The Very Fairy Princess

April 19, 2010
Geraldine, this book's redheaded heroine, may look like an ordinary girl, but she harbors no doubts about her magical royal status: “I FEEL it inside—a sparkling feeling of just KNOWING in my heart.” With great powers, however, come great responsibilities. A fairy princess must always wear her crown (“You never know who you might bump into... even on the stairs), shore up her mere mortal friends (“YOU sparkle when you play the trombone,” she tells one), and always be on the lookout for problems to solve, like an escaped classroom hamster. Andrews and Hamilton's narrative voice, a mixture of self-assured proclamations and parenthetical confidences, is fun, and for every reference to glitter, tutus, and sparkle, there are examples of the heroine's rough-and-tumble side (sliding down a banister or pursuing a frog across a stream). Davenier's (Just Like a Baby
) luminous and empathic watercolors act like fairy wings on this story. Even though the pictures are predominantly pink, there's nothing pale about Davenier's characterization; Geraldine radiates noblesse oblige, heedless energy, and a sense of destiny—she's Eloise crossed with Hillary Clinton. Ages 3–6.

Young Alison Cordaro's narration is pitch-perfect as she portrays Princess Geraldine, who reigns her kingdom in a take-charge kind of way. Geraldine may prefer pink, but she's also unafraid to skin her knees or rescue frogs, and she's quite clear that cultivating one's "inner sparkle" is what's most important. Cordaro gives dimension to Geraldine's imaginative world in a charming voice that doesn't succumb to being cutesy. The production is further enhanced by a terrific interview with the mother-daughter writing team, who discuss their character and collaborations, as well as their delight in Cordaro's depiction of Geraldine. An interview with the talented young narrator herself follows. Listeners will be entertained AND educated. J.C.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

May 1, 2010
PreS-Gr 1-As any library staff member will tell you, there can never be too many princess stories. While this collaboration between Julie Andrews and her daughter, Emma Hamilton, does not stand out as anything particularly different, it does have enough sparkle to keep young readers interested. Geraldine leads a rather ordinary life, and each page highlights a part of her mundane day. However, in the grand tradition of other literary, bedazzled mini-divas, Geraldine's imagination and love for the color pink brighten the daily grind of being a scab-kneed little girl. Readers will enjoy Geraldine's princess attitude and the vibrant fantasy brought to life through Davenier's ink and colored pencil illustrations. However, for girly girl stories with a bit more attitude, stick with reigning princesses Eloise, Fancy Nancy, and Olivia."Sarah Townsend, Norfolk Public Library, VA"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2010
Preschool-K A girl who believes she is really a princess isn't a new premise in childrens literature, so it's refreshing to find a very real little girl as our protagonist, especially given a title that evokes an expectation of a more traditionally froufrou young royal. Geraldine (Gerry) just knows she is a princess and narrates the events of her day, offering commentary about her many doubters: My brother, Stewart, says princesses don't wear sneakers and don't have scabby knees. Gerry's type of princess isn't too precious; in response to her brother, she asserts, Fairy princesses are very practical. A long day passes-breakfast, school, playtime, and dinner-before the one person who never doubts her comes home: Daddy. Freckled, spiky haired, pink clad, and irrepressible, Geraldine is reminiscent of Eloise. She lets kids know it's not necessary to be prim and proper to be a real princess; princesses who just want to have fun will find plenty of that here.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)