Princess Hyacinth (The Surprising Tale of a Girl Who Floated)

Bestselling Caldecott Honor artist Lane Smith and legendary author Florence Parry Heide have teamed up to create an unforgettable princess sure to charm and delight young readers.

Princess Hyacinth has a problem: she floats. And so the king and queen have pebbles sewn into the tops of her socks, and force her to wear a crown encrusted with the heaviest jewels in the kingdom to keep her earthbound. But one day, Hyacinth comes across a balloon man and decides to take off all her princess clothes, grab a balloon, and float free. Hooray! Alas, when the balloon man lets go of the string . . . off she goes. Luckily, there is a kite and a boy named Boy to save her.Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2009:
“Smith’s elegantly cartoonish brush-and-ink character survives an exhilarating scare involving a kite, a rescue and a newly formed friendship. Heide’s prose takes off just when Hyacinth does.”

Starred Review, Publishers Weekly, August 17, 2009:
"Heide possesses the ability to tell a moralistic tale without a hint of didacticism."

Starred Review, School Library Journal, November 2009:
“Heide’s tale bubbles with effervescence, drawing readers into the fantasy with a lively, conversational text.”Florence Parry Heide is the award-winning author of more than fifty books, including the Treehorn titles, illustrated by Edward Gorey.

Lane Smith’s many accolades include two Caldecott Honors, two New York Times Best Illustrated Book Awards, several ALA-ALSC Notable Awards, and countless “Best Book” citations from School Library Journal, Booklist, The Bulletin, and others. He lives in Washington, Connecticut.