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| Illustrated by Michael Emberly |
Once upon a time, in a land where young children and their parents read together every day, there lived a little girl who was learning to read. She practiced every day, and one of her favorite reading games was from a book printed in two colors of ink. The game went like this: first the girl read the orange words and then the girl's dad read the pink ones:
Cinderella is my name.
She's our sister, what a shame.
All day long I do my chores, washing clothes and scrubbing floors.
All day long we gobble sweets— candies, cakes, and other treats.
I can't please them, though I try.
We are jealous, that is why.
The story continues, describing the announcement of the ball and Cinderella's hard work to get her stepsisters ready to go. Then she tells about the magic:
When they left me, guess who came? Fairy Godmother's her name! My rags became a gorgeous gown, a carriage took me into town.
A beauty came into the ball. The prince preferred her to us all.
Later, the stepsisters are trying to fit the glass shoe that the prince brings around:
We thought to get our feet to fit, we'd just chop off a little bit.
Oh, don't do that, stepsisters, stop! You'll hurt yourselves, you mustn't chop! It's not your fault you wear size nine. The only foot it fits is mine.
So Cinderella put on the shoe, and the prince asked her to marry him. She said yes! Then her sisters said:
You'll be queen? Why that is true. All right, we'll be nice to you.
Well if you're nice as nice can be, I'll let you both come live with me.
In the palace? Oh what fun! All our naughty days are done!
So they all lived happily ever after!
Notes: This book contains eight read-together tales, and is perfect for ages 4-8.
Montessori Connection: Read Aloud
1. If you are learning to read, ask an older child to read parts of this book with you!
2. If you are a good reader, ask a younger child who is still practicing to read parts of this book with you!
