[alert variation=”alert-info”]Publisher: Orchard Book
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle
Purchase: Powell’s | Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble | iBooks[/alert]
Sometimes being a princess is not all it is cracked up to be. When Snow White is sick of the mess those sloppy seven dwarves make without making any effort of their own, Rapunzel gets tired of being alone in the tower, Cinderella is so exhausted from cleaning she just wants a nap, and Beauty has slept the day away after spinning the wheel too much and is bored, the young girls search out in order to find new adventures. Each describe the dreary life, which sounds better than the other, and through an elaborate switch, find out that life is not always easier in someone else’s world. The endings are not how each might have hoped and afterwards they find out that by expressing their frustrations with the people in their lives, they can have the real wishes come true after all. A clever story about appreciating what you have, using your words to work through problems instead of running away, and finding a happy ending that genuinely makes you happy, Sleeping Cinderella and Other Princess Mix-Ups is a story worth bringing into the collection of any child who is a princess enthusiast, and might help remind them that even the life of a princess is not always perfect. The artwork is well done, and deviates from the typical Disney stereotype that frequently imposes a boring image in young minds. While the story of Sleeping Beauty varies slightly from most versions, and by referencing her as Beauty instead of Aurora, some children may be confused with Beauty and the Beast or even the Princess and the Pea with the story. However, the alteration to the story provides a good example that there are many versions of the tales.
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