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Princess Hyacinth: The Surprising Tale of a Girl Who Floated

(2009, Fiction - Fairy Tale, Illustrated by Lane Smith)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 0, age appropriate for kids over 4; suggested age 4.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    Warm-hearted, beautifully illustrated flight of fancy.

Themes in this book include:   family relationships, friendship, growing up

Why We Rated This on for Ages 4 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    A clever friend helps the princess find a way to live happily -- and freely.

  • Role models:

    The princess generally respects her parents' rules, but is eager to find her own path; boy is kind, generous, and clever.

  • Illustrations:

    Elegant, whimsical, and absolutely delightful.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence & scariness:

    A flyaway princess alarms her parents, but they keep a watchful eye on her and she never seems worried.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Princess Hyacinth: The Surprising Tale of a Girl Who Floated

Parents need to know that the heroine in this whimsical fantasy doesn’t want to be weighed down by her unusual problem. Kids might be alarmed when the princess begins to float aloft, but her concerned parents keep watch over her and Hyacinth feels joy and awe, not fear. The princess strips down to her underpants for her high-flying adventures. An affectionate friendship between the princess and Boy blossoms as the pair find a way for the princess to safely play.

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Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about Princess Hyacinth’s isolation. How does she feel as she watches the kids play? What could she and her family have done to ease her loneliness? 
  • How do the princess and her parents view her upward tendency at the start of the book? How do their views change? Do you think the ability to float would be fun or worrisome?
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