Who Wants to Be a Princess?: What It Was Really Like to Be a Medieval Princess

by Bridget Heos, Migy (Illustrator)

Overview

Did you ever wish to be a princess? Have you ever wanted to wear a pretty pink gown, sing to your forest animal friends, and attend a fancy fairy-tale ball?

Then meet Beatrice—she represents what being a princess in the Middle Ages was really like. Pink gown? More like itchy wool! Sing to animals? Think archery and horseback riding instead. Beatrice’s life is no fairy tale, but she will show you that fact can sometimes be more fascinating than fantasy.

This humorous, brightly illustrated book offers an irresistible comparison of fairy tale vs. real life in medieval times.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250157539
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	03/21/2017
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	22 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Bridget Heos is the author of more than sixty books for children, including I, Fly: The Buzz About Flies and How Awesome They Are, illustrated by Jennifer Plecas, and Mustache Baby, illustrated by Joy Ang. She lives in Kansas City, Missouri, with her family.

Migy (pronounced miggy), short for Miguel Ornia-Blanco, is a writer and illustrator of children’s books, including And Away We Go! After living for a time in London and Buenos Aires, he now resides in Frome, England, with his wife and children.

Editorial Reviews

01/01/2017
Gr 2–4—A fairy-tale princess has a pretty glamorous life. She wears fancy dresses, dances at the ball, and has helpful anthropomorphic woodland creatures attending to her every need. The fantasy is so dazzling that it's easy to forget the reality. Princess Beatrice, a fictional royal, is here to share what life as a medieval princess was really like. Each spread provides helpful facts that illuminate the truth about growing up royal in the Middle Ages. For example, princesses didn't wait to be rescued by a handsome prince. Instead, they were placed in an arranged marriage, often at a very young age. They did not get cursed by an evil queen, but they spent time practicing embroidery and horseback riding. The engaging illustrations emphasize the contrast between the vivid fantasy world and the more muted earth tones of real life. Back matter includes an author's note with more factual information as well as a brief bibliography for those who wish to learn more about castle life in the Middle Ages. The book also serves as a gentle reminder that while it may be fun to daydream about another life, the reality may not be as enviable. VERDICT Appropriate for most picture book collections, this title adds a much-needed touch of reality to the princess genre.—Alyssa Annico, Youngstown State University, Youngstown, OH

School Library Journal

2016-12-14
Text and Disney-esque artwork contrast the "typical" fairy-tale princess's way of life and that of a real (though fictional) princess in medieval Europe. "Psst…you in your tiara and twirly dress. You look like you're dreaming of being a princess like Cinderella. Or Snow White. Or Sleeping Beauty." The princess peering out of a mirror, who looks exactly like the white, pink-gowned princess looking in except for her brown dress, introduces herself as Beatrice—a "very real" princess from the Middle Ages who will reveal her life "versus a fairy-tale day." The book falls flat for several reasons. From the start, the sole benchmarks for fairy tales appear to be only the aforementioned princesses. How else to contrast singing to forest animals with practicing riding and archery? Or "Princess Charm School" with French lessons from a tutor? The art's cartoonish renderings minimize opportunities for real contrast by constantly showing the fairy-tale life in bright pinks and medieval life in earth tones. There are a few facts that might be new for some readers, such as the itchy wool of Beatrice's everyday dresses, the polluted waters of moats, and the custom of arranged marriage. Although princesses of color appear in minor roles in some of the fairy-tale scenes, wholly absent from the "real" history is the fact that the world beyond Europe existed during the medieval period. Oddly, a realistic contrast to fairy-tale knights is avoided, and a double-page spread of a "realistic" feast seems not too different from fairy-tale feasts. An unconvincing attempt to contrast fantasy with historical reality. (author's note, bibliography) (Informational picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews