The Paper Bag Princess

Jan 31, 2009

Kathryn rated it

Shelves: childrens-picture-books

I give this three stars because it was originally written in 1980 when there wasn't as much in the way of "feminist fairy-tales" as there are today--so, gotta give Munsch props for that! I like that our heroine is plucky and resourceful. However, two things really bugged me--

***SPOILERS***
1st, was it Ronald or Elizabeth who was being false before she came to rescue him--i.e., did she originally pretend to be a proper princess, or was he just hiding his jerky-ness? ...more

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Mar 25, 2009

January rated it

Shelves: childrens-literature, eowyn

It is never too early to teach girls to not settle, and to save the prince! Even if Ronald is a pathetic prince.

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Jan 04, 2011

Slayermel rated it

Recommends it for: anyone with young children and Preschool Teachers

Shelves: 20th-century, childrens, male-authors, picture-books, pre-2008, re-read

I have always loved this story because for once when it comes to Princes and Princesses we have a strong Female character.
Princess Elizabeth is to Marry Prince Ronald, but all this changes when a Fierce Dragon comes and attacks the castle and kidnaps the Prince. Elizabeth ends up having to wear a paper bag and goes through some trials in order to save Prince Robert. When she arrives to save him, Prince Robert is not impressed with the way Elizabeth looks, never mind the fact that she j...more

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Jan 19, 2012

Amy Musser rated it

Shelves: picture-books, princesses, dragons, fairy-tales, storytime

There’s nothing like a liberated and independent princess to make my day! And Princess Elizabeth, aka the Paper Bag Princess, is nothing if not liberated and independent.

Besides being one of the pluckiest princesses in picture book history, I adore the fact that the Elizabeth does not wear pink, nor does she look like a sparkle monster threw up on her. It’s not that I hate the color pink or sparkles it’s just that they seem to have taken over picture books. It’s refreshing to see story...more

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Nov 08, 2011

Maria rated it

This story is like a fresh breeze. It breaks the stereotypical idea of princess fairy tales. I like that Elizabeth the princess in the story is adventurous and bright at the same time. She out-smart the dragon who took Elizabeth's charming prince. It is ironic that after the dragon burned and smashed her castle and cloths, all she could find to wear was a paper bag. I would thing that a paper bag would be the first thing to burn in the castle, but in fiction everything it's possible.

...more

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Sep 24, 2011

Lucy Watts rated it

When we first meet Elizabeth at the start of 'The Paper Bag Princess' she appears to be a common or garden fairy tale princess. She lives in a castle, wears expensive princess clothes and is going to marry a prince named Ronald. So far so dull. Everything changes when a dragon arrives and smashes Elizabeth's castle, burns her clothes and carries Prince Ronald off to his cave.

The rest of the story tells how Elizabeth bravely dons a paper bag (the only thing she can find that the dragon...moreWhen we first meet Elizabeth at the start of 'The Paper Bag Princess' she appears to be a common or garden fairy tale princess. She lives in a castle, wears expensive princess clothes and is going to marry a prince named Ronald. So far so dull. Everything changes when a dragon arrives and smashes Elizabeth's castle, burns her clothes and carries Prince Ronald off to his cave.

The rest of the story tells how Elizabeth bravely dons a paper bag (the only thing she can find that the dragon hasn't burned) and sets off to rescue Ronald. She uses flattery to trick the dragon into performing feats which leave him exhausted, and enters the cave where Ronald has been imprisoned. Instead of being grateful to her, Ronald reveals his shallow and unpleasant personality by commenting on Elizabeth's dishevelled appearance, and telling her to come back when she is dressed like a real princess. The book ends with the final line 'They didn't get married after all' and a picture of Elizabeth skipping happily into the sunset on her own.

The book would work well with children in year 2 as a guided reading book in a class topic exploring fairy/folk tales. It plays very successfully with gender roles and asks the reader/ listener to think about the qualities which we should value in a person. The plot is a very basic and easily understood quest type, the book is written in a succinct, almost matter-of-fact style, and the dialogue between Elizabeth and the other characters is very entertaining. The pictures are fantastic and, as there is a whole-page illustration to each section of the story, they could easily be used before looking at the text of the book for pupils to predict what happens in the story, or as a prompt for children to retell the story in their own words.

