157. All at Once Upon a Time

157. All at Once Upon a Time. Mara Rockliff. Illustrated by Gladys Jose. 2024. 48 pages. [Source: Review copy, picture book, humor] [5 stars]

First sentence: Once upon a time (now, tell me if you've heard this one before), locked up in a tower, lived a princess with the longest....

Premise/plot: Looking for an over-the-top SILLY book that makes as much sense as any fantastical dream? All At Once Upon a Time thrives on the dot, dot, dot for fracturing ALL the fairy/folk tales that ever could be. (Well, most of them. More than you might expect in just forty-eight pages). 

My thoughts: This one is ridiculously silly and sometimes that kind of humor can be a very good thing. This would be a GREAT fit for teachers who are required to teach fairy/folk tale units that also include a WRITING section where kids have to write their own twisted tale. 

Because this one can be expanded upon in classrooms, it goes beyond the traditional audience you might expect. I think it builds upon a knowledge of the originals. 

 I definitely enjoyed it! Just a few of the fairy tales it fractures:

• Rapunzel
• Pinocchio
• Jack and the Beanstalk
• Goldilocks and the Three Bears
• Little Red Riding Hood
• Hansel and Gretel
• Three Little Pigs
• Cinderella
• The Frog Prince

The illustrations feature even more.

© 2024 Becky Laney of Young Readers

194. Cinderella With Dogs

Cinderella with Dogs! Linda Bailey. Illustrated by Freya Hartas. 2023. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [Picture book; fairy tale adaptation; humor; dogs and cats]

First sentence: Poor Cinderella, lonely and sad, was sweeping the ashes from the fireplace. Everyone else had gone off to the ball to dance. She had to stay home--and work! Poor Cinderella never went anywhere. She never had a single bit of fun. Ever! "If only I had a fairy godmother," she said. 

Premise/plot: A Cinderella retelling with a fairy DOGmother! This fairy dogmother has her own ideas of how to fulfill Cinderella's wishes. And her ideas include CHASING SQUIRRELS, running, playing, fetching ball, etc. Will this dog-loving Cinderella still make an impression at the dance? Yes....just maybe not in the traditional way.

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. I loved seeing all the cats, dogs, and squirrels. I loved the humor. I loved the twists. It was an enjoyable, delightful fairy tale adaptation. I think my favorite part was her 'transformation' by her dogmother! 

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Young Readers