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Have Courage, Be Kind: The Tale of Cinderella
Ella is different than most young women in the kingdom. She can quote any Shakespearean play. She befriends every animal she meets, including the scurrying mice living in the walls. She believes in the power of kindness, in changing customs that are not so kind. Ella has faced unspeakable tragedy and loss, and is at the mercy of her cruel stepfamily. And yet, Ella tries to keep a brave face, no matter how difficult this becomes.
Kit has always been deemed a "dreamer." He values peace above all else. He's never understood the point of certain royal traditions and rituals. He'd rather spend time in his mother's garden than learn to fence or sit for a portrait. And as a prince, this has been somewhat problematic.
This is a story about kindness and courage, about love lost and love found, about the power of names. This is the story of Cinderella.
Kit has always been deemed a "dreamer." He values peace above all else. He's never understood the point of certain royal traditions and rituals. He'd rather spend time in his mother's garden than learn to fence or sit for a portrait. And as a prince, this has been somewhat problematic.
This is a story about kindness and courage, about love lost and love found, about the power of names. This is the story of Cinderella.
279 pages, Hardcover
First published January 27, 2015
226 people are currently reading
1736 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 147 reviews
March 14, 2015
"Have courage, and be kind. Where there is kindness, there is goodness. And where there is goodness, there is magic."
I won't lie, I picked this book up for two very shallow reasons; the first being that I was utterly captivated by the beautiful cover, and the second being that I am really excited for the movie to come out this weekend! :P But in any case, I was really happy to have gotten this, because it was a delightful book and I enjoyed every minute of reading it!
It is set up as the same basic Cinderella storyline that we all know and love, but with more details. The character is Ella is jut wonderful, and I found myself really caring about her as a person; much more so than in any previous incarnation in which I read/watched.
So all in all, if you love fairytales and happy endings, this is definately something you would enjoy!
I won't lie, I picked this book up for two very shallow reasons; the first being that I was utterly captivated by the beautiful cover, and the second being that I am really excited for the movie to come out this weekend! :P But in any case, I was really happy to have gotten this, because it was a delightful book and I enjoyed every minute of reading it!
It is set up as the same basic Cinderella storyline that we all know and love, but with more details. The character is Ella is jut wonderful, and I found myself really caring about her as a person; much more so than in any previous incarnation in which I read/watched.
So all in all, if you love fairytales and happy endings, this is definately something you would enjoy!
February 18, 2016
Reasons why I bought this:
1) It's a fairytale
2) I like almost any fairytale interpretation
3) It's basically a written version of the movie which I absolutely loved.
This Cinderella tale is a romantic and beautiful (and heavy!) rendition of the fairytale, with wonderful illustrations. While I enjoy different interpretations of fairytales, I loved the fact that the movie and the book stayed true to the classic Cinderella plot.
I loved the 2 viewpoints from which the story was told: that of Cinderella and the Prince, rather than Cinderella alone. It helped to flesh out the character of the Prince as well as the immediate people around him. Also, the changes in setting and characters as the story moved back and forth between both viewpoints kept the story interesting.
The extra details added depth to the overall story and aided in character development. Although I had seen the movie before and thoroughly enjoyed it, films cannot properly convey the thoughts of the characters and to some extent emotions. I remember when I watched the movie, in the scene where Cinderella arrives at the ball and Kit sees her, I wondered what he was thinking, how he felt. In numerous other scenes too, I wondered, and this book happily satisfied that curiosity.
The Prince in this story is more real, not some cardboard cutout. He struggles with what is expected of him and how he truly feels. He quietly fights to be his own person rather than being controlled by others who seem to have hidden agendas. The effort he puts in and the lengths he goes to to find the ''mysterious princess'' from the ball shows how deeply he loves her; his determination to find her ''even if she didn't love him, he could live with that'', but simply to ensure that she was okay shows his selfless nature.
