10/20/2015
I love the Princess in Black. She's girly and super powerful, she's scary (to monsters) and she's sweet (to friends), she's clever and polite and relatable. These books are fantastic for both girls AND boys (if we can get over our obsession with the idea that pink/girls are off-limits to boys).

Note: I received a digital ARC through NetGalley.

3/13/2018
Note: I received a finished paperback of this book from the publisher at ALA Midwinter 2018 (long after I had first read and reviewed it). ( )

I loved this 2nd book even more than the first book! The Perfect Princess Party is a perfectly creative story. My granddaughter and I loved every minute of it! ( )

My daughter (8) really wants me to read this, so.... :) A lot of repetitive elements from the first book, but it's intentional. The elements are repeated so often that it gets frustrating for the princess and funny for the reader. The illustration of the 12 princesses are absolutely adorable! Where can I find out the exact name of each princess? ( )

This review originally published at The Children's Book and Media Review

Princess Magnolia has a big secret. She is the Princess in Black that protects her kingdom from the monsters who want to cause trouble by eating the goats. Sometimes, though, she wants to have a regular life and do princess things, particularly on her birthday. Every time she goes to open presents with her party guests, the princess from other countries, her glitter-stone ring sounds an alarm to tell her that she needs to go fight a monster. She has to keep her guests from finding out that she is the Princess in Black by coming up with other activities, and finally it takes giving a monster a stern lecture before she is able to enjoy her birthday party the way she wants to.

This book is a mix between a picture book and a chapter book, including lots of pictures to break up the text, which could be useful for readers who want to read more advanced books but may not be quite there yet. Magnolia is an excellent character to show that girls can like pink and pretty things while still being the hero of the story fighting the bad guys. One of the most amusing parts of the book is the names for her fighting moves like “Twinkle Twinkle Little Smash” and “Tiara Trip”. For fans of the first Princess in Black or those new to these series, this book will be a hit to show how much princesses can really do. ( )

Julia Whelan serves as an excellent narrator for the Princess in Black stories. In The Perfect Princess Party, Princess Magnolia's birthday is constantly interrupted by monster attacks, which she must secretly fight off. ( )