Staff Pick
A whimsical tale about a floating princess, a balloon man, and a kite-flying boy named Boy... what's not to love? An excellent story, gorgeous illustrations, and a clever design make this unconventional princess book a must-have. It's lighthearted and delightful! Recommended By Jennifer H., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
A bestselling Caldecott Honor artist and legendary author team up!
A publishing event — Florence Parry Heide, author of such classics as the Shrinking of Treehorn, and Lane Smith, recipient of a slew of awards, have created an unforgettable princess sure to charm and delight young readers.
Princess Hyacinth has a problem: she floats. And so the king and queen have pebbles sewn into the tops of her socks, and force her to wear a crown encrusted with the heaviest jewels in the kingdom to keep her earthbound. But one day, Hyacinth comes across a balloon man and decides to take off all her princess clothes, grab a balloon, and float free.
Hooray!
Alas, when the balloon man lets go of the string . . . off she goes.
Luckily, there is a kite and a boy named Boy to save her.
Review
"Heide possesses the ability to tell a moralistic tale without a hint of didacticism." Publishers Weekly
Review
"Heide's tale bubbles with effervescence, drawing readers into the fantasy with a lively, conversational text." School Library Journal
Synopsis
Bestselling Caldecott Honor artist Lane Smith and legendary author Florence Parry Heide have teamed up to create an unforgettable princess sure to charm and delight young readers.
Princess Hyacinth has a problem: she floats. And so the king and queen have pebbles sewn into the tops of her socks, and force her to wear a crown encrusted with the heaviest jewels in the kingdom to keep her earthbound. But one day, Hyacinth comes across a balloon man and decides to take off all her princess clothes, grab a balloon, and float free. Hooray Alas, when the balloon man lets go of the string . . . off she goes. Luckily, there is a kite and a boy named Boy to save her.
Synopsis
All the musicians in the kingdom are awful, and the king is fed up.Music is banned, and he sends his men-at-arms to round up disobedient musicians and feed them to the royal crocodiles. Little Piffaro heads for the border, collecting an outlandish group of musicians on the way: one who plays fast, one who plays slow, one who plays loud, and so on.Their jam session on the road is so excruciating to listen to that Charlemagne, the horse pulling the wagon, invents a system to make sure they're all playing the same music at the same time. There was a time before musical notation was devised, but that's the only part of this story that is true.
Synopsis
A hilarious, over-the-top take on sibling rivalry from the Geisel Awardand#8211;winning creator of Tales for Very Picky Eaters.
Synopsis
Amelia and her dog are best friends . . . until Princess Sparkle-Heart comes along. Soon, Amelia and Princess Sparkle-Heart are doing everything together: having tea parties, attending royal weddings, keeping each other's secrets.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Princess Sparkle-Heart may be an awesome princess dolland#8212;but is she any match for a jealous canine?
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Look out, Princess Sparkle-Heart!
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; This witty parable of sibling rivalryand#160;has all the giggle-inducing visual detail and kid-appeal of the author's previous work, plus an unexpected twist that makes for a satisfyingly delicious ending.
Synopsis
Princess Viola aims to trade her fiesty moves for frilly princess skills in this picture book that zip-zup-zooms!
Synopsis
and#8220;Royalty does not karate-chop.and#8221; and#8211;Madame Gertrude
and#160;
Princess Viola is great at skateboarding and karate-chopping, but sheand#8217;s lousy at the royal wave, walk, and waltz. The king and queen are not pleased. Whatand#8217;s a princess to do? Attend the skill-polishing Camp Princess, of course. In the end, itand#8217;s a good thing Viola is made of tougher stuff. Who else will save the day when the green dragon comes along? Joe Bergerand#8217;s zippy illustrations use comic bookand#8211;style panels and show off ZIP! ZUP! ZOOM! sound effects. This sweet, funny picture book is just the ticket for spunky princess-loving girls who can appreciate a glittery book jacket!
Synopsis
A wacky tall tale about how musicians first learned to play together. All the musicians in the kingdom are so awful that the king sends his men-at-arms to round up musicians and feed them to the royal crocodiles. Pipe and drum player Piffaro heads for the border, collecting other refugee musicians on the way. Their jam session on the road is so bad that the horse pulling the wagon figures out a way to make them all play the same music at the same timeand#8212;a system of lines and hoofprints. (In fact, there was a time before musical notation was devised, but thatand#8217;s the only part of this story that is true!) Includes afterword.
About the Author
Florence Parry Heide is an award-winning writer with more than fifty books under her belt, including the Treehorn titles, illustrated by Edward Gorey. She lives in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Lane Smiths many accolades include a Caldecott Honor Medal, two New York Times Best Illustrated Book awards, several LA Notable Awards, and countless “Best Book” citations from School Library Journal, Booklist, The Bulletin, and others. He lives in Washington, Connecticut.