#205 of 1001 · February 21, 2021

I’ve decided to try something new. Whereas in 2020 I featured only one version of each tale type (only one Snow White, only one Jack and the Beanstalk), I will spend this entire week reviewing seven different book versions of the same fairy tale. And this week’s tale shall be none other than that most widespread and beloved of stories: Cinderella. First up is Marcia Brown’s classic adaptation. The text, described as “a free translation from the French of Charles Perrault”, retains much of the wording and flavor of its source material, including the stepsisters’ fine outfits (one wears lace-trimmed red velvet, the other a gold cloak and a diamond headpiece) and the fairy godmother’s transformation of a pumpkin into a carriage, mice into horses, a rat into a coachman, lizards into footmen, and Cinderella’s rags into a gown of rare beauty. Also preserved is the little-known detail that only the younger stepsister uses the name “Cendrillon” (“Cinderella”), while the rest of the family call her “Culcendron” (literally “Cinder-Ass”, which Brown euphemistically renders as “Cinderseat”). Through loose, energetic line art and pale washes of color, the illustrations convey a light and jovial fairy tale atmosphere. #cinderella #glass #slipper #fairy #godmother #fairygodmother #magic #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbooks #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookillustrations #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks