Review by Booklist Review
Princess Clara loathes the confines of the palace; she'd rather be frolicking around the grounds. Her royal father often joins in the fun, but the recently widowed king has been absent of late, so her companionship comes in the form of huffy hired help. Clara remedies this by keeping critters for company, especially a tiny ogre she has transplanted from the pond who then quickly becomes became her dearest friend. But after confessing her deepest sorrows and dearest dreams, her compact companion shocks Clara by not only talking back but promising to fulfill her desires if she releases him. She eagerly does as he asks, and a series of unexpected developments bring a happy ending. While still surprising, the sweet story has a classic fairy-tale feel, and exuberant illustrations capture Clara's carefree spirit along with moving moments of isolation. Every spread brims with delightful detail, and adorable depictions of Clara playing with her equally enthusiastic father are a particular pleasure. An appealing portrait of an admirably offbeat princess.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Princess Clara finds a small ogre in the palace garden near a pond, and because she's terribly lonely--her mother has died, and her father is always gone--she takes him home and keeps him in her shoe. (Digitally finished colored pencil and watercolor artwork by Gravett reveals glimpses of the ogre, whose green body and big eyes suggest a more familiar creature.) While the little ogre "was very happy," Princess Clara dislikes her solitary life as well as the persnickety nanny who makes her dress up, the butler who forbids skipping, and the gardener who calls her "nuisance child." When the ogre asks Clara about her dearest wish, events unspool quickly and triumphantly. Imaginative vignettes are full of motion and charm, and in the hands of Mopurgo, fairy tale elements are shuffled and reassembled to produce a telling that feels both fresh and familiar. Primary characters are portrayed with pale skin. Ages 3--7. (Oct.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
An ersatz ogre effects lasting happiness. Upon discovering a tiny ogre in the garden, Princess Clara gives him a new home in a shoe under her bed. They're soon besties, and at bedtime, Clara finds herself confiding in her new pal. Ever since Clara's mother died, her father, the king, has had little time for her. She loves frolicking barefoot, climbing trees, and adopting wild creatures, but the "pernickety nanny," "bossy butler," and "grumpy gardener" charged with her care disapprove of these activities; they bark orders, shriek at her pets, and, in short, make "life a misery." Clara's friend confesses that he's no ogre; he's "King Toad" and will grant Clara's wishes for a mother and a more involved father. He asks to return to the garden, where he invokes an amphibian horde who permanently banish the scolders. Clara throws open her doors to all wild animals. More happiness awaits: Her father returns with a kindly new wife, everyone appreciates running around barefoot, and all enjoy the animals' company, especially that of King Toad. This charming U.K. import reads like an old-fashioned fairy tale with a few modern twists, complete with a satisfying ending. The delightful illustrations, created with colored pencil and watercolor and finished digitally, sparkle with energy, as do the personable characters, especially King Toad. Clara, her father, and the caretaker staff are pale-skinned; Clara's new mother is brown-skinned. Toad-ally enchanting.(Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
