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Snoring Beauty
Everyone knows the story of Sleeping A handsome prince rescues a beautiful princess from a wicked fairy's terrible sleeping spell.
This story is just like the original. Except for the sarcastic frog narrator, the garlic-scented fairy, and--oh yeah--the princess in this book not only sleeps and snores . . . she's also been turned into a hot-pink and purple dragon!
Certain to charm and delight fairy tale fans across the land, this raucous retelling is anything but a snoozer.
This story is just like the original. Except for the sarcastic frog narrator, the garlic-scented fairy, and--oh yeah--the princess in this book not only sleeps and snores . . . she's also been turned into a hot-pink and purple dragon!
Certain to charm and delight fairy tale fans across the land, this raucous retelling is anything but a snoozer.
44 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2008
About the author
Bruce Hale
121 books133 followersA serious book addict, Bruce wanted to be a children's book author since he was in 4th grade (right after he got over wanting to be a pirate, Tarzan, and Daniel Boone). Today he's the author-illustrator of over 70 seriously funny books for kids, so some dreams do come true.
The Malted Falcon, one of his Chet Gecko Mysteries series, was an Edgar Award finalist, and Murder, My Tweet won a Little D Award for Juvenile Humor Writing. Bruce has written everything from picture books and easy readers, to graphic novels and novels.
Bruce's recent Monstertown Mysteries series blends horror and humor, based on his childhood love of monster movies. His other series include Class Pets, about the secret lives of classroom pets, and the forthcoming Outerspace Mystery Pizza Club books, due in 2024.
A Fulbright Scholar (in Storytelling), Bruce is also a popular speaker, both in the U.S. and internationally. He lives in Santa Barbara with his wife and knuckleheaded dog Riley. When he's not writing or reading, you may find him hiking, kickboxing, or singing with a latin-jazz band called Mezcal Martini.
The Malted Falcon, one of his Chet Gecko Mysteries series, was an Edgar Award finalist, and Murder, My Tweet won a Little D Award for Juvenile Humor Writing. Bruce has written everything from picture books and easy readers, to graphic novels and novels.
Bruce's recent Monstertown Mysteries series blends horror and humor, based on his childhood love of monster movies. His other series include Class Pets, about the secret lives of classroom pets, and the forthcoming Outerspace Mystery Pizza Club books, due in 2024.
A Fulbright Scholar (in Storytelling), Bruce is also a popular speaker, both in the U.S. and internationally. He lives in Santa Barbara with his wife and knuckleheaded dog Riley. When he's not writing or reading, you may find him hiking, kickboxing, or singing with a latin-jazz band called Mezcal Martini.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
April 4, 2012
Snoring beauty is fun entertaining book that is a twist off the common fairy tale of sleeping beauty. A princess is born and the king and queen throw a party to celebrate the birth of their new daughter. Everyone in the land is invited except for one fairy. On the day of the party everyone attends even the fairy who was not invited. This fairy who is upset casts a spell on the princess so that on her 16th birthday she will be run over by a wagon and die. A mess up with the spell occurs and on her 16th birthday the princess is turned into a sleeping dragon that snores. The princess dragon can now only be awakened by a quince. The princess is trapped in this state until finally one day Prince Quince comes along and kisses her on the check which causes her to wake up and turn back into a princess. This isn’t the classic fairy tale so enjoy the story as it unravels.
December 11, 2014
A delightful twist on the classic "Sleeping Beauty" fairy tale. The uninvited fairy turns princess Marge into a sleeping dragon after being run over by a pie truck. The spell can only be broken if she is awakened by a quince (again with the hearing). Definitely a funny read for children who are already familiar with the story. The juxtaposition between the silly story and the realistic (if not fantastical) watercolor illustrations make this book a treat for everyone. Very colorful and just plain fun.
Also, can you say hilarious? Fred the fairy is a hairy middle-aged man wearing pink wings and a wifebeater. Nobody has the heart to tell this tatted up man that he's not a real fairy.
