Giant Trouble (Hamster Princess Series #4)

by Ursula Vernon

Overview

A magical beanstalk leads to a GIANT surprise in book four of the series that’s chock-full of girl power and perfect for fans of Princess in Black and Babymouse

Princess Harriet Hamsterbone doesn't go looking for trouble. She prefers to think of it as looking for adventure. But when she climbs to the top of an enormous beanstalk and sneaks into the castle at the top, Harriet finds plenty of both. The castle is home to one very poetically challenged giant rabbit with two unusual prisoners—a girl who is half harp, half hamster, and an extremely large goose. This calls for a heroic rescue, and Harriet is just the hamster for the job.

The fourth installment of the critically acclaimed Hamster Princess series turns the story of Jack and the Beanstalk upside down, with plenty of laughs along the way.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780399186523
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	05/09/2017
Series:	Hamster Princess Series , #4
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	412,801
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 7.10(h) x 0.90(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

"Clever wordplay, wonderful character banter, and stinky humor make this outing another giant success." — Kirkus

"All the Hamster Princess hallmarks are here: clever repartee, graphic-style illustrations, and a delightfully twisted fairy tale. Harriet’s fans—surely she has a kingdom’s worth by now—will happily strap in for the ride.” — Booklist

From the Publisher

2017-03-15
Hamster princess Harriet faces a big problem in this "Jack and the Beanstalk" retelling.Harriet and her loyal quail steed, Mumfrey, have been cliff-diving—a magical ability gained in Of Mice and Magic (2016)—when they're approached by a cloaked chipmunk peddling magic beans. Mumfrey loses patience during the pitch and eats one. The resulting flatulence prompts Harriet to camp outside the castle. A massive beanstalk towers above them by morning—Mumfrey had a nighttime bathroom break, and it appears that quail fertilizer's potent. Harriet and Mumfrey follow harp music up the beanstalk and to a castle, where "harpster" Strings (front half hamster, back half harp, amazing biceps from strumming herself) has been enslaved by the giant. She wants freedom to start a metal band; no one will be surprised when Harriet volunteers as drummer. Harriet must save Strings, a nail-biting rescue that includes stealing—by way of chewing—one of the giant's shoelaces, rank with years of giant toe sweat and funk. The cliff-diving comes in handy in the final confrontation with the giant, but the story's real resolution comes from threatening to sue the chipmunk for the damage his unmarked bean caused. This is vintage Vernon, sly text punctuated by clean, comic-style illustrations that manage to make even goose ("Honk?") and quail ("Qwerk qwerk qwerk, werk-qwerk, qwark") dialogue funny. Clever wordplay, wonderful character banter, and stinky humor make this outing another giant success. (Graphic/fantasy hybrid. 7-12)

Kirkus Reviews