Cinderella: An Art Deco Love Story [Library Binding]

Lynn Roberts (Author)

Book Description

Grade Level: P and up

Greta's father marries unwisely and brings home a heartless wife, her two argumentative daughters, and her nasty little dog. Soon Greta is vacuuming floors and sleeping in the kitchen among the cinders -- thus her nickname: Cinderella. Then one day a royal proclamation beams out over all the radios in the land: Prince Roderick is giving a ball! Despite her stepmother's conniving -- and with a little help from a kindly woman -- Cinderella makes it to the ball in style and wins the heart of the charming prince.

This humorous and engaging retelling places Cinderella in the opulent era of Art Deco. Whether she's drinking from Clarice Cliff coffee cups, dusting the frames of paintings by Augustus John and Tamara de Lempicka, or setting off for the ball in a white Rolls Royce, Cinderella lives life to the fullest -- despite her fabulously evil stepmother and stepsisters. Young readers will laugh out loud!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Flapper fashions and a posh, Gatsby-esque mansion situate this fairy tale in the Jazz Age.Cinderella sports a blond bob and has kohl-rimmed eyes. Her kindly father marries a regally witchy, fur-swathed woman with two gangly daughters, "Elvira and Ermintrude. Elvira was as wicked as Ermintrude was dim, and Ermintrude was very, very dim." They lounge in wicker garden chairs while Cinderella launders their silk stockings (with a hand-cranked wringer) and tidies the kitchen (where everything from the ceramic coffee service to the toaster to the electric wall-socket is period specific). At party time, a ghostly godmother attires Cinderella in a gauzy beaded gown, then transforms four white mice and two glowworms into the wheels and headlights of a silver roadster. Lynn Roberts's concise storytelling directs attention to her brother's meticulous illustrations. David Roberts alludes to the 1920s and '30s with designer wallpaper, fan-shaped mirrors and Japanese screens, while remembering to forward the plot with pratfalls and drama. Clumsy Ermintrude can't keep her nose out of Elvira's feather headband, and hesitant, graceful Cinderella moves smoothly among the flamboyant types in the supporting cast. With this volume's attention to accessories and interior decoration, the familiar story and the Prohibition era make a perfect fit. Ages 4-8.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

K Up-This retelling of the classic fairy tale is mainly a vehicle for the artist. There are some changes to the story. Cinderella's kind, but forgetful and myopic father, unaware of the degradation he has brought upon his only daughter, redeems himself in the end by suggesting to the Prince that she be allowed to try on the glass slipper. As there is only one ball in this version of the tale, the fairy godmother, referred to here as "a kindly woman," puts in just one brief appearance, creating Cinderella's well-appointed Bentley-like limo from "a stout gray rat, a large leek, four white mice, and two glowworms." The cartoon illustrations, rendered in pen and ink and watercolor, show women with bobbed and marcelled hairstyles in '20s attire at the ball, the two stepsisters doing the Charleston to the beat of a stand-up pianist and big-band combo. Every piece of furniture, household decoration, and artwork reflects the Art Deco period, perhaps making the book more useful as a graphic representation of high fashion of the 1920s and 1930s than as a retelling of the Cinderella tale. Young children will not relate to the dry humor or appreciate the artistic approach.

Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Library Binding: 32 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (September 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810941686
• ISBN-13: 978-0810941687
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 10.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,619,801 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cinderella An Art Deco Princess, January 2, 2002

By 

Lauren Kirk (Dallas, Texas USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cinderella: An Art Deco Love Story (Library Binding)

What a divine book!
Not just for children. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves the Cinderella tale and the deco period.

The illustrations are so incredibly charming and evocative, I'm going to buy a second book, tear out the pages and frame them.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Addition to Your Cinderella Library!, March 9, 2002

By 

B. Lynn Wynn "parus55" (Woodstock, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cinderella: An Art Deco Love Story (Library Binding)

Who is that 1920's vintage flapper, tripping down the stairs to zip off in her ultra-classy, very long white limousine? Why, it's Cinderella, leaving the ball at midnight, of course! No? Not quite the fairytale you had pictured all these years? That's just the idea behind David Roberts' wonderfully innovative illustrations of the traditional Cinderella story.
The story itself is not so different from the one we have all heard during our childhood. In fact, without the illustrations, this story gives no hint that it takes place during the glizty "roaring twenties," when champagne was sipped from ladies shoes, and...well, you get the picture.
With a background in fashion design, David Roberts has researched life in the 1920's and 1930's to bring quite a bit of accuracy to his illustrations. The wallpaper, furniture, and pottery are all based on actual Art Deco designs. The clothes, electrical appliances, cars, hairstyles, and makeup all reflect life eighty years ago. Cinderella pushes an old upright vacuum rather than broom, and turns the crank on a sinister-looking wringer washer as she does her step-sisters' laundry.
Roberts also uses a good sense of humor in presenting the step-sisters. Instead of evil, they're simply bad-natured slobs. While they do rob Cinderella of many possessions, she seems inclined to include them in her family after her marriage to the prince. The wedding photo with her step-sisters as bridesmaids is a classic. For models, Roberts called upon old magazine covers, movie stills, and art of the 1920's and 30's.
The rather unique setting in time of this version makes it a worthwhile addition to any Cinderella collection. While the story itself is not innovative, the illustrations more than make up for any shortcomings.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 1920's Fairytale, September 25, 2003

By 

"joseawitch" (Sydney, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cinderella: An Art Deco Love Story (Library Binding)

This is one of my Fav books! I love how it is set in the 1920's - my fav era! The vampy illustrations are so beautiful! I just love the attention that has been paid to making sure that all the furnishings and dresses are of the deco era! This book is a inspiration!