Common Sense Media Review
By Regan McMahon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fun tale of monster-fighting princess who leads double life.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 5+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
Princess Magnolia has a huge secret she doesn't want anyone to uncover, especially not nosy Duchess Wigtower, who's come to her castle for tea. The secret is that when the monster alarm sounds, Magnolia slips into her closet, doffs her frilly pink princess dress, throws off her glass slippers, and changes into a black outfit of pants, boots, cape, and mask to become ... the Princess in Black, who keeps monsters in line. Her sparkly pet unicorn, Frimplepants, also transforms -- into Blacky, her faithful pony -- and together they ride off to stop a big blue monster from eating goats in the countryside. Can she get back to the castle before Duchess Wigtower figures out her secret?
Is It Any Good?
THE PRINCESS IN BLACK is an engaging adventure story with a can't-keep-her-down superhero at its heart. Authors Shannon Hale (Princess Academy) and Dean Hale keeps things fun and light and create a charming strong female character who's part Zorro, part Superman, part ninja. LeUyen Pham's illustrations are cute, funny, and action-packed.
The whole package is great for read-aloud or beginning readers. And the introduction of boy goatherd Duff, who dreams of fighting alongside the Black Princess as the masked Goat Avenger, leaves the door open for more adventures to appeal to both boys and girls.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about supererheroes' secret identities. Is it OK to keep secrets and fool others for a good cause?
How is The Princess in Black different from other princess stories you've read or seen?
Which illustration is your favorite, and why?
Book Details
- Authors :
- Illustrator : LeUyen Pham
- Genre : For Beginning Readers
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Candlewick Press
- Publication date : October 14, 2014
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 5 - 8
- Number of pages : 96
- Available on : Paperback, Hardback
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
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
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate