I Want a Friend

My Little Princess

by Tony Ross

The first day at school for Tony Ross' best loved chracter - the Little Princess! The Little Princess is tired of playing with her younger brother and is thrilled to be starting school the next day. However, when her first attempts to make friends with other children fail, she is left all alone. Fortunately, she soon finds other children with no friends, and they decide to play together, sit together, eat together...This fantastic new title focuses on the difficult experience of starting school and making friends. Written with insightful understanding of a child's perspective, it also manages to maintain the anarchic humour that characterises this brilliant series.

Genres: Picture Books, Friendship, School, Childrens, Fiction, Royalty, Princesses

Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Tony Ross is a British illustrator and author of children's picture books. He was a student at the Liverpool School of Art and Design. Ross has had quite a few occupations, such as cartoonist, graphic designer, art director at an advertising agency, senior lecturer in art and head of the illustration course at Manchester Polytechnic.
Ross won the 1986 Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis, picture books category, for Ich komm dich holen!, (I'm coming to get you! - Andersen, 1984. He was runner-up for the 1990 Kate Greenaway Medal from the Library Association, recognising the year's best children's book by a British subject, for Dr. Xargle's book of Earth Tiggers.

Meet the illustrator
What is your favourite animal?
A cat
What is your favourite boy’s name?
Bill
What is your favourite girl’s name?
Roxanne
What is your favourite food?
Lobster
What is your favourite music?
Irish
What is your favourite hobby?
Sailing

Reviews

[La Coccinelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't find this book as enjoyable as some of the others in the series. While it's kind of amusing to see the princess and all the other "friendless" children all being friendly with each other (oblivious, much?), there's really not a lot of story here.

This is fine for fans of the series, but I think some of the other books are stronger.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story to read about friendships. It could elicit some good conversations about what friendship is. Also, not having any friends is lonely, but this book just shows that you think you're on your own, when actually plenty of children would consider themselves without a friend.

[Joana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 estrelas.
Sobre a importância de termos um amigo.
E de, apesar de tudo, aceitarmos o outro mesmo que o outro não nos aceite a nós.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the Little Princess starts school, she tries to make friends. This doesn't turn out exactly as she had expected.

Rejection happens at first, but eventually the Little Princess finds other children who have also been rejected by other kids.

When they wind up playing together and sitting together; when they wind up eating together, eventually the Little Princess brings them home after school.

A sweet ending ensues.

Another fabulous FIVE STAR book, written and illustrated by quirky Tony Ross, my kind of author.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. A little princess goes to school. She hangs up her crown and goes outside to try to make friends, but the first several children don't want to play with her. She and other children with no friends find each other and play tag. eventually at the end of the day, the princess puts her crown back on, and the children who wouldn't play with her realize who she is. A beautiful story about showing Mercy.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

When the Little Princess started school she was eager to make friends. She had a difficult go of it until she realized there were lots of other kids just like her who needed a friend too. I Want a Friend by Tony Ross would be a great read to encourage children just entering school to be a friend to others by reaching out. A sweet story for ages 3 - 6.

[Sushie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Iggi's Storytime Criteria
Age group: Toddlers +
Content: making friends, relationships, school, first day of school?, princesses
Plot: straightforward yet surprising
Wordiness: Low, direct
Length: Medium-short
Illustrations: really nice! a great mix of accuracy and ease, bright colors and easily readable at a distance
Other: relationships, social formalities, how to make friends

[Sahuna Imran · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series, the books as well as the cartoon and I love Little princess's accent in the cartoon. The illustrations are beautiful, just because she is a princess she doesn't needs to be dolled up the whole time. She is as messy as a child can be.
Its a good book to give example to children that even Princesses don't have friends sometimes, and even they feel lonely.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

At home her brother wouldn’t play with the Little Princess, so she looked forward to making friends at school. At school the children she asked to play didn’t want to play with her either. Then she noticed many other children who didn’t have friends.
The reader will see what friendship looks like, even when it just happens. Great story and illustrations.

[Brittany · Rating 1 out of 5]

This one doesn't deserve the time of a review. Save yourself some time, pick another one.

[Tori · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of this book seemed kind of disorganized but the second half was super cute. It's a great message about being kind to people and making new friends.

[Adam Nickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scarlett aged 6 *****

Poppy aged 4 *****

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple story about making friends on your first day of school. Every kid wants friends, but it's important to be a friend first.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The little princess is headed to school but what will she do when no one wants to play with her. Love this concept and the ending! preschool and up

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story about a girl who goes to school and thinks she is the only one who doesn't have any friends, but then she finds a bunch of other kids who feel the same way.

[Lucas Domingues · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muito fixe o livro

[Olivia Fraser · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's great for beginners and it teaches them how to be kind

[Kimberley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book about a little princess who doesn't have any friends but soon finds others who are in the same position and without realising they All become friends. This book is good for children he'd 5-7 during a PSE circle time discussing issues some children may have with playing and sharing with others. This book is also a now book to have in the book corner for children to read at their leisure.

[Mfoot]

Lu en français
Je veux un ami !

[Bailey Count · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great lesson about not worrying too much about what other people think. Continue to be yourself, and true friends will eventually come along and make school a fun experience.

[Katie Cat Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple book about friendship.

Story: The little princess goes to school and worries who will play with her. When at school all the children cry out how they have no one to play with, despite being surrounded by each other. This puzzle solves itself by the end and the princess has many friends to play with.

Characters: The little princess lives in a castle with the queen for a mother. She wears a crown on her head and is very clear about what she wants. Despite this, she is just like a regular little girl.

Language: Very easy and basic, with few words to each page, many of which repeat throughout the story, and lots of big pictures. This book also came with a QR code which links to an audio reading of the book. This enhanced the reading with a great narrator and the peppy music added to the fun.

A short and fun story. Definite storytime potential.