Giant Trouble

Hamster Princess #4

by Ursula Vernon

A magical beanstalk leads to a GIANT surprise in book four of the series that s chock-full of girl power and perfect for fans of Princess in Black and Babymouse

Princess Harriet Hamsterbone doesn't go looking for trouble. She prefers to think of it as looking for adventure. But when she climbs to the top of an enormous beanstalk and sneaks into the castle at the top, Harriet finds plenty of both. The castle is home to one very poetically challenged giant rabbit with two unusual prisoners a girl who is half harp, half hamster, and an extremely large goose. This calls for a heroic rescue, and Harriet is just the hamster for the job.
The fourth installment of the critically acclaimed Hamster Princess series turns the story of Jack and the Beanstalk upside down, with plenty of laughs along the way."

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Humor, Childrens, Fiction, Fairy Tales, Adventure

224 pages, Hardcover

First published May 9, 2017

About the author

Ursula 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.

Reviews

[Lata · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Another totally fun and funny installment in the further adventures of Harriet Hamsterbone. This time she climbs a huge beanstalk and encounters a Harpster, a goose that lays eggs when freaked out, and a giant rabbit. And Wilbur and Hyacinth get involved, too. And Harriet again figures out fractions of things.
Why I love Harriet and her propensity for adventures, her slashing things with her sword and rescuing those in need: "Harriet had owned a dollhouse when she was young, because her mother thought that dollhouses were the sort of thing a princess should own. This lasted until she discovered Harriet using her dolls to play Invading Army, where the heroic defenders of the dollhouse stood off a siege by attackers, and occasionally threw the attackers off the roof. Her mother had been horrified and the dollhouse had been banished to the attic." Harriet and Mumfrey, with oddly enough Wilbur and Hyancinth, make for an unstoppable force.

[Jessica Robbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

For complete review check out my blog at https://booksaplentybookreviews.blogs...

[Brenda]

Giant Trouble is a twist on the Jack and the Beanstalk tale with Harriet being approached by a chipmunk who's trying to trade three of his magical beans for Harriet's faithful battle quail and best friend, Mumfrey. Now anyone who knows Princess Harriet could guess that she would never exchange Mumfrey for any price, but apparently, the chipmunk salesman thinks his offer is too good to pass up on. He's also not very knowledgeable about quails either cause you really shouldn't be waving beans in front of Mumfrey because he'd surely eat one. Which is of course exactly what happens. Frustrated by the loss of one of his magical beans the chipmunk disappears in a puff of smoke leaving poor Mumfrey with some stomach troubles. The next morning, Harriet awakens to find a huge beanstalk extending up into the clouds and the sounds of harp music being played. Upon climbing up the beanstalk to investigate, she finds a Harpster (half hamster, and half harp) named Strings and a giant goose being held captive by a very large Giant Lop-eared rabbit. Harriet even promises Strings that she will help them escape.

Ursula Vernon's books are always so much fun to read especially when I don't usually get around to reading many graphic novels so it's always a treat. I love how Harriet isn't a typical princess, she's adventurous and daring climbing up the beanstalk, even when's she's facing down the Giant. Vernon's stories are always filled with laughs and I especially enjoy how she twists these tales often in amusing ways. Like Mumfrey eating the bean and then providing the fertilizer so it can grow into the giant beanstalk. Such fun.

[Anna Hepworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore Vernon's writing, and am particularly fond of the Harriet Hamster series, and this story did not disappoint in any way. The quirky extra details are often the things that really make the stories for me -- the rescue of the harp/hamster hybrid character who is all about the heavy rock/metal music, and the basic genderqueer nature of battle quails are the ones that come to mind here.

As with the previous three books, fairy tales aimed squarely at pre-teen girls which are about heroism without the requisite romance sub-plot are a delight to read, and I'm so happy that Vernon is continuing to write for this market.

[Aimée · Rating 5 out of 5]

Durch wundersame Entwicklungen entsteht eine riesige Bohnenranke auf Harriets Heimweg. Darin verfängt sich eine Wolke, in der ein Riese, eine Harfster (halb Hamster, halb Harfe) und eine Gans leben. Die beiden letzteren eher unfreiwillig. Zeit also, dass Harriet eine neue Befreiungsmission unternimmt...



Ein Harfster? Wie kommt man denn bitte auf sowas? Dazu noch unfassbar schlechte Reime vom Riesen und die ganze Entstehung der Ranke überhaupt - es bleibt abstrus. Und die Auflösung, wie Harriet überlebt... DAS war irre. Herrlich!



"She knows what she's doing at least half the time!"

