Submitted by Ms. Tammy!
Princess Party by Joy Allen is a delightful book, filled with all kinds of princesses, from girls wearing tiaras, to ones wearing cowboy boots. In this book you will learn that there is a princess inside every little girl. Along with the brightly colored illustrations are fun rhymes that will capture the attention of every little princess. Even the back of the book sends a positive message to girls everywhere reading: “A Princess is proud of all she can do, Aren’t you glad you’re a princess too!” See this book listed in our catalog
Royalty
The Goat-Faced Girl
Submitted by Ms. Catherine!
Princess stories have been around forever, and there is hardly a little girl out there who doesn’t appreciate a good one. But what about a story in which a young girl works hard, and is able to give the “bird brained” prince his just desserts? In The Goat-Faced Girl, an Italian folktale retold by Leah Marinsky Sharpe, and illustrated by Jane Marinsky, the young heroine, as lovely and intelligent as she might be, is as lazy as a bed bug. Her dear sorceress mother fears for her daughter’s future as a lazy lump. With a bit of magic, some cookbooks, and some hard work, our heroine learns that perhaps spending your life being waited on by servants with a boring lazy prince is not the best option. Maybe hard work and a brain will win out over beauty after all! See this book listed in our catalog
Princess Hyacinth
Submitted by Catherine from Charlotte Hall!
What kid hasn’t complained “I never get to do anything!” But what if it were true?! In Princess Hyacinth: The Surprising Tale of a Girl who Floated written by Florence Parry Heide, and illustrated by Lane Smith, the poor princess really is never allowed to do anything. Because if she does, she’ll float away! Hyacinth has the strange condition of being lighter than air. Without weights in her dress, and the heaviest crown on her head, she’ll float right up to the ceiling. Hyacinth never gets to play with the other children in the kingdom, though she is secretly in love with the kite flying boy named Boy, who has visited her window seven times (she’s counted). Children and parents will laugh at this silly story of a girl who just can’t keep her feet on the ground. But with the help of a new friend, she might be able find a way to have fun. See this book listed in our catalog
The Lion and the Mouse
Submitted by Tess from Lexington Park!
Okay. I’m going to come right out and say it: The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkey is my favorite children’s picture book of 2009. This (mostly) wordless, beautifully illustrated, re-imagining of Aesop’s fable has a special place in my heart. A mouse dares hide from an owl in the mane of a jungle king. The lion spares the mouse’s life, and it scurries home to its large family. In the meantime, the majestic cat is trapped by hunters! When he ROARS for help, who shows up? His fated mouse friend, who chews him free, enabling him to return to his pride. It pays to be charitable, in the case of the lion, and corageous, in the case of the mouse. The art in this book is spectacular, and the lesson it provides will hopefully ring true with your child. It may also inspire you to learn more about the wildlife depicted in the story! I will gush no further, except to say I truly love this book and encourage you to check it out post haste! See this book listed in our catalog
The Duchess of Whimsy
Submitted by Tess from Lexington Park!
The Duchess of Whimsy: An Absolutely Delicious Fairy Tale by Randall de Seve and Peter de Seve has stolen my heart. The Duchess of Whimsy truly lives up to her title. She is known throughout the land for her unique fashion, fabulous parties, and versatile friends. The Earl of Norm, on the other hand, is quite ordinary. He’s only invited to her soirees because he’s a friend of the king, but he only attends because he’s in love with her. He tries to capture her attention by composing poetry, borrowing flamboyant capes from his brother, even bringing a giraffe to court, all to no avail. One evening, the royal cook takes ill. What shall the Duchess’s guests have to eat? Perhaps the Earl of Norm can finally impress her with his culinary skills! He makes the only thing he knows how: a grilled cheese sandwich. Will the Duchess finally realize that ordinary can be extraordinary? You’ll have to check this fantastic book out today to find out! See this book listed in our catalog
But Who Will Bell the Cats?
Submitted by Tess from Lexington Park!
But Who Will Bell the Cats by Cynthia Von Buhler is a play on one of Aesop’s fables: long ago, all the mice convened to discuss the problem with cats’ ability to stalk them so quietly. It was suggested that all the cats wear bells, but who would bell the cats? In this story, a mouse and a bat try to think of ways to get bells on a princess’s 8 spoiled cats. They try assault, disguise, even a fashion show modelling the bells, to get the cats to wear them, to no avail. Perhaps the princess herself will have intervene… This book also features creative typeface, and stunning three dimensional illustrations. Check it out today! See this book listed in our catalog