I received this little gem from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It's a short read but I loved it. I sometimes read kiddie books when I need a break from adulting and this one was perfect because not only were the characters interesting but I also learned something new. I especially liked the additional facts at the end as this was based on a true story. If youre a parent looking to get you kid into reading books educational but fun books, I recommend this one.

I read this book as a read aloud as part of our homeschool unit on WWII. What a fantastic book! The kids listened with wide eyes as we read about the struggles that the characters were faced with. This story brought to life the things we’d previously read about in their history books and helped them connect facts with real people. Beautifully written and illustrated..

I’ve recommended this to many of my homeschool groups and am definitely keeping a copy of this in our school library!

As time passes further and further from WWII, it becomes more and more important that stories like this are told and taught and remembered. I am going to sound like an idiot, but I had no idea that Greece was affected by the Holocaust. I like to read about the "candle in the darkness" part of WWII, yet I missed that kind of important part of history. So this book, while geared towards younger readers, taught me something. The more I learn, the more I realize I know much less than I thought I did. And the topic in this book is one that everyone should know.

This book is incredibly important, in more than just discussing how a princess helped to save those being persecuted in WWII. The princess was also deaf, yet she didn't let that stop her from doing what she could to help those in need. In fact, she was able to use it to her advantage at times. She realized that many hearing people look down on those who do not and assumed that because she couldn't hear, that she was stupid. She played on that assumption and acted how she was expected to act and that helped to hide those who were being hunted. So also a lesson on not underestimating someone because they aren't able to hear (or see, etc.).

Very good book, with gorgeous artwork and some lovely pictures in the back and some more history on Princess Alice and her life. She sounds like she was an amazing woman. 4, never forget, stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and Second Story Press for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

*received from netgalley for honest review* What an amazing book! Many people were brave and fought against the Nazis anyway they could, but to think of all the stories ive read I never knew of this one! Loved that it had the true history at the back of the book as well. Brave princess indeed.

This was a sweet children’s book portraying Greek Jews which isn’t a story that is told often so that was refreshing. It wasn’t graphic or violent so it would be safe for young readers as an introduction to the time period. I also really liked the illustrations!

I loved this book. There aren't very many books for young children that deal with World War 2 and the Holocaust and this one was very well done. The main characters are Tilde, a young Jewish girl, and Princess Alice of Greece. In 1943 the Nazis have occupied Greece and proceed to capture and transport Jews to concentration camps. Princess Alice, who was completely deaf but proficient in lip-reading (in three languages!) used her disability to help as many people as she could. In this story, a mother and daughter appeared at her door one night, desperate for help. The princess took them in, giving them a place in the palace. She also warned them to be careful as the Gestapo headquarters was very close. The princess visited her guests every day, but the hiding was hard on young Tilde, who would occasionally break the rules by peeking out of the windows. One day two Gestapo agents came to the door, demanding to search the house. Tilde's fear was intense as she overheard the men's demands, but the princess knew just what to do. I loved her cleverness as she outwitted the men and kept Tilde and her mother safe.

I thought that this was an excellent introduction for younger children to the subject of the Holocaust and the fears of the Jewish people. The tension and facts are there without delving too deeply into the horrors that happened. The illustrations are beautiful, faithfully depicting events in the book. In each one I could clearly see the emotions of the subjects.

Also included in the book are biographical details of Princess Alice, one of the lesser known members of the royal family. She was the great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, and the mother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and great-grandmother of Princes William and Harry. In her later years she became a nun, funding a convent and orphanage in Athens. After her death the title Righteous Among the Nations was bestowed on her for her work in saving Jews during the Holocaust. While accepting the honor for his mother, Prince Philip said, "I suspect that it never occurred to her that her action was in any way special. She was a person with a deep religious faith, and she would have considered it to be a perfectly natural human reaction to fellow beings in distress."

This takes place in Greece which was different for me and people forget like I did that the World War II was there also! They had it just as bad as the other countries Hitler tried to take over,this is a very emotional story that you will never forget,the characters and the courage and what happened there! This is a really wonderful story,this will have you thinking and wondering! Thank you Net Galley for this book!!!🙉🙈🙊

First sentence: There once was a princess who lived in Greece. Her full name was Victoria Alice Elizabeth Julia Marie, but she was called Princess Alice. When she was very young her family discovered that she was deaf.

