Review By CAROLYN M. MULLIN

What is it with princesses? Is it the lovely pink hue of their dresses? Good breeding? Financial success and widespread popularity from being cast in a Disney film? Personally, I find the little princess of Carmela LaVigna Coyle’s picture book to be more up my alley than most idolized cartoon heroines.

In this honest to goodness rhyme of an exploration, a mother answers all her daughter’s questions about the lives of princesses. A few of my favorite Q&A’s …

Q: Do princesses climb trees?  A: Is there a better way to catch the breeze?

Q: Do princesses eat the crusts of their bread?  A: They save them for the ducks instead.

Q: Do princesses have a favorite vegetable?  A: They find them all delectable.

And what would this self-reflective book be without our young protagonist asking her mother if princesses seem at all like her, and, in response, her mother providing a mirror and a message: “Look inside yourself and see…A princess is a place in your heart”?

Perfect for the girlie girl in the family that can’t help but be a tomboy too.

Ages 4–8.