What Parents Should Know
Kids will cheer for the resourceful heroine. The
illustrations are as bright and fun as the writing and
story.
Common Sense Media Review
A cast of goofy characters, meticulously rendered in ink and
cheerful, gleaming watercolor, populate author/illustrator
Babette Cole's artwork, and there is a wealth of funny details
that keep busy eyes active.
Princess Smartypants may be a smart-aleck, but she's sincere and full of life and charm. Prince Swashbuckle is her perfect foil: urbane, traditional, and--under all the suavity--insincere. His efforts to win Princess Smartypants have more to do with ego than affection (one of the medals on his uniform is shaped like a pig, just the kind of detail that adds humor and depth to this feminist tale).
The ending comes as a surprise. It seems Princess Smartypants has finally met her match, until she pulls that last trick out of her bag. A cry of "Yahoo!" went up during a read-aloud when a group of five-year-olds came to this subversive moment.
Another good variation on the old fairy-tale theme is Fanny's Dream.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
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