The princess and the Mirror Book Review

What happens when an expectant Queen wishes for her baby to be born as the most beautiful baby the world has ever seen? She gets her wish granted of course, under one condition. The Princess and the Mirror offers an important lesson in vanity and reminds us all to be careful what we wish for, because we just might get it. 

Disclaimer: I was sent a copy of The Princess and the Mirror free for review, all thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Princess and the Mirror | A Children's Book Review

The Princess and the Mirror | About the Book

Title: The Princess and the Mirror
Author: Isabel Cintra
Illustrated By: Zeka Cintra

The Princess and the Mirror tells a story of a mother's love overcoming  vanity.

This is a true fairytale that shows the traits that really make someone the fairest of them all.
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​The Princess and the Mirror features kings, queens, and even a Fairy Godmother!

When Queen Indira is told by her Fairy Godmother that in order for her wish for a beautiful child to come true, she must never allow the child to look in a mirror, she agrees. But what happens when the vain queen is forced to choose between that very promise and her daughter's request? Readers may be surprised!

"Fairy Godmother Jesuina, when the day of the birth comes, I will hold in my arms the sweetest baby this kingdom has ever seen. I wish for a child with infinite beauty and my wish shall be granted. My wish must come true."

The Princess and the Mirror | My Thoughts

Little Zahara is born a princess to her King and Queen parents in a land that lives in great harmony. She is constantly told how beautiful she is and she is admired by all who meet her. 

All but one little girl, that is. When Zahara notices a little girl is not as enthralled by her presence as everyone else, she decides she must meet her at once. 


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It is this little girl though that completely shatter's Princess Zahara's worldview by letting her know that she isn't the only beautiful child in the kingdom (or even the world) - according to her new friend, all children are beautiful.

The Princess and the Mirror teaches a wonderful lesson, everyone is beautiful in their own way and additionally, there is no greater power than a mother's love.​

I was pleasantly surprised by the ending of this tale, I thought I knew where it was going but the ending provides just enough of a twist to make this a unique story!

While reading The Princess and the Mirror, my preschooler noticed a particular butterfly present on most pages of the story - this turns out to be a symbol for Queen Indira's Fairy Godmother. This has turned into a fun game we play while reading, we always look for the butterfly.

The Princess and the Mirror comes off as a bit wordy at times and maybe could have benefited for an additional round of editing, but these small instances certainly do not take away from the story and it's wonderful meaning.
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The illustrations are colorful and are created in a way that almost make the pages look like they are colored in with crayons. I find that this gives the imagery some dimension and there is some obvious shading in the illustrations that also adds texture.

The Princess and the Mirror is a lovely book and makes for a great addition to a child's library who adores princesses!


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About the Author

Brasilian born in São Joaquim da Barra, a small town in Sao Paulo estate, she lives now in Europe for over 15 years. Isabel believes in the powerof literature to change people. Fantasy, representativeness and diversity are some common themes in her editorial production.
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