The beloved fairy tale takes on a new look, set against the backdrop of turn-of-the-century Manhattan, with glowing illustrations by the artist for The Baby Who Would Not Come Down.
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Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 3-4-Recently, there has been a trend of recasting familiar folk and fairy tales in new or more modern settings. One of the most notable of these retellings is Barry Moser's The Tinderbox (McElderry, 1988), set in post-Civil War America. San Jose's Cinderella brings the familiar tale to turn-of-the-century Manhattan. Her narrative flows smoothly and stresses the heroine's kindness rather than her physical beauty; similarly, the stepsisters' flaws are described as vanity and selfishness. San Jose's skill as a storyteller is evident in the rhythm and pacing of her text. Santini's watercolors have a rich, warm glow, and their soft style enhances the fashions and furnishings of the Gay Nineties. Careful attention is paid to line, movement, and detail; the pictures are full of motion, pulling readers along with the narrative. However, other than the blurb on the dust jacket, there is nothing specific to indicate time period or location. Furthermore, the Prince is out of place in an American setting, as are the references to heralds. Still, this is a well-written version with a refreshing and distinct difference, and is well worth adding to any collection.
Donna L. Scanlon, Lancaster County Library, PA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Donna L. Scanlon, Lancaster County Library, PA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Lackluster adaptation of the classic fairy tale of Cinderella,
This review is from: Cinderella (Hardcover)
The reason I picked this up at the library recently was because my 5-year-old is on a fairy tale 'binge' and has been devouring as many fairy and folk tales as she can, and I've been looking for various editions of well-loved fairy tales. When we saw this title, it appeared interesting so we decided to give it a try. I liked the retelling of the classic fairy tale - here, Cinderella's story is set in turn of the century Manhattan. The author has done a credible job of making the story accessible to children, though the vocabulary is a bit advanced for the under-5 age group with words such as "jeered" and "extravagant", amongst others.
What we did not appreciate as much was the way the artist illustrated the story - Cinderella, as the other reviewers have mentioned does not stand out at all - she appears as plain as all the rest, and the only thing that differentiates her (in my opinion) is the lack of meanness in her countenance. The biggest letdown was the depiction of the ball - one cannot really tell Cinderella apart from the others at the ball, and she is supposed to dazzle everyone with her beauty and resplendence!The colors appear washed out and are basically unappealing to the eyes. There are many other beautifully-illustrated Cinderella stories out there, so I would not recommend this particular title, especially for young children.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Not at all what I was hoping for - EITHER,
By IB-inTX (DFW, TX) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Cinderella (Hardcover)
Although the story has some different twists & that was fun, it's the artwork that spurred me to write a review. What a total let down. In one case Cinderella even looks mean & ugly. What a catastrophy for a parent trying to explain that to a confused child. I think Debrah Santini is the illustrator. She really didn't do the book the justice it deserves. Another example, see the cover & notice the look of her face. I hate to put an artist down, but the word disaster comes to mind. Try to explain to you children that they should look at the beautiful drawings and not at anyone's face, yipes! Run away from this one at any price.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not at all what I was hoping for,
By CMBohn "cmb" (Orem, UT USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Cinderella (Hardcover)
My daughter loves the story of Cinderella, so when we found this at the library, I got it for her. We were both disappointed. It's not at all what I wanted. Cinderella is in a slightly different setting, but the story is very traditional. The only difference is that she appears to live in a 19th century city. I don't mind that. But the illustrations are completely unmagical. Cinderella scarcely looks different from anyone else in the book. I really couldn't tell which one she was in some pictures. What a let down. Find another version and don't bother with this one.
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