Was there ever a more thrill-seeking rodent? Princess Harriet Hamsterbone returns for a fourth adventure, and, true to form, she opens this particular volume by jumping off a cliff (she's not invincible anymore, but she did win back her cliff-diving skills). When a wily chipmunk tries to trade Harriet some magic beans for Mumfrey, her faithful battle quail, she's got no trouble turning him down. Mumfrey, however, has trouble controlling himself, and eats one. The next morning, a giant beanstalk has sprouted (quails produce excellent fertilizer). Harriet scurries right up, discovering a giant's lair filled with such treasures as a golden egg laying goose and a punk-rock harpster (half harp, half hamster) who just wants to go on tour. But the giant is on his way home, and this might be one problem that even Harriet can't wrangle. All the Hamster Princess hallmarks are here: clever repartee, graphic-style illustrations, and a delightfully twisted fairy tale. Harriet's fans rely she has a kingdom's worth by now ll happily strap in for the ride.

Hamster princess Harriet faces a big problem in this "Jack and the Beanstalk" retelling.Harriet and her loyal quail steed, Mumfrey, have been cliff-diving—a magical ability gained in Of Mice and Magic (2016)—when they're approached by a cloaked chipmunk peddling magic beans. Mumfrey loses patience during the pitch and eats one. The resulting flatulence prompts Harriet to camp outside the castle. A massive beanstalk towers above them by morning—Mumfrey had a nighttime bathroom break, and it appears that quail fertilizer's potent. Harriet and Mumfrey follow harp music up the beanstalk and to a castle, where "harpster" Strings (front half hamster, back half harp, amazing biceps from strumming herself) has been enslaved by the giant. She wants freedom to start a metal band; no one will be surprised when Harriet volunteers as drummer. Harriet must save Strings, a nail-biting rescue that includes stealing—by way of chewing—one of the giant's shoelaces, rank with years of giant toe sweat and funk. The cliff-diving comes in handy in the final confrontation with the giant, but the story's real resolution comes from threatening to sue the chipmunk for the damage his unmarked bean caused. This is vintage Vernon, sly text punctuated by clean, comic-style illustrations that manage to make even goose ("Honk?") and quail ("Qwerk qwerk qwerk, werk-qwerk, qwark") dialogue funny. Clever wordplay, wonderful character banter, and stinky humor make this outing another giant success. (Graphic/fantasy hybrid. 7-12)