bookshelf

THE PRINCESS AWAY BEYOND THE MOUNTAINS

Name: THE PRINCESS AWAY BEYOND THE MOUNTAINS
Author: Valeria Angela Pisi
ISBN: 9791387834265

From the Egalité series

by Valeria Angela Pisi ; illustrated by Francesc Rovira ; translated by Cecilia Ross ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 12, 2026

Princesses everywhere will celebrate this spirited model of independence.

bookshelf

Like the title character of Robert Munsch’s The Paper Bag Princess (1980), this youngster neither wants nor needs to be saved.

With this story translated from Italian, Pisi plays deftly with other fairy-tale tropes. Though our princess inhabits a far-off castle with a dragon, the scaly creature isn’t an adversary, but an ally who supports the princess as she practices karate, navigates thrilling rapids, and builds a flying machine. It’s far better than the boring palace, where there’s “nothing to do,” and she can’t wear trousers or even “use a screwdriver.” Her father, the king, believes she’s an unwilling captive and has even offered a rich reward for her rescue, but as the knights arrive one by one, she exclaims, “Can’t you see I don’t want to be saved?” She reinforces her words with “a mighty karate chop,” sending each soaring “away beyond the mountains.” But when the Green Knight shows up, the flying machine enthralls him, and the two (along with the dragon) set off, collecting other princesses “in search of adventure.” The splotchy, goofy-looking, pale-green dragon, eyes at half-staff, is never threatening. All the characters are child-size; the feisty princess is pale-skinned, while the supporting cast is diverse. Rovira’s delicate and precise line art, with spare but effective use of color, is lively and droll, with some amusing details, like the cat and bird kibitzers. Text and illustrations work together well, exalting girl power.

Princesses everywhere will celebrate this spirited model of independence. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: May 12, 2026

ISBN: 9791387834265

Page Count: 40

Publisher: NubeOcho

Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2026

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ACTION & ADVENTURE FICTION | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

bookshelf

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...

bookshelf

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)

Pub Date: June 21, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
A PERFECT PLACE TO PLAY
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Jim Valeri

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

bookshelf

IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

bookshelf

A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.

Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)