英伦玫瑰 (2003)

《英国玫瑰》（英语：The English Roses）是美国艺人麦当娜撰写的一本儿童绘本，于2003年9月份发行。书中描写五位就读伦敦学校的女孩及其生活中面临的问题。

简介

该书讲述夏洛蒂、爱咪、葛瑞丝、妮可四人的日常，她们嫉妒同学娜娜，认为娜娜拥有完美的生活。实际上，娜娜自幼丧母，与父亲住在小房子里，需自行料理家务，生活孤单，没有朋友。她们误以为娜娜受欢迎、富裕且备受宠爱，实则和事实不符。

发展

该书为麦当娜的首本童书，于2003年9月15日由Callaway Editions出版社发行，覆盖全球一百多个国家，并翻译成30多种语言版本。

续集

2006年，麦当娜继续撰写“英国玫瑰”系列。第二本绘本《英国玫瑰2：白马王子来了》插图由史黛西负责，为该系列唯一未由杰夫瑞绘制插图的书籍。首版精装书于2006年10月24日由Callaway发行。内容描写五位女生的友谊在一位新学生到来后面临考验。

The English Roses is a children's picture book written by American entertainer Madonna, released on September 15, 2003, by Callaway Arts & Entertainment. Jeffrey Fulvimari illustrated the book with line drawings. A moral tale, it tells the story of four friends who are jealous of a girl called Binah. However, they come to know that Binah's life is not easy and decide to include her in their group.

Translated into 42 languages, the book was released simultaneously in more than 100 countries worldwide, becoming the first to ever do so. Promotional activities included Madonna hosting a tea party at London's Kensington Roof Gardens, as well as appearances on television talk shows and at book signings. Commercially, The English Roses debuted atop The New York Times Children's Bestseller list and sold over a million copies worldwide. It received moderate reviews from book critics who did not find the story interesting and panned the characterizations and its moralistic tone. Fulvimari's illustrations also received a mixed response. Madonna went on to release merchandise associated with The English Roses and further sequels to the book.

Synopsis

The English Roses are four ethnically-diverse girls—Charlotte (Eastern European), Amy (Anglo-Welsh), Grace (an African-American from Georgia), and Nicole (Anglo-French)—who attend the same school in London. They live in the same neighborhood and participate in the same activities together, including attending summer picnics and ice-skating in winter. They are jealous of an Anglo-Italian girl named Binah, who lives nearby, since they believe her life is perfect. The girls detest her beauty and popularity at school. They enjoy ignoring Binah while concocting naughty plans against her.

One day, the mother of one of the Roses lectures the girls about judging people on the basis of their looks. That night, as the English Roses are at a picnic sleepover, they have the same dream. They are visited by a pumpernickel fairy godmother who sprinkles them with magic dust and transports them to see Binah's life at her home. The girls find that contrary to their belief Binah is actually lonely. Her mother died when she was young, and she lives with her father in a small house where she spends a majority of her time cooking and cleaning. The fairy godmother admonishes the English Roses and asks them to think more kindly of someone in future, rather than complain about their life.

The English Roses feel bad for their behavior towards Binah and invite her to join their group. Soon they strike up a good friendship with her and go on picnics, and to dances and parties together. The girls share all that they like with Binah, and the story ends with there being five English Roses as she joins them.

Background and writing

Madonna's first release as an author was the coffee table book Sex, published by her company Maverick and Callaway Arts & Entertainment in 1992. It consisted of photographer Steven Meisel's sexually provocative and explicit images. The book received a negative reaction from the media and the public but quickly sold 1.5 million copies. With the release of Sex, Callaway became a well-known publisher, and its owner Nicholas Callaway looked for opportunities to expand the business further. He believed he had "a certain ability to see ahead ... I do have a sense of what would interest people – even before they sense that interest." He remembered watching Madonna read a book he published, David Kirk's Miss Spider's Tea Party, during an event in March 1995 at New York's Webster Hall, for the release of the music video of her single, "Bedtime Story". Calling it a pajama party, Madonna read the story to an audience of teenagers, with the event being aired on the music video channel MTV.