Tony Award-winning actress and singer Anika Noni Rose came home to Bloomfield, Connecticut on Thursday, trading Broadway lights and Disney soundstages for a school gymnasium full of kids clutching copies of her new picture book. The voice of Princess Tiana in Disney's The Princess and the Frog signed copies of her latest release, A Princess is a Princess, at CREC Ana Grace Academy of the Arts, meeting with dozens of families who turned out for the occasion.
The signing, which organizers said was aimed at celebrating diversity and promoting childhood literacy, was hosted by the Capitol Region Education Council in partnership with the Ana Grace Project, according to CT Insider. Hundreds of students, families and community members were invited to the event, the outlet reported. Before the signing, Rose held a brief assembly with PreK, kindergarten and first-grade students, speaking with them about storytelling and the performing arts.
A Book Built Around More Than Appearances
A Princess is a Princess was written to empower young readers to celebrate diversity, individuality, self-confidence and inner beauty, according to the CT Insider report. As NBC Connecticut put it, the book celebrates diversity and teaches children that being a princess is about more than physical appearance. The station reported that Rose met with dozens of families at the academy during Thursday's visit.
This was not Rose's first stop at the Bloomfield school. She hosted a similar event there in October 2024 for her debut book, Tiana's Perfect Plan, which was released that October 22, according to a report from greenwichtime.com. That 2024 signing took place at the same CREC Ana Grace Academy of the Arts Elementary Magnet School at 129 Griffin Road North in Bloomfield, the outlet noted.
A School Named for a Sandy Hook Victim
A Princess is a Princess is dedicated to Ana Grace Márquez-Greene, one of the young victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and the daughter of Nelba Márquez-Greene and Jimmy Greene, per CT Insider. The CREC school itself carries her name: it was renamed in 2014 to honor Márquez-Greene, according to crec.org, with the site noting the change recognized her as one of the victims of the Sandy Hook tragedy. The Ana Grace Project describes her as the beloved daughter of Jimmy Greene and Nelba Márquez-Greene.
Rose's ties to the family and the school run deeper than a single book tour. The crec.org account notes that Rose is a native of Bloomfield and a close friend of the Márquez-Greene family, a connection reflected in her repeated visits. She previously performed at a March 2022 celebration marking a new building for the Ana Grace Academy of the Arts and the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts Middle School, according to newstimes.com, which also reported that the school works to ensure talented children from all backgrounds are nurtured in a loving, supportive environment.
School Leaders Reflect on the Visit
Karrie Rinaldi, PreK-fifth grade principal of CREC Ana Grace Academy of the Arts, said sharing literacy with students reminds them that books can open doors, spark imagination and show the world in new ways, according to CT Insider. Rinaldi added that Rose's return was an opportunity to inspire young students to enjoy reading and to remind them their stories matter and they are loved. She also called Rose's decision to make Ana Grace a stop on her book tour a great honor, per the same report.
Sasha Douglas said Rose's presence meant a great deal to students and the community, CT Insider reported. The outlet also noted that CREC's work with the Ana Grace Project remains instrumental to the school. The CT Insider article was authored by Kaitlin Keane, who has reported for Hearst Connecticut Media Group since July 2022 and previously reported for The Lakeville Journal Company, covering feature stories and local profiles from the greater Danbury area and Fairfield County.
