5 Stars. This time I am very glad to speak about a children’s book. This work is suitable for children aged 7-12 years. That is a fairy tale enriched with magical words. Its title is Sir Princess Petra’s Talent’s and its author is Diane Mae Robinson, an established and rewarded writer of Children’s books and a writing instructor at the Creative Writing Institute.

The book I am reviewing is the second episode of The Pen Piery Adventures, a series set in the reign inhabited by the little, brave Princess Petra, her parents, namely the king and his queen and a royal council that supervises Petra’s friends while they try to follow the rules established by the royal book to became royal knights.

The book opens with the synopsis of the first episode, where the little, nine years Petra gets the title of royal knight to have hushed the howling dragon Snarls. The latter becomes a friend of Petra, but in the book two, the parents of Petra expect their beloved princess to behave as a true Princess and not only as a royal knight. The king, hence, orders Petra to attend the Talent School to gain a talent certificate. If she refuses this proposal, she will be turned into a frog!

Naturally, Petra accepts to attend the School. In this new experience, the Princess is accompanied by her friends Snarls and Prince Duce Crablips of the Kingdom of Crablips. But which will be the talent that Petra will choose at the Talent School? The answer is in the book that I want to define a graceful masterpiece of the children’s literature.

Many readers or aspiring authors believe that writing a children’s book is easier that writing a fiction for young adults. Indeed, in order to fit style of writing for little readers, a writer must have high skills in creative writing. Thanks to her excellent writing skills, Diane Mae Robinson has been capable to create a perfect story for children.

5 Stars. Canadian author Diane Mae Robinson freely states `My mission in life is to inspire children to believe in the magic within themselves, to become heroes, and to accomplish great things' and to that end she is proceeding with her series of richly detailed imaginative fantasies focusing on a young princess who feels the need to be a knight - thus the perhaps confusing title of Sir Princess Petra. Diane earned her journalism diploma from the Schools of Montreal and an advanced diploma from the Institute of Children's Literature in Connecticut. She also teaches art and writing in addition to her own primary interest of writing her own novels. Though young and new to the field of publishing she has already been awarded honors and medals. SIR PRINCESS PETRA'S TALENT is the second installment in this series of young adult fantasies.

For those of us who have yet to read the first book, Diane generously opens this second book with a very fine synopsis of Book 1 - always a sign that an author cares about her readers. Briefly, `At Longstride Castle, in the Kingdom of Pen Pieyu, it is Princess Petra's ninth and royal birthday. Her father, King Longstride, has promised her anything her heart desires. Petra chooses to become a royal knight and protect her kingdom. (Thus far, Longstride castle has no knights as all of the silly soldiers are still trying to become knights.) After much commotion in the royal throne room, King Longstride has no choice but to grant her request. The royal rulebook says nothing about a girl becoming a knight but only that the proposed knight must perform a deed from a list of three. The choices are: to capture a crocodile and make his skin into a royal leather chair; to hush the howling, nasty dragon, Snarls, in the Forest of Doom; or to eat a roomful of raw onions.'
Petra takes option two and faces Snarls the dragon, but as in all fine fairy tales, the two become friends.

Equally fine is the introduction to Book 2, so well written it bears quoting:' Over the last several months, Longstride Castle had become quite accustomed to having the only Princess Knight, well, the only knight actually, in the lands of Pen Pieyu. The king and queen held many parties in Petra's honor, and royals and peasants alike acknowledged the Princess Knight's kindness and bravery and brought what gifts they could to the castle, although the gift bearing seemed to have slowed of late. Petra was not concerned with the parties or gifts as much as she was eager to practice all her knight skills : jousting, fencing, javelin throwing, steed grooming and maintenance, running, armour polishing, and, of course, onion-throwing to hit the mark. She also kept up with her Highland dance lessons, just because she liked it. Longstride Castle had also become quite accustomed to having a dragon in the kitchen since Snarls had become master barbecue connoisseur. The royal rule book said nothing about a dragon in the kitchen, only that the master barbecue connoisseur must provide a very hot fire available for barbecues at a moment's notice. The castle parties flourished as Snarls roasted to perfection his specialties: skewed onion-turnip pom-poms, onion-broccoli no-where-to-be-seen, and, of course, onion omelette ta-da.'

However, the king and queen tire of Petra's obsession with knighthood and the king creates a new rule book that requires Petra to achieve another status level - she must attend a Talent School to reorient her thinking to that of a Princess rather than a knight Or (of course in good fantasy) endure the spell of the royal magician. And Petra's new talent is...you must read to discover. (Just remember the author's gift and you'll guess it).

Diane peppers her book with fanciful drawings by Samantha Kickingbird (and a terrific cover by Errol Villamante) of maps, scrolls, figures of the cast as well as the story at the end. She keeps the book short (a true plus for young readers) and makes her dialogue full of contemporary humor with just the right touch of lightness. In other words, Diane has mastered this genre. Or as other have said, her books are `amazingly fresh, charmingly funny, and embrace timeless values kindness, understanding, and respect'. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, May 15

5 Stars. Another humorous romp through the world of Pen Pieyu has left me laughing and loving these amusing characters and their bold, morally directed adventures. I wasn't sure what to expect from this second story, as the first had set a rather high bar, and I didn't know whether the humor and insightful writing could continue as the world continued to expand, but I should have had more faith in Robinson. Not only does this book take many of the best and most memorable elements from the first book, but also deepens the attraction and strength of Sir Princess Petra, who fights against gender stereotypes in this novel and redefines what it means to be a brave woman. The premise of this series is quite simple, yet there is a depth to this child-targeted writing that makes it important, even for older readers. Anything that can instill good values through literature and fun is worth pursuing, and in that category Sir Princess Petra's adventures could serve as a fanciful tool for children everywhere. I'll be the first to admit - I'll read the next one!

5 Stars. Great sequels do not come around as often as you might like. I can think of a few off hand that this book falls in line with: The Empire Strikes Back, How to Train your Dragon 2, The Two Towers, Cocoon: The Return (well maybe not that last one, I only hoped that movie would reach the greatness of it's predecessor :). Yes, Sir Princess Petra's Talent has all of the qualities of a good sequel. It builds on an already excellent, humorous, and intelligent story. It gives an expanded view and appreciation for the characters under discussion. It makes reference to the 1st book in the series without relying solely on that book for repeated intrigue. In other words, it stands on its own while still tying into the original book. Two characters who started off as enemies of the Kingdom of Pen Pieyu are now heroes. One even enters into knighthood unexpectedly. Like any good sequel the things that were good and funny about the first book are piled on in even fuller dosage here. The onions that are shown to be a staple of the kingdom are referenced with delightful cheerfulness again and again. We are introduced to partners in new neighboring realms that have remarkably funny qualities like crablips and pink colors everywhere. And my favorite part from the first book, the fact that visitors from a nearby swampy kingdom have to enter Petra's homeland to dry off on occasion, is brought up again. This is no different than people from Alaska traveling to Hawaii every winter to get a break from all the snow and cold temps, but its much more funny of a concept. Also, I would be remiss not to mention the map at the beginning of the book. One of the things I have always enjoyed about the Terry Brook's books I read growing up, is constantly referring to the detailed maps before, after, and during the reading of the book. Maps are an absolute when writing about fantastical lands, and Ms. Robinson does not deny us of one here. This is a triumphant return to a land that I am growing more fond of with each read.

Sir Princess Petra's Talents. Reviews on www.dragonsbook.com