Book Review - 'The Fairytale Hairdresser and the Princess and the Frog' by Abie Longstaff (Writer), Lauren Beard (Illustrator)

 'The Fairytale Hairdresser and the Princess and the Frog':

The jolly, juggling Prince Freddie is having a coronation (to be king of where, exactly, in Fairyland is never explained), but then his "long-lost cousin Prince Castor" turns him into a frog, in order to be king himself. Freddie's friend Kitty Lacey, a hairdresser at Kittie's Cuts and friend and hero to all in Fairyland, along with Kittie's shy vet friend Princess Lily (ditto, princess of where? of what? wildlife?), confront Castor at his castle. Kittie enlists nearly every other fairy tale character to join them (again, she is friend to all, let's not forget). Kittie leads the charge, and tries to calmly reason with Castor, but of course he won't listen, and he turns everyone into frogs. But Kittie, Lily and Rapunzel have managed to escape the spell by hiding behind a statue in the courtyard. Kittie uses her hairdressing tools, concoctions and skills to incapacitate Castor in a cartoonish fashion, including using Rapunzel's hair as a lasso to tie him up ('"Rapunzel, Rapunzel!" Kittie cried. "Let down your hair!"'). She uses her scissors to cut Castor's wand, which turns everyone back to normal, except Freddie, who is under a stronger spell. Guess what breaks it? Yep, it's true love's kiss - the kind and caring Lily kisses him and he is a human prince again. Castor is arrested by guards (he should have been turned into a frog), everybody celebrates at the coronation parade (it's a thing, it's Freddie's style), Kittie dresses Freddie in a frog costume for it (um... funny? and not traumatising?), and he and Lily get married on a parade float, I think? And Kittie Lacey receives the loudest cheers for her float, as the best, most heroic hairdresser in all the land.

I might sound a little annoyed and uncertain in my summarising, but 'The Fairytale Hairdresser and the Princess and the Frog' is actually very funny, colourful and creative. One example of creative comedy is how the voiceless frog Freddie tells the girls at Kittie's salon who had turned him into a frog - it is framed in comic strip panels, and Freddie plays charades and impersonates Castor by using appendages at the salon, like a hairclip for a wand, a hairdryer cap for a top hat, and floor hair for a moustache.

Also Princess Lily wears glasses, is so sweet and shy she prefers to talk to animals, and she looks like Jane from Disney's 'Tarzan' crossed with Jane Goodall. She's a wildlife princess, and therefore suited to be the princess in the 'Princess and the Frog' fairy tale.

The book could have used more ponds, and Kittie Lacey styling hair by ponds amid amphibian life, like the cover promises, however.

And again, the series' whole random-royals-everywhere-yet-of-nowhere-in-particular is egregious here. What makes Freddie's coronation so special? In comparison to, say, Prince Charming's, or Prince Florian's, or Prince Beau's? Is it just the parade floats?

Said parade floats at the end are very creative, I'll give the book that.

Cameos include: the Three Little Pigs, Aladdin and Jamelia, Cinderella and Prince Charming and their baby, Gingerbread Man, Humpty Dumpty, the female genie, Red Riding Hood (though she is active here, as part of Kittie's entourage of friends), the Pea Princess, Bella (Beauty and the Beast), Prince Beau (the Beast), Rose (Sleeping Beauty), Snow White, Dr Charming, Bo Peep, unicorns, dragons, the Three Billy Goats Gruff, the Troll under the bridge, Hansel and Gretel, the Sugar Plum Fairy, Puss in Boots, Alice, a statue of the Greek god Pan, and more. Not all of these characters have their own floats.

Two more 'The Fairytale Hairdresser' book reviews to go! I hope I don't completely tire out by the end. These fun, sweet and cute fairy tale retellings, full of sparkly and fashionable girl power, can't exhaust me, oh no. They give me strength - the strength to carry on.

They inspire me to be more like Kittie Lacey, the friendly, kind, caring, optimistic, hardworking, brave, determined, smart, cunning, resourceful, respected and loved heroine, for all fairy tales, and all ages.

Final Score: 3.5/5