The ABC of Fabulous Princesses

The time has come for Prince William to choose a princess. His eager family has “worked unwaveringly to woo princesses from around the world,” one for each letter of the alphabet. What follows is a highly alliterative compendium of 26 princesses that discloses their personalities, favorite foods and activities, and the gifts they bring for William. Puchner’s royals all have the heads of birds, but stand upright, dressed in gowns that loosely reflect their countries of origin. Wearing a long green dress and a dragonfly headpiece, Finnish Princess Florentine “plays her fipple flute on Fridays (when she doesn’t forget) and frolics with flickering fireflies,” two of which rest on her shoulders. Puchner’s solemn portraits are haunting and full of unusual details: “lovable, lazy, and lucky” Princess Lubaya of Libya wears a neckpiece made of spoons, while “mysterious” Princess Musidora of Madagascar carries a handbag made from a photo of the moon. Overall, though, the text is more interested in creating alliterative mayhem than endowing the princesses with actual personalities or giving much of a sense of the nations they purportedly come from. Ages 4–8. (Jan.)