Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie Kingsley
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Atypical princess story is spirited, funny, full of burps.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In the PRINCESS PULVERIZER series, Dribble the dragon and Lucas the would-be knight join Princess Serena (or, as she prefers, Princess Pulverizer) on her quest to perform eight acts of kindness. Only after she returns to her father with proof of these eight acts will she be allowed to quit the Royal School of Ladylike Manners and enroll in Knight School. Thus begins her journey to foreign lands where she tries to learn to be selfless and kind, and discovers how a delicious grilled cheese can save your life.
Is It Any Good?
Any fans of funny stories about friendship, adventure, and turning stereotypes upside down will enjoy these books. The Princess Pulverizer series takes standard fairy tales about meek princesses and brave knights, swaps roles, adds dragons, and sprinkles it with bodily functions and hilarious writing.
With paragraphs full of action and words that will stretch the vocabulary of young readers, author Nancy Krulik doesn’t forget to write the way kids think -- a true gift to any reader.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Princess Pulverizer learns to be kind without being a pushover. Her princess training taught her she should be quiet and accommodating, but her independent spirit tells her otherwise. Is it hard to fight for what you believe in while still being kind to others?
Princess Pulverizer doesn’t feel like she fits in with the curtsies and ballroom dancing, but most people expect her just go along with it, to do her duty. Have you ever felt like you don’t fit people’s expectations of you? How did you deal with that?
What other books about princesses and knights have you read?
Book Details
- Author: Nancy Krulik
- Illustrator: Ben Balistreri
- Genre: Adventure
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy , Princesses, Fairies, Mermaids, and More , Adventures , Friendship
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Penguin Workshop
- Publication date: January 16, 2018
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 6 - 8
- Number of pages: 144
- Available on: Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: April 24, 2020
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
What to Read Next
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate