Classic Fairy Tales Redux
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-- School Library Journal, 10/26/2006
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The classic fairy tales are timeless, but it’s always fun to shake things up a bit. With clever twists, attention to detail, and laugh-out-loud comedy, these books are winning interpretations of well-worn stories.
AUCH, Mary Jane. Chickerella. illus. by author & Herm Auch. Holiday House. 2005. RTE $16.95. ISBN 0-8234-1804-9.
K-Gr 4–This hysterical send-up of the classic Cinderella story contains fantastic chicken mannequins and sets that threaten to outshine the story. Little details are everywhere–Chickenstock sandals on Chickerella’s feet and the bug pattern on the living room carpet, for example. A fashion-conscious Fairy Goosemother propels Chickarella into the limelight at the Fowl Ball, and only her unique crystal-clear eggs can lead the prince back to her. Pair this one up with Susan Lowell’s Cindy Ellen: A Wild Western Cinderella (HarperCollins, 2000).
GORDON, David. The Three Little Rigs. illus. by author. HarperCollins. 2005. Tr $15.99. ISBN 0-06-058118-2; PLB $16.89. ISBN 0-06-058119-0.
PreS-Gr 3–It’s time for three little rigs to let go of mama rig’s mudflaps and get garages of their own. Like their porcine inspirations, each uses different materials–wood, brick, and steel. When only the steel garage is left standing by the evil wrecking ball, the rigs band together with other tools and vehicles to send the ball and his sidekicks, the cutter and the magnet, to the smelter. Gordon’s illustrations are vibrant and inviting. Double the fun with his earlier title, The Ugly Truckling (HarperCollins, 2004).
HARTMAN, Bob. The Wolf Who Cried Boy. illus. by Tim Raglin. Putnam. 2002. Tr $15.99. ISBN 0-399-23578-7.
PreS-Gr 3–In a hilarious twist, a spoiled little wolf who won’t eat his dinner taunts his parents by shouting “Boy!,” a delicacy they would all like to sink their fangs into rather than the usual Sloppy Does or Three-Pig Salad. When Little Wolf’s parents get wise to his ruse, they ignore his cries of “Boy!” when a whole troop of scouts wander right by their den, “enough to fill our freezer and Auntie’s freezer too!” In the end, his parents are sure he has learned his lesson–or has he?
HAWKINS, Colin & Jacqui Hawkins. Fairytale News. Candlewick. 2004. RTE $15.99. ISBN 0-7636-2166-8.
PreS-Gr 3–Jack Hubbard needs to get a job, and finally finds one as a paperboy, delivering the Fairytale News to everyone in town. After his first stop at the home of The Three Bears, things start to spin out of control, and Jack gets involved with The Big Bad Wolf, Goldilocks, Red Riding Hood, and, finally, a giant. Fortunately, the giant discovers a left-behind copy of the Fairytale News, and when Jack agrees to continue delivering it to him, the two become fast friends. Kids will love the actual copy of the Fairytale News in a back pocket!
KLOSKE, Geoffrey. Once Upon a Time, the End: (Asleep in 60 Seconds). illus. by Barry Blitt. S & S. 2005. Tr $15.95. ISBN 0-689-86619-4.
K-Gr 2–A frustrated and tired dad is running out of energy at bedtime, but his young charge pleads for one more story. The result? Highly condensed and somewhat altered versions of Goldilocks, The Princess and the Pea, Chicken Little, and others, each one ending with increasingly pointed suggestions on sleep. Blitt’s illustrations make these stories even funnier. A great read-aloud.
Remarkable Reads are produced by the editors of NoveList, NoveList K-8, and Book Index with Reviews (BIR), leading resources for readers' advisory services and collection development. For more information, see epnet.com.
