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Hamster Princess #3
Ratpunzel
Rapunzel gets a rodent twist in book three of the critically acclaimed and uproariously funny series that’s perfect for fans of Princess in Black and Babymouse
Princess Harriet Hamsterbone does not like sitting around at home. How’s a princess supposed to have any fun when her parents are constantly reminding her to be careful and act princessly? So when her pal Prince Wilbur needs help finding a stolen hydra egg, Harriet happily takes up the quest. The thief’s trail leads them to a wicked witch and a tall tower, occupied by a rat whose tail has more to it than meets the eye!
The third book in the award-winning comic hybrid Hamster Princess series will make you look at rodents, royalty, and fairy tales in a whole new light.
Princess Harriet Hamsterbone does not like sitting around at home. How’s a princess supposed to have any fun when her parents are constantly reminding her to be careful and act princessly? So when her pal Prince Wilbur needs help finding a stolen hydra egg, Harriet happily takes up the quest. The thief’s trail leads them to a wicked witch and a tall tower, occupied by a rat whose tail has more to it than meets the eye!
The third book in the award-winning comic hybrid Hamster Princess series will make you look at rodents, royalty, and fairy tales in a whole new light.
229 pages, Hardcover
First published October 18, 2016
About the author
Ursula Vernon
76 books1,317 followersUrsula Vernon, aka T. Kingfisher, is an author and illustrator. She has written over fifteen books for children, at least a dozen novels for adults, an epic webcomic called “Digger” and various short stories and other odds and ends.
Ursula grew up in Oregon and Arizona, studied anthropology at Macalester College in Minnesota, and stayed there for ten years, until she finally learned to drive in deep snow and was obligated to leave the state.
Having moved across the country several times, she eventually settled in Pittsboro, North Carolina, where she works full-time as an artist and creator of oddities. She lives with her husband and his chickens.
Her work has been nominated for the Eisner, World Fantasy, and longlisted for the British Science Fiction Awards. It has garnered a number of Webcomics Choice Awards, the Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story, the Mythopoeic Award for Children’s Literature, the Nebula for Best Short Story, the Sequoyah Award, and many others.
Ursula grew up in Oregon and Arizona, studied anthropology at Macalester College in Minnesota, and stayed there for ten years, until she finally learned to drive in deep snow and was obligated to leave the state.
Having moved across the country several times, she eventually settled in Pittsboro, North Carolina, where she works full-time as an artist and creator of oddities. She lives with her husband and his chickens.
Her work has been nominated for the Eisner, World Fantasy, and longlisted for the British Science Fiction Awards. It has garnered a number of Webcomics Choice Awards, the Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story, the Mythopoeic Award for Children’s Literature, the Nebula for Best Short Story, the Sequoyah Award, and many others.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews
February 2, 2018
Harriet is a hero, but she is also unconventional and hilarious. This time she must rescue Ratpunzel, a young, naive princess confined in a tower situated in a creepy forest. While also helping her friend Prince Wilbur, Harriet’s planning and need to state the fractional amounts of various things are on display again as she figures her way around a number of problems.
October 23, 2016
I love this whole series, but I think Ratpunzel is my favorite so far. Reading it with my son filled me with joy and comfort. I love Harriet's sheer practical-mindedness, her pragmatic approach to fairy tale adventuring, and the wonderful humor throughout. I love the empowerment and the sweetness. And when it comes down to it, I just felt much, much better after reading this book. It is such a perfect comfort read.