Appeal:
fun language
playful
nostalgic
irreverent
classic
silly
beautiful illustrations
Also, can you say hilarious? Fred the fairy is a hairy middle-aged man wearing pink wings and a wifebeater. Nobody has the heart to tell this tatted up man that he's not a real fairy.
Appeal:
fun language
playful
nostalgic
irreverent
classic
silly
beautiful illustrations
March 26, 2012
"Snoring Beauty" by Bruce Hale (obviously a spin-off of "Sleeping Beauty") is a perfect example of a classic fairy tale told from a different perspective. The full-bleed, water color illustrations are colorful, humorous, and easily engage the reader. The way this book is written makes it clear that, in most cases, an adult will be reading it to a child, rather than the child reading it themselves. The reason this may be true is due to the fact that the text includes many difficult (and sometimes made-up) words. The irony and humor of the story are very prominent but may be difficult for all children to pick up on. The pictures compliment the text and overall, it's a fun and interesting version of "Sleeping Beauty".
September 20, 2019
Snoring Beauty by Bruce Hale and illustrated by Howard Fine follows the plot of the classic fairy tale Sleeping Beauty; however, a few things are different. There is a sarcastic frog narrator, grumpy fairies with crazy names, and a sleeping beauty who is anything but a beauty. Rather, she is a pink and purple snoring dragon. These specifics classify Snoring Beauty in the traditional literature genre and more specifically a fairytale. This fun retelling of the story allows kids to see the ways in which they can be creative in their writing.
From the very beginning of the book there are clear elements of a fairytale. For example, the classical “Once upon a time” that is always used was just substituted “Long, long ago (about six hundred and two years ago last Friday, at 7:00 P.M., Fairy Standard Time, to be exact).” The use of this introduction helps set the stage for the story and tells the reader what they should be expecting in the end, which is the characters living happily ever after. Another major aspect was the use of foil characters. There is the young perfect princess and to oppose her is the cranky fairy who smells like garlic. The development of having a good character and an evil character is an element that kids can easily identify in a fairytale.
I really like the idea of using renditions of classical literature in a classroom. Instead of kids hearing the same stories over and over they can begin to notice what versions they like best and why. This will also help students in their writing because it shows them how they can be unique and use elements of traditional stories but, make it their own by adding or changing a few components of the story. This book, specifically, would be beneficial to pair with a lesson on descriptive writing because of the way the Hale incorporates specifics as well.
From the very beginning of the book there are clear elements of a fairytale. For example, the classical “Once upon a time” that is always used was just substituted “Long, long ago (about six hundred and two years ago last Friday, at 7:00 P.M., Fairy Standard Time, to be exact).” The use of this introduction helps set the stage for the story and tells the reader what they should be expecting in the end, which is the characters living happily ever after. Another major aspect was the use of foil characters. There is the young perfect princess and to oppose her is the cranky fairy who smells like garlic. The development of having a good character and an evil character is an element that kids can easily identify in a fairytale.
I really like the idea of using renditions of classical literature in a classroom. Instead of kids hearing the same stories over and over they can begin to notice what versions they like best and why. This will also help students in their writing because it shows them how they can be unique and use elements of traditional stories but, make it their own by adding or changing a few components of the story. This book, specifically, would be beneficial to pair with a lesson on descriptive writing because of the way the Hale incorporates specifics as well.
April 10, 2017
My grandson, Aeverie and I read this book together. This a fully illustrated 41 page story. This would be a difficult book for most first graders to read on their own, which is why we read it together. A lot of big words and odd names to read.
This story is a spin off story of Sleeping beauty and was a very cute story indeed. I think that both of us enjoyed it very much. There was a lot of color and great illustrations that made this story very fun to read.
This story is a spin off story of Sleeping beauty and was a very cute story indeed. I think that both of us enjoyed it very much. There was a lot of color and great illustrations that made this story very fun to read.
January 15, 2022
This was entertaining for me as I read to my little one! Excellent rendition of Sleeping Beauty
February 13, 2017
This book is a fractured fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty. This is a funny, "tongue-in-cheek" version of the classic Sleeping Beauty. While there are similarities to the original, there are several main differences. The main characters are Queen Esophagus, King Gluteus, Princess Drachmina Lafresca Malvolio Margarine, and seven fairies. When one of the fairies isn't invited to the party to celebrate the birth of the King and Queen's daughter, Princess Margarine, she puts a spell on the Princess that she will be run over by a pie wagon and die when she turns 16. One of the other fairies changes the spell so that the Princess will become a sleeping dragon and the spell will be broken when she is awakened by Quince (a fruit). When the Princess' foot is run over by a wagon full of pastries when she turns 16 and she becomes a sleeping dragon, a young man comes into town, kisses her and she turns human again. Then we find out that the Prince's name is Quince.
The story is hilarious and goofy with its emphasis on food and parts of the body used for eating. (All of the main characters have names that relate to food or parts of the body used for eating). The unique, farcical twist at the end of the story adds to the humor and makes this an uproarious version of the classic tale of Sleeping Beauty. Even the illustrations are funny and enjoyable!
The story is hilarious and goofy with its emphasis on food and parts of the body used for eating. (All of the main characters have names that relate to food or parts of the body used for eating). The unique, farcical twist at the end of the story adds to the humor and makes this an uproarious version of the classic tale of Sleeping Beauty. Even the illustrations are funny and enjoyable!
May 24, 2011
Author: Bruce Hale (author); Howard Fine (illustrator)
Genre: Fiction, Fairy Tales, Picture Book
Release: May, 2008
Source: Library
Rating: 5/5
Description: A furious fairy. A cruel curse. A princess enchanted by a spell.
Think you know the story of Sleeping Beauty? Better think again. This fractured fairy tale tells the real story of Sleeping Beauty - warts, scales, and all.
And guess what? She snores.
Review: King Gluteus and Queen Esophagus throws a christening party for their new baby girl, Princess Drachmina Lofresca Malvolio Margarine (Marge for short). In the same tradition as the original Sleeping Beauty, the fairies in attendance bless Marge with wonderful gifts. Then, a garlic-smelling fairy named Beebo, comes and puts a curse on her: on her 16th birthday, she'll die under the wheels of a pie wagon. The king begs the last fairy, a hard-of-hearing fairy named Tintinnitus, to undo the curse. So, instead of dying under the wheels of a pie wagon, Marge will turn into a sleeping dragon who only can be awakened by a quince. When the time comes, Marge turns into a beautiful, hot pink and purple dragon who wears red lipstick and nail polish. The kingdom can breathe easy because she doesn't die, only she not only sleeps, she snores. Horribly. The king issues an edict: whoever can wake Marge up will marry her. What follows is a hilarious journey until Prince Quince comes along. Will his kiss be just what the snoring dragon needs?
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
* There's absolutely nothing I didn't like about this book. Nothing.
WHAT I LIKED
* Everything! It was a wonderfully funny take on a classic fairy tale. The pics were awesome, but I expected that from Howard Fine. The cover is what attracted me, but the whole book did not disappoint.
This book is definitely perfect for read-alouds. And kids aren't the only ones who'll fall in love with Snoring Beauty. It has just enough sarcasm (it's narrated by a sarcastic frog) and laughs that the whole family will enjoy it. I LOVED this book!
Genre: Fiction, Fairy Tales, Picture Book
Release: May, 2008
Source: Library
Rating: 5/5
Description: A furious fairy. A cruel curse. A princess enchanted by a spell.
Think you know the story of Sleeping Beauty? Better think again. This fractured fairy tale tells the real story of Sleeping Beauty - warts, scales, and all.
And guess what? She snores.
