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The Princess Knight
Violetta is a little princess who wants to be as strong and brave as her brothers. And what she lacks in size, she makes up for i determination. At night she slips out into the woods and secretly teaches herself to become the cleverest, most nimble knight in the land. Soon she will be ready for the greatest battle of all - the battle for herself.
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
11 people are currently reading
1838 people want to read
About the author
Cornelia Funke
429 books14.1k followersCornelia Funke is a multiple award-winning German illustrator and storyteller, who writes fantasy for all ages of readers. Amongst her best known books is the Inkheart trilogy. Many of Cornelia's titles are published all over the world and translated into more than 30 languages. She has two children, two birds and a very old dog and lives in Los Angeles, California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 223 reviews
August 7, 2017
Click here to watch a video review of this book on my channel, From Beginning to Bookend.
Princess Violetta’s mother died in childbirth, so the king raised his daughter the same way he raised his three sons: by teaching her sword fighting, horseback riding, and jousting. Violetta’s brothers tease and make fun of her, but she’s determined to be a knight who’s strong and brave. When the king announces a jousting tournament will be held in honor of Violetta’s sixteenth birthday, she dons her armor and sneaks into the tournament, ready to prove herself once and for all.
“Why not ask your father to stop teaching you all this silly fighting and to let you learn something else instead? Embroidery perhaps. Or weaving. Or playing the flute. Something useful.”
But Violetta shook her head.
“No, no, no,” she said. “That would only make my brothers laugh louder.”
So Emma said no more. For she knew the princess was more determined than all three princes put together.
The Princess Knight is a wonderful story of female empowerment and independence. Violetta proves that, while she may not be as strong as her brothers, she’s “three times as clever.” Her success hinges on her willful determination and dedication to years of hard work, but the courage to stand up for herself is what ultimately leads her to a happy ending.
Kerstin Meyer’s quaint illustrations depict Violetta’s ascent from timid girl to bold young woman in subdued watercolors, adding movement and action to this tale of a courageous princess.
The Princess Knight is a wonderful little book that teaches girls they needn’t sit on the sidelines being dainty and demure while the boys have all the fun.
Princess Violetta’s mother died in childbirth, so the king raised his daughter the same way he raised his three sons: by teaching her sword fighting, horseback riding, and jousting. Violetta’s brothers tease and make fun of her, but she’s determined to be a knight who’s strong and brave. When the king announces a jousting tournament will be held in honor of Violetta’s sixteenth birthday, she dons her armor and sneaks into the tournament, ready to prove herself once and for all.
“Why not ask your father to stop teaching you all this silly fighting and to let you learn something else instead? Embroidery perhaps. Or weaving. Or playing the flute. Something useful.”
But Violetta shook her head.
“No, no, no,” she said. “That would only make my brothers laugh louder.”
So Emma said no more. For she knew the princess was more determined than all three princes put together.
The Princess Knight is a wonderful story of female empowerment and independence. Violetta proves that, while she may not be as strong as her brothers, she’s “three times as clever.” Her success hinges on her willful determination and dedication to years of hard work, but the courage to stand up for herself is what ultimately leads her to a happy ending.
Kerstin Meyer’s quaint illustrations depict Violetta’s ascent from timid girl to bold young woman in subdued watercolors, adding movement and action to this tale of a courageous princess.
The Princess Knight is a wonderful little book that teaches girls they needn’t sit on the sidelines being dainty and demure while the boys have all the fun.
May 16, 2023
Originally published in German as Der geheimnisvolle Ritter Namenlos (which can be roughly translated as the mysterious knight no-name), Cornelia Funke's clever tale of a little princess, who, after the death of her mother, is taught by her father the same lessons and knightly pursuits he is teaching his sons, is both entertaining and empowering (and a great story for ALL children, not just little girls).
Violetta is smaller than her brothers, and like many younger siblings, receives her share of teasing, although this really never gets out of hand. The brothers are just acting like typical older brothers, and they are not maliciously cruel, not the type of villainous siblings so often encountered in traditional folk and fairy tales. And because Violetta realises that the manner in which her brothers are being taught their knightly skills just does not suit her, she thus decides to learn these skills on her own (in secret), using her own (successful) strategies. While her brothers become tall and strong, Violetta (although small) becomes nimble and quick; and due to her gentle nature and manner, her father's horses love carrying her on their backs. However, King Wilfred finally realises that Violetta is not one of his knights, but a marriageable princess, and thus decides to hold a jousting tournament for his daughter's hand in marriage (something that Violetta definitely does NOT desire). And although I do majorly despise that the king at first shuts his daughter in the tower when she rebels against his wishes (and so appreciate the fact that her youngest brother offers to win the tournament to prevent her marriage), I would, however, agree with many of my Goodreads friends that while King Wilfred is rather clueless and insensitive, he does indeed finally accept his daughter's decision and clearly does love her dearly. When Violetta returns after a year and a day, the king gives her a horse as black as her armour, and she is allowed marry whom she desires, not who is chosen for her.
