Cinderelephant

by Emma Dodd

A classic tale with a gigantic twist!"Cinderelephant, make my breakfast!""Cinderelephant, mop the floor!"Poor Cinderelephant! The Warty Sisters never say please or thank you (how rude!), and when she asks to go to the grand ball, they just laugh. "Whoever would want to dance with YOU?"Little do they know, Cinderelephant has a Furry Godmouse on her side! And with a little help... and the right pair of shoes... anything is possible.

Genres: Picture Books, Fairy Tales, Animals, Childrens, Cinderella, Storytime, Fractured Fairy Tales

32 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2012

About the author

Emma Dodd Author/Illustrator

Emma was brought up in Guildford, Surrey, in a family of artists and from as far back as she can remember she has wanted to be an illustrator.
Emma studied Graphic Design and Illustration at Central Saint Martin's School of Art and has worked extensively in advertising, editorial and book illustration.
She was nominated for the Booktrust Early Years Award in 2006 for her book "What Pet to Get" and in 2009 for "Miaow said the Cow"
Emma lives in Surrey with her husband and two children, who provide inspiration for her work, and their Jack Russel Terrier, Bart, who keeps her fit. She likes to spend any spare time in North Cornwall, surfing and walking in all weathers.

Reviews

[Just a Girl Fighting Censorship · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really hate rating this a 1 because it makes me feel like a jerk but I just really did not like this one. The writing was awkward and stale and unimaginative. With the exception of some weight jokes the story of Cinderella was not altered but rather restated with a mix of random animals.

There were so many things this author could have done. For example maybe if the author picked just one other animal to juxtapose the large 'Cinderelephant' like tall sleek giraffes. And instead of doing the shoes fitting (which is ridiculous since she is the only other elephant) the author could have given the reader the unexpected making the dance a masquerade ball or just having the prince show up at our heroine's door proclaiming she forgot something and returning her shoe.

So much potential squandered.

Also not a huge fan of the illustrations.

[Kendra · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's really not a difference from the traditional story, besides the characters all being animals and the use of pretty much every synonym for "big". I know this won't bother everyone but it kind of annoyed me that the Prince wasn't interested in anyone who wasn't like him. He was an elephant and so only the elephant was "his type". It would have been cool if she were a giraffe or something.

[Julia Betman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book on the School Library Journal website. This book is a twist on the traditional Cinderella story by having Cinderella be an elephant named Cinderelephant and the two cousins she lives with being warthogs. Like the stepsisters in the original Cinderella story, the warthogs (the Warty sisters) are mean to Cinderelephant. The Warty Sisters made Cinderelephant do all of the chores. The invitation arrives about the prince having a ball to look for a wife; however, the Warty sisters go to the ball and leave Cinderelephant behind. A furry godmouse changes everything for Cinderelphant! The furry godmouse uses magic to get Cinderelephant all dressed up for the ball. Cinderelephant dances with the prince and he falls in love with her. However, she left the ball at midnight and dropped her shoe. The prince looks all around for the girl of his dreams and finally finds that Cinderelephant fits perfectly in the shoe! They get married and live happily ever after.

This book has a great twist on the original story by using animals instead of people. In addition, the shoe is too big for everyone instead of too small. The shoe being too big on everyone shows a new point of view for beauty. This book shows that everyone is beautiful no matter what size you are, a lesson on body image, that is often portrayed in the opposite way in every other princess book.

This book can be used to compare and contrast to the original fairy tale of Cinderella. The students can use a Venn diagram to find and write the similarities and differences between the two stories. This book is a great read-aloud for students in kindergarten to second grade and can even be used with older grades to discuss body image and the way that traditional literature tends to portray women.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cinderelephant lives with her two horrible cousins, the Warty (warthog) Sisters, who make her do all of the usual drudgery. When she finally makes it to the ball, courtesy of her Fairy Godmouse, Prince Trunky (also an elephant) is delighted to see someone he might ask to dance without fear of squashing her. The shoe she leaves behind is, literally, impossible for anyone else to fill, thus leading to her happy reunion with the Prince. Cinderelephant is a cheery and entertaining addition to the Cinderella canon. The collage-style illustrations are drawn with broad strokes and feature plenty of princess-y colors as well as amusing details. Younger children will enjoy the colorful, large-scale illustrations, while older students will chuckle at the "big" jokes embedded in the story and the irony in having a mouse as her fairy godmother. As a stand-alone read aloud or an introduction to "fractured" fairy tales, Cinderelephant is a solid addition to a picture book collection.

Reviewed from ARC.

[Susan S.C.C.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This version was silly and had my granddaughter laughing. Not the Cinderella story as I always imagined it, but a funny fractured version with Warty Step-sisters and a Furry Godmouse.

[Payton C · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book on Dr. Quiroa's Goodreads Shelves. I read the Ebook on Hoopla through my local library. Cinder-Elephant twists the traditional tale using humor. The story starts the same with Cinderella working for her step mother and step sisters when the palace announces a ball for the Prince to find his wife. When the Fairy Godmother makes an appearance, things take a turn as she mishears Cinderella and grants her silly things instead of what Cinderella really wants. For example, Cinderella asks for a coach to get to the ball and the Fairy Godmother gets her giant roach! You can only imagine what Cinderella turns into! Cinderella is too embarrassed to correct her Fairy Godmother, but it has a happy ending.

