What do you think?
Rate this book
Who Wants to Be a Princess?: What It Was Really Like to Be a Medieval Princess
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.
32 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 21, 2017
1 person is currently reading
110 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
December 21, 2022
Who Wants to be a Princess? compares the lives of princesses you may see in a storybook such as Cinderella, Snow White, or Sleeping Beauty, to what the life of a princess from the Middle Ages would really be like (around 1100-1300 in what is now Great Britain). Spoiler: storybook princesses are not accurate examples of real life. However, a real medieval princess certainly had it better than the average person, or castle worker, in the Middle Ages. Colorfully illustrated, with just-enough text, this book can appeal to princess fans of all ages. – Diana F.
September 17, 2016
I read an early copy of this book via work, with no obligation to leave a personal review.
This is a fun picture book with side-by-side pages on the imagined life of a fairy tale princess, and the actual life of a real life medieval princess. I'd love to see more books like this on other topics (like what it's really like to be a knight). I just wish it could have been longer and incorporated even more fun facts--but it is a picture book, so it's true that it can't really be much longer.
This is a fun picture book with side-by-side pages on the imagined life of a fairy tale princess, and the actual life of a real life medieval princess. I'd love to see more books like this on other topics (like what it's really like to be a knight). I just wish it could have been longer and incorporated even more fun facts--but it is a picture book, so it's true that it can't really be much longer.
December 5, 2017
With rats, itchy garments and child marriage, this book playfully throws cold water on princess fantasies. Has it successfully convinced my princess-loving daughter? I don't think so, but it's a welcome counterweight to the magical kingdom.
December 21, 2022
Who wants to be a princess? Me! After reading this book, however, I'd rather be a Disney princess than a real princess from medieval times!
September 7, 2021
Fun to read to my 1st grader as we start Middle Ages.
August 17, 2018
A super cute and charming book about the realities of being a medieval princess vs the Disney version!
October 17, 2018
Using the stereotypes of a princess's life in fairy tales the author paints a clear--albeit limited--picture of what a day in the life of a medieval princess would have truly been like.
And the author's note at the end summarized the information well while also emphasizing that things changed over the course of the Middle Ages and that different areas had different experiences.
Overall, a good book to (perhaps) give a modern-day princess wannabe a better idea of what she's really missing out on.
And the author's note at the end summarized the information well while also emphasizing that things changed over the course of the Middle Ages and that different areas had different experiences.
Overall, a good book to (perhaps) give a modern-day princess wannabe a better idea of what she's really missing out on.
August 31, 2018
Cute story, I really liked this idea; loved the typeface; cute drawings. Yup, this was cute and well-done.
October 19, 2017
Heos, Bridget. Who Wants To Be a Princess? What It Was Really Like to Be a Medieval Princess. Illustrated by Migy. Henry Holt and Co, 2017. $16.99. Content: G. PICTURE BOOK.
You may think being a princess is all poufy gowns, tiaras, and handsome princes, but you would be wrong. To illustrate the difference between popular fairytales and what the middle ages were really like for princesses, the author uses two-page spreads—one side the fairytale and the other the reality. For example, on one side, a pretty pink castle and the other side, a grey, fort-like structure with a stinky moat. The author debunks charm school and shows that princesses had tutors who taught them languages. And instead of exciting balls, they mostly embroidered. The author explains that princesses didn’t choose their prince, their parents did. Not only that, but they were married when they were twelve years-old or older.
An Author’s Note and bibliography are included at the end of the book and give further explanation about what it would have been like to be a princess who lived in Great Britain between 1100-1300. Illustrator Migy does an excellent job of contrasting the fairytale illustrations with the more realistic ones. The fairytale illustrations are very pink and very bright. The more real-life illustrations have darker colors and the princess had hillarious expressions. A charming book for any aspiring princess, even if there isn’t a handsome prince.
Pre-K, EL-ESSENTIAL. Samantha Hastings, MA, MLS.
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017...
You may think being a princess is all poufy gowns, tiaras, and handsome princes, but you would be wrong. To illustrate the difference between popular fairytales and what the middle ages were really like for princesses, the author uses two-page spreads—one side the fairytale and the other the reality. For example, on one side, a pretty pink castle and the other side, a grey, fort-like structure with a stinky moat. The author debunks charm school and shows that princesses had tutors who taught them languages. And instead of exciting balls, they mostly embroidered. The author explains that princesses didn’t choose their prince, their parents did. Not only that, but they were married when they were twelve years-old or older.
