Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Sofia the First: Princesses to the Rescue! by Catherine Hapka

Title: Sofia the First: Princesses to the Rescue!
Author:Catherine Hapka
Genre: Picture Book, Fantasy
Reading Level: Ages 3 to 5
Multicultural: This book takes places in the Kingdom of Wei-Ling, which is Asian inspired.

 Sofia the First: Princesses to the Rescue! features Sofia, Princess Amber, and Princess Jun going on a mission to rescue their brothers and fathers from the jade jaguar, who is protecting a treasure the boys went in search of. The face several challenges along the way and even consider giving up at the first on; but Mulan appears and encourages them to not quit by telling them they are stronger than they know.

Overall this is a good simple story that provides an example of girls being the heroes while also being realistic in that they do consider quitting. Since they don't quit, it also provides examples of persevering and them building confidence as they overcome challenges. Additionally, overcoming the obstacles in different ways, such as using the flute to get the lizards to help them across the lagoon and leading the jaguar to get stuck, provide examples of problem solving.

Note that this Sofia the First picture book uses stylized calligraphy text. On the one hand this can make the book more appealing, especially for visual learners. However, it can also be harder to follow and read for others.

Types of Readers Book Might Appeal To & Multiple Intelligence Categories
  • Fans of Sofia the First and/or Mulan
  • Visual learners may find the calligraphy style text appealing along with how many pages have several illustrations to show the progress of the plot. (Spatial-Visual)
  • The free song download that comes with the book can help engage music lovers. They might also enjoy the drinking straw flute craft below. (Musical)
  • The book provides several examples of problem solving as the princesses are on their rescue mission. (Logical-Mathematical)
Activities for Further Learning and Fun
Related Books I've Reviewed


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