Editorial review of The Ruby Princess Runs Away (2001) courtesy of Amazon.com
It’s coronation day for the four Jewel Princesses, but where is Princess Roxanne? It seems the young Princess fears the responsibilities and loss of freedom inherent in ruling a kingdom, so she’s run away. Faithful servant Twitter follows the Princess and, when she cannot be persuaded to return to the castle, promises to accompany her. The pair is soon set upon by the evil Darklings, who steal the Princess’s valuable ruby necklace and then attack a goldsmith and his wife on their way to the coronation. Ever the compassionate soul, the Princess stops to help the couple and they, in turn, lead the Princess to realize that her keen ear and kind heart are qualities destined to make her a great leader. When the foursome discover the Darklings’ plot to dupe the King and Queen into crowning an impostor, it’s up to the Princess to recover her ruby necklace and stop the coronation.
Based on Jahnna N. Malcolm’s bestselling book, this wonderful 43-minute video is rich with lush costuming and scenery, and features the talents of Michelle Horn (Lion King 2), Cork Hubbert (Legend), and Harvey Korman (TV’s Carol Burnett Show). The abundance of catchy songs is both effective and memorable. Best of all, this thoroughly entertaining video promotes important values such as friendship, self-reliance, responsibility toward others, and personal vision. (Ages 3 to 10) —Tami Horiuchi