Penniless Princess Review & Giveaway

Veggie Tales movies have long been a favourite around here and the kids are always excited to watch a new one. This was no exception. They loved the Penniless Princess, even going so far as to say that it was one of the best ones they’ve ever seen!

The story (based on the classic tale “A Little Princess”) follows a young girl (vegetable) as she is brought by her adoring father from Africa to a boarding school in London. Her father is very wealthy and no expense is spared. Her father later dies in a mining accident (nothing scary or gory is shown) and she is left penniless and orphaned. The lady who runs the boarding school makes her a servant and treats her very badly, but the girl never forgets that she is God’s princess and she does not become bitter. She shows kindness to others even though she hardly has anything to share. Her kindness is an inspiration to others. I won’t tell you how the movie ends because I don’t want to ruin it for you, but you won’t be disappointed!

What we especially liked about the movie…

-the catchy music typical of Veggie Tales movies

-the message (what my kids took away from it in particular was, “even if you look like a servant on the outside, you’re still God’s little princess on the inside”.)

-our boys seemed to enjoy the movie just as much as the girls did even though it was geared more towards girls

-the opportunities it presented for discussion afterwards. The kids shared examples of times when they have been kind. We also talked about some things brought up in the movie such as adoption, being made fun of in class, having a positive attitude, and using your imagination.

-for our family in particular, this was a special movie because of it touching on orphans and it introduced adoption in a positive way.

-from a homeschooling point of view, the bonus features on the DVD include a tour of London and there are a few French phrases in the movie, so it lends itself to all kinds of possible spin-off studies!

-50 minutes is a good length for my kids’ attention spans (and although I did sit and watch it with them this time, in the future, 50 minutes is enough time for me to make supper and clean the kitchen while they watch!)

What didn’t work as well for us…

There was really nothing that the kids or I didn’t like about the movie although because of our particular situation, I wish the adoption storyline had been expanded upon a bit more. All in all, a great movie!

Here’s a link to a coloring sheet for the Penniless Princess.

If you would like to get yourself a copy, this movie will be available for purchase on August 11, 2012 or you can try to get yourself a free copy by entering our giveaway. (Hint: if you’d like to double your chances, I’m hosting a giveaway for another copy over on Adoption Magazine!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway open to residents of Canada and the US.

I was given a complimentary copy of this product for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

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