Power to the Princess

Starred review from October 1, 2018
Murrow opens this fairy tale collection with a tongue-in-cheek note explaining that these stories arose from her interviews with 15 fairy tale princesses who were fed up with hearing untruths about themselves. While the stories follow the classic stories’ general narrative arc, they stray early and playfully from more rigid storylines, infusing them with a thoroughly modern sensibility. In “The Little Mermaid,” Princess Marisha, who wears a tuxedo-style suit jacket over her mermaid tail, joins land princess Melody: “The princesses shared not only a vision for the future of their kingdoms, but also a vision for their lives together.” In “Little Red Riding Hood,” both the titular character and her grandmother grow concerned that the wolves are starving, because they “really shouldn’t have a taste for human food,” and the princess goes on to protect the welfare of wolves and their environment. Bereciartu illustrates in a gentle, wry style that fully display the diverse princesses’ resourcefulness, confidence, and irreverence. Murrow strikes a tone that is both earnest and good-humored as these royals audaciously rewrite the rules. Ages 5–8.

Starred review from August 1, 2018
Well-known fairy tales get modern makeovers in this socially conscious compilation.When Murrow heard these misunderstood princesses' stories firsthand, she explains in a playful introductory note, she discovered that "a princess is a person who seeks to help others" and "is open to learning new things." Belle the Brave is a fearless girl who goes after her father because she is good at climbing trees and jumping off ledges. She becomes a police officer with a specialty in restorative justice and is called Beauty because she can see the beauty in others. The Little Mermaid is determined to visit the land of the humans to find a way to keep the oceans clean. She meets a young woman with a similar vision, and after some time working together toward their common cause, the two marry. Rapunzel is a brilliant builder, and she doesn't let the Prince up the tower without first finding out who he is and what he wants (which is to learn more about her inventive designs). She becomes an architect and helps make the kingdom more accessible to people who are visually impaired, like the Prince. About half of the princesses appear to be of color, with varying skin tones and eye shapes. Combining real-life, meaningful work with the trappings of kingdoms and fairy tales, this volume is a treasure for readers who are tired of traditional helpless princesses who fall in love instantly and "live happily ever after."Brilliant. (Fantasy. 6-13)

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