Princess Stories by Carolyn Larsen puts a Christian spin on the Disney craze over princesses. However, instead of Cinderella, Snow White, and Jasmine, the focus here is on Judge Deborah ("The Wise Princess"), Ruth ("The Loyal Princess"), Esther ("The Daring Princess"), the Virgin Mary ("The Obedient Princess") and 26 other women of the Old and New Testaments. Each princess tells her own story, and no punches are pulled. Eve confesses her sin, and Deborah even actually tells the story of Jael pounding a tent stake through the head of Sisera. (Yikes!)
Following each narrative, there is a page called "Princess Ponderings," in which the readers are asked three questions related to the story and also about a Bible verse referenced in the questions. The sections all begin with the chant of "Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who was the most __ princess of all?" The blank is filled in with words such as bravest, most helpful, unforgotten, surprised, or faithful. The artwork by Sergey Eliseev is akin to coloring book figures and the page borders are overrun with flowers, branches, leaves, and blossoms. For young girls who are obsessed with the Disney version of what a princess should be, this book offers an alternate set of stories with genuine biblical lessons. Dr. Dennis E. Hensley, www.ChristianBookPreviews.com
