Princess Says Goodnight

by Naomi Howland, David Small (Illustrator)

When a little girl pretends she's a real princess, her imagination soars and her bedtime routine is transformed into a majestic affair. While practicing curtsies on her way to bed, she gets the royal treatment: chocolate cream éclairs, glass slippers, ladies-in-waiting, a tiara—even a bubble bath with a special fluffy towel to dry her toes. Being a princess is so much fun! But at bedtime, there's one thing a little girl—or a princess—always gets: a kiss before saying goodnight.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Princesses, Royalty

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2010

About the author

Naomi Howland is an American children's book author and illustrator. Raised in Englewood, New Jersey, she was educated at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Her first book, ABCDrive!, began as an illustration assignment at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. In addition to her own books, Howland has illustrated a number of picture-books written by other authors.

Reviews

[Kathryn]

Cute rhyming text about a little girl who imagines she is a princess on her way to bed. Girly-girls will definitely appreciate all the princess-y aspects of bedtime, from wishing on a star from her tower window to wearing a silky lacy bathrobe with feathers to daddy checking under the mattress for a pea or other lumps ;-) David Small's watercolors are soft and gently humorous--perfect for bedtime.

[J. Boo]

Amusing rhymed tale of a girl who imagines herself to be a princess going to bed, with parents, siblings, and pets playing the roles of castle servants. Some nice little touches in the images. For example, we start with Princess and her parents in their ordinary clothes, while a hallway mirror reflects what Princess sees them wearing in her imagination.

The idea is good, but not, IMHO, executed quite as well as it could have been. But then again, the target audience, DD (age 4), is entirely uncritical and has requested it a couple of times as her bedtime story. DS (age 6) was reasonably amused, which is pretty good for a targeted plotline that, in less deft hands, would send small boys fleeing for the exits.

Me: 3/5
DD: 4/5

[Joy Lane]

nice rhyming

[Karen Bendzus]

absolutely adorable

[Alayna Eve]

Very cute book for all little girls to help them believe they truly ARE princesses!!! It's also about the princess getting ready for bed.

[Panda Incognito]

There's no story, the rhymes are clunky, and this drags on and on.

[Jessica]

A simple bedtime story that asks questions sort of like the format of How do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight, only not with quite so much explanation. A good bedtime story for toddlers.

[Luisa Knight]

A delightful display of everything princessy and pink to read at bedtime!

Ages: 4 - 8

Here’s a few of our bedtime favs: watch my reel!

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[Fats]

In this charming picturebook-in-verse, a little girl pretends she is a princess and imagines the things a princess would do before she goes to bed. Does a princess practice her curtsies down the hall? Does she get a frothy glass of milk with chocolate cream eclairs? Naomi Howland’s short, rhyming verses are brimming with descriptive words that would appeal to children’s vivid imagination. There is a playful rhythm to these lines that would make little girls think of themselves as princesses themselves. Princess Says Goodnight has the same charming illustrations as David Small's other picturebooks like Imogene's Antler's, The Gardener, and The Library. There is movement in his drawings that make Howland’s verses jump to life. Princess Says Goodnight is one of those short but sweet and adorable bedtime storybooks for kids.

[Leslie]

Princess Says Goodnight imagines how it must look for a princess would say goodnight aka go to bed, even while teh reader must imagine what actions correlate to the little girl’s saying goodnight.

Princess Says Goodnight is playful, but quiet, not eye-popping candy-colored or sparkly energy. The girl is vibrant sure, but the wash of colors and movement is softened. The text is rhythmic, the words are lulling. It is a good bedtime book. And one that is good for a sibling who likes to have their special time in play and intimacy with their parents. This is a really nice tuck-in-bed book that shouldn’t exhaust with re-reading even while it should prove useful for those who desire a cooperative and calming bedtime.