Review: King Gluteus and Queen Esophagus throws a christening party for their new baby girl, Princess Drachmina Lofresca Malvolio Margarine (Marge for short). In the same tradition as the original Sleeping Beauty, the fairies in attendance bless Marge with wonderful gifts. Then, a garlic-smelling fairy named Beebo, comes and puts a curse on her: on her 16th birthday, she'll die under the wheels of a pie wagon. The king begs the last fairy, a hard-of-hearing fairy named Tintinnitus, to undo the curse. So, instead of dying under the wheels of a pie wagon, Marge will turn into a sleeping dragon who only can be awakened by a quince. When the time comes, Marge turns into a beautiful, hot pink and purple dragon who wears red lipstick and nail polish. The kingdom can breathe easy because she doesn't die, only she not only sleeps, she snores. Horribly. The king issues an edict: whoever can wake Marge up will marry her. What follows is a hilarious journey until Prince Quince comes along. Will his kiss be just what the snoring dragon needs?
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
* There's absolutely nothing I didn't like about this book. Nothing.
WHAT I LIKED
* Everything! It was a wonderfully funny take on a classic fairy tale. The pics were awesome, but I expected that from Howard Fine. The cover is what attracted me, but the whole book did not disappoint.
This book is definitely perfect for read-alouds. And kids aren't the only ones who'll fall in love with Snoring Beauty. It has just enough sarcasm (it's narrated by a sarcastic frog) and laughs that the whole family will enjoy it. I LOVED this book!
January 22, 2017
Beautiful and quirky illustrations. Great story in rhyme. The castle mouse is tired of Beauty's snoring and needs some sleep. When a prince arrives, the mouse helps in every way to get the prince to kiss Beauty. Nothing seems to work and finally he kisses her so he can get some sleep. She finds Prince and he proposes. The mouse and Prince have a double wedding but there is a nice twist at the end. Hilarious story and lots of fun. Highly recommended for Gr. 2-4.
November 13, 2014
Snoring Beauty definitely strays from the traditions Sleeping Beauty. The characters are jumbled and there is much more humor and wittiness in Snoring Beauty. It was a fun read and I think kids would find it hilarious and edgy.
I would recommend this book to kids and adults alike because it is very funny and an adventurous take on the traditional story we all love.
I would recommend this book to kids and adults alike because it is very funny and an adventurous take on the traditional story we all love.
May 16, 2015
Hilarious twisted tale -- King Gluteus & Queen Esophagus produce an heir whom they saddle with a mouthful of a moniker (Princess Drachmina Lofresca Malvolio Margarine or Marge for short) -- which should clue you in to the fun you'll have with this re-telling of Sleeping Beauty.
June 3, 2011
Beautiful art, hilarious fractured fairy tale!
September 21, 2012
A very fractured fairy tale with humor that will appeal to older middle graders and adults, but probably not be quite on the mark for younger readers.
February 5, 2023
Snoring Beauty is a twist on the classic fairy tale, Sleeping Beauty. The queen and king host a party to celebrate the christening of their newborn daughter. The whole town is invited except for one cranky fairy. The cranky fairy shows up anyway and casts a spell on the baby. On her sixteenth birthday, she will be run over by a pie wagon and die. The spell is changed and instead of dying, she is turned into a snoring dragon until she is awakened by a quince. You will have to read to find out if a quince can undo the spell on the snoring dragon.
This book will be better understood by older children. The vocabulary and humor are above young children's understanding. The illustrations are phenomenal.
This book would be great to use as a comparison of the traditional Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. It could also be used to teach irony. This would also be a great text to use during a Writer's Workshop mini-lesson. There are some great examples of word choice and similes.
This book will be better understood by older children. The vocabulary and humor are above young children's understanding. The illustrations are phenomenal.
This book would be great to use as a comparison of the traditional Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. It could also be used to teach irony. This would also be a great text to use during a Writer's Workshop mini-lesson. There are some great examples of word choice and similes.
February 20, 2018
Impressions: Very detailed illustration, Simple colors but colorful, small and big illustrations
Impact: friendly, characters get along, illustration go onto both pages.
Constructive Opinion: Illustration are very detailed, nice rhyme words, nice lesson for readers to learn from
2 Literary Elements: Rhyme words, repetitive words, setting sets understanding of the story, theme is very simple and nice
2 Design Elements: illustrations go of both pages, size of illustrations change
Summary:
A baby was born in a kingdom which made the king everyone over for them to see his daughter. Some of the guest that night were fairies and they told the king and queen what they daughter would be. As she grows up those things become true but one truth of hers gets to the kingdom. A person comes to solve the problem but at the end he was stuck with it.
Impact: friendly, characters get along, illustration go onto both pages.
Constructive Opinion: Illustration are very detailed, nice rhyme words, nice lesson for readers to learn from
2 Literary Elements: Rhyme words, repetitive words, setting sets understanding of the story, theme is very simple and nice
2 Design Elements: illustrations go of both pages, size of illustrations change
Summary:
A baby was born in a kingdom which made the king everyone over for them to see his daughter. Some of the guest that night were fairies and they told the king and queen what they daughter would be. As she grows up those things become true but one truth of hers gets to the kingdom. A person comes to solve the problem but at the end he was stuck with it.
September 3, 2022
Utterly charming! This darling picture book is funny on every page, using big vocabulary words that sound clever to adult readers but are perfectly picked to use the sounds that are goofy and silly to young readers as well. The story is told in prose and is not specifically poetry, but regular use of poetic devices, both rhyme and alliteration, make the story bounce along and feel lyrical. I don't know how to exactly describe this, but the illustrations, by being over the told, round and boisterous looking, seem to perfectly match the tone of voice of the narration; Boisterous is an excellent adjective for both! Fun all around and certainly recommended!
October 11, 2022
This book tries way too hard to be funny, and even though there are some genuinely humorous moments, their impact is lessened by all the unnecessary clutter. Also, even though the cover illustration is lovely, the illustrations of human faces are frequently grotesque.
I really liked the concept of this book and hoped that it would be a good fit for my royalty-themed storytime, since I want to read beyond traditional princess tales. The weird illustrations, desperate reaches for more humor, and pervasive nonsense words turned me off, but some people would enjoy this more than I did and would enjoy reading it to individual children.
I really liked the concept of this book and hoped that it would be a good fit for my royalty-themed storytime, since I want to read beyond traditional princess tales. The weird illustrations, desperate reaches for more humor, and pervasive nonsense words turned me off, but some people would enjoy this more than I did and would enjoy reading it to individual children.
February 9, 2018
Hale, Bruce. Snoring Beauty, 44 pgs., Orlando, Florida : Harcourt, Inc., c2008. Language-G, Sexual Content-G; Violence-G
REVIEW: What's a kingdom to do when their princess gets cursed and the spell must be broken? Nobody's perfect, but this is a perfect story. Clever language and clever illustrations make for a great take on the typical fairy tale. Pair this story with a traditional fairy tale and have a lively discussion with your students, especially the older elementary students.-
EL-ESSENTIAL, Marilyn Mann
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2008/...
REVIEW: What's a kingdom to do when their princess gets cursed and the spell must be broken? Nobody's perfect, but this is a perfect story. Clever language and clever illustrations make for a great take on the typical fairy tale. Pair this story with a traditional fairy tale and have a lively discussion with your students, especially the older elementary students.-
EL-ESSENTIAL, Marilyn Mann
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2008/...
November 10, 2023
Perfect Princess Marge was cursed (like Sleeping Beauty) from the day of her christening. As she grew into the most wonderful princess, she was lonely. The curse placed on her caused her to have an accident, turn into a dragon, and fall into a deep sleep. And she began to snore. The king made a proclamation to break the curse (with quince, of course). As princes came from far and wide, none could awaken the snoring, slobbery sleeping dragon princess (Marge). Until Prince Quince enters and the rest is a happily ever after.
