Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland  King and King; illus. by the authors
      32 pp. Tricycle 3/02 ISBN 1-58246-061-2 $14.95
      (Preschool, Primary)
In this mischievous twist on the picking-the-princess motif, a bachelor prince finds something lacking with each princess his anxious mother brings to his attention. It's not until the last candidate brings along her cute brother that the prince discovers what's been missing. Silly but affectionate collage illustrations match the text for whimsical irreverence, and the whole thing is so good-natured that only the most determined ideologue will be able to take offense. The political point of the book will of course be lost on most of the traditional picture-book audience, who will probably come to the simple conclusion that the prince likes boys better than girls, which, of course, he does. r.s.