Power to the Princess: 15 Favorite Fairytales Retold with Girl Power

by Vita Murrow, Julia Bereciartu (Illustrator)

What if princesses didn’t always marry Prince Charming and live happily ever after? In this stunning anthology—elegantly presented in a red, clothbound hard cover with gold-toned metallic debossing—15 favorite fairytales have been retold for a new generation. These princesses are smart, funny, and kind, and can do anything they set their minds to.

Focused on issues including self-image, confidence, LGBTQ, friendship, advocacy, and disability, these stories are perfect for sharing between parents and children, or for older princesses or princes to read by themselves. They teach that a princess is a person who seeks to help others, is open to learning new things, and looks for ways to add purpose to their lives and the lives of those around them.

Get reacquainted with these powerful princesses:

Snow White—champion of real beauty
Sleeping Beauty—specialist on sleeping disorders
Thumbelina—music producer and advocate
Rapunzel—world-famous architect
Belle the Brave—undercover agent
Elisabeth and the Wild Swans—fashion designer
Cinderella—prime minster and businesswoman
Star and the 12 Dancers—dancer
The Goose Girl—stand-up comedian
Princess Sevinah (and the Pea)—founder of the Fairyland Dating Service
The Snow Queen—winter sports coach
The Little Mermaid—advocate for peace between mer-people and humans
Zade—storyteller (of 1001 tales) and businesswoman
Evangeline (The Frog Princess)—natural historian
Little Red Riding Hood—environmentalist and Princess of the Wolves

Power to the princess!

Genres: Fantasy, Retellings, Fairy Tales, Childrens, Middle Grade, Feminism, Fiction

96 pages, Hardcover

First published September 6, 2018

About the author

Vita Murrow is currently director of the Greater Boston Jewish Coalition for Literacy at the Jewish Community Relations Council. She has worked as a teacher, an educational consultant, and in the films department at the Sesame Workshop. She is also a motion media artist and filmmaker.

Reviews

[PattyMacDotComma · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5★
The stars are for the idea and the tone. These are cheekily retold fairy tales, modernised with can-do, kick-you-know-what girls who get out there and mix it with the best. There are some princes, and pals and fairy godmothers. That part is fun.

The Disney-fication of it is sacrilege! Sleeping Beauty and the prince were not Aurora and Filipp in my childhood. Please let's get kids to read real fairy tales and mythology. When they get to Thor some fine day, I don't want them to think that's Chris Hemsworth! And don't get me started on Belle the Brave, whoever she is. (Yes, I do actually know, more's the pity.)

I have read a preview copy, so I'd like to think somebody will have corrected the grammar and punctuation by now, but I don't really hold out a lot of hope. There are commas missing and commas stuck in for no apparent reason.

BUT BUT BUT - I love the idea! The illustrations are okay and getting the Little Mermaid to help invent something to clean the ocean is all very environmentally sound, too. Oh, and converting the Cloud Fairy (the name of the one who cast a spell on Sleeping Beauty) was interesting. Sleeping Beauty has been punished for being "different", and people are so sympathetic to her plight (fast asleep), that the Cloud Fairy bravely walks into the light, sees it ('sees the light', so to speak), and reforms.

These excerpts are fun and representative, although I hope I picked ones without too many editing problems. (You'll see pouring/poring.). The first is from the Snow White story about why the Queen starts looking in the mirror.

"One day, the king set off on a worldwide tour to care for soldiers wounded in battle. With the king away, the Queen took over all royal duties and public appearances. This included arts events, hospital openings, speaking engagements, ribbon cuttings, parades, races, charitable work, photoshoots, state dinners - the works. At first it was fun. The Queen dressed up and visited with interesting folk. Pictures and stories about her graced the covers of all the papers.

However, as time went on, the Queen realized people were more interested in what she looked like than what she did. Headlines included, 'Best Dressed List: is Our Queen On It?' and the rather more unkind 'The Queen’s Dress Disaster: what was she thinking?' Eventually, the time the Queen once spent preparing speeches, she instead spent pouring over magazines that compared her with glamorous queens from all over the world. The time the Queen once spent researching key causes, she instead used to sample lotions and potions with labels that read, Ageless Serum, and Wrinkle Evaporator, Skin Perfecto and Blemish Blaster."

She is inevitably upstaged by her popular young daughter, Neve, who has lots of good ideas, not just good looks. In fact, her daughter's hair turned white, and the Queen hoped that would diminish her popularity, but instead she's embraced her Snow White look, and they all love her!

The Queen seeing the latest fan magazine with Snow White on the cover.

Cute idea? Yes, of course. All of the permutations of the old stories are clever as well as earnest in their messages to do good in the world. Kids won't mind that.

The following is from The Little Mermaid, who wants to clean up the mess which is our oceans.

Note the junk on the ocean floor.

"When Marisha was nearly a grown up, her Grandmother told her how long ago, every Mer-Person before their sixteenth birthday was permitted to visit the land above. There they could share ideas, trade goods and learn about the human world. Marisha knew at once that this was what she wanted for her birthday. A reinstatement of the old ways! She was confident if she knew what the world up there looked like, how it worked, she could come up with a clean ocean plan.

On the morning of her birthday she tidied her cropped do, smoothed her jacket, and went to her father to appeal to him to visit the land above."

See? Lots of fun to read, but I wish some thoughtful editor had taken it under their wing and made it as great as it could have been.

Thanks to NetGalley and QuartoKnows Publishers for the preview copy from which I've taken the excerpts.

[Shai · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I've requested for the reading copy of this book, I thought it was only a compilation of all the fairy tale princesses. I was astonished at how the author, Vita Weinstein Murrow, has done amazing adaptations to 15 female characters in children's stories.

I love how remarkable some of these stories that were tweaked by Murrow, such as Little Red Riding Hood, and Zade and the 1,001 Ideas. Other famous folk-tale characters in this book are Cinderella who later became an entrepreneur and a leader who seeks equal rights in service and justice; Snow White who reminds us that there's no such thing as perfect; Thumbelina who teaches about following your heart and not just what everyone wants you to be; and The Little Mermaid which mentions about environment issue and prejudice.

The illustrations included were all nice and colorful that makes reading pleasant and worthwhile. Lastly, each story offers a wide range of topics and lessons that will be loved by readers of all ages. It is very easy to give this a five perfect star and I will highly recommend to anyone.

[April (Aprilius Maximus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is freaking incredible and definitely something that I'm going to keep to read to my children! It's so diverse and wonderful!

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Power to the Princess has a fantastic premise! I'm always looking for new strong female characters, so I was really looking forward to reading about "These fifteen girls are smart, funny, and kind, and can do anything they set their minds to. Power to the princess!"

Unfortunately, the stories in this book did not really live up to the promised premise. Although they were all more modern, and most shunned traditional gender roles, with the exception of Sesi (The Snow Queen, who had a magically-induced fault) all the princess were pretty much the same character, and they all might as well have been named Mary Sue.

Oddly, considering the heroines were all so similar, the treatments for each tale were not handled in a consistent way. Some of the stories followed the originals fairly closely, but others had almost nothing but the princesses' names in common with the original. I would have preferred to see the original moral of each story be re-examined and restructured to reflect modern life.

I also struggled to understand exactly which age group this book was meant to reach. Much of the vocabulary seemed too advanced for a first chapter book, but the plots were all much too basic for even an average middle grader. On the other hand, I found some parts amusing, but I suspect those jokes would be lost on anyone under the age of 25 or so; likewise some of the messages to be learned were quite advanced.

Considered as a collection of short stories about girls, this is an ok way to spend a bit of time reading. I found the illustrations to be cute enough, and the stories weren't horrible. But if you're seeking a powerful re-telling of the classic fairy tales, I would pass on this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - Frances Lincoln Childrens for providing me with a free electronic ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Magrat Ajostiernos · Rating 3 out of 5]

¡Perfecto para los pequeños de la casa! Revisita los cuentos clásicos pero en su versión Disney, cambiando el contexto, actualizándolos, siendo más inclusivos... Quizás no aprovecha todo el potencial de la idea, pero creo que consigue ser una combinación perfecta con la lectura de los cuentos clásicos (o el visionado de películas).
La edición es una pasada y las ilustraciones de Julia Bereciartu geniales :)

[Yesha- Books Teacup and Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

*** NOTE: I RECEIVED E-ARC OF THIS BOOK VIA NETGALLEY, IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW. MANY THANKS TO PUBLISHER, AUTHOR, AND NETGALLEY. ***

Beginning was great where author writes about idea of the book in creative way. At Noble Monarch Jubilee, a conference for the leaders from Fairy Tales where author meets princesses featured in this book who are tired of being recognized as marrying princes, wearing glass shoes and happily ever after ending. They want themselves to be recognized as they really are and so author writes their real stories in the book.

This book has one of the most beautiful table of content I ever seen in any picture book.

Oh, I loved the voice and tone in the stories. It was kid friendly, modern, and so enchanting. Princesses of the book were powerful in the real meaning. They were courageous, thinking about the greater good , some flawed who learned eventually, some had inner beauty, and they found their calling and worked to make fairyland kingdom better for all living creatures. They were police, leader and advocate, architect, business woman, sport organizer and coach, fashion designer, award- winning actress, dancer, musician, environmentalist, zoologist, beautician, running dating service, and partner in biggest enterprise of empire. Cool huh?

The book was full of inspiration and plethora of talents. I wonder after reading this book kids would have many career options to ponder on! 😉 Jokes apart, this book will truly inspire kids to find their own talent and motivate them to achieve their dreams. This book teaches good lessons without any scary villains, cruelty and any killings.

Some stories had most of the resemblance to the original tales and some were different or had very less resemblance. But what I liked about stories that that followed original tale, was the way author diverted them into something different with uniqueness that I first haven’t imagined possible. Illustrations were so wonderful. They kept all small details in mind. I could see diversities, disabled in wheelchair, inventions, different cultures, and modern clothing. Both author and illustrator truly woven these fairy tales for young readers of 21st century.

My personal favorite stories were-

Belle The Brave– it was retelling of Beauty and the Beast, in which few of the things were same as old story but the rest was very different. It talked about bravery and justice and Belle’s ability to see good in everything. Coolest thing was there wasn’t any villain, except one and I bet you won’t be able to guess who. Climax and end was great.

The Little Mermaid– This was cool. Our little mermaid, Marisha, wears tuxedo in this story. For a change, Marisha didn’t went up to surface for prince or marries a prince. She had a great leadership ability. I liked the focus of the story on waste disposal and its effect on environment and recycling.

Rapunzel– Now I loved that princesses and villain worked together. It doesn’t make story that thrilling but so lovely. Gothel was such a great character in the book. She was nice, smart, and soft hearted. Rapunzel and Gothel together made a great team. I loved the way story turned out.

Cinderella– For change, Ella quits working for mother and her two daughter in this tale which perked my interest to see how this story was going to turn out. It was very different from all retelling of Cinderella. I loved the way Ella started her business and sought to run it fairly and successfully, and loved the efforts she put to seek justice for workers. End was truly inspiring for young readers.

Zade and the 1001 Ideas – Totally different story! “Not all the princesses are born into royal leadership. Some climb up and claim it for themselves.” I loved this first line of the story. Zade’s tactics in this story to prevent Sultan from firing her was really great. This story truly told how well read and learned person can achieve their dreams with the knowledge. It was overall good story with loads of inventions that kids would love to read.

