The Royal Ball Read online

  The Lollyland mermaids were singing. Six notes—that meant it was six o’clock. It was time for the royal family to make their grand entrance and for Itty to perform her dance.

  “The fountains will have to wait,” Itty said. “I have to go. Wish me luck!”

  “You’ll do great,” her friends cheered.

  Itty rushed to the top of the staircase to meet her parents. A hush fell over the crowd as the royal family began their grand entrance.

  Then the applause started. The room was filled with meows, barks, whinnies, quacks, chirps, and oinks… all the sounds of Lollyland as everyone cheered.

  At the bottom of the stairs Itty’s parents stepped aside. It was time for Itty to dance.

  Just try your best. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

  The music started and Itty took a deep breath. She had a plan, sort of. She was going to start with a twirl, then do a few steps of the Unicorn Trot, and then a little slide from the Bunny Slide.

  Itty twirled to the beat.

  She took one step, and a second step… and then moved to the left. But not on purpose! She’d slipped on some frosting that had spilled over from the fountain. Itty wiggled her arms as she slid across the floor, trying to keep her balance.

  She leaped to avoid crashing into the band, somehow managed to twirl around, and landed in a deep bow, sort of like a curtsy.

  Itty stood up and waited in her spot.

  The music had stopped.

  The room was silent.

  Then something wonderful happened. Everyone burst into applause. Loud, wild applause! Everyone in Lollyland loved Itty’s dance! The band began playing again, and animals rushed onto the dance floor, twirling, sliding, and wiggling their arms.

  “Do the Princess Itty!” the bandleader cried.

  chapter 10

  A Sweet Ending

  Halfway through the ball, the dance floor was still packed. Lollyland was twirling, sliding, leaping, and curtsying. Itty decided it was a good time to take a break and look for her friends.

  As she walked around the royal ballroom, Lollylanders who weren’t dancing rushed over to meet her.

  “Can we take a picture with you?” some asked.

  “We loved seeing your shooting star, Princess Itty!” others said.

  But one thing almost everyone wanted to tell Itty was how much they loved her dance.

  Itty spotted a spray of glitter across the room, nowhere near the glitter fountain. Sure enough, Luna was there. She, Esme, and Chipper were chatting excitedly.

  “Itty! You did it!” Esme and Chipper cheered as they saw her approaching.

  Luna rushed forward to hug her best friend. “That was the best dance ever!” Luna exclaimed. “How did you come up with it?”

  “Can you guys keep a secret?” Itty giggled. “My dance was a mistake. I slipped in the frosting and everything that happened was totally an accident!”

  “Best mistake ever!” Luna shouted. The four friends laughed as glitter rained down on them.

  “Look over there!” Esme cried, pointing across the ballroom. A dragon was blowing beautiful flames into whatever shape the guests asked him to.

  In another corner, a monkey balloon artist was creating the coolest balloon animals Itty had ever seen. She watched as the monkey shaped and twisted a balloon. A small kitten was waiting patiently for him to finish. Soon the balloon took on a familiar shape. It was a balloon version of Princess Itty, dressed in her gown and tiara!

  Just then, Itty’s tummy rumbled so loud her friends turned to look at her.

  “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Itty asked her friends.

  “To the chocolate fountain!” they cried.

  More from this Series

  The Puppy Prince

  Book 3

  Star Showers

  Book 4

  The Newest Princess

  Book 1

  Keep reading for a preview of

  The Puppy Prince

  by

  Melody Mews

  Itty Bitty Princess Kitty was concentrating very hard. Her legs twitched as she focused on the platform across from her. It was so far away! But she’d seen her parents, the Queen and King of Lollyland, make this jump many times.

  You can do this, Itty told herself.

  Just then, a flash of movement outside the window caught her eye. She blinked. Was that… a dragon?

  Itty leaped down and raced out of the climbing room. She skidded to a stop in the grand hall, where her parents were standing in front of the palace doors.

  “Mom! Dad!” Itty took a deep breath. “There’s a DRAGON outside! Run!”

  Queen Kitty smiled. “Yes, darling,” she purred. “No need to worry—or run. It’s an announcement dragon from Wagmire!”

  Continue Reading…

  The Puppy Prince

  Melody Mews

  About the Author and Illustrator

  Melody Mews is a children’s book writer who lives in New York City with her husband and their two cats. Neither of her cats are of royal descent, like Itty Bitty Princess Kitty is, but don’t tell them that because they definitely think they are!

  Ellen Stubbings is a children’s book illustrator and comic artist based in York, UK. She works in a tiny studio, often accompanied by her large tuxedo cat, Fig. Ellen is obsessed with all things cute, and this is reflected in her illustrations.

  Visit us at simonandschuster.com/kids

  www.SimonandSchuster.com/Authors/Melody-Mews

  www.SimonandSchuster.com/Authors/Ellen-Stubbings

  Little Simon

  Simon & Schuster, New York

  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  LITTLE SIMON

  An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division

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  First Little Simon hardcover edition February 2020. Copyright © 2020 by Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. LITTLE SIMON is a registered trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc., and associated colophon is a trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc. For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-866-506-1949 or [email protected].

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  Designed by Laura Roode.

  Jacket design by Laura Roode

  Jacket illustrations by Ellen Stubbings

  Jacket illustrations © 2020 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Mews, Melody, author. | Stubbings, Ellen, illustrator.

  Title: The royal ball / by Melody Mews ; illustrated by Ellen Stubbings. Description: First Little Simon paperback edition. | New York : Little Simon, 2019. | Series: Itty Bitty Princess Kitty ; #2 | Summary: Newly-crowned Itty Bitty Princess Kitty is delighted that there is to be a royal ball in her honor, until she learns that she must perform, then teach, a dance. Identifiers: LCCN 2019022088 (print) | LCCN 2019022408 (eBook) | ISBN 9781534454965 (pbk : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781534454972 (hc : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781534454989 (eBook) Subjects: CYAC: Cats—Fiction. | Animals—Infancy—Fiction. | Princesses—Fiction. | Balls (Parties)—Fiction. | Dance—Fiction. | Fantasy. Classification: LCC PZ7.1.M4976 Roy 2019 (print) | LCC PZ7.1.M4976 (eBook) | DDC [E]—dc23

  LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019022088

  LC eBook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019022408

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  Melody Mews, The Royal Ball