The Dumpy Princess
A delightful small hardback which takes a wry view of the life of the future Queen Victoria. Historically correct - well more or less - the story succeeds in making the future queen seem very human and all too real. It also confirms my suspicions about the appalling people surrounding royalty then, and now? Carousel Cheerfully illustrated by Sophie Foster, this is a child-centred history at its most approachable. Nicholas Tucker Independent A witty approach to history that is comically illustrated by Sophie Foster Ham & High A lively read. Historic Novels Review Admittedly a fair amount of poetic licence has been employed but the resulting story, complemented by endearing and witty illustrations, is absorbing, fascinating and eminently accessible to young readers.Princess Victoria lives in a world of dolls, pets and palaces. But with four bad uncles, a penniless widowed mother and wicked Sir John Conroy for company, life isn't easy. It takes Victoria's down-to-earth governess Lehzen, a nice German cousin called Albert and her beloved spaniel Dash to convince the plain little girl with no chin that one day she could become Queen of England. Wittily penned and delightfully illustrated, The Dumpy Princess offers a lighthearted glimpse into a royal childhood.About the Author KARIN FERNALD is a RADA-trained actor. She researches and writes her own material to recreate characters and historical periods. Her subjects include Jane Austen, Queen Victoria, Fanny Burney, Florence Nightingale, Hans Christian Andersen, Dr Samuel Johnson, Virginia Woolf, Hester Thrale, Benjamin Robert Haydon and Perdita Robinson. She often uses slides to illustrate her material. She lectures for NADFAS (National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies) and has appeared at festivals all over England at venues such as the National Portrait Gallery, the Foundling Museum, Dr Johnson's House and the Hurlingham Club. The Dumpy Princess is her first book.Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books (2 Sep 2010) SOPHIE FOSTER graduated from Falmouth School of Art in 2008. The Dumpy Princess is her first book. Sophie lives in Bristol