Publisher's Weekly Review
Keller (Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone) leans into the power of fairy tales, friendship, and self-acceptance via this quickly paced fantasy. In Massachusetts, Korean American princess fan Mihi Whan Park feels "like a princess, like someone important, someone who mattered, someone who belonged," but a close friend's hurtful comment disparaging princess play as "babyish and kind of annoying" leaves her wondering if she will ever be good enough for a fairy tale life. An unexpected portal in the school librarian's refrigerator allows Mihi and two new friends--Reese, who is Black, and cued-white Savannah--into a magical world peopled with characters from popular European nursery rhymes and fairy tales. At first, the girls are ready for adventure and thrilled about the potential of becoming royalty, but various setbacks soon show the world's grimmer realities, including restrictive rules for princesshood. And when she and her friends don't agree on how to react, Mihi must decide whether to prioritize her dreams of princesshood or her hopes for friendship. Familiar elements combine with vivid storytelling and cartoon renderings by Rodríguez (Bella's Recipe for Success) to underline themes of adventure and self-discovery. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8--12. Author's agent: Faye Bender, Book Group. (Nov.)
Horn Book Review
Fourth grader Mihi Whan Park, who loves fairy tales and princesses, wants nothing more than to fit in at school, a place where microaggressions abound. A botched game of Snow White results in Mihi's being sent indoors to the library for recess, where she meets two other misfits, Reese and Savannah. Though the three girls are vastly different -- Reese is curious and inventive, Savannah is quiet and cautious, and Mihi is headstrong and bold -- they share a love of princess stories and adventure. These qualities and their common interests come in handy when they discover a magical portal in the school librarian's fridge that takes them to the Rainbow Forest, where they find themselves in training to become royalty. But it turns out that learning how to be a princess isn't as easy or as much fun as Mihi expects. The Rainbow Forest is full of mystery and danger and is home to several classic Western fairy-tale characters, including Sleeping Beauty and Goldilocks's three bears. In a tale of kinship and self-discovery, Keller conveys the isolation one feels when faced with racism and stereotypes without steering readers away from the primary story line. In her quest for belonging and creating her own perfect fairy tale, Mihi finds that genuine friendship is what she needed all along. Gabi K. Huesca November/December 2022 p.89(c) Copyright 2022. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A young girl seeks her own happily-ever-after. Korean American Mihi Whan Park is at a crossroads. Her best friend, Genevieve, is pulling away, and worse, she called Mihi's love of all things princess childish. All her life Mihi has feared that she is not princess material, and she has been looking for a happy ending in which things feel right. Mihi runs into classmates Reese, who is Black, and Savannah, who presents White, in the school library, and the three girls decide to sneak candies from the librarian's fridge. They discover that the fridge is a portal: It transports them to the magical Rainbow Forest. There they meet three chatty mice who are shocked that beings from what they call the Grey World have made it into their land. The mice direct the girls to Sleeping Beauty's castle, where they can seek their own fairy-tale ending. After being greeted by Bertha, Sleeping Beauty's lady-in-waiting, they are presented with a list of odd rules and requirements for becoming princesses. Eventually a more sinister truth reveals itself, compelling the girls to frantically search for a way home. Characters from popular European fairy tales and folktales make appearances, often somewhat randomly and without a clear purpose, and some worldbuilding rules regarding the Rainbow Forest and its magic are left unanswered; the next volume may clarify some of these elements. Final art not seen. A fast-paced series opener that introduces a new kind of princess story. (Fantasy. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
In this cute middle-grade fantasy, fairy tale--loving readers will get to visit the magical land where all their favorite characters live. Korean American Mihi desperately wants to be a princess but feels like she doesn't quite fit in. She unexpectedly meets some new pals (and fellow misfits) in the school library, and, like something out of Narnia, they discover a portal into a magical land. Unfortunately, they get way more than they bargained for when they begin to realize their dreams of being princesses and start to experience magic firsthand. Newbery-winning Keller includes some familiar characters from well-known stories while adding some new dimension with a contemporary spin. The girls are told they cannot make changes to the stories as written, but when they start seeing the dark side of things, they decide they'll do anything to get back home. Themes of friendship, honesty, and integrity really shine here, and the girls' journey to safety makes for an exciting page-turner. Some tantalizing threads left hanging hint at the possibility of future adventures.
