De ridderprinses. Door: Cornelia Funke. Met tekeningen van: Kerstin Meyer.

Wat een geweldig verhaal: spannend, grappig, feministisch, empowerend en prachtig geïllustreerd. De tekst en tekeningen vullen elkaar wonderwel aan. Heel tof is de ‘Tapijt van Bayeux’-stijl die gebruikt wordt; die past bij het verhaal én het thema.

In de ridderprinses maken we kennis met Violetta, die net als haar grote broers een echte ridder wil zijn. Voor haar 16de verjaardag organiseert haar vader, de koning, een heus tornooi. De winnaar van die dag mag met zijn dochter trouwen, wat er dan gebeurt…

Dit is een geweldig mooi en tof boek, eentje dat je graag wil voorlezen aan je dochters én zonen. Eentje dat ongetwijfeld al heel snel een favorietje zal worden. Maar ook grote mensen kunnen hier van smullen, het is het ideale geschenk voor eenieder die wel een opkikkertje kan gebruiken in deze sombere tijden.

Ik ben fan. Violetta for king! ( )

When his daughter is born and his wife passes away, a king decides to raise his daughter just like his sons -- training to use swords, ride horseback, etc. As she grows up though, he still wants to marry off her to the winner of a jousting competition. So the clever princess knight enters herself in the competition instead...

I absolutely loved this book and am sorry it took me so long to read it after seeing it on recommended lists. The way it plays with tired old fairy tale tropes was lovely and a nice relief from so many other 'damsel in distress' style princess stories. The illustrations are more cartoonish than I generally like, but it worked okay with this story.

I would definitely recommend for anyone looking for feminist reads for either boys or girls. ( )

I very much enjoyed this book. The theme of the story is about not letting anyone tell you who or what you can and cannot be and that you chose your own path in life. You see this during the part of the story where Violetta fights in her own tournament and wins, causing her father, the king, to have to call off the tournament. I especially like that the main character is a girl because I feel as if there are not a lot of gender-role-defying books out there to inspire little girls to do their best and reach for the stars. This book shows them that with a lot of dedication and practice, they can do anything boys can do, sometimes even better. This is seen multiple times throughout the book, once when Violetta trains in secret in the night so she can beat her brothers, and another time when she fights in the tournament for her own hand in marriage. ( )

I liked this book for multiple reasons. First, the main character, Violet, is relatable for young girls. For example, Violet is a princess and must focus on getting marries rather than having fun with her brothers. Her father thinks she shouldn't ride horses or play with her brothers because it is unlady like. She proves to them all that she is brave when she goes into disguise and fight off all her suitors. Young girls can see that they can do whatever they want and shouldn't let others hold them back from what they truly like to do. Another reason I liked this book is because of the suspense created in the plot. For example, the reader wonders who Violets husband will be after the battle for her hand in marriage. But to the surprise of the reader Violet is the winner and shows that she is brave like men. The big idea from the story is that girls can do anything boys can do. Violet proves to her father and brothers that she is just as brave and strong as them even though she is a girl. ( )

Ooh - wonderful. The illustrations were so fun, with all the detail. And the titular twist was done with perfect grace and verve. Violetta is smart, brave, resourceful, and kind. What parent wouldn't want their little girl to be like her? Well done - I'm going to be recommending this one. ( )