I have, unfortunately, not had the opportunity to read the original German version of The Princess Knight (something I do hope to remedy sooner rather than later). Thus, I cannot and will not say all that much with regard to Anthea Bell's translation (how true it is to the original, for example). But as far as the general narrative is concerned, I think that it flows well, is engaging, and also does not feel like a "translation" (in other words, Anthea Bell's words read and feel like an original, well-written text, something that I find both desirable and important, necessary in translated works, especially works of fiction). There is actually only one minor possible bone of contention for me, and that is the title. I personally believe that the English title really gives away a bit too much of the mystery, and I think a title closer to Cornelia Funke's original German title (perhaps something like The Mysterious Knight or The Mysterious Anonymous Knight), might have been a slightly better choice than The Princess Knight, but that is a minor and generally rather unimportant quibble.
Now at first, I did not really enjoy Kerstin Meyer's accompnying illustrations all that much. I was intrigued by the fact that she had used the famous Bayeux Tapestry as inspiration, but as I have never found the former all that aesthetically pleasing, I had a similar first reaction to Kerstin Meyer's illustrations. On reflection though, I do think that the illustrations are, in fact, a perfect complement to the text, to the entire theme of the story. They so perfectly capture the Mediaeval feel of The Princess Knight, the knightly pursuits and lessons, the jousting tournaments. While by themselves, Kerstin Meyer's illustrations would definitely not be personal favourites, in combination with the narrative, with the text, they become magical and fun, whilst also giving an air of delightful historical authenticity.
Violetta is smaller than her brothers, and like many younger siblings, receives her share of teasing, although this really never gets out of hand. The brothers are just acting like typical older brothers, and they are not maliciously cruel, not the type of villainous siblings so often encountered in traditional folk and fairy tales. And because Violetta realises that the manner in which her brothers are being taught their knightly skills just does not suit her, she thus decides to learn these skills on her own (in secret), using her own (successful) strategies. While her brothers become tall and strong, Violetta (although small) becomes nimble and quick; and due to her gentle nature and manner, her father's horses love carrying her on their backs. However, King Wilfred finally realises that Violetta is not one of his knights, but a marriageable princess, and thus decides to hold a jousting tournament for his daughter's hand in marriage (something that Violetta definitely does NOT desire). And although I do majorly despise that the king at first shuts his daughter in the tower when she rebels against his wishes (and so appreciate the fact that her youngest brother offers to win the tournament to prevent her marriage), I would, however, agree with many of my Goodreads friends that while King Wilfred is rather clueless and insensitive, he does indeed finally accept his daughter's decision and clearly does love her dearly. When Violetta returns after a year and a day, the king gives her a horse as black as her armour, and she is allowed marry whom she desires, not who is chosen for her.
I have, unfortunately, not had the opportunity to read the original German version of The Princess Knight (something I do hope to remedy sooner rather than later). Thus, I cannot and will not say all that much with regard to Anthea Bell's translation (how true it is to the original, for example). But as far as the general narrative is concerned, I think that it flows well, is engaging, and also does not feel like a "translation" (in other words, Anthea Bell's words read and feel like an original, well-written text, something that I find both desirable and important, necessary in translated works, especially works of fiction). There is actually only one minor possible bone of contention for me, and that is the title. I personally believe that the English title really gives away a bit too much of the mystery, and I think a title closer to Cornelia Funke's original German title (perhaps something like The Mysterious Knight or The Mysterious Anonymous Knight), might have been a slightly better choice than The Princess Knight, but that is a minor and generally rather unimportant quibble.
Now at first, I did not really enjoy Kerstin Meyer's accompnying illustrations all that much. I was intrigued by the fact that she had used the famous Bayeux Tapestry as inspiration, but as I have never found the former all that aesthetically pleasing, I had a similar first reaction to Kerstin Meyer's illustrations. On reflection though, I do think that the illustrations are, in fact, a perfect complement to the text, to the entire theme of the story. They so perfectly capture the Mediaeval feel of The Princess Knight, the knightly pursuits and lessons, the jousting tournaments. While by themselves, Kerstin Meyer's illustrations would definitely not be personal favourites, in combination with the narrative, with the text, they become magical and fun, whilst also giving an air of delightful historical authenticity.
