The Monster Princess
A potentially didactic story by children’s media veteran MacHale (the Pendragon series, Nickelodeon’s Are You Afraid of the Dark?, etc.), is saved by a wry text (“These maidens were precious as twelve-carat gems. However, this tale is not about them”) and endearing illustrations of Lala, a young, furry, brown monster from underground who wishes to become a princess. The trick played on her by three real princesses (dressing her up for a ball only to ridicule her in public) is cruel but rings true to those familiar with the social-pecking-order playground antics of young children. Lala’s fluffy green hair, eager grin accented by two delicate fangs, and irrepressible spirit make her a creature kids will root for, even before she uses her monstery skills to save the princesses from a scary beast. Although heroically rescuing those who’ve tormented her may seem unrealistically optimistic, the resolution satisfies: they’re all friends in the end, with each remaining true to herself. Grades K-1. --Diane Foote