“There once was a princess, the fairest one in all the land.”
Our little girl is growing up. Enchanted by all things princess and castles and drama, she is rapidly becoming aware of her appearance and what others think of her. While we joke about moving to a remote farm and living off the land, her dad and I know that removing our family from society wouldn’t be the best way to protect our children from the superficial values of the world.
ZonderKids books recently sent me The Princess and the Three Knights by Karen Kingsbury. Gasping as I removed it from the box, I was immediately drawn to the beautifully textured illustrations on the cover and could envision my six-year-old’s sparkling eyes as she held it. This book is far from being about looks, though.
Before the story begins, the tone is set with popular scripture, one that I want my children to carve in their hearts:
Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It always protects, always trusts,
always hopes, always perseveres.
1 Corinthians 13:4, 7
True love wins in this heartwarming tale of inner-beauty and devotion. The king is clever, and he intends to find a partner for his precious daughter who will love her as God loves her.
“For you see, as beautiful as the princess was, her greater beauty came from within.”
I can’t wait to give this book to our oldest for Christmas. It is sure to become a fast favorite. I’m a little leery, however, of letting her Daddy read it. I can see his wheels-a-turnin’ now, thinking up some competitive scheme to make sure her future suitors are suitable. 
Intrigued? Good, because ZonderKids actually sent me two books. One for me, one for you! Leave a comment below letting me know how you are teaching your children that true beauty lies within.
I’ll have Random.org pick a winner Sunday, November 1, at 8pm Central Time.
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Full Disclosure: Zonderkids sent me both books for free. One to review, and one to send to a reader. I’m paying my own postage and using my own words, just in case you were curious.
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Oh, this looks wonderful! My oldest daughter is almost a real live version of Fancy Nancy and it is an everyday adventure reminding her that if her ‘heart is not pretty’, then she won’t always look pretty either! And how do we make our hearts pretty? Well, we can’t–but Jesus can!! [but that's another blog post, not just a comment!]
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my girls (twins) are also very in to the princess thing as well. I remind them that we are all God’s princesses.I tell them that they need to remember that and show it in their behavior as well as their words. Loving words and actions show God’s love for others. So far it seems to be working quite well (except for with their brother
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I have two girls (10 and 6) and a boy (2.5). It is struggle to balance everyday pulls from school, friends and tv with what really matters. The fruits of the spirit are that inner that shows through and we talk to the girls about what that really means and looks like. Thanks for offering such a great book – if I don’t win, I will put it on my list.
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I’m just getting started on being pretty on the inside with my little one. For now, she loves Jesus, and we’ll work on things from there. :>) Thanks for the chance!
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This sounds awesome! As of right now my little guy is just enjoying learning about the world (he’s 15 months in just 2 days!). I’ve no doubt it is something we’ll be talking about for many days to come. This would be perfect for my 5 year old twin nieces. They are both princess fanatics! One of them is starting to act much older than her years…fashion crisis before school most days, much drama in general. I think this book would be perfect for these dear God daughters of mine!
Heather
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My daughter is only 10 months old, but I know it’s something that I’ll have to deal with sooner rather than later. I can’t wait to read the other comments to see what others are doing.
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I could really use some ideas in this area. My 2yr. old is becoming such a mess, anything princess is just so neat!
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My daughter just turned 4 and we are contactly reminding her that we love her and she is beautiful no matter how she looks or what she does. Every time she twirls around in a pretty dress or shows off her latest chap stick and asks if she is “pretty now” we remind her that she is always beautiful.
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Often times when we’re together as a family we take turns telling something special about another member of the family so the children can have opportunities to look for the good in each other and the “beauty within.” This book looks great!
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I’d love to win this book for my 5 year old niece! I came to your site from moneysavingmom, and can’t wait to make your pumpkin dessert!!
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This would be such an awesome gift for mt girls!
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I have a 2 year old who is really into Princesses right now. This is a great book, I just looked through it at the MOPS convention and wanted to get it for my daughter. I got her the Princess Bible and will be giving that to her for Christmas to start reading and talking about with her.
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My daughter is too young to understand beauty, but we tell her how beautiful she is all of the time…hoping to learn from others
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This book looks wonderful. My kids are into all things princess and knights right now. My oldest (a girl) will soon be five. About a week ago, she asked me for the first time if someone would laugh at her if she wore a certain thing. I realized that being concerned about looks and what not is just around the corner. We’ll use Scripture and we’re also careful not to make too many “you’re so cute” comments without also commenting on her character, intelligence, etc.. Whew! That was a bit long.
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A friend of mine has a 4 year old girl that this would be perfect for! I know she struggles with teaching that. As for me, I have a 2 year old boy, and all I’m really doing so far is trying to avoiding praising him (or other little kids, especially around him) for being cute….well not too much…sometimes it’s hard
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I tell my two girls (3 1/2 and 2) both very often that they are beautiful. A while back I started to think about the message that was putting in their heads so now I very often follow that statement with the truth that it’s more important to be beautiful on the inside than on the outside and to do that we have to obey God and follow Him.
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This sounds sooo wonderful. I am at an apex with my 9 year old. Other girls on the playground are pulling others aside and letting them know that they should go “on a diet” because they are too fat. Reality – none of the girls in her grade are fat. Regardless – they shouldn’t be doing it. Granted, my daughter has not been a target of that – I really want her to etch into her heart where true beauty is and clearly these girls, even though they think they are beautiful, have a long way to go to inner beauty.
I also have a 4 year old DD who is in LOVE with princesses – so I know the book will get a ton of use,
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Looks like a great book. We are trying to teach out daughter that looks are fleeting but your inner beauty will last forever. My baby is 9 and the pressure from society is tremedous. No matter the age, the message is so important. Thanks for the opportunity.
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We talk about being kind and loving each other. We talk about how special everyone is and that God loves everyone.
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My girls would love this. I try to remind them God makes people differently and we should love everyone not because of how they look, but what is on the inside.
Thanks for the chance!
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It sounds like a wonderful book! I have some nieces that I think would like this!! If only they wrote as many books like this for boys…..martha(at)lclink(dot)com
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I tell my sons that they are perfect because of who they are, not what they do or what they wear. They are both really young, so I know that I will have to work at instilling the concept of inner beauty to them more in the future.
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I am always torn. My daughter is very beautiful and smart and I tell her that frequently. I want her to have self confidence in her looks and her mind – to never feel less important than others. But how to temper that with being humble and giving to others and using her talents for good – I am also trying to instill. I think setting a good example does more than anything else.
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My daughter actually just wacked off ALL of her hair with scissors. She is just know figuring out that it is kind of a permanent thing, bless her heart, it is REALLY short. But her dad and I sat down and had a talk with her. She is crushed she doesn’t have long hair like a princess. But we explained the way she takes care of sissy and the kitties. The love she shows others is what makes her beautiful.
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I have 2 girls 9 and 10 (and a 16 yr old boy). I homeschool my children and we keep most conversation directed to what we learn, what is appropriate to watch on TV, the proper way to dress (so we don’t expose too much of our bodies) and that God, Mom & Dad love them for who they are not their outward appearance. While their inner beauty is most important we also teach them that personal hygiene and health is important too because it shows that we respect ourselves and what God has given us.
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It is so difficult to combat the views of society with two little girls in our home (5 and 7). We have discussed that when we wish to look like someone else or think we are not beautiful, it hurts Jesus. You see, He created each of us as a work of art and it is akin to Mommy saying, “I don’t like your painting. I like Sarah’s better!” when shown a new work of art from my children. They seem to understand this and apply it to their views of themselves.
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ooo, this sounds like such a good book. Beyond much of the junk out there. I’m teaching our children not to judge others by their apperance, to look at who the person is and how they act. My kids don’t watch TV, we don’t even have one and when we do we don’t pay for cable so we can only watch videos. I do my best to be very careful about what the kids watch and the message that is being given about how we treat others. Often we talk about how we should treat others and ourselves. Because how we feel and treat ourselves will be reflected by how we treat others.
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How timely! The book sounds perfect for my 3 year old. We’re working on what it means to be a little lady, while trying to enforce proper values and placing importance on what truly matters. Not to mention losing the attitude and disrepectful tone she has learned from some of the older children in her Montessori class. It always seems an uphill battle!
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This sounds like a WONDERFUL book. I can always use any help I can get to teach my girls (6 & 2) the importance and value of inner beauty! With our culture bombarding us with so much focus on outer beauty, this book sounds like a perfect way to reinforce the Biblical truths about beauty while enjoying some “snuggle time” with my two beauties. Thanks for letting us know about the book and for the chance at this great giveaway!!
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My 2 YO is in to princesses of course. She’s too little still to realize any social pressures so I don’t think I need to counteract them yet. Right now, “Jesus loves you” is my focus.
