This has to be one of the most ingenious reinterpreting of a fairy tale I’ve ever seen. Set in the 1950s, Sleeping Beauty: A Mid-Century Fairy Tale, retold by Lynn Roberts (Pavilion Children’s Books, RRP £12.99) is set in the 1950s. Annabel, a young girl growing up in the atomic age, is obsessed with all things futuristic. She leads a happy life with her aunts, but, unbeknownst to her, a curse was put on her as a baby decreeing that, should she prick her finger on a needle before her 16th birthday, she would sleep for 1000 years. Needless to say, the evil plans of neighbour Morwenna (terrifying in David Roberts’ stunning illustrations) come to fruition and the curse comes true. But can Zoe, a young explorer from the future, save the sleeping beauty? Kitty has asked for this again and again and even Alfie enjoyed the stylish look of it, especially the robots, I love the feminist angle (not often a fairy tale is populated entirely by women) – a brilliant alternative gift book.
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