FICTION

Cinderella: A Nosy Crow Fairy Tale

by Ed Bryan
illus. by . 32p. Nosy Crow. Mar. 2016. Tr $9.99. ISBN 9780763686543.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 1—An introductory fairy tale based on an existing interactive app. The app allows a child to help Cinderella clean the kitchen, dress her stepsisters for the ball, choose the kind of music that she and the prince will dance to, etc. However, the text of the book, while clearly written, is simple in the extreme, diminishing the power of the story. The digitally rendered illustrations are colorful and well designed, but their cartoonish nature does not provide the drama inherent in the narrative. The intention here (according to the statements on the back of the book) is to give the tale "a funny and contemporary take," but the only contemporary touches seem to be a 1950s-style radio and a Ping-Pong table, and the humor certainly doesn't jump out at you.
VERDICT While the app may be fun for children, this text version of the oft-told tale pales in comparison with the rich, amazing versions available and is a strictly additional purchase.
Reviewed by Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ
Adapted from digital apps, these versions of the traditional stories offer little that's new and lack the interactive features of the digital format. Bold, humorous cartoonlike illustrations include some modern touches: e.g., Cinderella and the prince play Ping-Pong and live "happily ever after"; the third pig's brick house has a TV antenna. Review covers these titles: Cinderella and The Three Little Pigs.
 , Mar 01, 2016

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