I would recommend this book for all children but perhaps especially for Disney-princess addicted girls; it is a great little book, which makes it clear that everyone has choices about what they make of themselves and their lives. (less)

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Dec 31, 2010

Ronyell rated it

Shelves: 1001-children-s-books-you-must-read, books-i-want-to-own, children-books, cult-classic, drama, fairy-tales-folktales, fantasy, humor-satire, picture-books, read-in-1994, reviewed-books, ronyell-s-epinions-reviews, robert-munsch, strong-heroine

I have been reading most of Robert Munsch and Michael Martchenko’s works ever since I was a child and I have enjoyed most of their works! I have recently re-read a book from the popular duo that I had enjoyed during my childhood called “The Paper Bag Princess” and it is about how a princess is stripped down to wearing a plain paper bag when a dragon attacks her castle and she has to go rescue Prince Ronald, who has been kidnapped by the dragon. “The Paper Bag Princess” is definitely one of Rob...moreI have been reading most of Robert Munsch and Michael Martchenko’s works ever since I was a child and I have enjoyed most of their works! I have recently re-read a book from the popular duo that I had enjoyed during my childhood called “The Paper Bag Princess” and it is about how a princess is stripped down to wearing a plain paper bag when a dragon attacks her castle and she has to go rescue Prince Ronald, who has been kidnapped by the dragon. “The Paper Bag Princess” is definitely one of Robert Munsch’s and Michael Martchenko’s most hilarious books ever written!

Elizabeth was a beautiful princess who was going to marry Prince Ronald. One day, however, a dragon comes by and burns her castle to the ground and kidnaps Prince Ronald. With nothing left to wear except for a paper bag, Elizabeth decides to go after the dragon and save Ronald.

If you think that “Stephanie’s Ponytail” was one hilarious and creative book, you should really check this book out! Robert Munsch has truly done an awesome job at writing this story about how a princess loses everything but still wanted to save the love of her life. Robert Munsch’s writing is simple yet sassy and hilarious at the same time and what I really loved about this book was that Robert Munsch made the heroine, Elizabeth into a clever and brave girl and I loved the way that she tries to go and rescue the prince by herself even though she lost everything that she owned and the way that she beats the dragon at its own game is just truly hilarious! Michael Martchenko’s illustrations are creative and hilarious in this book, especially of the images of Elizabeth being in a paper bag throughout the book. The images in this book are a bit more simplistic in this book than in Robert Munsch’s and Michael Martchenko’s later books as the black outlines of the characters make the characters stand out much more. I also loved the images of the dragon itself as it is green, have red spikes down its back and always look more suave than terrifying to the readers.

All in all, “The Paper Bag Princess” is a brilliant book from the famous Munsch/Martchenko duo as it shows that true courage will always win the day. Although I would have preferred the ending to be a little longer so that way it would be more satisfying just knowing what happened to each character after the adventure is over, this was not a major con for me, so I would still recommend this book to children ages four and up, but because of the dragon scenes, I think children ages five and older might stand those scenes better and the children ages four and up will like the simplistic writing of this book.
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Jul 13, 2010

Elfdart rated it

· review of another edition

one of the reasons this story is great is because its one of the few books where the story doesn’t end with the girl getting a guy. princesses and romance go hand in hand, even when the princess is a tough, adventure-seeking, swash-buckling tomboy, for the most part they end up with a guy. in fact stories with female protagonists that don’t end up with a guy could probably be counted on one hand, its a huge part of our cultural perception of women and their happiness. in this one she flips the g...more

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May 01, 2010

Brooke rated it

Summary:
From Amazon.com
"Elizabeth, a beautiful princess, lives in a castle and wears fancy clothes. Just when she is about to marry Prince Ronald, a dragon smashes her castle, burns her clothes with his fiery breath, and prince-naps her dear Ronald. Undaunted and presumably unclad, she dons a large paper bag and sets off to find the dragon and her cherished prince. Once she's tracked down the rascally reptile, she flatters him into performing all sorts of dragonly stunts that ev...more

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Sep 09, 2009

Heather rated it

Shelves: children-picture-books

I am totally lifting another review b/c I couldn't say it better myself but I added the 3rd thing & beyond

I give this three stars because it was originally written in 1980 when there wasn't as much in the way of "feminist fairy-tales" as there are today--so, gotta give Munsch props for that! I like that our heroine is plucky and resourceful. However, three things really bugged me--

***SPOILERS***
1st, was it Ronald or Elizabeth who was being false before s...more

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Dec 12, 2011

Jennifer Rayment rated it

· review of another edition

Jake's Review: I pretty much like all Robert Munsch's books because they are funny and easy to read. They are never boring and he talks more like a kid than an adult. I like the dragon in this one and its kinda funny how Elizabeth convinces him to do stupid stuff. The pictures are really funny and I like that the princess calls Ronald a bum.

Jake's Rating: 9/10

Mom's Review: Even Jesse lets me read him this one, so you know its good when a book hating toddler likes to liste...more

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Oct 12, 2009

Dawn Stephens rated it

A friend told me this was her children's favorite book - So I chose it as an addition to my blog in writing Bible Lessons using Children's Literature:
In this story, a princess, named Elizabeth, “lived in a castle and had expensive princess clothes”. She makes a big change in her life. A big fierce fire breathing dragon helps her to re-evaluate her choices and perspective in life. As adults we sometimes experience a tragedy that changes our perspective. For the princess, she lost everything...more

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Oct 07, 2009

Katie rated it

1. Summary: Princess Elizabeth goes through a series obstacles to find out who she really is. The ordeal begins when a fire-breathing dragon steals her Prince! Naturally, Elizabeth goes after the dragon wearing only a paper bag ( it was only thing not burned to bits from the dragon!). Elizabeth outsmarts the dragon to get back her Prince, but the Prince comments on how dirty she looks. Elizabeth realizes the Prince is not so important after all because he can’t accept Elizabeth for who she is...more

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Oct 07, 2009

Jessica Breighner rated it

Shelves: classroom-reader-transitional

The Paper Bag Princess
1. Brief Summary
This is a story about a Princess, named Elizabeth, who goes through many obstacles to find her inner-self. The mean dragon of the story begins the tale by stealing the prince from the princess, and he burns everything the princess owns, including her clothes. She goes on a search to find the dragon’s lair to reclaim her prince. She tricks the dragon in order to enter the lair to save her prince. Once she finds her prince, she discovers that ...more

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Oct 16, 2011

Morgan Johnston rated it

Absolutely LOVED this book. It was super adorable, and a good story about independence, and intelligence. I was not expecting the 'twist' ending of this book, which is what a lot of post-modern picture books use now a days. I loved the fact that Princess Elizabeth said "so long" to her 'prince charming' and learned that she didn't need a man to make her happy, especially when all he cared about was appearances. The princess was smart and brave, and had a great self-worth, and I felt th...more

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Oct 12, 2009

Britt Kitko added it

Summary: Elizabeth, a beautiful princess, lives in a castle and wears fancy clothes. Just when she is about to marry Prince Ronald, a dragon smashes her castle, burns her clothes with his fiery breath, and prince-naps her dear Ronald. Undaunted and presumably unclad, she dons a large paper bag and sets off to find the dragon and her cherished prince. Once she's tracked down the rascally reptile, she flatters him into performing all sorts of dragonly stunts that eventually exhaust him, allowing h...more

