Zombierella: Fairy Tales Gone Bad
A darkly funny Cinderella retelling in verse – spooky, gothic and the perfect Halloween gift for 7–9 year olds
Celebrate Halloween and the spooky season with the first book in a funny, deliciously dark, three-part series of twisted classics, written in verse by former Waterstones Children's Laureate Joseph Coelho and illustrated by Freya Hartas.
SHORTLISTED FOR THE LOLLIES BOOK PRIZE
SHORTLISTED FOR THE DIVERSE BOOK AWARDS
WINNER OF A TOWER HAMLETS BOOK AWARD
LONGLISTED FOR THE ALLIGATOR'S MOUTH AWARD
NOMINATED FOR THE KATE GREENAWAY MEDAL
"Such a fun story with excellent illustrations ... with enough familiarity to feel known but with enough difference to make it quirky and original" Malorie Blackman
"Starring an undead princess and a vampire prince, this should appeal especially to the dauntless young reader." Guardian
A yellow moon hangs in a satin sky the night Cinderella, barefoot and in hand-me-downs, slips at the top of the stairs … and dies. But not for long. The Shadow of Death arrives to breathe life back into her bones and, for three nights only, Cinderella goes forth as ZOMBIERELLA. With her skin as cold as ice and her faithful horse Lumpkin back by her side, can she seek revenge on her three cruel, fake sisters, once and for all?
Crawl out of the grave and step into your mushroom carriage for this haunting and humorous adventure of the undead girl searching for her happily ever after, perfect for fans of Disney's Twisted Tales and Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes.
"Coehlo's easy rhyming verse makes the story skip along while black and white illustrations from Freya Hartas complete the gently gothic picture." The Irish Times
"Readers of age six plus who like a scare will lap up Zombierella, the first book in the Fairy Tales Gone Bad series." The Irish Independent
"A brilliant, subversive twist on the story of Cinderella for seven to ten-year-olds. Written with great lyricism, we've enjoyed it hugely in our house." Sophie Dahl, The Big Issue
Creators
Joseph Coelho is an award-winning poet, playwright and writer from London. His first poetry collection, Werewolf Club Rules!, won the CLPE Children's Poetry Award in 2015, and he has been writing and performing ever since. His picture books include If All the World Were... illustrated by Allison Colpoys and Luna Loves Library Day illustrated by Fiona Lumbers. His poetry books for children include Overheard in a Tower Block illustrated by Kate Milner and A Year of Nature Poems illustrated by Kelly Louise Judd. Follow him on Twitter as @Poetryjoe and on Instagram as @josephcoelhoauthor.
Freya Hartas is an award-winning illustrator of children's books. She illustrated Dark Lord: Teenage Years which won the Roald Dahl Funny Prize in 2012, and she won the Lemniscaat Illustration Award in 2014 for her first standalone picture book, Little Kong. She also illustrated the Isle of Misfits series and Frankie Frog and the Throaty Croakers. Find her online at freyahartas.co.uk, and on Twitter and Instagram as @FreyaHartas.
Reviews
Joseph and Freya have created a beautifully diverse tale, marrying their prose and illustrations seamlessly. … An excellent middle grade book that all ages can enjoy.
The Book Muse
Zombierella is a fun and gruesome read, perfect for kids who like things a little spooky and enjoy a unique take of a well-known story.
Gilly Reads
Highly recommended. The perennial fun of twisted fairy tales takes on a new lease of life … What a wonderful retelling, I laughed out loud and I am sure the readership will too
ReadPlus
