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. . . .
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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.
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.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
39 of 41 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
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.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format: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 25 people found the following review helpful
By saliero
Format: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?
22 of 27 people found the following review helpful
By Bravado
Format:Paperback
Although the book is amusing, it's so hostile to the opposite sex, I don't want my daughters reading it. The princess is a spoiled brat that plays mean tricks on stupid men. What is that teaching my children?
Princess Knight by Cornelia Funke is a much more positive, upbeat book that gives young girls a message that they can be strong and independent with or without a husband. This book portrays men as arrogant and ignorant. I hope my girls grow up with a different idea in mind. I hope they see the good in both sexes instead of demeaning the value of men.
Princess Knight by Cornelia Funke is a much more positive, upbeat book that gives young girls a message that they can be strong and independent with or without a husband. This book portrays men as arrogant and ignorant. I hope my girls grow up with a different idea in mind. I hope they see the good in both sexes instead of demeaning the value of men.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
I'm Mixed- Like the Idea, but Felt Parts of This Were a Little Mean
October 20, 2010
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I'm mixed on this book. I love the idea of turning the princess/prince-charming theme on its head. Goodness knows our girls get inundated with it. But like others who read it, I actually didn't find this that amusing, partly because the 'tests' that Princess Smartypants subjects the prospective princes too are a little mean. In fact, the whole book has a little bit of 'mean girls' undertone that bugged me (and that's another theme our girls get plenty of.) That being said, I'm still reading it to my daughters if they ask, and I try and have a sense of humor about it when we read it, which takes the edge off. But I wish someone would do this theme in a way that focused more on empowerment and less on gender-divisiveness...
19 of 25 people found the following review helpful
By Lilly Lover
Format:Hardcover
I am all for trying to rid ourselves of the "princess mentality" in our little girls--the idea that at one look you fall madly in love and marry but this book is terrible in what it teaches its readers about relationships. Princess Smartypants insists that she will never marry, but decides to "test" princes to weed out any suitors. They all fail at the tests she gives them until one prince steps into the picture to win her heart. He passes every test she has to offer and does so quite well. He even takes her mother shopping! (Seriously, is that all Queen mothers like to do???) Any man (in real or pretend life) who is willing to go through all that she puts him through deserves the girl (that is, if he still wants HER!) But after he does so well he accepts a kiss from this terrible princess and then is immediately turned into a "warty toad" and now the princess boots him out of her castle and life and she admits to happily living alone the rest of her life. (The picture shows her surrounded by a bunch of ugly animals....how does THAT make sense?) I am all for being an independent woman--and teaching our girls the same message, but the message this book sends is two fold: if you work really hard at love you may still never get it and if you are ugly you will be rejected. How is this good for our girls' self esteem? Or even boys for that matter? Why anyone would want to subject their children to this type of message is beyond me. RUN from this book and find something a little nicer.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
AWESOME
This book is everything I expected it to be :-) It will be the special book that my grandchild gets to read when she visits Amma
Published 1 month ago by Lisa Cook
5.0 out of 5 stars
Princess Smartypants
If you have a sassy girl, this is the book for you. I buy it for all my friends with girls. It's a funny read about a strong, independent princess that I hope their girls grow up... Read more
Published 3 months ago by CaligirlinMN
5.0 out of 5 stars
bought for my Mother.
My sister and niece said it's a great book soooooo.......naturally I just had to buy it for fun for my Mother and she has thoroughly
enjoyed this book and has purchased and... Read more
enjoyed this book and has purchased and... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Linda Richey
1.0 out of 5 stars
Horrific
This book was given to my daughters as a gift from my sister. I was horrified when I read it. The objective appears to be to teach young girls to be snarky, self-centered, sexist... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Basil
1.0 out of 5 stars
Terrible Book
I bought this book for a friend's daughter's 6 year birthday. I will not be giving this book. It is about a spoiled brat who, when foiled, has a tantrum and turns the offending... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Sharon
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not So Smart
I understand the twist on the typical princess story, and I can appreciate that. I was never a princess-y sort of girl; I was always more of a tomboy. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Maggie Mattmiller
1.0 out of 5 stars
Not the type of Princess I want my girls to be like
Princess Smartypants is basically glorifying a spolied brat who is mean and vindictive and not very nice. We got this book for as a gift read it once and into the trash it went. Read more
Published on May 31, 2011 by Alix
3.0 out of 5 stars
Mildly amused
OK, I should have known. I was just so entranced by the premise and by some of the reviews. But the illustrations are really pretty awful and boring. Read more
Published on April 24, 2011 by Arie Farnam
5.0 out of 5 stars
one of my daughter's favorites
You can't shield your daughters from Disney princesses and Barbie, but you can read them this wonderfully fun book. Read more
Published on September 3, 2010 by Maggie Hasbrouck
5.0 out of 5 stars
A spin on the traditional fairy tale
This alternative fairy tale has a happy ending, but it doesn't include a prince rescuing her.
It starts with:
"Princess Smartypants did not want to get married. Read more
It starts with:
"Princess Smartypants did not want to get married. Read more
Published on June 13, 2010 by Barbara Bell
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