If You Were a Princess: True Stories of Brave Leaders from around the World

by Hillary Homzie, Udayana Lugo (Illustrator)

Overview

Not All Princesses Dress in Pink meets Herstory in this inspiring and educational picture book about princesses, past and present, as three girls wonder what it would be like to be princesses themselves.

If you were a princess, what would you be?

Maybe you’d fight for the rights of young girls and women throughout the world. Or graduate from university and find work as a research scientist. Or you might be a musician, a songwriter, a rapper, or a poet.

Three best friends discover this and more as they learn what being a princess truly means. Through the facts and profiles of real-life princesses woven throughout, they become empowered to try and make a difference within their own communities—and discover that anyone can be a princess after all.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534456181
Publisher:	Aladdin
Publication date:	10/18/2022
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
Lexile:	AD1060L (what's this?)
File size:	128 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Hillary Homzie is the author of the tween novels Queen of Likes, The Hot List, and Things Are Gonna Get Ugly, as well as the comedic chapter book series Alien Clones from Outer Space and picture book If You Were a Princess. During the summers, Hillary teaches in the graduate program in children’s writing at Hollins University. A former sketch comedy performer in New York City, Hillary currently lives with her family in Northern California.

If Udayana Lugo weren’t a children’s book illustrator, she would probably be a baker (although waking up before dawn might be a deal-breaker!). She lives in British Columbia, Canada, with her family.

Editorial Reviews

10/01/2022

K-Gr 3—Three young friends with different skin tones wonder what it would be like to be a princess. Positive attributes are listed and supported through facts and profiles of real-life princesses from the past and present from countries around the world, large and small. The list is extensive and at the end of the book, further biographical information is provided for each of the 28 princesses named in the work. The friends learn that anyone can be a princess in their own way by following the examples of the princesses profiled. The illustrations accurately capture the life and impact of each princess. This is sure to be a hit with princess fans, although emerging readers will find the length and font sizes of the text a challenge. However, the diverse and extensive research is impressive. VERDICT The book is compelling and a revelation: 28 women worth emulating regardless of their station in life, and a book to return to repeatedly to fully appreciate their inspiring stories.—Heidi Dechief

School Library Journal

2022-07-27
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. (works cited) (Informational picture book. 5-9)

Kirkus Reviews