(I read it out loud to my 8-year-old son all within the space of one day, and when I had to stop at one point, just before the climax, he was so outraged that he illicitly started sneak-reading ahead - which actually filled me with parenting delight. SCORE! This book was loved by the whole family. :) )
(I read it out loud to my 8-year-old son all within the space of one day, and when I had to stop at one point, just before the climax, he was so outraged that he illicitly started sneak-reading ahead - which actually filled me with parenting delight. SCORE! This book was loved by the whole family. :) )
January 3, 2019
۲۰۱۹
رو با چه کتابی شروع کردم! سالی که نکوست از کتابش پیداست! بهعنوان کتاب نوجوان کتاب خوبی بود، لااقل داستان خوبی داشت یا شاید بهتره بگیم اقتباس خوبی بود؛ ولی یه خرده زیادی کشش داده بود، میتونست جمعوجورتر باشه
رو با چه کتابی شروع کردم! سالی که نکوست از کتابش پیداست! بهعنوان کتاب نوجوان کتاب خوبی بود، لااقل داستان خوبی داشت یا شاید بهتره بگیم اقتباس خوبی بود؛ ولی یه خرده زیادی کشش داده بود، میتونست جمعوجورتر باشه
September 23, 2016
These books just keep getting better and better. File them under the kind of books that make full blown adults snort with laughter aloud on the subway.
December 27, 2024
Im ersten Band hat sich Harriet mit dem Hamsterprinzen Wilbur und seiner Hydra angefreundet. Nun erwartet diese ihren ersten Nachwuchs - doch jemand hat das riesige Ei gestohlen! Auf zu einer persönlichen Mission für Harriet.
In einem dunklen Wald finden sie einen einsamen Turm mit einer einsamen Rattenfrau darin... schnell wird klar, dass das Ei nur eine von vielen Missionen auf dieser Reise ist.
Wollt ihr raten, was eine Rattenprinzessin herunterlässt, um Mutter Gothel hochzuziehen? Jap, es bleibt genauso bekloppt wie bisher und wird ziemlich abgedreht.
"A heroic last stand might end badly, but disobeying Harriet's orders would end like the apocalypse, only with more screaming."
In einem dunklen Wald finden sie einen einsamen Turm mit einer einsamen Rattenfrau darin... schnell wird klar, dass das Ei nur eine von vielen Missionen auf dieser Reise ist.
Wollt ihr raten, was eine Rattenprinzessin herunterlässt, um Mutter Gothel hochzuziehen? Jap, es bleibt genauso bekloppt wie bisher und wird ziemlich abgedreht.
"A heroic last stand might end badly, but disobeying Harriet's orders would end like the apocalypse, only with more screaming."
February 28, 2019
If I had an eight-year-old girl in my life, believe me, I would be buying these for her. Adorable art, amusing dialogue, and a generally heartwarming take on the fairy tale.
March 9, 2017
This series is just so fun. I love the characters and the stories, and I especially love that it actively unpacks stuff like "why is it bad to kidnap people" and "stockholm syndrome is a real thing" and "forced cheerfulness will break the minds of perfectly well-intentioned witches and adventurers, you know".
October 21, 2016
Harriet's continuing adventures.
She departs home after a short visit that feels long, and finds that Wilbur is frantically riding in search of her: his hydra Heady's egg has been stolen!
She arrives on the scene and finds a clue. And shortly thereafter, she and Wilbur set out. In a story involving a letter from Wilbur's mother to an old friend from school, the Forest of Misery in the Kingdom of Sunshine, lots of cookbooks, chalk, trees carved into the shape of people and animals, sad stories, Harriet's wishing she were invincible again, and more.
She departs home after a short visit that feels long, and finds that Wilbur is frantically riding in search of her: his hydra Heady's egg has been stolen!
She arrives on the scene and finds a clue. And shortly thereafter, she and Wilbur set out. In a story involving a letter from Wilbur's mother to an old friend from school, the Forest of Misery in the Kingdom of Sunshine, lots of cookbooks, chalk, trees carved into the shape of people and animals, sad stories, Harriet's wishing she were invincible again, and more.
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October 27, 2016My favorite (so far) of this charming series.
August 28, 2020
This is a super fun retelling of Rapunzel, featuring a cast of rodents in all the main roles. I love Vernon's illustrations in this series, they really add to the text and provide visual breaks for reluctant readers. (That was never me, but I am in favor of anything that makes reading more fun for everyone. Plus, more books need illustrations in them.) I highly recommend this series.
