Princess Smartypants [Hardcover]

Babette Cole (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Princess Smartypants doesn't want to get married; she'd rather live with herpets. Commanded by her parents to find herself a husband, the Princess sets tasks for her horde of suitors. . . . All of the potential husbands fail miserably as the gleeful Princess looks on—until Prince Swashbuckle appears. . . .

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In both text and art, Cole's characteristic wacky humor sparks this fable about a contemporary princess who "enjoyed being a Ms." and finds an ingenious method for retaining her single status. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3 Princess Smartypants doesn't want to get married; she'd rather live with her pets. Commanded by her parents to find herself a husband, the Princess sets tasks for her horde of suitors. Prince Vertigo is commanded to rescue her from her crystal tower; Prince Grovel's quest is to take the Queen shopping; and so on. All of the potential husbands fail miserably as the gleeful Princess looks onuntil Prince Swashbuckle appears. He accomplishes all of the challenges with resourcefulness and a royal flourish, and is rewarded with a kiss from Her Highness. He's transformed into a gigantic warty toad. When word gets out, Princess Smartypants loses her appeal and so lives happily ever after. Truly comical watercolors in softly glowing colors complement this fairy tale parody perfectly. The Princess wears overalls; among her pets are goofy-looking dragons and other magical beasts. Clever details add to the fun; one of Prince Swashbuckle's medals features a tiny golden pig. Probably more fun for adults than children, this is still an appealing book for budding feminists. It presents a new slant on the traditional fairy tale princess in a light-handed, tongue-in-cheek manner. A refreshing alternative. Lucy Young Clem, Evansville-Vanderburgh County Public Library, Ind.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (July 7, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399243984
• ISBN-13: 978-0399243981
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 10.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #167,535 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, A Fairy Tale with a Positive Message, October 6, 2000

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Princess Smartypants (Paperback)

If you worry that exposing your children solely to Disney fairy tales will give them a warped view of the world, read them Princess Smartypants. It's funny, the pictures are fabulous, it's a great story and kids will love it. All the while they will learn a couple of positive messages. You should follow your heart regarding marriage and men who don't respect women should watch out. Princess Smartypants has an excellent life. She spends her days with her animals and is happy. Her only problem is she is plagued by suitors who only want to marry her for her wealth and beauty, but do not appreciate her for who she really is. She gives into pressure from her parents and agrees to hear out her suitors, but cleverly devises a plan to make them all go away. She challenges them to a fitness test which none of them can pass. She is quite happy until the last one comes along and passes all of her tests. He is cocky and overconfident and his tragic flaw is that he didn't think Princess Smartypants was so smart at all. So she kisses him and turns him into a toad. All the other princes run away and she lives happily ever after with her animals. My description may sound heavy, but the story is told with much wit and charm. My four year old loves the story, much more so than the Disney stories. I highly recommend this book for all parents of toddlers. I think it teaches young children that there are alternative routes to happiness, but it never takes itself too seriously.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, another country heard from..., November 18, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Princess Smartypants (Paperback)

If the thought of giving the little girls in your life yet another iteration of the "princess in the tower waiting to be rescued" genre makes your blood run cold, Princess Smartypants will save you! Very funny, especially the princes' names - Prince Grovel, indeed! This book provides our culture with the boot in the pants that it needs. A must for every small woman who wants to "stay home with her pets and do exactly as she pleases"...

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Who said feminists couldn't be funny, May 1, 2000

By 

saliero (NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Princess Smartypants (Hardcover)

This is a very funny book (well, it is the first few times you read it). Just love the illustrations which tell so much of the story, especially the chinless wonders who come a-courting.

Princess Smartypants DOES get to live happily ever after in this story, but not in the usual way.

My son loves it. I overheard him telling a friend the other day that "some people don't WANT to get married". That's OK, isn't it?