PRINCESS PARTY

A sugar-shock of pink coats this perfectly nice if less-than-extraordinary addition to the princess shelf. Two little girls show that it’s just as OK to be a princess who wears high heels and pink as it is to be a princess who prefers jeans and cowboy boots. The cheery rhyming (though occasionally forced) text also assures readers that, “A Princess is pleased when her friends come to stay / It is grand to have pals to play with all day.” In the door walks a variety of different princesses who engage in everything from tea parties to the defense of their backyard castle. Allen’s pencil-and-watercolor technique matches the text well enough, though the questionable inclusion of a stereotypical American Indian “princess” at the party may raise a few eyebrows. Altogether a princess offering that will blend in seamlessly with the titles already out there. A relatively harmless if unnecessary purchase. (Picture books. 4-8)