Last week I introduced our big giveaway for National Princess Week (April 23-29). Today I am going to share our first post about the amazing resources we are giving away. The prizes in this giveaway are the resources I like to use with Hazel to see princesses as strong, brave and wonderful role models and not just weak girls waiting to be saved or who just go to tea parties and balls. To begin with resources my favorite place to start is a look at real life princesses. One of my favorite places to start especially with younger girls is Princess Grace by Mary Hoffman and illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu.
Grace is a young African American who loves fairy tales and everything princess. She is so excited to find out two girls from her class will be picked to be princesses in an upcoming parade. She asks her grandmother to make her a princess dress, but her grandmother asks her what kind of princess dress. Grace begins to ask questions about princesses and her teacher finds princesses that are spies, led warriors ( Amina of Nigeria), started a woman's army (Pin-Yang of China) as well as teachers, doctors and more. Her teacher also shares the different Cinderella tales from around the world. Grace begins to realize that there is more to princesses than wearing fancy dresses and looking pretty. She also finds them even more interesting than she originally did. This book is a wonderful introduction to real life princesses and to me should be on everyone's shelf.
The next best resource for real life princesses is The Thinking Girl's Treasury of Real Life Princesses from Goosebottom Books. I have shared these books with you previously, but they are part of our amazing giveaway as well. These books tell the good, the bad, and the beautiful parts of these princesses' lives. Some were not considered princesses in their culture but in other cultures they would be. In order of time there is Hatsheput of Egypt, Artemisia of Caria, Sorghaghtani of Mongolia, Qulugh Terkan Khatun of Kirman, Isabella of Castille, Nur Jahan of India, and Sacajawea of the Shoshone. (These links take you to my reviews of each book.) These are an amazing resource for any child or classroom. They are packed full with so much information about the princess and her country and culture.
Our final resource for real life princesses are books we found at the library. There are some biographies of some famous recent princesses as well as Rad Women Worldwide by Kate Schatz that includes a "chapter" on Princess Sophia Duleep Singh of England (as well as Hatshepsut and Queen Lili'uokalani of Hawaii) and Spies and Spying by Kate Walker which includes a "chapter" on Noor Inayat Khan. Princess Sophia Duleep Singh was the granddaughter of Queen Victoria. When she returned to India and saw how the people were living she fought for them. She fought for women's right to vote and she established homes for lascars (Indian sailors treated like slaves) and sent aid to help Indian freedom fighters. Princess Noor Inayat Khan was born in Russia but was an Indian princess. (Her father was from India.) She spied for England in France during World War II. She had been in France when the Germans invaded. She escaped to England but volunteered to go back and spy on the Germans. She was a Sufi for religion and they believe they cannot tell a lie, so Noor Inayat Khan did some creative things to keep the Germans from knowing she was a spy and sending messages to the English. She was eventually executed by the Germans as a spy since she refused to leave even after the English had told her to leave. The biographies tell the tales of these amazing women as well. Of course there are also the various charity work each did/does. Looking at real life princesses is important for kids to see that a princess actually does more than attend balls and wear fancy dresses.
Now for our giveaway!! Have you entered yet?
Thank you to the following companies for their amazing donations:
Annick Press: The Nutmeg Princess and The Paper Bag Princess
Candlewick Press: Princess Cora and the Crocodile, The Princess in Black Princess in Black and the Perfect Princess Party, Princess in Black and the Hungry Bunny Horde and Princess in Black Takes a Vacation
Goosebottom Books: Hatshepsut of Egypt, Artemisia of Caria , Sorghaghtani of Mongolia, Qutlugh Terkan Khatun of Kirman, Isabella of Castile, Nur Jahan of India and Sacajawea of the Shoshone
I See Me! Books: Your choice of personalized Princess Personalized Book or Royal Birthday Adventure
Penguin Kids: Princess Grace and Hamster Princess: Harriet the Invincible
Wisdom Tales Press: Princess Sophie and the Six Swans
Now is your chance to win these books!! Please follow my Giveaway Rules and US shipping only! Good luck!! (Come back all month to enter on each princess post. One of the entries can be done each day be leaving a comment on the posts in this series: Introduction, Legends, Folktales, & Fairy Tales, Personalized Princess Books, and this post)
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