★ "Everything old is new again—and keeps getting better; a charming Ella for a new generation." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ "This inventive collaboration between a beloved author and a Caldecott Medal–winning illustrator rises above the sea of retellings with its empowering themes and positive LGBTQIA+ representation." —School Library Journal, starred review
"A truly satisfying fairy-tale." —The Horn Book
"The text is funny, and the abundant dialogue flows seamlessly, making this spirited and romantic retelling a great choice for storytimes and classroom reader’s theater activities." —BookPage
★ 11/01/2023
PreS-Gr 2—Most readers are familiar with the classic Charles Perrault fairy tale about the poor mistreated girl who is visited by her fairy godmother, attends a ball wearing glass slippers, and marries the prince. This cheerful retelling is spun from the perspective of one of the mice who is turned into a horse to pull Cinderella's carriage. In this version, the fairy godmother is hilariously grouchy, Cinderella doesn't care for getting dressed up, Fred the mouse doesn't enjoy being a horse, and in a friendly LGBTQIA+ twist, the heroine chooses to marry a female farmer who shares her love of pumpkins instead of the prince who finds gardening distasteful. Both Cinderella's and Fred's roles in this story carry an affirming message about the power of being true to oneself, as they cast off their magical transformations and pursue comfort and happiness on their own terms. Large, colorful illustrations offer expressive characterization and delightful details to captivate readers. The prose is conversational and dialogue is amusingly peppered with contemporary turns of phrase, making for an appealing read-aloud experience. An author's note provides additional information about different varieties of pumpkins. VERDICT This inventive collaboration between a beloved author and a Caldecott Medal—winning illustrator rises above the sea of retellings with its empowering themes and positive LGBTQIA+ representation.—Allison Tran
★ 2023-06-08
What you didn’t know about “Cinderella” could fill a book.
Fred is a small, gray, itchy-eared mouse befriended and named by Cinderella, referred to here as Ella. One night, a crotchety fairy godmother transforms Fred into a horse, a pumpkin into a coach, and Ella into someone “fancy”—though she dislikes her glass heels. The fairy godmother issues her stroke-of-midnight warning, and the gang heads to the ball, which is a fail: Sore-footed Ella, having lost a slipper at the ball, leaves with the other one—which she smashes—and complains about the snooty prince. Just before midnight, she and her “horse” race home, and all revert to their former selves, including the coach, but Ella saves seeds from it. Next morning, the prince seeks the slipper’s owner; when it doesn’t fit Ella’s stepsisters, he leaves. Life begins anew for Ella: She plants her seeds, wins first prize for the pumpkin that grows, and meets and falls in love with the female farmer who takes second prize. Readers will love this wonderfully written, comically snappy take on the beloved tale: Ella gets her happily-ever-after by marrying a woman and succeeding at farming. Zelinsky’s witty, colorful, dynamic illustrations, rendered in ink and assembled digitally, are masterful and depict racially diverse background characters dressed in Renaissance-era garb. Cinderella, her wife, her stepfamily, and the royal family are pale-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Everything old is new again—and keeps getting better; a charming Ella for a new generation. (about fairy-tale pumpkins) (Picture book. 5-9)