Unwrapping
"POWER TO THE PRINCESS"
Authored by Vita Murrow
Illustrated by Julia Bereciartu
* Age Range: 8-12
* Grade Level: K-3
* Hardcover: 96 pages
*Publisher: Lincoln Children's books
* Pub. Date: September 6, 2018
*Language: English
"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."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
From the Publisher
Power To The Princess: Belle the Brave (Undercover Agent)
Once upon a time, in a sunny French province, there lived a girl named Belle. Belle the Brave to be precise, because Belle was fearless.
Rapunzel (World-famous Architect)
Rapunzel turned out to be one of the most creative and unequivocally magical designers and architects of her time. After the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the tower, Rapunzel went to work on royal commissions for Prince Eustace and others. Her firm, A Braid Above, attracted designers and architects the world over, eager to join Rapunzel in pioneering technologies to enrich places and spaces for all.
Zade (Businesswoman) and the 1,001 Ideas
Not all princesses are born into royal leadership. Some climb up and claim it for themselves. This is a story of one such princess, Zade (Zady). In an ancient land, now buried in dunes and history, there sat a great empire made up of many kingdoms that stretched from sea to sea and mountain to mountain. In this empire lived a great mix of people and magical creatures.
Evangeline (Natural Historian) and the Frog Prince
Evan went on to become a zoologist, who discovered whole new frog species during her work in the rain forest. She and Pascal trekked up great mountains to track the elusive sapphire butterfly. After learning more about the firsthand experiences of animals, both domestic and wild, Evan campaigned against keeping animals in zoos (magical or otherwise).
My take
This book is packaged so beautifully with a red, clothbound hard cover and stunning gold debossing. You don't even have to open it up to know it is of highest quality and then when you do... the calibre revs up even higher with the storyline and illustrations married perfectly together.
This delightful anthology includes 15 fairytales that have been updated for modern readers. Each one features a princess but rather than looking for a prince to marry her and give her a happily-ever-after life she takes charge and designs the life that she would like to live. These princesses are smart, excellent role models, kind , caring and infused with girl power... girl power that they use to help others and make a difference in their world. They have friendships, choose befitting careers and work for the greater good of humanity rather than just for themselves.
These up-dated fairytales focus on issues such as self-image, self-esteem, LGBTQ, friendships, advocacy and disability. They are inspirational and give hope to girls that they can take charge of their destiny and they can decide what is best for them and that might not always include marrying Prince Charming. Don't get me wrong, that can be a good choice too if that is what they want. The princesses follow their dreams and accomplish great things. They open themselves up to research and learning and discover ways to add meaning to their lives. In so doing they then reach out to aid others in their community thinking beyond themselves and how they can make kingdom living better for all who live there. Their choices include becoming a policewoman, architect, business woman, sport's organizer and coach, fashion designer, dancer, environmentalist, zoologist and beautician, just to cite a few. Being involved in so many facets of the culture they can sew kindness, happiness and well-being into so many people.
I highly recommend this book. It would make a lovely gift to any little girl who loves princess stories. These stories are refreshed for the 21st century and will inspire others to say... "Yes I can!" Power to the Princesses!
Storywraps Rating 5+++ HUGS!!!!!
About the author and illustrator
Vita Murrow is an educator, an artist, a writer, and a mom. Vita has a quirky sense of humor and an eye for the weird. When she was in 8th grade, she was rejected from a special writers’ retreat for kids. But that didn’t stop her from pursuing her passion. Since then, Vita has been a teacher, a producer, a film maker, a program director, and even a puppeteer. She’s also had jobs in an office which were pretty fun. She currently works as a children’s author reinventing old stories for a new generation and crafting wordless pictures books together with her husband Ethan Murrow. Their recent book “The Whale” was nominated for a CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medal. Vita loves working with other artists and writers and is always looking to share a chocolate chip cookie with someone.
Julia Bereciartu (a.k.a. Juliabe) is a Spanish illustrator, born in 1980 in the northern city of San Sebastian. From an early age, she spent most of her time drawing, even if that meant using markers on her parents’ new couch. She also loved reading books and dreamed of painting the illustrations that accompanied them when she grew up. She now lives in Madrid with her partner and their ginger cat, and has fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming an illustrator. Julia works for clients such as American Girl, Google, Cartoon Network, and Simon& Schuster, and loves giving life to quirky, sassy characters and the occasional fluffy pet.
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