Monday, October 11, 2010

The Very Fairy Princess by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton

 
The Very Fairy Princess by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton, illustrated by Christine Davenier

Rating: 4 stars

Shocking!  A princess book!  But, you know, I'm trying to relax a little about the whole princess thing.  I don't love it (or maybe I just wish there were more princess books about princesses who get dirty, hike up mountains, care less about their attire) but I realize that it is the first interest--of many!--that my daughter will have that I will not wholeheartedly share.  But, because she's my daughter and it's really not that unhealthy, I should and do support it.  I just hope that princes isn't replaced by goth in a few years...

Our own very fairy princess.
My sister's twin girls have this book and love it, so we checked it out from the library.  It's definitely one of the better princess books.  Geraldine tells us right away that's she's a fairy princess because she FEELS it inside, a "sparkly feeling of just KNOWING in my heart."  Cute!  She puts fairy dust on her pancakes, has a wardrobe of pink and pink-ish dresses, dances ballet, and wears wings whenever possible.  Throughout the book and with a little princess twist to each, "Gerry" teaches little axioms, such as: Fairy princesses have very refined taste.  Fairy princesses are very practical.  Fairy princesses are very supportive.

The supportive bit is my favorite part.  Gerry's best friend Delilah doesn't believe in the fairy princess stuff, but Gerry points out that she can "be whatever you want to be.  You just have to let your SPARKLE out!"  Gerry points out that Delilah sparkles while playing the trombone, and Gerry is still friends with her despite the fact that Delilah wears a lot of blue. 

I don't like how the whole princess thing is so obnoxiously predictable.  You like princesses, dancing ballet, wearing pink, things that sparkle, and stuff like that.  But...princesses can do great things too, right?  I hope so...because guess what Lorelei wants to be for Halloween...?


1 comment:

  1. Hmmmm...a fairy book worth checking out for sure. I love the picture of Lorelei forging her own path made with fairy dust in your woods.

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