This review published by Brigham Young University's The Children's Book and Media Review

When Pinkalicious breaks her tiara and wand in the park, she and her brother, Peter, come up with a solution to fix it. Using sticks, vines, and flowers she is able to create a magic wand, then creates a crown and a cape with flowers and leaves to become the princess of flowers. When they find a large pile of garbage, they decide to continue creating useful things out of it so that the garbage doesn’t stay there. With the magic word “love” they are able to turn the garbage into beautiful things, including turning the garbage dump into an Emeraldalicious Garden.

This book is not the best of the Pinkaliciuos books. For people who are new to the series, it may not be clear that Pinkalicious and her brother are pretending. It could be a good way to introduce children to the idea of recycling, but the book feels like it’s trying too hard to get that message across. The mixed-media illustrations are bright and colorful, but the forced message of the book makes it less charming than it could have been. ( )

Part of me wonders why I am still reading these. I hate Pinkalicious. In this one she breaks her wand and makes a new one. But she is demanding and snotty. I know the message at the end is supposed to be a good on, but it didn't work for me. They cleaned up the park with “magic” and “love”. Show what it really takes will ya. ( )

When Pinkalicious and her brother Peter go walking in their favorite park, they discover that someone has turned it into a trash dump. Undaunted, they use the magic wand that Pinkalicious has just discovered, as well as some rhyming enchantments, to transform the trash and the garden, making everything "Emeraldalicious."

The fifth book in author/artist Victoria Kann's best-selling picture-book series about Pinkalicious and her adventures, Emeraldalicious is a thoroughly unappealing book, and (much like its predecessors) had me at a loss to understand its popularity. The artwork is flat and uninteresting, the story poorly thought out, and the heroine obnoxious. I do appreciate the intended message about trying to undo the damage we have done to the environment, but the story simply didn't work. It felt almost as if the real problem for the pink-loving heroine was that she was confronted with something ugly and un-pink, rather than that harm had been done to the natural world. This was also possibly the worst-written of the entire series - something of an achievement, really - with awkward rhymes and poor word choices. The haphazard-feeling "spells" used by the two children - "Television, towel, and a tassel. / I'm a prince who loves his castle. / Please make me one without a hassle!" - really had me wincing. If it weren't for the fact that I'm reading the entire series as part of a project, I probably wouldn't have progressed beyond the initial title. Not recommended. ( )

Pinkalicious goes to the park with her brother to discover that it has been trashed. With the help of a magic wand and some rhyming words Pinkalicious and her brother are able to repurpose some of the garbage to make wonderful new things and clean up the park.

It's a fun read that regular Pinkalicious fans will enjoy with a nice message for April. ( )

Pinkalicious goes to the park with her brother to discover that it has been trashed. With the help of a magic wand and some rhyming words Pinkalicious and her brother are able to repurpose some of the garbage to make wonderful new things and clean up the park.

It's a fun read that regular Pinkalicious fans will enjoy with a nice message for April. ( )