IF YOU WERE A PRINCESS

An inspirational ode to princess power.

A trio of children explore the question “If you were a princess, what would you do?” Alongside the ideas introduced in the main text (“If you were a princess, you would be remembered for marvelous deeds”), Homzie offers tidbits, in a smaller font, about nearly 30 real princesses. The subjects are celebrated for their skills and strengths, from princesses who work to rescue and protect animals, such as Princess Alia of Jordan and Princess Stephanie of Monaco, to royals who defended their lands, including Princess Pingyang of the Tang dynasty in China and Princess Lakshmi Bai, who lived in the 19th century in what is now northern India. The jewel-toned illustrations show the children helping their community, energized by the mountain-climbing, rapping, law-practicing real-life princesses surrounding them. The book ends as it began, with a question: “How can you become a princess in your own way?” Like a BuzzFeed listicle in picture-book format, this title offers fiction-to-nonfiction–bridging potential that makes it an attractive gift for a princess-obsessed child. Backmatter includes short princess biographies. Featured princesses are from a wide range of countries and cultures throughout history, a diversity that is mirrored in the characters’ community. The main children include one with brown skin and brown curly hair; another who has light skin and long dark braids, who presents as Asian and who uses a prosthetic leg; and one with straight brown hair and light tan skin. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An uplifting option for children curious about jumping from princess fairy tales to princess biographies.