Cinderlily: A Floral Fairy Tale [Hardcover]

David Ellwand (Author, Photographer), Christine Tagg (Illustrator)

Book Description

Grade Level: K and up

Where have all the flowers gone? They’re dancing up a storm in this whimsical, wondrous rendition of a well-known fairy tale, created by the one and only David Ellwand.

For hours beneath the velvet sky they dance without a care,
Until the clock chimes midnight . . . then she’s no longer there!
Just a single lily petal and her fragrance in the air.

One magic night, a poor cinder girl is granted an impossible wish. It may be the most familiar of tales, but under the inimitable wand of David Ellwand, this timeless story blooms as never before. Here, the innocent heroine is a delicate flower, a lily whose faded petals spring to new life as she arrives at the Sultan’s ball in a butterfly-drawn coach. When the smitten Prince sets out in search of the shy, retiring flower who has vanished into thin air, leaving but a petal behind, it’s clear that Cinderlily’s comically garish, pansy-faced stepsisters won’t stand a chance.

With singular vision, humor, and a touch of computer magic, David Ellwand directs a delightfully expressive cast of flowers in a breathtaking production sure to enchant lovers of fairy tales - and lovers of flowers, too.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-In this visually intriguing twist on the traditional tale, Ellwand has replaced the human protagonists with flowers. Using Adobe Photoshop, he has arranged lilies, pansies, tulips, roses, and other petals in graceful poses against stark black backgrounds. While the pictures are technically well executed, it is unlikely they will engender other than a passing interest in children. Tagg's text, written in reasonably well-rhymed couplets, is thin on plot, character development, and imagery. In addition, the alterations she makes in the original tale are incongruous. The prince has become a Sultan, but nonetheless the "band strikes up a waltz" at his Royal Autumn Ball. The fonts, which change frequently in an apparent attempt to match the action of the story, are often hard to read, particularly when placed against those black backgrounds. For a more effective use of natural objects as characters, stay with Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffer's How Are You Peeling? Foods with Moods (Scholastic, 1999).
Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Christine Tagg says, "I have always loved the idea of giving a traditional fairy tale an unusual twist, and when I first saw David’s amazing theatrical flower pictures I knew this was the perfect opportunity to let my imagination bloom! Gardening will never be the same again." The author of METAL MUTZ!, also illustrated by David Ellwand, she lives in West Yorkshire, England, with her daughter, two cats, two mice, and ten guinea pigs.


David Ellwand is the creator and photographer of FAIRIE-ALITY: THE FASHION COLLECTION FROM THE HOUSE OF ELLWAND, a spectacular and award-winning book of fashions for fairies. Previously he collaborated with Christine Tagg on METAL MUTZ!, a pop-up book of clever dog sculptures that were first constructed out of scrap metal and then photographed. Of CINDERLILY, he says, "This book is the realization of a vision I had about five years ago, informed by many years of photographing flowers, the continuing use of natural materials in my work, and the marvels of modern computer technology. All the poses are based on actual ballet and gymnastic moves - Cinderlily’s jumps are based on the great Olga Korbut!

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick; First Edition edition (October 13, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763623288
• ISBN-13: 978-0763623289
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 10.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #519,782 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars CINDERLILY & FAIRIE-ALITY AT HARRODS LONDON, May 7, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Cinderlily: A Floral Fairy Tale (Hardcover)

David Ellwand has produced another wonderful book 'Cinderlily' as only he can. His stunning exhibition at the worlds largest and greatest store Harrod's, London, England, May 2004, shows both Cinderlily and Fairie-ality in stunning limited edition prints. Quite breathtaking in their beauty. David Ellwand is a truly great designer and photographer. May he go on to give us a chance to see more of his wonderful work.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book Review from a Spiritridge Third Grader, March 22, 2007

By 

Sara B. Richardson (Bellevue, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cinderlily: A Floral Fairy Tale (Hardcover)

Are you a great poem and fairytale reader, because if you are then this is the book for you? Cinderlily is by David Ellwand and Christine Tagg.

This book is a fairytale and poem book because it has a fairytale part and a poem part.
The main idea of this story is about a girl flower that has two mean stepsisters. They like her because she has to clean up everything but doesn't. They have beautiful cloths and she has holes in her rags. One day an invitation came in. It said "Ladies should come to the castle to dance with the prince because he wanted to get married." To find out what will happen you will have to read it.

The drawings were very interesting because the illustrator put flowers instead of people.

I recommend this to people who like poems and fairy tales. You will adore it! Read it!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Autumn Enchantment, October 25, 2003

By 

"flowertiger" (Severna Park,, MD United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cinderlily: A Floral Fairy Tale (Hardcover)

So original (though reminiscent of Saxton Freyman's vegetables), and beautifully presented. With creative use of the computer and knowledge of ballet and gymnastics moves, the team has put together a fresh re-telling of the Cinderella story using various flowers to represent the characters and some of the settings. It's a play in rhyme with each page being a visual and aural delight! It probably would be most appreciated by someone (of any age)who has had at least some ballet, and/or
loves flowers.