Princess Lemonella

I picked this book solely on this cover and name. Its a different kind of princess story. Princess Lemonella never smiled and always kept to herself. Great for little girls who love to act like princesses. Such and amazing lesson within just a few pages. I loved the illustrations, each went right along with the words being read.
Great book for girls.

"Do I have to?" 

Finally, a princess I can relate to! This is a charmingly quirky tale with wonderful artwork. Very cute and endearing.

Thank you NetGalley for this little gem.

I stumbled upon this children's book just this evening and was it ever cute! Princess Lemonella is not a typical princess. She doesn't smile. She isn't impressed by typical princely charms. I liked the message that the book expresses which is "make your own choices."  A delightful tale for any grumpy princess or prince.

I enjoyed this fractured fairy tale. I have students ask for princess books all the time, and I will enjoy handing this to them. Princess Lemonella is her own person, and refuses to conform to any of the princess tropes. In the end she finds the prince who is just right for her. The illustrations are lovely (I love the panoramic shots of the city, especially).

The Kingdom of Cornichon welcomes a baby girl, Princess Ella. This princess does not smile, laugh or behave in any joyful way. Her parents, the king, and the queen try their hardest to create a situation where she would smile, but nothing gives in, and so they give up and call her Princess Lemonella.

After 18 years, the king and the queen finally decide that it is time for Lemonella to marry. As suitors pour in for this beautiful girl, she rejects them one after another. The princes all offer her things she is remotely interested in.

One day as she is staring outside her window, another prince rides along, and Lemonella says hi to him. She asks him if he wishes to offer what the others have been and he says no. Prince Peter is, in fact, suffering from the same fate as Lemonella. He too has a frowned face and does not smile or laugh. His parents call him Prince Pickle. As they discover their nicknames, they begin to smile and then laugh.

Their laughter brings them together.

I found this book to be a wonderful rendition of what we all need to learn from. The tale teaches us that everyone has a different background and comes from a diverse point of view. We simply cannot force anything on ourselves just because we are different.

We may feel misunderstood and misplaced at times, however, with a little patience, it is easy to find people that are in the same situation as us. We aren’t alone.

Sharing a smile and laughing together is not so hard when you find your match.

Written by Jeyran Main

Clever tale about a dour princess who finally meets her match--and they live happily ever after. Beautiful illustrations accompany this simple story. Familiar fairy tale elements--a long golden braid of hair, a slipper, a pile of mattresses--make their appearance. Five stars, a new take on a classic genre.