The Plain Princess
By Phyllis McGinley
Published by J.B. Lippincott Coompany
Copyright 1973
64 Pages
Children's Modern Fairytale

The Plain Princess is a story of a young princess who is pittied by everyone in the kingdom because of her plainess. Her nose goes up where is needs to go down and her mouth is always in a frown because she never smiles. But most importantly, she has no sparkle in her eyes. Her parents, to keep her happy, spoil the girl rotton, which turns out to make her rotton. At one of her splendid birthday parties, the young prince to whom she is betrothed to, spends more time with a duck keeper's daughter. The Princess throws a huge fit about this and soon the Kings has no choice but to send a proclamation throughout the kingdom. Anyone who could turn his plain daughter into a beautyful lady would be given loads of money, but if they fail, they lose their head. No one comes foward for fear of losing their head except one woman who tells the king that she must take the princess to live with the her and her five lovely daughters. The kind agrees and the princess is sent off to live away from the castle for three months. The woman has the princess participate is doing chores around the house. The princesses's nose turns down, and she starts to smile, but when she gives away her most precious necklace, her eyes finally have a sparkle to them. When the King arrives to pick up his daughter he is amazed at the tranformation. He pays the woman and the Princess asks the woman and her daughters to come live by them so that they can all still remain friends.
This book is a cute book with a very good moral to it. I think that every little girl should read this book or have it read to them. I really liked it because it was short and simple but had an underlying message under the text.
I dont see any problems coming from this book.