Reading Beauty

August 1, 2019
From the creators of Interstellar Cinderella (2015) comes another fairy-tale remake that features a smart young woman who can and does rescue herself from peril. Princess Lex, a brown-skinned girl with puffy blue hair, is a book lover, like most inhabitants of her planetoid. She reads all day and night. But on her 15th birthday, she wakes to find all her books gone. When she asks her parents what is happening, they tell her about a fairy who thought she hadn't been invited to Lex's birth celebration and cursed her with a sleep-inducing paper cut to occur at the age of 15. Of course Lex can't accept life without books. She decides to find the fairy and "make her break the curse." Lex uses knowledge she gained from reading to find and outsmart the fairy. Some fun plot surprises await on Lex's quest before the ending, where "all read happily ever after." The rhyming text is fun to read at a fast-moving pace. Underwood attends to every detail of the original story with humor and creates characters readers will love. The busy illustrations use color, pattern, and costume to create an elaborate Afro-futuristic setting that enhances the story. A nifty addition to the shelves of feminist fractured fairy tales. (Picture book. 5-9)

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September 1, 2019

PreS-Gr 2-Once upon a planetoid, Lex, a princess, loved to read until the day her books disappear. She learns that a fairy cursed her when she was born, and when she turns 15, she will get a paper cut that will put her in a deadly sleep. To save her books, Lex and her dog, Prince, go on an adventure to find the fairy who cursed her. The reason the fairy was angry soon comes to light, and Lex helps her fix her problem. This modern retake on "Sleeping Beauty" is an interstellar fairy tale that is vibrantly illustrated and fun to read-aloud. The rhyming text keeps the story lighthearted and lively. Lex is a brown-skinned protagonist and she and her Prince seem to jump off the page. The story shares a positive message about reading, helping others, and redemption. VERDICT A great one-on-one read for caregivers, and perfect for group sharing in a library or classroom setting.-Maeve Dodds, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, NC

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