Princess Hyacinth has a problem (don’t we all?). She floats. In fact, she floats so well that all of her princessy clothes are weighted, and her crown is extra-heavy to ensure that she stays put. I love the subtle allegory to the weighty nature of being a real princess in the real world, where responsibilities and decisions are an important part of the job.
Princess Hyacinth: The Surprising Tale of a Girl Who Floated, is probably one of my favorite non-princess princess books ever. The illustrations are lively, and the typeface changes size and placement to help add inflection to the story. But those are just supporting roles. The story itself is irreverent, with lots of humorous moments. Princess Hyacinth thinks for herself, and tries to make her own decisions. She also has a crush on a boy, but the resulting “romance” is sweet and simple – perfect for kids. We have been reading this every day at naptime, and it never gets old!
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This is a great one! I always admire Lane Smith’s illustrations, but this story could be predictable and yet transcends!! Love it.
Hehe – it indeed transcends, in fact it floats! Glad you agree!