Anyone who has attempted (seriously) to write picture books for children will have heard some supposedly reliable advice: don't attempt to write fairy tales and folk tales, even ones with a "twist". Publishers will NOT be interested.
That's certainly NOT the case, since you can see many fine examples of this genre in this review/post on the blog BOOK RIOT from just a few months back. Each publishing year such notable efforts break through that false advice and land in welcoming hands. If you are a fan of such stories, be sure to check out these excellent recommendations. If you are a writer who has abandoned such manuscripts due to the discouraging words of warning, read that post. Then read the books.You'll find ample material to study to consider why she make it and some don't.
What makes such published and praised fairy tale/folk tale twists stand out is that they are superbly done. They bring the best of writing to the challenge, offering enough of the original references to invite comparison, add humor, provide wry insights, or introduce other layers of meaning to consider. They are written to provide new views on the characters, the problems, the range of audiences, the identities or cultures of the stars, or even to flip the typical "moral of the story" on its head-- or on its bum.
One recent picture book that achieves many of those benchmarks is CINDERELLA AND THE MOUSE CALLED FRED, written by Deborah Hopkinson and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky.
Anne Schwartz Books, 2023
The twist here is that Cinderella is an avid gardener who meets a mouse with kind and curious eyes. She calls the mouse Fred, and advises on ways for him to stay safe from the mean step-family and the housesat. Fred is smitten and devoted. Ella (as she prefers to be called) is tending to a prize pumpkin intended to win a blue ribbon at the end of the season. Ella asks Fred to help nurture and protect it.
The sudden appearance of the fairy godmother (see cover image) adds that comic element, and provides wild transformations of that pumpkin into a carriage and Fred into a horse. Quickly, the fairy godmother decks out Ella in an elaborate dress and glass (GLASS!) slippers, sending her to the ball as the driver of her own carriage.
You can tell that familiar elements have been shifted to reveal a more complex personality for Ella, a more cognizant and opinionated role for mouse, with a thorough lack of traditional angst about falling in love or impressing Prince Charming. When that inevitable final chime at midnight ruptures the pumpkin and lands Ella on her un-bustled bum, she knowingly collects the seeds from that robust pumpkin for future planting. When the prince and entourage arrive to test that single glass slipper on the step-relatives, humor and exaggeration of their struggle burst from the page in images and effective commentary by Ella- "I'll find my own destiny, thank you!"
The story line invites comparisons to the original plot, the characters, the goals, and the conclusions. At the risk of spoiling the final twist a bit, it is a happy ending involving a gardening contest and a soulmate who is most definitely NOT a prince. This is a delightful offering in storytelling, both in text and through visual narratives. It's a modernization and variant that works for any age.
Dodd, Mead. 1981
Each of these elements provide mentor examples for those developing stories of their own. There is one aspect of this delightful book that can't be replicated, though, and that's the combined prestigious talents and name-recognition of its creators. Hopkinson is widely admired for nonfiction, kid-friendly boigraphies as well as her praised/starred picture book fiction. I featured some her other works posts HERE, HERE, and HERE.
Anyone who has read prior posts on this blog will be aware that I am a longtime fan of Paul O. Zedlinsky's work. I'm not alone, of course, in that admiration. Zelinsky is a Caldecott Medal winner with multiple Caldecott Honors, among countless other awards. One of his earliest picture books is among my favorites: The Maid, The Mouse, and the Odd-Shaped House.
I treasure my signed copy of this out-of-print picture book. The moment I viewed the cover of the current CINDERELLA release I recognized the influence of the style Zelinsky displayed in "The Maid..." that guided these wonderful new illustrations. That was certainly not for lack of alternatives, since his various successes demonstrate mastery of a wide range of art approaches and techniques. See examples in some links to prior posts I've shared about his work, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE, or type his name in the search box on the right menu bar.
Whether you click and check those earlier references or the recent one at the top, or not, please consider reading this delightfully fresh and appealing take on a traditional fairy tale. I believe you'll have fun with it and think of plenty of kids to share it with... soon.
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