Reading Beauty

by Deborah Underwood, Meg Hunt (Illustrator)

Overview

“This modern retake on “Sleeping Beauty” is an interstellar fairy tale that is vibrantly illustrated and fun to read–aloud” (School Library Journal).

An irrepressible fairy tale retelling that is sure to charm readers of all ages: When a fairy’s curse—a deathlike sleep via paper cut—threatens to make her kingdom barren of books, it’s up to space princess Lex to break the spell and bring books back to her people. Set in the universe of the acclaimed Interstellar Cinderella, this empowering bedtime story for girls will entice young readers with its brave heroine, star-studded setting, and hilarious, heartwarming happy ending.

Fans of Grown-Ups Never Do That and A Girl, a Racoon, and the Midnight Moon will also enjoy the fantastical storyline and captivating imagery found in Reading Beauty.

Praise for Reading Beauty

“The rhyming text cleverly spins the story to involve reading at every turn. [And,] Hunt’s mixed-media illustrations incorporate eye-pleasing sci-fi details.” —Horn Book 

“A nifty addition to the shelves of feminist fractured fairy tales.” —Kirkus Reviews

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781452171333
Publisher:	Chronicle Books
Publication date:	03/22/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	44
Lexile:	AD540L (what's this?)
File size:	8 MB
Age Range:	1 - 12 Years

About the Author

Deborah Underwood is the author of Interstellar Cinderella and many other books for children, including the New York Times bestsellers Here Comes the Easter Cat, The Quiet Book, and The Loud Book. She lives in San Francisco.

Meg Hunt is the illustrator of Interstellar Cinderella and a printmaker, educator, and all-around maker of things. She was also the recipient of the 2015 Society of Illustrators Gold Medal Award for her contribution to the Illustrators 58 exhibition. She lives and works in Portland, Oregon.

Editorial Reviews

09/01/2019

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

School Library Journal

2019-07-14
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)

Kirkus Reviews