Mariah Carey is set to release her first children’s book The Christmas Princess, out Oct. 25, 2022.
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Dubbed “The Queen of Christmas” for her 1994 holiday hit “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” which has been named the No. 1 record on the Billboard Greatest of All Time Holiday 100 Songs list, The Christmas Princess is the first children’s book written by the artist.
Released by Henry Holt Books and MacMillan Publisher, Carey calls her book, due out late 2022, “a fairytale for holiday lovers of all ages” and is featured on the cover as a smaller animated version of herself.
“Little Mariah represents my inner child believing in her own vision, she represents all children, especially those who feel like outsiders or “others”, striving to believe in themselves,” said Carey on Instagram. “It was empowering to transform my childhood turmoil into a modern classic fairytale full of wonder and boundless hope.”
Co-written by Michaela Angela Davis—who worked with Carey on her 2020 memoir The Meaning Of Mariah Carey, which is being adapted into an eight-part TV series, directed by Lee Daniels—The Christmas Princess also features original illustrations by Fuuji Takashi.
The 48-page book follows the story of “Little Mariah,” according to Macmillan Publishers, who “doesn’t have much and doesn’t want a lot, but there is just one thing she longs for: a peaceful and joyous holiday season. Feeling outcast and alone, Little Mariah sets off on a wintry, wondrous journey, ultimately discovering the healing power of her voice to spread the spirit of Christmas at home and all around the world.”
Carey, who is mother to 10-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe with her ex-husband Nick Cannon, said that she wanted to create a world around the holidays where everyone can escape, just for a little while.
“So many of us have been drowning in ‘bleakocity’ for the last year and a half, why not create an enchanted land to escape to,” said Carey in an interview. “The Christmas Princess springs from the same need as my memoir The Meaning of Mariah Carey — to emancipate the little girl in me.”
