A sparkly princess and an equally sparkly, though somewhat darker, wizard battle it out across some glorious colour spreads . . . an exceptionally pleasing replay of a familiar story. Guardian
Princess Eliza must find a way to outwit the wicked wizard and escape from him in time for her birthday tea in this magical rhyming story.

"The princess may try seven times to escape
By changing her colour and changing her shape."

But each time Princess Eliza changes - into a blue fish, a yellow chick, a red fox or a black cat - the wicked wizard finds her and sets her another horrible task. Will this plucky princess be able to outwit him and escape back to the palace in time to cut her birthday cake?

The Princess and the Wizard is a magical adventure from the stellar picture book partnership of Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks, creators of What the Ladybird Heard. With brilliant rhyming verse and bright and distinctive illustrations, this story is perfect for reading together.

Enjoy all the stories from Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks: Sharing a Shell, The Princess and the Wizard, The Rhyming Rabbit, The Singing Mermaid, Sugarlump and the Unicorn, Princess Mirror-Belle and the Dragon Pox, What the Ladybird Heard, What the Ladybird Heard Next and What the Ladybird Heard on Holiday.

Julia Donaldson has written some of the world's best-loved children's books, including modern classics The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo's Child, which together have sold over 18 million copies worldwide and have been translated into over one hundred languages. Her other books include Room on the Broom, Stick Man and Zog, illustrated by Axel Scheffler, The Hospital Dog, illustrated by Sara Ogilvie and the hugely successful What the Ladybird Heard adventures, illustrated by Lydia Monks. Julia also writes fiction, including the Princess Mirror-Belle series, illustrated by Lydia Monks, as well as poems, plays and songs - and her brilliant live shows are always in demand. She was the UK Children's Laureate 2011-13 and has been honoured with a CBE for Services to Literature. Julia divides her time between West Sussex and Edinburgh. Lydia Monks is one of the most original and bestselling picture book artists working today. Lydia illustrates several bestselling series including the What the Ladybird Heard adventures and Princess Mirror-Belle, written by Julia Donaldson. Her distinctive use of colour and collage has won her critical acclaim and several awards, including the Royal Mail Scottish Children's Book Award, the Stockport Children's Book Award and multiple nominations for the Kate Greenaway Medal. Mouse's Big Day, written and illustrated by Lydia, is the first book in her Twit Twoo School series. Lydia lives in Sheffield.