Cinderella (as if you didn't already know the story)

Format:

Book

Title:

Cinderella (as if you didn't already know the story)

Other title(s):

Cinderella (as if you did not already know the story)

Author:

Ensor, Barbara.

ISBN:

9780375836206

9780375936203

Edition:

1st ed.

Publication Information:

Physical Description:

109 pages : illustrations ; 20 cm

Summary:

In this updated version of the Cinderella story, Cinderella writes letters to her dead mother apologizing for not being more assertive, which she remedies soon after marrying the prince. Readers will delight in following Cinderella through all the usual happenings, presented in a most unusual way. And they'll finally see what becomes of her after she marries the prince. So maybe you should hear the story one last time. Because it's actually way different than you might have thought. Kids who have outgrown picture books and are ready for something longer - but still love illustrated texts - will gravitate toward this Cinderella. Black-and-white silhouettes of everything from the ugly stepsisters to Cinderella's slipper (actual size) are intermingled with Cinderella's letters to her recently deceased mother in this totally original package, written and illustrated by an exciting newcomer to children's books.

Program Information:

107307. Accelerated Reader AR MG 5.5 1.0.

Reading Counts RC 3-5 5.7 4.0 44638.

Accelerated Reader Middle Grades 5.5 1.0 Quiz: 107307.

Reading Counts 3-5 5.7 4.0 Quiz: 44638.

Subject(s):

Genre:

Folklore -- Juvenile literature.

Added Uniform Title:

Cinderella. English.

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Lyons Public Library	JR ENSOR	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Silver Falls Library	JF ENSOR	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

I know, I know. You've heard the story a million times before. Mean stepmother. Lots of sweeping. Fancy ball. You remember. Or do you? Did you remember that Cinderella was such a nice girl--so smart and funny? You probably would've liked her. Did you know that "Cinderella" was just a nickname? And that her handsome prince loved Jell-o and was a wonderful dancer?

Readers will delight in following Cinderella through all the usual happenings, presented in a most unusual way. And they'll finally see what becomes of her after she marries the prince. So maybe you should hear the story one last time. Because it's actually way different than you might have thought. . . .

Kids who have outgrown picture books and are ready for something longer--but still love illustrated texts--will gravitate toward this Cinderella , which was an IRA-CBC Children's Choice selection. Black-and-white silhouettes of everything from the ugly stepsisters to Cinderella's slipper (actual size) are intermingled with Cinderella's letters to her recently deceased mother in this totally original package. And don't miss the companion book to this fairy-tale reboot: Thumbelina, Tiny Runaway Bride .

Author Notes

Barbara Ensor has written for New York magazine, Entertainment Weekly , Family Life , the Village Voice , and numerous other publications and websites. Her illustrations have appeared in the New York Times , Harpers , Self , Child, and elsewhere. She is also the author of the children's book Thumbelina, Tiny Runaway Bride . She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Reviews (4)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 3-6-This lightweight retelling of the classic fairy tale will please girls who like undemanding and familiar stories with a twist. In this version, Cinderella writes letters to her dead mama complaining about her evil stepmother and attractive but mean-spirited older stepsisters. She spends her days cleaning, cooking, sewing, and generally feeling miserable and put-upon even though she tries to be nice and accommodating. Readers know how it all ends, and Ensor recounts it dutifully, but adds what happens after the curtain traditionally falls on the story. The two work hard on their marriage, since they barely know one another, and eventually the prince becomes a king and a singer while Cinderella finds the other side of herself-as a talented diplomat fully capable of improving their country and the world all around them. Black-and-white silhouettes are positioned throughout the text but don't add much to the story.-Susan Riley, Mount Kisco Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publisher's Weekly Review

Ensor gives readers yet another twist on the Cinderella tale, but this contemporary paper-over-board version is a bit too economical on plot and description. Within a week of her father's remarriage, Cinderella's new stepmother redecorates the house and moves Cinderella up to the attic ("My girls' furniture could not possibly fit up there," the woman says). As the heroine's father spends more time away from the house, his wife gives Cinderella more chores to do. One day, an invitation to the prince's ball arrives, and Cinderella tells her stepsisters that she does not plan to attend ("I don't have the right clothes"). Yet, once the girls leave, Cinderella's fairy godmother appears and, well, you know the rest: she gets a makeover and a once-in-a-lifetime chance to attend the ball. The "Happily Ever After" ending comes with a bit of a New Age?spin: the Prince, now King, spends his days singing "songs about his soppiest, saddest most heartfelt feelings," while Queen Cinderella becomes the best diplomat in the history of the kingdom. The royal couple moves into a modest home and turns the palace into an animal hospital with Cinderella's stepmother and stepsisters as caretakers. Minimalist black & white illustrations contribute to the retelling's modern feel, while the heroine's handwritten letters to her deceased mother offer insight into her thoughts. The combination of the two provides a distinction to this rather bland retelling. Ages 7-10. (June) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Horn Book Review

Cinderella was about your age when this whole thing started, a really nice girl. I'm sure the two of you would have liked each other."" Illustrated with striking silhouettes, this colloquial, novella-length retelling adheres to the familiar outline of the tale while adding a few wry twists, such as the prince assuming Cinderella is ""well-to-do"" and lives in a gated community. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

Kirkus Review

A fun modern spin on Cinderella, told by a sassy narrator, that delivers an insider's scoop on this familiar tale. Beyond modern-day touches, like mascara and foot-reduction surgery, this retelling departs from the traditional tale by sparing Cinderella's father and by providing an intimate window into Cinderella's thoughts, which is partially achieved through her letters to her deceased mother. Besides reporting on her evil stepsisters, Cinderella's letters, written in loopy teenage penmanship, also expose her raw grief and briefly explore her feelings for the prince. These candid glimpses and Cinderella's thoughts provide a fresh version of Cinderella to which readers can relate on a realistic level. The witty text pairs effectively with numerous black-and-white paper-over-board illustrations, which are laid out in a way that divides the text into manageable chunks, making this tale suitable for reluctant readers ready for a more mature, spunky and updated Cinderella. (afterword) (Fiction. 8-10) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.