Robin Redbreast

Robin Redbreast
Birds can represent the fluttering, darting thoughts of intuition. This is why little birds helped Cinderella help herself.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Cinderella #280: My First Fairy Tales Storybook with CD


Cinderella #280: My First Fairy Tales Storybook with CD
Illustration by Blundell, K. 
Once upon a time, "there was a pretty girl called Cinderella. She lived with her stepmother and two ugly stepsisters." Of course, since Cinderella was more beautiful than any of them, and kind as well, they did not like her. They made her do all of the work, scrubbing the floor and tending the fire. One exciting day, there came an invitation from the Prince.  "There was to be a ball. Every girl in the land could go." But that's not what Cinderella's stepsisters told her. They said that since her clothes were so raggedy they would not let her go. Still, she helped her sisters get ready to go. She really did her best with the hairbrush and a bit of make-up, but "it was no good". She couldn't make her sisters look pretty because "they were just too ugly".  After they had gone off and left Cinderella home crying, something happened! There was a voice, saying, "Don't cry." It turned out to be Cinderella's fairy godmother, who promised that she could go the ball. First, she needed "a pumpkin...six white mice", two rats, "and a frog". So Cinderella went to the garden and got them. Then "the fairy godmother waved her magic wand.  The pumpkin turned into a coach.  The mice turned into horses.  The two rats turned into footmen. The frog turned into a driver." And the fairy changed Cinderella's dress into a fancy gown.   Then she said, "Be home before midnight.  The magic ends at midnight." And Cinderella promised to be home before midnight. When she got to the ball ,the prince said to her," Please dance with me." So she did. She looked so beautiful that even her own stepsisters did not recognize her. Then the clock struck  the first of twelve BONGS! Then Cinderella ran and ran. "She lost her shoe. The prince picked it up. The coach turned back into a pumpkin." The gown turned into an old dress again, and the frog hopped away.  Then the Prince said that "every girl in the land" must try on the shoe he had found. Cinderella's stepsisters tried to get the shoe onto their feet, but it did not fit. "At last, Cinderella tried on the shoe. It did fit!" Then Cinderella and the prince were married, and they lived happily ever after. 
From: Cinderella Parragon, UK (2009) retold by Golstock, G. and illustrated by Blundell, K. Language consultant: Betty Root
Notes: This is another one of those books that I might have dismissed as too cutesy. But I read it, and saw immediately the care taken in putting together a true "easy-reader". This is a great choice for children who are just able to read; the dialogue balloons in the pictures make for fun reading.