WILL & KATE

Oozing charm, a sweet bonbon to celebrate the royal wedding of (probably) the decade.

“Once upon a time in a delightful country called England, there lived a young prince….” Illustrated with cartoons done in spot-on Quentin Blake style and (optionally) narrated in a cheery British lilt, this brief tale brings young William, who “knew that one day he would grow up to be king” but “wondered whether he might be lonely in the palace,” and Catherine, who “[l]ike many little girls, … dreamt of meeting a prince” together. They meet at an old library table and proceed to go on a balloon ride that stands in for “all kinds of adventures.” Then it's on to the wedding, mutual “I do”s, the dancing, the honeymoon and, at last, an optimistic (considering recent family history) “happily ever after.” (This, in a large castle described as a “pretty little cottage in the middle of the Welsh countryside.”) Sounds, animations and other special effects there are aplenty. Sheep open their mouths to bleat or snatch a bouquet, and a glittering royal engagement ring pops out of a padded box with a hearty “ka-ching!”; There are touch-activated fireworks and approving murmurs from formal portraits of Queen Victoria and Henry VIII.

Truly a fairy tale to warm cockles on both sides of the pond, with a few dashes of sauce to flavor the sugar.