Weng's Reviews > The Paper Bag Princess

3.5/5.0 stars

Yesssss! A reversal! In kids book, no less!! (Me, whooping)

The Paperbag Princess subtly teaches the little ones(girls, especially) several things; one, material possession is fleeting, two, beauty is more than skin-deep, three, wisdom is a weapon, four, you can be your own hero, and five, acceptance and respect comprise genuine love. Did I miss anything? Oh yeah, why not shed double standards while we're at it.

Children are smart and retentive, they begin to adapt ideas and set their foundations early on so let's guide them towards age-appropriate media that instill 'realistic' lessons that would actually make sense in their later life. My appeal simply is, for us to not be monopolized by generic stories of damsels in distress and knights in shining armor, they're cute sure, but also confining. Step out of the box and in doing so, we compel writers to up their game as well.

All considered, this book sits in-between old-school and modern tale. Savvy yet imaginative. It's pretty open to interpretation so explanation may be in order. This makes for a good bedtime story. In my opinion, all kids should read books like this that shows the flip side and a different perspective from the usual just to even the grounds a bit.