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Oct 08, 2009

Michelle rated it

Shelves: catalog, jess

Summary:
Elizabeth, a beautiful princess, lives in a castle and wears fancy clothes. Just when she is about to marry Prince Ronald, a dragon smashes her castle, burns her clothes with his fiery breath, and prince-naps her dear Ronald. Undaunted and presumably unclad, she dons a large paper bag and sets off to find the dragon and her cherished prince. Once she's tracked down the rascally reptile, she flatters him into performing all sorts of dragonly stunts that eventually exhaust him, ...moreSummary:
Elizabeth, a beautiful princess, lives in a castle and wears fancy clothes. Just when she is about to marry Prince Ronald, a dragon smashes her castle, burns her clothes with his fiery breath, and prince-naps her dear Ronald. Undaunted and presumably unclad, she dons a large paper bag and sets off to find the dragon and her cherished prince. Once she's tracked down the rascally reptile, she flatters him into performing all sorts of dragonly stunts that eventually exhaust him, allowing her to rescue Prince Ronald. But what does Prince Not-So-Charming say when he sees her? "You smell like ashes, your hair is all tangled and you are wearing a dirty old paper bag. Come back when you are dressed like a real princess." (At least he has the courtesy not to mention that the princess's crown resembles a dying sea anemone.) In any case, let's just say that Princess Elizabeth and Prince Ronald do not, under any circumstances, live happily ever after. Canadian author Robert Munsch celebrates feisty females everywhere with this popular favorite, and Michael Martchenko's scratchy, comical, pen-and-ink drawings capture the tongue-in-cheek quality of this read-aloud crowd pleaser. - Karen Snelson

Potential Audience: Ages 4-8

Genre: Fiction, fractured fairy-tale

Topic: self-confidence

Reading level: Transitional/Fluent

Specific Curricular Uses: Independent reading, Read aloud, Guided reading

Social Issues the book addresses: This book deals with peer pressure and materialistic expectations.

Specific Literary Elements:
-Elizabeth begins the story as a flat character but evolves into a round character by discovering a new type of pride.
-She values her own personal worth and does not let the prince control her.
-The author purposely changes the ending of the story. The reader expects the prince and princess to end up together to live happily ever after, but the author uses irony to change to situation.

Interactions and Counteractions of text and image:
The illustrations help to support the text, however the text in and of itself is enough for the reader to understand what is going on.
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May 01, 2010

Sarah rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 17, 2010

Mallori rated it

Summary: Paper Bag Princess is a fairy tale story that has a reversed gender theme. Instead of the princess being captured, the prince is by a dragon. Princess Elizabeth decides to go rescue Prince Ronald wearing only a paper bag because the dragon burned everything else. Princess Elizabeth tricks the dragon by wearing him out and rescues Prince Ronald. Even though she went through so much to save him, he says she looks awful and does not appreciate what she has done for him. So she leaves and l...more

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Oct 23, 2009

Jenna Dillon rated it

Shelves: late-transitional

Summary: Elizabeth, a beautiful princess, lives in a castle and wears fancy clothes. Just when she is about to marry Prince Ronald, a dragon smashes her castle, burns her clothes with his fiery breath, and prince-naps her dear Ronald. Undaunted and presumably unclad, she dons a large paper bag and sets off to find the dragon and her cherished prince. Once she's tracked down the rascally reptile, she flatters him into performing all sorts of dragonly stunts that eventually exhaust him, allowing h...moreSummary: Elizabeth, a beautiful princess, lives in a castle and wears fancy clothes. Just when she is about to marry Prince Ronald, a dragon smashes her castle, burns her clothes with his fiery breath, and prince-naps her dear Ronald. Undaunted and presumably unclad, she dons a large paper bag and sets off to find the dragon and her cherished prince. Once she's tracked down the rascally reptile, she flatters him into performing all sorts of dragonly stunts that eventually exhaust him, allowing her to rescue Prince Ronald. But what does Prince Not-So-Charming say when he sees her? "You smell like ashes, your hair is all tangled and you are wearing a dirty old paper bag. Come back when you are dressed like a real princess." (At least he has the courtesy not to mention that the princess's crown resembles a dying sea anemone.) In any case, let's just say that Princess Elizabeth and Prince Ronald do not, under any circumstances, live happily ever after.
Genre: fairy tale, fantasy
Reading Level: Fluent readers could tackle this book because there are complex sentences with a variety of words, irregular and different spelling patterns, such as fantastic, fiercest, and fiery. There are also specialized content words in this book with smaller font and little spacing between letters.
Topic: overcoming unfortunate circumstances, bravery, trickery, being comfortable in your own skin, doing what is right
Curriculum Uses: I would use this book for a read aloud because I think that the students would find it engaging and entertaining. I would also use this book for a guided reading group that was put together based on using dialogue in writing, or developing voice in writing.
Literary Elements: The author uses irony in this book and develops a humorous tone through his choice of words and specific details. There is also conflict, an inciting force, and a climax. Similes are also in the book to entertain the reader.
Social Issues: sexism, downfall of a giant
Illustrations and Text: The illustrations in this book do a good job at supporting the text. They convey the humorous tone that the author establishes in the book, and they are stimulating to a reader’s sense of sight because they are simple and concrete.