This tale highlights and explores Cinderella's hardships, the cruelty of her step-family and how she bore her burdens. No matter what they or life threw at her, she did not let her unfortunate circumstances break her spirit. Even in her grey moments, she had a positive outlook on life and always strived to be courageous and kind.
Overall, a truly inspiring and delightful book that children and fairytale-loving adults can enjoy!
1) It's a fairytale
2) I like almost any fairytale interpretation
3) It's basically a written version of the movie which I absolutely loved.
This Cinderella tale is a romantic and beautiful (and heavy!) rendition of the fairytale, with wonderful illustrations. While I enjoy different interpretations of fairytales, I loved the fact that the movie and the book stayed true to the classic Cinderella plot.
I loved the 2 viewpoints from which the story was told: that of Cinderella and the Prince, rather than Cinderella alone. It helped to flesh out the character of the Prince as well as the immediate people around him. Also, the changes in setting and characters as the story moved back and forth between both viewpoints kept the story interesting.
The extra details added depth to the overall story and aided in character development. Although I had seen the movie before and thoroughly enjoyed it, films cannot properly convey the thoughts of the characters and to some extent emotions. I remember when I watched the movie, in the scene where Cinderella arrives at the ball and Kit sees her, I wondered what he was thinking, how he felt. In numerous other scenes too, I wondered, and this book happily satisfied that curiosity.
The Prince in this story is more real, not some cardboard cutout. He struggles with what is expected of him and how he truly feels. He quietly fights to be his own person rather than being controlled by others who seem to have hidden agendas. The effort he puts in and the lengths he goes to to find the ''mysterious princess'' from the ball shows how deeply he loves her; his determination to find her ''even if she didn't love him, he could live with that'', but simply to ensure that she was okay shows his selfless nature.
This tale highlights and explores Cinderella's hardships, the cruelty of her step-family and how she bore her burdens. No matter what they or life threw at her, she did not let her unfortunate circumstances break her spirit. Even in her grey moments, she had a positive outlook on life and always strived to be courageous and kind.
Overall, a truly inspiring and delightful book that children and fairytale-loving adults can enjoy!
October 18, 2023
So lovely and just like the new movie :) I love Cinderella’s character and how she embodies kindness and courage so well.
Updated review:
I just finished my reread of this story & it was just as sweet as the first time. Adorable and heartwarming in every way 💛
Updated review:
I just finished my reread of this story & it was just as sweet as the first time. Adorable and heartwarming in every way 💛
July 21, 2019
Reread: I had a terribly bad day today and needed the healing power of this story. And I feel so much better now. Thank you for this magical piece of love and kindness!
----
It's hard to say when Cinderella became one of my favorite fairytales. It must be at a very young age, when I identified with her. Although my parents and brother were lovely, my classmates were more often not and it felt comforting that even a fairytale princess had to endure such things. And I can't imagine how much impact it would have had if I had read and seen this version when I was still in school.
This book is everything I had hoped it would be and a million things more. Firstly: The hardcover edition is gorgeous. The drawings are beautiful and they really brought the story to life and in everything the book looks and feels like a true fairytale.
But, it's not just the outside that's pretty and beautiful. It's totally the story itself too! The book captures the movie, the dialogues, the scenery and the exchanged looks and then it adds more and more and more. I really loved those extra scenes that we didn't get to see and the depth the thought process of both main characters added to everything and most of all their relationship.
If I had not already fallen in love with Kit and Ella, I would have fallen in love with them while reading this book. I will certainly read this over and over and over again!
----
It's hard to say when Cinderella became one of my favorite fairytales. It must be at a very young age, when I identified with her. Although my parents and brother were lovely, my classmates were more often not and it felt comforting that even a fairytale princess had to endure such things. And I can't imagine how much impact it would have had if I had read and seen this version when I was still in school.
This book is everything I had hoped it would be and a million things more. Firstly: The hardcover edition is gorgeous. The drawings are beautiful and they really brought the story to life and in everything the book looks and feels like a true fairytale.