October 24, 2018
Ursula Vernon takes fairy tales and gives them an empowering feminist twist! I love her writing as T. Kingfisher, and also this series where we meet our not-your-every-day-princess Harriet Hamsterbone. She's would rather go on adventures than be stuck in a castle, and in Ratpunzel we're getting a retelling of Rapunzel, which you probably gathered from the name.
This book tells you that not all witches are bad, not all princesses wear dresses, but if you want to, that's totally fine too!
The story is really fun, and I love the mix of writing with comics in between, instead of just being illustrated, they're part of the story.
This book tells you that not all witches are bad, not all princesses wear dresses, but if you want to, that's totally fine too!
The story is really fun, and I love the mix of writing with comics in between, instead of just being illustrated, they're part of the story.
September 20, 2022
*Everyone in the Kingdom of Sunshine was cheerful, in that extremely grating way that made your teeth ache.*
*Opera singers hardly ever got to slay dragons.*
*Opera singers hardly ever got to slay dragons.*
February 26, 2017
Harriet's latest Rapunzel inspired story involves her climbing a tower to rescue a hydra's egg where she also finds a young rat who needs rescuing. “Ratpunzel, Ratpunzel! Let down your tail!” Although this is the third book in the series, the plot is still delightfully clever. A fun and funny girl power adventure,
August 2, 2022
I’m not real thrilled with this book. I think it was better than the last one but I still just can’t get into this series. I don’t really care for Harriet at all. She acts very rashly, not caring about anyone but herself sometimes, and she doesn’t think things through. This would be fine if she made progress on this or learned life lessons to make her a better person but she never does. She’s always the same rash uncaring person. I mean she does help people but she does it because she likes adventure and gets bored and only wants to do the things that seem fun to her. I just don’t think she’s a great character. She’s also always getting everyone else into trouble with her plans that she never fully thinks out and just gets lucky when everything falls into place. This book was a retelling of Rapuzel which I usually enjoy but the plot was just weird. It’s like the author is trying too hard to make the story funny and instead I think it’s just ridiculous. I know I’m not the age group that these books are meant for and maybe when I was younger I would have been more into them, but I often read books that are written for younger audiences and I often enjoy them. I just don’t think this series as a whole is very well done. I would not recommend it. There are much better books out there to read.
September 29, 2017
First sentence: Harriet Hamsterbone had come home to her parents' castle, and she was already starting to regret it.
Premise/plot: Harriet and Wilbur are back for their third adventure in Ursula Vernon's newest book. The adventure begins when Wilbur's egg is stolen. that is his pet hydra's egg is stolen. They think Wilbur's mom's pen pal Gothel may be to blame. Before the adventure ends a new friend is made. Her name, of course, is Ratpunzel.
My thoughts: I really loved this one. All three books are just fun! The fact that Harriet is so fun and quirky and fierce and adventurous makes this series great. I adore Wilbur too. Not a bit of romance to be found which is nice. Harriet may be a princess but she is twelve.
Premise/plot: Harriet and Wilbur are back for their third adventure in Ursula Vernon's newest book. The adventure begins when Wilbur's egg is stolen. that is his pet hydra's egg is stolen. They think Wilbur's mom's pen pal Gothel may be to blame. Before the adventure ends a new friend is made. Her name, of course, is Ratpunzel.
My thoughts: I really loved this one. All three books are just fun! The fact that Harriet is so fun and quirky and fierce and adventurous makes this series great. I adore Wilbur too. Not a bit of romance to be found which is nice. Harriet may be a princess but she is twelve.
October 30, 2016
"but who's going to save you?"
" 'I'll save myself,' said Harriet, puzzled. 'That's why I've got a sword. And Mumfrey.' (Mumfrey was her trusty battle quail)."
Gosh, I just love Harriet Hamsterbone! Great 3rd-5th grade series (or a read-aloud for parents!). She's plucky, and hilarious. #imwithher
" 'I'll save myself,' said Harriet, puzzled. 'That's why I've got a sword. And Mumfrey.' (Mumfrey was her trusty battle quail)."
