The Princess Who Had No Kingdom

by Ursula Jones, illustrated by Sarah Gibb

Hachette Children’s Books. Children’s, Picture Book. Paperback rrp $16.99

Princess was beautiful and kind, travelling the country with her horse and cart looking for her kingdom. Everyone knew her and would ask “Found your kingdom yet Princess?” To make money she delivered parcels that could not be delivered in the mail.

One day the Princess comes across a Prince being crowned King. He spends most of the night dancing with her and then asks her to marry him. But so do some other Princes. They all want to marry her because of her beauty and kindness. Next there is a food fight and the Princess thinks it is a terrible waste of food and slips away.

While travelling through the countryside she comes across a court jester whom she helps and finds that her kingdom is closer than she thinks.

This is a wonderful story with illustrations that reflect the princess and her beauty. I fell in love with the black silhouettes (similar to linocuts) looking into the rich homes and the delicate flowers surrounding the princess. The Princess Who Had No Kingdom is longer than most picture books and will be suitable to read to little ones or read with emerging readers. It will be a book that little girls will treasure for years.

Ursula Jones is the winner of the 2003 Smarties Prize. Sarah Gibb is the original illustrator of The Tiara Club which The Reading Stack has reviewed previously.

http://www.sarahgibb.com/