  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 03/01/2013 K-Gr 2—Though the narrator leads a regular life during the day, she becomes a princess every night after her mother tucks her in bed. She leaves her house in a pink coach worthy of Cinderella, and her faithful dachshund goes with her. Wearing a fire hat with P.T.P. on the front, she fights the blaze set by an unhappy dragon, invites him to tea, and becomes his friend. She plays leapfrog in the Royal Mud Puddle with a queen from a distant land, and she bathes in a giant tub with a dolphin before dressing for the Royal Ball. When trolls crash the party, the girl averts disaster by striking up the band. (She has learned that trolls like to dance.) After dancing with the head troll and a very handsome prince, she leaves in the Royal Air Balloon and heads for home. The next morning young readers realize that the mother with sparkles in her hair is also the queen from a distant land, and they know that the mother, daughter, and dachshund will be saving the kingdom again. The cartoon artwork features a palette of pink, lime green, and aqua. Observant children will see that the toys in the child's bedroom inspire her adventures. The simply written, upbeat text in this picture book can be easily read by emerging readers. Girls will be enchanted by this spunky, kindhearted, part-time princess.—Mary Jean Smith, formerly at Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN - Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Bulletin for the Center... - 05/01/2013 A young unnamed girl is, by day, absolutely ordinary, but each night she magically becomes a princess and heads off to her other, royal life in which she is clearly the star of the kingdom. It’s not all glitter and tea parties (though there is both glitter and tea parties), however, as this princess also puts out fires (“A real princess can slide down a fire pole in a frilly skirt. No one dreams of telling her it’s too dangerous”), wrangles dragons, practices fencing, and plays leapfrog in the “Royal Mud Puddle,” frilly skirt or not. After a long night of princess-duty, she returns home and wakes the next morning with glitter in her hair; her mom sports glitter as well, and sharp-eyed viewers will have noticed that Mom was the “queen from a faraway land” that the girl/princess entertained earlier. Underwood’s text is clear and straightforward, and there is both humor and appeal in the details she provides: “I dive into a giant tub with hot and cold running bubbles. And a dolphin.” The less stereotypical attributes of this princess/girl will give her broader appeal than other picture-book princesses, while the kind of girls who love sequins and dress-up will still get their fashion fill here as well. Evans’ digitally colored mixed-media art utilizes a palette heavy on pinks, but pops of aquas and greens provide a bit of respite from the roses and fuschias; the full spreads centering on the girl’s various adventures are particularly inviting and make for easy sharing. Although this is still, at heart, a girly princess story, it’s nice to see a princess who’s more than just a fancy tiara and title. JH - Copyright 2013 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Loading...
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