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Princess Peepers
Calvert's tale of a bespectacled princess's rocky road to self-acceptance is rollicking good fun. Princess Peepers adores her plethora of eyewear, with what seems to be a pair of glasses for every occasion. However, when she attends the Royal Academy she is astonished to discover her spectacles are far from au courant. In a misguided attempt to satisfy others' expectations and fit in, she doffs her lenses. While the ensuing mishaps are appropriately silly and lighthearted, they do not conceal the compelling message that being true to one's self paves the road to happiness. Mourning's mixed-media illustrations of graphite and digital/collage present an intriguing blend of texture and color. Readers are bound to relish the interplay between what the text describes and the reality of the illustrations as Princess Peepers stumbles about sans specs. The ironic denouement is bound to please princess fans and their practical parents alike. --Kirkus Reviews, August 2008
32 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2008
About the author
Pam Calvert
15 books95 followersI'm a children's author--have six picture books and some easy readers. More picture books on the way! My newest picture book is BRIANNA BRIGHT BALLERINA KNIGHT!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
August 8, 2013
We bought this book after our daughter found out she needed glases and one of her statements was "but none of the princesses wear glasses" so this seemed like a great book to get on that topic. The problem with this book is that the message about glasses includes ridicule and embarassment for the princess who has to wear them. She spends the entire book trying not to wear glasses after being ridiculed by the other princesses. The end of the book makes it worse because the only reason she is accepted by the prince is because he wears glasses too implying that girls who wear glasses can only be acceptable to boys who wear glasses too. Terrible message to send to little girls, absolutely terrible. It was a good thing that we pre-screened the book first before giving it to our daughter. So that was money wasted (since bought online it can't be returned). So DON'T buy this book for your daughter who wears glasses.
July 11, 2013
Ah, the perfect marriage. Not necessarily between a prince and a princess, but between the writing and the illustration. Tuesday Mourning's illustrations are light, bright and a little silly, and the perfect match for Pam Calvert's writing which is also light, bright and a little silly.
I bought this purple and pink princess book for my sixteen-month-old son for three reasons. First, Pam Calvert offered to send me bookplate signed for my son, and I'm a sucker for a signed book or bookplate. Second, I started wearing glasses when I was six -- I probably needed them when I was four, but that is another story -- and my husband wears glasses, so there is a good chance that our little boy's beautiful blue eyes will one day become nearsighted. And third, I don't believe in "gender" books. If we adhered to "gender" books, half of the population would never read "Huckleberry Finn", and the other half would never read "Alice in Wonderland", and since they both have been banned books, don't you want to read them now to see what all the fuss was about?
Anyway, don't shy away from this purple and pink princess book for a little boy. A good story is a good story, no matter who the protagonist.
I bought this purple and pink princess book for my sixteen-month-old son for three reasons. First, Pam Calvert offered to send me bookplate signed for my son, and I'm a sucker for a signed book or bookplate. Second, I started wearing glasses when I was six -- I probably needed them when I was four, but that is another story -- and my husband wears glasses, so there is a good chance that our little boy's beautiful blue eyes will one day become nearsighted. And third, I don't believe in "gender" books. If we adhered to "gender" books, half of the population would never read "Huckleberry Finn", and the other half would never read "Alice in Wonderland", and since they both have been banned books, don't you want to read them now to see what all the fuss was about?
Anyway, don't shy away from this purple and pink princess book for a little boy. A good story is a good story, no matter who the protagonist.
February 28, 2015
wonderful author visit at school
January 27, 2019
Not really crazy about the message of this picture book. Princess Peepers loves wearing eyeglasses but gives them up right away when the other princesses criticize her. I would have loved for Peepers to stand up for herself a bit more against the peer pressure. At the end, the Prince falls in love with Peepers simply because they both wear glasses. Though they have nothing else in common, "it was love at first sight."
The visual mistakes Princess Peepers makes when she refuses to wear her eyeglasses will be humorous to children. And the princess thing will appeal to those children who are into that.
The visual mistakes Princess Peepers makes when she refuses to wear her eyeglasses will be humorous to children. And the princess thing will appeal to those children who are into that.
March 16, 2011
We're trying to encourage Jordan away from the Disney princess at the library and do a little more exploring. This trip she and I picked up a lot of princess stories that weren't her typical Disney faves, and she seems to be enjoying them quite a bit. This story was really cute, but I had to really work with Jordan to explain the eyeglasses concept. So much of the story has to do with Princess Peepers talking to characters that she thinks are other things, going in to wrong rooms, etc., because she's decided not to wear her glasses. Very cute, but again, Jordan didn't quite get the whole "can't see without 'em" idea.
September 20, 2012
Princess Peepers loves her glasses. She has a pair for every occasion. But when a prince is coming to visit she is teased by the other princess and told that the prince won't want to meet someone who wears glasses.
Princess Peepers puts all of her glasses in a trunk and locks them away. She will show those princesses that she doesn't need glasses! As she stumbles from the greenhouse to the dungeons, er... actually the stables to the kitchens, gets ready for the prince wearing a completely silly outfit, she falls out a window, lands on the prince and finally realizes that she does need glasses. But that's ok. The prince wears them too!
Princess Peepers puts all of her glasses in a trunk and locks them away. She will show those princesses that she doesn't need glasses! As she stumbles from the greenhouse to the dungeons, er... actually the stables to the kitchens, gets ready for the prince wearing a completely silly outfit, she falls out a window, lands on the prince and finally realizes that she does need glasses. But that's ok. The prince wears them too!
June 26, 2010
Princess Peepers loves her glasses until she gets made fun of, but when she decides to go to the ball without wearing the glasses, she mistakes animals for people and the prince for a horse. When she realizes that the prince also wears glasses, she puts hers on and they dance all night.
