Of Mice and Magic (Hamster Princess Series #2)

by Ursula Vernon

Overview

Princess Harriet is nobody’s hamster damsel in distress! Book two of this series for Babymouse and Princess in Black fans is filled with even more action and twisted fairy tale fun

Princess Harriet has absolutely no interest in brushing her hair, singing duets with woodland animals, or any other typical princess activities. So when a fairy tells a very bored Harriet about twelve mice princesses who are cursed to dance all night long, she happily accepts the quest and sets off with a poncho of invisibility and her trusty battle quail. But when she arrives at the Mouse Kingdom, she discovers there's more to the curse than meets the eye, and trying to help is dangerous business . . . even for a tough princess like Harriet.

From the creator of Dragonbreath, comes a laugh-out-loud funny new comic-hybrid series, bursting with girl power and furry fairy tale retellings.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780803739840
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	03/15/2016
Series:	Hamster Princess Series , #2
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 7.10(h) x 0.80(d)
Lexile:	660L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Ursula Vernon is a full-time author and illustrator whose work has won a Hugo Award and been nominated for an Eisner. She loves birding, gardening, and spunky heroines, and thinks she would make a terrible princess. Ursula lives with her husband in Pittsboro, North Carolina.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Hamster Princess: Of Mice and Magic:

* "Maintaining a keen balance between silly and sly, this sequel will have readers snickering."  —Kirkus Reviews,starred review

* "A quick and satisfying read that is as hilarious as it is fun. Make room on the shelves for this not so frilly princess."  —School Library Journal, starred review

"Spunky Harriet is just as wonderful as she was in her debut...Fans of twisted feminist fairy tales will be delighted, and Harriet’s existing followers won’t be disappointed with this second installment. Bring on book three!"—Booklist

Praise for Hamster Princess: Harriet The Invincible: 

A 2015 Texas Bluebonnet nominee
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2015
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2015
A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2015
An ALA Notable Children's Book of 2016

* "A joy to read, and we can only hope that Harriet – long may she reign – will return in later installments.” —Booklist, starred review

* "Move over, Babymouse, there’s a new rodent in town!...Vernon has created a spunky heroine readers will cheer for and who will leave them eagerly searching for the happily ever after in the next installment." —School Library Journal, starred review

* "Harriet is her own hamster, but she takes her place proudly alongside both Danny Dragonbreath and Babymouse. Creatively fresh and feminist, with laughs on every single page." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "A book with all the makings of a hit. Readers will be laughing themselves silly."  —Publishers Weekly, starred review

From the Publisher

Harriet Hamsterbone is a rodent who will rock a reader’s world! This is the second in a hilarious series about the warrior princess, her battle quail and her best friend Wilbur. Harriet is fond of cliff-diving, her sword and fractions. In this exuberant adventure, she comes across a shrew fairy who dispatches her on a quest to rescue twelve dancing mouse-princesses. Harriet outwits the antagonists in unorthodox ways that upend the usual fairy-tale conventions, and this story gives significantly more power to all girls involved, be they hamster or mice. Laugh-out-loud funny and thought provoking, this short novel is perfect for a family or classroom read-aloud as well as solitary enjoyment. Author/illustrator Ursula Vernon punctuates her text with spot illustrations and dialogue balloons that contribute to our understanding of and pleasure in the story. Reviewer: Mary Quattlebaum; Ages 8 to 12.

Children's Literature - Mary Quattlebaum

★ 01/01/2016
Gr 3–6—Fierce warrior hamster princess Harriet Hamsterbone and her faithful battle-quail, Mumfrey, are itching for adventure mere weeks after obliterating the fairy curse in the first book of the series, Harriet the Invincible (Dial, 2015). Now that she is no longer invincible, she cannot participate in her favorite pastime, cliff diving, and she yearns for a new mighty quest. When a fairy shrew appears, needing her assistance at the Mouse Kingdom, Harriet quickly obliges. She learns of the plight of the 12 dancing princess mice, who are cursed to dance all night, every night. Arriving at the castle armed with a poncho of invisibility, Harriet must find out what is forcing the princesses to dance and break the curse before it's too late. What she unearths is a rodent-tweaked version of the "Twelve Dancing Princesses," in which the 12 princesses, who are named after the months of the year (January, February, March, etc.), seem destined to marry the 12 mole brothers (named after the zodiac signs: Gemini, Pisces, etc.). The generous comic book-like, two-toned illustrations are reminiscent of Vernon's "Dragonbreath" series (Dial) and suit the text perfectly. VERDICT A quick and satisfying read that is as hilarious as it is fun. Make room on the shelves for this not so frilly princess.—Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA

School Library Journal

★ 2015-12-22
Princess Harriet's second outing takes on the "Twelve Dancing Princesses." Although hamster Harriet is, sadly, no longer invincible, having broken her curse in Harriet the Invincible (2015), she's got a hero's skills after her previous adventures. Seeking new excitement, she encounters a lonely old lady by the side of the road asking for food; genre-savvy Harriet quickly deduces that it's a disguised fairy and complies. She's rewarded with a quest to save 12 mouse princesses, cursed to slip away every night to a mysterious location where they dance right through their slippers. When Harriet suggests that they might like dancing (as she liked her curse) and that it would be rude to just go breaking it without asking them, the fairy tells her that Harriet's kingdom too will face doom—at some unspecified point in the future—unless the curse is broken. Harriet arrives to find the mouse king a despot who inflicts his peculiar organizational whims on his subjects, such as militant matching and forced color coordination of clothing to each room. The princesses—who range in their enjoyment of femininity to stand as foils to tomboyish Harriet—don't like dancing (anymore) or being trapped, clearing Harriet to save the day. While Harriet prizes her physical prowess, Vernon here allows her to show off her smarts as equally impressive. Maintaining a keen balance between silly and sly, this sequel will have readers snickering. (Graphic/fantasy hybrid. 7-12)

Kirkus Reviews