Premise/plot: Rachel Cohen and her daughter, Tilde, are desperate for help and they find it in the kind and gracious acts of a princess. This illustrated book for young readers is set in Greece during the Second World War. The story is inspired by true events. The princess that stars in this one is the mother of Prince Philip who is married to Queen Elizabeth II.

My thoughts: I loved, loved, loved the illustrations of this one. They are simply beautiful. I also love that it is inspired by true people and events. I have read very little about the Second World War that was set in Greece. I loved how Princess Alice fooled the Nazis by playing dumb. It never occurred to them apparently that a deaf person could be intelligent, informed, opinionated, political.

The story is written in the first person. It is short but packed with emotion.

During WW2, when the Nazi's invaded Greece, Princess Alice, at great personal risk, hid a Jewish family in her home, under the noses of the Gestapo. What many people do not know is that Princess Alice was born completely deaf. The reason that people did not know this was that she taught herself to read lips. She could even read lips in three languages, and so, she was able to hide her deafness from most people. But, at certain times, she used her deafness in a different way, like in this particular story, where she "pretends" she can not understand the Nazi officers, when they knock at her door because they suspected she was hiding Jewish people in her home.
In true life, Princess Alice was the mother to Prince Philip, now, the husband of Queen Elizabeth. When Princess Alice died, she wanted to be buried in Jerusalem. As a result of hiding Jewish people in her home during WW2, she has been recognized as Righteous Among Nations.
Princess Alice's story is not well known. This little book for children not only tells her story, but shows that even a Princess risked her life to help during the War. Thank you #netgalley for the digital copy of #thebraveprincessandme, I loved it. 5 stars.

The Brave Princess and Me by Kathy Kacer, 32 pages. PICTURE BOOK
Second Story Press, 2019. $19.
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: G; Violence: G
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Tilde and her mother are Jews trying to hide from the Nazi who would hurt them during World War II. After nearly being discovered at their last hiding spot, Tilde’s mother knocks on the door of their last hope -- Princess Alice’s door.
Kacer was able to simplify this incident based on a true event in such a way that children will understand the urgency and fear without going into a lot of the Holocaust's horrors. Tilde and Princess Alice’s story shared here gives an uplifting message and encourages readers to help others. I found the illustrations to complement the story wonderfully, though I was a little confused by the random white auras that seem random and out of place in several of the pictures.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Biography of a Princess whose kindness during WWII is well known. This poignant story of a Jewish mother and daughter who seek refuge in Greece from the Nazis is well done. The Princess allows refuge and allays the girl's fear by telling the girl stories about her own disability and how she deals with it.. Perfect for those who want information of real stories about royalty, especially English Royalty. The illustrations and photographs really add to the story.

The Brave Princess and Me
by Kathy Kacer

Second Story Press

Children’s Fiction , Historical Fiction

Pub Date 10 Sep 2019

I am reviewing a copy of The Brave Princess and Me through Second Story Press and Netgalley:

The year is 1943, and by then the Nazi’s had control over the majority of Europe.

Princess Alice Of Greece who was born deaf has a reputation for kindness. Having been born deaf she knows what it was like to be discriminated against.

As the Nazi’s invade Greece all the Jews are in danger including young Tilde Cohen and her mother, Rachel. On the run, they are in search of a safe place to hide. When they arrive unannounced on Princess Alice’s doorstep, begging her to shelter them, the princess’s kindness is put to the test.

I found The Brave Princess and Me to be a beautifully written and illustrated Children’s book, that would be helpful in in teaching a child about the Holocaust.

I give The Brave Princess and Me five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

What a sweet children's book on a deaf princess who was brave enough to hide Jews! This could be used with a lesson on the holocaust, a lesson against prejudice, or a lesson on courage.

Cute little book about a heinous part of history.
The story centres around Princess Alice von Battenberg - Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh's, mother - and little Tilde, a jewish girl, and her mother. It tells the story of how Princess Alice hid Tilde and her mum from the Nazis and how she achieved this - she was deaf and pretended not to understand or know anything.
It's quite a short little story illustrated with pictures, and also gives insights into the people mentioned in the story and the historical circumstances.
Interesting for children around age 10 who have no knowledge about this part of history.

NetGalley and publishers have kindly provided me with a free ARC. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Second Story Press who sent this ebook to me through NetGalley for a review, The Brave Princess and Me written by Kathy Kacer.

The story was very sweet and it showed true kindness of a princess. This story based upon a real event shares of a heroic event in Princess Alice’s life. As a Jewish mother and daughter come to her for help during World War 2 she takes them in even though it was dangerous to do so.

