The Hinky-Pink: An Old Tale Retold    by Megan McDonald & Brian Floca Order:  USA  Can Atheneum, 2008 (2008) Hardcover     Reviewed by Hilary Daninhirsch The Hinky Pink was inspired by a tale called The Bed Just So in Margery Bailey's 1940 book Whistle for Good Fortune. So explains the author at the end of the book, although originally, a tailor and a young seamstress were the main characters. In the updated version by the author of the Judy Moody books, a plain village girl named Anabel is ordered by the demanding princess, Isabella Caramella Gorgonzola, to create a fabulous dress that she can wear to the upcoming royal Butterfly Ball. Anabel, a young seamstress living in Firenze, Italy, is only given one week to make the gown, a seemingly impossible task, especially in light of the princess's specifications: 'I want a new dress, spun from the silk of a thousand silkworms. A dress the color of a ruby snowbird's wing. With sequins that glitter like sparkleberries and stitches as lacey as snowflakes.' Anabel is taken to the castle, locked in a tower, and literally works around the clock to create the dress, but her progress is continually interrupted by a mysterious Hinky-Pink, a mischievous little spirit (also called a hobbledy-gob or hudgin) who pinches her at night and steals her covers while she sleeps. Anabel is so exhausted from lack of sleep that she cannot produce a straight stitch. It is not until she figures out a way to give the Hinky-Pink a good night's rest of its own that she is finally able to finish the ballgown. But did the Hinky-Pink play one last joke? This delightful tale is accompanied by cartoon-like illustrations that capture the feel and charm of Old Italy. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews