Princess Kim and Too Much Truth

PreS-Gr 1—This story combines the well-worn narrative of truth versus kindness with the current fad for all things princess-related and sparkly. "Princess Kim" learns from her teacher that "sometimes telling the truth is hard, but it's the right thing to do." She immediately begins to apply this lesson to everything she says and does, putting away her princess things because she's not a "real" princess and giving her honest opinion about her dad's pancakes, her friend's new rain boots, and a classmate's artwork. When Kim tells a visiting teacher that she thinks her newborn baby is the ugliest she's ever seen, Kim's teacher finally steps in. "Telling the truth doesn't mean you say everything you're thinking," she clarifies. Kim quickly repairs her damaged relationships by thinking of comments that are both nice and true and decides that she's ready to play at being a princess again. Adults won't find anything new here, but for some youngsters the message will be fresh. Children who love Jane O'Connor's "Fancy Nancy" books (HarperCollins) or Victoria Kann's Pinkalicious (HarperCollins, 2006) will gravitate toward the sparkly cover image of a frizzy-haired redhead tossing her crown into an overflowing box of princess paraphernalia (though the interior illustrations of Kim's self-imposed exile may disappoint these fans of fanciness). The highlights of this package are the charming expressions of the characters and the warmth of Cocca-Leffler's bright, amusing paintings. Purchase where demand for princess stories is high. Otherwise, steer readers to Patricia C. McKissack's The Honest-to-Goodness Truth (S & S, 2000).—Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MI