The Sleeper and the Spindle is a deftly woven fairy tale with a twist. You might think you know how the story goes, but beware, surprises abound, lurking around corners and underneath mountains.
Dwarves, princesses, a witch’s curse and a kingdom in dire peril. All will combine in a climactic adventure of epic proportions.
A hero will rise. Who the hero is, well that’s debatable.
The role reversal throughout this tale is both intriguing and comical. There is a strength and mystery to the female characters unusual to the fairy tale genre, but that’s what makes them so interesting. The part that particularly made my audience of 8 & 9 year olds giggle was ‘She called for her fiancé and told him not to take on so, and that they would still be married, even if he was but a prince and she a queen, and she chucked him beneath his pretty chin and kissed him until he smiled’. (p.21)
Beautifully dust-jacketed and illustrated this dark tale will become a firm family and collector favourite, great for reading aloud.