~ 29.12.24

[ReadBecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This follows pretty close to the traditional Jack and the Beanstalk story, this time with Harriet rejecting a trade of magic beans for her battle quail Mumfrey, who then eats one of the beans in protest. After some overnight digestive distress... they wake up to a beanstalk. Harriet & Mumfrey have to rescue a trapped "harpster" (half hamsters, half harp), all while avoiding a giant rabbit who speaks in terrible rhymes.

As usual it was adorable and fun, though had the least going on of the series so far. Harriet is a character you can really get behind, I love her compassion and strength. The storytelling is definitely well written & engaging regardless of your age.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

As funny as ever, but the pacing in this felt very slow so it's my first okay 3-stars rating. I know some of that might be due to the Jack in the Beanstalk aspects, but at one point, my kid said, "Ugh, she's been trying to get away from this giant FOR.EV.ER. Agreed, kid.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series continues to be great fun!

[Nicole (bookwyrm) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a super-cute retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk featuring everyone's favorite hamster princess. In this one, we get to see her friends being more useful than they sometimes are, which is nice. (Not that Harriet couldn't have gotten herself out of trouble entirely on her own. Somehow.)

I appreciate the humor in this series: it's aimed at middle grade readers, but it still equally funny to adults. I highly recommend this series to anyone who thinks it might be their kind of book.

[Kenya Starflight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ursula Vernon's "Hamster Princess" books seem like they should be typical sparkly-fluffy Disney-Princess-esque fair, judging by the cutesy series title and the adorable cover art. But don't be fooled -- this princess isn't going to sit back and let Prince Charming do all the work for her. Not only are these books funny twists on classic fairy tales, they feature a likable kick-butt heroine and a subversive look at some of our favorite stories and their characters.

"Giant Trouble" has Harriet returning home after her latest adventure... and promptly falling straight into another one after a chipmunk tries to sell her magic beans and, through a fart-joke-laden mishap, a gigantic magic vine is the result. Never one to turn down adventure, Harriet and her loyal battle-quail Mumphrey climb to the top to see what's there. Of course it's a giant's castle, and of course the giant has a sentient harp -- a harpster -- as his treasure. But Strings, the harpster, has bigger dreams than simply playing lullabies for a giant, and Harriet's going to need all her cunning and strength to free Strings and save her kingdom from the giant's wrath.

Like the others in this series, "Giant Trouble" is a witty and fun twist on a familiar tale, this time "Jack and the Beanstalk." It pokes fun at some of the logistics in trying to navigate a giant's world, and shows us not only a capable heroine but a damsel (or harp) in distress who's willing to do what it takes to help free herself instead of just sitting back and letting the hero (or heroine in this case) do the job for her. And did I mention it was funny? Yes, there's a bit more gross-out humor in this book than in previous ones (the aforementioned fart jokes and some mentions of boogers and foot odor), but kids tend to find that sort of humor hilarious, and there are plenty of other witty jokes to make up for them.

It's also nice to see Harriet's character continue to develop. Sometimes books that try to give us kick-butt heroines accidentally veer too far the OTHER way and turn the female characters into overpowered, emotionless Mary Sues. Harriet is strong and smart, yes, but has plenty of wit and personality of her own, and it's established that she has her flaws -- the biggest of which is running into a situation without fully planning it out first. I like capable heroines, but I also like them to be human as well... and even if Harriet is a hamster, it's nice to see that she's a realistic strong character.

A delightful series as always, and one that both boys and girls should be able to enjoy... as well as adults, I might add. A refreshing change of pace from the often-saccharine world of "princess" stories.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Princess Harriet thought she was on her way home, but then a travelling salesman tries to fast talk her into trading Mumfrey for some supposedly magic beans. Of course Harriet says no, but when the salesman persists Mumfrey takes offense and eats one of the beans. Some horrid gastric distress results and for the good of the kingdom Princess Harriet decides to camp another night instead of going home. In the morning Mumfrey is feeling better but there's been a change of scenery in the shape of a giant bean stalk. Normally Princess Harriet would just chop it down, but there seems to be someone in the cloud stuck at the top of the stalk so she's gotta investigate before clearing the overgrown plant. And of course, nothing can be boring where Harriet goes.

A fun twist on Jack and the Beanstalk. This one isn't quite as hilarious as some of Harriet's previous adventures, but it is still a good read. This one actually tackles slavery in a kid-friendly way, so if you're looking for a way to talk about human trafficking this may be a safe segue. A great series for those who like fairy tale rewrites, strong female characters, and reluctant readers.

Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. One thrown out back and some scary falls, but no one is seriously hurt. There is some bodily humor thanks to Mumfrey's bean eating and the giant's huge nostrils.