January 14, 2018
Fine but predictable story about a princess who proves that she is as good a knight as her brothers.
Even more predictably, the story still ends with her .
I found it a little odd that so much was made of her being too weak when the kids start training at age five or so; I had thought there was not much difference in muscle development between boys and girls at that age?
For something in a similar vein, but more fun, I recommend Martin Waddell's "Tough Princess".
Even more predictably, the story still ends with her .
I found it a little odd that so much was made of her being too weak when the kids start training at age five or so; I had thought there was not much difference in muscle development between boys and girls at that age?
For something in a similar vein, but more fun, I recommend Martin Waddell's "Tough Princess".
August 18, 2010
I enjoyed this picture book by renowned author Cornelia Funke. Having read her (perhaps overly long and detailed but still lovely) novel Inkheart, I was curious how her style would translate to picture books.
By and large, I enjoyed the story. There wasn't really anything "special" in the telling (such as really vibrant word choice or a unique author style) but the story itself was definitely fun and captivating. I love that it's a "strong princess" story without trying to fly in the face of all the traditional princess tales out there. Here we have a princess (with three older brothers) whose mother dies when she is born, and whose well-meaning father simply raises her as one of the boys. She is soon a better knight than her brothers. BUT, when her sixteenth birthday approaches, her father seems to realize she is a princess, after all, and tells her that she will be married to the knight who wins a tournament given in her honor. But, the princess doesn't WANT to get married! What is she to do!? The resolution is clever and gives a shout out to "girl power" of wits and muscle, but isn't obnoxious in the delivery.
I wasn't overly fond of the illustrations though I understand they were inspired by a bona fide medieval piece of art--the 11th-century Bayeux Tapestry--so I guess that's kinda cool!
By and large, I enjoyed the story. There wasn't really anything "special" in the telling (such as really vibrant word choice or a unique author style) but the story itself was definitely fun and captivating. I love that it's a "strong princess" story without trying to fly in the face of all the traditional princess tales out there. Here we have a princess (with three older brothers) whose mother dies when she is born, and whose well-meaning father simply raises her as one of the boys. She is soon a better knight than her brothers. BUT, when her sixteenth birthday approaches, her father seems to realize she is a princess, after all, and tells her that she will be married to the knight who wins a tournament given in her honor. But, the princess doesn't WANT to get married! What is she to do!? The resolution is clever and gives a shout out to "girl power" of wits and muscle, but isn't obnoxious in the delivery.
I wasn't overly fond of the illustrations though I understand they were inspired by a bona fide medieval piece of art--the 11th-century Bayeux Tapestry--so I guess that's kinda cool!
March 23, 2011
Loved it! The story is very sweet and very funny. It’s a shame, though, that these gender themed stories are still even necessary, the “girls can do what boys can do” stories. I even checked the date, hoping this was penned in the 1970s or earlier, but no, the original copyright for the story & pictures is 2001.
But, it’s a lovely original fairy tale. The illustrations are amusing and aesthetically pleasing, if taking the context of the story into account. I enjoyed the tale very much also. The ending, even though oh so predictable, is completely satisfying. What I particularly liked was that there are no real villains. The King might be clueless but he means well, the brothers can be obnoxious but not in any outlandishly unrealistic way, and I really liked Violetta very much, and also liked her nursemaid and appreciated the choice she makes: the when and the who. Violetta is determined and a hard worker, kind and smart, and she thinks for herself, all laudable qualities.
I really haven’t been much in the mood for fairy tales, but the Children's Books group’s Picture Books Club’s April theme is “Royalty” and this is one of the six books chosen, so I finally read it, and I’m glad I did. It was one of the many books languishing on my to-read shelf. I can’t read it in German but this English language edition seems to have a fine translation.
But, it’s a lovely original fairy tale. The illustrations are amusing and aesthetically pleasing, if taking the context of the story into account. I enjoyed the tale very much also. The ending, even though oh so predictable, is completely satisfying. What I particularly liked was that there are no real villains. The King might be clueless but he means well, the brothers can be obnoxious but not in any outlandishly unrealistic way, and I really liked Violetta very much, and also liked her nursemaid and appreciated the choice she makes: the when and the who. Violetta is determined and a hard worker, kind and smart, and she thinks for herself, all laudable qualities.
I really haven’t been much in the mood for fairy tales, but the Children's Books group’s Picture Books Club’s April theme is “Royalty” and this is one of the six books chosen, so I finally read it, and I’m glad I did. It was one of the many books languishing on my to-read shelf. I can’t read it in German but this English language edition seems to have a fine translation.
