Snoring Beauty

Snoring Beauty

by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen

Illustrated by Jane Manning

Genre: Picture Book, Fractured Fairy Tale

Synopsis: Snoring Beauty is a sweetly hilarious spin on the classic fairy tale "Sleeping Beauty." Written in bouncy rhymed verse perfect for reading aloud, this whimsical reimagining from Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen is sure to appeal to children and parents alike.

Tucked in his little bed inside the castle walls, Mouse is eager to get a good night's sleep before his wedding tomorrow. But just as he begins to drift off, he's awoken by a tremendous roar. SNOOOOGA-SNOOOOOM! KER-SCHUPPP! Sleeping Beauty is snoring . . . again! When the handsome Prince Max arrives, Mouse thinks he's found the perfect scheme: He'll convince the prince to kiss Beauty and wake her up! But when Prince Max learns that Beauty is the one making such monstrous noises, will he still want to kiss her . . . or will he run away from the noisy princess, leaving her snoring for another hundred years?

Review:  Another fun fractured fairy tale narrated by the mouse who shares Sleeping Beauty's castle.  The rhyme scheme and meter are catchy, but I got irritated by the unusual snoring sound effects that were required to keep the reading going.  Who ever heard of a snore like Snooga Snoom?  I read it entertainingly the first time, but on subsequent re-readings, I've been irritated by having to make the snoring noises so loud and crazy. Megan especially loves this book, probably because of the snoring noises and the little funny bit at the end.

Rating:  4 stars