Princess Grace [Bargain Price] [Hardcover]

Mary Hoffman (Author), Cornelius Van Wright (Illustrator), Ying-Hwa Hu (Illustrator)

Book Description

This year two girls will be selected as princesses in the town parade, and Grace can’t wait to be one of them. It’s the perfect opportunity to dress up—but how, exactly, should a princess costume look? Grace asks her teacher for help, and soon the whole class is learning that there’s more to princesses than pink dresses and frills. From Kenya to China and from warriors to spies, princesses are a multicultural and multitalented bunch, and there are just as many kinds of happily ever afters—both for the royals and for Grace’s community and its princess parade.

Mary Hoffman’s picture books featuring this intrepid heroine have earned major critical acclaim; amongst other awards, Amazing Grace was a i>Reading Rainbow selection and a Booklist Editors’ Choice. Grace’s latest adventure is sure to delight her established fans—and win the hearts of many more!

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

After several chapter books, Hoffman returns to the original picture-book format for the series that started with Amazing Grace (1991). Grace’s teacher announces that two girls will ride on the school’s float as princesses. Initially excited about wearing a fairy-tale costume, Grace realizes that world folklore and history offer more varied and dynamic interpretations of the princess theme. On parade day, Grace and her classmates dress as royalty from different cultures; Grace wears West African Kente robes. Studded with questions worth discussing, the story rolls along smoothly, illustrated with bright paintings that picture events and Grace’s thoughts. Information about Cinderella variants, historical princesses, and Kente cloth appended. Grades K-3. --Carolyn Phelan --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Review

I suppose it must get drummed in by Disney, but little children tend to think that princesses don't do much except look pink and floaty. Which is why Princess Grace is so gratifyingly different. Independent Outstanding... Grace is handled with such deftness and humour that Princess Grace will find its way in to every heart. -- Amanda Craig Times Lovely lovely books. Guardian --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dial (January 10, 2008)
• ISBN-10: 0803732600
• ASIN: B001KOU1LS
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,985,674 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An uplifting and eyeopening antidote to the princess stereotype, March 12, 2009

By 

Samana Siddiqui (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Princess Grace (Hardcover)

Princesses in our culture are generally associated with vanity, superficiality and weakness. Princess Grace is an antidote to this one-sided and limiting view. Add to that the fact that this book's main character is an African-American girl named Grace and you've got a compelling story about how there is no one-size-fits-all princess. While some have and do enjoy lives of ease and luxury, others have led armies, been warriors and spies. After learning about these remarkable women with the help of her wise teacher, Grace decides to dress up as an African princess, like Princess Amina of Nigeria, for an upcoming school pageant.

Princess Grace offers a woman-empowering and multicultural view of a traditionally weak female stereotype. It is an ideal read and gift for any little girl in your life who is currently going through the inevitable "princess mode" of girlhood.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely pictures, great follow-up to Amazing Grace, March 21, 2008

By 

Jessica Jolie (Sunny California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Princess Grace (Hardcover)

Grace learns from her teacher that there is more to being a princess than pretty, pink dresses. The book covers princesses (both real and fictional) from Africa to Asia open Graces eyes to various things a princess might do (like being a spy!). There is a neat little historical page at the about princesses throughout history. The kids enjoyed this read and asked to hear it again. But then they love princesses and they fell in love with Grace in the story Amazing Grace.

5.0 out of 5 stars ...more than one way to be pretty., September 7, 2011

By 

S. Wong "Wife, Mom, Scrapbooker" (Fort Leavenworth, KS) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Princess Grace (Hardcover)

I love the phrase that is oft repeated in this book, that there is more than one way to be pretty. I also love that my daughter, who is admittedly a disney-esque-princess-o-file, picked this out at the library. I have since recommended it to several teachers I know, parents of her friends who are into the princess thing as well. It prompted a very valuable talk. We had a long discussion about what makes someone pretty, and whether she has to look like the ladies in the posters or wear the clothes like the ladies in the magazines in order to be pretty. I plan to add this to my personal library to read with her over and over again. Not only does it combat the "princess thing" but it is another attach against the other surface-oriented ideas of "beauty" that plague our society, especially our young women, today.