June 15, 2016
I was reading this book for the Children's Book Picture Book Club for the theme of royalty and I was so into this book! “The Princess Knight” is a children's book by Cornelia Funke along with illustrations by Kerstin Meyer and it is about a young woman named Violetta who ends up competing with the other knights to become the best knight in her father's kingdom. “The Princess Knight” is a truly brilliant book that shows women in a strong light that every child will definitely love for many years!
If you think that you have read any fairy tale that has a female knight, then you will definitely enjoy this rare gem that features such a strong and clever female knight! Originally published in Germany and being Cornelia Funke's first picture book to be published in English, “The Princess Knight” is definitely one phenomenal tale that should be well known to children everywhere! Cornelia Funke has done an impressive job at writing this book as it is a cute yet inspiring tale about a young woman's determination to become the best knight her father's kingdom. What I really loved about this book was the main character Violetta as she was truly a clever and strong woman whose determination and independent nature made her a successful character at the end. I loved the way that Violetta handled the situation about being married to one of the knights if they win since she used her cleverness and strength to get out of the situation. Personally, I totally understand how Violetta felt about having her father chose who she should marry because I would have been upset myself at the idea of marrying someone that was based on another person's opinion and not my own. I believe that only you would know who you want to spend the rest of your life with and what to look for in a successful relationship because the other person might choose a spouse that might either hurt you or does not share the same interests as you do. That is not to say that whoever your friends and family chose for you always comes out bad, but once again, only you have the power to say who you want to be with.
The only problem I had with this book were the illustrations by Kerstin Meyer. Now, I still gave this book a five star rating anyway because of the story itself, but the illustrations were just too simplistic and confusing for me to follow. What I mean is that whenever I try to read the story, the illustrations are shown differently from the story and they tend to kind of run ahead of the story that I get confused about what is really happening with the illustrations. Also, the illustrations rarely have any color to the characters and the background rarely have anything to indicate where the characters are positioned at.
Overall, “The Princess Knight” is a truly amazing book that children who love reading about strong heroines will definitely enjoy for many years! I would recommend this book to children ages four and up since there is nothing inappropriate in this story.
Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog
If you think that you have read any fairy tale that has a female knight, then you will definitely enjoy this rare gem that features such a strong and clever female knight! Originally published in Germany and being Cornelia Funke's first picture book to be published in English, “The Princess Knight” is definitely one phenomenal tale that should be well known to children everywhere! Cornelia Funke has done an impressive job at writing this book as it is a cute yet inspiring tale about a young woman's determination to become the best knight her father's kingdom. What I really loved about this book was the main character Violetta as she was truly a clever and strong woman whose determination and independent nature made her a successful character at the end. I loved the way that Violetta handled the situation about being married to one of the knights if they win since she used her cleverness and strength to get out of the situation. Personally, I totally understand how Violetta felt about having her father chose who she should marry because I would have been upset myself at the idea of marrying someone that was based on another person's opinion and not my own. I believe that only you would know who you want to spend the rest of your life with and what to look for in a successful relationship because the other person might choose a spouse that might either hurt you or does not share the same interests as you do. That is not to say that whoever your friends and family chose for you always comes out bad, but once again, only you have the power to say who you want to be with.
The only problem I had with this book were the illustrations by Kerstin Meyer. Now, I still gave this book a five star rating anyway because of the story itself, but the illustrations were just too simplistic and confusing for me to follow. What I mean is that whenever I try to read the story, the illustrations are shown differently from the story and they tend to kind of run ahead of the story that I get confused about what is really happening with the illustrations. Also, the illustrations rarely have any color to the characters and the background rarely have anything to indicate where the characters are positioned at.
Overall, “The Princess Knight” is a truly amazing book that children who love reading about strong heroines will definitely enjoy for many years! I would recommend this book to children ages four and up since there is nothing inappropriate in this story.
Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog
September 2, 2019
Cornelia Funke, the German children's author whose fantasy novels, from
The Thief Lord
to
Inkheart
, are so beloved, has also produced a number of picture-books, amongst them this sweet fractured fairy-tale, originally published as Der geheimnisvolle Ritter Namenlos (literally translated as "The Mysterious Rider, Nameless"). Raised to pursue all the past-times of her brothers, Princess Violetta - the youngest child and only daughter of King Wilfred - perseveres despite her smaller size, and becomes an accomplished equestrian, sword-fighter and jouster. When her father announces, the day before her sixteenth birthday, that her hand in marriage will be given to the winner of a tournament, the spirited young princess decides that there is only one thing to do...
