Parents' Guide to

Hamster Princess: Harriet the Invincible

Book Ursula Vernon Fantasy 2015
Hamster Princess: Harriet the Invincible Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

Tracy Moore By Tracy Moore , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 8+

Sassy, quippy graphic novel shreds princess conventions.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 8+?

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age 4+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Shoshana A.
Shoshana A. Parent of 6-year-old
February 25, 2024
age 4+

The Princess We Never Knew We Needed

One of the best books I have heard of for kids ages 4-8. It is clever in a way that even had me laughing sometimes. Harriet, the hamster princess is destined to be a helpless princess under a spell. But she will have none of this. Instead of this spell causing her to feel weak, she realizes that a catch in the spell makes her invincible. She is the clift diving, dragon slaying, chaos making princess we never knew we needed! I am not fond of violence, and while there is just a little in the book, it feels very down played. Instead this princess mostly fights back with her wits.
Charity F.
Charity F. Parent of 4-year-old
March 4, 2018
age 3+

Our family loves this series!

We read this book and it's 3 sequels with our 3 year old who simply ADORED them! We read the 5th book when it was released after she turned 4. My husband and I frequently laughed out loud while reading and it was wonderful family time. I cannot recommend the Hampster Princess series highly enough. These are adventures both girls ave boys will enjoy.
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Harriet Hamsterbone is 10 years old, and though she's always preferred adventure to traditional princess activities, news that a Sleeping Beauty-style curse will take effect when she turns 12 has her double-down on risky business. With the clock ticking, she takes off in pursuit of dragon slaying, jousting, cliff jumping, and assorted other wild adventures that test her invincibility and leave her parents in panic mode. But soon the day comes, and things get even more complicated with her entire kingdom at risk. Now she must rescue her loved ones, as soon as she tracks down a prince who's up for kissing 117 people.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (1 ):

Told in sharp graphic novel style with quippy narration on every page, this fun twist on princess adventures is a fast, engaging read with a strong voice. With nonstop wryness, the rough-and-tumble protagonist of HAMSTER PRINCESS: HARRIET THE INVINCIBLE shatters traditional princess narratives. She fights, travels, takes risks, and shrugs it all off with an impossible cool that worries her parents to no end and leaves her restless for the next fun adventure. It's fun to see a poor prince who isn't so great at saving anyone, an evil fairy who provides more challenge than wickedness, and a humble queen who doesn't need to put on airs.

The sparkly cover and princess angle may draw princess lovers of all ages, but much of the wit may fly over the heads of younger girls (what 8-year-old will remember door-to-door salesmen, much less ones hawking cookbooks?). So don't be surprised if younger kids like the book but can't quite connect with all of it just yet.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about alternative princess stories, Why are they so popular?

  • Is Harriet Hamsterbone one of the most unusual princesses you've ever encountered? Why, or why not?

  • How does the ending upend most fairy tales?

Book Details

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