Princess teaches value of single life

Book shows that a prince is not necessary for happiness

By ALLISON SMITH
Staff Writer

Who needs a prince?

Princess Bubble is the fairy-tale story of one princess who discovers that finding her prince is not a prerequisite for "happily ever after."

"We want little girls to remember that even if they didn't have a prom date or are not married at 22 or even in their late 30s that they are special and princesses," co-author Kimberly Webb said.

The story of Princess Bubble has Middle Tennessee roots. Webb and Susan Johnston, co-authors of the book, have family here, and Webb graduated from the now-defunct Madison High School in Madison.

As a way to draw in a larger community, the authors asked girls from all over the country to draw what they thought Princess Bubble looked like. There are more drawings in the book from Middle Tennessee than anywhere else. Their illustrations are featured on the inside cover of the book.

The authors, who are single, paid to publish the book themselves because they believed the message was so relevant and they wanted to get it out as fast as they could.

"It exceeded her expectations, especially because she was not writing it to make money," said Shelley Fenton, Webb's sister who lives in Hendersonville. "All she knew was if only 200 or 300 friends and family bought the book, it would be a success."

Nearly 20,000 copies of Princess Bubble have been sold. Since the book was released in August 2007, it has gained national media coverage. Last month, Princess Bubble aired on CNN, and the Today Show featured it last year.

"CNN received our press release, and agreed this was an extremely relevant message for today, and loved that it was delivered in such a light, fun, fairy-tale way," Webb said.

Fenton, who attended the Today Show taping with her sister, said she was impressed with how well the book has done.

"A lot of cute books are out there, but this apparently stands out enough to be popular beyond the scope of the Southern area, which is neat," Fenton said.

Webb, who now lives in Atlanta, said the tale has "intrigued both moms and kids alike."

The authors say Princess Bubble is not anti-Prince Charming, but "if anything, Princess Bubble is anti-damsel in distress."

The message was not lost on Webb's 10-year-old niece, Katie Fenton.

"It's just a really happy book that says happiness is found by loving God and being happy with who you are already," Katie said.

Shelley Fenton says her children still enjoy other classics like Cinderella and Snow White, but love the modern-day references and message of Princess Bubble.

"This is just a happy princess story," she said of Princess Bubble.