An entertaining tale with a wonderful can-do attitude, The Princess Knight manages to convey the idea that girls are just as capable as boys - sadly, a message that is still needed in our society - without descending into any kind of overt didacticism, or demonizing the masculine. I liked the fact that King Wilfred is a little clueless, and a LOT insensitive, when it comes to setting up the tournament, but accepts Violetta's decision, in the end, and still loves her. I also liked that Violetta's brothers tease her as a girl, but are also sympathetic (the scene where her brother tries to comfort her, in her tower room, is so sweet!) to her desires. All in all, a charming tale, and a nice contrast to those fairy-tales which feature princesses who are rescued, or won by the hero. Not necessarily a replacement for these more traditional tales, but a lovely accompaniment - another choice to add the shelf! How fitting, as choice is what it's all about...
An entertaining tale with a wonderful can-do attitude, The Princess Knight manages to convey the idea that girls are just as capable as boys - sadly, a message that is still needed in our society - without descending into any kind of overt didacticism, or demonizing the masculine. I liked the fact that King Wilfred is a little clueless, and a LOT insensitive, when it comes to setting up the tournament, but accepts Violetta's decision, in the end, and still loves her. I also liked that Violetta's brothers tease her as a girl, but are also sympathetic (the scene where her brother tries to comfort her, in her tower room, is so sweet!) to her desires. All in all, a charming tale, and a nice contrast to those fairy-tales which feature princesses who are rescued, or won by the hero. Not necessarily a replacement for these more traditional tales, but a lovely accompaniment - another choice to add the shelf! How fitting, as choice is what it's all about...
April 6, 2011
The Princess Knight is a good read for any child and especially a little girl. It shows that girls can do anything that a boy can do. In the case of the little princess, she has the skill to do even better than her brothers and other knights. When the princess was a baby her mother died and the king raised her the only way he knew how, which was to raise her as he had her brothers. The princess was much smaller than her brothers and they often teased her. She trained secretly herself and became extremely good.
One day her father announces there will be a tournament with all the best knights. The prize would be that the winner would marry the princess. Well the princess did not like that one bit, so she decides to take the matter into her own hands.
I wasn't too excited about the illustrations. On a few pages I got confused with the text flow and I wasn't sure if i was supposed to follow to the next page or follow straight down.
I liked the sensitivity of her brothers. They reminded me of my own brothers always teasing, but always there for you if you need them. All in all, a charming tale.
This was a monthly picture book club read. The theme this month was Royalty.
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/5...
One day her father announces there will be a tournament with all the best knights. The prize would be that the winner would marry the princess. Well the princess did not like that one bit, so she decides to take the matter into her own hands.
I wasn't too excited about the illustrations. On a few pages I got confused with the text flow and I wasn't sure if i was supposed to follow to the next page or follow straight down.
I liked the sensitivity of her brothers. They reminded me of my own brothers always teasing, but always there for you if you need them. All in all, a charming tale.
This was a monthly picture book club read. The theme this month was Royalty.
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/5...
January 3, 2020
I dislike U GO GIRL message fiction. This wasn't an exception, though perhaps it was a bit less bad than most of the genre. DD#1 (age 5) seemed to enjoy it, though, so it gets a reluctant 3.
February 2, 2011
A very cute story of a little princess who is raised to to do all the things that her brothers do like jousting, horseback riding and sword fighting. Violetta is however teased by her brothers because she is smaller and not as strong as they are. She is determined to get better thus sneaks out of the castle each night to practice. In no time, Violetta is jousting and fighting better than her brothers and they begin to tease her less and less. On Violetta's sixteenth birthday her father announces that he is having a jousting tournament and the prize for the victor is her hand in marriage. Violetta is once again determined to prove to her family that she is the best jouster and does. What I like is the determination and strength portrayed in Violetta to work hard and improve her riding and jousting and not let her brothers teasing get in her way. I also liked the cover art with Violetta wearing black armor and riding on her horse, very unlike a princess but gives one the impression that girls can do anything that they want to do.
March 28, 2011
I actually ended up quite enjoying this book!
I'm always a little hesitant that 'strong female character books' will end up being, not so much that, as 'lazy-stupid-classless male books.'
Thankfully (even though there was indeed some of that in this book) I felt our princess held her own and made herself a protagonist from her own hard work and dedication.
Yes, I would have liked for there to be at least one prince or knight that wasn't so stereotypical, but other than that I didn't really have too many qualms with the story.
I liked that the princess uses her "weaknesses" to her advantage and that she hones her one skills and makes her own choices.
Recommended!
I'm always a little hesitant that 'strong female character books' will end up being, not so much that, as 'lazy-stupid-classless male books.'
Thankfully (even though there was indeed some of that in this book) I felt our princess held her own and made herself a protagonist from her own hard work and dedication.
