Princess Minna: The Enchanted Forest

Princess Minna is a resourceful, compassionate young royal, adept at turning her hand to most things, including taming unicorns and kissing frogs. When she learns that her neighbour, Prince Welling-Tunboot, is in trouble, she is keen to help. Cursed by a bad fairy when he was born, he pricks his finger on his tenth birthday and falls into a deep sleep. He must be woken before sunset, or he will never wake again. A thorny hedge, patrolled by fearsome guards, has spung up around the kingdom, and nobody in the palace is answering their phone, as they have also fallen under the sleeping spell. Princess Minna calmly takes control of the situation and, summoning her dragon Lorenzo, flies to the enchanted forest to rescue the prince. However, with several distractions along the way, Lorenzo is concerned that Minna will arrive too late.

This contemporary interpretation of the traditional fairy tale, Sleeping Beauty, is full of humour and fun. The vibrant, full-colour pages are bursting with bold illustrations, creating lots of visual interest. With short chapters, clear, well-spaced text and repetitive phrases, this hilarious story is ideal for children who are transitioning from picture books to early readers.