Despite the can’t-miss lesson, it’s nice that storytime is such a big deal, even in the castle, and children will enjoy...
A frothy bit of storytelling and soft, squiggly art full of easily recognized folk from other tales.
Fern wants a story before bedtime, as she sits surrounded by her stuffies and toys. But the babysitter is rushing to put the baby to bed, so wishing she were a princess, Fern opens her own book—and falls into it. The fairy godmother is fixing a leak in the fairy-dust machine and can’t grant any wishes, so Fern heads off to the castle, followed by a couple of blind mice. The frog prince is brushing his teeth, and the wolf is gently caring for a few piglets (“Bad behavior is just my day job,” he notes). She doesn’t even notice the troll under the bridge, but the giant, who is directing air traffic (Mother Goose, a dragonet, a fairy, etc.), shows her the way to the princess’s castle. She finds the princess reading aloud to a large gathering of storybook characters. When Fern asks her what it’s like to be a princess, the answer lands with a thud. Readers might wonder about the princess’s complaint: She is subject to starched collars and teased hair when she’d really rather just read a book.
Despite the can’t-miss lesson, it’s nice that storytime is such a big deal, even in the castle, and children will enjoy seeing all the familiar characters gathered here . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: May 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-06-125197-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2014
A jam-packed opener sure to satisfy lovers of the princess genre.
Ice princess Lina must navigate family and school in this early chapter read.
The family picnic is today. This is not a typical gathering, since Lina’s maternal relatives are a royal family of Windtamers who have power over the weather and live in castles floating on clouds. Lina herself is mixed race, with black hair and a tan complexion like her Asian-presenting mother’s; her Groundling father appears to be a white human. While making a grand entrance at the castle of her grandfather, the North Wind, she fails to successfully ride a gust of wind and crashes in front of her entire family. This prompts her stern grandfather to ask that Lina move in with him so he can teach her to control her powers. Desperate to avoid this, Lina and her friend Claudia, who is black, get Lina accepted at the Hilltop Science and Arts Academy. Lina’s parents allow her to go as long as she does lessons with grandpa on Saturdays. However, fitting in at a Groundling school is rough, especially when your powers start freak winter storms! With the story unfurling in diary format, bright-pink–highlighted grayscale illustrations help move the plot along. There are slight gaps in the storytelling and the pacing is occasionally uneven, but Lina is full of spunk and promotes self-acceptance.
A jam-packed opener sure to satisfy lovers of the princess genre. (Fantasy. 5-8)Pub Date: June 25, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-35393-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
A delicious triumph over fear of night creatures.
Pippa conquers a fear of the creatures that emerge from her storybooks at night.
Pippa’s “wonderfully wild imagination” can sometimes run “a little TOO wild.” During the day, she wears her “armor” and is a force to be reckoned with. But in bed at night, Pippa worries about “villains and monsters and beasts.” Sharp-toothed and -taloned shadows, dragons, and pirates emerge from her storybooks like genies from a bottle, just to scare her. Pippa flees to her parents’ room only to be brought back time and again. Finally, Pippa decides that she “needs a plan” to “get rid of them once and for all.” She decides to slip a written invitation into every book, and that night, they all come out. She tries subduing them with a lasso, an eye patch, and a sombrero, but she is defeated. Next, she tries “sashes and sequins and bows,” throwing the fashion pieces on the monsters, who…“begin to pose and primp and preen.” After that success, their fashion show becomes a nightly ritual. Clever Pippa’s transformation from scared victim of her own imagination to leader of the monster pack feels fairly sudden, but it’s satisfying nonetheless. The cartoony illustrations effectively use dynamic strokes, shadow, and light to capture action on the page and the feeling of Pippa's fears taking over her real space. Pippa and her parents are brown-skinned with curls of various textures.
A delicious triumph over fear of night creatures. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5420-9300-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Two Lions
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
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