Yes, I would have liked for there to be at least one prince or knight that wasn't so stereotypical, but other than that I didn't really have too many qualms with the story.
I liked that the princess uses her "weaknesses" to her advantage and that she hones her one skills and makes her own choices.
Recommended!
August 3, 2021
A princess is trained to fight alongside her brothers, yet when she reaches age 16, her father offers her up as the prize in a jousting tournament. What's a girl to do but enter the tournament herself . . .
This was okay, though I would have preferred a less traditional ending.
This was okay, though I would have preferred a less traditional ending.
March 28, 2018
I feel like this was probably a really nice break from the norm with a girl breaking gender stereotypes when it was released back in 2001, but now, there is just so much better stuff out there. It felt dated, including in the illustrations, especially with the note at the end that, hey, don’t worry - the princess still gets married. This was okay, but not one I would recommend either as a picture book about gender nonconformity or powerful female role models.
April 10, 2011
This is a terrific tale about a princess who learns to keep up and even beat the boys, in her own way. She is not as strong or as loud, but she is hard working and determined to be good at what she does. She doesn't come by her talent too easily - there is an illustration of the poor girl's bruises being tended to by her nursemaid. She is persistent, though, and in the end it pays off. We really enjoyed this story and we loved the ending. The illustrations are wonderful and I love that features such a strong female character.
This book was selected as one of the April 2011 Royalty themed reads for the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Book group here at Goodreads.
This book was selected as one of the April 2011 Royalty themed reads for the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Book group here at Goodreads.
July 17, 2014
Well done. Love that canny princess and her rose shield. Funke writes great fairy tales, we all love Igraine the Brave as well. The author blurb (I was looking to see how to pronounce "Funke". Is it "funk-ee" I wonder? that's what we call her at my house because we have a very low threshold for amusing ourselves) describes her as the "German J. K. Rowling", which I can see, but then it got me think how awesome it would be if Rowling also wrote marvelous fairy tales for younger kids.
January 30, 2017
Sweet and well-written with lovely line art. Ink and watercolor tells the story in simple detail. The story might be slightly wordy but is reminiscent of traditional German fairy tales. Very typical of this author. Strong message of a girl who must overcome ridicule and prejudice by hard work and resourcefulness. Main character chooses her own path. The beginning is funny when the king teaches his boys noisy things. The end breaks from tradition.
November 18, 2007
Another feisty, brave female!
February 20, 2011
The king is holding a tournament, and the winner will marry Princess Violetta. But if she wins the tournament herself, she won't have to get married, right?
July 6, 2019
Violetta's three older brothers tease her because she is terrible at jousting and sword fighting. So she slips out of the castle each night for extra practice, until she becomes a formidable knight. On her sixteenth birthday, her father the king holds a jousting tournament and offers his daughter's hand in marriage as the first prize. Violetta dresses her nursemaid as herself and dons her armor. She wins the tournament, reveals herself to her father, and declares that she will choose her own husband when she is ready. Strong message of girl power. Also, intelligence triumphs over brute strength.
Read
December 3, 2019text to self
The Princess Knight reminded me so much of my early childhood years. The fact that her father taught her the same things as the boys really described my Dad. I was the first female grandchild in my fathers family. Being the only girl with all my male cousins I was always the tomboy. I was taught to do the same things as all the boys. We played football, baseball and all the other things young boys like to do. Even though I am grown now I still am not real girly. I don't wear makeup often and still enjoy playing ball with all the guys.
The Princess Knight reminded me so much of my early childhood years. The fact that her father taught her the same things as the boys really described my Dad. I was the first female grandchild in my fathers family. Being the only girl with all my male cousins I was always the tomboy. I was taught to do the same things as all the boys. We played football, baseball and all the other things young boys like to do. Even though I am grown now I still am not real girly. I don't wear makeup often and still enjoy playing ball with all the guys.
October 23, 2021
This book highlights the character trait of Grit. The story within the story is when Violetta trains on her own to become a knight. The illustrations use the concept of line to show her progression within her self directed training. This small brave girl shows that gender should not be a boundary. Her bravery, tenacity and cleverness is a delight!
October 14, 2014
Queen Violetta passed when she gave birth to her daughter who would also be named Violetta. Unsure of how to raise a daughter, King Wilfred decides to raise her just as she raised her three older brothers. Initially, due to her size, she faced difficulty in jousting, but perseverance and practice led Violetta to be one of the best jousters around. Much to her disdain, her father decides to hold a jousting tournament once she's sixteen; the winner gets her hand in marriage. Dressing up as a male knight, she wins the tournament and proclaims that she doesn't want to be married yet; she wants independence.
I enjoyed Violetta's character; she really broke past the gender role that's placed upon most princesses and the fact that she had to practice so much and wasn't a naturally skilled jouster made her more realistic to the reader. The story has a great message and would be interesting to children. There isn't any diversity in the book, but the illustrations will keep the children's interest. It addresses gender roles while combating these roles through the fantasy genre successfully. I'm not sure if mentioning that she got married in the end added anything to the story, but I would still choose to read this book to me students over one about a more 'traditional' princess any day. Despite being of the fantasy genre, it provides realistic elements through Violetta's struggles, the death of her mother, etc. and this makes it all the more appropriate to read to elementary school students.
I enjoyed Violetta's character; she really broke past the gender role that's placed upon most princesses and the fact that she had to practice so much and wasn't a naturally skilled jouster made her more realistic to the reader. The story has a great message and would be interesting to children. There isn't any diversity in the book, but the illustrations will keep the children's interest. It addresses gender roles while combating these roles through the fantasy genre successfully. I'm not sure if mentioning that she got married in the end added anything to the story, but I would still choose to read this book to me students over one about a more 'traditional' princess any day. Despite being of the fantasy genre, it provides realistic elements through Violetta's struggles, the death of her mother, etc. and this makes it all the more appropriate to read to elementary school students.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2016
Princesses can be knights, too.
It's cute. Definitely a good message of female empowerment. I'm not sure it would resonate well with boys who read it because of that, but it's more of an answer to traditional fairy tales. It's not saying girls are better than boys, it's just saying that girls shouldn't be treated as property.
A king has three sons, who he wants to be better at fighting and jousting than his knights. He has a daughter, but the queen dies in childbirth, so he raises the daughter the same way as his sons. She's not very good at it, because she's so small, so her brothers make fun of her. She sneaks out at night and teaches herself in secret. Though she's not strong like her brothers, she's small and nimble. She's clever about fighting, and nice to the animals instead of ordering them around. The king says, "I'm going to have a jousting tournament because you're turning sixteen. And the prize is going to be your hand in marriage." She gets mad, and he locks her in the tower for a day, and then she comes out and is like, "Okay, fine." And she has her nursemaid dress up as her and enters the tournament and wins, and then her father is speechless. She says, "Nobody can win my hand in marriage." And then she leaves for a year and a day, and then when she comes back her father has accepted the whole thing, gives her a horse, and as an afterthought it says she married the rose gardener's son and lived happily ever after.
For more children's book reviews, see my website at http://www.drttmk.com.
It's cute. Definitely a good message of female empowerment. I'm not sure it would resonate well with boys who read it because of that, but it's more of an answer to traditional fairy tales. It's not saying girls are better than boys, it's just saying that girls shouldn't be treated as property.
A king has three sons, who he wants to be better at fighting and jousting than his knights. He has a daughter, but the queen dies in childbirth, so he raises the daughter the same way as his sons. She's not very good at it, because she's so small, so her brothers make fun of her. She sneaks out at night and teaches herself in secret. Though she's not strong like her brothers, she's small and nimble. She's clever about fighting, and nice to the animals instead of ordering them around. The king says, "I'm going to have a jousting tournament because you're turning sixteen. And the prize is going to be your hand in marriage." She gets mad, and he locks her in the tower for a day, and then she comes out and is like, "Okay, fine." And she has her nursemaid dress up as her and enters the tournament and wins, and then her father is speechless. She says, "Nobody can win my hand in marriage." And then she leaves for a year and a day, and then when she comes back her father has accepted the whole thing, gives her a horse, and as an afterthought it says she married the rose gardener's son and lived happily ever after.
For more children's book reviews, see my website at http://www.drttmk.com.
March 24, 2012
When Princess Violetta was born her mother died. Her father didn’t know what to do, so he raised Violetta just like her 3 older brothers. At first her brothers laughed at her because she was too small to lift a sword and fell off her horse. But Violetta was determined and every night she snuck out of the castle and practiced until she was better than her brothers. On her 16th birthday the king decides to hold a jousting tournament and the champion knight will win the princesses hand in marriage. When she can’t persuade her father to stop the tournament, Violetta disguises herself as Sir No-Name and wins the tournament herself. She chooses to find her own way in the world and many years later she finally decides to marry the rose gardener’s son and they lived happily ever after.
Meyer’s illustrations were inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry, which tells the story of William the Conqueror and Harold, Earl of West Essex in 1066. In addition, the illustrations and text are laid out in a variety of ways throughout the book, which helps to keep the readers attention as this story is a bit long. Despite the length, the text moves the story along quickly with lots of dialogue and action.
Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2...
Meyer’s illustrations were inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry, which tells the story of William the Conqueror and Harold, Earl of West Essex in 1066. In addition, the illustrations and text are laid out in a variety of ways throughout the book, which helps to keep the readers attention as this story is a bit long. Despite the length, the text moves the story along quickly with lots of dialogue and action.
Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2...
October 9, 2008
Genre: Picture Book
Audience: K-6
Reading Level: Late Early/Transitional Readers
Curricular Uses: Read-Aloud, Independent Reading
Topic: Princesses
Theme: A princess can be as strong as a male, reversing the theme that princesses must be rescued by princes
Literary Elements: Dialogue, fairy tale language (and she lived happily ever after), humor
Illustrations: The illustrations are not as bright and exciting as they could be, and they do not reinforce the text as much as they could.
Additional Comments: I think that early readers may have difficulty with this book because the illustrations do not offer as much help to the reader as they could. This is definitely a book I would use in my classroom to have the students think about how the Princess Knight is portrayed differently than other princess from well-known fairy tale stories. I think the students will really enjoy this book and find it very humorous!
Audience: K-6
Reading Level: Late Early/Transitional Readers
Curricular Uses: Read-Aloud, Independent Reading
Topic: Princesses
Theme: A princess can be as strong as a male, reversing the theme that princesses must be rescued by princes
Literary Elements: Dialogue, fairy tale language (and she lived happily ever after), humor
Illustrations: The illustrations are not as bright and exciting as they could be, and they do not reinforce the text as much as they could.
Additional Comments: I think that early readers may have difficulty with this book because the illustrations do not offer as much help to the reader as they could. This is definitely a book I would use in my classroom to have the students think about how the Princess Knight is portrayed differently than other princess from well-known fairy tale stories. I think the students will really enjoy this book and find it very humorous!
May 20, 2010
This is a cute story about a king who had a lot of sons, but only one daughter. The queen passed away when the princess was only a baby so she was left to be raised by the king who decided her upbringing would be no different than her brothers.
The little princess in this story shows our children that they can achieve whatever goal they desire with a lot of hard work and determination, to not let others bully them into not believing in themself, and that all that hard work might pay off in a big way someday.
This book would probably make a really great movie for the whole family with a little tweaking, so yes we did enjoy it. The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five is because the illustrations were not heavily detailed. My kids love colorful pictures and this book was really short on that, great story though.
The little princess in this story shows our children that they can achieve whatever goal they desire with a lot of hard work and determination, to not let others bully them into not believing in themself, and that all that hard work might pay off in a big way someday.
This book would probably make a really great movie for the whole family with a little tweaking, so yes we did enjoy it. The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five is because the illustrations were not heavily detailed. My kids love colorful pictures and this book was really short on that, great story though.
August 31, 2011
The king has three sons and has raised them how his father raised him. But the queen has another child, a daughter this time, and the queen passed away after giving birth.
The little princess was named Violetta and with the queen being gone, her father was left to raise her and he raised the same way he raised his sons - to be great knights.
But Violetta's brothers pick on her for being so small, for not being able to ride well or walk around in armor.
But she doesn't give up. She is determined to become great, even better than her brothers.
This was a really cute book. Violetta was a clever princess and I liked her. This is a nice book for children.
The little princess was named Violetta and with the queen being gone, her father was left to raise her and he raised the same way he raised his sons - to be great knights.
But Violetta's brothers pick on her for being so small, for not being able to ride well or walk around in armor.
But she doesn't give up. She is determined to become great, even better than her brothers.
This was a really cute book. Violetta was a clever princess and I liked her. This is a nice book for children.
October 16, 2016
This delightful children's book is an excellent example of fairy tale setting literature that focuses on female empowerment. As an elementary educator, I'm constantly trying to find literature that embraces diversity and highlights resilient characters. Violet, the princess in our story, faces challenges and an education that is traditionally male focused. Through her journey, she is able to come into her own and make decisions that impact her life. Rather than being told what to do, she bucks the norm and declares herself the hero of her story. This is a story that I can see all students loving - especially the girls!
August 20, 2009
Reading this book put a smile on my face. I loved how the princess took her future into her own hands and showed that she was a strong person who could make decisions for herself. She proved to be quite capable of making up her own mind. I especially loved the ending, it was a sweet and simple. I would recommend.
*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2009...
*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2009...
January 8, 2009
A book that would have been on my daughter's shelves when she was little had it been around. I especially liked how she learned to improve her skills by teaching herself how to do things her way - and changed her situation through action. A nice offering for girls when the market seems to be flooded with pink and purple fancies and frills.
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