Power to the Princess: 15 Favorite Fairytales Retold with Girl Power

Murrow opens this fairy tale collection with a tongue-in-cheek note explaining that these stories arose from her interviews with 15 fairy tale princesses who were fed up with hearing untruths about themselves. While the stories follow the classic stories’ general narrative arc, they stray early and playfully from more rigid storylines, infusing them with a thoroughly modern sensibility. In “The Little Mermaid,” Princess Marisha, who wears a tuxedo-style suit jacket over her mermaid tail, joins land princess Melody: “The princesses shared not only a vision for the future of their kingdoms, but also a vision for their lives together.” In “Little Red Riding Hood,” both the titular character and her grandmother grow concerned that the wolves are starving, because they “really shouldn’t have a taste for human food,” and the princess goes on to protect the welfare of wolves and their environment. Bereciartu illustrates in a gentle, wry style that fully display the diverse princesses’ resourcefulness, confidence, and irreverence. Murrow strikes a tone that is both earnest and good-humored as these royals audaciously rewrite the rules. Ages 5–8. (Sept.)