"Happily Ever After" With a Feminist Twist: This Princess Book Turns Fairy Tales Upside Down! Products Parenting

I love a whimsical fairy tale, but throw in a princess and I tend to cringe. The helplessness! The rescuing! The brutal stereotypes! Author Robert Munsch and illustrator Michael Martchenko decided to do away the usual princess narrative and step up the feminism. They published The Paper Bag Princess in 1980 about a princess named Elizabeth who takes on a fierce dragon in order to rescue her beloved Prince Ronald.

The Paper Bag Princess is funny and exciting and has achieved widespread critical acclaim (the New York Times called it one "of the best children's books ever written").

But the best part of all? The book features a happily-ever-after conclusion with a feminist twist. It’s a gentle reminder that standing up for yourself is the very best kind of happiness out there.