June 11, 2018
Loved the illustrations and all the little visual details that made Miss 3 giggle. Loved that even after Sleeping Beauty is awoken that she still snores (but that's okay because noone is perfect - not even princesses!).
Miss 3 and I like to explore different books and authors at the library, sometimes around particular topics or themes. We try to get different ones out every week or so; it's fun for both of us to have the variety and to look at a mix of new & favourite authors.
Miss 3 and I like to explore different books and authors at the library, sometimes around particular topics or themes. We try to get different ones out every week or so; it's fun for both of us to have the variety and to look at a mix of new & favourite authors.
November 30, 2020
I read this book for one of my college teaching assignments and was surprised how a spoof book could actually be so well written and drawn. This book was a great read and I even enjoyed it so I'm sure students would love it. It has a great message within the book in which the students can dissect while also having engaging vocabulary and popping pictures. This would be a great book to keep in your elementary classroom.
December 7, 2020
Leave it to Bruce Hale to remake a fairy tale to make a reader chuckle. This would be so fun to read at story time. It’s a play on Sleeping beauty, but instead of falling into a sleep as a princess, she falls as a dragon with an unbelievably loud snore. It will take just the right Quince to awaken the beast. A really fun story for any age with fun and colorful illustrations.
#WinterGames2020 #TeamReadNosedReindeer +16
#WinterGames2020 #TeamReadNosedReindeer +16
October 6, 2021
For the self-selected spin-off tale I chose the story "Snoring Beauty" because one of my favorite books is sleeping beauty and I thought this story would be a fun spin-off of the real sleeping beauty fairy tale. The story "Snoring Beauty" was extremely funny and was nothing compared to the sleeping beauty story. I thought that is was a creative and a comical way to spin off of the actual sleeping beauty fairy tale and the illustrations were even better.
June 13, 2021
That was a hilarious take on sleeping beauty with the most wonderful artwork which really allowed the story to take on amazing heights of humour and enjoyment. there is so much to see on every page with many hidden jokes and little elements of humour (Fred for example). I really really enjoyed it as a book and they are right no one is perfect.
June 25, 2022
This one really slammed into my funny bone at just the right angle. I loved it. The quirky twists on the story (for example, the princess doesn't prick her finger on a spinning wheel, she gets run over by a pie cart), the names of the characters (for example, King Gluteus and Queen Esophagus), and the hidden details in the pictures... all are wonderful.
October 30, 2018
Snoring beauty was a very comical twist to sleeping beauty, it was impossible no to laugh while reading this fairytale. The characters were unique and diverse and beauty turning into a dragon was quite hilarious.
December 6, 2018
Genre: Fantasy
Grades: 1-4
I think what made this book so unique was it's flipped storyline from a traditional fairytale. I thought it was a hilarious twist on the traditional storyline that we all know and come to expect with fairytales.
Grades: 1-4
I think what made this book so unique was it's flipped storyline from a traditional fairytale. I thought it was a hilarious twist on the traditional storyline that we all know and come to expect with fairytales.
March 26, 2021
A rather fun spin on the classic sleeping beauty. This story differs in the idea of dragons and snoring, sounds pretty great to me! The idea of involving a dragon and the relative relatability of a snoring teen seems to bring a wider and more diverse audience to the classic story.
April 10, 2021
A retelling of the fairy tale sleeping beauty. I think that any student would enjoy this story, it has everything from magic to princess, soldiers and dragons. Very fun interactive book to read with students.
May 23, 2021
My girls and I watched the author read this during the pandemic. What a witty hoot!
I bought it for them and then fell in love with the very detailed and creative illustrations as well.
A wonderfully silly fairy tale with lots of clever wordplay.
I bought it for them and then fell in love with the very detailed and creative illustrations as well.
A wonderfully silly fairy tale with lots of clever wordplay.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews