Princess Charming

Princess Charming is a fresh twist on a classic fairy tale. She tries really hard at all sorts of activities, like cartwheels, cooking, dancing and singing, but she isn’t really good at any of them, especially when compared to her brother. The one thing she has going for her is that she is very determined. She attempts it all and doesn’t give up, a lovely message for young readers. A strong point to remember in this story is Princess Charming’s sunny outlook and positivity even when things don’t turn out quite as she hoped they would.

Her family is planning a big party for Stella Sparkle, Princess Charming’s favorite movie star, and everything has to be perfect. Princess Charming is excited; even her dog Luna is excited, so much so that she jumps on Stella Sparkle as she arrives, causing her to lose her earring. Chaos ensues as everyone searches for the missing earring, but they lose hope, and only Princess Charming continues searching for the earring. Because she can tell that Stella Sparkle is disappointed, she keeps on looking and she finds the earring. Stella Sparkle is so happy to have her earring back as it is special to her having belonged to her grandmother. Stella Sparkle is so thankful to Princess Charming that she promises her a part in her next movie.

Princess Charming realizes that she is good at something. She has a great can-do attitude and doesn’t give up easily, and that’s what helped her save the day. Author Owens provides a surprise twist at the end: Princess Charming was the one responsible for encouraging her brother, Prince Charming, to never give up either!

Holly Hatam’s collage-style illustrations are whimsical, and the textures add layers to the images, making them feel warm and rich. Princess Charming’s facial expressions are spot on; she is disappointed, surprised, exasperated, frazzled, confused, sad, excited, in awe and content, with each page depicting a new expression. These illustrations are a great inspiration for young artists to visualize different forms of art and animation.