Cinder-Elly [Hardcover]

Frances Minters (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1994 | Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Full-color artwork by the illustrator of Into This Night We Are Rising captures the hipness and movement of New York City for a rhyming, urban version of the Cinderella fairy tale.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This ultracool version of the fairy tale, set in Manhattan, updates the classic with singular flair. Taking current family trends into account, debut picture-book author Minters casts no aspersions on stepmothers and supplies her heroine with a largely absent mother. Cinder-Elly's elder sisters, on the other hand, dish out a full complement of scorn. There is indeed a ball--basketball--and a godmother provides Elly with a groovy pair of glass high-tops to wear to the big game. Naturally, ace hoop-shooter Prince Charming becomes smitten with Elly, loses track of her when the 10 p.m. witching curfew rolls around, then posts flyers advertising the shoe she leaves behind. Nearly every spread features six four-line stanzas, and rarely do the rhymes miss a beat. Lots of quotes enliven the verse, although it's occasionally hard to identify the speaker. Karas ( Into This Night We Are Rising ) doodles people, city buildings and objects in the margins; the cartoon figures interject lighthearted, childlike comments (after Godma costumes Elly, one of the extras says, "You look great, El!"). Collages, wild patterns and funky fashions mimic music videos and build up the snazzy urban setting. An ideal match of artist and author. Ages 4-up.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-An annoying hodgepodge of stilted, cloying verse; a modern New York City setting; and traditional elements. But each of those elements is not quite what it should be. The sisters are cruel for no apparent reason (they're not even step-sisters), and Cinder-Elly inexplicably submits to their abuse. There's also a Prince Charming who is a basketball player and a glass sneaker instead of a slipper. The three girls are all invited to one of his games and there's really nothing stopping Cinder-Elly from going-her sisters are walking; so why can't she? Her "Godmother" appears and transforms her clothing into a new outfit, even though she looked just fine before. Prince notices her because she catches a flyaway ball and throws it back to him; he asks her out for a pizza. There are the expected problems with time running out and the search for the owner of the glass sneaker. And yes, "everyone lived/Forever happy." Flat, modern watercolors try their best to add to the hip feeling this story tries to portray, but they are often as cluttered as the text. A jumbled path that leads nowhere.
Jane Marino, Scarsdale Public Library, NY
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile (April 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670844179
• ISBN-13: 978-0670844173
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,414,364 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Modern Twist on an Old Tale, March 31, 2000

By 

K Horton (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cinder-Elly (Hardcover)

This is a great example of tweeking an old fairytale for today's kids to enjoy. I heard this book read aloud at a literary contest for elementary students and was impressed with the content and readibility. The students in the audience laughed out loud during the reading.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My five year old daughter loves this book!!, October 4, 2004

By 

Josie (Cincinnati, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cinder-Elly (Hardcover)

My five year old daughter has asked us to read this book to her every day for the last 3 days. It's a great modern version of the old classic with a more with-it cinderella and Prince Charming, done in rhyming verses. The characters are multi-cultural too. My favorite thing about this book as a parent is that it is fun to read out loud, so I don't mind reading it numerous times.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent updated version, March 8, 2001

By 

Ruth Ann Montecinos (Topeka, Kansas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cinder-Elly (Picture Puffins) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a wonderful up-to-date, inter-city version of the classic Cinderella. It is written in poetry-style, in a humorous way. The illustrations are done in a rough childlike way. It is very funny and a really fresh view of the classic.