PRINCESS BATTLE ROYALE

Princess tropes get a takedown when an undersize challenger steps into the royal ring.

“Welcome to the WPW: World Princess Wrestling,” where reigning champion Swan Princess, “the baddest bird of the ballet,” is ready to rumble with fairy-tale royalty in defense of the Enchanted Championship Belt. Light-skinned Rapunzel the Reaper “comes in hot with her signature Hair Whiplash” move, and Kaguya (of Japanese folklore) gives it a valiant go with her Moonsault, but in round after round, the royal highnesses fall flat. Enter “a kid in a little red wrestling singlet,” a pint-size, rosy-cheeked, light-skinned child who’s been hungry to give the Swan a go. Little Red, who up to now has served as the towel girl, unleashes her “wolf mode” to demonstrate that “anyone can battle, no matter what size.” Direct narration by a tuxedoed green ogre sets the tone of a zealous sportscast, and the strong female cast is a plus. Speech-bubble smack talk, in a distinct font and laden with fairy-tale references, keeps this sporty romp moving along at a speedy clip, while expressive mixed-media illustrations capture clever details; a closer look at the title page hints at Little Red’s brawn, and folklore favorites, diverse in skin tone, dot the crowd. All the mayhem and a little magical “kayfabe” (presenting the unreal as real) enchant, and, of course, “they all lived scrappily ever after.”

A punny KO for spunky fairy-tale lovers and storytimes.