The mixed media illustrations are in graphite and digital/collage. They add to the fantastical feeling of the book. Pinks and purples overwhelm the illustrations and might turn off young boys. But, they add to the fun of the story.
The mixed media illustrations are in graphite and digital/collage. They add to the fantastical feeling of the book. Pinks and purples overwhelm the illustrations and might turn off young boys. But, they add to the fun of the story.
February 8, 2011
Love! Princess Peepers loves wearing her glasses until the other girls at the Princess Academy make fun of her. Princess Peepers vows to show them that she really doesn't need glasses after all. What follows is a series of humorous mishaps as the Princess makes her way around the castle and gets ready for the ball, where she will meet The Prince!
Absolutely loved the ending with The Prince! Adorable illustrations and enjoyed all the unique styles of glasses!
Absolutely loved the ending with The Prince! Adorable illustrations and enjoyed all the unique styles of glasses!
March 14, 2011
I think my daughter and I have read this book half a dozen times in the last week and every single time I laugh out loud. It is a wonderful story about a princess who despairs at the thing that makes her different from the other princesses and goes to great (and hilarious) lengths to "blend" in. But in the end, she discovers what makes her unique is the very thing that makes her so lovable! Great message in a really fun story!
March 22, 2011
Princess Peepers loves her glasses. She has some for every occasion, her favorite were her rose-colored pair that matched her rose-colored roller skates. But after being teased by the other princesses in princess school she decides to do without her glasses and sets off for many mishaps throughout her castle.
Little girls everywhere will love this book with its silly pictures and play on fairytale lines. Recommended.
Little girls everywhere will love this book with its silly pictures and play on fairytale lines. Recommended.
February 24, 2013
My daughter got glasses at 19 months old and I bought her this book as a present to go along with her glasses. It has been her favorite book since. She loves that even the horse and dog are wearing glasses at the end and all the different kind of glasses. It really helped the transition.
As a parent, I love the play on words- neigh and knaves, roof and ruff, etc- AND the clever wording "she better not wear those horrible spectacles or she'll be a horrible spectacle!" is my favorite line!
As a parent, I love the play on words- neigh and knaves, roof and ruff, etc- AND the clever wording "she better not wear those horrible spectacles or she'll be a horrible spectacle!" is my favorite line!
April 29, 2011
Very cute princess book -- love the notion of a princess with fun glasses and the characters are cute and appealing to the princess lovers without being sickeningly disney princess sweet. It's a winner at our house, though there's a strong preference for the sequel due to the inclusion of the dragon.
May 26, 2011
Princess Peepers loves wearing glasses and has some for every occasion. When the other princesses who attend The Royal Academy for Perfect Princesses begin to make fun of her glasses, she tries to change to please them and the results are somewhat "Amelia Bedelia-ish". Lesson is clear: be yourself!
January 26, 2013
This is a really cute book about a princess who wears glasses, but is teased by the other princesses about them. When she takes them off to fit in, things don't exactly go well for her. This would be a good book to read to tell children that just being yourself is the best decision. It is also a really silly book and students would have fun predicting what will happen to Princess Peepers next.
October 5, 2014
A fun book about a princess who loves wearing glasses until she goes to school and gets teased about it. She tries taking them off only to realize she needs them and falls over the prince who also needs them - they then set a fashion statement together. Good story but yet again the girl has to find a boy in order to be strong and stand up for something.
February 23, 2009
Princess LOVES her glasses but when she goes to princess school, tehy all make fun of her. Of course, she tries to go to the ball without her glasses. B/c she can't see, her dress is mismatched and she fall out of the tower and lands on her prince charming. Pair with Purplelicious
July 8, 2009
This book is just a delight! So much fun to read and with a great message about being yourself in the midst of peer pressure and high expectations. The language is lots of fun, and the illustrations are beautiful and engaging. Perfect for preK through grade 3!
June 29, 2011
This obviously would be great book for a little girl who needs glasses or is being teased about glasses to read. My daughter has perfectly fine eye-sight and still enjoyed this story. The ending is adorable.
September 9, 2008
fabulous of course :). Pam Calvert writes a wonderful, silly story that all children will love.
April 1, 2009
Wearing glasses can be cool!
October 29, 2009
Love this book.
I love the fact that you can be a lovely princess with glasses! Aren't glasses really just fabulous jewlery for our eyes.
Love the pictures by Tuesday Mourning (aka my sis)!
I love the fact that you can be a lovely princess with glasses! Aren't glasses really just fabulous jewlery for our eyes.
Love the pictures by Tuesday Mourning (aka my sis)!
November 3, 2009
This is a story young girls will love. It reminds them that it's okay to be themselves...even if that means wearing glasses! :)
February 25, 2010
A good one for getting the destined-to-be-blind Dillow girls ready for feeling like glasses are hip : )
October 8, 2010
we've loved this book lately at our house...I especially love the illustrations
January 17, 2011
The other princesses make fun of Princess Peepers because she wears glasses, but going without proves troublesome. This would be a perfect book for girls who wear glasses.
February 1, 2011
This would make a good addition for a bully or peer pressure tie in.
February 9, 2011
Good lesson on bullying and standing on your own two feet, making your own decisions, self concept... I liked it!
February 23, 2011
Good for helping girls accept their glasses. I say girls because it is way too pink and pretty for boys to find much of anything from it. Still, a lovely little book.
April 29, 2011
For my little girl with glasses - this was delightful! Fun pictures and entertaining story.
May 2, 2011
Mockingbird Book; K--2nd Read Aloud; Precious!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews