Customer Reviews

Princess Penelope

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

What an absolutely delightful book in every way! My 5-year old friend giggled as I read it to her, as did a group of my 50-year old friends. To read it aloud is such fun. The line, "I'm Penelope, and I am a PRINCESS!" alone presents endless theatrical possibilities. I believe it will find a place on the shelf among classics such as "Where the Wild Things Are" and "Harold and the Purple Crayon."

I LOVE this book! I am an elementary librarian and mother of two (one being a princess). The book is wonderful as a group read aloud (the illustrations of the various "thrones" is a crowd pleaser) and a lovely bed time story.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for that special gift for the princess (or prince) in your life.

I happened upon this book at the library and grabbed it because it looked cute and my 4-year-old daughter is in a princess phase. I read it before putting it with her stack of books, and let me just say that I'm so glad I a) didn't waste my own money on this and b) didn't end up reading it to her.

I was disgusted with Penelope's attitude - she's an entitled, spoiled brat who misinterprets her parents simply taking care of her as basically being her servants, waiting on her hand and foot and obeying her demands. Naturally, she MUST be a princess. On every page she yells that she's a princess because of all the STUFF she has and all the THINGS people do for her; I could just picture my own daughter delighting in and emulating this attitude and it made me sick.

I thought - surely, towards the end of the book the author will get around to the fact that, yes, she is a special little girl, but it's just because Mommy and Daddy love her and it's time to get her head out of the clouds. Nope.

I bought this book for my daughter and we were both mesmerized by the beautiful illustrations that transcended us into Penelope's fantasy world. This book is truly entertaining. The story is charming and a pleasure to read aloud.

This book is charming. At times it is both tongue-in-cheek and insightful -- all little girls want to be princesses. Mack's easy use of language and Gran's sweet illustrations make it a joy to experience.

It's not an all-time classic, but our daughter loves reading this book over and over again. Every little girl knows that she's really a princess, just like Penelope!

We just got this a few weeks ago and it's a huge hit in the bedtime book rotation. Our 3-year old is completely in princess mode right now so she really thinks this book is all about her -- it's really helped her to see that even princesses have to be in time out, that just like her, princesses have to sleep in their own bed, etc. Great book for the young princess set!

What wonderful imagination brought to life. We have read this book to our daughter since she was 1 month old. She asks for it all the time. This is truly a book that all little girls can enjoy.

A fabulous book, wonderful and clever. A must have for every family with young children

Retro-style ink caricatures inject a jazzy note to the inherent formality of the monarchy in this romp through the fantasy world of a girl convinced of her own royalty. Penelope is "absolutely certain" that she's a princess. "She read lots of fairy tales, so she was an expert on princesses." She also has ample evidence for her claim: she wears a crown, changes her outfit many times a day and sits on "lots of thrones." Newcomer Gran portrays the heroine propped up on pillows in a dining room chair, strapped into her car seat and, in a rose-tinted dream, perched on a towering monogrammed potty seat, brandishing a sceptre. The artist renders Penelope's turned-up smile, ruffled collar and mop of hair with the kind of swooping, calligraphic ink strokes monarchs use for their signatures. Pink-tinted, spotlit areas mark the borders between the real world, in which her parents bring her ordinary fare, and the princess world, in which her parents become "servants," and a long table before her offers a panoply of elegant, curlicued desserts. Mack, who also debuts here, supplies suitably tongue-in-cheek narration: "The servants cleaned up after their princess and comforted her in times of need." The double-page spread shows the real story; Penelope lets loose with a huge wail as she sends her meal flying. But bedtime brings tranquility again: "Sweet dreams, my little princess," says the king. Mack's Penelope strikes the right balance between brash and endearing, as does the interplay between text and art. Little princesses everywhere will see themselves in this winning heroine. Ages 2-5. (Mar.) -Publishers Weekly 1/20/03