Review by Booklist Review
Talented Princess Dara cleverly proves her husband's loyalty to the king in this traditional Cambodian tale. Princess Dara loves learning about music and art, but she is especially taken with science and engineering. She happily marries Rith, who is skilled at planning and drawing. Together, they build many wonderful structures and become the most popular builders in the kingdom. Such success doesn't go unnoticed. Jealous ministers convince the king that Rith is evil and wants the throne for himself, but they haven't counted on just how smart Dara really is. Her creative snare proves their conspiracy. This is an attractive book that features richly colored artwork, short chapters, and simple sentences, making this a good choice for newly independent readers. But best of all is the focus on engineering, a refreshing departure for the mainstream princess story.--Edmundson, Martha Copyright 2014 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-Princess stories for emerging readers are high in demand, and refreshingly, this new series features a diverse cast of princesses from around the world. Dara's Clever Trap, set in Cambodia, is the standout title. Princess Dara is an architect and falls in love with another architect, Rith. Evil arises from the jealous ministers who frame her husband and try to marry her for her riches. Using her problem-solving skills, Dara creates a mechanical trap that saves the day. The clearly written and easy-to-follow plot makes this story a wonderful choice for struggling readers, with the added bonus of STEM themes. The chapter-book length will also appeal to readers who are ready to move into longer books. Digitally rendered illustrations, enhanced with a warm palette and deft shading, support the text and aid in comprehension. Both titles are well designed and include a visual table of contents. The Princess of the Springs, set in Brazil, has less of a sense of place and is a bit more difficult to follow due to the lack of proper names. Everyone except the princess is a giant or giantess, either of the Sun, the Moon, or the Wind. Three significant plot points occur-a kidnapping, a remarriage, and the abandonment and rescue of the princess's son. The events transpire too quickly and are not illustrated with the same attention to detail as in the first tale. While The Princess of the Springs doesn't quite hit the mark, Dara's Clever Trap is a solid choice for classroom or school libraries.-Sara Lissa Paulson, The American Sign Language and English Lower School, New York City (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Princess Dara is no damsel in distress. In this early reader chapter book based on a Cambodian tale, "The Story of Princess Amaradevi," the princess Dara is a Renaissance woman with talents in music, writing, painting, law, science and engineering. She meets her match in Rith, a young man who is "also very skilled at planning and drawing." They work on a project in Dara's father's kingdom, and they fall in love and marry. Unfortunately, three conniving ministers in the kingdom find the couple's surprise plans for a summer palace for the king, and while Dara is away, they falsely label them as "King Rith's Palace." The king is fooled by their ruse and banishes Rith. Dara is devastated when she returns and determines to clear her husband's name. When the three ministers each ask for her hand in marriage, she sees through their pretenses and conspires with her maid, Chenda, to trick them. Drawing upon her engineering skills, she succeeds and presents evidence of their malfeasance to her father, who sends them away and reunites her with Rith. Brightly colored acrylic-and-graphite illustrations reinforce the developing plot and have a nave quality that suits the folkloric sensibility of the story. Happily-ever-after with a STEM feminist twist: how very timely. (Early reader. 6-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
