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

My 11-year-old saw this book in a museum bookshop and wanted to buy it for her little sister who is five and loves princesses. We bought it off Amazon as it was quite a bit cheaper and I didn’t want to carry around this book all day as it is quite heavy and large. It feels like a proper bedtime story book. Now the issue is that my 11-year-old really likes stories and enjoys reading them to her little sister but the little sister isn’t quite so keen on them as they are quite a bit more complex than the original stories. The things that happen in them are quite hard for a five-year-old to understand. For example in the story of Little Red Riding Hood she doesn’t go to her grandmas, find a wolf, get eaten by the wolf and saved by a woodcutter... but she goes to her grandmas, find a wolf there, then realises that they’ve got nothing to eat in the wood because humans have been eating into the forest to use the land for building. After the wolves are rehomed in another forest, she becomes a forest ranger who protects the forest and ensure replantation of the trees with the aim of reintroducing the walls back into the forest... It’s written with quite complex language and I would say isn’t really suitable for a five-year-old. I think maybe seven-year-olds would find this interesting and it has captured my 11-year-old’s attention which is saying something as she hasn’t been into princesses since she was about six.

This book is SO damn good!15 engaging and awesome stories about unexpectedly brilliant princesses, that are racially diverse, with stunning illustrations. Smart, courageous, funny, strong girls doing wonderful things. Honestly, my kids ADORE this book.This stupid princess narrative of "get in danger, get rescued, live happily ever after" is outdated and far too restrictive for little girls with big dreams in these modern days.I'm also going to mention again how racially diverse the illustrations are as well, as it it so important for children's literature to feature female protagonists who aren't white. The whole books feels warm, inclusive, and funny, without feeling performative. - Belle ends up working for the Fairyland Protection Office of Restorative Justice, protecting the community from curses. - Marisha and Melody (a black Little Mermaid and Moana) solve the problems of ocean pollution, clean water, and overcoming prejudice. - A black Rapunzel ends up becoming an architect, and with the help of her blind Prince, pioneers technologies to enrich places and spaces for all. - An Inuit Snow Queen learns to be kind to others and about reparations to those she has hurt. - Elizabeth from Elizabeth and the Wild Swans becomes an animal-friendly fashion designer. - An Asian Cinderella finds her Prince, and becomes first a leader of the Business Affairs Council (unifying workers and seeking fairness wherever things are unjust), and later becomes Prime Minister. - The Goose Girl, Greta, becomes a famous actress. - Star and The Twelve Dancers sees Star become a famous and innovative ballerina. - An Indian Princess called Sevinah in The Princess and the Pea ends up starting a dating agency with Prince Omar that delights in helping people in Fairyland find love and companionship without injury or insult. - An Arabian Princess Zade runs a textile empire. - A red-head Thumbelina called Mai becomes a prominent musical producer, and then later a lawyer specialising in contracts and advocacy. - Filipa as Little Red Riding Hood becomes a ranger with the FEB (Fairyland Environmental Bureau), campaigning for the right of wild wolves and making hunting them illegal. - Princess Aurora founds The Centre for the Study of Sleep and Circadian Differences with her formally evil fairy friend. - In Sleeping Beauty, Princess Neve and her formerly evil stepmother open a beauty spa, campaign for real beauty in Fairyland, and ban the creation of enhanced mirrors. - A Meso-American Princess Evan helps her friend the Frog (aka, Prince Pascal), and ends up becoming a zoologist with a special interest in rainforest frogs and campaigns against keeping animals in zoos.

I Love this book! Lovely modern versions on classic fairytales, where the princess’s are finding their passion in life such as careers and helping the environment. I’ve only read 4 of the stories so far, in these stories they subtly touched on racism, included a gay marriage and all have strong female leads. I look forward to reading the rest of the stories with my daughters.

Too old for my 3 and 4 year olds, but I bought to read in a couple of months. Much needed IMO as a response to the cliche fairytales that perpetuate patriarchal systems and such. My daughter adores the classics, and rather than speak against those, I plan to offer these and similar (Stories for Boys Who Dare to be Different series too) to counterbalance. Highly recommend. I’ve enjoyed reading this myself!

I love these stories. As a dad of a young girl I really hate the 'helpless princess' stories and these really work against that idea and just keep going. The stories are recognisable but changed and subtly (and not so subtly) weave in contemporary issues, such as the little mermaids love of surface worlds junk becomes commentary on our use of the oceans. Oh, and the art work is beautiful.

Brought this as a present for my granddaughter and was over the moon when I saw it was a signed copy! I must admit I've read a little and I'm envious we never had this kind of books when we were younger! She'll be over the moon with this Xmas day, thank you!! 😊

Was this written for the American market? Strange use of the English language for a children's book, even older children might find it a little odd.Great concept though.

I brought this for my daughter for when she is older. Stories suitable for children age 8 upwards and a great selection of historical and inspiring female figures. Really well written with exciting and swift moving prose. Illustrations are super too. The red velvet flecked cover adds a touch of luxury. I think this will become a family favourite to read at bedtime. Also enjoyed by boys and girls in my year 3 class.