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Princess for a Day: A Clementine and Mungo Story by Sarah Dyer (view source)
Revision as of 10:51, 6 September 2008
, 10:51, 6 September 2008no edit summary
{{infobox
|title=Princess for a Day: A Clementine and Mungo Story
|author=Sarah Dyer
|reviewer=Magda Healey
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=This should go down well with all girls obsessed with things princessy, while the underlying psychological realism of a relationship between a pair of siblings will make it fun for adults too, and the humour should make it more bearable.
|rating=3.5
|buy=Maybe
|borrow=Maybe
|format=Paperback
|pages=32
|publisher= Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
|date=April 2008
|isbn=978-0747588917
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0747588910</amazonuk>
|amazonus=<amazonus>0747587531</amazonus>
}}
''Princess for a Day'' is a satisfying story of the trials of siblinghood. One day, Clementine decides that she is to become a princess - for the whole day. And it's her little brother, Mungo, who is to be, well, just about anything, from the maker of crust-less sandwiches to the adoring populace. When it's time to find a prince, Mungo draws on his knowledge of fairy tales to provide one, but when Clementine meets him, she loses some of the enthusiasm for her princess role.
The artwork is modern and arresting, and although it doesn't reach such striking clarity as artwork in ''Five Little Fiends'', it's still cut above many other children's books. As with other examples, though, I have to voice my pet objection which is, why are the characters anthropomorphic animals (pigs, in this case)? But then, this is a convention of many (if not a
majority) picture books and most don't seem to mind at all - in fact they translate from the animal figures to 'little girl' and 'little boy' with no problems at all.
Complete with an impressive, pink, fold-out crown in an envelope at the back, ''Princess for a Day'' should go down well with all little girls obsessed with things princessy and pink, while the underlying psychological realism of a relationship between a pair of siblings will make it fun for adults too, and the humour (and final, albeit mild, comeuppance) should make it more bearable.
Recommended for female preschoolers.
Thanks to Bloomsbury for sending us the book.
Lauren Child created an instant brother-and-sister classic with her [[I Can Do Anything That's Everything All on My Own (Charlie & Lola) by Lauren Child|Charlie & Lola]] series...while Tony Ross has a decidedly un-pink take on [[I Want a Sister (Little Princess) by Tony Ross|little royals]].
{{amazontext|amazon=0747588910}}
{{commenthead}}
|title=Princess for a Day: A Clementine and Mungo Story
|author=Sarah Dyer
|reviewer=Magda Healey
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=This should go down well with all girls obsessed with things princessy, while the underlying psychological realism of a relationship between a pair of siblings will make it fun for adults too, and the humour should make it more bearable.
|rating=3.5
|buy=Maybe
|borrow=Maybe
|format=Paperback
|pages=32
|publisher= Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
|date=April 2008
|isbn=978-0747588917
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0747588910</amazonuk>
|amazonus=<amazonus>0747587531</amazonus>
}}
''Princess for a Day'' is a satisfying story of the trials of siblinghood. One day, Clementine decides that she is to become a princess - for the whole day. And it's her little brother, Mungo, who is to be, well, just about anything, from the maker of crust-less sandwiches to the adoring populace. When it's time to find a prince, Mungo draws on his knowledge of fairy tales to provide one, but when Clementine meets him, she loses some of the enthusiasm for her princess role.
The artwork is modern and arresting, and although it doesn't reach such striking clarity as artwork in ''Five Little Fiends'', it's still cut above many other children's books. As with other examples, though, I have to voice my pet objection which is, why are the characters anthropomorphic animals (pigs, in this case)? But then, this is a convention of many (if not a
majority) picture books and most don't seem to mind at all - in fact they translate from the animal figures to 'little girl' and 'little boy' with no problems at all.
Complete with an impressive, pink, fold-out crown in an envelope at the back, ''Princess for a Day'' should go down well with all little girls obsessed with things princessy and pink, while the underlying psychological realism of a relationship between a pair of siblings will make it fun for adults too, and the humour (and final, albeit mild, comeuppance) should make it more bearable.
Recommended for female preschoolers.
Thanks to Bloomsbury for sending us the book.
Lauren Child created an instant brother-and-sister classic with her [[I Can Do Anything That's Everything All on My Own (Charlie & Lola) by Lauren Child|Charlie & Lola]] series...while Tony Ross has a decidedly un-pink take on [[I Want a Sister (Little Princess) by Tony Ross|little royals]].
{{amazontext|amazon=0747588910}}
{{commenthead}}