Publishers Weekly
Geraldine, this book's redheaded heroine, may look like an ordinary girl, but she harbors no doubts about her magical royal status: “I FEEL it inside—a sparkling feeling of just KNOWING in my heart.” With great powers, however, come great responsibilities. A fairy princess must always wear her crown (“You never know who you might bump into... even on the stairs), shore up her mere mortal friends (“YOU sparkle when you play the trombone,” she tells one), and always be on the lookout for problems to solve, like an escaped classroom hamster. Andrews and Hamilton's narrative voice, a mixture of self-assured proclamations and parenthetical confidences, is fun, and for every reference to glitter, tutus, and sparkle, there are examples of the heroine's rough-and-tumble side (sliding down a banister or pursuing a frog across a stream). Davenier's (Just Like a Baby) luminous and empathic watercolors act like fairy wings on this story. Even though the pictures are predominantly pink, there's nothing pale about Davenier's characterization; Geraldine radiates noblesse oblige, heedless energy, and a sense of destiny—she's Eloise crossed with Hillary Clinton. Ages 3-6. (May)
Children's Literature - Heidi Hauser Green
From page one of this tender book, narrator Geraldine announces that she is a fairy princess. Who are we to question her? After all, she tells us, she knows she is a fairy princess before she "feel[s] it inside—a sparkly feeling of just knowing in [her] heart." Throughout the text by Andrews and Hamilton, Geraldine seeks to explain her behavior as a fairy princess. Davenier's illustrations reveal her to be both a fairy princess (confident on every page) and a very real little girl (getting into mischief, tiara notwithstanding.) The text tells us that in the morning she puts on her crown before she heads downstairs; the accompanying illustration shows her sliding down the railing. The text tells us that she practices flying on her way to the school bus; the illustration shows her running her heart out. But in spite of the doubters—her brother Stewart, her friend Delilah, her teachers—Geraldine proves herself to be all fairy-princess from morning to night. And there's nothing wrong with that. Imaginative play and role playing rule the day in this simple story. Gerry is both feminine and practical, a realistic blend of traits shared by many modern girls. They will enjoy seeing themselves on the pages of this sparkly text. Reviewer: Heidi Hauser Green
School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 1—As any library staff member will tell you, there can never be too many princess stories. While this collaboration between Julie Andrews and her daughter, Emma Hamilton, does not stand out as anything particularly different, it does have enough sparkle to keep young readers interested. Geraldine leads a rather ordinary life, and each page highlights a part of her mundane day. However, in the grand tradition of other literary, bedazzled mini-divas, Geraldine's imagination and love for the color pink brighten the daily grind of being a scab-kneed little girl. Readers will enjoy Geraldine's princess attitude and the vibrant fantasy brought to life through Davenier's ink and colored pencil illustrations. However, for girly girl stories with a bit more attitude, stick with reigning princesses Eloise, Fancy Nancy, and Olivia.—Sarah Townsend, Norfolk Public Library, VA
Kirkus Reviews
The well-known actress/author and her daughter collaborate to create an eminently practical yet ebullient heroine. With delightful insouciance, young Geraldine assures readers that she knows without a doubt that she is a fairy princess. Much like a seasoned court lawyer providing expert testimony, Geraldine submits her evidence to convince the skeptics. From dawn to dusk, she takes readers through her day, highlighting the multitude of moments that reveal her inner royal sprite. Davenier's whimsical ink-and-colored-pencil illustrations enchant. Bedecked in a tiara and adorned in pink as she strides confidently along, Gerry exudes an undeniable joie de vivre. The mother-daughter team successfully demonstrates an understanding of that magical stage of childhood in which determination, desire and dreams can transform reality. Fellow princess-obsessed readers will easily recognize a kindred spirit; those whose thinking is more in line with Gerry's brother Stewart will see the pink sparkles on the cover and stay away. (Picture book. 3-7)
