BOM: The True Princess

Clyde asked if these books will be reprinted--sadly, it's often very difficult to get a book reprinted after it's declared out of print. Publishers figure that if Company Y couldn't sell it, then they probably won't be able to, either.

However--many of them are still in print or are available through Amazon.com's used books. Only the ones which are rare (like "Long Hair") are expensive. Another good source is www.alibris.com or www.abebooks.com.


The idea for The True Princess came to me as I was thinking about what makes a person a Christian. A lot of people claim to be, yet Jesus said that people will come up to him, claiming to be his followers, and he will say, "Sorry, but I never knew you."

So--what makes the difference? Some people look like Christians and talk like Christians, but do they really love the King?

So I turned the idea into a parable about a king's daughter. The king has to go away, and the daughter is left in the care of her nanny, who teaches her how to dress herself, feed herself, and serve others.

And when the king returns many years later, other girls in the kingdom try to pass themselves off as princesses--by dressing in beautiful robes and acting the way they think a princess should act. But the father recognizes his daughter at the back of the room--not because of what she looks like, but because she is willing to serve him out of a heart of love.

The book was first published by Chariot/Victor, and has recently been picked up by Charisma Kids. It's one of my favorite books, one that teaches through parable, which is still my favorite way to teach. As I said, I've never liked didactic children's books. Kids are far brighter than we think they are.

I remember once talking about this story to a group of students. I asked who the nanny represented, and a young boy flung up his hand with the correct answer: "the Holy Spirit!" I've known adults who couldn't figure that out, but it was clear to that boy. :-)

That's one of the reasons I love working with kids. They're brilliant.

~~Angie