This book would be well-suited for Kindergarten through Second Grade students. I would not read this book without making sure they are familiar with the traditional tale first. This version has comedic twists and turns to make the book more entertaining and students will not understand it fully without the background knowledge of the traditional story. All children will be able to read it, but it will reach its full potential if they have previous experience with the tale. It could be used to talk about how we need to be clear when we speak, but to also speak up if someone does something wrong! Students could also practice comparing and contrasting with this book and the traditional tale.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cinderella gets yet another makeover in this updated retelling of the classic and beloved tale. Cinderelelephant resides not with two stepsisters but with two wicked cousins that just happen to be warthogs. She is left at home the night of the ball until her Furry Godmouse performs the requisite magic and she’s off to the ball, not in a glass coach but a stretch limo. Prince Trunky, who just happens to be an elephant, is not impressed with the veritable zoo that has come to his ball. He is delighted when Cinderelephant arrives. The rest of the story follows the traditional tack, with the only difference being the “slipper” is way too large for all the princess hopefuls. Visual jokes and wordplay abound, as do numerous synonyms for “big”. The story conveys gentle lessons about the importance of dreams and individuality. The oversized cartoon illustrations on ample spreads fit this tale perfectly. Older readers will get more of the humor than the very young. If you need additional renderings of classic tales, this title is okay.

[Bmah1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comical and satirical retelling of Cinderella that has animal characters. Cinderelephant lives with her boar sisters called the Warty sisters. Other characters depicted in the ball room scene include zebras, alligators and goats. The events of the story is modified to include jokes that make fun of Cinderelephant's weight such as her slipper being too fat for anyone to fit. The names of the characters are hilarious as well: Cinderelephant, Furry Godmouse, Queen Wrinkly and King Saggy.

The illustrations are amusing itself and will make children audiences laugh. Some examples is the sparkling limo, the D.J. giraffe and over the top humorous pictures that cover the entire page.

I enjoyed reading the book and recommend it to anyone who wants to read for children. You will have a blast.

[Adriana Escamilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic tale with a gigantic twist!
"Cinderelephant, make my breakfast!"
"Cinderelephant, mop the floor!"

Poor Cinderelephant! The Warty Sisters never say please or thank you (how rude!), and when she asks to go to the grand ball, they just laugh. "Whoever would want to dance with YOU?"

Little do they know, Cinderelephant has a Furry Godmouse on her side! And with a little help... and the right pair of shoes... anything is possible.


Teaching Ideas: This would be a fun book to teach in a creative writing class for high school students. There are a lot of puns and other plays on words that older students could analyze to help them write their own word plays. It's also a fun spin on a classic--it would be a good read aloud with elementary students to complement other versions of Cinderella.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a hard book to review. I picked it up because I like fairy tales and my daughter loves elephants... so this had to be great, right?

The illustrations were actually not very appealing - it proportioned everyone kind of weird and had ugly wart hogs and such. It's just not my style of illustrations.

It followed the Cinderella storyline perfectly. I just wasn't fond of the animals it choose - for instance the warty hog sisters. But I guess it does fit with the "Ugly" step sisters. The shoe was gigantic. So that was a little different than the real story. But it had a happy ending as usual.

I have a hard time with this because it's a decent kids version of Cinderella (especially if you enjoy elephants), I just couldn't get in to the illustrations and some of the dialogue and such. Overall a decent read - but not one I need to own.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poor Cinderelephant! Like her fairy tale predecessor, this mild-mannered elephant works hard all day, keeping things clean and cooking for her selfish warthog cousins. The girls head off to Prince Trunky's ball, leaving Cinderelephant behind. But wait! Her Furry Godmouse can't have that, and conjures up clothing, shoes, and a stretch limousine. In the end, the bedazzled shoe she leaves behind at the ball fits her foot when the prince comes looking for her, and yes, to no one's surprise, they live happily ever after. Readers, young and old, may enjoy the visual humor provided by some of the book's digital illustrations. I always enjoy looking at the endpapers of books, and in this case there are framed portraits of the characters on display.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a fan of Emma Dodd's illustrations and her books. This time she takes the familiar tale of Cinderella, adds some modern updates, and substitutes safari animals for people. And it's cute and silly. I feel like it could have been a little more original. As others have mentioned in their reviews, having the prince be a different animal than an elephant would add diversity and make the story more surprising. It was a little odd that the royal family and Cinderelephant were the only elephants in the kingdom. The prince didn't think any of the other animals were his type, so of course Cinderelephant would be the chosen bride. Minor criticism aside, my preschooler definitely enjoyed it and it's fun to read aloud.

[Hannah Lassey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very popular among reception children during my placement. It's an interesting twist on the popular 'Cinderella' tale. Instead of the well known characters there is 'Prince Trunky' on the look out for a bride. Cinderelephant could be the elephant of his dreams yet she is thwarted by her horrible Warty step sisters.

