Princess Peepers

K-Gr 3-Princess Peepers has always been secure in who she is, and is especially fond of her collection of fabulous eyeglasses. That is until she enters the Royal Academy for Perfect Princesses. The other royals make fun of her specs, causing her to pack them all away so she can be like everyone else. This leads to all sorts of mistakes: she misidentifies spaghetti as mud and string, the kitchen as the dungeon, animals as people, and a visiting prince as a horse. Luckily, a happy ending is in store for the hapless young woman as she and Prince Peerless, who is not wearing his glasses either, soon see that they are made for each other. Mourning's graphite and digital/collage illustrations combine figures in traditional costumes from different eras with lush backgrounds. The palette of pinks keeps the emphasis on sweet, even when some of the characters are not. Princess Peepers will circulate well and bring laughs during storytimes.-Susan E. Murray, Glendale Public Library, AZ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Calvert's tale of a bespectacled princess's rocky road to self-acceptance is rollicking good fun. Princess Peepers adores her plethora of eyewear, with what seems to be a pair of glasses for every occasion. However, when she attends the Royal Academy she is astonished to discover her spectacles are far from au courant. In a misguided attempt to satisfy others' expectations and fit in, she doffs her lenses. While the ensuing mishaps are appropriately silly and lighthearted, they do not conceal the compelling message that being true to one's self paves the road to happiness. Mourning's mixed-media illustrations of graphite and digital/collage present an intriguing blend of texture and color. Readers are bound to relish the interplay between what the text describes and the reality of the illustrations as Princess Peepers stumbles about sans specs. The ironic denouement is bound to please princess fans and their practical parents alike. (Picture book. 5-9) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.