Pineapple Princess, by Sabina Hahn, (May 2022, Roaring Brook Press), $18.99, ISBN: 9781250798367
Ages 4-8
“I am deeply, deeply misunderstood.” Who hasn’t felt like this? The little girl in this story just knows she’s a princess, but no one wants to believe her. So what does she do? She carves her own crown out of a pineapple and pronounces herself The Pineapple Princess! She’s got some devoted subjects, too: a swarm of flies surrounds her, drawn to her sticky, sweet pineapple-y self. At first, she’s delighted to have the attention, but she quickly tires of having bugs follow her around; turning to more tyrannical measures, she decides that she doesn’t want to be a princess anymore… she’s evolved into a warrior queen. Witty, with a touch of chaotic hilarity, Pineapple Princess touches everyone’s – kids and adults alike – inner benevolent dictator. Sabina Hahn’s illustrations give an impish wink to the reader as the princess sets about carving her rule, certain that her deniers will rue the day they didn’t listen to her. And, in the most playful, childlike way, we see her tire of her Pineapple Princess persona, and change gears to something more fun. It’s a perfect storytime book, and embraces the joy of childhood imagination and endless summer days.
See Sabina Hahn’s storytime video here, and download a free storytime kit here. Visit Sabina Hahn’s website and her Instagram page for more of her illustration work.
Pineapple Princess has a starred review from Booklist and is a Kids Indie Next pick.
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