Rumaysa: A Fairytale

By (author) Hafiza, Radiya; Illustrated by Touny, Rhaida El
Short description/annotation
A magical, empowering and fantastically funny fairytale retelling from debut middle-grade author Radiya Hafiza.
Description

Step into a Once Upon a Time where anything is possible . . . Radiya Hafiza''s enchanting and funny debut weaves together three stories, spinning the classic fairytale to show that anyone can be a hero.

''Rumaysa, Rumaysa, let down your hijab!''

For as long as she can remember Rumaysa has been locked away in her tower, forced to spin straw into gold for the evil Witch, unable to leave. Until one day, after dropping a hijab out of her small tower-window, Rumaysa realizes how she might be able to escape . . .

Join Rumaysa as she adventures through enchanted forests and into dragon''s lairs, discovers her own incredible magical powers and teams up with Cinderayla and Sleeping Sara!

Rumaysa: A Fairytale is a magically fresh, empowering and funny debut, which retells three classic fairytales – Rapunzel, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty – with beautiful inside illustrations by Rhaida El Touny and cover illustration by Areeba Siddique. Discover more of Rumaysa''s adventures in the enchanting sequel Rumaysa: Ever After.

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Glitteringly beautiful & heart-thumpingly exciting. I laughed, gasped & cried tears of joy, this is a fairytale reimagining the world has needed for a long time. It''s going to dazzle & delight readers of all ages
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I loved the three heroines of this wonderful tale, loved how their stories intersected each other and that they were their own rescuers and path-finders. Three classic fairytales, beautifully woven together, sparkling with magic and humour.
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All the fairytales in this exciting collection are vivid, magical and wonderful – each one spinning the genre on its head and bringing the stories right up to date with their diverse heroines taking centre stage. I just adored it!
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An enchanting and cleverly woven trio of tales filled with humour, charm, and magic.
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Blending fairytales and cultures in a witty and playful story of strong-willed female protagonists, Hafiza crafts a world of magic and enchantment with immense skill.
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A laugh out loud fairy tale . . . a wonderful, immediately likeable gang of characters, hilarious dialogue and that special tale feeling - of both specificity and universality, of now, then and always . . . a joy to read.
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Gorgeous, through and through.
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This is gorgeous . . . three fairytales reimagined and woven together into a lyrical and funny treat.
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Brown girls take centre stage in the stories of Rumaysa, Cinderayla and Sleeping Sara as Hafiza puts a playful new spin on three classic fairytales . . . woven into a funny, empowering adventure of sisterhood.
Biographical note

Radiya Hafiza studied English Language and Literature at King’s College London and worked in publishing for a few years. Radiya grew up reading classic fairy tales that never had any brown girls in them - Rumaysa is her debut novel, bringing such stories to children who need to see themselves represented.

Rhaida El Touny is a self-taught illustrator and digital content creator based in The Netherlands. Her work is characterised by bright, pastel colours and much of her art explores important topics around diversity, racism and Islamic culture.

Areeba Siddique is a freelance illustrator and art student living in Karachi. She loves all things about drawing and reading, and visits bookshops at every available opportunity.

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