September 2013, Corgi, 32 pages, Paperback, Review copy
Themes: fairytale characters, sleeping beauty story
Content: some humour, endless amounts of cuteness, a
tissue needed
Summary from Random House Children's Publishers
A wicked fairy has cast a spell sending Princess Rose into a deep sleep in this modern retelling of the Sleeping Beauty
story. With the help of some fairy godmothers and a dashing,
garden-designing prince, Kittie Lacey, the fairytale hairdresser, must
break the spell.
Nayuleska's thoughts
I'm a huge fangirl of Abie and Lauren's joint
work so this review is biased from the start. I adore this series (see
suggested reads for the other books). It creates a modern yet timeless new
version of well loved fairy tales. Having Kitty s the main character brings an
exciting element to the plot. It saved me from groaning too long when I was
worried Prince Florian would take over the story. I should have known better!
He has a cute squirrel which goes pretty much everywhere with him. I like how
he didn't just happen upon Rose, aka Sleeping Beauty, it was because of his
occupation that he knew her.
I was impressed at how Abie worked the
back story to Sleeping Beauty into the story: there's a double page spread which
recounts it all, and looks like a story book from the story with a pretty
border and a few pictures of Rose's tragic tale. I liked the direction the
happily ever after took too.
I was equally wowed by Lauren's squeesomely
cute and sweet illustrations. Her characters are mostly adorable (the bad ones
aren't what I'd call cute), there's so much life and a real sense of movement
and magic about her work. I'm a fairy fangirl (Winx...Tinkerbell...) and I
squeed loudly in my head when I saw the fairies on the cover - they are
even more adorable inside! They are so expressive. I liked Kitty's restyling,
and had fallen i love with them all so much that, despite knowing what was
coming next, tears formed as the fairies cried to Kitty about Rose's plight.
That's how strongly I connect to Kitty and her new friends - seeing them
heartbroken made me sad enough to cry. I did tear up at the end too - happy
events make me cry over anything.
The fairies are dainty and all so different.
They are tiny, but as Kitty journeys with them they show great bravery. I loved
the blue and yellow fairies' dresses, and Rose's hair is very similar to
another fairy I know-Roxy in Winx! Yes I suspect few reviewers relate books to
anime...there is a similarity going on! Ahem. Rose gets swept off her feet by
her Prince, who wasn't the one to save Rose a second time - that was down to
Kitty who pulls a ninja fast move with something that I refuse to say as it
will spoil the story. She is one talented hairdresser! There are a few more
books in this series to come which is very squeesome to hear.
Suggested read
Read the rest of the series which started with The Fairytale Hairdresser: Or How Rapunzel Got Her Prince (Children's, Picture book, 10E/10E)
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