming (I’m guessing a respectful tribute to One Direction’s You Don’t Know You’re Beautiful). Apple White enjoys listening to music on her Mirror Phone. Then there is the story of the Raven Queen and the Mirror Prison featuring Raven Queen, a direct descendant of the Evil Queen in the story of Snow White (due to Raven Queen being the Evil Queen’s daughter). Raven Queen loves her mother, but is understandably conflicted about following the dark destiny that her mother expects her to. Raven Queen is mentioned as being an implied fan of Tailor Quick because she is listening to a Tailor Quick album on her MirrorPod (I’m guessing polite homage to the Apple iphone and/or Apple ipod). Fortunately, the enjoyable cartoon series of Ever After High is currently available for free on Netflix and Youtube (although I’m currently unsure of how long it will be free). Watching the cartoon series gives an important creative glimpse into the characters and plot development of ever after high. For me, one of the reasons why I’m glad to have unexpectedly come across the series (as an aspiring writer/scriptwriter) is due to the brilliant and unique story development in an enchanting mystical world.

I am a new adult fan of Ever After High. I don't have any dolls yet, but I've seen some of the webisodes. I got this book, because it was recommended to me to read, even though I saw the webisodes about the different characters, this book tells stories of some of the characters of their home life before they go to Ever After High. I think the book was well written and the pages are decorated so beautifully. I think it is for about middle school aged kids but I didn't care. I loved the book.

I love it! I love Shannon's Ever After High books! They are so easy and fun to read and really capture the EAH world spirit and magic!!! The cover of the book and the inner pages are also beautiful!!! Definitely recommend! 100% satisfied!!! Thanks a lot! ♡

Great book for kids it is pretty thick got it for a reasonable price and it came in a timely manner and it was not damaged thanks so much

I have 3 boys, ages 11, 8 and 6 and I've spent the past several nights reading this to them. And they all loved it. Yes, it's basically girly but the characters are fun and the stories are charming. I especially liked the fairy tale puns, such as the One Reflection concert and the mirror-pods! My boys had fun guessing whose child each character would turn out to be. I particularly liked the characters from Wonderland, although I couldn't quite tell if Kitty Cheshire was a girl or a cat! A fun book for any kid who likes fairy tales, or for kids like mine who have moms that insist on reading them. :)-Anita Valle, author of The Nine Princesses Novellas

A cute collection of stories. I believe most of them are easy to get on the Ever After High website as free ebooks but there were a few extra I had not read before. Personally, I like the short stories better than the actual book series. Worth the buy for a EAH collector and good for any fan to add to the bookshelf.

Great book for girls! My daughter got this book for Christmas and she absolutely loves it! It is a perfect book to continue the Ever After High series. If more books come out, I am sure she will want more. It keeps the girls not only knowing the princesses, but now their children. It is a new way of looking at the princesses, especially since these girls are around the ages.

Awesome book! My daughter and I are long distance. So I bought two. We read the chapters and talk about the stories together! Awesome connection with the Disney movies!!!