Princess Justina Albertina: A Cautionary Tale
By Ellen Dee Davidson; illustrated by Michael Chesworth
Charlesbridge; $15.95
32 pp.; ISBN-13: 978-1570916526

Review by Amy Brozio-Andrews

Ellen Dee Davidson's debut picture book, Princess Justina Albertina: A Cautionary Tale, is the perfect gentle reminder of what goes around, comes around for young readers, especially when they're being bossy and ultra-demanding. Princess Justina Albertina gets the message across without being heavy-handed or preachy -- the best way to deliver it, I think.

Princess Justina Albertina insists on getting what she wants, exactly when she wants it. And so when she decides she wants a pet, her dutiful nanny goes to the royal lagoon and gets her a polka-dotted puffer fish. You'd think she'd be happy, right? She wanted a pet and she got one right away. But the fish isn't good enough for Princess Justina Albertina; he doesn't do anything more than swim around in his fishbowl no matter how often she taps on the glass. "I want a pet that notices me," she demands.

And so the young princess' nanny continues to search far and wide for pet after pet. Each time, Nanny retrieves another animal, each more exotic than the last. And predictably, in Princess Justina Albertina's eyes at least, unforgivably flawed. The two-headed dog won't go for a walk. The unicorn won't jump a fence. The kangaroo won't box. And so on and so on until Nanny finally brings back the mythical gryphon. Princess Justina Albertina is delighted. And the gryphon is a pet that definitely notices her: he eats her up.

Lots of fun language in this book makes it a great choice for reading aloud. When she gets upset, the princess "caused a ruckus and a rumpus and a horrible hubbub." The histrionics of Princess Justina Albertina are lively and totally over the top, keeping kids engaged as you read in character. The snappy ending is surprising yet not wholly unexpected, given how terrible the princess' behavior has been throughout the book, and the fact that it's an imaginary animal that gives the princess her due should avoid most real-life fears.

Michael Chesworth's watercolor with colored pencil and gouache artwork illustrates the story perfectly, and his depiction of the princess is spot on. With her expression and body language, she looks just like a little girl whose crown has gone to her head. The comic effect of Princess Justina Albertina sitting on a two-headed dog or trying to cajole the unicorn to jump the fence is laugh-out-loud funny. The beautiful illustrations of the far-flung locales that Nanny travels to are magical: the Amazon is lush with greenery and flowers, the castle in the sky is grand, and the enchanted forest is fanciful. With gentle brush strokes and a soft color palette, Chesworth's pictures let the story shine.

Princess Justina Albertina: A Cautionary Tale is sure to please young kids and their parents: kids will delight in just how bad the princess is, while parents may secretly delight in the devilish consequences being bratty might about in the fantasy world of picture books.