Princess Pink and the Land of Fake-Believe: Moldylocks and the Three Beards by Noah Z. Jones (review)

Princess Pink may be literally our heroine’s name, but she is not a princess and she hates the color pink, being a rough-and-tumble girl who loves dirty sneakers and monster trucks. Her adventurous spirit is put to good use when she sneaks to the kitchen for a midnight snack and finds the refrigerator door opens up into the Land of Fake-Believe, where Mother Moose (himself a victim of unsuitable naming) lends her a hand navigating this new world. She soon encounters the titular Moldylocks, whose green hair and sodden dress evoke the sights and smells of a swamp. When her new friend leads her to the home of the Three Beards, the requisite sampling of food (chili subs for porridge here), chairs, and beds and subsequent nap lead to Moldylock’s capture, and Princess must use her brains and boldness to save her pal. Author and illustrator (and animator) Jones knows what will give his audience the giggles, and he doesn’t hesitate to go for gross in going for laughs. The story itself is pretty superficial, with the prose sacrificing sustained wit in favor of the easy, smelly joke. However its accessibility and accompanying cartoonish art (which makes the dark-skinned Princess Pink’s pink hair into a punky, piquant statement) will have kids guffawing with the silly puns and cheering for the ingenious Princess Pink in this subverted version of the more traditional tale. A question guide at the back prompting readers to articulate the differences between the two stories seems out of place after an otherwise decidedly un-academic romp; hopefully this bit of window dressing will disappear by the next installment of the series, allowing readers who want grossout comedy, pink-haired heroines, or alternative fairy tales to enjoy their sillies in peace.