From Publishers Weekly
This intriguing work reenvisions the time-honored tale of midnight magic as a strand of narrative poems. Beginning with Cinderella in her old age, first-time author Whipple gives voice to the cast of characters, from the remorseful father, now a ghost, to the unrepentantly greedy, grasping stepmother (Ah, rich, rich, rich. I love the rhythm of rich!), and stepsisters (While we're dancing, sleep in ashes and brush the soot from off your lashes). Readers hear from the fairy godmother and the royal family as well, including the besotted prince (Wait! Who's that? Smile like moonbeams on a splashing spring). Whipple renders moments of melancholy (Father comes to my dreams, though he is gone. ... It seems right to dry tears with sackcloth and ashes says Cinderella) as fully as comic touches (e.g., the rat-turned-coachman cries, Where was my tail, long and slim, a-switching? Totally gone! Just a memory of motion) even the glass slipper gets a turn (I grieve for the glow of my mate). This fresh, engaging presentation of the Cinderella story unfolds like a lyric opera. Larded with wit, the volume returns to Cinderella, who offers up a sage gem: The music of true Magic sang only that once for me. After, I had to compose the music of my life. Beingessner alternates small inset portraits and vignettes with full-spread paintings of the godmother's gifts and the climactic moment at the ball; her swirling line and color conjure up the story's magical setting. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 3-6-An imaginative extension of the classic fairy tale and an interesting examination of point of view. In 33 poems, readers hear from the evil stepmother, the prince, the fairy godmother, the ghost of Cinderella's father-even the rat who becomes the coachman. Cinderella herself begins and ends the book. In the prelude, she speaks as an elderly woman. "I remember the voices of my young life/like melodies on sheets of song/long stored in a dusty box./I bring some out for you." Whipple finds story and emotion in unlikely places. For example, each of Cinderella's shoes speaks ("I was born for dancing/and the warmth of small feet"). Each one pines to be reunited with the other in a way that reflects the prince's search for Cinderella. The smooth writing has a relaxed, conversational flow. Luminous gouache paintings use soft, clear colors and flowing lines to present scenes in an attractive and traditional way. This book has excellent potential for classroom use, both for creative-writing activities and for reading aloud. It will also be enjoyed by children who simply love the story. It's satisfying to see a fresh take on a European folktale that isn't a parody. Gwen Strauss's Trail of Stones (Knopf, 1990; o.p.) also treats folktales poetically, but is for an older audience and covers several different stories rather than just one.
Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, ILCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
