I Want My Light On!

July 19, 2010
Most recently seen in I Want TWO Birthdays, Little Princess, who is afraid of ghosts, refuses to turn off her light in spite of others' assurances that there is nothing to fear. "Don't be silly, there are NO such things as ghosts," the doctor, admiral, maid, and others exclaim, but when a ghost does appear, Little Princess isn't the only one who's scared. Ross's brash watercolors are full of campy energy, turning bedtime scenes into a stage for adventure. Ages 4–9.

August 1, 2010

PreS-Gr 1-The Little Princess is afraid of ghosts and insists that her light stay on at bedtime. Her dad confirms that there are no ghosts under her bed; the Admiral assures her that if there were any, the General would deal with them; the doctor instructs her to blow her nose if she sees any; and the maid insists that if there were ghosts, they would be very small. But when the Little Princess and her stuffed animal, Gilbert, hear a ghostly sound, they hide under the bed, only to discover a little ghost who is more afraid of them than they are of him. He runs back to his mother at the top of the castle and proclaims that he has seen a little girl. "'Don't be silly, ' said his mom. 'There are NO such things as little girls!' 'I want my light on anyway!' said the little ghost. 'Just in case.'" A common bedtime fear is given a delightful twist with the help of a ghost clutching his own lovey. Readers familiar with the series will recognize the eccentric and memorable characters. Clear, expressive watercolors add humor to the simple text, and the Little Princess formula still works well at cleverly addressing common early childhood issues.-Rachel Kamin, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, IL

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2010

This long-running British series (the first Little Princess book was published in 1986) has been adapted for television there. In this installment, her dad (in a jacket and tie, wearing his crown) has read her a story and is about to turn off the light when the Little Princess shouts, "I WANT MY LIGHT ON!"--with her entire face subsumed into one of those scarlet, tooth-edged mouths. She's not afraid of the dark but of ghosts. Dad checks under the bed, and General, Admiral, Doctor and Maid assure her there are no ghosts. The Little Princess's room is a bright yellow, but readers see glimpses of the castle's arches and stone steps past her doorway--and then there is a little ghost behind her bedpost, with a skeleton toy the shape of Little Princess's own stuffie. Ghost and Princess scare each other, and he dashes off to his mother, who, as she stirs her pot of frog, worm and spider stew, assures him that there are no such things as little girls.... The pictures are clear, bold and exaggerated to great humorous effect. (Picture book. 4-6)

(COPYRIGHT (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)