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Oct 26, 2008

Laura rated it

Shelves: folklore, picture-books

A great book about a girl that learns that there is more to life than being beautiful and having a lot of possessions. It is a great book to use to demonstrate to the children the importance of being a good friend and that they shouldn't judge people based on their appearance. Every girl should read this book!

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May 02, 2010

Tamara rated it

Summary: The Princess Elizabeth is slated to marry Prince Ronald when a dragon attacks the castle and kidnaps Ronald. In resourceful and humorous fashion, Elizabethfinds the dragon, outsmarts him, and rescues Ronald--who is less than pleased at her un-princess-like appearance.

Written by Robert N. Munsch
Published in 1992 by Annick Press

Recommendations/Awards: LLED Book Award Nomination

Audience: Read together or read alone: grades K-3

Genre: Pi...more

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Feb 27, 2009

Corby Lancaster rated it

Shelves: lled-402-catalog

Genre- Picture book

Reading Level- K-4

Topic and Theme-A princess wants to save her prince. Not everything is as it seems

Curricula use- Read Aloud

Social- Don't judge a book buy its cover

Literary Element- A princess out wits a dragon to save her prince, but in the end she realizes he wasn't worth it.

Text and pictures- The text and pictures go together to tell the story

Summary-"The Paper Bag Princess"...more

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Apr 29, 2010

Andrew rated it

Shelves: picture-books

Summary: Elizabeth, a beautiful princess, lives in a castle and wears fancy clothes. Just when she is about to marry Prince Ronald, a dragon smashes her castle, burns her clothes with his fiery breath, and prince-naps her dear Ronald. Undaunted and presumably unclad, she dons a large paper bag and sets off to find the dragon and her cherished prince. Once she's tracked down the rascally reptile, she flatters him into performing all sorts of dragonly stunts that eventually exhaust him, allowing h...more

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Nov 02, 2011

Kelcie Willis rated it

I love how Robert Munsch in this story, shows a reversal in fairytale roles. In this book, a princess goes to rescue the prince and goes through a fair amount of trials along the way and ends up in a paper bag. Seeing a strong female character versus a damsal-in-distress was definitely refreshing! I like how at the end the Prince was not even so proud and happy she came to save him because he is so focused on outer looks. He was just upset she didn't look perfect. I like how the trials and drago...more

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Feb 03, 2011

Sophie rated it

I read this book almost twenty years ago as a woman in my 30s. This felt at the time one of the few "alternative" options. I had two young nieces and I wanted them to see beyond traditional stereotypes. For a while I always kept several copies on hand to give as gifts to new parents. I am at the potential grandmother stage so I think I need to stock up. Luckily there are many other alternatives to the "vulnerable and ditzy princess saved by the handsome and manly prince" sto...more

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Oct 12, 2008

Kristen rated it

Shelves: children

Very good feminist fairy tale, w/out being too over the top. My four year old son really liked it, and it gave us a good reason / excuse to talk about gender roles and respect.

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Jan 16, 2008

Faith-Anne rated it

Shelves: picture-books, my-favorites

This is the ultimate book of "girl power". It's cute, witty & really funny. It's the perfect book to read to your children in conjunction with standard fairy tales.

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Sep 23, 2009

Emily rated it

Shelves: picture-board

Clever princess rescues her prince from an evil dragon and discovers that he is only interested in a "real" princess (i.e., one dressed properly). So she doesn't marry him after all. I appreciate that Princess Elizabeth uses her wits to outsmart the dragon and that the final picture has her skipping off into the sunset, happy as can be, after telling Prince Ronald off. Simple, humorous illustrations with bright, bold colors help tell the story - Ronald's bored, disinterested look at...more

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Apr 05, 2011

Laura rated it

I just read this to my daughter and it's also the first time I've ever read it...
I loved the ending! I absolutely loved the ending!

For those of you who don't know this story, quick summary:
(view spoiler)...more

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