What Parents Should Know
The behavior of both sisters is filled with points for
discussion, as the bad sister gets what she wants through
blackmail, and the good sister marries a man she does not
love.
Common Sense Media Review
This is the first of The Princess Tales, a series of short
retellings of fairytales by the Newbery-honored author of
Ella Enchanted. Her light sense of humor and deadpan
descriptions of absurdities, along with the short length and
easy to read text, make this a delightful snack, rather than a
heavy meal. But she never talks down to her audience, which
makes this a good choice for young readers, reluctant readers,
and reading aloud.
Some may find the values here a little questionable: Myrtle's outrageous behavior is never punished, bringing success to her and her nasty mother. She even helps Rosella deceive the prince to get him to behave somewhat better, but he still gets to keep half of all the jewels Rosella produces, while she gets to give the rest to the poor. But it's all meant in fun, and it's unlikely any young readers will take Myrtle as their role model.
From the Book:
Something funny was happening in her mouth. Had she lost
a tooth? There was something hard under her tongue. And
something hard in her cheek. "Excuse me." Now there was
something in her other cheek. She spat delicately into her
hand.
They weren't teeth. She was holding a diamond and two opals.
"There, dearie," Ethelinda smiled. "Isn't that nice?"
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
