Part-Time Princess Girl by Day Princess by Night

After finishing all the obligations of an ordinary day and getting a kiss goodnight from Mom, a contemporary girl in pigtails is free to let her imagination run wild and define princessdom on her own terms. She can be a firefighter who combats a palace blaze ("No one dreams of telling her it's too dangerous") and saves the kingdom "as usual." She can use clever tactics to calm a raging dragon (tea and sympathy) or grumpy trolls (boogying down). And yes, there's a handsome prince with whom she may eventually form an alliance, "But right now I'm too busy." Underwood (The Quiet Book) and Evans (Bone Soup) present a heroine who can have it all—from a "gown that shimmers like starlight" to strenuous physical adventure—without ever worrying about embodying a contradiction. However, this upbeat, empowering tale is more an encyclopedia of opportunities than a compelling narrative. While Evans's cartooning is accomplished, and the illustrator wields pink in a way that never feels suffocating, the heroine comes across more as a mouthpiece than as a recognizable human being. Ages 4-7. Author's agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. Illustrator's agent: Studio Goodwin Sturges. (Mar.)

Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

K-Gr 2—Though the narrator leads a regular life during the day, she becomes a princess every night after her mother tucks her in bed. She leaves her house in a pink coach worthy of Cinderella, and her faithful dachshund goes with her. Wearing a fire hat with P.T.P. on the front, she fights the blaze set by an unhappy dragon, invites him to tea, and becomes his friend. She plays leapfrog in the Royal Mud Puddle with a queen from a distant land, and she bathes in a giant tub with a dolphin before dressing for the Royal Ball. When trolls crash the party, the girl averts disaster by striking up the band. (She has learned that trolls like to dance.) After dancing with the head troll and a very handsome prince, she leaves in the Royal Air Balloon and heads for home. The next morning young readers realize that the mother with sparkles in her hair is also the queen from a distant land, and they know that the mother, daughter, and dachshund will be saving the kingdom again. The cartoon artwork features a palette of pink, lime green, and aqua. Observant children will see that the toys in the child's bedroom inspire her adventures. The simply written, upbeat text in this picture book can be easily read by emerging readers. Girls will be enchanted by this spunky, kindhearted, part-time princess.—Mary Jean Smith, formerly at Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

By day, she's a girl with spelling tests and a little brother who breaks her crayons; by night, a princess who can "slide down a fire pole in a frilly skirt." At midnight, when her crown appears, she slips out of bed to her coach to solve whatever problems have cropped up in her kingdom. She puts out a fire, invites the dragon (source of the fire) to tea, and studies magical beasts, fencing and circus arts. She hosts a royal ball with her mother, the queen, making sure the trolls get to dance. Trolls love to dance, it turns out. There is even a prince she likes. In the morning, she and her mom both find sparkles in their hair from the previous night's adventures. The colors range from candy pink to lush purple and spring green, and the line is lightweight but lively. The details are pleasingly childlike; the combination of, for example, iced cakes, a royal mud puddle and a dolphin in the tub with "hot and cold running bubbles" is quite attractive. The part-time princess' monogram, PTP, appears on her teapot, her fire engine and even her motorcycle in the last image. If there is to be yet another plucky-princess story, this one offers a pleasing blend of fancy and realism and allows mom to get into the act, too. (Picture book. 4-8) Kirkus"