Gosh, I just love Harriet Hamsterbone! Great 3rd-5th grade series (or a read-aloud for parents!). She's plucky, and hilarious. #imwithher
September 20, 2018
Ursula Vernon is rapidly becoming one of my favorite children's authors (though her adult work, written under the pen name of T. Kingfisher, is quite good as well). Her "Dragonbreath" series was fun and hilarious, and she brings that same sense of humor and adventure to her "Hamster Princess" series. And in "Ratpunzel" our indomitable heroine returns to give her own kick-butt twist to a familiar fairy tale, paying homage to the original while still making it her own.
Harriet Hamsterbone, the Hamster Princess, has returned home form another adventure... and promptly taken off again to avoid being forced into more princess lessons. She's on the lookout for another adventure when her friend Wilbur, the timid prince of another kingdom, gives her bad news -- his pet hydra's egg has been stolen! The two friends set off to an overly cheerful kingdom in an attempt to find the egg before it can hatch, and in the process discover a sinister gerbil witch, an ominous tower in the forest, and a charming but naive rat princess locked in said tower... a rat princess with an enormously long tail, and a secret that the witch will stop at nothing to protect...
"Ratpunzel" continues the tradition of the "Hamster Princess" books of giving us a likable, adventurous heroine, a princess who doesn't sit back and let a Prince Charming do all the work but sets out to solve her own problems. This book further fleshes out Harriet's character, however, by establishing that for all her spunk and strength she still has flaws. Reading about a perfect Mary Sue character is boring, even in a children's chapter book, and so Harriet's stubbornness and impulsiveness end up causing problems as well as solving them, and give her realistic flaws without ruining her character.
The illustrations in this book are cute and fun, and will appeal to younger readers. Said illustrations also serve to carry a fair bit of the dialogue via word balloons, which make these books (much like the Dragonbreath books) a nice transition from graphic novels to chapter books or vice versa.
Third time's the charm for Harriet and company -- "Ratpunzel" keeps the series going strong, and makes me like its feisty heroine all the more. A perfect series for kids of all ages, boys or girls, and a nice antidote to the often-saccharine world of Disney princesses.
Harriet Hamsterbone, the Hamster Princess, has returned home form another adventure... and promptly taken off again to avoid being forced into more princess lessons. She's on the lookout for another adventure when her friend Wilbur, the timid prince of another kingdom, gives her bad news -- his pet hydra's egg has been stolen! The two friends set off to an overly cheerful kingdom in an attempt to find the egg before it can hatch, and in the process discover a sinister gerbil witch, an ominous tower in the forest, and a charming but naive rat princess locked in said tower... a rat princess with an enormously long tail, and a secret that the witch will stop at nothing to protect...
"Ratpunzel" continues the tradition of the "Hamster Princess" books of giving us a likable, adventurous heroine, a princess who doesn't sit back and let a Prince Charming do all the work but sets out to solve her own problems. This book further fleshes out Harriet's character, however, by establishing that for all her spunk and strength she still has flaws. Reading about a perfect Mary Sue character is boring, even in a children's chapter book, and so Harriet's stubbornness and impulsiveness end up causing problems as well as solving them, and give her realistic flaws without ruining her character.
The illustrations in this book are cute and fun, and will appeal to younger readers. Said illustrations also serve to carry a fair bit of the dialogue via word balloons, which make these books (much like the Dragonbreath books) a nice transition from graphic novels to chapter books or vice versa.
Third time's the charm for Harriet and company -- "Ratpunzel" keeps the series going strong, and makes me like its feisty heroine all the more. A perfect series for kids of all ages, boys or girls, and a nice antidote to the often-saccharine world of Disney princesses.
February 23, 2019
There are undoubtedly princesses out there with beautiful singing voices. Harriet was not one of them. She was good at hitting monsters with swords. Hitting notes was a little beyond her.
Oh Harriet, never change! As you can tell from the title, Harriet is off to save Ratpunzel (Rapunzel) alongside her battle quail Mumfrey (who had to suffer twenty tuneless minutes of Harriet singing in the beginning of the novel) and her best friend Prince Wilbur, who is still doing odd jobs since his castle is in need of some major repairs.
