From the blurb:

"When Molly shows up on Castle Hangnail's doorstep to fill the vacancy for a wicked witch, the castle's minions are understandably dubious. After all, she is twelve years old, barely five feet tall, and quite polite. (The minions are used to tall, demanding evil sorceresses with razor-sharp cheekbones.) But the castle desperately needs a master or else the Board of Magic will decommission it, leaving all the minions without the home they love. So when Molly assures them she is quite wicked indeed (So wicked! REALLY wicked!) and begins completing the tasks required by the Board of Magic for approval, everyone feels hopeful. Unfortunately, it turns out that Molly has quite a few secrets, including the biggest one of all: that she isn't who she says she is."

This is an entertaining, charming and amusing children's fantasy novel, with adorable (and original) characters, but also manages to deal with some "grown-up" issues and social issues that may be encountered by any child.  Beautifully written, possibly "educational" without bludgeoning the reader over the head with it, and lovely illustrations by the author.

From the blurb:

Nurk is a quiet homebody of a shrew. But when a mysterious plea for help arrives in the mail, he invokes the spirit of his fearless warrior-shrew grandmother, Surka, and sets off to find the sender. It seems the prince of the dragonflies has been kidnapped, and Nurk is his last hope for rescue. Such a mission would be daunting for even the biggest, baddest, and bravest of shrews, and Nurk is neither big nor bad, and only a little brave. But he does his very best--and hopes his grandmother would be proud.   Nurk is a warm, wonderful, and hilarious illustrated adventure about courage, family legacies, and friendships of a most unusual nature.

Nurk is an amusing and entertaining book for adults to read to their little children and perhaps for small children to read on their own, though there are a few "big words" they may need help with.  The occasional illustrations are adorable and the story beautifully written.

It was a marvelously dark and dour twilight at the castle.

-opening sentence

 

This book is so cute.

All the minions are waiting for their new owner to arrive. They are expecting an Evil Wizard, a Dark Sorceress, or maybe a Wicked Witch. But what they aren't expecting is a twelve-year-old girl. Molly is a Wicked Witch; after all, she is a twin and definitely the bad one. (Her sister loves pink and glitter.) But she is only twelve and the castle guardian has his doubts about her. And what if the Board doesn't accept her as the new master of the castle? 

Molly is a great character. She is a wicked witch in the nicest possible way. She is a strong, brave girl who doesn't fully believe in herself but doesn't give up either. The minions are delightful. Pins is a fabric stuffed doll who loves to sew and Fish (a neurotic goldfish) is his best friend. Cook is a minotaur who hates any words that begin with the letter "Q", and Edward is a magical suit of armor. And that's just a few of them.

The story is cute, even though parts of it are a bit predictable. Molly is a great role model for standing up for the little guy. And she can talk to animals and turn some of them into dragon hybrids (at least for a minute or so). What's not to like??

This will be a favorite among readers in grades 3-5, and maybe older.

I'm using this book for the Free Space on my Bingo card. :)

Just as much fun as Harriet the Invincible.

I recently re-read the 12 Dancing Princess (which this story retells), and was struck by how, even though the story is named for the titular women, all of whom presumably have their own lives, the story really revolves around the guy who creeps on them trying to figure out where they go at night. The story is about him, not the cursed princesses.

In Vernon's version, Harriet stands in for the gardener who saves the day -- so while she still takes center stage, at least a story ostensibly about 12 women doesn't inadvertently end up being about one man. Also, the princesses in the story are given some real "page-time" and personalities and desires of their own, all of which are improvements over the original. Prose is funny and smart and artwork is charming.

This book was super fun -- a retelling of Sleeping Beauty featuring a sturdy, sassy princess who figures out how to use the curse to her advantage. It's funny and subversive without being heavy-handed, equally suited to be enjoyed by kids or adults. I love that Harriet acts like a REAL 12-year-old (even if she is a hamster :)), and of course, the artwork is exuberant and expressive. Will definitely keep reading this series, and would recommend them as read-alouds, too.