Little Red Riding Hood– I loved the way story retold by focusing on more important topics like forestry, environment conservations, care for wild animals, understanding their needs and make the environment safe to live for both humans and animals rather than scaring kids of woods and wolves. It was inspiring.

Sleeping Beauty– This had another great message about accepting the differences, being yourself and embrace the traits that make you different from others. I loved the way Aurora worked on her sleeping disorder not to remove curse but to live with it and spreading her learnings on sleeping disorder and the way people inspired from Aurora’s work.

Evangeline and the Frog Prince– This story was about not judging anyone or anything by looks, acquiring knowledge on various animals and discover new species. It was great to read how clumsy Evan found her interest and talents in animals. Oh, I’m extremely glad she didn’t have to kiss a frog in this retelling. 😉

why not 5 stars-
I would have liked it even more if there was moral message quite visible like original stories along with these talents. In some stories I can see princesses working on their talents but no moral messages behind the story like it had with Little Red Riding Hood, The Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, and Evangeline and the Frog Prince.
But of course, it was worth reading.

Overall, I just loved this retelling loaded with talents, inspiration, and beautiful illustrations. I definitely recommend this to all young readers.

[Leni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rotkäppchen hat mir noch am besten gefallen, aber alles in allem hat mich einiges gestört
•
Ich liebe Märchen. Ich liebe es das sie zeigen, auch wenn alles düster ist kann es wieder gut werden. Beim Lesen des Klappentextes von Power to the Princess hatte ich gedacht, dass die original Märchen genommen werden und ihnen ein feministischer touch gegeben wird. Das war auch der Fall aber leider wurde bei fast allen Märchen die Handlung komplett verändert so das es kaum noch an die original Märchen erinnert.
Die Märchen wurden nicht nur "feministischer" gemacht sondern auch deutlich moderner. Sie spielten zwar immer noch zu einer Zeit in der es Könige und Königinnen gab, aber gleichzeitig gab es sowas wie eine Polizei oder Architekten die moderne Häuser gebaut haben.
Die Märchen in diesem Buch haben nicht mehr das vermittelt was Märchen eigentlich vermitteln, sondern es ging viel mehr darum mehr auf seine Umwelt zu achten oder keine Verschmutzung mehr anzurichten.
Außerdem gab es in diesem Buch nicht einen richtigen Bösewicht. Die Leute haben immer von selber erkannt was sie falsch gemacht haben und haben sich von alleine mit der Prinzessin vertragen. Das ist an sich nichts schlechtes, aber meiner Meinung nach geht es in Märchen auch darum Kindern beizubringen, dass nicht alle Menschen nett sind und es auch böse Leute gibt. So lernt man aufzupassen und nicht jedem Blind zu vertrauen.
•
Alles in allem kann ich sagen, dass ich dieses Buch nicht schlecht fand, aber ich es Kindern nicht vorlesen würde. Die richtigen Märchen sind meiner Meinung besser und für die anderen wichtigen Aspekte die dieses Buch vertritt gibt es ganz viele andere tolle Kinderbücher die man vorlesen kann ohne die Bedeutung von Märchen zu nehmen.
Von mir gab es 3/5⭐️

[Noura Khalid (theperksofbeingnoura) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ive always loved fairy tales and princess stories so I got super excited when I saw this book was available! The stories were modern but kept a tiny bit of the fairy tale touch. Some were closer to the original fairy tales and some were completely different. There were a few that I liked like Belle. It was a lot shorter than I expected pretty good nonetheless. Might not be a favorite but it's worth a read.

|| Blog || Instagram ||

[Christina Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once upon a time, in a sunny French province, lived a girl called Belle. Belle the Brave to be precise, because Belle was fearless.

Had to read this as soon as I saw it because I love fairy tales!
Many traditional tales can seem problematic when viewed through modern eyes, especially with gender roles, over-reliance on physical appearance as a reflection of character and attitudes to difference. There has been a recent trend towards re-imaginings of fairy tales with a feminist twist and this collection looks to recast fairytale princesses as mistresses of their own destiny!
First impressions: I like the style of the cover which looks like something you would find on a traditionally-bound collection of folktales. The interior illustrations by Julia Bereciartu are colourful and both bear homage to older illustrations while subverting them in playful ways. Vita Weinstein Murrow's language is very modern, almost jarringly so at times, with characters referring to trade unions and scientific research and the tone is quite conversational, as many people would speak and is therefore quite accessible for younger readers, despite perhaps not being what you would expect in a fairy tale.
I really liked the greater diversity shown in names, illustrations and relationships, all of which serve to modernise some of these old tales. In particular, I liked some of the challenges of gender roles with, for example, Prens (in Cinderella) being a fashion aficionado!
I did feel that it worked better with some stories than others, particularly in stories where the new story bears only a fleeting resemblance to the original. My personal favourites were The Princess and the Pea and Belle the Brave. My e-ARC only contained 7 of the 15 stories which will be included in the final version, but I can tell from those seven that this will definitely be worth the read! While reading, I did also come across some typing errors, but I imagine that all of these will be ironed out for the final copy.
Perfect for fans of fairy tales or children who would like to be little princes or princesses, just not THAT sort of stereotypical prince or princess.

In this kingdom, united by compassion, where everyone made space for one another, and celebrated differences, they really did live happily ever after.

What I liked: Greater diversity in the stories e.g. same-sex couple, people with names from different cultures, women saving themselves from problems, etc. I liked the style of the illustrations and the messages sent by the stories - definitely a worthy update to the original traditional tales.

Even better if: I would like to see the rest of the stories in this collection! Also, I hope that the spelling and grammatical errors can be fixed before publication.