[The Captain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ahoy there mateys! I originally read book 1 in paper format back in 2021.  I loved the story and illustrations.  This year I saw they were available in audiobook format read by Eva Kaminsky.  I wondered how they would fare in that format given that they were graphic novels.  They are short and I quickly binged the 6 book series.  I don't do well with graphic novels.  I really enjoyed listening to series even if the details faded too fast.  I don't own them but would like to.  I think listening to the audio while looking at the pictures would be fun.  I keep meaning to experiment with this idea but never seem to get around to it.  I really do like Harriet and her trusty riding quail, Mumfrey.  It showcases twists on fairy tale tropes and has Vernon's signature humor.  I would have adored this as a kid.  I get why kids love this series but us middle-aged adults do too. Arrr!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, adventurous and just so much fun, like all the other Hamster Princess twisted fairy tale adventures. My 8-y-o, 3-y-o and I all love this series!

This one is a 4-star rather than 5-star book for us only because most of the jokes in the final chapter, including some of the details of the story's final resolution, completely sailed over the heads of both of my kids (the actual target audience for chapter books like this one) because they were all about threatened-lawsuits and how lawyer-talk works - and, hello, young kids have no clue about any of that stuff, so those jokes fell flat for them and they were baffled by that part of the plot's resolution - but literally the whole book up until then was wonderful and delicious, hilarious for all of us, and we raced through it as a family. Cannot wait for the next one - we'll be pre-ordering it the moment it's available!

[Sarah Workman · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter likes to pick out books for me to read at the library. It's kind of an ongoing joke as she always chooses children's books for me. I have to say, though, that I love when she picks Hamster Princess books! This series is hilarious, whimsical and filled with girl power! I would recommend to any girl just getting into chapter books.

Giant Trouble is another charming installment in the series, but my least favorite so far. The pacing of the plot is sort of intense this time; things happen so crazy fast that I didn't love the lack of development. However, Vernon is always incredibly clever in how she takes the Giant, Beanstalk, Harp and Goose from the fairy tale we know and makes them fit into Harriet's universe. The secondary characters are always a delight and Harriet is truly my spirit animal.

[Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Harriet retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk.

Honestly, this one was very harrowing. I feel like with each adventure, Harriet is putting herself in more and more danger. My 8 year old covered her face for some of this one because Harriet and Mumfrey almost die several times. I knew that the probability of them dying was low to nil, but still. It was anxiety inducing.

In this one, Mumfrey eats a magic bean from a chipmunk salesman who won't leave Harriet alone. The bean does not agree with Mumfrey so in the night he flushes it out of his system the natural way. In the morning the bean (with help of that powerful quail fertilizer) has lead a giant beanstalk to grow. The beanstalk is so large is reaches right up into the clouds. One floating magical cloud gets stuck on it. That cloud happens to have a giant's castle on it. And so the story goes...

[Stephanie Tournas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its sparkly cover promises a princess, but Princess Harriet is an adventure-loving, cliff-diving hamster who is unlikely to sport the garb of a traditional princess. After an altercation involving some questionable beans, Harriet Hamsterbone finds herself at the top of a beanstalk in the lair of the giant evil rabbit. There she meets Strings, a harpster (part hamster, part harp), who is the giant's prisoner. Harriet knows that Strings must be rescued, and that she is the hamster to do it. Harriet's daring deeds, with assistance from her trusty quail Mumfrey, show that a hamster princess can hold her own in the face of fairy tale bad guys. Clever writing with bold black, white and blue cartoon-like illustrations make this a satisfying and humorous take on Jack and the Beanstalk.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Princess Harriet finds herself in trouble again when her battle quail, Mumphrey, inadvertently eats a magic bean. After a night of tummy troubles for the quail, Harriet awakens to find an enormous beanstalk in the middle of her campsite. Naturally, she has to climb it. At the top she discovers a castle (more of a cabin really). Inside is a harpster who desperately wants to be rescued. And Harriet can't bring herself to say no. This leads to some real trouble as Harriet attempts to steal a giant's stinky shoelace, unchain the harpster, free Mumphrey, and convince a goose that lays eggs when panicked to follow her to freedom. With plenty of daring-do and amusing illustrations, Vernon continues to provide young readers with lots to enjoy.

