The Other Princess

For all you moms and dads out there a little sick of the Disney princess message, meet Elizabeth and Geraldine. Geraldine is a lovely young lady who thinks pink, tiaras, and tutus are essential. She is also not afraid to wear sneakers, get a few scrapes, make some noise, or just generally "let her sparkle out". Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton convey an endearing message in The Very Fairy Princess about being yourself and not quite conforming in a world of conformity.

Once a very long time ago, a future children's book illustrator was teaching in a preschool when he met a young lady who really considered herself a princess. Her name was Elizabeth, the name of the heroine in The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch. Elizabeth seems like a typical pampered princess in love with your typical prince, Ronald. One day a dragon burns down her castle and takes Ronald prisoner. Since everything has been burnt, Elizabeth is forced to hunt the fierce dragon in a paper bag. When Elizabeth encounters the fierce dragon, she outsmarts the dragon by playing on his weakness - hubris. When she finally rescues Ronald, he is appalled by her disheveled appearance and lack of proper attire. He tells her to return when she is a proper princess. Our plucky princess tells Ronald he is a bum and appears to live happily ever after on her own. A different world from Disney and quite captivating!