How you could use it in your classroom: This would be fantastic to read alongside other alternative or fractured fairy tales and as springboards to discussion about some of the problematic content in older stories. How has our society changed so that some of these stories now require updating?

Full review to come on my blog, closer to publication!

[Capri’sBookIsland · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're tired of "And the prince rescued her and she lived as his housewife safe and sound after turning 18" ass fairytales then THIS IS for you. Growing up I feel like we were robbed with seeing bad ass female MC's lol. There is no need for every story to be so bland and lacking the power every princess holds.
The second I saw this book of fairytale retellings I knew I needed It ASAP.
Every page was filled with simple ways of adding diversity, and strength in each character. Whether it be a blind love interest, two kings adopting a baby, a f/f mermaid retelling, or a female Mc that has set out to build beauty around her community with her architecture skills. This book lacked nothing and gave me everything. Each story is simple, cute, colorful, open, modern, and has the depiction of princesses and princes I want my children to embrace.
If you can get your hands on these quick stories please do.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicht alle Märchen sind gleich gut gelungen, aber alles in allem ein entzückendes Buch!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairy tales are a reflection of the time they were originally written in, so it makes perfect sense to rewrite fairy tales, just as a matter of course.

So, the expectation of these stories is that the women are more powerful, and don't follow the same well worn paths of their original stories. And for the most part, they do differently then they did before.

I like the concept more than I liked the execution though the pictures were fun.




Probably more for older middle-grade, who have read all the original stories and want a change of pace.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Bookishly Johanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

If a book has retellings/reimaginings/etc. of fairy tales, I am game. So obviously when I first saw Power to the Princess pop up on my book radar I jumped at the chance to read it! And I have absolutely zero regrets.

I did have my doubts when I read 'feminist' retellings. All the 'feminist’ books I have reviewed so far, I haven’t been raving about. The main reason for that has been that these books have tended to make all (heterosexual) male characters ‘the enemy’. I don’t think that’s accurate, or a particularly useful message to be sending out into the world. Power to the Princess, however, is not like this at all, and that’s why I gave it five stars. Belle from Beauty and the Beast is a bad-ass, but she still marries the Beast. Rather than demonising the prince character, some of the fairy tales simply omit the character, while others transform them into supportive friends.

The strength of this book, is that it describes the fairy tales you know in quirky, modern ways. More than once did I end up laughing simply because I’d never imagined classics being retold in such a way. You have princes trying out dating, and princesses becoming zoologists, architects, and so much more! The stories also touch on several issues, such as human rights, climate change, wildlife conservation, and positive body image. It also includes PoC (Persons of Colour) and there is loads of LGBTQ rep!

I don’t want to spoil too much, so I’ll just discuss my favourite retelling. Usually, my favourite fairy tale is Rapunzel, but in this bunch it’s The Little Mermaid (with Snow White coming a close second)! I found this was the story where the twists given to it best reflected the original story. For instance, as we all know, The Little Mermaid collects things from the human world that have found their way into the ocean, but in this modernised version that is reimagined as ocean pollution. As a result, the Sea King becomes angry at the humans and sends a whole lot of storms their way (hello climate change!). The Little Mermaid – or Marisha, as she is called here – goes up to the human world to reason with them, and together with a human girl she sets up a clean water project and brokers peace between the humans and the mer-people.

Long story short, I’m a huge fan of this collection of fairy tales. The illustrations are fun and playful, fitting the stories perfectly. (I started following Julia Bereciartu on Instagram as soon as I got the book!). And I hadn’t read any of Vita Murrow’s work before, but now I’ll be keeping an eye out for what she’ll be working on next.

[Luna's Little Library · Rating 2 out of 5]

Concept 3 Stars
Execution 2 Stars
= 2.5 Stars

I really wanted to love this. Visually Power to the Princess is stunning. It's a velvety hardback with colorful illustrations and the blurb holds so much promise. As someone who adores fairy-tales (originals and retellings), I had this on my wishlist and pretty much began reading it the day I bought it home. Given the backlog on my TBR that is saying something.

Power to the Princess held a promise of innovative retellings and in rudimentary way it delivers. Each tale twists the "role" of Princess and provides positive and diverse stories of "strong princess's". I found that after the high of the first one I picked (The Little Mermaid) the the stories blended. None of the characters were unique and the narration felt flat. Despite having the Princess's be these amazing powerhouses they didn't stand apart from each other.

While this book didn't work for me I think very young children will enjoy it. They are short stories, easily read at bedtime with positive messages about working hard and being kind. Although, I will say that having a the throwaway remark in Frog Prince "I don't have a lot of princess friends, they are usually off doing more dainty things." undermined the whole message of the book.

[Daria Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This was just too cute! I loved the updated tales and how just wonderful and diverse the entire cast of characters were.

The illustrations were adorable, too.

[Sophie Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really loved the concept for Power to the Princess, taking 15 classic fairy tales and reimagining them with a modern, feminist twist. Unfortunately, as far as I was concerned, the concept ended up being far better than the resulting product.

The ideas presented in this collection are certainly interesting. Belle finds employment as an undercover agent at the “Fairyland Protection Dept. Office of Restorative Justice” working to break unfair curses, Ellia (Cinderella) sets up a cleaning business, Aurora trains as a physician specializing in sleep disorders, and the Little Mermaid (here called Marisha) works to combat ocean pollution. There’s also plenty of diversity on show with the princesses covering a range of ethnicities, and sexual orientations which is always fantastic to see in a children’s book.

