From debut author Zibby Owens comes Princess Charming, a lovable and empowering new character!
Princess Charming can’t quite seem to find her “thing.” She’s tried everything from cooking to hip-hop, and hasn’t been able to perfect either. Even her cartwheels are subpar. But when the castle hosts a superstar for a special event, Princess Charming finally finds her time to shine.
Princess Charming is about a brand-new princess character filled with fun, humor, and girl power. With a modern look and can-do attitude, Princess Charming is the perfect gift for all young readers who never give up!
Praise for Princess Charming "[A] timeless message."-- Kirkus Reviews
Zibby Owens is the award-winning host of daily author interview podcast Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books.
Author of Blank, Bookends, Princess Charming, and editor of three anthologies, Zibby owns Zibby's Bookshop in Santa Monica, co-founded Zibby Books boutique publishing house, and created "the Zibby-verse" community of book people.
Follow her on Instagram @zibbyowens and subscribe to her Substack: zibbyowens.substack.com.
Princess Charming can't quite find her "special" stand-out skill or talent. She wants so desperately to help when a starlet comes to visit. Uh oh! What happened to the Actress's earring? Can Princess Charming save the day?
A cute story about self, the illustrations gave me (animated cartoon hero? vibes-Dora, Sofia, Fancy Nancy vibes...very glittery colorful vibes), but something about the book lacked...I can't put my finger on it. I respect the empowerment and diversity and the nod to fairytales at the end that shows off Princess Charming's abilities for finding things.
PRINCESS CHARMING is a sweet picture book read about finding your special thing and kindness. Princess Charming is always trying to find her special thing, but it feels like she is often failing. However, she is super-excited because Stella Sparkle, her favorite movie star, is coming to visit. Although she is not able to help with the preparations, when Stella loses her earring, Princess Charming is on the case, and she won't give up until she finds it. When she finally does, she realizes that keeping trying is her special thing, and her kindness means a lot to Stella, whose earring had special meaning for her.
What I loved: This is a sweet book about being kind and going the extra mile. Princess Charming's story will resonate with young readers who may still be trying to find their place in the world. The messages of kindness and doing your best are really important and show children that there is power in the little things - they may even impress a movie star! The cartoonish illustrations and fun characters are great for picture book readers.
The text is clear and easy to read, and although it may be a bit lengthy on some pages, it tells an intriguing story that is great for preschool and elementary school aged readers. The connection at the end that reveals that her brother is Prince Charming of Cinderella fame is a really cute touch.
Final verdict: A sweet book about kindness and going the extra mile, PRINCESS CHARMING is a picture book that is sure to delight young readers.
Please note that I received a review copy. All opinions are my own.
The pictures for this book are largely group scenes, catching Princess Charming in the middle of catastrophic attempts to find her special ability, and showing the reactions of others.The illustrator also works in animation, and this is definitely evident in her style.
The first-person point of view makes this feel like a natural read-aloud. The story dragged a bit for me in the middle, but readers who love princess books probably won't mind a few extra pages about this character, so that's unlikely to be a problem for kids. There is also a really fun twist at the end for kids who know their fairy tales. In terms of themes, this could work for fairy tales, princesses, castles, trying new things, and perseverance.
The author of this book is the host of the podcast Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books, and this is her first picture book. I wouldn't quite put it in the category of a celebrity-authored picture book, but it does seem to lack something in the same way that kids' books by celebrities often do. It just doesn't feel quite polished. I will probably go ahead and let my kids read it because there certainly isn't anything objectionable in it, but it's not one we will be keeping for the long haul.
I received a review copy of Princess Charming from Flamingo Books in exchange for an honest review.
What a delightful and inspiring book from debut author Zibby Owens! Princess Charming is a young, adorable, determined character that never gives up.
She tries hard to find her passion and "thing" in life but nothing seems to fit. She tries baking, hip-hop, cartwheels and discovers that they are not for her but the key in the story is that she "tries" again and again and again to find what she is good at and loves!
The palace agrees to host a Superstar's event where Princess Charming becomes a superstar herself and discovers the one thing she is excellent at. Her "thing" has finally been found and she excels at it!
The illustrations are truly wonderful. They are colourful, expressive, full of action, humour and fun! This book teaches that you don't have to be perfect or be like anyone else just be who you are created to be... YOU! The book offers readers a positive message of hope and celebration! I highly recommend it and look forward to more books from this talented author.
Princess Charming is a sweet story of a little princess who is trying to figure out what she is “good” at. She doesn’t give up easily and isn’t afraid to try new things. She wants find out what she is “good” doing. She just seems to think she isn’t very good at things. She tries out baking, hip-hop, and even cartwheels. None of these things work out well for her.
An exciting thing is about to happen at the palace when they have a superstar come to the palace. Stella Sparkle loses something special to her. No one can find it but Princess Charming is determined to locate the lost item. She finds the lost item and returns it to her new friend. She also discovers that she doesn’t give up on anything and that is her special gift.
The illustrations are delightful and capture the young reader’s imagination.
Disclosure: I received this complimentary product in exchange for my honest thoughts.
I love Zibby's platforms and she is a wonderful podcast interviewer. I had super high hopes for this book. I bought it for my niece , sight unseen. It has a great message... for not giving up. The illustrations are pretty good but the story just was ok... to me as an adult the best part was the end ... the little twist.
In a world full of kids specializing in this sport and that activity, Princess Charming is a dabbler trying to find her thing, and that’s okay! From book blogger extraordinaire Zibby Owens and Dear Girl illustrator Holly Hatam comes a debut picture book about a girl who never gives up, and reveals a fun, familiar twist at the end.
A very wonderful and beautifully illustrated book. You do not have to be perfect….just never give up…..all you need to do is be yourself…… and when you least expect it you will shine. Every page a delight!
This book is so cute with an important message to never give up! My daughter loved it, especially when the superstar showed up. The illustrations are gorgeous.
This book was cute - I especially liked that the main character figures out that her ‘thing’ is her perseverance - proving that princesses can be more than just pretty.