Princess Penelope's Parrot [Hardcover]

Helen Lester (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Spoiled Princess Penelope cannot get her new parrot to talk, even after threatening it and calling it nasty names. But when Prince Percival comes courting, the parrot gets revenge on the greedy princess in a hilarious and fitting conclusion.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

It's Penelope's birthday, and decked out in a dress that has "ruffles on its ruffles on its ruffles," the ultra-spoiled princess is naturally getting everything she wants, including mouthfuls of cake, a 16-wheeler bike and jewel-studded roller blades. One gift, however, refuses to fit into Penelope's game plan: a bright green parrot, who is so appalled by its new owner's greediness that it refuses to speak. Penelope fumes at the bird, but the joke is on her: everything she says to it comes back to haunt her at a most inauspicious moment. There may be no one more adroit at wryly depicting childish petulance than Munsinger, while Lester's storytelling calls to mind the dry wit of a Thurber. Shrewdly, author and artist punish Penelope but they do not reform her; they will tickle their readers with their antiheroine's irremediably bad behavior. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2?When an arrogant princess celebrates her birthday, her favorite gift is a parrot in a gilded cage atop her seven-layer llama's butter birthday cake. The spiteful bird, however, refuses her commands to speak. The princess, who is not used to having her wishes ignored, becomes irate and unleashes a tirade of angry words, but gets her comeuppance when the wealthiest young prince in the land comes to woo her. The parrot, who has been observing in stoney silence, lets loose with all the rude remarks she has directed at him, until the abashed suitor bolts in alarm. The delightfully droll humor is carried out in whimsical watercolor illustrations that capture the snooty personalities and moods of the two young royals.?Sally R. Dow, Ossining Public Library, NY
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (October 28, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395783208
• ISBN-13: 978-0395783207
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,845,474 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Helen Lester has published The Wizard, the Fairy, and the Magic Chicken in 1983, in collabroation with Lynn Munsinger. They have also worked together on the hilarious Tacky the Penguin series and many other wildly funny and popular titles, including the award-winning Hooway for Wodney Wat. Helen Lester is a full-time writer who makes her home in Pawling, New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Helen Lester Strikes Again!, September 16, 2000

By 

Nicole Upchurch - See all my reviews

This review is from: Princess Penelope's Parrot (Hardcover)

As a kindergarten teacher, I am always looking for books that teach as well as entertain. Helen Lester delivers just this in her story about a very spoiled princess named Penelope and her parrot that she receives as a birthday present. Penelope does not speak nicely to the bird, and is angered when the bird will not speak to her. Penelope later learns how important it is to use "nice words" when speaking to others because her words come back(as the voice of the parrot) to haunt her in front of a prince she wishes to impress.

The story is cleverly written in a language that the children identify with and the pictures match the story completely and are as equally amusing. My class loves this book and begs to hear it over and over. This is one of Helen Lester's best books, and is definitely a must have! If a five year old want to read it, it has to be wonderful!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars my least favorite of Lester's books, April 5, 2005

By 

Maria (Franklin, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Princess Penelope's Parrot (Paperback)

While I am generally a huge fan of HL/LM books, this one I found a little too abrasive/foul for a young audience (my kids are 5 and 2). I would not recommend this one for young kids, but would steer you instead to other HL/LM books that we absolutely loved (and I would rate 5 stars):
TACKY THE PENGUIN (Good stuff)
LISTEN BUDDY (Great)
A PORCUPINE NAMED FLUFFY (Funny)
SCORE ONE FOR THE SLOTHS (Fun)