Like the previous entries, Ursula Vernon took a classic fairy tale and weaved it into something truly unique and her own. The artwork and humour are still top notch and once again, we see two different princesses here (Harriet and Ratpunzel) and neither are shamed for how they are.
Another great edition to this series.
Oh Harriet, never change! As you can tell from the title, Harriet is off to save Ratpunzel (Rapunzel) alongside her battle quail Mumfrey (who had to suffer twenty tuneless minutes of Harriet singing in the beginning of the novel) and her best friend Prince Wilbur, who is still doing odd jobs since his castle is in need of some major repairs.
Like the previous entries, Ursula Vernon took a classic fairy tale and weaved it into something truly unique and her own. The artwork and humour are still top notch and once again, we see two different princesses here (Harriet and Ratpunzel) and neither are shamed for how they are.
Another great edition to this series.
August 21, 2022
Princess Harriet Hamsterbone takes on Rapunzel. Instead of a beautiful naïve girl trapped in a tower for reasons I never understood, a witch is keeping Ratpunzel locked up for cooking and magical assistance. She's good at one. Desperate for a good cook, the witch kidnaps one -- leading directly to Harriet's intercession.
Great repurposing of the fairy tale's elements. The withholding crone and the stolen maiden are still there, but it's no longer the original mother's need for salad driving the story. The frozen maturation is now weaponized by the witch against those who would save Ratpunzel. There are princes, and one of them is trying to save someone, but it's not the golden haired girl in the tower. The real hero, Princess Harriet Hamsterbone, saves all of them, in part by building an effective team and by using her knowledge of castle architecture.
Good fun.
Great repurposing of the fairy tale's elements. The withholding crone and the stolen maiden are still there, but it's no longer the original mother's need for salad driving the story. The frozen maturation is now weaponized by the witch against those who would save Ratpunzel. There are princes, and one of them is trying to save someone, but it's not the golden haired girl in the tower. The real hero, Princess Harriet Hamsterbone, saves all of them, in part by building an effective team and by using her knowledge of castle architecture.
Good fun.
October 22, 2020
Harper age 8: I like this book. Rapunzel gets a rodent twist in book three of the critically acclaimed and uproariously funny series that’s perfect for fans of Princess in Black and Babymouse
Princess Harriet Hamsterbone does not like sitting around at home. How’s a princess supposed to have any fun when her parents are constantly reminding her to be careful and act princessly? So when her pal Prince Wilbur needs help finding a stolen hydra egg, Harriet happily takes up the quest. The thief’s trail leads them to a wicked witch and a tall tower, occupied by a rat whose tail has more to it than meets the eye!
The third book in the award-winning comic hybrid Hamster Princess series will make you look at rodents, royalty, and fairy tales in a whole new light.
Princess Harriet Hamsterbone does not like sitting around at home. How’s a princess supposed to have any fun when her parents are constantly reminding her to be careful and act princessly? So when her pal Prince Wilbur needs help finding a stolen hydra egg, Harriet happily takes up the quest. The thief’s trail leads them to a wicked witch and a tall tower, occupied by a rat whose tail has more to it than meets the eye!
The third book in the award-winning comic hybrid Hamster Princess series will make you look at rodents, royalty, and fairy tales in a whole new light.
November 7, 2016
These are so cute. I wish they'd been around when I was a kid. (As Vernon is younger than I, that wasn't possible.)
Harriet may no longer be invincible, but she's just as brave and fair-minded and practical. These are the kinds of book that are as fun for the adults as they are for the kids. They have lots of jokes which will go over the kids' heads but which are funny. I love how the illustrations continue the text - they're not separable. They're truly part of the story.
I can't wait to give this series to my great-nieces. With all the sappy role models out there for little girls, it's wonderful to find one who is strong and funny and sensible.
