library

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 […]

Viola Louise Hassenfeffer is not your ordinary princess. I suppose that’s probably true of most princesses, but Viola seems to be a special case. She is really horrible at behaving in a traditional “princess” way, which is precisely what makes Princess in Training (by Tammi Sauer, and illustrated by Joe Berger) so fascinating! Princess Hassenfeffer is […]

When a young girl enters the Princess phase, there is only one thing to do: drag your feet while kicking and screaming. I might mean that metaphorically, I might not. Either way, I’m looking to find that magical word – moderation – when balancing her interests while reminding her of the big wide world beyond […]

Sometimes accidental purchases turn into serendipitous solutions. As Birdie continues to dive head first into the land known as pink, sparkly, jeweled, and all things glitter, I continue to find ways to remind her that there’s more to life than Pretty. We found this book at her Montessori School’s book fair last year, but You […]

Children’s books are best when they encourage imagination, free thinking, and a healthy dose of surprise. That’s why I cannot wait to get a copy of Open This Little Book because it’s so unique. Leave it to Chronicle Books to find such a gem (because frankly, I bet the printing/binding discussions to get this thing published […]

Now that Christmas is over, it’s time for me to begin round two: Birdie’s birthday. For once, I actually have several gifts squirreled away for her already, just waiting for January 7th. But I always take a long hard look at the gifts she received for Christmas, and then fill in accordingly with a couple […]