But, it's not just the outside that's pretty and beautiful. It's totally the story itself too! The book captures the movie, the dialogues, the scenery and the exchanged looks and then it adds more and more and more. I really loved those extra scenes that we didn't get to see and the depth the thought process of both main characters added to everything and most of all their relationship.
If I had not already fallen in love with Kit and Ella, I would have fallen in love with them while reading this book. I will certainly read this over and over and over again!
April 18, 2023
Where there is kindness, there is goodness. And where there is goodness, there is magic.
A perfectly short and sweet Cinderella story.♡ It's essentially a novelized version of the 2013 film with a few extra bits sprinkled in. I really enjoyed how it gives a little bit of a deeper look into the thoughts and emotions of Ella and Kit throughout the story, and I liked the few extra scenes the author added in. And the illustrations are really lovely, too.
A perfectly short and sweet Cinderella story.♡ It's essentially a novelized version of the 2013 film with a few extra bits sprinkled in. I really enjoyed how it gives a little bit of a deeper look into the thoughts and emotions of Ella and Kit throughout the story, and I liked the few extra scenes the author added in. And the illustrations are really lovely, too.
November 19, 2015
Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.
-English proverb
I ADORED this book. It was so sweet and lovely, and was true to the spirit of the movie. I loved the little added tidbits. Because this book was published by Disney and based on the live action adaptation, I accept this book as canon.
I borrowed this book from the library as an ebook, but if I had money I would definitely buy it.
Some Interesting Tidbits mentioned:
-Ella is a voracious reader (she's very well-read and she reads Shakespeare and the classics (Don Quixote, Paradise Lost). She identifies with characters and often names her pet mice after them. She studied philosophy with her father - Plato, Aristotle. She is also fluent in multiple languages (French, Spanish, Italian). She has books on Mathematics, Philosophy and History. Ella is highly intelligent.
-Names of her mice: Matilda, Edna, Jacqueline, Gus, Jacob, Esau
-Name of horses: Galahad (Ella's), Guildenstern (Kit's)
-Flora is the name of the family's cook! I'm positive that's a nod to one of the fairies from Sleeping Beauty.
-Kit's dad is King Frederick
"Punctuality is the politeness of princes."
--------
I really love the embellishments on the screenplay, how the writer describes Cinderella's black ribbon she wears when she mourns for her father.
There were so many tiny and beautiful embellishments in this book. It is such a treasure.
-----
I'm just re-reading the part where the stepsisters and Lady Tremaine rip Cinderella's dress. I'm not sure which is more painful - watching the scene, or reading about it. When you read the book, you can truly see how abusive they are. I can't even type a quotation of what they said to Ella, it is just so, so cruel.
-----
The scene where Fairy Godmother makes Cinderella's dress is so magical in the book, you can just see it happen on the screen.
-----
One thing I have to say about this book that I DIDN'T like. I didn't like how the Princess Chalina was described upon meeting kit. She is described as being condescending, and her teeth like "a tiger on the prowl".
In the movie, the Princess Chalina was lovely. She wasn't power hungry or anything like that. She was just betrothed to Kit, and she was not his true love. She wasn't a bad person at all. So I felt that description of her in the book was not necessary. We already had Anastasia and Drisella juxtaposed with Cinderella, we didn't need to have another woman to be depicted as "bad" in order to raise Cinderella up.
----
I liked the little "added" scenes, like where the Grand Duke finds Cinderella in her rags and questions her, knowing that there's something magical about her, all the while, Cinderella is hiding the glass slipper behind her back. I don't know why, but that was lovely. I would have liked that to happen in the movie.
There were actually some very interesting interactions with the Grand Duke and the other characters that would have been nice to see in the movie, between the King, G.D. and Kit, especially.
-----
There is a new verse to Lavender's Blue that Cinderella made up herself. This verse was not in the movie, so it was lovely to read and imagine her singing.
The sheep are grazing, dilly dilly,
The pretty sparrows soar,
'Nothing will come of nothing' dilly dilly,
So I shall do more.
