A Little Princess

A comparison between the book and movies “A Little Princess”

One of the biggest changes that both movies made was that her Father did not die. In both movies he went to war, was injured and could not remember anything. In the old movie he was in hospital and Sara finds him. In the new movie he was in the house next door. They put this in because they don’t want it to be too sad.

In the old movie Sara throws soot on Lavina and her chocolates. In the new movie she throws soot down the chimney onto Miss Minchin. The reason the book is called “A Little Princess” is because even if Sara wanted to do something ugly to someone, she would think “a princess would not do that” and so she would have self control. The reason they put Sara throwing soot on them is because it is funny and most people would like to do that to the people that have been ugly to them. The movies do not show who Sara really is.

In the book Sara tells lots of stories. In the old movie they did not show Sara telling stories. In the new movie they start the movie with her telling a story and they show how the girls would crowd around her to listen. They also show how good Sara is at being a mother to Lotty.


In the book Sara goes next door to take the monkey back and asks the servant if she must give it to the master and she asks it in an Indian way and so they ask her how she knows that language. She tells them she was born in India and they asked her more questions and then found out that she was the girl they had been looking for. In both movies they have Sara running away from the police and Miss Minchin locks the door to her room. So Sara climbs out the window and goes over the roof into the neighbour’s house. They change it because it makes you excited and nervous.

In the old movie they don’t have a monkey living next door – they have a parrot. The parrot does not come and visit Sara but the monkey in the new movie does (although only once, when in the book he comes twice).

In the old movie they have Miss Rose and not Miss Minchin’s sister. Sara organises a tea party for Miss Rose and the man who teachers Sara horse riding. They are in love and he is about to go to the war. Miss Minchin comes in and destroys the tea party. They show how sad and lonely Miss Minchin is compared to the love and happiness that Miss Rose has. In the new movie Miss Minchin’s sister, Miss Amelia is in love with the man that brings the milk and at the end she runs away with him. They put these love stories into the movies because people like watching it.

I enjoyed the old movie because Miss Rose is so nice, I prefer the Sara in the new movie but the book is still the best.