Not Every Princess

This husband-and-wife writing team, both practicing psychologists, debut with a book that aims to “help children envision lives for themselves beyond stereotypical gender roles and expectation,” as they explain in an afterword geared toward adults. They attack these goals gently, with the authors writing in mostly smooth verse and Docampo (Dangerously Ever After) contributing airy, dreamlike illustrations that also emphasize imagination and possibility. “Not every princess lives in a castle./ Not every fairy has wings,” write the Bones as a girl in a Viking helmet peers down at a bird’s nest from the heights of her treehouse and a boy whizzes down a hill on a sled, a silhouetted deer looking on from the foreground. Following examples of pirates, ballerinas, superheroes, and mermaids who also don’t hew to expectations, the story shifts (a bit abruptly) to focus on the power of imagination. The authors keep their messaging to a minimum; coupled with the emotion and humor in Docampo’s artwork, it goes a long way to helping the book feel like a book, and not just a resource. Ages 4–8. Illustrator’s agent: MB Artists. (May)