Princess Wannabe

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)

Copyright 2014 Kirkus Reviews, LLC Used with permission

Grades K-2. From the cover alone, crowded with familiar wolves, frogs, and the like, readers will deduce that Lammle’s latest celebrates fairy tales and imaginative play. It features Fern, a young girl who would like to be read a book before bed. When her babysitter is too busy, Fern steps into her own enchanted imagination to find out what it’s really like to be a princess. Lammle’s story and illustrations are filled with winding and wooded pathways, classic creatures (the Frog Prince, the Big Bad Wolf), and diverting details (the Fairy Godmother is pictured as preoccupied with packaging up fairy dust). Lammle presents Fern as being surprised by some of these characters, as when the Wolf benevolently babysits three young pigs, but never hesitant about her goal. When she finds the Princess, who longs to read books rather than be fussed over, Fern comes to appreciate her own books and stuffed-animal friends. A bedtime story that bodes well for sweet, empowering dreams.

Copyright 2014 Booklist, LLC Used with permission.

Thanks to some fairy dust, a contemporary princess wannabe with an independent attitude enters her storybook and discovers that a princess's life isn't as wonderful as she imagined. Playful illustrations offer glimpses of off-duty folk- and fairy-tale characters, such as the Frog Prince and the Big Bad Wolf; the revelation of what they do after working hours makes for entertaining reading.

Copyright 2014 Hornbook, LLC Used with permission.

K-Gr 2--Although Fern's babysitter tells her that princess stories "all end the same way," the wannabe princess states with her usual stubbornness, "I prefer to find out for myself." Her quest begins as independent Fern wanders directly into a world of books and her vivid imagination with a simple sneeze (from fairy dust) and the advice of an informative fairy godmother. A soft pastel palette of watercolor, acrylic, and pencil accentuate expressions and detail amid a host of easily recognizable folk- and fairy-tale characters, some in a starring role and others hidden in the spreads. The Troll at the Bridge, Big Bad Wolf, Three Blind Mice, Mother Goose, Humpty Dumpty, the Frog Prince, and even a Dish and Spoon appear as the youngster travels across an enchanted forest to the nearest castle, always asking questions of some oddly different fairy-tale characters on the way. The result is a lively banter of intriguing dialogue and humor amid dragons, fairies, and woodland creatures as Fern's path crosses into a fantasy world in which the forest trees obscure the smelly feet and club of a giant, a large wolf "pigsits" for friends, or a "real" princess (who looks oddly familiar) explains what life is really like for young royals. Endpages with a look of woodcuts and populated with familiar characters introduce and conclude Fern's lively adventure in fairyland.--Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX