Ratpunzel

Hamster Princess Harriet returns for an adventure based on the fairy tale "Rapunzel." Facing double threats of a bath and having to clean her room, Harriet takes off in search of adventure. What she finds is her pal Wilbur, prince of the kingdom next door, in great amounts of distress. His hydra, Heady, has laid an egg--and the egg has been stolen! A bit of sleuthing uncovers a prime suspect, so Harriet, Wilbur, and their quail mounts are off to investigate a friend of Wilbur's mother, Dame Gothel, who lives at Deadly Tower on Tiddlywinks Lane in the Forest of Misery, a district of the Kingdom of Sunshine. Traveling through such a happily schmoopy land wears on Harriet's patience, but soon (with plenty of tropecentric jokes) they both confirm the identity of the egg thief and discover a tower, clearly meant for princess containment, accessible by the phrase, "Ratpunzel, Ratpunzel! Let down your tail!" Sweet, naive princess Ratpunzel provides tears for Dame Gothel's spells and whiles away her time practicing improvisational cooking (creativity in culinary arts isn't always a good thing). Harriet and Wilbur launch a half-baked plan to rescue both the hydra egg and the captive princess, the success of which relies on teamwork. In this third series entry, Vernon pokes gentle fun at all of her characters--especially lovable Harriet--and offers a humorous feminist critique of the princess genre. This heroic hamster still brings the fun. (Graphic/fantasy hybrid. 7-12) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2016

Gr 3-6-Harriet, the intrepid hamster princess warrior who broke the curse placed on her at birth (Harriet the Invincible) and rescued the 12 dancing mice princesses (Of Mice and Magic), goes up against an evil sorceress. Trouble's in the air at Harriet's best friend Prince Wilbur's castle: an egg laid by his mother's hydra, a nine-headed creature appropriately named Heady, has gone missing. Harriet and Wilbur leap onto their quails and gallop off to solve the mystery. Along the way, they meet Dame Gothel, a mysterious, cloak-clad gerbil with a flair for magic, and her ward, Ratpunzel, a rodent who's been imprisoned within a tower (by lowering her long tail, she allows visitors access). Subverting gender stereotypes (Wilbur is the gentle and more thoughtful foil to impulsive and bold Harriet) and skewering fairy-tale tropes left and right (sweet Ratpunzel's innocent and trusting nature is hilariously absurd), this slim, dialogue-heavy, action-packed volume is packed with wit that's broad enough to appeal to children yet clever enough to win over adults. Two-tone cartoon illustrations break up the text, adding humor and giving the work a graphic novel-like feel. VERDICT Hand this can't-miss installment to followers of the series, fans of comedy mixed with adventure, and those seeking an alternative to traditional princess stories.-Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal

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