[Ally Copper]

Parents can never have enough books to help their little ones snuggle into bed. 'Princess Says Goodnight' is a good one for the collection. With simple text and fun rhymes, this book may soon become the favorite of little princesses everywhere. Engaging water color illustrations show a little girl using her imagination to see the castle and kingdom folk all around her as she finishes her day and makes her way to bed. I especially like the picture of the little princess's parents as they walk down the hall. They are dressed in regular clothes, but their reflection in the mirror shows them in the typical garb of fairy tale land citizens. I enjoy how the illustrations hint at the pretend play that is taking place. Super book for toddlers and preschoolers.

[Layla & Rachel]

You should probably know something about us. We read a lot of princess books. Sometimes they are amazing. Sometimes they are not. Naomi Howland's Princess Says Goodnight falls right in the middle.

It's a quiet book about a girl (who imagines herself to be a princess) getting ready for bed. They rhymes are true, though not inspiring (remember that time we got to read words like befuddled in a book... ahh... good times).

There's not much to say about this book. It's quiet. It's simple. It's true. It didn't disappoint us, but it didn't amaze us either. We could easily see this become a bedtime staple for the right little girl, just not us.

[Beth Wood]

David Small did the illustrations for this story, and they are delightful. Colorful, full of whimsy, and they really convey what every little girl loves about the idea of being a princess. I'd really give these pictures five stars.

But the story? Two stars at best. The cadence is way off, and contains some iffy rhymes at best. Some vocabulary I think is too difficult for the intended audience. And the title? PLEASE. Good night is TWO WORDS. Webster says so.

[Heather]

33 months - The illustrations are better than the story. There were a couple of parts O found fascinating, she'd like to try wearing glass slippers and she's curious what a chocolate eclair tastes like. We had a fun talk about why glass shoes would be uncomfortable and how they could shatter and the eclair... well we'll be picking those up at the bakery very soon.

[Ashley Barnard]

The book was cute for bedtime. I read it to my three-year-old daughter and she said she loved it. Each page goes through a different step in the bedtime routine process. However, the steps are fit for a princess. I liked the flow of the book and the rhyming. The illustration are colorful, yet soft which is suitable for bedtime.

[Kathy]

David Small's art work is amazing! His use of crayons and water colors gives the feeling of soft simplicity while still being very expressive and charming. I love the expressions his characters get!

[Gwen the Librarian]

I love David Small’s illustrations and especially how they convey motion and the imaginary world in the "princess's" mind, but I think the text is nothing special. For parents looking for a new princess title, this one will certainly do the trick.

[The Library Lady]

Someone said it well, this is How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight with a princess instead of a dinosaur. The Disney Princess wannabees will enjoy it.

[Amy]

I usually love Naomi Howland (Matzah Man and Latkes, Latkes, Good to Eat.) This, however, was a bit of a disappointment. It was just not a good story.
She is, as always, a wonderful illustrator, and in that regard, the book does not disappoint.

[Kimmy]

My little girl (4) loves everything about princesses, and she loved this book too. My son (5) enjoyed it as well. I liked it and it had great rhythm and brings pleasant images to mind. A good bedtime story.

[Carrie]

Soft watercolor illustrations and simple rhymes make this appealling to readers (little princesses) ages four to six. An enjoyable bedtime book about what a princess might do before bed

[Rachel]

Love the imagination and progression of the illustrations, text is fun and works well.

[Eva-Marie Nevarez]

This is a nice little rhyming story about a little girl, her imagination and a magical bedtime. Relatable for any little girl, especially princess fans and the illustrations are awesome!

[Gail]

I hate all this princess crap but my daughter keeps picking them out at the library. Not much of a story, just about how the little girl pretends she is a princess.

[Shanshad Whelan]

The illustrations are cute, but the forced rhyme and painfully princessy stuff? Yeesh.

[Julia]

The rhymes are a little cumbersome.

[Vicki]

This book should be flying off the shelves at your public library for all the princess lovers that look for books. Short and sweet with lively illustrations.

[Rebecca Gomez]

Not a story, exactly, just an imaginative princessy bed time routine. Perfect bed time read for little princesses.

[Phuong]

to read

[Marie]

A delight for the princess set.