My problem came with the writing itself which was just, in a word, bad. The stories felt dull, the characters one-dimensional, and the dialogue was downright terrible in places. Belle’s response to her beast becoming a prince is, and I quote, “Whaaaaaaat…”, while the three good fairies’ response to Maleficent (here renamed Jewel..) cursing Aurora is, “well that was awkward.” The book also had a knowingly smug tone that permeated through it with little comments and asides dotted through the text that quickly verged on becoming obnoxious. When Belle marries her prince, she becomes a princess, “but not that kind of princess”. You can practically see the author’s nose in the air as you read it.

If you can overlook the writing then this could be a fantastic collection for the next generation of young women, showing them how they can take their skills and interests and forge careers and friendships from them. For me, however, the writing was just too bad to ignore.

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I read the blurb for this book, I wanted to read it right away. I love fairytale retellings, especially when they show a non-traditional heroine/princess. This book had a great premise, but I had mixed feelings as I read it.

The stories were of varying lengths and the illustrations were cute, but the vocabulary and some of the messages/morals were a bit hard for younger children to understand. Also the amount of text on the page makes it difficult to hold the attention of young children. The stories also vary how close they are to the original tale. Some follow relatively closely, some just in the name of the main character and the very basic plot. I loved Belle the Brave as well as Sleeping Beauty. I can see this book be very useful to read to children around the age of 7 or above. A non-traditional bedtime book with one story being read each evening. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.

[Alejandro Carranza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es una excelente adaptación de la compilación de estos relatos clásicos, en el cual se nos presentan las cosas con una completa naturalidad, sin etiquetas, sin discriminación, Justo como deberíamos ser todos hoy en día, y al ser enfocado a un público infantil, indirectamente si va generando subconscientemente ese sentido de respeto hacia cualquier persona. Personalmente los relatos que más impactó tuvieron en mi fueron el de la Sirenita, la Cenicienta y zafé y las 1001 ideas, al resaltar tanto el poder que una mujer realmente tiene, no es que necesite adquirirlo, y aquí se demuestra de una manera sencilla y completamente grácil.

[Imogene · Rating 5 out of 5]

'If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales’

If you want to show them that thoughtfulness, strength, and social consciousness are more important that being pretty, read them these fairy tales.
These stories are GORGEOUS
I will now be ordering this book for all of my nieces and nephews.
Right now

[Faith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was the sort of child that devoured princess stories and movies growing up. What's not to love about fancy clothes, castles, and living happily ever after? However, as I've grown and have begun introducing my two girls to favorites books and movies from my childhood, I see them through a new lens and find myself cringing more often than not.

For instance, we recently read Rumpelstiltskin. And I couldn't help but think the king was decidedly cruel to threaten her life if she didn't spin straw into gold (and why would her father put her in such a position?!). Then, once his greed is satiated, he deigns to marry her -- and she wants such a man for a husband?! Then there was the recent reading of The Princess and the Pea. What a trivial test to determine a spouse.

I know I'm not alone in such feelings, and this is the environment that led to the book Power to the Princess. Vita Weinstein Murrow has taken traditional fairy tales and updated them. We get a more rounded background to the characters and their motivations; characters are recognizing internal traits instead of falling in love at first sight.

For instance, Sleeping Beauty, cursed with narcolepsy, researches her symptoms. When she falls into a deep sleep from the prick of a splinter, the sleep experts publish her research and ask for help: "The sharing of Aurora's struggle, in her own words, had a magical effect. For it inspired people and magical creatures all around the kingdom to begin to share their stories of what made them different, and how they had struggled too. They drew courage from Aurora's example, and began to speak up for what they needed and teach one another about their differences."

I appreciate the premise of the book, even if it is hard to compete with how internalized the original stories are in our culture and some of the adaptations fall flat. The stories tend to be relatively brief, around four pages of dense text, with illustrations in the margins. It would be a good way to balance out what can be pretty trivial princess tales.

[Ioanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Power to the Princess is an amazing collection of stories, which are actually alternative versions of the traditional fairy tales. The short stories were gun, smart, and funny. The plots were full of good role models for children, and were accompanied by pleasant illustrations with vibrant colours. It was high time we received some alternate versions of those obedient, always-followers female heroines! This was a very good concept. A book definitely recommended for all children.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5/5

Downloaded from Netgalley Free in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely love spins on fairy tales. Power to the Princess is one of those. Each story has an element of what we now consider “powerful” in women. Each women's adventure focuses on them and not their love life. Well, it's not the center of it. Cinderella is a woman who runs her own business, advocates for the working class and still finds her prince. This prince shares her ideals and doesn't prevent her from living her goals of helping others.



“Ellia discovered that people who are treated better work better”.


While, Belle is brave and helps the beast be the best person he could be. She is upset when she finds out that he was cursed which is Illegal. She speaks with a detective and ends up working for the Fairyland Protection Department due to her bravery.



“Curses are a crime best left in the past, and she should be held accountable.”


Sleepy Beauty. she has a medical condition brought on by the Cloud fairy. The person who had sent out invitations to the party forgot to include Cloud Fairy. She has a condition that prevents her from being in sunny locations long term. The ceremony wasn't accommodating to her needs and they forgot to invite her.



“All around the kingdom were conversations of compassion and care, of accommodation and welcome.”


Through Aurora's advocacy and encouraging conversations about people... Cloud fairy no longer feels isolated and alone. Her curse on Aurora turned into something that benefited everyone in the long term.



Princess and the Pea is a story of a prince trying to find love. His parents encourage a particular kind of girl while he has differing opinions.



“The King & Queen, having learned their lesson that there is no one right kind of princess, and that no single test can determine compatibility, retired to the un-restored tower of the castle to examine their old-fashioned views.”


Snow queen, of friendship and weathering through a friend's depression ( or whatever it was supposed to reflect). The Little Mermaid, Sea king and his daughters, the king does not like humans..so his daughters focus on sea affairs .. like pollution and keeping their home healthy. She goes to the surface and meets a princess. With her help they find a solution to the pollution and fall in love.



