Cinderelephant

PreS-Gr 1—In this fractured fairy-tale version of "Cinderella," the heroine and royal family are elephants, the mean relatives are warthogs, and the guests at the ball are a veritable zoo. The fairy godmother is the Furry Godmouse, one of the groan- or giggle-inducing puns sprinkled throughout the story. Most of the traditional plot elements remain unchanged-the magical transformation, the ball, the happily-ever-after with the prince-but the fancy carriage is a limo, and the slipper is too large for everyone except Cinderelephant. Digitally rendered cartoon illustrations pop with bold black outlines and contrasting bright colors and textures. Spreads amply accommodate the sizable protagonist, adding visual humor to the story. As Cinderelephant squeezes her derriere into the limo, the Furry Godmouse's line reads, "enjoy yourself…but, and it's a big but." Cinderelephant's pink dress and pink, glittery shoes are sure to attract fans of Pinkalicious and Fancy Nancy. It's a fun though less-innovative retelling than Tony Johnston's Bigfoot Cinderrrrrella (Putnam, 1998) or Ellen Jackson's Cinder Edna (HarperCollins, 1994).—Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova, formerly at Chappaqua Library, NY