CinderElla - a Review

Grimm's’ Fairy Tales did not come entirely from the imaginations of Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm. Based them on folk tales told to them by villagers, their tales filled with violence have lasted down through the ages. Softened just a bit by many modern translations, they are still violent and bloody enough to induce nightmares in young and innocent children. Susan Meredith, with the help of her granddaughter, has made them friendlier by taking out the violence and replacing it with humor in her own versions of these classic tales.

I doubt that you would want to read the original version of Cinderella to your youngster as a bedtime story. The 2 deceitful stepsisters each try to make their feet fit into the golden slipper - one by cutting off her big toe, the other by cutting off part of her heel. Of course, their plan failed and the shoe was found to fit Cinderella. Still hoping to benefit from her good fortune, they attend the wedding only to have their eyes plucked out by pigeons.

The version written by Susan Meredith, CinderElla, is a version in which there is nothing scary, bloody, or violent. Instead of mistreating Ella, her greedy stepsisters and stepmother basically ignore her. They crowd her out of her bedroom, so the only place left for her to sleep is on a cot by the fireplace.

For the Prince’s ball, she is clothed by the stars in a dazzling gown and enchanted slippers. When she accidentally leaves behind a shoe, the Prince searches for the owner. One of the stepsisters manages to cram one of her huge feet into the tiny enchanted slipper, but it leaps off of her foot. The other one only gets to wrestle with the shoe before it manages to locate its true owner. It slides right on Ella’s foot and is joined by the other shoe. The stars immediately clothe her in beauty once again and she is swept away to live in happiness and splendor with her Prince.

The stepsisters are not punished in any way for their greediness, except to know that the Prince will live happily ever after with another. They do witness the one they shunned and ignored being clothed in splendor and led away by her Prince.

For young readers, various words throughout the book are underlined. These words many not be familiar to those just beginning to read. At the end of the book, a small illustrated dictionary explains what these words mean.

Even if you don’t have young children or grandchildren to read this book to, I recommend getting it for yourself. It is well worth reading. This Gram's Fairy Tale was sent to me free of charge by the publisher. A link to buy this book through Amazon is provided below.