My Newest Illustrated Classic: A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

I am so excited to announce my newest illustrated book A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett, available for pre-order on April 1st.

A Little Princess was the only book I read over and over again as a child. As a girl who didn’t “read [books, but] gobble[d] them up” (to paraphrase Mr. Crewe), I always had new books I wanted to get to…but there was something about little Sara and her rags that kept pulling me in again and again. The magic in the story of the little princess in the attic was unparalleled.

I still feel this way about A Little Princess. I read it every year, and with each reading I feel a little bit of that childhood magic returning to me.

When illustrating this book, I wanted to capture not the ugliness of Sara’s tragic circumstances, but rather the beautiful inner imaginings of her soul: The thoughts that made her life wonderful – that made her a princess – despite being nothing better than a beggar in real life. So I painted flowers and castles and swans and beautiful rooms with ornate furnishings. I painted the pictures in Sara’s mind, instead of the miserable realities she was forced to undergo.

I think this is the most special book I’ve illustrated yet. I love the lessons in these pages, and I think that every little girl should own a copy of this book. The ratty old copy that I read over and over as a child was not illustrated, and the cover was prosaic and boring (I still have that copy, by the way). My dream for this book was to create illustrations that are as enchanting as the story within.

This beautiful hardcover edition of A Little Princess features original cover art and several full color illustrations on the inner pages. It is complete and unabridged. The book will be available exclusively on my website, and will open for pre-order starting on April 1st at 10am CST. All pre-ordered books will receive a free bookplate.

From the back:

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“If I can be a princess in rags and tatters, I can be a princess inside…”

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Sara Crewe is a real princess; at least, she is on the inside – and that’s all that really matters, isn’t it? When she first arrives at Miss Minchin’s School for Girls, Sara is adorned with all of the comforts she could possibly want. Her father is rich and he dotes on her, after all. Her kindness and love of storytelling delight the other girls, making her a fast favorite at the school. But when her fortune suddenly changes and she is relegated to a bare attic with all of her comforts taken away, Sara refuses to give away her title of “Princess”.

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This novel is the story of how a young girl overcomes her tragic circumstances by graciousness, friendship, and force of will. Her imaginings and inner perspective propel her through immense hardship, enabling her not only to thrive but to be a blessing unto others.

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A Little Princess is a novel of hope and perseverance that every child should read. This edition has been lovingly brought to life with original illustrations by Haleigh DeRocher.