Creeping Beauty: Fairy Tales Gone Bad
£5.30£7.60 (-30%)
A subversive, funny – and deliciously prickly! – tale for the young reader looking for a book with bite.
Eshe and her twelve sisters are Fairy Godmothers, honoured for the incredible gifts they can bestow. But Eshe’s special abilities are a little different – she can glimpse into the future! And, one day, Eshe foresees something terrifying: a world blanketed in creeping vines and a girl covered in thorns. Eshe needs to stop her vision becoming true, but it will require old and powerful magic. And she won’t be able to do it alone…
Following on from Zombierella and Frankenstiltskin, this is the third and final book in a deliciously dark trilogy of twisted classics, written in verse by award-winning poet Joseph Coelho and illustrated by Freya Hartas.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Walker Books (3 Oct. 2022) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 208 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1406389684 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1406389685 |
| Reading age | 9 – 12 years |
| Dimensions | 13 x 1.5 x 20 cm |
by Mica Minott
She said she loved the twist of the story and every thing flowed. She is 11 and felt this was just right for her age group .
by Dr. Emma E. Craythorne
Creeping Beauty is the third book in the Fairy Tales Gone Bad series from Joseph Coelho.
Each book is a Gothic twist on an original fairy tale told by ‘The Librarian’. As you have probably gathered, this book is based on Sleeping Beauty.
Eshe was the youngest daughter of thirteen sisters and deemed the ‘unlucky one’. The sisters all had magical gifts meaning they could give things to others, however Eshe’s gift was different, she could see into the future.
The sisters were invited to the Christening of baby Princess Rose where Eshe had a horrible premonition. What it was and what happens next you will have to read for yourself.
I love this series as it is so unusual, gripping and good fun. The pages are adorned with illustrations and the stories so good you’ll want to read the book in one sitting.
Where it’s a Halloween read you are after or just something a little different from the norm, this collection is worth a read.
*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily reviewed
by Su
This third book in the ‘Fairy Tales Gone Bad’ series now completes my collection. This enjoyable trilogy now sits proudly on my bookcase amid some of my favourite reads.
I’ve loved the dark twists, in these almost gothic tales for younger readers (or those simply young at heart). These stories are written in a semi-lyrical way. Almost, but for me, not quite a story in verse hence just a four star rating. (Sometimes the rhythm did not quite flow smoothly).
In this story, Eshe and her sisters are all modern day fairy godmothers, able to bestow wonderous gifts on others. However, being the youngest and the thirteenth child Eshe is different. Her gift is to see into the future usually glimpsing the terrible things that are about to occur.
Eshe’s sisters mock her and don’t believe her predictions, little knowing that she has already stopped several bad things from happening. Will Eshe be able to stop the dreadful things about to happen to Queen Araminta’s child – Princess Rose? For that you will simply have to check out the book for yourself.
Out of the trilogy my favourite has to be ‘Frankenstiltskin’ a combination of a Frankenstein story and the fairy tale of Rumplestiltskin. The main character being a Taxidermist ~ BRILLIANT!
by Su
I like this book beacause it has some cool ideas in it. It only gets a 4 star because it is a little boring in some parts.
By Isla (8)
by hannah review
A hit with my 11 & 8 year old girls. Read during Halloween week.
by The Mrs
My six year old daughter chose this for herself from the bookshop shelf. Probably because the cover is delicious. Each side opens out to become a bookmark and the illustrations are gorgeous. The text is presented throughout as a poem would be, with some rhyming sections. The plot is a retelling of the story that is far more appropriate for a young girl than a strange man kissing someone while they are sleeping. Themes are family, justice and strength. Loads of great conversations to be had about fear, dreams, nightmares, rumours, self doubt. Great to read at this age – especially since children are often asked to tell a fairy tale from a different perspective or re imagine it in a new way.
A confident reader could easily cope with this, but I’m not sure they would enjoy it or get as much from it as as they would if an adult reading it to them.
Gorgeous book! Immediate recommendation and I’m ordering the others in the series.
by kitten1982
So cleverly written – really engaging and new words to learn on every page. Fantastic book for generating the excitement of storytelling in a child.
by Smiddy
My daughter aged 8 (Year 4) asked for this book after the author visited her school. She has dyslexia so I thought the poetry might be difficult for her, but she whizzed through it faster than any other book she has read! This is her review:
I love the book because it is more adventurous and magical than the original story. I love how brave the girl is and how she doesn’t give up on herself when people say she’s wrong.