Review by Booklist Review
From the top of her tiara to the tips of her petite feet, Princess Isabel was perfect in every way but one: she wouldn't say 'please.' This fractured fairy tale combines three different plots, each with a surprise ending when Isabel refuses to say the magic word. She won't ask nicely for the Cinderella slipper no prince for her. She won't ask nicely for the queen's poisoned apple no apple for her, because a girl of no manners is no threat to the queen's beauty. Finally, though, Isabel gets lost in the forest and a prince rescues her and asks, Will you marry me? At last she gets the message and says, Oh, yes! Yes, if you please. The colored pencil, gouache, and acrylic illustrations have just the right whimsical flair to match the fairy-tale silliness. Kids familiar with the original stories will best appreciate the humor, but this is a lesson accessible to anyone who picks up this amusing book.--Cummins, Julie Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-Practically perfect Princess Isabel has but one flaw: she refuses to say please. On three separate occasions, this failing prevents her from getting a prince and living happily ever. Readers will be thrilled to see that these three instances are how Princess Isabel's story intersects with "Cinderella," "Snow White," and "The Frog Prince." Finally, Isabel learns the importance of saying the magic word and is rewarded with a princely, "Will you marry me?" Metzger does a good job of subtly teaching the concept of "humility and fine manners" without bashing readers over the head with it. Some of the humor will appeal to adults; for example, the Queen disguises herself as "a poor old woman with a strong resemblance to Groucho Marx." Haley's colored pencil and paint cartoon illustrations are filled with whimsy and will have princess aficionados wishing they could wear Isabel's crown, jewels, and dresses.-Lora Van Marel, Orland Park Public Library, IL (c) Copyright 2012. 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
Princess Isabel's rudeness ruins her chance to marry eligible princes who later end up with well-known characters like Cinderella and Snow White. But don't expect Isabel to realize that there's more to life than bagging a prince: Metzger's cause is etiquette, not enlightenment. While not envelope-pushing, this fairy-tale spoof, bolstered by Haley's wacky art, is among the droller ones. (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
(Picture book. 5-7)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
