'The magic in that country was so thick and tenacious that it settled over the land like chalk-dust and over floors and shelves like slightly sticky plaster-dust... If you lived in that country, you had to de-scale your kettle of its encrustation of magic at least once a week, because if you didn't, you might find yourself pouring hissing snakes or pond slime into your teapot instead of water.'

A classic fairy tale, with magic, adventure, talking animals and the fairies themselves -- but no princess...

Rosie is very, very ordinary. No-one, not even an extremely powerful and evil fairy who is out for the princess's blood, would give Rosie a second glance. But then, even Rosie doesn't know her secret.

She is as safe with us as ordinariness can make her...

For somehow Rosie's character has overpowered the rather conspicuous gifts of her twenty fairy-godmothers -- she may have "feet that never stumble at dancing", but you'd have to force her to dance first.

She shall prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning world...

The twenty-first fairy gift will not be so easy to avoid. The curse will hunt her down through the years, gathering strength. Rosie cannot be hidden for ever -- at some point a princess must become a queen, even if she would rather just stay ordinary.

I have found you at last. Found!

The fight is on.

Condition: Pre-loved book. Moderate yellowing of pages. Otherwise in good condition.

Format: Hardcover
Year published: 2002
Pages: 363
Sub-genre: Fantasy; fairy tale retelling.
Imprint: David Fickling Books