![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
quippeThe Blurb On The Back:
Harriet Hamsterbone is not your average princess.
For one thing, she’s a hamster.
For another, she prefers sword-fighting and fractions to sighing and fainting.
So when Harriet finds out that she was cursed at birth to fall into a deep sleep at the age of twelve, she doesn’t exactly react the way her parents were expecting.
After all, no good curse goes to waste, and so until the age of twelve, Harriet realises she’s … invincible!
Of course, there is still that whole curse thing, but she’ll worry about that later.
Harriet Hamsterbone is a hamster princess who was cursed when she was born by the wicked fairy Ratshade to prick her finger on a hamster wheel and die on the day she turns 12 years old. Fortunately, three good fairies managed to change the curse so that instead of dying, Harriet will fall into a deep sleep, which can only be broken by a prince kissing her. They also arranged for Harriet’s home to be protected by a thick briar, which Harriet’s dad is a lot less keen on because of the damage to the foundations.
When Harriet’s parents finally decide to warn her about the curse, Harriet is delighted because she realises that the curse will actually protect her until it can strike – making her invincible! She’s always preferred sword-fighting to princess stuff like sighing and fainting and this gives her the opportunity to saddle up her faithful quail, Mumfrey and go across the kingdom, righting wrongs and helping people. But Harriet’s 12th birthday can’t be avoided so she reluctantly returns home for a date with a hamster wheel. And that’s when her life turns really interesting …
Ursula Vernon’s self-illustrated book for children aged 8+ is a laugh out loud spin on the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale that delights from beginning to end. Harriet is a fantastic hamster heroine – spirited and determined, she’s got a smart mouth on her and a habit of jumping in first and asking questions later – and I loved her friendship with her quail, Mumfrey and her relationship with her exasperated mother who just wants her to be more princessy. The illustrations are brilliant and do a great job of adding to the story and the humour by serving to continue scenes rather than merely illustrate what’s been described. I loved the twists on the Sleeping Beauty storyline (my favourite being the scenes where Harriet discovers that her reputation has preceded her) and without wanting to spoil anything, I absolutely adored the unadventurous Prince Wilbur and his hydra, Heady (which was my favourite illustration). I was thrilled to discover that there is a sequel to this book and I will definitely be checking it out.
The Verdict:
Ursula Vernon’s self-illustrated book for children aged 8+ is a laugh out loud spin on the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale that delights from beginning to end. Harriet is a fantastic hamster heroine – spirited and determined, she’s got a smart mouth on her and a habit of jumping in first and asking questions later – and I loved her friendship with her quail, Mumfrey and her relationship with her exasperated mother who just wants her to be more princessy. The illustrations are brilliant and do a great job of adding to the story and the humour by serving to continue scenes rather than merely illustrate what’s been described. I loved the twists on the Sleeping Beauty storyline (my favourite being the scenes where Harriet discovers that her reputation has preceded her) and without wanting to spoil anything, I absolutely adored the unadventurous Prince Wilbur and his hydra, Heady (which was my favourite illustration). I was thrilled to discover that there is a sequel to this book and I will definitely be checking it out.
Harriet Hamsterbone is not your average princess.
For one thing, she’s a hamster.
For another, she prefers sword-fighting and fractions to sighing and fainting.
So when Harriet finds out that she was cursed at birth to fall into a deep sleep at the age of twelve, she doesn’t exactly react the way her parents were expecting.
After all, no good curse goes to waste, and so until the age of twelve, Harriet realises she’s … invincible!
Of course, there is still that whole curse thing, but she’ll worry about that later.
Harriet Hamsterbone is a hamster princess who was cursed when she was born by the wicked fairy Ratshade to prick her finger on a hamster wheel and die on the day she turns 12 years old. Fortunately, three good fairies managed to change the curse so that instead of dying, Harriet will fall into a deep sleep, which can only be broken by a prince kissing her. They also arranged for Harriet’s home to be protected by a thick briar, which Harriet’s dad is a lot less keen on because of the damage to the foundations.
When Harriet’s parents finally decide to warn her about the curse, Harriet is delighted because she realises that the curse will actually protect her until it can strike – making her invincible! She’s always preferred sword-fighting to princess stuff like sighing and fainting and this gives her the opportunity to saddle up her faithful quail, Mumfrey and go across the kingdom, righting wrongs and helping people. But Harriet’s 12th birthday can’t be avoided so she reluctantly returns home for a date with a hamster wheel. And that’s when her life turns really interesting …
Ursula Vernon’s self-illustrated book for children aged 8+ is a laugh out loud spin on the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale that delights from beginning to end. Harriet is a fantastic hamster heroine – spirited and determined, she’s got a smart mouth on her and a habit of jumping in first and asking questions later – and I loved her friendship with her quail, Mumfrey and her relationship with her exasperated mother who just wants her to be more princessy. The illustrations are brilliant and do a great job of adding to the story and the humour by serving to continue scenes rather than merely illustrate what’s been described. I loved the twists on the Sleeping Beauty storyline (my favourite being the scenes where Harriet discovers that her reputation has preceded her) and without wanting to spoil anything, I absolutely adored the unadventurous Prince Wilbur and his hydra, Heady (which was my favourite illustration). I was thrilled to discover that there is a sequel to this book and I will definitely be checking it out.
The Verdict:
Ursula Vernon’s self-illustrated book for children aged 8+ is a laugh out loud spin on the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale that delights from beginning to end. Harriet is a fantastic hamster heroine – spirited and determined, she’s got a smart mouth on her and a habit of jumping in first and asking questions later – and I loved her friendship with her quail, Mumfrey and her relationship with her exasperated mother who just wants her to be more princessy. The illustrations are brilliant and do a great job of adding to the story and the humour by serving to continue scenes rather than merely illustrate what’s been described. I loved the twists on the Sleeping Beauty storyline (my favourite being the scenes where Harriet discovers that her reputation has preceded her) and without wanting to spoil anything, I absolutely adored the unadventurous Prince Wilbur and his hydra, Heady (which was my favourite illustration). I was thrilled to discover that there is a sequel to this book and I will definitely be checking it out.
