New Twists on Old Tales

 

Picture Books:

Auch, Mary Jane. The Princess and the Pizza (E AUC)
An out-of-work princess applies to become the bride of Prince Drupert, but first she must pass several tests, including a cooking contest.

Cole, Babette. Prince Cinders (E COL)
A fairy grants a small, skinny prince a change in appearance and the chance to go to the Palace Disco.

Emberley, Rebecca. Three Cool Kids (E EMB)
In the heart of a city an enormous rat tries to keep three goats from crossing the street.

Ernst, Lisa Campbell. Little Red Riding Hood: A Newfangled Prairie Tale (E ERN)
An updated version, set on the prairie, of the little girl, her grandmother, and a not-so-clever wolf.

Harris, Jim. Jack and the Giant (E HAR)
In the Southwest, Jack uses his quick wits to outsmart the giant cattle rustler, Wild Bill Hiccup.

Jackson, Ellen B. Cinder Edna (E JAC)
Cinderella and Cinder Edna both end up with the prince of her dreams, but one is happier then the other.

Johnston, Tony. Bigfoot Cinderrrrrella (E JOH)
A mistreated step-child finds happiness and the “man” of her dreams in a forest full of Bigfoot characters.

Kellogg, Steven. The Three Little Pigs (E KEL)
Serafina Sow starts a waffle business to help her offspring prepare for the future, including a surly wolf.

Ketteman, Helen. Bubba the Cowboy Prince (E KET)
In Texas, the fairy godmother is a cow, and the hero, named Bubba, is the stepson of a wicked rancher.

Ketteman, Helen. Waynetta and the Cornstalk (E KET)
A retelling of "Jack and the Beanstalk" which features a Texas cowgirl, a magic cornstalk, and a giant cowboy in the clouds.

Kimmel, Eric A. The Three Cabritos (E KIM)
Retells, with a southwestern United States setting, the traditional tale about three billy goat brothers who trick a beast that lives under the bridge.

Lowell, Susan. Little Red Cowboy Hat ( E LOW)
In the Southwest, Little Red rides her pony to Grandma’s ranch with a jar of cactus jelly in a saddlebag.

Lowell, Susan. The Three Little Javelinas (E LOW)
A southwestern adaptation of "The Three Little Pigs."

Lowell, Susan. Dusty Locks and the Three Bears (E LOW)
A Western-style retelling of the traditional tale about a little girl who finds the house of bear family and makes herself at home.

McLenighan, Valjean. You Can Go Jump (FR MCL)
An easy-to-read cartoon rendition of “the Frog Prince” which ends with a new twist.

Minters, Frances. Sleepless Beauty (E MIN)
Beauty outwits the wicked witch and arranges for her own happy ending.

Munsch, Robert. The Paper Bag Princess (E MUN)
A dragon kidnaps Prince Ronald and Princess Elizabeth must rescue him dressed in a paper bag.

Osborne, Will and Mary Pope Osborne. Sleeping Bobby (E OSB)
A retelling of the Grimm tale featuring a handsome prince who is put into a deep sleep by a curse until he is awakened by the kiss of a brave princess.

Scieszka, Jon. The Frog Prince, Continued (E SCI)
When the frog-turned-prince and the Princess don’t live happily ever after, the Prince looks for a solution.

Scieszka, Jon. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by A. Wolf (E SCI)
The wolf gives his own version of what really happened when he tangled with the three little pigs.

Stanley, Diane. Rumpelstiltskin’s Daughter (E STA)
Rumpelstiltskin's daughter may not be able to spin straw into gold, but she is more than a match for a monarch whose greed has blighted an entire kingdom.

Squires, Janet. The Gingerbread Cowboy (E SQU)
A freshly baked gingerbread cowboy escapes from the rancher's wife's kitchen and eludes his pursuers in this western United States version of the "Gingerbread Boy."

Trivizas, Eugene. The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig (E TRI)
An altered retelling of the traditional tale about the conflict between pig and wolf--with a surprise ending.

Yolen, Jane. Sleeping Ugly (READER YOL)
When beautiful Princess Miserella, Plain Jane, and a fairy fall under a sleeping spell, a prince undoes the spell in a surprising way.

Chapter Books:

Levine, Gail Carson. Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep (JF LEV)
In this retelling of the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty, Princess Sonora, who is ten times smarter than anyone else, vows to choose for herself the best time to be pricked by the spindle.

Levine, Gail Carson. The Princess Test (JF LEV)
In this humorous retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Princess and the Pea," Lorelei must pass many difficult tests in order to prove that she is a true princess and win the hand of Prince Nicholas.

Mass, Wendy. Rapunzel : The One With All the Hair (JF MAS) (PB)
Rapunzel is having the ultimate bad day. She's been stolen from home by an evil witch, locked in an incredibly high tower, and doesn't even have a decent brush for her hair. Prince Benjamin is in a pretty uncomfortable situation himself. His father wants him to be more kingly, his mother wants him to never leave her sight, and his cousin wants to get him into as much trouble as possible. Plus, there's the little matter of prearranged marriages. Both Rapunzel and Prince Benjamin are trapped . . . in very different ways. It's only when their paths cross that things change.

Mass, Wendy. Sleeping Beauty : The One Who Took the Really Long Nap (JF MAS) (PB)
It's not easy being Princess Rose. Especially when a fairy curses you and you find yourself avoiding all sharp objects . . . and then end up pricking your finger anyway, causing you to slumber for a hundred years or so. And it's not easy being The Prince. Especially when your mother has some ogre blood and tends to chow down at the most unfortunate moments. A walk in the woods would help, you think. Until you find a certain hidden castle . . . and a certain sleeping princess.

McKinley, Robin. Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast (JF MCK)
Kind Beauty grows to love the Beast at whose castle she is compelled to stay and through her love releases him from the spell which had turned him from a handsome prince into an ugly beast.

O”Malley, Kevin. Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude (JF OMA)
Cooperatively writing a fairy tale for school, a girl imagines a beautiful princess whose beloved ponies are being stolen by a giant, and a boy conjures up the muscular biker who will guard the last pony in exchange for gold.

AND you can always find all of you favorite fairytales in the
398.2 section of Youth Services!