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I have a 2 YO boy, but I hope through learning God’s word that I may instill in him the value of women’s inner beauty!
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I would LOVE to be able to give this book to my niece for Christmas! what a great message
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Ohhh! This looks fabulous! If I don’t win it I will have to buy it for Christmas for my girls! Very neat!
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This looks great! My oldest IS a princess! We’ll have to check this out.
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I NEED this! We are really trying to help our 6 year old little girl realize that beauty lies within. She has lost a few teeth and it is really bothering her because she thinks it makes her look funny. I don’t have any good ideas, (other than lots of prayer) so I MUST have this book.
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We are trying to instill in our daughter that God designed her just the way she is. At 5, she is not worried about what she wears or looks like, but I know the time is so near that these things will start to matter. I pray for her to have a heart full of love for her Jesus!
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I think about this about my daughters now, Im already wanting to move to the mission field, if I buy or win this book it should help my anxiety.
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My three boys are still little, so reading this post makes me think of my one and only niece – age 8. As the only girl in the family of five other boys (two brothers, three boys cousins), it’s my mission to highlight for her the true feminine beauty that she possesses. Her brothers/cousins will be learning what femininity is through her, as she grows.
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I don’t have children but I know how important this message is. I think I will look into ordering for my nieces, they need to hear this message
Thanks for sharing!
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I don’t have children, but my parents taught me that true beauty is within simply by living it.
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My 3 and 4 year old daughters love all things princess. They seem to think the clothes make the princess, but I tell them being obedient and cheerful makes a real princess.
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Don’t count me in the giveaway. I already have it.
I just wanted confirm it truly is a beautiful book and one for every young girl to read!!
Good luck to all the participants.
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Would love to have this book in our family library for my daughter! She is two-years-old and I am hoping to teach her early on that beauty lies within by praising her for treating others well and by setting an example by being comfortable in my own skin.
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I would love to have this book to reinforce what I’m already working to teach my daughters – true beauty is within!
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We stress this tenet with our daughter (3.5YO) by modeling it and the resulting behavior for her.
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I love giving books as a present for my daughter’s spiritual birthday or one of her sentimental gifts for Christmas. This would make a beautiful gift, and I love Karen Kingsbury.
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I love to tell my daughter that she is beautiful inside and out. I talk about her inner beauty and how proud I she shows such grace in her character. I need so much reminding myself. It helps keep me focused on the real priorities. Thanks for offering this book!
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My niece just turned 4 this month, so she’s now getting to the age where I want to tell her how b eautiful she is on the inside and kind of understand.
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I would love to win this week for my 4 year old princess! I’ve seen it and it just looks perfect. I read all the comments and I’ve gotten some great ideas. We’ve begun memorizing scripture and talking about how she is the daughter of the King and precious in His eyes. We also have a book on Proverbs 31 for young girls that does a good job talking about these things.
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i have two nieces who are my goddaughters and are very into the princesses but i would love for them to learn this truth!
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My daughter is 6 and absolutely loves princesses. Right now she is into the Disney Princesses and we have some Disney Princess books that teach about self-confidence, forgiveness, patience, being a good sport, keeping promises, telling the truth, and paying attention. We are blessed to have a daughter who is both smart and beautiful but would love for her to know always that true beauty is what is on the inside of a person. This book sounds wonderful!
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My 9 yr old daughter has passed her interests of Princesses on to her 2 yr old sister. They both love to twirl and play dress up. However, in their play, I remind them that God looks on the heart and that it needs to be more beautiful than the outside appearance. When bad behavior creeps in, I remind them that it is inappropriate behavior for a King’s daughter (God’s child). I would love to read this book to them.
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Although I have no children of my own, I teach and babysat many children. I teach them about character qualities, tell them how much I love to hear them sing or see them smile, and I work on their attitudes instead of merely punishing bad behavior. I tell them they are beautiful when they have a happy smile and bright eyes.
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I have a whole classroom of kids, and this is hard to teach at school. We definitely talk about how everyone is different and everyone has something great about them.
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Wow, leaving it down to the wire LOL. Though we talk with Chloe (2) about how beautiful she is (because she is!!), we also talk about how being kind, sharing etc. is character and it is important to have a beautiful character!
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I’ve been thinking about this topic lately as my daughter is really into dressing up like a princess and has become very concerned about her clothing. She’s only 4 1/2 so it scares me that she may continue this path and worry more about what others think rather than loving herself for who she is. I’ll be looking into this book for sure.
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