THE PRINCESS IN BLACK AND THE MERMAID PRINCESS, by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale and Pham, LeUyen, Candlewick, Feb. 1, 2022, Hardcover, $14.99 (ages 5-8)
Everyone’s favorite superhero is on her most exciting adventure yet in The Princess in Black and the Mermaid Princess, by Shannon and Dean Hale and LeUyen Pham.
The Princess in Black and her friends are enjoying a day of sun and sea on Princess Sneezewort’s royal boat when a real, live mermaid princess emerges from the waves! Eeeeeee! Princess Posy needs their help protecting her very cute sea goats from being eaten by a very greedy kraken. But the princesses and the Goat Avenger quickly realize that fighting underwater can be tough for land dwellers, and only the mermaid Princess Posy can save the day. Can the masked heroes help her learn that being a princess means more than just being nice — it means speaking up? —Synopsis provided by Candlewick
Waaaay back in 2014, young readers were introduced to a superhero unlike any other.
She was a princess.
A princess in black with a knack for sending monsters packing back through the hole to Monster Land.
She was smart. She was brave. She was a princess who dreamed of more than pink dresses and crowns.
Seven-plus years later, and there are now nine books in the popular series written by Shannon and Dean Hale and illustrated by LeUyen Pham.
The latest installment, The Princess in Black and the Mermaid Princess, follows the same basic formula — a lovely day spoiled by a misbehaving monster and a princess who learns to trust in herself with the help of her friends.
My 7-year-old has grown up with this series, and even though she’s moved on to “harder” books, she was thrilled to see this latest offering. Here are her thoughts:
“I like that it feels like the first book with goats and a duchess and monsters. I think the story is good, and I like that there’s a narwhal named Krimpledance. The pictures are fun, especially the rainbow cover. This is a really good series.”