A beautiful nod to the quotation from King Lear and how it relates to her father, the requests from the stepsisters, and Ella's request. Also a lovely nod to the quotation game Ella and her father used to play. You can really see that her father, and her mother, are always with her, even when everything is taken away from her (i.e. her stepmother shattering the glass slipper, her mother's dress ripped by her horrible stepsisters, etc.) Kindness is free, love is free, and those two things are not contingent on material possessions, as their very essence is to be free.
----
The Captain is promoted to the title of Grand Duke, as the previous G.D. is banished for his treachery.
----
This book is so perfect. I'm just going to put in a few pictures.
There are lots of other pretty pictures, you should totally buy the book to see the rest :) ♥
-English proverb
I ADORED this book. It was so sweet and lovely, and was true to the spirit of the movie. I loved the little added tidbits. Because this book was published by Disney and based on the live action adaptation, I accept this book as canon.
I borrowed this book from the library as an ebook, but if I had money I would definitely buy it.
Some Interesting Tidbits mentioned:
-Ella is a voracious reader (she's very well-read and she reads Shakespeare and the classics (Don Quixote, Paradise Lost). She identifies with characters and often names her pet mice after them. She studied philosophy with her father - Plato, Aristotle. She is also fluent in multiple languages (French, Spanish, Italian). She has books on Mathematics, Philosophy and History. Ella is highly intelligent.
-Names of her mice: Matilda, Edna, Jacqueline, Gus, Jacob, Esau
-Name of horses: Galahad (Ella's), Guildenstern (Kit's)
-Flora is the name of the family's cook! I'm positive that's a nod to one of the fairies from Sleeping Beauty.
-Kit's dad is King Frederick
"Punctuality is the politeness of princes."
--------
I really love the embellishments on the screenplay, how the writer describes Cinderella's black ribbon she wears when she mourns for her father.
There were so many tiny and beautiful embellishments in this book. It is such a treasure.
-----
I'm just re-reading the part where the stepsisters and Lady Tremaine rip Cinderella's dress. I'm not sure which is more painful - watching the scene, or reading about it. When you read the book, you can truly see how abusive they are. I can't even type a quotation of what they said to Ella, it is just so, so cruel.
-----
The scene where Fairy Godmother makes Cinderella's dress is so magical in the book, you can just see it happen on the screen.
-----
One thing I have to say about this book that I DIDN'T like. I didn't like how the Princess Chalina was described upon meeting kit. She is described as being condescending, and her teeth like "a tiger on the prowl".
In the movie, the Princess Chalina was lovely. She wasn't power hungry or anything like that. She was just betrothed to Kit, and she was not his true love. She wasn't a bad person at all. So I felt that description of her in the book was not necessary. We already had Anastasia and Drisella juxtaposed with Cinderella, we didn't need to have another woman to be depicted as "bad" in order to raise Cinderella up.
----
I liked the little "added" scenes, like where the Grand Duke finds Cinderella in her rags and questions her, knowing that there's something magical about her, all the while, Cinderella is hiding the glass slipper behind her back. I don't know why, but that was lovely. I would have liked that to happen in the movie.
There were actually some very interesting interactions with the Grand Duke and the other characters that would have been nice to see in the movie, between the King, G.D. and Kit, especially.
-----
There is a new verse to Lavender's Blue that Cinderella made up herself. This verse was not in the movie, so it was lovely to read and imagine her singing.
The sheep are grazing, dilly dilly,
The pretty sparrows soar,
'Nothing will come of nothing' dilly dilly,
So I shall do more.
A beautiful nod to the quotation from King Lear and how it relates to her father, the requests from the stepsisters, and Ella's request. Also a lovely nod to the quotation game Ella and her father used to play. You can really see that her father, and her mother, are always with her, even when everything is taken away from her (i.e. her stepmother shattering the glass slipper, her mother's dress ripped by her horrible stepsisters, etc.) Kindness is free, love is free, and those two things are not contingent on material possessions, as their very essence is to be free.
