For generations of young page turners, fairy tales have taught us about castles, curses, and the power of “happily ever after.” But too often, the princesses in these tales sit around waiting around for their prince to save them. Well no more, modern fairy tales how changed, showing young readers that heroes come in all shapes, sizes and crowns, and that courage doesn’t need a saviour. Princesses Break Free is one of the most delightfully defiant tales in this new wave, celebrating fearless characters who write their own endings. Princess Tilly doesn’t need to be rescued… she is very capable of doing it herself!
Princesses Break Free, written by Timothy Knapman and illustrated by Jenny Løvlie, is a children’s picture book that breaks gender stereotypes and is an fun, humorous adventure.
Once upon a time in fairyland …. All the princess are in trouble and are waiting for their prince to rescue them. The age old classic tale, except Princess Tilly is different. Swept off to a dragon’s lair, she isn’t going to sit around twiddling her thumbs until a prince arrives to save the day. She doesn’t sit there braiding her hair – she sews herself a makeshift parachute from giant knickers and escapes. Later, when her fairy godmother imprisons her, she picks the lock before breakfast and escapes again. And when she discovers another princess stuck in a tower, Tilly climbs up, hands over a trusty rope, and tells her to take control and kick down the door herself, you’ve guessed it, to escape.
With the princesses taking charge of their own lives and destiny, the dragons, evil queens and even the princes all have nothing to do. This leaves them free to use their newfound freedom to try other things and do what they want to do rather than what fairy tales expect of them and really start to enjoy themselves.
Overall, I think that Princesses Break Free is an excellent reimaging of a fairy tale. It has been twisted and updated for the twenty-first century and stereotypical roles obliterated. Packed with humour, adventure and positive messages it is the perfect story for children to be reading and learning from. A story packed with confidence and lots of adventurous fun.
While it is a fairy tale, it is full of positive messages about taking control of your life, doing things for yourself, being kind and helping others as well as breaking down stereotypes. With a strong female protagonist escaping dragons with a pair of giant knickers, leaping from towers, scaling mountains and exploring jungles or even having mushy pie fights it is a fun, engaging and inspiring read.
Jenny Løvlie’s illustrations burst with colour and character: from the snickering snout of a startled dragon to the gleam in Tilly’s determined eyes. The art never leans on pink clichés; instead, it paints a world where princesses are explorers, engineers, and storytellers all at once.
Beyond the giggles and gasps, the story lands a powerful message: girls (and boys!) don’t need rescuing – they are in control of their own lives and can rescue themselves as well as each other. When word of Tilly’s exploits spreads, dragons find new hobbies, princes discover hobbies beyond heroics, and the kingdom learns that teamwork trumps tradition.
Princesses Break Free is a humorous adventure story with lots of energy. It reinforces that girls don’t have to rely on boys for help – they are perfectly capable of doing everything for themselves.
An inspirational book that encourages motivation, self-awareness, confidence and not to let anyone tell you that you can’t do something because of gender of differences. An ideal bedtime story, it is not only fun but can spark conversations around equality. A fun fairy tale remix that rethinks classic fairy tales!
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £12.99 (Hardback) / £7.99 (Paperback)
For more information, visit www.timothyknapman.co.uk. Available to buy from Amazon here.
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