The Princess and the Admiral - by Charlotte Pomerantz (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A small patch of dry Asian land called the Tiny Kingdom serves as the home for a community of poor farmers and fisherfolk. The land, as poor as its people, holds no gold, silver, or other riches. For this reason, no country has ever waged war against the Tiny Kingdom, and the people have lived in peace for 100 years.

But when Princess Mat Mat, ruler of the Tiny Kingdom, meets with her advisers to plan a great peace celebration, they bring bad news. A large fleet of warships is sailing toward them and will attack their people in just two days.

With no army, no forts, and no arsenal, how can the princess defend her country? Her wisdom testifies that the most heroic action does not win wars, but prevents them. Princess Mat Mat devises a plan that includes, as an unexpected ally, the moon.

Review Quotes

"The Tiny Kingdom has no arsenal, no means of defense. What it does have is a canny princess who devises a plan that routs the army and gives the reader a glorious reading experience." -Publishers Weekly

"A tongue-in-cheek story of the triumph of common sense. . . . Bold, amusing dialog puts this beyond recognition as folklore and places it successfully in the realm of comic satire." -Booklist