Perfect Princess Pets! (Disney Princess: Palace Pets)

PreS-Gr 1–Budding readers will delight in this collection of stories about princesses and their cute, cuddly companions that includes “Rapunzel’s Perfect Pony,” “Ariel’s Brave Kitten,” and more. This anthology offers readers a glimpse into each royal’s life from her pet’s point of view. Each story dramatizes a theme relevant to younger children, such as building and maintaining friendships, developing courage, helping others, and connecting with caregivers. The final title, “Tiana’s Kind Pony,” is about kindness, but while the child in the story is engaged in helpful acts, the story does not reflect kindness in quite the same way that the others reflect their themes. As early readers, the titles in this collection captivate audiences with a primary color palette and engaging pictures, while simultaneously introducing early literacy concepts such as simple sounds, basic vocabulary, and concepts of print. All of the stories successfully marry the magic of high-interest stories with early reading skills.