Harriet may no longer be invincible, but she's just as brave and fair-minded and practical. These are the kinds of book that are as fun for the adults as they are for the kids. They have lots of jokes which will go over the kids' heads but which are funny. I love how the illustrations continue the text - they're not separable. They're truly part of the story.
I can't wait to give this series to my great-nieces. With all the sappy role models out there for little girls, it's wonderful to find one who is strong and funny and sensible.
June 10, 2018
Honestly. My reviews of the first Hamster Princess book touched on how much I am amazed that these are written by the same person that writes the super extra uber-bro Danny Dragonbreath. I still had some reservations at that time, dispelled by book two and pretty much destroyed by book three. At this point, Harriet's like, screw you, patriarchy, and refreshingly, so is Wilbur, her best friend and poor-kid prince, who is quietly but just as emphatically not a product of any standard mold. It's not just the overt nods to adults that makes this appealing for me as a parent to read to my kid, it's that the take on the fairy tale is highly inventive and entertaining, leaves a lot of room to talk about life and have important discussions that support the brainmeat growth. Definitely worth reading for girls AND boys. And adults.
May 24, 2017
I just adore Harriet Hamster and her adventures. This retelling of Rapunzel did not disappoint. When Harriet goes in search of a stolen hydra egg, she finds a rat princess trapped in a tower and obviously has to rescue the princess as well as find the egg. These books are funny and I love that Harriet doesn't suffer fools (or ridiculously cheerful people). I also love that her response to people wanting to marry her off is "I'm TWELVE!"
The next time I need the literary equivalent of a hug with an old friend, I'll pick up the next in this series.
The next time I need the literary equivalent of a hug with an old friend, I'll pick up the next in this series.
January 3, 2025
This was a good story, and harriet was a badass as always. Felt like there was a little too much going on though (the main plot line, heady's egg/hatching, princes frozen in trees, ratpunzel needing to marry someone immediately..., etc.). I'm also going to have to ding it one star bc 1) only 1 picture of heady's baby (nowhere near enough!) & 2) the baby wasn't reconnected with the mom before the end of the book. :( still, always a fun read and the kids love them. nice book to finish with them at the start of the new year. :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 27, 2017
I think this is my favorite Hamster Princess book so far (although I do have the 4th book in my TBR pile). Harriet is not perfect, and her good buddy Wilbur helps keep her feet on the ground. In this book we even see a little growth in Harriet as she tries to be patient with the people around her who don't have the same abilities. All around a cute story, and I think fans of the series will be pleased.
November 10, 2019
Another great read from Vernon, and possibly the best so far. Book one and book three are tied for being amazing. Wilbur becoming a returning member is always great, the breaking of many tropes is both hilarious and a fun read, and all the twists and turns are a blast.
An evil gerbil named Mother Gothel, a trapped princess named Ratpunzel, a stolen hydra egg?! How much more can you want in a book like this one?
Seriously, read these books!
An evil gerbil named Mother Gothel, a trapped princess named Ratpunzel, a stolen hydra egg?! How much more can you want in a book like this one?
Seriously, read these books!
January 28, 2020
Another adorable entry in the Hamster Princess series. Wilbur calls upon Harriet in a panic as Heady the Hydra's egg has been stolen. This leads them on an adventure through a creepy wood, to follow a witch, to an evil tower... where a princess with a crazy long tail resides! Now they have to figure out how to get Ratpunzel and the egg out of the tower before it hatches, and without being noticed by the witch. As usual Harriet is a problem solver and pulls together a plan.
June 16, 2017
Despite my female sex, I hate pink, princesses, and girly-girly stuff. It just isn't my cup of tea but I adore this series. Harriet is such a wonderful character, strong, smart, daring, and resilient. The interactions between Harriet and Wilbur demonstrate strong friendship and working together to solve problems. Wonderful series!
August 7, 2017
Adored it. I love the way Vernon reworks both generic fairytale tropes and specific stories. Here, I particularly love that the idea of heroism and princess-as-trophy-wife get further separated -- that Harriet keeps getting involved in rescues, not because she is after some specific (extrinsic) reward, but because she does what is right.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews