The Sleeper and the Spindle: Deluxe Edition

A mixture of elements of Sleeping Beauty and elements of Snow White, The Sleeper and the Spindle is a very Neil Gaiman twisting of these fairy tales. No reference is made to these tales for 'names are in short supply in this telling'. Princes are very much in the background - hanging in the rose thicket surrounding the castle as they have failed to reach their goal or left behind to wait - whilst a young queen (with three, not seven, dwarves) is the one who comes to save the sleeping girl. This is without doubt a beautiful book. From the translucent jacket decorated with gold and black roses partially concealing the sleeping princess beneath to each stunning layout, the book is a joy to linger over and read again and again. However, this is in the tradition of the darker, original tales and is unpredictable and unexpected. This queen needs no Prince Charming - she fulfils that role herself. The illustrations are lavish - touches of gold glinting on each spread - full of detail and drama. 'That' picture (the spread of the queen kissing the princess) caused initial shock, surprise and giggles from my Y6 class - and then so much thoughtful, mature discussion about its role in the story, the relationship between the two etc. A fantastic read! 72 pages / 9+ / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher.

Suggested Reading Age 7+