The Dumpy Princess

by Karin Fernald, Sophie Foster (Illustrator)

Overview

Princess Victoria lives in a world of dolls, pets and palaces. But with four bad uncles, a penniless widowed mother and wicked Sir John Conroy for company, life isn't easy. It takes Victoria's down-to-earth governess Lehzen, a nice German cousin called Albert and her beloved spaniel Dash to convince the plain little girl with no chin that one day she could become Queen of England. Wittily penned and delightfully illustrated, The Dumpy Princess offers a lighthearted glimpse into a royal childhood.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781907666599
Publisher:	Frances Lincoln Children's Books
Publication date:	05/01/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	112
File size:	1 MB
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Princess Victoria lives in a world of dolls, pets and palaces. But with four bad uncles, a penniless widowed mother and wicked Sir John Conroy for company, life isn't easy. It takes Victoria's down-to-earth governess Lehzen, a nice German cousin called Albert and her beloved spaniel Dash to convince the plain little girl with no chin that one day she could become Queen of England. Wittily penned and delightfully illustrated, The Dumpy Princess offers a lighthearted glimpse into a royal childhood.

Read an Excerpt

Chapter Seven



Victoria loved animals. She loved her parrot and her canary and her cat and her donkey and her littlw grey horse, Rosa. And she loved her dogs.



He favourite dog was a black-and-white spaniel with long ears, whom she called Dash, because he was always dashing about. Dash loved Victoria in return. Sometimes when he was tired from dashing about, he would stay still long enough for her to dress him up in a little jacket and blue trousers, or to bath him, which she did every single day. She talked to him, too, all the time, when there was nobody else there.



From time to time, when he had something really important to say, Dash talked back.

Editorial Reviews

A delightful small hardback which takes a wry view of the life of the future Queen Victoria. Historically correct - well more or less - the story succeeds in making the future queen seem very human and all too real. It also confirms my suspicions about the appalling people surrounding royalty the, and now?

From the Publisher

Gr 3–5—This engaging story of how a plain little girl grew up to become Queen of England is for those who enjoy their historical fiction on the light side. Fernald navigates a dark time in history with just the right amount and type of humor, making the narrative accessible and intriguing for kids. Readers are introduced to Victoria as a baby. They witness the loutish behavior of her four less-than-princely uncles, Ernest, Frederick, William, and George. Each royal has his own problems and reasons for his bad treatment of Victoria and her widowed mother, the Duchess of Kent. Fortunately, Victoria's savvy governess protects, comforts, and advises her, gently steering her toward her destiny. Meanwhile, readers get to know the young Victoria, a lover of animals and dolls who is also a princess with a mind of her own. From infancy to her coronation, the author offers an entertaining and historically accurate glimpse into what life was like for Victoria. Charming, cartoonlike color illustrations, large and small, add to the enjoyment of the novel. This would make a good classroom read-aloud for groups studying British history.—Tina Martin, Arlington Heights Memorial Library, IL

School Library Journal

No doubt meant to be droll, this arch fictionalized biography of the girl who became Queen Victoria misses the mark.

Most of the facts are here: her six unsatisfactory uncles, her beloved dog Dash, her ascension to the throne at age 18. There is a glimpse of Albert, her royal first cousin, whom she loved and who would become her spouse. But the text focuses on the years before: People call her Vicky; much is made of her lack of chin and lack of height; her mother keeps her under tight control. All of her mother's dialogue is written in aHogan's Heroes–esque, German-accented English, which just doesn't seem very funny in the 21st century. The Duchess, her mother, on her late husband: "How fine he vos! And vot a great kink he vould haf mate, eef his horrid brudders hadn't been born before him. How dey all hated each udder!" The villainous Sir John Conroy, who worked with Victoria's mother to make her utterly dependent (and whom she instantly dismissed from court upon her coronation), plays his part, as does Lehzen, Victoria's cherished governess. The brightly colored illustrations are exaggerated and cartoony, a good match for the text.

In the end, we are not amused. (chronology, list of kings and queens)(Historical fiction. 7-10)

Kirkus Reviews