A children’s picture book which takes down the concept of ‘princess’. A sassy child narrator chooses six well-known fairy tales involving princesses. With simple rhyme and lively pictures she takes the stories apart with incredulous humour and charm. This is a book to inspire children of all ages and adults to to think beyond the superficial.

Well-known cartoonist Kate Evans takes a punchy pop at six ‘classic’ fairytales: The Princess and the Pea, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, Rapunzel and The Little Mermaid.

 

 

My Review 

I chose to read this book after receiving a free copy from the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

Kate Evans uses classic fairy tales to present the idea that girls don’t have to be rescued by a knight in shining armor. It’s a good concept to introduce to girls, and Kate Evans has found a good way to present it. Most of the illustrations are great (the one on the title page makes the girl look scary though). 

The text is good and is appropriate for the age that it’s directed at. The one thing I noticed was that it rhymes sometimes, almost rhymes other times, and then it doesn’t rhyme at all. It would be just as good if there wasn’t an attempt to rhyme at all.

My favorite paragraph says it all: “Women do all kinds of things while wearing lovely clothes, but please don’t call me Princess ‘cos I’m never one of those. My mum is not a Queen, you see. My dad is not a King. Instead of being a Princess…I can be anything!”

I have a niece who is the perfect age for this book and I’m giving it to her over the holidays. She’ll love it!