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Summary
Summary
Once upon a time, a rich merchant lived with his daughter. He loved the girl for her beautiful face and her sweet heart. But after his wife died, he decided to marry a second time, and his new wife was selfish and cruel. She had two daughters of her own who were just like her...
This story of Cinderella is based on the version collected and published by the seventeenth-century author Charles Perrault. Perrault's Cinderella echoes the elegance and luxury of the French court of King Louis XIV, and it's from his version that we get Cinderella's famous glass slippers. Sarah L. Thomson's beautiful retelling of the classic fairy tale is matched with the uniquely stunning artwork of Nicoletta Ceccoli rendered in acrylics on paper and digitally. This is a picture book to treasure.
Author Notes
Sarah L. Thomson attended college in Oberlin, Ohio. After graduation, she moved to New York and worked in publishing. She eventually became a senior editor at HarperCollins Children's Books. She became a full-time author shortly after her first book, The Dragon's Son, was published. Her works include Stars and Stripes: The Story of the American Flag; all the Wildlife Conservation Society I Can Read Books, including Amazing Tigers!, winner of an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award; and What Lincoln Said.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3-This elegant retelling of the beloved fairy tale follows the story line that Perrault introduced and Disney made so familiar. The gentle text streamlines the story, beginning and ending appropriately with "Once upon a time" and "happily ever after." The fairy godmother appears on cue, applies her magic touch with specific instructions, and then disappears. The prince is rightfully smitten with Cinderella's "gentle eyes and sweet smile." Other than the stepsisters being unable to dance at the wedding due to their sore feet, the story plays out as expected. The dreamlike illustrations and Cinderella's delicate, childlike face and undeveloped figure provide enough room for many little girls to slip inside. The details hint at Louis XIV's style and have the requisite storybook castle perched on a mountaintop at the end of a winding road. The compositions support the text beautifully, moving readers along in muted tones of mostly blues, greens, and Cinderella's brown dress. The closing scene is satisfying as the prince tenderly kisses Cinderella's cheek against a white background with a pink heart-shaped tree and white doves overhead. There's always room for a good retelling of this classic tale and this one will be loved.-Carol S. Surges, Longfellow Middle School, Wauwatosa, WI (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
In an introductory note, Thomson (Pirates, Ho!) explains that her version of this fairy tale is based primarily on that of Charles Perrault rather than on the Brothers Grimm adaptation. Accordingly, Ceccoli's (A Dignity of Dragons) digitally enhanced acrylic art evokes the fashions and hairstyles of Perrault's 17th-century France, while maintaining the dreamy, placid quality of the illustrator's earlier work. The gossamer illustrations depict both Cinderella and the prince as considerably younger than many interpretations, giving her an eerie, doll-like fragility and premature sophistication reminiscent of contemporary child beauty queens. The pale blonde heroine maintains a stony countenance throughout, revealing little joy or wonder after her metamorphosis by her fairy godmother, when the prince slips the glass slipper on her foot, and on their wedding day. Thomson's assured narrative underscores the idea that inner beauty is even more important than outward transformations ("You are dressed like a queen!" Cinder-ella's fairy godmother tells her. "Behave like one as well. Be kind and courteous to all you meet"), yet the emotionally subdued art and text make this a fairly low-key retelling. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Based on the story by Charles Perrault. This is a visually luminous but not very warm retelling of the French fairy tale. Rendered with acrylics and digital techniques, Ceccoli's illustrations present a Cinderella who resembles a solemn china doll while evoking the grandeur of the reign of King Louis XIV, from which Perrault's original is inspired. An author's note provides background on both Perrault's and the Brothers Grimm versions. (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
According to Thomson's author's note, this version of the famous fairy tale is based on Charles Perrault's telling, which emphasizes the elegance and luxury of the French court of King Louis XIV. And we have Perrault to thank for one of the best parts of the story: Cinderella's glass slippers. Thomson's retelling is slight, but it has a few nice touches here and there for instance, the ugly stepsisters' feet are so sore from trying to wedge into Cinderella's slipper that they can't dance even a jig. It's Ceccoli's art, however, that makes the book; her ethereal illustrations look enchanted, particularly the richly hued nighttime spreads, which practically sparkle. Fans of Cinderella will welcome a new version (because, really, when you love Cinderella, can you ever get enough?), and it's also a nice indoctrination for newbies. A quibble: Cinderella looks rather somber throughout, but when she marries the prince, can't she manage a smile?--Kelley, Ann Copyright 2010 Booklist