There is no doubt that her love of country life and animals never dimmed, and one of my favourite illustrations is this one, of her beloved Balmoral Castle in Scotland. She spent her summers there every year, and it was at Balmoral that she died in early September 2022. (This was being published before her death.)

The author’s focus on two major events in young Elizabeth’s life, highlight moments which changed her life forever. This is a good opportunity to spend time with children discussing what happens when events, out of our control, occur and cause our journey to take a different direction. I read this with my niece and nephew, and we talked about how our attitude can make all the difference in the world. The first lesson Elizabeth learned was that “a good queen serves her people, not the other way around.’ This shaped her destiny and contributed to her incredible legacy as the longest serving British monarch. Her uncle Edward had renounced the crown, which meant her father would be the next king, and she heiress to the throne. From that day on, she had to learn how to one day be the queen. When she was only 13, World War Two broke out across the globe. In recent days the U.K. and across the world, many have given thanks for her life of dedicated service. Inspire the next generation of outstanding people who will change the world with Little People, BIG DREAMS!

Meanwhile, World War II is underway, and she trained as a driver and mechanic. After the war, when she was only twenty-one, the country celebrated her marriage to Prince Philip. The book tells us she saved her ration coupons for the fabric for her wedding dress. I thought that was a nice touch to her story. Best of all, the book shares a strong message about the importance of serving others. Instead of glamorizing Queen Elizabeth's position, the book shows that she had to make a lot of personal sacrifices to be queen. Her reign wasn't about satisfying her personal desires or making a name for herself, but about doing what her people needed. The book touches on some of the influential people she has met throughout her 70-year reign and the positive impact she has had on others. The book also shows the importance of her marriage to Phillip and her dedication to her family, as well as the country. As the book shows Elizabeth was an inspiration to many and she achieved a lot during her 70 years on the throne, but she was never meant to be the Queen and this book shows how her life changed and she became the heir to the throne.

The story is really well done and it is a lovely little tribute, it doesn't cover the Queens passing in the book as it was written ahead of that happening. The illustrations are lovely and whilst they are not as like like as some in the series have been they are great to tell her story. Now with more than 8 million copies sold worldwide, the series continues to grow and expand, introducing children around the world to artists, trailblazers, and dreamers who each made a big impact in the world around them. This empowering series offers inspiring messages to children of all ages, in a range of formats. The board books are told in simple sentences, perfect for reading aloud to babies and toddlers. The hardcover versions present expanded stories for beginning readers. Boxed gift sets allow you to collect a selection of the books by theme. Matching games and other fun learning tools provide even more ways to make the lives of these role models accessible to children .Instead of a quiet life in the country, she unexpectedly became the longest-reigning British monarch and served with remarkable poise and dignity.