Cinderella and a Mouse Called Fred

About the Book

One day, Cinderella encounters a mouse in her pumpkin patch and to his surprise names him Fred. Pleased, “He’d shot her a glance that he hoped was kind, curious, and fabulously Fred-ish.” Some time later a purplish bejeweled fairy godmother, who can “converse quite easily in Rodent,” swoops in to fetch a pumpkin and turn Fred into a horse, a transformation shown in a wildly swirling picture. At the ball, Ella dislikes the arrogant prince and later hides during his inevitable visit with the glass slipper. But when she wins first prize for one of her huge pumpkins at the fair, she beats a young farmer “who fell madly in love with Ella…And Ella loved her right back.”

Why this Book?

So many reasons. It’s a fresh take on Cinderella in part thanks to the lovely modern fairy-tale ending in which the two farmers marry. You don’t see many female farmers in picture books, much less Cinderella marrying another woman, a surprise I found very moving. Hopkinson’s an outstanding storyteller and infuses the whole tale with humor. After Ella’s report on the disagreeaable prince, Fred thinks, “Bummer.…He wondered if there was a way to give the fairy godmother a one-star rating.” Zelinsky, one of the best illustrators working today, adds even more merriment in large, lively, colorful illustrations. Be sure the child hearing the story knows the standard Cinderella so they can appreciate the twists in this one. Hurray for such a new and wonderful version!