THE PRINCESS IN BLACK AND THE PRINCE IN PINK, by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale, LeUyen Pham, Candlewick, April 11, 2023, Hardcover, $14.99 (ages 5-8)
A new hero steps in to help Princess Magnolia save the day in The Princess in Black and the Prince in Pink, by Shannon and Dean Hale and LeUyen Pham.
Princess Magnolia is at the Flower Festival prepping for the evening ball when suddenly she hears a commotion. Oh no! She isn’t prepared to fight a monster or . . . a grumpy emu! To her surprise, a knight in shining armor comes to the rescue, but not before the princess’s prized decorations are stomped on and destroyed. Luckily, the gallant Prince Valerian has his own secret identity — the Prince in Pink — and has been yearning for a chance to show off his special skills, with the help of some twinkle-twinkle and major glam. Glitter has been restored, but then the angry emu returns — with friends! Can the party heroes step up to save the day again? —Synopsis provided by Candlewick
The Princess in Black and the Prince in Pink is the tenth book in this popular series. And as with any series of this length, there are bound to be reasons people like/dislike the books. As you might expect, the new character in this book has some people up in arms, calling it “woke.” But, honestly, there’s nothing wrong with the Prince in Pink. If anything, his character reinforces allowing kids to be themselves.
The bigger problem, if there is one, is that there are fewer monsters to battle and they’re present for less time. So, if that’s what your kids read these books for, then this one should be a library pick prior to purchase.
All that said, The Princess in Black and the Prince in Pink fits well into the series. The illustrations are as energetic as ever and the writing remains on-par.
My 9-year-old is well past reading these books, but that didn’t stop her from picking this one up, reading it cover-to-cover and declaring it, “Great!” She happily recommends it and so do I.
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