The Princesses Have a Ball (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Lynne Woodcock Cravath (Illustrator) "Once upon a time, not so long ago, there were twelve sweet princesses all in a row..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bateman (Farm Flu) gives this retelling of the 12 dancing princesses a shot of girl-power, despite a rather relentless rhyme scheme. The dozen royal daughters wear out their shoes every night not because they ve been ballroom dancing, but because they ve been playing basketball. In Cravath s (He Saves the Day) ink-and-wash spreads, the king appears as a pudgy suburbanite in a polo shirt and an ermine cape. He protests that the girls should be dreaming of a prince/ and your wedding day. The multicultural sisters all dressed in lovely princess gowns, some in glasses, some with curly hair and some with dreadlocks foil their father s spies. Jack the cobbler, though, gets to the bottom of it: he finds the females in the basement. They made up two teams,/ with two substitutes,/ And they ran and passed/ and they shouted, SHOOT! To the girls delight, Jack designs high-tops for them. When their father discovers their new talent, he concedes, Even royalty is allowed some fun,/ and I m proud of you,/ each and every one. Cravath s drawings feature shots from odd angles and cute visuals for the grown-ups (a 12-unit canopy bed, a banner towed by an airplane over the kingdom offering a Big Reward for solving the mystery). The 12 unnamed princesses tend to blur into a single character, despite Cravath s attempts to differentiate them in the artwork, and the driving beat tends to overwhelm the narrative. Ages 7-10.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4-In an athletic twist on "The Twelve Dancing Princesses," these nocturnal royal sisters are dancing around a basketball court (divided into two teams and two substitutes). It takes the clever cobbler to solve the mystery of their worn-out shoes and to come up with better footwear for these WNBA wanna-bes. "He designed a shoe/with a rubber sole,/and a high-topped edge/to stop ankle roll./He put arch supports/in the proper places,/and ditched pink ribbons/for sturdy laces." Finally, at a fancy dress ball, the princesses reveal their dribbling talents, which not only delight the king, but also inspire him to be their new referee. Bateman's verse uses wordplay and offers a fresh look at the beloved story. Cravath's cartoon pictures have just the right look, adding amusing anachronistic features such as an airplane advertising a big reward while men in tights and women in ball gowns frolic below. Pair this inventive story with any of the more traditional versions for a fun look at classic tales and their retreads.
Bina Williams, Bridgeport Public Library, CT
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company (September 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807566268
• ISBN-13: 978-0807566268
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,433,536 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Great message, July 5, 2007

By	Alex J. Crawford "xelanosa" (ATL, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Princesses Have a Ball (Paperback)

As a father of a 3-year old girl and another on the way, I'm concerned that our culture "tells" young girls that their worth is dependent on what other people think about how sexually attractive you are. But sports seems to be one way that women can feel good about their bodies without having to worry about what others think about how they look.

At any rate, this book has become one of my favs because it helps my daughter learn about the "true" meaning of the term "Princess" apart from the Disney meaning of the word. That is, she can define herself according to her standards rather than someone else's.

4.0 out of 5 stars Girl Power!, May 16, 2006

By	J. M. Ethridge (Eastpointe, Michigan) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I love fairy tales, and "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" has always been one of my favorites. I read this book to my daughter and we both loved it. It's a twist on the traditional fairy tale; the princesses sneak away to play basketball, rather than to meet up with hunky princes. It's a major shot of girl power! They don't need to wait around for men to amuse them: they amuse themselves! Go, girls!

My daughter, however, was confused about the multicultural princesses. I explained about families being about love, not color of skin, and she seemed satisfied with that. Personally, I enjoyed the fact that the princesses were all drawn with their own "personalities" (if that can be shown in a picture) and weren't the cookie-cutter princess stereotype of blonde hair, blue eyes, size two...

The rhyme scheme has a few rhythmical flaws, but flows pretty well. The third time (!!) reading it, I did it as a rap, which my daughter really enjoyed.

All in all, a delightful read and a nice way to show girls that they can make their own destinies and enjoy whatever they want to enjoy.