When I was approached by Disney to review a new book in November of 2013, I was a little skeptical (and a little late in writing my review). To tell you the truth, I was a little Disney-ed out at that point. My daughter was at that age where everything she ate, slept and talked about was Disney Princesses. There's Cinderella (her favorite), and Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty, and Pocahontas and Jasmine and Belle and Ariel (The Little Mermaid). There are DVDs and dolls, sippy cups and slippers, figurines and tea sets and jewelry boxes, amulets and armchairs- it's almost too much. Truth is, I barely escape the Disney store with my ears not ringing from all the squealing my little girl does whenever she sees something she likes (which is everything). So why would I want to support yet another "princess" book (with a TV show, and more books and movies and merchandise in the works)? Well, I didn't. But, sometimes even dads can't fight the magic of Disney.
Sofia the First, written by Cathy Hapka and beautifully illustrated by Grace Lee, has quickly become a fan favorite in my house. Yes it's another princess book, and sure it borrows from a couple of popular movies I'll never admit to watching on a Saturday afternoon by myself (most notably What a Girl Wants, starring Amanda Bynes, and The Princess Diaries, starring Anne Hathaway), but there's something I really like about it. Maybe it's the whole fish out of water theme of a girl trying to fit in with her new Royal family? Maybe it's the exploration of what children go through in today's mixed families? Maybe it's the fact that my own little princess can't put it down, and I don't mind reading it to her, again and again- and again? But, this book grew on me, and fast.
SYNOPSIS: "Meet Sofia, a little girl who lives a rather ordinary life. But everything changes when her mother marries the king. Overnight, Sofia becomes a princess and life becomes anything but ordinary for Sofia the First!" (Source: http://disney.go.com/books/sofia-the-first)
This book is full of the same stunning artwork you always find from Disney, and the writing is short, sweet and gets right to the heart of the matter. Little Sofia just wants to fit in with her new family, but she's not sure where she stands - with her new Stepfather, stepbrother, and, of course, a stepsister that probably doesn't like the competition. Everything is new for Sofia, as is this take on what it's like to be a Princess in the new Millenium. It simply takes tried and true, mixes it up, and gives little girls a new princess- one for their generation- that they can understand and emulate.
Yes, as a birth father, I took issue with Sofia calling the King "Dad" without missing a beat, but I can forgive this minor mistake as I believe this book will help lots of little girls (and boys) to understand that they aren't alone as they comes to terms many different types of change (divorce, new school, new friends, etc). In short, I really like Sofia The First- it's the perfect marriage of something old (Disney Princesses), something new (the depiction of chilren struggling to fit in in a blended family), something borrow (see What a Girl Wants), and something blue (Cinderella makes an appearance and helps save the day). This really is a great story that little girls will love, especially mine. Even if it costs me hundreds of dollars in dresses, and DVDs, and apps and accessories.
We are happy to say Sofia The First is Fodder Tested and most definitely Father Approved.
Source:
http://www.fodder4fathers.com/blog/2013/2/6/f4f-reviews-disneys-sofia-the-first-a-fathers-perspective.html
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