Cinderella–with Dogs!

“Who doesn’t love a good “furry tail”? . . . ‘Cinderella’ details get ‘doggified,’ and the ball ends up being a howl in more ways than one. Spoiler alert: There’s a twist on the glass-slipper-leading-to-marriage ending. Not to worry. This one’s much better—and involves squirrels. This rollicking story will arouse plenty of giggles as young readers enumerate the ways in which it veers from the original. Adults can encourage little ones to think of how ‘Cinderella’ might work with other animals subbing in for the fairy godmother. The imaginative, colorful digital illustrations burst with energy and expressiveness. . . . The brown, floppy-eared, tutu-wearing dogmother is adorably memorable. A barking good time will be had by all.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Although the jaunty text ruff-ly follows the traditional tale, in the end, Cinderella exhibits independence with a prince she likes but doesn’t know well enough to marry. Cheery, cartoonish illustrations lend to the cleverness in this feminist, fractured fairy tale.” —Booklist

“Something gets hilariously lost in translation in Bailey’s fairy tale retelling, in which a cat lady Cinderella makes a wish for a fairy godmother and instead gets a pink-tutued fairy dogmother (‘WOOF!’). . . . Additional humor abounds in Hartas’s depictions of Cinderella’s multiple cats and the exuberant pack of palace pooches who bowl Cinderella over with kisses.” —Publishers Weekly