Princess Furball Book

The cover of Princess Furball has a pretty font that one would expect from a Princess story, but the framed illustration is not as stereotypical. It shows a girl who looks like a beggar in a big, puffy coat being forced to clean while appearing very scared of the other people in the kitchen'one of whom is wielding a broom. The end papers are white, but there are illustrations before the first opening that are clearly part of the story that are not to be ignored. They are of a funeral, then of a young girl hugging an older woman, then the same little girl playing with children who seem to be far less fortunate than she is, based on their clothing. These illustrations are important to the story because they tell of the young princess and the death of her mother as well as her relationship with her nurse and with other children. I wonder why these illustrations were not included in the story with the text that explains what they depict. Part of me suspects that it would be easier for a person who didn't want to talk about the Princess's mother dying could more easily breeze by the illustrations and quickly read through the text, not allowing the child to make comments or ask questions about death. I also suspect that the amount of words per page would have seemed scant had these illustrations been included after the title page. I don't know the real reason why they are before the title page and with the peritext, but I am glad that they are in the book for us to see. The illustrations throughout the book are all framed and the typeface is all traditional. The writer and illustrator of this book stuck with classic styles that a person would expect from a princess story. In the peritext I read that the author was trying to keep the story as true to the original as possible, and I think that the illustrations and typeface definitely add to this effect.