Princess Pigsty

Funny story about a little princess who stands her ground to be herself. My granddaughter loved it!

This is a fantastic piece of modern fantasy which chronicles the relationship between a young, non-conformist princess and her family. In the story, little Isabella decides good manners, pretty dresses, and being clean are all quite boring. He father (the king) decides to discipline her by sending her first to the kitchen to cook then to the pigsty to work...and Isabella loves her new duties at the castle! Her father finally accepts that Isabella desires a different way of life. This book holds a special place in my heart because I have a non-conformist, 5-year-old Isabella in my home as well. The story is one of love and acceptance within a healthy family. The parents want only the best for little Isabella...and I can certainly relate to that...but eventually decide that she has her own goals and they must honor her desires to a point. A real-life lesson rolled into a fun fairytale package. In the classroom, I would read this book alongside other tales involving royalty and castles then compare the tone and style of this book with the others. What elements are the same? How are they different? Children might also rewrite the story starring themselves as the main character. How would they have behaved differently? Another extension might be to place Princess Isabella in a modern day setting. How would the story change?

This is a really cute book. It is intended to be dramatic and humurous and should be read that way because it is fun. The yelling of the king should be taken with humor becasue no one ever disagrees with him and it is supposed to be funny. The little princess fights for what she wants and there is only one page that mentioins kicking but it is ultimately to defend herself from people trying to physically force her to do something she doesn't want to. If your family really has a problem with this, then just add a personal comment about how that is not a nice way to solve your problems. Ultimately, the book is about a little girl who is different from her family and while her family is angry at first, they ultimately accept her for who she is.