An Author’s Note and bibliography are included at the end of the book and give further explanation about what it would have been like to be a princess who lived in Great Britain between 1100-1300. Illustrator Migy does an excellent job of contrasting the fairytale illustrations with the more realistic ones. The fairytale illustrations are very pink and very bright. The more real-life illustrations have darker colors and the princess had hillarious expressions. A charming book for any aspiring princess, even if there isn’t a handsome prince.
Pre-K, EL-ESSENTIAL. Samantha Hastings, MA, MLS.
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017...
February 10, 2021
What child doesn't dream of being royalty? Of living in a castle, and going to balls and meeting other royals and falling in love. It's a nice dream, but as history, and this book, show, being royal is not all it's cracked up to be.
Princess Beatrice, our fictional medieval Princess shows us that in this book. It is a side by side comparison of what life was really like in a medieval castle, and the Princess fairy tales everyone grows up with. Medieval life was hard, dark and smelly. No modern comforts, uncomfortable clothes, no lights, dull boring days (if you were a girl) and strange food. Add to that always worrying about being attacked by an army, and life in those times was no fairy tale!
The illustrations were fantastic, they looked almost like animation. Very vibrant colors and they brought the book to life well.
This would be an enjoyable book for any child with royal dreams. Though the life of today's royals is somewhat different, it is still very rigid and controlled. Not, perhaps, the fantasy all children dream about.
Princess Beatrice, our fictional medieval Princess shows us that in this book. It is a side by side comparison of what life was really like in a medieval castle, and the Princess fairy tales everyone grows up with. Medieval life was hard, dark and smelly. No modern comforts, uncomfortable clothes, no lights, dull boring days (if you were a girl) and strange food. Add to that always worrying about being attacked by an army, and life in those times was no fairy tale!
The illustrations were fantastic, they looked almost like animation. Very vibrant colors and they brought the book to life well.
This would be an enjoyable book for any child with royal dreams. Though the life of today's royals is somewhat different, it is still very rigid and controlled. Not, perhaps, the fantasy all children dream about.
August 10, 2019
The text and pictures work together beautifully to help educate a child on what it was really like to be a princess in medieval times. The font is fun and not your typical textbook style font. The illustrations are engaging and beautiful, not like the usual photographs I would consider when thinking about a non-fiction book. The book seems well researched with a bibliography in the back. With the fictional fairy-tale princess always discussed on the left section of the two pages, and the realistic medieval princess always discussed on the right section of the two pages, it helps ensure that children can easily determine which princess is being talked about. All the terms are explained or easy vocabulary is used like potty water and garbage to describe the moat's smell.
May 6, 2017
As an elementary school librarian, I spend a certain amount of time finding princess books for kids. And since this becomes tiresome very quickly, I created a fairy tales shelf and point my princess book loving friends in that direction.
And I love this book! It breaks down traditional ideas of what being a princess is all about -- fancy dresses, going to balls, meeting Princess Charming -- and simply and clearly presents the realities of life as a medieval princess. Recommended for grades 1 - 2.
I bumped this up to 5 stars because the author included a bibliography. Kudos! I'm glad to see nonfiction picture books citing their sources.
And I love this book! It breaks down traditional ideas of what being a princess is all about -- fancy dresses, going to balls, meeting Princess Charming -- and simply and clearly presents the realities of life as a medieval princess. Recommended for grades 1 - 2.
I bumped this up to 5 stars because the author included a bibliography. Kudos! I'm glad to see nonfiction picture books citing their sources.
June 18, 2017
Very nicely done juxtaposition of what many little girls imagine a princess' life was like with the historic middle ages reality. When I first saw the cover I thought it was a Disney movie-related book but I was pleasantly surprised when I read it. Shame on me for jumping to conclusions! The story is fun with plenty of historical information for young readers. The illustrations include lots of interesting details and are quite appealing. An Author's Note provides more factual information and a Bibliography is also included for kids who might want to read more.
