Always Daddy's Princess

August 1, 2013

January 1, 2014
"At prom a beauty in her dress, / his little girl, his sweet princess." Kingsbury's sappy rhymes track a father's experience watching his daughter grow, from infancy through her wedding and the birth of her daughter; a relevant line of scripture appears on every spread. Like the rhymes, the illustrations drip with pink, schmaltzy sentiment.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

August 1, 2013

Gr 1-3-Adoring parents celebrate the birth of a baby girl, who, from the beginning, is her daddy's princess. At each milestone in her life-tea parties, soccer practice, middle school, driving lessons, and senior prom-her father is there. Whether or not she looks at him, his expressive eyes are always watching her. "College takes her far from home./Then, travel: London, Paris, Rome.../But even when she's far away,/his heart is hers, and so he prays,/for his girl's life has just begun,/his princess, now at twenty-one." On her wedding day, he walks her down the aisle, and later they share a dance. The artwork shows the two of them, her dress billowing around her, ginkgo leaves framing the spread. When her baby is born, her father is there, "his heart, all joy and happiness,/TWO princess girls, a life so blessed." And so the book ends. The illustrations feature a palette of deep fuchsia, teal, gold, and green, giving weight to the story of a girl growing up as her father grows old. Thoughtful illustrations include the girl's mother, dog, and cat, also constants in her life. Well-chosen Bible verses, which echo the rhymed text, are printed in small type on the bottom of the spreads. Though this book will appeal to new parents, children may have difficulty relating to the story on their own. It's best read one-on-one in a family setting.-Mary Jean Smith, formerly at Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.