Pistes d'exploration

Discuss the general characteristics of princes and princesses.

Discuss why the princess changed her mind and decided not to marry the prince.

Act out the story in groups of three or four (princess, dragon, narrator, prince).

Talk about character traits of people. Start an ongoing class list. Identify traits of the prince and princess in the story and explain your choices.

Identify Elizabeth and Ronald’s strengths, weaknesses and physical characteristics. Compare them with the more typical characteristics of literary princes and princesses. Record your comparisons in a graphic organizer.

Discuss why the princess changed her mind and decided not to marry the prince.

Act out the story in groups of three or four (princess, dragon, narrator/prince).

Talk about the character traits of people. Start an ongoing class list.

Not All Princesses Dress in Pink, Princess Smartypants, ThePrincess and the Pizza, Olivia and the Fairy Princesses

Mots-clés

Humour , Picture book , archetypes , courage , deconstructing stereotypes , dragons , princesses , self-confidence , tricks , vanity

Commentaire descriptif

Princess Elizabeth is about to marry “perfect” Prince Ronald when a dragon comes along and destroys her kingdom, burning up all her clothes and taking the prince hostage. Wearing the only thing she can find, a paper bag, Elizabeth sets out on a quest to outsmart the dragon and rescue her husband-to-be. In a humorous and ironic twist, she decides to reject the prince and forge a life of her own, on her own terms. An excellent read-aloud story. Both boys and girls will find humour in the reversal of the traditional stereotypes in this book: a “designer” prince versus a disheveled princess; a brave and resourceful princess who uses her clever wit to overpower a fiery dragon; the idea that happily-ever-after does not necessarily end with a fairy-tale wedding. The standard format – text on the left page, light-hearted cartoon illustrations on the right – works seamlessly to depict the distinctive personalities of the characters and to convey to readers the importance of challenging traditional gender roles.