----
The Captain is promoted to the title of Grand Duke, as the previous G.D. is banished for his treachery.
----
This book is so perfect. I'm just going to put in a few pictures.
There are lots of other pretty pictures, you should totally buy the book to see the rest :) ♥
October 12, 2023
This book was so sweet 🥹
June 28, 2016
A fantastic chapter book for middle grade readers! Based on the screenplay by Chris Weitz, this chapter book is perfect for fans of the movie, Cinderella, which was released in 2015. Everything fans loved about the movie, is now in book form. This book is the perfect edition for Cinderella fans of all ages. Also included in this book are the same beautiful illustrations featured in the picture book, which is also based on the movie. I love it when a book reads just like a movie. This is a book we loved, and one we'd highly recommend picking up!
Our favorite quotes from this book:
"We must simply have courage and be kind, mustn't we?"
"Just because it's what's done, doesn't mean it's what should be done".
Our favorite quotes from this book:
"We must simply have courage and be kind, mustn't we?"
"Just because it's what's done, doesn't mean it's what should be done".
March 30, 2015
I'm a self-professed Disney fangirl, so I couldn't resist getting a copy of this book! There are a couple of other reasons why I couldn't resist it! First, it was a gorgeous hardcover with illustrations throughout! Second, it's a written version of the new live action adaptation of Cinderella, which I loved!
Now that I've read it, I'm so glad that I bought it. It was a wonderful story and really captured the beautiful feel and message that permeates the film. Even if you're familiar with the story, it's definitely worth reading. I absolutely loved it and will definitely be reading it again! :)
Now that I've read it, I'm so glad that I bought it. It was a wonderful story and really captured the beautiful feel and message that permeates the film. Even if you're familiar with the story, it's definitely worth reading. I absolutely loved it and will definitely be reading it again! :)
April 10, 2017
I'm not sure if it was the story, the writing, or the nostalgia - but I cried finishing this book. Perfection.
November 11, 2023
This book is just so sweet! I actually got the chance to read it before I watched the movie for the first time, and it made the movie so much more enjoyable getting to read the novel adaptation first. I loved how we get to see the way life has twisted the stepmother into the cruel woman she is, and I also liked the depth added with the pressure on Kit to marry a foreign princess for wealth, alliances and the good of the kingdom. This retelling humanized the old tale, not by adding subplots or new twists, but simply by going deeper with the reality of the very real situations that people may have found themselves in during the time period we associate with the tale of Cinderella. But even though it was very realistic at times, it was never cynical. This retelling stayed true to the heart of Cinderella: that virtue and good character always triumphs in the end.
October 14, 2023
This story was sweet & cosy & everything you’d want in a Cinderella tale! We even got the Prince’s perspective, which made me happy, PLUS a realistic reason on why the Prince couldn’t find Ella right away. If you’re a fairytale lover and loved the 2015 live-action Cinderella, you’ll enjoy this tale!
March 8, 2020
Loved everything about it.
March 4, 2020
obviously, i love cinderella. i especially love the 2015 film, which this is a novelization of, and i (unsurprisingly) LOVED this as well!!! the illustrations were absolutely BEAUTIFUL, and the little additions just made the plot even fuller, really driving home the kind of person ella is. i want to have courage and be kind every single day, and i really liked having that reminder in the form of this book.
March 3, 2024
I loved this! Some people seem to think this book detracts from the movie but I think they’re both really lovable! The illustrations are whimsical and artsy, and the story is written in an accessible simple style. (Did hate the random use of “okay” though. That bugged me. Haha.) Anyway, highly recommended for fans of the movie, though some may think there isn’t enough deviation from the movie to warrant owning both the book and the movie.
November 4, 2023
This was so heartwarming! And the illustrations were lovely. This is based off the 2015 live action Cinderella which I love. I’ll be reading aloud to my kids in the near future.