It was very educational, before reading this I personally didn’t know anything about Princess Alice and found it very fascinating to learn all about her from the story and the added historical notes at the end. I loved how kind she was to Tilde and her mother and how she protected them no matter what.

The illustrations by Juliana Kolesava are beautiful and depict exactly what the story is saying, Princess Alice was drawn just as she looked it’s very impressive. I love when you can see pictures that show you what you are reading perfectly.

This is a vital area of history that I feel is never shared, you never hear much of Greece during WW2 so if you are teaching your child about this era I recommend that you read this with them, it will show to them an act of true kindness during an incredibly hard time.

Princess Alice of Battenberg was born on 25 February 1885 as the daughter of Prince Louis of Battenberg and Princess Victoria of Hesse and By Rhine. Her great-grandmother Queen Victoria was present when she was born. She was diagnosed with congenital deafness and she learned to lip-read and speak in both English and German. She met Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark at the coronation of King Edward VII in 1902. They fell in love and married in a civil ceremony on 6 October 1903 and they went on to have five children together - including Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. Alice worked for the Red Cross, where she helped organise soup kitchens and even flew to Sweden for medical supplies under the pretext of visiting her sister Louise. During this time Alice hid a Jewish widow named Rachel Cohen and two of her five children. In 1993, she was honoured as Righteous Among the Nations and her son Prince Philip said,

"I suspect that it never occurred to her that her action was in any way special. She was a person with a deep religious faith, and she would have considered it to be a perfectly natural human reaction to fellow beings in distress."

The Brave Princess and Me by Kathy Kacer is a children's book based on Alice's story. It is written from the point of view of-of one of Rachel's children and is wonderfully illustrated. In addition to the original story, it also includes information on the real-life Alice, making it an excellent introduction to the untold lives of royal women.

The Brave Princess and Me by Kathy Kacer

This was a lovely story about Princess Alice from Greece who helped a Jewish family during the Nazi occupation of Greece. I love history and found it very interesting that Princess Alice is the Mother of Prince Philip who is currently married to Queen Elizabeth II.

The Illustrations in this book are beautiful.

I would like to thank NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

While I like the idea behind this book, I'm not sure it entirely worked for me.

This is a brief look at how Princess Alice hid Jews in her home in Athens during the Second World War. It's narrated by Tilde Cohen, who was a real girl who hid there with her mother, Rachel. Princess Alice was deaf, and so when the Gestapo came calling, looking for hidden Jews, she used her disability to her advantage and feigned incomprehension... causing the Nazis to think she was simple-minded and leave her alone.

There's a nice little biographical sketch at the back (typos notwithstanding) that gives readers a basic idea of Princess Alice's life. But other parts of the book--especially the way it's written--don't quite work for me. At times, the text seems a little condescending or even sanitized. I realize this is a book for children, but the way the Nazis speak doesn't ring true at all; their words sound almost like they've been put into their mouths by a very young child.

I'm also not a huge fan of the illustrations. While they fit the mood of the book and are done passably well, the figures all look kind of wooden, almost like soulless mannequins. Because of this, I found it difficult to have an emotional connection to the illustrations.

I hadn't heard the story of what Princess Alice did for the Jews during the Second World War, and I definitely think it's a story worth telling. I'm just not sure if this book did a great job of doing that. It's passable, yes... but I was expecting to feel a little more engaged with such interesting subject matter.

Absolute perfection! This true historical story of Princess Alice is a page turner! Anyone that loves history books of any kind will enjoy this! I loved the kindness Princess Alice shows even with her own many struggles. She never gave up hope in such sad and terrible times. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ArC in exchange for my honest review. It had me in tears at times. I highly recommend this book

This is a "based loosely on a true story" children's picture book which depicts the Greek Princess Alice (the late-mother of Prince Philip), and her choice to hide a Jewish family during WWII. Princess Alice used the fact that people underestimated her to her advantage - in the story, the emphasis is on the fact that Alice uses the fact that she is deaf in order to refuse to understand Nazi orders. The story focuses on the family of Haimaki Cohen, who was saved by the Princess as repayment for Haimaki's early help with King George. As the end of the story notes, Alice was recognized as "Righteous Among the Nations," by the Holocaust Museum, Yad Vashem. The story itself is fairly simple, and while it might frighten very young children, it will probably be manageable for children eight or older. That said, the actual story of the Greek Jews during WWII is much more tragic than what Haimaki Cohen's family experienced.