Little Kid Reaction: We were continually interrupted as we read while our daughter tried to figure out all the details. By the middle of the book she decided she knew how it would end and was done reading. We never did finish it with her. My daughter noticed the disparity between the story (Bea covered in mud) and the illustrations (she's clean as a whistle).

Big Kid Reaction: The author creates a very vivid picture with all of the descriptive words. Unfortunately, that can make for tedious reading with young readers. I liked how Bea's courage grew and she did, too. Even re-reading the story, I'm not sure of the relevance of "princess" and how / why Bea is a princess.

Pros: This is a fast-paced, imaginative story with vivid details for kids to follow along.

To read our full review, go to The Reading Tub®.