These days, Disney is making a concerted effort to be more and more progressive — despite opposition from Florida leadership — and one of Disney’s weak points in the past has always been Disney princesses.
The New Disney Princesses
Modern Disney heroines like the new Ariel have proven (via box office numbers) that audiences want to see more diversity in the stories that they consume, but complaints about the classic Disney princesses continue to surface (especially when it comes to their appearances) and an author named Tae Keller is bringing Disney princess issues to the front of young readers’ minds!
The author of Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone, When You Trap a Tiger, The Science of Breakable Things, and the Mihi Ever After series has discussed a variety of abstract-yet-crucial topics in her middle-grade books, ranging from prejudice to same-sex relationships to depression, and the discussion of racism is particularly prevalent in a scene from the middle-grade fantasy adventure called Mihi Ever After.
In a scene early in the book, Mihi (a Korean middle-schooler who dreams of becoming a fairy tale princess) discusses princesses with her new friends Savannah and Reese.
Mihi has a fondness for the more modern Disney princesses, and even though Disney is not directly mentioned, there are three Disney princesses who are listed as her favorites due to their progressive qualities: Raya from Raya and the Last Dragon (2021), Rapunzel from Tangled (2010), and Elsa from Frozen (2013).
Dehumanizing Princess Tiana?
While mentioning princesses (with Disney being addressed indirectly, via the mention of these three Disney heroines), Mihi’s new friend Reese unhappily points out that “the only Black princess is a frog.” This is obviously a reference to Princess Tiana, the Disney princess and New Orleans chef from The Princess and the Frog (2009).
Princess Tiana has experienced an uptick in popularity lately due to the development of her own Disney ride, her own TV show, and several Disney Park establishments based on her film.
An Unwelcome “Mulan” Comparison
Racism and prejudice are discussed several more times in the book by the Newbery Award winner Tae Keller; when Mihi and Reese are trying to become fairy tale princesses like Sleeping Beauty, they are told that they cannot be placed in a classic fairy tale setting like the Disney princesses of old (even though their friend Savannah can).
Instead, they are going to be turned into princesses in “a world with ancient kingdoms, ancestors, and traditions” — which Mihi rejects, feeling reluctant to be labeled as “Mulan” when she would like to try out the lifestyles of princesses like Aurora or Cinderella for a change.
The second book in Newbery medal recipient Tae Keller’s series about Mihi, Savannah, and Reese has just made its debut. It is called Mihi Ever After: A Giant Problem, and seems poised to expand on the first book’s successful mixture of fairy tale adventures and messages about female friendship!
Are you a parent or educator who has been choosing books for young readers? Have you come across this series already, and noticed these themes in Mihi’s adventures?
