The Very Little Princess

January 25, 2010
In this blend of family drama and fantasy, Bauer plays with the classic notion of a doll coming to life, but in truth, the story is about a girl and her mother. One day Zoey’s single mother takes her to visit a grandmother she never knew existed. Bewildered by the obvious friction between the two women, Zoey explores the house and discovers a tiny china doll, who is brought to life by Zoey’s tear. Zoey has always believed toys could come alive, but is peculiarly rewarded for her faith as the domineering doll convinces Zoey that she is a princess and Zoey her servant. As the relationship between girl and doll develops, Zoey’s mother’s character unfolds in unsettling pieces. Told in alternating points of view between the doll and Zoey, with frequent addresses to the reader—“Just about now, you’re probably wondering what kind of story this is, anyway”—Bauer’s novel raises worrisome, unresolved questions about Zoey’s fate. The characters’ flaws give the story realism and depth, but those expecting a sunny, traditional tale will likely find it more disturbing than magical. Final art not seen by PW
. Ages 6–9.

April 1, 2010
Gr 3-5 -When Zoey's mom whisks her out of their Minneapolis apartment to her grandmother's house in the country (the grandmother she never knew she had), the 10-year-old is excited but curious. Instantly she feels the tension between her mother and Grandmother Hazel. Seeking relief, she explores the house and finds a dollhouse with a beautiful doll in it. When an accidental tear falls from Zoey's eye onto the tiny china face, Princess Regina comes to life and begins to order Zoey around. The doll returns to her inanimate state when her mother leaves without a promise of return. Bauer weaves a fairy tale into a contemporary story of parental mental illness and resulting neglect. She depicts Princess Regina as alternating between alive and inanimate until she is touched by Zoey's tears and recognizes the compassion within herself. Now permanently alive, Regina joins Zoey and Hazel (who once owned the doll) and they adjust well to the life they share. While this book can be read simply as a fairy tale or on deeper levels of love and loss, it elicits the magic of The Velveteen Rabbit and Pinocchio, where only through love does one become real."D. Maria LaRocco, Cuyahoga Public Library, Strongsville, OH"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2009
Grades 2-4 On the day her mother drives her to the faraway town where her grandmother lives, Zoey learns several startling things: that she has a grandmother, who welcomes Zoey into her home; that her mother intends to leave her there indefinitely; and that the tiny china doll in her mothers old room sometimes comes to life. Handed down through generations of Zoeys foremothers, the imperious doll, Princess Regina, is a strong yet ultimately vulnerable character in her own right. The reader is often made aware of the narrator, who comments on the characters, their situations, and the storytellers task itself. Her amiable, conversational tone could be called avuncular if it werent so clearly feminine. Sayles pleasing black-and-white pictures illustrate the book with sensitivity and wit. While the storys fantasy element does not always meld convincingly with the realistic depiction of Zoeys family problems, at its best this unusual early chapter book succeeds in both areas.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)