“Once the waters were clear again, the two were married in a lively and loving ceremony in a lagoon where both Mer-people and humans could enjoy the merriment.”


Last story focuses on Snow White where the queen goes from a person who focuses on the real issues to getting sucked into appearances. This focuses on the media and portrayal of women with the focus just on appearances. Snow, is a step-daughter who soon is dealing with a step-mother who is sucked into beauty ideals than inner. She doses Snow White then brings her back with another serum..and asks for an apology and receives it.



It's focus on strong women and diverse stories. There are 2 kinds with Aurora, the Little Mermaid marries a princess. Friendships, work and doing right by people are heavily focused in it. From what I can tell, Princess & the Pea, The Little Mermaid, and Snow Queen show diversity with ethnicity.

Recommend? Yes, it's cute, different and fun.

[Artemis Crescent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairyland Noble Monarch Jubilee:

List of Attendees and their Stories:



1. 'Belle the Brave' - Beauty braves the forest, and sets her own terms to save her father from the beast. She still falls for the beast, but confronts the fairy who put the curse on him, and becomes a policewoman at the Fairyland Office of Restorative Justice. I'm a bit disappointed near the end, as the story is still too short and Belle's father and sisters are not mentioned again. Good lesson about letting old, harmful traditions remain in the past.

"Curses never help anyone."


2. 'The Little Mermaid' - A POC Little Mermaid, whose name is Marisha here. She wants to unite the sea world of mermaids and the land world of humans for a peace treaty. But her stubborn, bigoted father, the Sea King, is stuck in the past and won't allow any alliances and trading with humans. Marisha is an inventor, and together with a human princess, Melody, they come up with practical, eco-friendly solutions to the problems with waste and debris being dumped in the ocean. The Little Mermaid is also queer and marries the human princess. The sea witch is her friend and not her enemy. Honestly one of the best retellings of the fairy tale I've ever seen.

"From that day forward the two kingdoms were bonded together. The princesses lived side by side, with Marisha beneath the surface in an undersea addition to the island palace. Melody had Anteia [the sea witch] fashion a special dive suit so she could hang out with her sweetie below the tides.
Over the years, Melody took on oversight of the factory's clean water project, while Marisha focused her energy on brokering lasting peace between the mer-people and the earth dwellers. For this bold work, Marisha received the Fairyland Prize for Peace. Together with her father the Sea King, she regularly visited schools to speak about overcoming prejudice."


3. 'Rapunzel' - Dark-skinned Rapunzel is an architect and builder. Mother Gothel isn't really evil in this version, as Rapunzel does still see her parents, and Gothel is her partner and mentor in designing and inventing devices (she uses her magic to help out). The prince is blind, like in the original, except it is not by accident and he isn't healed at the end; he is blind throughout the story, and he admires how Rapunzel's tower and castle structures help him out with his disability. No overt romance is present; the princess and prince could just be friends.

"She improved buildings for the blind, planned a flame-retardant village for fire-breathing creatures and re-sized a bridge for trolls. She built some of the most famous constructions in Fairyland, including Aurora's public library, the Snow Queen's winter sports complex and Pus and Boots' animal sanctuary. Her firm, A Braid Above, attracted designers and architects the world over, eager to join Rapunzel in pioneering technologies to enrich places and spaces for all."


4. 'The Snow Queen' - A story about friendship and growing up. Princess Sesi is the girl who gets struck by the tiny mirror shard that freezes her heart, and her best friend Alena is worried about her. Kindness and compassion save the day and the relationship. Another weak story, containing lame jokes, but again it has a good message and no real villain (but what about the troll who cursed the mirror? And why?).

"When Sesi became queen, she realised her grand plan and created The Snow Queen Sports Complex. It more than made up for her spell of nastiness. There she coached youngsters on the slopes with a balance of rigour and compassion, and good sportsmanship above all. Sesi's students helped her follow her own coaching rules and became a record-holding athlete herself."


5. 'Elizabeth and the Wild Swans' - A lesser-known fairy tale that I've only encountered once before, but is an interesting story here. Apparent chatterbox Princess Elizabeth must keep silent while she knits eleven shirts out of needles for her eleven siblings who have been accidentally turned into swans. A bit of a letdown at the end, as she does need to be saved by a prince, in a way. It's show-don't-tell as we barely know what "chatterbox" Elizabeth was like before her siblings were cursed. But the story is about creativity and finding your calling, if under pressure, so there's that. At least the swans themselves are somewhat useful to the plot.

"As the years passed, Princess Elizabeth's reputation and skills grew and grew, until she became one of the most talented and sought-after fashion designers in the realm. When she and her siblings took over the kingdom, she secured its future by making it a centre of clothing design. For years, Princess Elizabeth dressed commoners to VIPs under her very own fashion label, called White Feather."


6. 'Cinderella' - Asian Cinderella improves worker wages and working conditions. She has no stepfamily in this version, only bad employers, who are a woman and her two daughters. They are written out of the story quickly. Ella is an excellent organiser and cleaner. The royal ball is about her making her case to the king. The fairy godmother makes her dress out of green leaves, but Ella fetches her own green shoes, which she had made. She and the prince, Prens, bond over their shoes! This is definitely a romance. Cinderella is a businesswoman, soon to be Prime Minister!

"When Prens and Ella eventually married, they moved to a new kingdom where a leader such as Ella was so needed. There, she became Prime Minister and worked tirelessly to raise the minimum wage so that all members of the kingdom could prosper. Her constituents too called her Cinderella, to honour her first business. It was the start of a life in leadership, service and seeking justice for all."


