I Didn't Do It!

March 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 1-Little Princess is blamed for everything that goes wrong at the castle. Despite the feisty young girl's adamant cries of "I didn't do it!," the queen faults her for leaving muddy footprints on the floor, the cook believes she gobbled up the freshly baked chocolate cake, and the gardener says she trampled all over the radishes. Disgruntled and dejected by all of the false accusations, Little Princess tells her troubles to Little Prince. When the two royals climb their "Sulky Tree" to commiserate, Little Princess not only finds a sympathetic ally but she also discovers who is actually responsible for the misdeeds-and he even has a piece of cake for her, too. Ross's trademark wispy watercolor ink-and-pen cartoons are full of eccentric characters, like the general who gallops on a hobby horse, and the admiral who is surrounded by sinking toy ships. VERDICT Fans of this long-running British series will enjoy this humorous, relatable installment.-Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2016
"I didn't do it!" the Little Princess says each time she's accused of a misdeed, from muddying the castle floor to stealing the bell off the prime minister's tricycle. Could it be that for once she is blameless? Ross continues to craft fresh story lines for his frill-averse royal protagonist; meanwhile, hilarious illustrations show the castle elders as amiably buffoonish figures.

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)