I would say that the book is more appropriate as a 'storytime' book as some of the language is quite complex and it would be hard for children to read it independently at the age it is intended for. The illustrations are really well done and the children enjoyed looking at the various animals. It's actually quite entertaining and funny for adults too!

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This twist on the classic fairytale Cinderella casts an elephant as the lead. This version moves faster than other versions in that right after meeting the Furry Godmouse Cinderelephant is magically transformed and heading off to the ball by the next page instead of each transformation happening one at a time.

I loved the animal casting the best in this version. Using warthogs as the Ugly Stepsisters worked very well and having a Furry Godmouse was such a cute twist on the character's name plus having a magic tale is really awesome.

Digital illustrations. PreK-2.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations remind me a little of Lauren Child (but a bit neater), which tends to appeal to kids. The story of course is your basic Cinderella, but with elephants as the romantic duo. This is the only version I have seen where it makes sense that no one else fit that shoe. :-) A couple of spots of humor meant for the older kids--I can just hear them giggling when she is trying to get into the limo. Not my favorite, but not bad. Will definitely please many. Just now one I want to use in storytime.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

The retelling in this book was interesting. Instead of the dainty beautiful young girl you normally see in the story of Cinderella you have a huge elephant. She still is a kind loving girl but her problem is that she does not fit in like the rest of the people at the ball. The prince is actually an elephant too and worried about squashing the small animal ladies that came to the ball. When Cinderelephant came they were the perfect match. The shoe she left behind was giant and only fit her giant foot. This book can teach children that beauty comes in different shape and sizes.

[Chelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always been a fan of Cinderella, and Cinderelephant was a very cute change from the normal fairytale that we all have come to know. I liked how the author incorporated animals rather than humans to make it more different than the traditional tale. I would have liked it a little bit more if the Prince (also an elephant) had been a different animal to show a little bit more diversity in the story when he fell in love with Cinderelephant. It can also help give children who may have problems with their weight some confidence in finding friends.

[Chelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pleasant Cinderella tale with charming illustrations and enough vocabulary to make it properly challenging for the youngest readers. I liked that Cinderella is an elephant and several remarks are made to her size. The message of a larger girl being happy with herself and being seen as beautiful should not be undervalued. Otherwise, this is a story just for fun and sure to be enjoyed by little ones.

[Maddy Gum · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the fact that it is something a little different than your normal princess story and the fact that it uses animals rather than people. I think this would help the little girls obsessed with only princess books to find something different that could also interest them and hopefully convince them to try and read other books than just the princess books. Although I do wish that the prince was not only attracted to the elephant so it would encourage diversity.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderfully imaginative take on the Cinderella story. Instead of Cinderella having small feet and figure, she is an elephant in this story and her size is what attracts the prince to her! (Everyone else might get squished). This is a great vocabulary builder, and there are some fun puns, also. Fun and enjoyable!

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a silly and humorous adaptation of Cinderella in which Cinderella is, of course, an elephant. Her wicked stepsisters are the Warty Sisters (warthogs), and her furry godmouse is male. There are a number of humorous references to an elephant's size. The illustrations are playful an quite fun. An enjoyable read.

[Jaimie Frantz · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Cinderelephant" was not quite the book I had thought it would be. I knew that it was going to be a run off of Cinderella, but I did not like this book. The book had great illustrations but the story of Cinderella was crammed in and a lot of information was missing. There were a few laughs in some parts of the book because of the puns used. I would not read this to children in my classroom.

[Jennifer Heise · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty normative version of the Cinderella story, except that Cinderella-- and her prince-- are elephants, while other characters are different animals. As a result, Cinderelephant is fatter and has bigger feet than the stepsisters and pretty much anyone else at the ball-- so young princess-lovers are subtly left with the message that princesses and princes come in many sizes.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dodd's adaptation of Cinderella is a great introduction to the classic tale. The bright, bold illustrations will capture the younger readers' attention while the humor will hook early elementary readers.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just like the traditional tale poor Cinderella (an elephant in this version) is overworked by her cousins (two warthogs in this version). Readers will enjoy hearing a new twist to this traditional tale.

[Elaine Shipley-pope · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just read this book to my two year old daughter. She was able to understand the concept and she enjoyed it. Cinderelephant is a twist on the classic cinderella tale. Basically all the characters have been replaced with African animals. It was a quick and easy read.

[Marcie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Traditional cinderella with twist of elephant characters and a few jokes with synonyms for huge. British will probably love the butt jokes and although I liked the illustrations this one didn't quite do it for me.

[Emily Bridenstine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It brought a modern feel into the classic Cinderella story and added a bit of fun by making Cinderella an elephant. I thought it was super cute that she had fabulous stilettos instead of glass slippers. The illustrations are also interesting and very whimsical and fun.

[Shannon Holzapfel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was a cute book. It was a different and creative take on an old story that all children love. I think students will like this version because it is with animals instead of the normal story they are used to hearing.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

My kids have enjoyed reading this several times in the weeks we've had it from the library. It's just like the traditional fairytale but the fun little references to size, because it's about elephants, make it special.