Not Quite Snow White
By Diondra K. Brown,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Heartwarming story shows a princess can be any color.
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What's the Story?
In NOT QUITE SNOW WHITE, young Tameika is a triple threat: She can sing, dance, and act. When her primary school hosts auditions for a musical rendition of Snow White, she's thrilled about the opportunity to audition for the lead character. While helping her friends rehearse their lines and dance moves, she overhears kids making nasty comments about why she can't play Snow White because of the way she looks. They whisper she's "too tall," "much too chubby," and "too brown." And she wonders, "Could those kids be wrong?" Or "maybe she was wrong for wanting to be this princess." After feeling low, her parents assure her that she's "just enough of all the right stuff," but she has to overcome her heartbreak if she wants to achieve her goal. Luckily, she can go back and try out on the second day of auditions.
Is It Any Good?
This delightful, relatable story of believing in yourself and following your dreams puts a diverse cast of characters on center stage. Emphasizing talent and self-love, Not Quite Snow White shows that it's essential to never let anything or anyone keep you from pursuing your dreams, and that anyone can be anything, if you just believe. The colorful and detailed cartoon-like illustrations capture the changing nature of Tameika's emotions as the story's events unfold.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what it means to be a princess in Not Quite Snow White. How have books, movies, and cartoons shaped what people think a princess looks like? Do you think anyone should be able to play any part in a play or in a game?
Has anyone ever told you that you couldn't do something because of the color of your skin or shape of your body? How did that make you feel?
Tameika is passionate about singing, dancing, and acting. What activities are you passionate about, and how do they help you express yourself?
Book Details
- Author: Ashley Franklin
- Illustrator: Ebony Glenn
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Princesses, Fairies, Mermaids, and More , Arts and Dance , Fairy Tales , Great Girl Role Models
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
- Publication date: July 9, 2019
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 8
- Number of pages: 32
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: December 7, 2020
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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
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