The Monster Princess by D.J. MacHale is a fairytale anyone can fall in love with. MacHale is the author of the much-celebrated Pendragon series for young adults, but this gorgeously illustrated picture book is perfect for younger kids.

The hero of this fairy tale is not the three lovely princess who live in the mountaintop castle but sweet and brave Lala the gnome. Lala is an expert krinkle nut gatherer who lives with her family deep inside the mountain.

But oh how she wants to be a princess!

When Lala decides to make her dreams come true, she finds that being a beautiful princess might not be so much fun. Her claws snag her dress, the dancers at the courtly ball laugh at her, and the three princesses Lala thought were her friends mock her for being different.

Lala flees home, realizing that she is simply not meant to be a princess. But she is good at gathering krinkle nuts. When she discovers that the mean princesses have been kidnapped by a krinkle-nut-loving beast, she swoops in and saves the day.

This book beautifully captures a difficult-to-master philosophy so eloquently put by Forrest Church.

Want what you have.
Do what you can.
Be who you are.

Lala learns this lesson extraordinarily well, and in this old-style, new-message fairy tale kids can easily grasp this important message.

After we had read the book several times throughout the week, I prompted the girls with a few discussion questions about the Monster Princess.

• What did Lala want in the beginning of the book?
• Was Lala happy being a fancy princess?
• What was Lala really good at?
• What did Lala want in the end of the book?
• What are some of the things you are good at?
• What are some ways you can share those good things with your friends and family?

Both Miss Kindergarten and Little Miss Three had a lot to say about Lala and about their own strengths and talents.

Heartbreakingly, when we talked about the book, Miss Kindergarten chose as her favorite part not the scene where the monster princess uses her skills to save the mean princesses but the scene where the mean princesses apologize.  Unfortunately, that is the one piece of the story we can’t control, no matter how lovely our philosophy.

Tags: Children's Books

About Sarah

Sarah Aadland is striving to make family volunteering a meaningful habit for her family of five. Join the conversation as she ponders what they may (or may not have) learned and looks for helpful information about raising compassionate kids.Though she plans to one day put her Masters in Public Policy back to work for social justice, she sees family volunteering as a way to build a stronger community, a better world, and a more connected family. In addition to her children, Sarah tends a large garden, a small flock of chickens, and a habit of mindfulness amid the necessary rituals of parenting.

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