Book Review - 'Princess Battle Royale' by Phaea Crede (Writer), Jen Hill (Illustrator)

'Princess Battle Royale' is such a fun, mad, bonkers, hilarious, and clever picture book and comic - all about girl power and fairy tales and fairy tale princesses from all over, not just Europe - that I had to give it five shining stars.

I know next to nothing about wrestling, and even I got some of the references and jokes throughout. The book is full - and I am not exaggerating here, full - of bad puns, and I love it. It is full of inspired twists and I love it.

It is about the WPW - World Princess Wrestling! Princesses wrestling is a global sport! They even have their own sports cards!

Fairy tale princesses are wrestlers, and they compete and try to overthrow(down) the undefeated reigning WPW champion, Swan Princess (literally a swan, and a boastful prima donna ballerina), for the Enchanted Championship Belt. They are: Rapunzel the Reaper, the Not-So-Little Mermaid, Sleeping "Leaping" Beauty, Badroulbadour (think Jasmine with the magic lamp), Cinderella Ninjarella, and Kaguya, the Moon Monarch of Mayhem (I love her).

Then there're the not-princesses: Little Red Riding Hood, the protagonist, and dark horse outside the ring, as a towel girl, until the final match... and Thumbelina. Er, I mean Ready-to-Rumble-ina.

The entirety of 'Princess Battle Royale' is chaotic, and funny and feminist as feathers. I'm sure it captures the exact feel of a WWE event - it's big, boisterous, and madcap enough. It is blooming great, a tiara-ific triumph! (I'm matching the book's pun quality).

The only things I don't like are the overused and bland gag of the princess Sleeping Beauty nodding off a lot (it's her wrestling gimmick, which... okay?), and the characterisation of Cinderella as a mean girl, who tells Little Red Riding Hood, "Just fetch the water, girl." Having a domestic slave and abuse victim say that to someone, especially a child, was certainly... a choice. In fact, most of the princesses are mean, and kind of bloodthirsty, until they learn their lesson from Red Riding Hood at the end. All the same, they are no less prideful and egotistical than Swan Princess.

Little Red is a sweet pea, though. So is Thumbelina.

They are all scrappy ladies in the ring, to be sure!

They don't need princes. They only wish to win the Enchanted Championship Belt.

'Princess Battle Royale' is a strong recommendation from me. It is far, far away from any other princess fairy tale picture book you've read before.

It's a whopping, whooping wrestling romp! It's a piping hot, potty, and dotty pun-omenon! A puns-travaganza! With a feminist princess twist (like Rapunzel's hair), and a lesson on not underestimating anyone based on their size, and how you don't have to be royalty to be special and win at anything. It's about hard work, training, and observing your obstacles and opponents.

A brand spanking new banger and banner!


'And they all lived scrappily ever after.'


Final Score: 4.5/5

Book Review - 'Little Witch's To-Do List by Helen Kemp Zax (Writer), Kiersten Eve Eagan (Illustrator)

Gosh, how many books titled 'Little Witch' are there?

But this - as part of 'A Magical List Book' series - is one of the better ones.

The 'To-Do List' in question is played on the straight and narrow (except maybe when doing loop the loops on a broomstick), and there is nothing really subversive about it. There is no story, per se: Little Witch's long list of magical chores, activities and hobbies for the day is done and dusted with no obstacles; everything works out fine. It kind of sends the unfortunate message to children about not allowing flexibility, or contingency plans for the unpredictable in life. It's good to be organised and have plans - I'm borderline OCD about them myself - but in reality, rigidly sticking to following lists, rules and order doesn't always work out how you want them to. It's odd to see such rule-abiding in a kids' fantasy picture book with a witch protagonist who can do anything she wants - who has limitless potential.

Why not also teach how to cope when things don't work out? To allow for positive change? Learn to go off script and expand your horizons, reach your own magical potential, to better yourself as a person?

But 'Little Witch's To-Do List' is so cute, charming, magical and witchy otherwise, that I do not mind its somewhat unimaginative "story" and moral. It's a colourful, rhyming, melodic beat of a picture book about the day in the life of a witchling, and that's okay.

Its artwork is beyond charming - and that is the word that best describes the whole book. Its rhyming scheme is simple, creative and effective on each page. I can see it being an edutainment CD-ROM game.

There is a black cat, a witch hat, a witch robe, a owl, a baby phoenix, a dragon, a snake, bats in belfries, a wart hair (I like that Little Witch has spots on her face), potions, a green-slime shake, an invisibility spell, a mandrake garden, a toadstool cake, the moon, flying on a broomstick, talking to a mirror, cuddling with Mum, and Halloween goodness everywhere!

Maybe it doesn't matter that the titular Little Witch has no name?

'Little Witch's To-Do List' - a little bit of a shame its moral, intended or not, to children couldn't be as imaginative and free as its content, but it is still an adorable, colourful, wonderful and enchanting rhyming picture book read to pass the moonlit night at bedtime. It's no 'Kiki's Delivery Service' or 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch' or even 'Pizza Witch', but it's sweet on its own.

At least it ends on a touching goodnight scene with Little Witch and her mum, where they read 'Little Witch's To-Do List' together (!?!) The 'Magical To-Do List' itself, shown at the end, is another cute addition.


'To-do lists are more
than pure magic fun.

They help is keep track of
what needs to get done!

What's on YOUR to-do list?'


I doubt anyone's to-do list is as fun, exciting, busy and magical as a witch's.

Other, similar picture books and recommendations:


'Witch in Training'

'My Mummy is a Witch'

'The Witchling's Wish'

'Once Upon a Witch's Broom'

'Leila, the Perfect Witch'

'Sunday The Sea Witch'


What the hex, might as well look at another book titled 'Little Witch' that I enjoy here.


Happy Halloween, witches!

Final Score: 3.5/5

Graphic Novel Review - 'Adventure Time: Marceline' by Various

A collection of fun, funny, touching and sweet short 'Marceline' comics, that has the whole of 'Marceline and the Scream Queens' smack dab in the middle, as well as a couple self-contained issues from that comic beforehand.

I adore 'Laundromarceline', 'Grumpy Butt', 'The Moon - ECLIPSE', 'Moon Beam', 'Broken', 'Visions of Paternity', and 'Marceline the Derby Queen'.

The stories are very different from one another, with different art styles from well known comic artists, including Lucy Knisley, Jen Wang, Faith Erin Hicks, Aatmaja Pandya, and Reimena Yee! 'Adventure Time: Marceline' clearly loves Marceline the Vampire Queen and variety. It is like a box of chocolates.

I just wish there could have been more.

'Adventure Time: Marceline' - a touch of sadness and tragedy, that nonetheless has an enjoyable time with itself, and quickly learns to love itself again. Much like the character of Marceline. She lives, learns and loves herself through her loved ones, reconciliating with her past, and her music - her songwriting and her badass bass guitar/battle-axe.

She is awesome. She is an icon.

Heck, coincidently and incidentally, I bought a Marceline T-shirt in a shop the same day this comic was delivered to me.

The last of my 'Adventure Time' reviews, and I'm happy it is about Marceline.

For more of my own Marceline the Vampire Rock Queen and Slayer (and Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum!) box of chocolates reviews, read:


'Marceline Gone Adrift'

'Seeing Red'

'Marceline the Pirate Queen'

'Thunder Road'

'Marcy & Simon'

'Bitter Sweets'


Happy Halloween!

Final Score: 4/5