Catholic Review of: The Princess And The Kiss

This book is a wonderful portrayal of the gift that is purity.  I have a son and three daughters and am appalled at how much smut my children are bombarded with from day to day in our society.  All you have to do is turn on the TV and flip through commercials and it is right there before your eyes.  I think now, more than ever, parents need to begin the "birds and the bees" conversation with their children while they are young enough to be able to understand it.   This book is a fantastic "conversation starter" for that important and necessary talk.

It begins with a king and a queen who loved their daughter from before she was born.  God gave them a special gift for their daughter that they kept safe until she was old enough to protect it on her own.  This gift was her first kiss.  Through beautiful water color illustrations, with the story set in a fairy tale kingdom,  the book takes you through the girl's courtship experience to a satisfying "happily ever after."

One of my favorite scenes in the book is the conversation between the princess and her mother.  She expressed her disappointment in the suitors that just didn't measure up, and asked if she'd ever find the one she was looking for.  Her mother's reply was that she was certain her daughter would find a husband worthy of her kiss, but if it didn't happen her kiss would be her own to cherish forever.  It was so precious to me because I remembered the sense of loss and fear of being alone when my "princes" turned to "toads."   The author of the book has left open the door for the vocation of single life without making this seem like falling short or a negative choice.

Jennifer Bishop does a fabulous job of engaging little girls with the princess theme and teaching the value of purity.  After all the cheesy Disney princess pink stuff running around in our home, it was nice to have something of value to add to my oldest daughter's imagination.  This is a fairy tale that will come true and one that my daughters can treasure in their hearts for a life time.