Review: The Very Fairy Princess Takes the Stage

The Very Fairy Princess Takes the Stage Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, May 2011
Authors: Julie Andrews, Emma Walton Hamilton
Illustrator: Christine Davenier

I haven't had a chance to read The Very Fairy Princess, which came out a year ago, but since picture books should stand on their own, I decided to give this a try. Even aside from my curiosity about a celebrity author like Julie Andrews, I'm glad I did.

The first word that comes to mind when picking up this book is sparkly. In fact, it might even be the second and third words as well. Geraldine may look like an ordinary girl with scabbed knees, but inside she knows she is a fairy princess. She wears a fairy crown whenever possible, and loves pink and sparkles, so it is a great disappointment when she finds that her ballet teacher wants her to be the Court Jester instead of the Princess in their spring performance.

Gerry is unhappy about her costume, yellow and red without a hint of pink, and her jester's hat barely fits over her crown, which she insists on wearing. All in all, Gerry is having a hard time finding her inner sparkle, but then something happens which reminds her what it is to be a fairy princess. All ends well, of course.

This book is intended for children in kindergarten and first grade, and I am sure there are some who will complain about the gender stereotypes. It might be fun to share My Princess Boy with children who read this to show that all sorts of children can love fun and sparkles and pink, whether they are boys or girls. Mostly, I like the message that every one of us has an inner sparkle, but we sometimes need to share that sparkle to keep it alight.

I recommend this for fairy princes and princesses in kindergarten and first grade.

Four stars out of five.

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