Customer Reviews

Princess Grace

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I am strongly opposed to Disney Princess culture. Finally a book that pokes subtle fun at pink fluffy princesses and addresses more important issue of girls' identities - what do they want to do, not how they want to look.

The front cover and back cover are different pictures of Grace as a princess. This story unfolds as she develops a reconstructed identity, a stronger one, of the various kinds of princesses - and the historical value is intact. The young reader learns about how a princess can go to war, lead a battle, and also be courteous, kind and strong hearted. My daughter, in 3rd grade, checked this book out of the library and we LOVE it. I have given it as a gift to her cousins because the storyline is priceless. If you liked Mulan, Fat Albert the Movie, Ever After the movie, or if you have a princess who's as smart and brave as she is pretty, you will enjoy this educational, entertaining and easy to read story.

My three-year old daughter is obsessed with the Disney princesses (all on her own) and so I bought this book to counter many of her perceptions about princesses (including her statement - before she saw Princess Tiana - that all princesses have to be white). It's a great book and not only does my little girl like it, but my six-year old son does too!

I would not recommend this book for young children. I think there are quite a few stereotypes and inppropriate assumptions embedded in the story line. I would strongly recommend that parent read this story and determine whether you want to have these discussions based on the content of this story. While there is an underlying good idea to the book, the message is distracting by some of the details such as "fatherless home' grandmother raising the child etc.