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leomill1977's review against another edition
4.0
This is a tale of two Cinderellas. Whose life is better? The girl who relied on magical assistance to get her man or the girl who had a life filled with lemons in which she made lemonade.
gymnerdreader's review against another edition
5.0
Annotated Bibliography Entry: Cinder Edna by Ellen Jackson
Summary:
This is a fragmented tale of Cinderella. It is basically the classic Cinderella with a few twists: Cinderella is not as one-dimensional as the classic and there is Cinder Edna, a girl who lives the same type of lifestyle as Cinderella, but has a more positive outlook on life and love and actually knows how to do stuff on her own. She is independent, buys her own dress for the ball and takes the bus, rather than relying on a fairy godmother. Both Cinderella and Cinder Edna attend the same ball, but both have different experiences. Cinderella meets a handsome prince and is smitten with him, while Edna thinks his lifestyle is rather boring since he just sits on his throne all day talking politics. Instead she meets Rupert, the prince's brother who is much more of a go-getter than his brother. Once the clock strikes 12 both the ladies leave and the lovers try to find them. In the end, both find their perspective brides and marry them in a double ceremony. However, it is not a happy ending for all of them. Ella is bored by her husband's lifestyle and Edna has a happy marriage with a husband who is her best friend. GIRL POWER!
Personal Response:
As I mentioned before: GIRL POWER! I love how this book treated women as independent, rather than someone who has to rely on others for help. I love that the characters in this book even Cinderella are not one-dimensional like the typical story that most kids watch from Disney. In a lot of ways it is more realistic (especially Cinder Edna) and I think kids will connect more with that. Edna is just like everyone else, she is average and not just some fantasy character. This book still has though fantasy elements, but is much more realistic. I also liked the not so happy ending for some of the characters. Very realistic, which I think is refreshing. I remember my teachers reading this book to us in elementary school and I remember liking it so it was nice to explore and read it once again from a teacher's perspective.
Descriptions of Illustrations:
Pictures are very fantastical and fits the concept of a fairy tale. The colors work well. It is not as vibrant as other illustrations I have seen, but the pictures really do convey that it is a fairy tale of sorts that we are reading. I like that and find the pictures overall to be quite enjoyable and appealing.
Classroom Connections:
There are a lot of different things teachers could do with this book. For starters, a lot of kids are familiar with Disney's Cinderella and I think it would be nice to make a venn diagram and have the students compare and contrast the two stories finding what is similar and what is different about it. Since this book represents characters in a more multi-dimensional way, teachers could have the students pick out character traits for each of the main characters in the story (this doesn't just have to be Ella or Edna). Teachers could also have students describe each of the character's personality, encouraging them to use descriptive words, which will help with the character traits. As a writing activity, teachers could have students write about which character they liked and why. Did they like Cinderella or did they like Cinder Edna? I am sure the students could give a variety of different answers as to which character they liked better. I think it would be nice to see!
Summary:
This is a fragmented tale of Cinderella. It is basically the classic Cinderella with a few twists: Cinderella is not as one-dimensional as the classic and there is Cinder Edna, a girl who lives the same type of lifestyle as Cinderella, but has a more positive outlook on life and love and actually knows how to do stuff on her own. She is independent, buys her own dress for the ball and takes the bus, rather than relying on a fairy godmother. Both Cinderella and Cinder Edna attend the same ball, but both have different experiences. Cinderella meets a handsome prince and is smitten with him, while Edna thinks his lifestyle is rather boring since he just sits on his throne all day talking politics. Instead she meets Rupert, the prince's brother who is much more of a go-getter than his brother. Once the clock strikes 12 both the ladies leave and the lovers try to find them. In the end, both find their perspective brides and marry them in a double ceremony. However, it is not a happy ending for all of them. Ella is bored by her husband's lifestyle and Edna has a happy marriage with a husband who is her best friend. GIRL POWER!
Personal Response:
As I mentioned before: GIRL POWER! I love how this book treated women as independent, rather than someone who has to rely on others for help. I love that the characters in this book even Cinderella are not one-dimensional like the typical story that most kids watch from Disney. In a lot of ways it is more realistic (especially Cinder Edna) and I think kids will connect more with that. Edna is just like everyone else, she is average and not just some fantasy character. This book still has though fantasy elements, but is much more realistic. I also liked the not so happy ending for some of the characters. Very realistic, which I think is refreshing. I remember my teachers reading this book to us in elementary school and I remember liking it so it was nice to explore and read it once again from a teacher's perspective.
Descriptions of Illustrations:
Pictures are very fantastical and fits the concept of a fairy tale. The colors work well. It is not as vibrant as other illustrations I have seen, but the pictures really do convey that it is a fairy tale of sorts that we are reading. I like that and find the pictures overall to be quite enjoyable and appealing.
