Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots?

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.