The Princesses and the Dragon
| Author | Valerie Tripp |
| Illustrator | Thu Thai |
| Originally Published | © 2022 American Girl |
| ISBN | 9781683371939 |
Pegeen
One day, when the WellieWishers arrive at the garden, they see an adorable pink piglet waiting for her. She has a curly tail and perky ears. Ashlyn reads the piglet’s tag, which states she’s Pegeen Piglet. The girls walk up the path, with Pegeen circling around them. Apparently, Pegeen wants the girls to play with her.
The girls hurry along after Pegeen, who walks surprisingly fast. They follow Pegeen around the pond, and back into the woods. Suddenly, the girls stop when they see a castle up ahead. The girls gush… they love castles. Pegeen proudly sits down in front of the door.
Willa finds a note stuck to the door. On it, it reads:
For the WellieWishers,
Thank you for filling my garden with joy every day.
Love, Aunt Miranda
P.S. Have fun with your new friend, Pegeen!
Fairy Princesses
The girls explore the castle from top to bottom. There’s a balcony, a swing, and a small loft area where the girls can look down to the ground. Inside, there’s a kitchen and a table as well.
The girls write Aunt Miranda a thank you note to leave on Aunt Miranda’s door:
Dear Aunt Miranda,
We love the castle and we love Pegeen and most of all, we love YOU!
Thank you, XOXOXO
Ashlyn, Emerson, Willa, Kendall, Camille
As the girls hurry back to the castle, they decide to pretend they’re princesses living in the castle. Even better, they should pretend they’re fairy princesses! And, they should each have a magical power. They all hold hands together, and Emerson chants:
Close your eyes, stand in a row,
All hold hands, and off we go!
Princess Kendall wants more nice things to see for the castle. She waves her magic wand and recites:
A mirror that shines,
A sink like a shell,
Green leafy vines,
And two purple shelves.
Princess Camille says she wants more nice things to feel:
Cushions with polka dots,
Breezes so soft,
And if you’re tired,
A bed in the loft.
Princess Willa wants more nice things to smell:
Daisies and tulips,
Gardens of blooms,
Green grass and hollyhocks,
Little mushrooms.
Princess Emerson, swinging on the swing, says she wishes to fill the castle with nice things to hear:
Humming of hummingbirds,
Buzzing of bees,
Flapping flags in the wind,
Rustling leaves.
Princess Ashlyn wants to fill the castle with nice things to taste:
Crisp apple slices set out on plates,
Sweet golden honey and
Jam made of grapes.
The fairy princesses are quite content in their castle until…
Princess Crisella
One day, a dragon attacks the castle with a gigantic “ROOOOOAAAAAR!” It announces that its name is Princess Crisella, and she wants the castle for herself. The dragon scowls and howls, and tears the walls with her sharp claws. She can breathe fire, too, and she burns the apples on the apple tree.
The fairy princesses try to cast spells to make the dragon go away. They chant and sing and wave their wands. They wish as hard as they can. But no matter what they do, the dragon does not leave.
Princess Ashlyn asks who is brave enough to go outside to ask Princess Crisella to leave. None of the princesses volunteer, for Princess Crisella is too ferocious, and her claws are sharp and her breath smells smokey.
Looking out the window, Princess Camille admits that when she acts cranky like that, it’s because something hurts. Princess Emerson agrees and sometimes nobody is listening to her. Princess Kendall and Princess Ashlyn say that sometimes boredom or hunger makes them cranky. Princess Willa says tiredness affects her, too.
Princess Camille suggests maybe they should imagine how Princess Crisella feels. Princess Willa suggests maybe they should try a different kind of magic.
The Magic of Kindness
Princess Willa explains her plan. They hang an invitation on the door that says:
Dear Princess Crisella,
Please come to tea at our castle today at 2:00.
Love from Princess Kendall, Princess Ashlyn, Princess Willa, Princess Camille, Princess Emerson
The dragon snatches the invitation and flies off. The princesses hope she doesn’t come back to wreck the castle.
The fairy princesses work all day to prepare the castle for tea. They cook, clean, paint, and play music. Pegeen naps on the loft.
At 2:00, the dragon knocks on the door so hard it makes the castle shake. Princess Kendall bravely takes a deep breath and opens the door. She welcomes Princess Crisella inside the castle. Princess Camille offers a nice, comfortable seat for Princess Crisella to sit on, and Princess Willa hands her a vase of flowers. When Princess Emerson starts to play her violin and sing, Princess Crisella joins in with a sweet, beautiful voice.
Then, Princess Ashlyn hands Princess Crisella a bowl of applesauce. She promises next time Princess Crisella comes to tea, she’ll make some delicious apple tarts, if Princess Crisella promises not to burn more apples! Princess Crisella laughs, and agrees. As Princess Emerson plays a jig on the violin, the tea party turns into a dance party! It turns out Princess Crisella is a good dancer, except her tail keeps getting in the way.
Good Friends
The dragon and the fairy princesses become good friends. They like playing in the castle moat. Princess Crisella’s fiery breath isn’t an issue in the water. They also like to have campfires, where Princess Crisella will light the campfire in one breath. And, Princess Crisella is very sweet about being a comforting night-light when they have their slumber parties.
The fairy princesses are all so happy they decided to be kind to Princess Crisella. They’re happy to have her as a neighbor and friend.
For Parents
Discusses getting over friendship road bumps. Topics include:
- Using their imaginations to overcome problems and achieve their goals
- Using empathy to try to understand why other people act the way they do
- Using patience and kindness to remember that everyone has bad days when they’re not their best