7. 'The Goose Girl' - Two new girl friends, Princess Liesel and baker's daughter Greta, swap identities at a summer performance camp. There's a talking horse, rounding geese, singing, ventriloquism, and a play about a unicorn. I've noticed that the author must really dislike using the word "said", and would always find substitutes whenever the characters speak. Potential hetero romance. Overall, fun stuff.

"As the years passed, Greta went on to take over the family bakery. When summer came, she closed it for the season to run the summer camp. As Camp Director she instituted a special week called Switcheroo, dedicated to campers finding a friend to switch spots with to see where their talents lie. And of course, Greta started each day with a song.
Liesel went on to become an award-winning actress known for her comedy. She held the record for number of sold-out performances in Fairyland. Her fans called her the Princess of Wit and she drew crowds wherever the wind would take her. She lifted spirits, made people laugh, and often performed alongside her silly horse Falada."


8. 'Star and the Twelve Dancers' - A boring story, I'm afraid. The girl, Star, is barely the main character. The out-of-work ballet teacher who finds out her and her siblings' secret, Enrico, is. How can this be considered a female-led story? And where is the mother, the queen? A dancing tale that I don't care for at all, sadly.


9. 'The Princess and the Pea' - Oh, how do you do a unique, feminist take on one of the most milquetoast, bland, stupid and sexist fairy tales ever written? By making the prince and the princess unlucky in dating before they meet, and the princess, Sevinah, is an explorer and adventurer in need of shelter after getting lost foraging in the rain. She's still rather sensitive, but not a pushover. And unlike his old-fashioned parents, Princes Omar is not put off by Sevinah's muddy clothing and lets her stay the night at his castle, out of kindness. He is a sensitive soul as well, afraid of many things, not like a traditional prince. The two bond over puzzles and nature. Omar's parents plan to make Sevinah "fussy" and nagging by stuffing a can of peas in one of the dozens of mattresses in her bed, but the prince and princess beat them in their own game. Together they start their own dating service, called Two Peas in a Pod.

"From that day forward Princess Sevinah was always welcome at Prince Omar's palace. The King and Queen, having learned the lesson that there is no 'right' kind of princess, and that no single test can determine comparability, retired to the un-restored tower of the castle to examine their old-fashioned views."


10. 'Zade and the 1001 Ideas' - A retelling of the tale of Scheherazade, as a budding businesswoman determined to win over a grouchy, unfair, static and coldhearted Sultan. She will win his graces to be his partner by telling him stories to go with her 1001 inventions. Zade is such a smart and resourceful women, it's truly admirable and inspiring. A story about teamwork and working together, for the benefit of everyone. Open Sesame!

"Together Zade and the Sultan revolutionised the lives of those around them and helped nurture young inventors, no matter how dark their glasses were, how tall or strong - so long as they had great ideas and believed in a little bit of magic."


11. 'Thumbelina' - Originally, this was another weak fairy tale where the heroine is tossed around by others and is not made to drive her own story by herself. But here the tale is made stronger, in that Thumbelina is intelligent and assertive, and does make her own decisions to achieve her dreams, that do not involve a man. She is named Mai in this retelling, a wise decision already, and she wants to be a musician and singer. But meets dodgy and shady figures along her journey, who want to take advantage of her, not let her be herself, and who care more for her public image and look than her music talent. A great morality tale. It is about trust, helping others, the dangers of greed, and what it means to be an artist in today's world. Overall it's cute and funny. Plus Mai wears glasses!

"When Mai left the residency, she became a prominent musical producer, helping magical creatures foster their gifts and preserve the integrity of their work. In later life, she retrained as a lawyer specialising in contracts and advocacy. She fought tirelessly for even the smallest creatures, ensuring they too could follow their heart."


12. 'Little Red Riding Hood' - She's a conservationist and wildlife expert, or becomes one, once she saves her grandmother and herself from poor, hungry wolves. A twist added is that the "Big eyes, big ears, and big teeth" line is to describe how Red's mother first saw actual wolves in the wild, and how she and her family first became afraid of them. Red (named Filipa in this retelling) isn't stupid here. She's a forest ranger! Another fun life lesson for all creatures.

"Years later, when she herself was called Granny Filipa, she was honoured by the Fairyland Environmental Bureau with the title of Faithful Friend of the Forest. However, most people just referred to her as Princess of the Wolves."


13. 'Sleeping Beauty' - Aurora has two dads. I could end it there, but this retelling has more to offer. It is about acceptance, tolerance, kindness, and narcolepsy, which Aurora has been "cursed" with, but she learns to live with it happily. She let others know of her experiences as well, to let them know that they are not alone in being "different". The Cloud Fairy who cursed Aurora redeems herself in the end, once she realises she is not isolated and alone, and that she will be loved. She is even given a real name, Jewel. No overt romance included. The princess and the "wicked" fairy bond. A touching story.

"Now that Aurora was awake, a great celebration was held at the palace and this time, no one was forgotten. Shortly thereafter, Fillip and Aurora took over leadership of their kingdoms and set to work making them a united place - an example of inclusion. Aurora and Jewel founded The Centre for the Study of Sleep and Circadian Differences, and were pioneers in creating a place where everyone was encouraged to be themselves, and help others to be their best selves.
And in this kingdom, united by compassion, where everyone made space for one another and celebrated differences, they really did live happily ever after."


14. 'Snow White' - A story about body image, pressures, body confidence issues and insecurity. The stepmother of Snow White, or Neve White, isn't evil; she just can't help caring about what other people think of her and her looks. The stressed-out queen is jealous of Princess Neve's individuality, creativity and confidence. Neve only meets the seven dwarfs (or gnomes) out in the woods in order to give her overbearing stepmother some space. It's a very nice story with a much-needed lesson for girls in today's society. No prince, no romance; just female family bonding (how much of that do you see in fairy tales!?), and loving to try out cosmetics. No slut shaming here!

