An African Princess
PreSchool-Grade 2–Lyra's mother has always told her that she is descended from a princess captured in Africa and taken to the Caribbean. When the girl shares this information with her schoolmates, they don't believe her, and she begins to doubt who she is: "There are not many African princesses who live on the tenth floor and have freckles like me." One day, Lyra's mother tells her that they are going to visit "our African princess, Taunte May." Although specific places are not mentioned in the text, Wilson's colorful mixed-media illustrations suggest that the girl and her family dwell in a large city in Europe or America and they travel to a tropical, exotic country–in the Caribbean perhaps. Taunte May ends up teaching Lyra about African princesses all around the world who are part of her family. By the time the girl returns to school, she is once again confident about her true identity. Edmonds's delivery of this message is light and brief, but clear nonetheless. There is still room for more books showing princesses of color, making this one a welcome addition. Pair it with Joyce Carol Thomas'sThe Gospel Cinderella(HarperCollins, 2004).–Mary N. Oluonye, Shaker Heights Public Library, OHCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.