Classroom Connections:
There are a lot of different things teachers could do with this book. For starters, a lot of kids are familiar with Disney's Cinderella and I think it would be nice to make a venn diagram and have the students compare and contrast the two stories finding what is similar and what is different about it. Since this book represents characters in a more multi-dimensional way, teachers could have the students pick out character traits for each of the main characters in the story (this doesn't just have to be Ella or Edna). Teachers could also have students describe each of the character's personality, encouraging them to use descriptive words, which will help with the character traits. As a writing activity, teachers could have students write about which character they liked and why. Did they like Cinderella or did they like Cinder Edna? I am sure the students could give a variety of different answers as to which character they liked better. I think it would be nice to see!
emlickliter's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
5.0
Cinder Edna by Ellen Jackson – This is a really adorable twisted with a penny-loafer wearing leading lady who loses her shoe and has an adventure! Happy Reading!
valerielong's review against another edition
5.0
How many ways do you know of to cook a tuna casserole? If you’re Cinder Edna, you know 16 different ways!
I absolutely adore this book! I picked it up at my local library many years ago and was enthralled by it. When I saw it in a small town country store in West Virginia, I bought a copy for my own. Cinder Edna is a wonderful counterweight for all the princess fairy tales that are out there. Now, I have nothing against fairy tales. I personally love reading them and love reading re-tellings of them, but I also believe that there needs to be something to balance them. Something that teaches young girls that they have the power to make their own destinies and they don’t have to rely on a Fairy Godmother or Prince Charming. Cinder Edna does this.
Cinder Edna lives next door to Cinderella. She’s treated just as badly by her stepmother and stepsisters, but she doesn’t just take her fate lying down. She doesn’t sit in the cinders thinking about all her troubles. She learns to cook tuna casserole 16 different ways. She does odd jobs around the neighborhood. She takes the bus to the various places she needs to get to. Maybe she’s not as conventionally pretty as Cinderella, but she’s spunky and fun-loving. She marries a prince too, but not one who’s conceited and vain like Prince Charming; a down-to-earth man who loves her just like she is.
I HIGHLY recommend this book to all parents, caregivers, children, teachers, etc. It’s one of the best “alternate” fairy tales out there.
Originally posted on: Valerie's Musings
I absolutely adore this book! I picked it up at my local library many years ago and was enthralled by it. When I saw it in a small town country store in West Virginia, I bought a copy for my own. Cinder Edna is a wonderful counterweight for all the princess fairy tales that are out there. Now, I have nothing against fairy tales. I personally love reading them and love reading re-tellings of them, but I also believe that there needs to be something to balance them. Something that teaches young girls that they have the power to make their own destinies and they don’t have to rely on a Fairy Godmother or Prince Charming. Cinder Edna does this.
Cinder Edna lives next door to Cinderella. She’s treated just as badly by her stepmother and stepsisters, but she doesn’t just take her fate lying down. She doesn’t sit in the cinders thinking about all her troubles. She learns to cook tuna casserole 16 different ways. She does odd jobs around the neighborhood. She takes the bus to the various places she needs to get to. Maybe she’s not as conventionally pretty as Cinderella, but she’s spunky and fun-loving. She marries a prince too, but not one who’s conceited and vain like Prince Charming; a down-to-earth man who loves her just like she is.
I HIGHLY recommend this book to all parents, caregivers, children, teachers, etc. It’s one of the best “alternate” fairy tales out there.
Originally posted on: Valerie's Musings
jhamel's review against another edition
5.0
Delightful tale about two Cinderella figures. A really fun way to think about princesses. My edition did not reference a midget, it was rewritten with the word toad instead. Both my 4 & 7 year old loved it!
infin8jester's review against another edition
5.0
I remember reading this book as a kid and it pops up in my thoughts every so often, so when it came in a shipment tote at work today I obviously had to read it again. Edna is my freakin' GIRL. She is presented as a parallel to Cinderella-- they're neighbors who are both stuck living with/working for their stepmothers and stepsisters. However, while Cinderella is crying by the fireplace about her undesireable living situation, Edna is tuning that hardship into cold, hard SKILLS. Edna knows a ton of recipes for tuna casserole, has her own birdcage cleaning business on the side, and taught herself to play the accordion. While Cinderella is next door having a fairy godmother magic her to the ball, Edna is taking the bus to the same ball in a dress she put on layaway with her birdcage cleaning money. Edna is smart, interesting, and capable, and what she lacks in fairy godmothers she more than makes up for in agency. Edna is cool. Be like Edna.
mimifrancis's review against another edition
4.0
Cute book! I grabbed this book off of my mother-in-law's bookshelf and it was definitely a winner!
kiwiglory's review against another edition
Wonderful current take on the Cinderella story. It was cute and funny, comparing Edna and Ella and their happily ever after.
stellathereader's review against another edition
5.0
I read this when I was learning English. This book is cute and I am surprised I still remember this.