June 10, 2017
Aimed squarely at Disney princess-mad girls, this book contrasts images they might have about princesses with what life was really like. Castles were dark and dirty and full of rats, moats were full of sewage and girls married who their parents told them to...at age 12! Most pages will have the pink idealized version (in inks, paint, and digital) on the left side, and the reality on the right. An author's note and a bibliography end the book.
July 17, 2017
Age: Preschool-Kindergarten
Intriguing side-by-side comparison of a fairytale princess versus a historically accurate princess of the Middle Ages. The story is told without belittling an audience that adores Disney princesses while providing a more accurate depiction of a Medieval princess. Historical accuracies like marrying young and living in not-so desirable conditions are presented gently enough so as not to scare the reader.
Intriguing side-by-side comparison of a fairytale princess versus a historically accurate princess of the Middle Ages. The story is told without belittling an audience that adores Disney princesses while providing a more accurate depiction of a Medieval princess. Historical accuracies like marrying young and living in not-so desirable conditions are presented gently enough so as not to scare the reader.
October 12, 2018
The girls are going to the Renaissance Festival this Sunday with their grandparents; so this book was perfect, to help my little princesses, realize what it really felt like to live in the Middle Ages!
They loved the fairy tale aspect of the Middle Ages (on the left hand side of the book) but were not as enthusiastic about living by a smelly moat, having to sleep with four or five other people in a bed, or having to marry at the age of 12. Fancy that! LOL
They loved the fairy tale aspect of the Middle Ages (on the left hand side of the book) but were not as enthusiastic about living by a smelly moat, having to sleep with four or five other people in a bed, or having to marry at the age of 12. Fancy that! LOL
August 26, 2017
This book was different but it was cute. It compares fairytale princesses to real medieval princesses. There are some facts that I would check before reading it to children just to make sure they are accurate and to give more information if the children ask questions but this book is a great way to teach children that books are not always true stories or have accurate information in them.
January 23, 2018
I like this princess book, especially the way it juxtaposes our princess fantasies with a possible princess's reality. This book manages to give the facts about a medieval princess's life without making distasteful the overall dream of being a princess in the first place. It's kind of an homage to princess life, like "Hot Fuzz" is an homage to cop movies; it lovingly pokes fun.
June 28, 2018
When you're a Medieval princess, life isn't quite a fairy tale. There are stinky moats and rats in the castle; there are itchy, wool dresses for everyday and you don't even get to wear your tiara except for really special occasions! And Prince Charming could be someone you don't even know. Yikes! Still want to be a princess?
Includes an author's note and bibliography for further reading.
Includes an author's note and bibliography for further reading.
March 23, 2018
I definitely want to get this for my elementary school library collection. I love how the cover looks like all the other princess books a lot of my students go crazy for, but then this will give them a totally different take on the topic. Brilliant!
June 27, 2018
3.5 stars. This is a funny book about the what life was really like for princesses outside of fairy tales. It would make a great addition on children's shelves to contrast the typical Barbie princess books, and maybe get the kiddos interested in researching history.
October 29, 2018
My students are always asking me for princess books and I can't wait to share this book with them! I hope it will get them to think twice about wanting to become a princess when they grow up. It is a great time to talk about how what we see in movies isn't real
March 31, 2019
This is a fun book to read to children about the difference between fairy tale princesses and what life was really like for princesses during medieval times (living in gray stone castles, learning archery, and being given away in arranged marriages to forge alliances).
December 31, 2020
I really loved this clever picture book that compares the classic "fairy tale" princess to what it would have been like to be a real-life medieval princess! There were several pages that made me laugh out loud. A great introduction to medieval life in a fun book.
September 10, 2021
This was a fun read for my girls and I. We are learning about England and I thought it might be fun to learn about knights, princesses and the such. All from medieval times. This gives them an idea of what it was really like versus the fairy tales we love.
March 24, 2017
An interesting look at the REAL life of a medieval princess, as compared to the fairy tales type we all imagine.
May 6, 2017
Loved this book!
May 31, 2017
An interesting perspective on fantasy vs. realistic medieval princesses. Still a little glazed over, but it is intended for a younger audience.
June 19, 2017
This made me laugh, it was funny and cute.
July 22, 2017
3.5 stars
Finally, a story about REAL medieval princesses! Illustrations aren't amazing, but the content is pretty great.
Finally, a story about REAL medieval princesses! Illustrations aren't amazing, but the content is pretty great.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews