Cinderella's Stepsister and the Big Bad Wolf

K-Gr 2—In Carey's fractured fairy tale, Cinderella is mean and lazy. She goes to the grand ball as a mouse (punishment by her fairy godmother for bad manners), and it's her kindhearted stepsister, Gertie Ugly, who marries Prince Charming after they meet at the dance. Although the story omits many aspects of Disney's Cinderella, Blanco sneaks in a few familiar scenes in his digital illustrations. Children will also enjoy seeing how Blanco changes the appearances of the Big Bad Wolf, the Wicked Queen, and the evil witches: characters who try to teach Gertie how to act more like an "Ugly." It's easy to make this book interactive by asking questions about the character crossovers or by introducing children to additional versions of the stories, which in this case include the fairy tales "Hansel and Gretel," "Snow White," and "Little Red Riding Hood."