The lovable picture-book character Princess Truly enters the realm of beginning readers here, allowing youngsters to grow with their favorite spunky, magical-haired girl. This reader, divided into three chapters, follows Princess Truly as she uses her magical curls to travel to exciting places around the world. First, she and her dog, Sir Noodles, visit penguins on the South Pole. Next, she tries to cheer up her grumpy pug by taking him to an island beach (too hot and crowded!). So, they hop aboard Princess Truly's plane and fly to the city o bright and loud fore moving on to the rain forest (too buggy!). Finally, to Sir Noodles' delight, the pair returns home. Throughout the book, sweet, pastel-colored illustrations appear as full- or double-page scenes, on which one to two simple sentences are written in lightly rhyming text. An excellent book for any budding reader that encourages the use of imagination, exploration, and discovery.

Gr 1-2 This is the second book in the "Princess Truly" early chapter book series. In each chapter, Princess Truly, a brown-skinned girl with sparkly curls, embarks on different adventures with her brother Ty and her dog Sir Noodles. Princess Truly is not only magical, she is also kind. This is evident throughout the narrative as she helps a penguin and tries to cheer up Sir Noodles. The book contains three short chapters with one or two sentences per page, making it a great choice for students who are just starting to read chapter books. The full-color illustrations on each page add to the fun, whimsical text. Princess Truly's curls actually sparkle with rainbows when she works her magic. VERDICT This adorable story is a must-have for fans of the series, as well as a great addition to any early chapter book section. V. Lynn Christiansen, Wiley International Studies Magnet Elementary School, Raleigh, NC