THE POPPIN PRINCESS

Name: THE POPPIN PRINCESS
Author: Leïla Brient

by Leïla Brient & illustrated by Claire Gaudriot & developed by Audois & Alleuil Editions ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 11, 2013

Perhaps it’s not for everyone, but there’s a lot to admire. For adults and kids who find it funny, it will be a total gas.

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An unusual princess from a faraway land breaks barriers (and wind) in a gorgeously illustrated and humorous fairy tale.

In a tiny, unnamed kingdom, Prince Archibald and his pushy parents seek a bride. The many competing princesses—each with her own quirk—are taken out of contention when the queen puts them through a series of challenges, including one designed to see how they handle cauliflower and broccoli. Here, things take a left turn that will either delight or annoy readers, depending on their tolerance for fart humor. Then Lou, the “Princess of the Wind” arrives. She has terrible table manners, makes silly faces and, most importantly, captures Archibald’s heart. And when she’s tested for flatulence, the silly ending isn’t too difficult to guess: She makes beautiful music with her talented digestive system, securing the throne. This could have been a terrible, tasteless app, but the illustrations are so lovely, the narration and text so poker-faced and the extra features so clever that it works. Offered in French or English, the story is just the right length, and its visuals, set against a backdrop of creased, taped-up papers, allow the story to get away with a lot.

Perhaps it’s not for everyone, but there’s a lot to admire. For adults and kids who find it funny, it will be a total gas. (iPad storybook app. 4-8)

Pub Date: Jan. 11, 2013

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Audois & Alleuil Editions

Review Posted Online: March 12, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2013

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THE WATER PRINCESS

by Susan Verde ; illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 13, 2016

Though told by two outsiders to the culture, this timely and well-crafted story will educate readers on the preciousness of...

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An international story tackles a serious global issue with Reynolds’ characteristic visual whimsy.

Gie Gie—aka Princess Gie Gie—lives with her parents in Burkina Faso. In her kingdom under “the African sky, so wild and so close,” she can tame wild dogs with her song and make grass sway, but despite grand attempts, she can neither bring the water closer to home nor make it clean. French words such as “maintenant!” (now!) and “maman” (mother) and local color like the karite tree and shea nuts place the story in a French-speaking African country. Every morning, Gie Gie and her mother perch rings of cloth and large clay pots on their heads and walk miles to the nearest well to fetch murky, brown water. The story is inspired by model Georgie Badiel, who founded the Georgie Badiel Foundation to make clean water accessible to West Africans. The details in Reynolds’ expressive illustrations highlight the beauty of the West African landscape and of Princess Gie Gie, with her cornrowed and beaded hair, but will also help readers understand that everyone needs clean water—from the children of Burkina Faso to the children of Flint, Michigan.

Though told by two outsiders to the culture, this timely and well-crafted story will educate readers on the preciousness of potable water. (Picture book. 5-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-399-17258-8

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Putnam

Review Posted Online: May 17, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

- BOOK REVIEW
ARE YOU LISTENING?
by Susan Verde ; illustrated by Juliana Perdomo

- BOOK REVIEW
WHO I AM
by Susan Verde ; illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

- BOOK REVIEW
CAN YOU SEE IT?
by Susan Verde ; illustrated by Juliana Perdomo

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)