Princess Baby by Karen Katz, Karen Katz (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

Poor baby, no one calls her by her real name! “I am not a buttercup, or a giggly goose. I am not a cupcake. Please don’t call me Little Lamb, and never ever Gum Drop,” she insists. With a curtsy and a twirl, again and again our protagonist makes it abundantly clear who she is. She wears a shiny crown, a fancy dress, sparkly shoes, a velvet cape, and glittery jewels.
There are more clues too–she dances with princes, has perfect manners,
and makes sure that everyone in her kingdom is happy. Her persistence
pays off in the end, and even the youngest readers will be cheering,
“Princess Baby!”

Publishers Weekly

The curly-haired and clearly much-adored young heroine is sick and tired of people calling her "Cupcake," "Giggly Goose," "Missy Muffin" and other such sobriquets. After all, her "real name"-and the book's title-should be obvious from her shiny crown (it glitters on the book jacket), or her wand, or her innate sense of noblesse oblige ("I have perfect manners... and make sure that everyone in my kingdom is happy"). Katz's (Counting Kisses) characters are the very definition of pert. They have big round heads and tiny cute eyes, and they frolic on pastel backgrounds of polka dots, clouds and flowers; even the human beings looks like plush toys. Toddler girls just discovering the joys of dress-up should find this as enticing as a glittery petticoat, although the same idea received more astute treatment this past fall in Karma Wilson and Christa Unzner's Princess Me. Ages 1-5. (Jan.)

Children's Literature

AGERANGE: Ages 3 mo. to 4.

"Why doesn't anyone ever call me by my REAL name?" asks the little girl. She is not Cupcake or Little Lamb or Buttercup. It is always "time for breakfast, Giggly Goose," she complains. "But I am not a buttercup or a giggly goose. I am not a cupcake." She politely requests to be called by her real name. "You'll know me by my shiny crown, my fancy dress and, of course, my royal wand. I am PRINCESS BABY!" The book will be a bit too pink, sparkly, and girly for parents who are hoping to avoid the whole princess thing, and the girl really is a bit obnoxious--but little kids will eat it right up. The painted and drawn illustrations are cute and funny. Really, I feel like a bit of a crank for complaining; it is a sweet book. Reviewer: Sara Lorimer

School Library Journal

PreS- This typically self-absorbed toddler is not amused by the pet names she is called-Buttercup, Cupcake, or Little Lamb. She is greeted each day with endearing phrases such as, "Time for breakfast, Giggly Goose" or "How's my Sweet Gumdrop today?" But as she romps around the house in her floral pajamas, the audience will soon realize her preferred name as she dons her golden crown and glittery jewels. Baby joyously leaps across a spread with clothes a-flying. Katz has drawn the human and stuffed-animal characters with perfectly rounded heads, and she uses other softly curving lines in rendering motions such as a curtsey and arm gestures. The predominate color is fuchsia, while other bright hues complement the rosy tones. The cover attracts attention because the crown and shoes are done in a glittery gold. Toddlers will ask for repeated readings of this cheerful view of a youngster's world.-Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA

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