Princess Pink and the Land of Fake-Believe: The Three Little Pugs

Title: Princess Pink and the Land of Fake-Believe: The Three Little Pugs

Author & Illustrator: Noah Z. Jones

Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

Year: 2015

ISBN: 978-0-545-84858-9

Summary: Princess Pink is not a princess and she does not like the color pink, but she is a spunky little girl with a secret pet spider and a love for karate. She also has a magical refrigerator magnet which takes her through a porthole into the land of Fake-Believe. In this episode, she goes into the fridge looking for a midnight snack for her pet spider and ends up in a battle with the three little pugs. The pugs are  used car salesmen who have sold the residents of Fake-Believe lemons instead of cars… real lemons! And with a strict no money back clause, they can’t do anything about it. Princess Pink chases the pugs down and convinces them to sell lemonade instead of used cars. They make a load of money and thank her with lemon pie, which she brings home for her pet spider.

Literary Merit: Funny twists on well-known children’s fairy tale characters throughout the story.

Kid Appeal: Silly characters and outrageous plot twists. Graphic art style.

Disclaimer: This book was nominated for the 2015 CYBILS Award in the Early Chapter Book category. This review is shared as part of the Round One Judging. It is solely my own opinion and not influenced by any other parties.