The Princess Needs Nostrils to Smell

About the Book

In the Land of the Scentless, Princess Althea's single nostril makes her the kingdom's most precious asset. Her people communicate through a beautiful language of colored scarves, waving messages on the wind. But when three monsters attack—Stymphalian Birds poisoning their dye-pits, a Cyclops whose beam bleaches color from their scarves, and Quetzalcoatl whose song steals their will—their vibrant language begins to die.

Inspired by the proverb about the one-eyed man in the land of the blind, the story explores how a limitation becomes a profound strength. Faced with silence, Althea leads her people to invent a new language of stomps and pressed palms. Working together, they craft clever traps using the monsters' own weapons: trapping the birds in their hatred of beauty, imprisoning the Cyclops in his own emptiness, and finally uniting with the One-Eyed King to defeat the serpent of forgetting.

Through ingenuity and teamwork, Princess Althea proves that true power lies in listening, watching, and speaking for one another. Her journey culminates in a hopeful union with the Prince who Needs a Tongue to Talk, symbolizing that every difference becomes a strength when met with understanding.

About the Author

I was inspired to write this book over a decade after publishing its predecessor. With nearly 25 years of teaching experience in the U.S., South Korea, and China, I currently teach English Writing at SCCSH in Hefei, China.

My educational background includes a B.S. from Rio Grande University and a Master's from Washington University in St. Louis, supplemented by postgraduate studies at several institutions. I believe being a lifelong learner is essential for a successful educator.

This book aims to provide an engaging story for EFL learners, reviewing common themes such as directions, time, landforms, animal anatomy, mythological creatures, days of the week, and sequential order. If you would like a voice recording of this book, please email me at: holley.m@wustl.edu