Eight Princesses and a Magic Mirror

Our daughter, 4th grade, loved this book! She took it with her wherever she went until it was finished!

My daughter loved this book, it was big for her but once she started reading it she flew through the pages to finish it. We are ordering additional books by this author.

This would make a beautiful gift for any young reader in the midst of her inevitable “princess phase”, and for parents who are desperate to have her realize there are other things in life beyond sparkly dresses, pretty tiaras, and landing a prince.An enchantress has been asked by a king and queen to be godmother to their newborn daughter. She agrees, only to realize that she has very little idea what being a princess actually entails and so turns to her magic mirror for answers. Her mirror is rather unhelpful, so the enchantress transforms it into a small compact mirror and sends it out into the world to discover what it can.What follows are stories that involve the trials and tribulations eight princesses, who live all across the globe and span several different era (they’re ordered chronologically, from medieval Britain to contemporary America). Each one focuses on a different trait belonging to each princess, whether it’s kindness, bravery, social responsibility, hard work, caring for others or following her dream.Heloise goes in search of a cure for her sick sister, while Leila learns to put aside practical jokes and save her city from invasion. Abayome struggles against a disapproving stepmother who has very different ideas about what a princess should be, while Ellen longs to take to the seas and see the world. Tica loves animals, even the dangerous kinds, Saoirse finds her purpose in books, and Anya and her sisters escape the Russian Revolution and make a new life for themselves in Paris.Finally, a little girl nicknamed Princess finds a way to save a memorial garden in the heart of a big city.All the stories are linked by the presence of the magic mirror, who is silently gathering intel about each one as it continues its centuries-long journey. Lydia Corry provides the illustrations, which beautifully depict each girl and their distinctive culture, whether she’s African, South American, Irish or Scandinavian.Each story is warm and heartfelt – and some of them are brave enough to commit to a bittersweet ending. Not every princess gets exactly what she wants, and sometimes happiness can be found in service to others rather than the usual generic “follow your dreams and eventually you’ll get what you want”.Like I said, this would make a great book for any child obsessed with princesses, but in need of a wider, more nuanced understanding of the word.

This was absolutely beautiful in every possible way! What a lovely little collection of stories about strong princesses from around the world, connected loosely by a magic mirror that finds its way to each one of them. The synopsis kind of generalizes what each girl does, but these princesses do much more in each of their stories than you could explain in one sentence - they are brave, bright girls with many varied talents, interests, and attributes.Each story was very different - some more based in fantasy, like the princess who switches places with a fairy, and some are more realistic, like the princess who saves the community garden outside her apartment. Some princesses are focused on family, some want to go adventuring, some stand up bravely against wrongdoings. Honestly, I'm not sure I can pick a favorite - I loved each story and each princess for different reasons.The time periods and areas these girls come from are rarely specifically identified, but I tried to piece it together based on clues like character names and descriptions of places. There was a medieval princess, a Middle Eastern princess, an African princess, a Latin American princess, and perhaps Russian princesses (definitely reminded me of the Romanovs) who fled to France, but I guessed on the others: Ireland, Scotland, and a big city like New York, maybe?I can easily see this book being read aloud for bedtime or otherwise, and asked for repeatedly. I've read a lot of collections of stories in the "strong girls/princesses" category, so my expectations for this were not super high, but I was absolutely blown away. I would highly recommend this for any bright, brave, adventurous princess's bookshelf. (And I'll be reading this to my little prince too, when he's old enough.)Final verdict: I'm obsessed with it! I thought this book was amazing! It's now officially one of my favorite books! I shall be shouting about it from the rooftops for days and I am currently recommending it to everyone I come in contact with!{ Review originally posted on my blog, PidginPea's Book Nook. Thank you to Edelweiss+ and the publisher for providing me with a review copy. My reviews are honest and my opinions are my own; your reading experience may vary, so give it a read and see what you think. :) }

I was drawn to this book's appealing cover and its promise of interesting tales inside. Indeed, readers will enjoy eight stories about modern, bold young princesses along with beautiful illustrations. Plus, there is a magic mirror; all in all a fun read and a Guardian book of 2019.The author draws readers in in the first short chapter of the book that is written in a familiar fairy tale style. In it, an enchantress is asked to be a godmother and realizes that she needs to figure out the best attributes for a princess. The answers she receives do not seem adequate so, with the help of a magic mirror, she goes on a quest to learn more and the stories begin...In the first, a princess's sister is ill. Though the palace is filled with knights, none are willing or brave enough to seek the witch who might provide a cure. So instead, a princess who needs to tie her glasses on with string, is the one to go on a quest. What will happen? Feminist adults will enjoy what does and the encouragement that is given to a girl to be strong and to believe. So it goes from there for the rest of the tales until the final one in which a building project is successfully scuppered in order to save a garden. Throughout all of the stories the mirror is a constant as the reader learns about the qualities that a princess requires.Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this fun and empowering take on the fairly tale in exchange for an honest review.

Well enjoyed by the recipient during lockdown.

My granddaughter is enjoying this book as a read for bedtime. She's 6&half.