"'There's no such thing as perfect,' Princess Neve whispered to herself."

"From the Inner Beauty Sanctuary in the woods, Neve worked tirelessly on a campaign for real beauty in Fairyland. She also helped ban the creation of enhanced mirrors throughout the kingdom. Meanwhile, the Queen taught seminars on fun with cosmetics. She taught face-painting and woodland-creature hair braiding. She also offered a popular course in weaving, where she repurposed the strings used to cinch the waist. It was called Cinch This!"


15. 'Evangeline and the Frog Prince' - A bit of a dull tale to end the book, but it's okay for what it is. Princess Evan(geline) wants to find out her talents, where her four sisters have already found theirs. That's why she is out juggling golden balls when she first meets the frog prince. It is a story about consideration, keeping promises, kindness, caring for wild creatures, exploring, rainforests, discovering new species, and wildlife conservation. It is not revealed why the prince, Pascal, was turned into a frog by "a wicked witch". How weak. At least there is no romance; only friendship shown.

"Evan went on to become a zoologist, who discovered whole new frog species during her work in the rainforest. She and Pascal trekked up great mountains to track the elusive Sapphire butterfly. After learning more about the first-hand experiences of animals, both domestic and wild, Evan campaigned against keeping animals in zoos (magical or otherwise)."



Phew!

What I found in common in these feminist retellings of classic fairy tales is that there is no violence, no real villain, nor a typical rebellious, action girl princess in any of them. Just heroines who, through hard work, prosperity, wide eyes and a positive mindset, achieve their goals and run their own businesses. They become leaders; not necessarily queens. They do stuff, on their own and through their own initiative. That is a unique take for updated fairy tales for modern audiences. And that is what I find to be extremely admirable about these stories, regardless of mixed quality.

Diverse and accessible (and very British!), I recommend 'Power to the Princess'. The illustrations are lovely and cute as well. The hardcover is plush, lush and beautiful, like a classic fairy tale book.

Final Score: 3.5/5

[Storywraps · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is packaged so beautifully with a red, clothbound hard cover and stunning gold debossing. You don't even have to open it up to know it is of highest quality and then when you do... the calibre revs up even higher with the storyline and illustrations married perfectly together.

This delightful anthology includes 15 fairytales that have been updated for modern readers. Each one features a princess but rather than looking for a prince to marry her and give her a happily-ever-after life she takes charge and designs the life that she would like to live. These princesses are smart, excellent role models, kind , caring and infused with girl power... girl power that they use to help others and make a difference in their world. They have friendships, choose befitting careers and work for the greater good of humanity rather than just for themselves.

These up-dated fairytales focus on issues such as self-image, self-esteem, LGBTQ, friendships, advocacy and disability. They are inspirational and give hope to girls that they can take charge of their destiny and they can decide what is best for them and that might not always include marrying Prince Charming. Don't get me wrong, that can be a good choice too if that is what they want. The princesses follow their dreams and accomplish great things. They open themselves up to research and learning and discover ways to add meaning to their lives. In so doing they then reach out to aid others in their community thinking beyond themselves and how they can make kingdom living better for all who live there. Their choices include becoming a policewoman, architect, business woman, sport's organizer and coach, fashion designer, dancer, environmentalist, zoologist and beautician, just to cite a few. Being involved in so many facets of the culture they can sew kindness, happiness and well-being into so many people.

I highly recommend this book. It would make a lovely gift to any little girl who loves princess stories. These stories are refreshed for the 21st century and will inspire others to say... "Yes I can!" Power to the Princesses!

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so adorable and amazing! I love the diversity, positivity, and empowerment in these princesses. My two favorite stories were The Little Mermaid, about a mermaid who wants to clean the ocean of litter and, while working toward that goal, meets and falls in love with a human girl who wants to reduce waste and promote recycling; and Rapunzel, about Rapunzel working together with her magical mentor Gothel to figure out her own magical skills - only to figure out that she's an incredible architect. The blind prince in this story adds in some great points, too.

I think the vocabulary is a little advanced for the story length, making it a bit of an awkward mismatch for the audience. Either the plots will be too simple or the wording will be too advanced. Either way, I really love how these stories make the heroines smart, brave, ingenious, kind, genuine, hardworking, and positive - and most of the villains are spun to be more misunderstood than evil. I think that promotes empathy, too.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

The idea behind this and the messages within it are 5/5 AMAZING. My greatest gripe is that the book is too advanced for the audience it needs to reach. I have a princess obsessed 4 year old (despite my best efforts), and this has a novel sized amount of text on each page with one graphic. So each story takes about 10+ minutes to read, but with only a few images total. So my kid loses interest. She can sit through stories that are up to 30 minutes long, but they must have a big image to text ratio for her to enjoy them. It would be great if a younger child version of this could be made (maybe even in smaller separate stories??), because my child will likely be 7-8 years old by the time she is ready for a book like this, and by then it will be too late. The shitty messaging will have been internalized.

SOS.

[soph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I read this book when I was younger, it was just beautifully amazing and everything fairytales need to be. Short and sweet, like the originals, but even better because princesses to the power! All of them were seriously wonderful and inspiring, I want to be like them when I grow up (what do you mean I am already grown up??)

I think this book teaches something very special, and it is why you should all read it (for yourself, to your kids, younger siblings, grandparents, EVERYBODY).

[Amanda B.V. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5

Although this is a kids book, I still enjoyed most of the stories. It was nice to see a different take on the princess' we all know and love. Some were repetitive though or some just were weird to further the new plot but overall it was enjoyable.

[Lidia Rosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pues no está mal, he ido leyendo los cuentos poco a poco, quizás un poco largos, pero las ilustraciones son muy bonitas.