Starred Review The high-octane duo of Angleberger and Santat pit a hotshot young princess against more folk- and fairy-tale characters than you can shake a stick shift at. Stuck in last place, just one lap to go, chances so slim that even her fairy godmother tells her there's no way, what's a princess to do? Fiercely put pedal to the metal and roar back out on the racetrack! Cranking up the visual RPMs with streaks and sprays of rainbow color, Santat records an epic comeback as the royal roadster cracks Humpty Dumpty, flies past several Wicked Witches, beats Jack and Jill down the hill, chops the Three Little Pigs, loses Little Bo Peep and the Sheep, leaves the Ugly Stepsisters and every other racer in the dust, and hurtles across the finish line in a blaze of glitter. Time for a Happily Ever After? As if! "C'mon Prince! We've got a dance contest to win!" the princess crows in the last scene, reaching through an exuberant crowd at the victory ball to snag a frog in a gold lamé jacket. The only bump in the road for this turbo-charged tribute to girl power is the dilemma that libraries will face in having to choose between the equally compelling jacket and cover. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Best-selling Angleberger and Caldecott winner Santat are proven successes, and this high-energy, girl-powered tale will zoom right off shelves.

In a mash-up of fairy tale and auto race, the Princess passes a litany of favorite characters from fairy tales, nursery rhymes, and classic books like The Wonderful Wizard of Oz after a pit stop. In the vibrant art, full-bleed pages of bold lines and dramatic layouts play up tension and movement. This speedy freshening up of classic children's literature honors the power of confidence and determination and puts the Princess in the driver's seat.

Yes, the princess drives a race car, and why not? This sizzling readaloud starts as the Fairy Godmother tells the Princess that she-s in last place with one lap to go. -She might as well give up!- the narrator threatens. But when readers get a look at the expression of grim determination behind the princess-s goggles, they-ll know all is not lost. As she roars off, a frog with a shiny suit and a shinier microphone provides a breathless account of her progress: -She passed Humpty Dumpty! She passed all the King-s Horses! She passed all the King-s Men!- Practically every major nursery rhyme character makes a cameo appearance: -She blew the doors off the Big Bad Wolf and smoked the Three Little Pigs.- Rocket-fueled panel artwork by Santat (After the Fall) gleams like carbon fiber. His rendering of Angleberger-s (the Origami Yoda series) inspired injection of sports-network energy into fairyland produces a shot of gleeful adrenaline whose only fault, like the best of things, is that it-s over too soon. Ages 5-7. Author-s agent: Caryn Wiseman, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Illustrator-s agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House. (July)