Review by Kirkus Book Review
A dragon really wants to meet a princess, but the princess has her own agenda. Izmelda, a chubby green dragon in a pink princess dress and pearls, flies off to the nearest kingdom in search of a princess--but Penelope, the princess she finds, is on her way to jester class, and she's in a hurry to get there before the witches catch up to her. Penelope has brown skin, black hair, polka-dot overalls, and sneakers--not glass slippers--and she's frustrated by Izmelda's enthusiasm for typical fairy-tale princess tropes and by the many fans who follow her around. However, Izmelda's dedication--and her wings--comes in handy when the witches catch up to them, and a friendship is born. Some illustrations are full bleed, while others are vignettes. Izmelda is downright adorable--even her teeth are rounded, not pointy, making for a very gentle story. (The witches' hats are pointy, but even they don't pose a threat worse than a delay.) Whether readers empathize more with fairy-tale--loving Izmelda or independent Penelope, they will enjoy the humorous dynamic, the eventual friendship, and the reminder that it's important to make time for cupcakes (the endpapers feature an array). The ending isn't quite as satisfying as the buildup, but readers will be pleased to see that it leaves room for a sequel. Human characters are racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A cheery subversion of fairy-tale tropes. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
