The Princess in Black and the Perfect Princess Party

Princess Magnolia, the eponymous Princess in Black, returns in this second chapter-book devoted to her adventures. Opening as she prepares for her birthday party, to which twelve sparkly fellow princesses have been invited, the story follows her as she is continually called away to fight monsters. As she slips in and out of the castle, and in and out of her alter-ego, Princess Magnolia grows ever more flustered. Will she ever get to open her presents, or will the monsters escaping from Monster Land ruin her party...?

Like it predecessor, The Princess in Black and the Perfect Princess Party pairs a humorous and entertaining tale with colorful artwork that will keep young readers engaged. The story is a little repetitive, compared to the show more first book, but that's a natural result of its structure, as the princess is forced to continually rush out to battle monsters, when all she wants to do is open her presents. I thought that there was more of a sense of Princess Magnolia enjoying both of her roles here, whereas in the first book it felt almost that her public persona was a chore, compared to her secret (and more exciting) life as a monster-battling hero. Here there is more balance, and both roles are seen as positive, making the secretive nature of The Princess in Black's activities less problematic. On another note, while I appreciated the inclusion of a diverse range of princesses, in Princess Magnolia's party guests, I do wonder if their depiction will raise any red flags with those particularly attuned to issues of representation and stereotype. It's clear that illustrator LeUyen Pham was trying to emphasize the geographic and cultural diversity of the princesses, but I imagine that there will be those who see her depiction of some of them as objectionable. For my part, I think their depiction is in keeping with that of Princess Magnolia herself - everyone is very much meant to be a generic 'type,' whether that be a faux-medieval European princess, or an early, pre-modernized Native American one.

With the caveat that those particularly sensitive to these issues might want to proceed with caution, I'd recommend The Princess in Black and the Perfect Princess Party to those readers who have read and enjoyed the first book in this series, as well as to those looking for 'princessy' tale with a slightly different, more girl-positive bent. show less

Some people can't stand the whole princess thing, others haven't lost it even though they've grown up; I never thought of myself as being afflicted with the desire, but then I really enjoyed a series of books called Castles Ever After which might as well have been commissioned by some sort of Secret Adult Princess Division of Disney. Both the daughters came down with a case when they started preschool, one traditionally (so much Belle merch) the other with an edge (Zombie Princess), and both gave it up in favor of other, more literally kick-ass heroines. These books are perfect for that phase: the swashbuckling and monster-fighting will appeal to nearly all kids, the princesses are a diverse lot, there's a disability addressed as no big show more deal, and they are funny enough for adults to read repeatedly as they will no doubt be forced to do.


Write on, Shannon Hale, long may you reign as Queen of the Kickass Princess!


Library copy show less

Unfortunately, the giggle-inducing storyline and a very charming princess with a secret identity do not counteract the stereotypical presentations of the eleven party guest princesses, including one (presumably Native American) princess who appears to be wearing a headdress and buckskin.

"Who says princesses don't wear black?"

This book begins all pink and princessy, complete with a unicorn! But Princess Magnolia has a secret identity, as does the unicorn! They have to save goats from being eaten by monsters! A fun, fun read!

A good friend, who happens to be six years old, recommended this book highly. She has excellent taste. Princess Magnolia, secretly the Princess in Black, wants to have a perfect birthday party, but the monsters have other ideas. It's tough to multitask a party and monster fighting, but she pulls it off! I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Princess in Black series is filled with humor and action. While not the strongest book in the series the 2 reluctant readers I have at home, both read this book in one sitting.

As guest are arriving for Magnolia's birthday party the monster alarm rings. Princess Magnolia rushes out to the goat paster to defeat the monster. Back at her party everytime, she tries to open her gifts the monster alarm rings. Characters could stand more development but fans of the series and other Princess/Superhero books will not mind. The color pages and illustrations help reluctant readers.

This review originally published at The Children's Book and Media Review

Princess Magnolia has a big secret. She is the Princess in Black that protects her kingdom from the monsters who want to cause trouble by eating the goats. Sometimes, though, she wants to have a regular life and do princess things, particularly on her birthday. Every time she goes to open presents with her party guests, the princess from other countries, her glitter-stone ring sounds an alarm to tell her that she needs to go fight a monster. She has to keep her guests from finding out that she is the Princess in Black by coming up with other activities, and finally it takes giving a monster a stern lecture before she is able to enjoy her birthday party the way she show more wants to.

This book is a mix between a picture book and a chapter book, including lots of pictures to break up the text, which could be useful for readers who want to read more advanced books but may not be quite there yet. Magnolia is an excellent character to show that girls can like pink and pretty things while still being the hero of the story fighting the bad guys. One of the most amusing parts of the book is the names for her fighting moves like “Twinkle Twinkle Little Smash” and “Tiara Trip”. For fans of the first Princess in Black or those new to these series, this book will be a hit to show how much princesses can really do. show less