In 'The Fairytale Hairdresser and Aladdin', it is summer, and Kittie Lacey finally goes on that 'Aladdin's Magic Carpet Travels/Tours' holiday that was gifted to her by the jolly old bearded man himself in 'The Fairytale Hairdresser and Father Christmas'. She wants to be inspired to come up with new ideas for hairstyles on the world tour (sheesh, take a break, girl!).
The next day, Aladdin is missing, and Kittie finds him trapped in a hole in the desert. He was tricked by the evil Ibeneeza (subtle) into getting him treasures from a secret cave, and the villain is going to use a magic blue jewel to force Jamelia into marrying him. The remarkably too-cheerful Kittie ("Don't worry, love") rescues Aladdin, and he takes out a lamp, which Kittie polishes, and out pops a fabulous, purple female genie!
Long story short, Kittie, Aladdin and the genie save Jamelia from Ibeneeza, who the genie sends to jail. Jamelia asks the poor boy/tour guide Aladdin to marry him - she loves him for his kind heart. He gives the third and final wish to Kittie. She uses it to, you guessed it, free the genie.
Kittie has new and interesting hairstyle ideas, Aladdin and Jamelia get married (wait, what happened to Jamelia's original party plans?), and the genie, who still has magic, magicks a new home above Fairyland Village in the clouds, granting wishes every now and then (uh, what? Though I guess it's by her choice now).
'The Fairytale Hairdresser and Aladdin' incorporates the original 'One Thousand and One Nights' tale, in Aladdin being tricked by the villain into finding treasure in a hole, leading to a secret cave, and the villain leaving him trapped there afterwards, where Aladdin still has a magic oil lamp. The feminist twist of the genie being female is appreciated; not so is the step-back from and role-reversal of the Disney version, by having the evil elderly man hypnotize the princess instead of the sultan, in his marrying-into-power plan. Princess Jamelia barely does anything here, and she is, disappointingly, a damsel in distress. However, she is the one to propose to Aladdin, after he saves her. I wish (heh) the book could have been longer, and we could have seen Ibeneeza steal the lamp and use the poor, imprisoned genie for nefarious wishes.
I don't think there are any other 'One Thousand and One Nights' references in sight. Give us Ali Baba, or better yet, Scheherazade, you silly book. Heck, make the genie Scheherazade! What a twist that would be!
It's a bit scattered, messy, and has plot holes.
It's a fun, international tour parody and romp, nonetheless.
Aladdin has a pet tiger cub, instead of a monkey.
Oh, and I have to add: on the second page, on the Dr T Fairy Crowning Glory Dentistry window, there is a sign that says, 'When's the time to see the Tooth Fairy? Tooth-Hurty!' Best joke ever, really.
Cameos include: Snow White, Bella (Beauty and the Beast), Gingerbread Man, Rose (Sleeping Beauty), the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Pea Princess, Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks, Humpty Dumpty, Cinderella, Mother Goose, Rapunzel, Robin Hood and his Merry people (there are women!), plus Maid Marian, in Sherwood Forest, Jack and the beanstalk and the giant, the Owl and the Pussycat, and the Frog Prince. Basically, a lot of fairy tale characters went on, and were a part of, Aladdin's Magic Carpet Tour with Kittie.
The 'Aladdin' instalment in 'The Fairytale Hairdresser' series is a most interesting and eclectic one. Let's see how the rest, the final few books for me to review, fair, upon the fairest picture book series of them all.
Final Score: 3.5/5
It's a bit scattered, messy, and has plot holes.
It's a fun, international tour parody and romp, nonetheless.
Aladdin has a pet tiger cub, instead of a monkey.
Oh, and I have to add: on the second page, on the Dr T Fairy Crowning Glory Dentistry window, there is a sign that says, 'When's the time to see the Tooth Fairy? Tooth-Hurty!' Best joke ever, really.
Cameos include: Snow White, Bella (Beauty and the Beast), Gingerbread Man, Rose (Sleeping Beauty), the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Pea Princess, Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks, Humpty Dumpty, Cinderella, Mother Goose, Rapunzel, Robin Hood and his Merry people (there are women!), plus Maid Marian, in Sherwood Forest, Jack and the beanstalk and the giant, the Owl and the Pussycat, and the Frog Prince. Basically, a lot of fairy tale characters went on, and were a part of, Aladdin's Magic Carpet Tour with Kittie.
The 'Aladdin' instalment in 'The Fairytale Hairdresser' series is a most interesting and eclectic one. Let's see how the rest, the final few books for me to review, fair, upon the fairest picture book series of them all.
Final Score: 3.5/5
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