THE DUMPY PRINCESS
by Karin Fernald
published by Frances Lincoln, September 2010
REVIEWS
"THE DUMPY PRINCESS tells the story of the young Queen Victoria through her troubled childhood to the moment she took the crown. Cheerfully illustrated by Sophie Foster, this is child-centred history at its most approachable."
Nicholas Tucker THE INDEPENDENT
FOR ALL AGES ...
"A delightful small hardback which takes a wry view of the life of the future Queen Victoria. Historically correct ... the story succeeds in making her seem very human and all too real."
"Absorbing, fascinating and eminently accessible to young readers."
BOOKTRUST CHILDRENS BOOKS
"WITTY NEW STORY FIT FOR A PRINCESS"
" ... The extraordinary characters who loom large in Victoria's life make for a witty approach to history that is comically illustrated by Sophie Foster."
Ham & High
AMAZON.CO.UK: CUSTOMER REVIEWS

"An absolute joy - a tongue-in-cheek retelling of the story of young princess Victoria and her ascent to the British throne ... all the main protagonists are there, and Victoria's royal family are presented as wonderfully quirky caricatures, from the mourning German mother to the kindly governess Lehzen and King Leopold of Belgium ... with ample adventure, twists and turns, it should have a broad appeal. Told sensitively, with a generous pinch of salt and a great sense of humour, it's fantastic as a read-along story for parents and kids, or even as a sneaky quick read for adults, too."
R. WEST-SOLEY, Birmingham U.K.

"a great book about the life and times of young queen Victoria It's fab to read as bedtime story for young girls. The dumpy princess offers a comical glimpse into a royal childhood. The writing is superb and the illustrations delightful. A great book for any princess."
F. O'CONNOR, Birmingham U.K.

"This book has been a joy to read. I have read a few chapters each night before bed to my daughter and we've both been captivated by it. The characters are described really well and are allowed to develop as the chapter unfold so that the story moves forward easily. It's a period of time I knew little about before reading this book to my daughter and I wish more history was presented this way."
MRS. F. HUXLEY Rugby UK.

"A lovely hard back with solid pages of thick quality paper, and would make a fantastic bedtime story. It caught the imagination of a chld who now wants to know more about history. It is a very nice book for children to read (or to be read with younger children). A book to charm, and a book to learn from. All in all a little gem, and to top it all it has the most wonderful illustrations."
SUSAN BELCHER, UK

"I like to read a few chapters a night to my granddaughters. And this wonderful, entertaining book made their bedtime story a treat ... The images in the book are wonderful and helps children picture more from the story ... "
SHAZ 17 U.K.

"Humorous History lesson in a beautiful format. A very high quality small sized hardback book ... the young life of Princess Victoria is presented as a funny fairytale with wicked uncles, kindly tutors and a loyal dog. The time line and characters are historically accurate ... Albert is briefly introduced as a cousin who falls asleep a lot (often in his soup) and is always in bed by 9 pm ... The adults are horribly rude to each other in this book in a polite royal way which should have children laughing out loud. Very highly recommended."
DEBBIE 8355 Devon, UK

"My seven year old daughter had just finished a school project on Queen Victoria when this book arrived. I must admit I half expected her to tell me that she'd done the project and didn't want to read the book but instead, after flicking through it, she disappeared into her room and we didn't hear a peep out of her until she'd finished it. Having seen several of the other books for children on Queen Victoria, I have to say this one wins hands down for its ability to engage children with the character and her narrative ... as a way of getting children enthusiastic about the past and history it's ideal ... I think the fact that this book is so engaging and is fun to read gives children the confidence to pick up other longish books with smaller type that they might have shied away from before. A good book in its own right - but I'm particularly impressed with it because of the difference it made to my daughter's enthusiasm and confidence in reading."
PARDO, Kent U.K.
OTHER COMMENTS

"Great fun story - all the better for being real!"

"A little gem"

"Quirky and fun and a history lesson too!"