The Fairytale Hairdresser and Cinderella – Abie Longstaff / Lauren Beard

The Fairytale Hairdresser and Cinderella is a great modern twist on a traditional fairy story. The inclusion of so many well known fairytale and nursery rhyme characters makes this a really great book for ‘people spotting’!

The Story: Kittie Lacey is the best hairdresser in the land and when everybody gets an invitation to the palace ball she advertises for help in her hair salon. Enter Cinderella who is a very quick learner. The day of the ball arrives and Kittie and Cinderella spend hours doing the Queen’s hair. On their way out they bump into the prince who asks if he will see them later. Cinderella hesitates but Kittie takes her home, lends her a dress and does her hair. The Prince and Cinderella finally get to dance together and you know the rest…………. (although maybe you didn’t know that they also help out at Kittie’s salon when they can!).

This book takes us a long time to read as we spend ages looking out for fairytale and nursery rhyme characters. Lauren Beard’s lovely illustrations include so many details that aren’t included in the text. The Ugly Sisters make their presence known by throwing away Cinderella’s invitation and although they appear again later in the book they are not mentioned at all in the text. The prince is introduced pictorially a few pages before we are told who he is and the range of characters that come to the hairdressers (and the treatments that they have) provide us with lots of entertainment. The Fairy Godmother also goes to the ball (it is obviously her night off!) as Kittie is Cinderella’s godmother in this story. Little details, for example Cinderella’s glass hair clip, give an original twist to the story.

This is a lovely story with fabulously detailed illustrations (including a glittery cover and a glittery wedding page). It gives great opportunities for revisiting other nursery rhymes and fairy stories and provides lots of scope for discussion about what happens at the hairdressers.

Quote from Jessica aged four: “Why have they got hairy legs?” (in reference to the Ugly Sisters who could have made more effort when getting ready for the ball!).

Age Range: 3 +

Author: Abie Longstaff / Illustrator: Lauren Beard