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Summary
Summary
Once upon a time there was a Princess . . .
. . . who made a pit stop.
While the Birds and Beasts changed her tires, her Fairy Godmother told her she was in last place! With just one lap left! She might as well give up!
Give up? Not THIS princess! Instead, she hit the gas!
Join Her Royal Highness in the driver's seat for a mad dash to the finish in this exciting ode to auto racing. With appearances by fairy tale favorites including the Tortoise and the Hare, the Frog Prince, and ALL of the Wicked Witches, this rollicking mash-up of race cars and royalty is a true celebration of both girl power and horsepower.
Author Notes
Tom Angleberger was a journalist before becoming an author-illustrator. His works include the Origami Yoda series, Fake Mustache, and Horton Halfpott or, the Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor; or, the Loosening of M'Lady Luggertuck's Corset. In 2014 his title's Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue: An Origami Yoda Book and Emperor Pickletime Rides the Bus made The New York Times Best Seller List.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Yes, the princess drives a race car, and why not? This sizzling readaloud starts as the Fairy Godmother tells the Princess that she's in last place with one lap to go. "She might as well give up!" the narrator threatens. But when readers get a look at the expression of grim determination behind the princess's goggles, they'll know all is not lost. As she roars off, a frog with a shiny suit and a shinier microphone provides a breathless account of her progress: "She passed Humpty Dumpty! She passed all the King's Horses! She passed all the King's Men!" Practically every major nursery rhyme character makes a cameo appearance: "She blew the doors off the Big Bad Wolf and smoked the Three Little Pigs." Rocket-fueled panel artwork by Santat (After the Fall) gleams like carbon fiber. His rendering of Angleberger's (the Origami Yoda series) inspired injection of sports-network energy into fairyland produces a shot of gleeful adrenaline whose only fault, like the best of things, is that it's over too soon. Ages 5-7. Author's agent: Caryn Wiseman, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Illustrator's agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
With one lap to go in this fast-paced mashup of fairy tale and auto race, the Princess finds herself in last place after a pit stop. Undaunted, she once again takes off around the track. The Frog Prince provides commentary (She passed Humpty Dumpty! She passed all the Kings Horses! She passed all the Kings Men!) while the Princess hurtles on, leaving a trail of rainbow exhaust in her wake. She passes a litany of favorite characters from fairy tales, nursery rhymes, and classic books like The Wizard of Oz and The Tale of Peter Rabbit in amusing (if repetitive) ways. The vibrant art works well with the text to create fairy-tale gags on every page, including the endpapers, while full-bleed pages of bold lines and dramatic layouts play up tension and movement. With only the two Ugly Stepsisters left to pass, the Princess makes her final move (When they got scared and hit the brakesThe Princess just stepped on the gas!) to win. She invites everybody to a post-race ball at the castle, where before any happily-ever-afters can be declared she grabs the Frog Prince to compete in a dance contest. This speedy freshening up of classic characters from childrens literature honors the power of confidence and determination and puts the Princess in the drivers seat. julie roach (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* The high-octane duo of Angleberger and Santat pit a hotshot young princess against more folk- and fairy-tale characters than you can shake a stick shift at. Stuck in last place, just one lap to go, chances so slim that even her fairy godmother tells her there's no way, what's a princess to do? Fiercely put pedal to the metal and roar back out on the racetrack! Cranking up the visual RPMs with streaks and sprays of rainbow color, Santat records an epic comeback as the royal roadster cracks Humpty Dumpty, flies past several Wicked Witches, beats Jack and Jill down the hill, chops the Three Little Pigs, loses Little Bo Peep and the Sheep, leaves the Ugly Stepsisters and every other racer in the dust, and hurtles across the finish line in a blaze of glitter. Time for a Happily Ever After? As if! C'mon Prince! We've got a dance contest to win! the princess crows in the last scene, reaching through an exuberant crowd at the victory ball to snag a frog in a gold lamé jacket. The only bump in the road for this turbo-charged tribute to girl power is the dilemma that libraries will face in having to choose between the equally compelling jacket and cover. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Best-selling Angleberger and Caldecott winner Santat are proven successes, and this high-energy, girl-powered tale will zoom right off shelves.--Peters, John Copyright 2018 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-Out of the way, Danica Patrick! Princess is coming through! Bombed with bad pit stop news-she's in last place with a mere lap to go-this gutsy gal puts the pedal to the metal, burning rubber, and peeling past a pack of familiar rivals. She catches the Gingerbread Man, "made the Seven Dwarfs grumpy," "beat Jack and Jill down the hill," and just plain "smokes the Three Little Pigs!" Angleberger's nitro-fueled terse text is announced by a goggle-eyed frog called Prince and all is ratcheted up by Santat's brilliant, turbo-charged signature illustrations. The culmination is a whirl of track-donuts and a victory ball. A fun rip for those who have enjoyed Caldecott-winner Santat's illustrations in books like Corey Rosen Schwartz's Ninja Red Riding Hood and Angleberger's "Inspector Flytrap" series. VERDICT Rev those engines and buckle that seat belt-readers are in for a bumpy ride. A high-octane storytime selection.-Patricia Manning, -formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A race car-driving princess has something to prove when taking a pit stop leaves her in last place with just one lap to go.While her capable crew of magical creatures gets her ready, the Princess hears her position and reddens with fiery ambition. She zooms ferociously around the track, leaving a rainbow trail of exhaust in her wake. As a track-announcer frog calls out the pun-laced action, the Princess speeds by her famous opponents, recognizable from fairy tales, children's classics, and nursery rhymes. This princess is a force to be reckoned with. She's not afraid of a little rough-and-tumble in the pursuit of victory. After crossing the finish line she celebrates by spinning doughnuts, posing for pictures while covered in grime, and happily accepting an endorsement deal. The full-page illustrations are saturated with color and express the action so vividly readers will nearly hear the roar of the racetrack. The emphasis on the Princess' racing skill and zeal for her sport is empowering and refreshing, which is what makes the end spread all the more disappointing. At her victory party, readers finally get to hear the Princess speak for the only time in the entire book. "C'mon Prince! We've got a dance contest to win!" What a crash and burn. The Princess has light-brown skin and black hair.An exciting ride that unfortunately runs out of steam on the last lap. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
