The Princess Rules by Philippa Gregory

Illus. by Chris Chatterton. HarperCollins, 2019. ISBN: 9780008339791. 256p.
(Age: 7+) Recommended. Three stories by award winning author Philippa Gregory will be grabbed by readers who enjoy having their fairy tales turned upside down. Those who love adventure and humour too, will delight in the three tales in this book, 'Princess Florizella', 'Princess Florizella and the Wolves' and 'Princess Florizella and the Giant'. Princess Florizella is not your classic fairy tale princess. She does not abide by the Princess Rules (eat little, dress beautifully and have glorious hair) but is adventurous and happy to spend lots of time riding her horse Jellybean and working in the Palace office.
When Prince Bennett invites all the princesses to come to his kingdom so he could choose one to marry, she decides to go to see her friends and enjoy the party. She is not ready to marry.
First dedicated to her daughter, the stories have been presented once again, this time dedicated to her grandchildren. They have not lost their appeal and young readers will have a lot of fun following the antics of Princess Florizella as she rescues Prince Bennett, encounters a wolf pack and a giant. The illustrations by Chris Chatterton are full of amusing details and give the reader a feeling for the personality of Princess Florizella, her parents and Prince Bennett.
This is a perfect book for the newly confident reader who wants to embark on a book that is longer and more complex that the short junior novel, but which is divided up into three stories so is not as daunting as a longer novel could prove to be.
Pat Pledger