I Want to Do It by Myself!

‘Independence’ is difficult territory to explore with humour and it is a tribute to Tony Ross’ illustrations and clever text that he not only gets away with it but triumphs!

The Little Princess is determined to manage a camping expedition unaided and grows increasingly irritated with well-meaning adult offers of help. The realisation that she hasn’t remembered even essentials such as a tent, food and bedding comes as a shock! The children I read this story to accepted the absurdity of the situation, seeing the joke and joining in with glee, as all the adults in the Princess’ life surreptitiously come to her rescue while she remains sublimely unaware.

The illustrations are, as one would expect from Tony Ross, witty depictions of our determined heroine and with each new book the minor characters in the court become more substantial. Whilst all of the ‘Little Princess’ series can be relied upon as enjoyable, I recommend this title for any Foundation Stage and Key Stage One class book corner.