Review by Booklist Review
After several chapter books, Hoffman returns to the original picture-book format for the series that started with Amazing Grace (1991). Grace's teacher announces that two girls will ride on the school's float as princesses. Initially excited about wearing a fairy-tale costume, Grace realizes that world folklore and history offer more varied and dynamic interpretations of the princess theme. On parade day, Grace and her classmates dress as royalty from different cultures; Grace wears West African Kente robes. Studded with questions worth discussing, the story rolls along smoothly, illustrated with bright paintings that picture events and Grace's thoughts. Information about Cinderella variants, historical princesses, and Kente cloth appended.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2008 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-A fresh story for fans of all things princess, by the author of Amazing Grace (Dial, 1991). Two girls from Grace's class will be chosen to appear in the town parade as princesses. While researching the fairy-tale frills of royal attire, Grace realizes that she doesn't know what a princess does besides look pretty and wear beautiful clothing. She asks her teacher and discovers fascinating, true, long-ago warrior princesses like Amina, who lived in Zaria (now Nigeria), and Pin-Yang of China. She and her classmates convince their teacher to reconsider the school's float, which ultimately allows all of the children to represent different types of princes and princesses. Hoffman's crisp storytelling encourages further reading of the tales Grace encounters, and the author again uses the lightest touch to provide a lesson. The paintings combine flowing realism with traces of anime during the girl's reading. The multiethnic cast and variety of composition make every page worth extended viewing.-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
(Primary) Many readers will already know Grace from her earlier outings, beginning with Amazing Grace. The story blends home and school life with Grace's previously established love for stories. When Grace hears that two girls from her class will be chosen to ride as princesses on a parade float, she pores over her fairy-tale books and asks Nana to make her a pink, floaty dress. However, Grace's teacher offers the class a wider view of princesses, including warrior princesses from Nigeria and China and another who was a spy. Eventually Grace settles on a princess dress made from kente cloth from her father's country of Gambia. Although a bit didactic, the story will be a boon to parents, teachers, and librarians tired of the current fascination with blonde princesses in pink, and an author's note gives further information on the princesses from folklore and history mentioned in the text. Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu's paintings depict Grace and her friends and family with vibrant energy, showing her in a tiara and pink dress on the front jacket and looking even more royal in her African dress on the back. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Grace longs to be chosen to be a princess in the town parade. While gathering ideas for a costume, she realizes that princesses in the familiar stories don't really do much of anything except look pretty. Her teacher introduces Grace and her classmates to stories of some interesting princesses from all over the world. They hear about Amina of Nigeria, Pin-Yang of China and many others. Everyone wants to participate now. When the parade takes place, Grace is a Gambian princess in Kente cloth, and there are princesses from many varied cultures, including one in the familiar pink, floaty dress. Grace is a charming, engaging character who approaches challenges with enthusiasm. She is able to rethink traditional limits and provoke change. Hoffman provides gentle lessons in a non-threatening, entertaining manner. The illustrations are bright, detailed and dynamic, vividly depicting both of Grace's worlds, the real and the imaginary. The current illustrators wisely maintain the characters' facial features and personalities from the original works, without compromising their own, unique style. Just right. (Picture book. 5-10) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