December 23, 2024
This live action Cinderella is one of my favorite movies and I enjoyed this book almost as much!
May 1, 2016
this is a good book.
April 3, 2020
This was such a sweet, sugary story.
A novelization of the film, I felt it lacking in depth by comparison. It was too short, too flimsy, too lacklustre to capture the complexity of emotions conveyed in the movie through the great acting skills of the characters.
However, it was an easy, pleasant read which made me smile all the time to the end.
A novelization of the film, I felt it lacking in depth by comparison. It was too short, too flimsy, too lacklustre to capture the complexity of emotions conveyed in the movie through the great acting skills of the characters.
However, it was an easy, pleasant read which made me smile all the time to the end.
April 22, 2024
Growing up, I watched Disney’s 1950’s Cinderella so many times that the VHS box fell apart and the tape started skipping. Yes, I said VHS. I grew up in the 1990’s. Cinderella was a comfort for me, like a favorite blanket. When I was gifted this book I was quite a happy girl. Reading it was like visiting a dear childhood friend. This book is based on Disney’s remake of the cartoon movie (the remake has Cate Blanchett and Lily James and is a treat to watch) but don’t worry, it holds to the magic of the original Disney classic. I enjoyed reading both Ella’s and Kit’s POVs. I liked that this story fills in a few blank spots, weaving together an even sweeter tale, which I did not think was possible. I may be a “grown up” (in age only, lol) but this girl still loves her fairy tales.
January 7, 2020
The illustrations were awesome. This books gives us a deeper peek into Cinderella's childhood. Her relations with everyone and also the events that take place after her mother's death are very consumingly written.
April 5, 2023
This is a beautiful edition of the classic tale of Cinderella. The cover and illustrations throughout the book really add to the feel of the story, which is very much like the movie. This is a great one for Cinderella fans of all ages.
August 17, 2018
Lots of fun. And the cover and artwork were absolutely beautiful.
August 4, 2020
Such a wholesome story with beautiful illustrations.
March 1, 2021
a good middle grade novel, i do prefer the movie purely because richard madden looks PHENOMENAL in the princely garb ;)
June 19, 2023
3.5 ⭐️ i liked the movie better 😂
June 4, 2020
A cute and sweet novelization of the live action Disney movie. The art was absolutely gorgeous!
November 18, 2018
Re-read November 18 2018
I literally read this in one sitting with a cup of tea and a snack. This book never fails to make me tear up, laugh, be inspired, grateful and make me feel like I am home. One of my favorite stories to get back to, especially in this beautiful format.
Tip for reading this wonderful book: listen to the Cinderella life-action movie soundtrack! You can just replay some tracks to make them fit for the scene you are reading and it just makes the experience so much better. I am literally writing this review with the last song of the OST playing in the background (Strong by Sonna Rele)
I will definitely re-read this another time.
----
3 September 2015
My new favorite book. The pictures and The story are just great. I also love the movie; but this is slightly better.
I literally read this in one sitting with a cup of tea and a snack. This book never fails to make me tear up, laugh, be inspired, grateful and make me feel like I am home. One of my favorite stories to get back to, especially in this beautiful format.
Tip for reading this wonderful book: listen to the Cinderella life-action movie soundtrack! You can just replay some tracks to make them fit for the scene you are reading and it just makes the experience so much better. I am literally writing this review with the last song of the OST playing in the background (Strong by Sonna Rele)
I will definitely re-read this another time.
----
3 September 2015
My new favorite book. The pictures and The story are just great. I also love the movie; but this is slightly better.
March 12, 2017
This is another book that I could have easily read all in one sitting, but I wanted to savour it. The illustrations are phenomenal and I just love that this is the book of the recent live-action film, as that is my favourite film ever now. It was just the most beautiful, enjoyable read and I can't stress enough what a lovely edition it is. I'm hoping there will be more books like this in the future, especially with the live-action Beauty and the Beast being released very soon. Seriously, just a stunning book and I can't recommend it enough.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 147 reviews