From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 3-Bored with their lives of pampered luxury, Princesses Allie, Mellie, and Libby enviously watch three servant girls "Out in the fresh air, doing interesting things" and decide to swap jobs for a day. The young royals eagerly run off to work in high-heeled shoes and towering bouffant hairdos, but after polishing the windows, scrubbing the fountains, and washing the dogs, they begin to realize just how hard they must toil. Their afternoon and evening chores seem even more daunting, from making butter to shearing sheep, but they persevere. The next morning, although exhausted, the formerly spoiled young ladies take pride in their accomplishments: "Say! I think- I made this bread!" With newfound empathy for others, they proclaim new rules: "WORK no more than you can do" and "SPEND an hour every day just SITTING in the gardens." Hellard's watercolor illustrations humorously depict the mayhem created as the princesses try, often unsuccessfully, to keep up with the ever-growing list of duties. Witty details, such as a chicken making a nest and laying eggs in Princess Libby's voluminous hair, are sure to please. Children will enjoy the role reversal in this lighthearted tale.
Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, CanadaCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
PreS-Gr. 2. "Being a princess is the dullest ever," moans Princess Allie, who, along with her two sisters, decides to liven things up by trading places with three palace servants for a day. Supervised by amused Mrs. Blue, the sisters labor from morning until night, determined not to let anyone say "Princesses are quitters!" The following morning, the three emerge with a changed worldview and issue new regulations in their "princessdom": fewer working hours, more food, and more fun. Best of all, the princesses, having learned the satisfaction of work, continue to help with chores. Lum's messages are heavy, but her whimsical text will lend itself well to reading aloud, taking on an almost chanting rhythm as it lists the princesses' chores: "SWEEP the path and WEED the garden and SCRUB the fountains." Hellard's scribbly watercolors enhance the cheeky fun, mixing silly details with enough elaborate gowns and lavish palace scenes to satisfy young royalists. For another princess tale about strong, unconventional girls, suggest Robert San Souci's
A Weave of Words (1998).
Gillian EngbergCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
