Robert Munsch

When Elizabeth's castle and all possessions, including her clothes, are destroyed by the mean dragon, it leaves her vulnerable and VERY mad. She was slated to marry prince Ronald, and now the dragon took him away. In her quest to find both of them, all she had to wear was a paper bag. She followed the trail and found the dragon. When she found him she goaded him into burning a large amount of forests.

Then, the spunky girl challenged to dragon to fly around the world in ten seconds, she then show more told him to do it again. When he returned he was too tired and all he could do is sleep. When she found Prince Ronald, he was not appreciative in the lest. He told her she was a mess in a paper dress and she stunk.

The highlight of Elizbeth's spunky personality occurred when she jumped in the air and told the nasty prince,, "Your clothe are really pretty and your hair is neat, BUT you are a bum."

This is a story produced in 1945, way ahead of the women's movement. The author purposely made a female character who could change the tables, have a ton of self confidence, and know how to put nasty men in their place.

The character of Elizabeth make the book special. She was portrayed as way ahead of her time, someone who can face the loss of all her possessions, and carry on wearing a paper bag. she knew the clothes do not make the female or the man! When she was treated badly by her groom to be, she didn't sniffle and cry, instead, she raised her head high and knew the Prince was a cad and had no manners or soul.

Marching away, head held high, marching into the sunset wearing her paper bag dress. Arms held high while performing a little jig, she was jumping in glory.

Five Stars! show less

When Jonathan's mother pops out to the shop for a can of noodles, she tells him not to make a mess. But then a subway stop just opens up in his apartment wall, and chaos ensures. At first Jonathan's mother doesn't believe him, but then she witnesses the phenomenon herself. Seeking answers at City Hall, Jonathan is told by the mayor that everything is controlled by the computer, and that there is nothing to be done. Then he discovers who controls the computer, fetches him some jam, and gets show more the problem solved. At least, for him...

Originally published in 1981, this entertaining picture-book from Canadian author/illustrator team Robert Munsch and Michael Martchenko has that surreal sense of humor I have come to associate with their work. The matter-of-fact madness of the hi-jinks here contrasts nicely with Jonathan's civic-minded response, as he heads to City Hall for an answer. The subway commuters here look a little dated - very 80s in their appearance - but otherwise this one holds up quite well, especially with that hilarious ending, in which Jonathan convinces the computer man to switch the subway stop to the Mayor's office! Recommended to Munsch/Martchenko fans, and to anyone looking for picture-books with a somewhat oddball sense of humor. show less

When Princess Elizabeth's intended, Prince Ronald, is kidnapped by the marauding dragon who destroyed her castle and burnt all of her belongings to a crisp, the resourceful young royal dons a paper bag and sets out in hot pursuit. She cunningly tricks the dragon into exhausting himself, and then liberates Ronald, only to be told that she doesn't look like a proper princess. Fed up, Elizabeth tells him that although he may look like a prince, he's really a bum. In the end, the narrative show more concludes, "They didn't get married after all".

Originally published in 1980, and then reprinted this year (2018) in this new edition, The Paper Bag Princess is a classic of Canadian children's literature. An early feminist fairy-tale, it features a resourceful heroine who rescues the boy (rather than the other way around), and who rejects some of the traditional qualities (fashionable clothing, for instance) stereotypically associated with women. I first read this one years ago, and haven't revisited it until now. It definitely stands up to an adult reading, and is every bit as amusing as I recall - that final lines never fails to win a chuckle. Recommended to anyone looking for picture-books about strong, resourceful girls, or with a taste for fractured fairy-tales. show less

The Paper Bag Princess by Robert N. Munsch, illustrated by Michael Martchenko, is about a lavish princess, Elizabeth, who is set to marry a prince named Ronald. Unfortunately, a dragon burns down her castle, her clothes, and steals Ronald. After finding a paper bag to wear, she sets off to find him by following a trail of burnt forest and horse bones. Elizabeth finds the dragon’s cave, but he is uninterested in speaking with her because he has already eaten a castle and has no more room show more for any princesses. She has the idea to question the dragon about his magnificence, and in the midst of proving it to her, the dragon wears himself out. She finds Ronald, but is only greeted with, “Elizabeth, you are a mess! You smell like ashes, your hair is all tangled, and you are wearing a dirty old paper bag. Come back when you are dressed like a real princess.” In response, Elizabeth tells him, “Ronald, your clothes are really pretty and your hair is very neat. You look like a real prince, but you are a bum”, and they do not get married. This story has a great theme about empowering girls and breaking gender roles. It shows that girls can also be strong, smart, and independent while also valuing their self-worth. Elizabeth understands that even though Ronald looks like a prince, he does not act like a true one, and therefore is not worth her time. It shows that even though she put in all the effort to save him, some people only care about what’s on the outside rather than inside, which gives people the chance to recognize their self worth and surround themselves with people who really care about each other. This is a lesson that children should be taught because it can be a very relatable experience for them, especially when trying to make friends and fit in. show less