OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Princesses Don’t Wear Glasses" by Tia Cherie Dammen.]

Princesses Don’t Wear Glasses by Tia Cherie Dammen is an illustrated children’s book about a girl who finds out she needs glasses. Avery is a young princess who has a wardrobe of beautiful dresses and tiaras in every color. One day she realizes everything she’s seeing is blurry. When an eye exam reveals she needs glasses, Princess Avery becomes very upset. She feels she won’t look pretty wearing glasses and they won’t match her clothes. Picking out glasses with her mother provokes more tears as the pairs Avery tries on either don’t fit well or look nice on her face. She also becomes insecure about wearing glasses to school and fears the other kids will make fun of her.

I enjoyed this light, heartwarming story. The plot is easy to understand and there are only a few sentences on each page. The themes of self-esteem and feeling different are very relatable as a change in appearance can be difficult for a child to adjust to. Many children have to wear glasses, braces, or other type of health aid. This can create feelings of insecurity and anxiety.

Kim Betschart’s full-page illustrations really make this book shine. I also liked the whimsical font which is sometimes placed in a fun style that curves around the pictures. The watercolor-style artwork not only complements the text, but turns the story into something really special. The pictures of Princess Avery are so lively and in-your-face that she almost seems to jump off the pages. I loved the pictures and themes so much that I would recommend the author consider creating additional products based on the story – for example, a coloring/activity book, a Princess Avery paper doll book with interchangeable dresses and glasses, etc.

My main gripe is that the ending is too neatly tied up. Still, the overall story is sure to capture a child’s interest. Since the language is fairly simple, the book would be ideal for young readers who are learning to read independently. It would also be a good selection for teachers to read during storytime, as the story could easily jump-start a discussion about feeling different, friendship, and the importance of self-respect.

I was pleased to find no grammatical or spelling errors in this well-written book. However, pages 18 and 19 are displayed sideways for no explicable reason. Since I received the book as a PDF file, I am hoping the published e-book includes the proper formatting of these pages.

This book has earned a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. Despite the minor flaws, I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet story about a common issue. As a picture book, it seems most appropriate for children ages 4-8, particularly girls. It would be a nice addition to any young child’s book collection.

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Princesses Don’t Wear Glasses
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Sounds like a cute book with in important message for kids. Indeed any children have to wear glasses and any book that helps that feel secure about it is a good one. It is great that it was well edited, and that the illustrations not only complemented the text, but also turned the story into something special. Great review as always!

I love that this had no mistakes. I think it's great when children's authors write a story that is pertinent to kids. This is something that can really tear a kid apart. I love the cover as well. Thanks for another informative review!

This sounds like a solid children's story! Yes, glasses can be a traumatic event for children. I have experience with that, myself Thank you for the review; I like to hear of positive children's books that deal with realistic issues!

Thanks everyone for the kind words. It's nice when a children's book can be both fun and tackle an important topic.

This really looks like a nice cute book for children. I love the fact that the book is free of grammatical errors. Grammatical errors confuse children apparently. Colourful books make reading enjoyable to children, so kudos to the author for this consideration. Thank you for a comprehensive review.

This seems like a very interesting read and I love how I can relate to the main character as I wear eyeglasses ever since in elementary school and at the same time wanting to look presentable hence the problem of having to wear the glasses.

AWWW I can predict that this book is adorable much. Thanks for the exceptional review. Might read it my self even though am wayyy past the targeted age group lol

This is clearly a children's book. What type of children's book, that id, what age child is this aimed at? 2-3? 5-7?

Avery reminded me of my young cousin who threw the exact same tantrum when she found out that she needed to wear spectacle. I think I can guess what's happening in the book because of her. I see that it has a lot lessons to teach for every young girl, it is very fascinating! I think I can give it to my young cousin and see if she will throw her cute tantrums or will she put up with it. Thank you for sharing this book!

Thanks everyone for the nice feedback! Based on the comments that some of you wore glasses in childhood, I think it's true that the book's plot and themes would have widespread appeal among children.

MsTri - your experience reminds me of the old saying..."be careful what you wish for."
Riszell- the good news is that there are so many options nowadays for cute glasses, both for kids and adults!
Simani Nimandra - I think this would be a great book choice for your cousin.
DathanReeves - in the last paragraph, I included the recommended age range, 4-8.

sound very fun even reading to the kids,its interesting and catches their attention.
I can imagine the faces the kids make waiting to hear how the story will end.

Nice review! This book is just too cute. I like the whole concept- definitely a nice twist.It also touches on self image issues which very young children experience as well so this is very much a relevant book and will help children who struggle with this issue.

A princess that needs to wear glasses? What a wonderful topic for a children's book! I know quite a few kids who have gone through this situation. They get really upset because glasses aren't cool apparently. I hope that at the end of the book, the princess understands that having glasses is not the end of the world and will actually make her life better in the long run!