Princess Hayley's comet by Rebecca Fung

Ill. by Kathy Creamer. Christmas Press, 2018. ISBN 9780994528070
(Age: 7+) Recommended. Themes: Princesses, Haley's Comet, Presents, Birthdays. Indulged Princess Hayley always gets what she wants for her birthdays. Her father cannot say no. But this birthday, her tenth, she decides that she wants a comet. She has been given an astronomy book by her best friend, Ned and the princess has fallen in love with the page depicting the comet. She asks her father to fulfil her wish, and he speaks to his Advisory Council which cannot see a solution to the problem. The princess and her friends Ned and Caa decide to catch a comet for themselves and set about constructing the most amazing contraptions to practise firstly, then lassoo the comet as it passes by. It makes for very funny reading as the trio talks to the gardener about a host of ladders joined together to reach the sky, then the cook to make a pile of meatballs with which to practise catching the comet, and finally the fishermen about having a net big enough and strong enough to catch the real comet.
Readers will thoroughly enjoy reading of the process the princess uses to achieve her aim, laughing as she enlists the help of a variety of people around the kingdom to achieve her end, and finally at the climax where she realises that catching a comet may not be what she really wants. A funny story for those new to reading chapter books, the strong characters and their single-mindedness will appeal to young readers as the princess sets about achieving her aim. Line drawings by Kathy Creamer add to the fun of the tale.
Fran Knight