[Yapha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great fairy tale reinterpretation! This time, Mumfry the battle quail eats a magic bean. When it comes out the other end, it grows into a a giant beanstalk. Of course Harriet climbs up! At the top she discovers a "harpster" (half harp/half hamster) and a goose being held captive by a giant rabbit. (A Giant Lop, of course.) Of course Harriet must rescue them! Filled with same fun wit and amusing take on adventuring, this latest book in the Hamster Princess series is not to be missed! Recommended for grade 1 & up.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great entry in the Hamster Princess series. This time Harriet encounters a chipmunk trying to sell her magic beans. Mumfrey ends up eating one, and suddenly there's an enormous beanstalk that Harriet finds herself climbing. At the top she encounters a giant and a Harpster (a hamster combined with a harp), and finds herself diving headfirst (at one point literally) into another adventure. My daughter continues to enjoy this series being read aloud to her, and I continue to enjoy the humorous twisted fairy tales.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

My least favorite of this series so far. We couldn’t get the ebook of this one so we needed to get the audiobook instead, and my kids didn’t like the narrator’s voice as much as their dad’s. I agree that the narrator’s cadence got tiring after a while. And we also didn’t have the benefit of the pictures.

The story itself, though, also wasn’t as interesting as some of the others. Most of it happens in a single room in the giant’s castle and it honestly didn’t hold our attention that much. The humor just wasn’t as clever as the earlier books.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok. Harriet did not get on my nerves as much this book as she has in the past. She didn’t seem quite as rash and was actually more helpful in this book than previous books. I wasn’t thrilled with the story though. There was a lot of down time in the book where I didn’t feel like much was happening. I liked Harriet better in this book but wish she’d been more like this in other stories because I think I would have enjoyed her personality from this book a lot more in other story lines. Hopefully the next book Harriet stays like this but the story is better.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know if I was just in the mood for feminist fractured fairy tale hamster goodness but this one was the best yet. Harriet was wonderful as always but Strings was so fantastically cool. I hope she shows up in later books. This is obviously a Jack and the Beanstalk retelling and a very well done one at that. The giant is literally a Giant Lop. And the end was tied up so neatly I'm very impressed.

[Greymalkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

And now onto Jack and the Beanstalk, another fairytale I don't generally find very compelling but with Harriet running around, it's delightful. I was very impressed how this book introduced the idea of slavery in a way that made it clear that it was not acceptable and yet didn't exploit the misery and victimization to make Harriet the hero of the story.

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It was wonderful that Strings was just as much a part of her own rescue as Harriet was rescuer.

[Ellen]

I still adore Hamster Princess, but I will admit, this was my least favorite entry in the series thus far, chiefly because it featured only two new characters (the book's variations on the giant and his most excellent harp). Though both were entertaining, Harriet went much too long without interacting with anyone, even Mumfrey; to me the middle sagged under the weight of derring do descriptions. Harriet is at her best snarking against someone. The ending does pick up, thankfully.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Princess Harriet makes me laugh. I hope lots and lots of readers enjoy her spunk and verve. I'll certainly do my best to encourage readers to enjoy her. I mean who wouldn't enjoy finding out how a hamster princess outwits a giant with the help of Mumfrey, her trained battle quail, and several other unusual friends.

[Berni Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

More rodential fun from Ursula Vernon. Princess Harriet meets a mysterious and rather annoying chipmunk who tries to peddle magic beans. No-nonsense Harriet isn't buying any, but in the Vernonverse, stuff always happens, and she winds up with a magic beanstalk and having to escape from a giant bunny anyway. The punk harpster (hamster harp) is a nice touch.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't sure we could love Harriet more. We do. And Strings! And Wilbur! Help me. Everything about this is awesome. My kid and I had a fantastic discussion about salespeople and marketing. :D

I, as the adult here, am literally considering running out to buy #5, which is the only one we don't currently have in our possession, just to be able to read it to Kid Little (who is 5), as we apparently have the same level of fandom crush on Harriet, and that is saying something. Fortunately, we have still a pile of books to read, so I can quash that for a while, at least.

[Shanna Hurd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Princess Harriet Hamsterbone meets the giant at the top of the beanstalk, along with the magically enchanted "harpster" (a harp/hamster hybrid, kidnapped to play the giant to sleep), and a giant goose that lays eggs for large omelets.

Good for a laugh, best for those who have read the previous books in the series.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Harriet stifled another sigh. The world was full of magic, and she had encountered quite a lot of it, although she herself was about as magical as a rock.*

*If she got impaled on a hook in a strange castle, her mom was going to have a fit.*

*They looked at the space where the giant had been. It contained a distinct absence of giant.*

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Silly but cute. Not your typical Jack and the Beanstalk. And now I had an excuse to listen to some heavy metal harp - because I was looking up whether there was any heavy metal harp - figuring to find Iron Man and yes it was like the fourth search request. Not every one of these blows me away. This was fine. 3.5 of 5