Cinderella

Once upon a World

by Chloe Perkins, Sandra Equihua (Illustrator)

The classic story of Cinderella gets a fresh twist in this vibrant Mexican spin on the beloved fairy tale!

Once upon a time, there was a girl who lived in a little cottage with her stepmother and two stepsisters...

The classic tale of Cinderella gets a fresh twist in this debut title of a brand-new board book series, Once Upon a World. With Mexico as the backdrop, and vibrant artwork from Mexican illustrator Sandra Equihua, Cinderella is still the same girl with a fairy godmother and a glass slipper—but she’s totally reimagined. Once Upon a World offers a multicultural take on the fairy tales we all know and love. Because these tales are for everyone, everywhere.

Genres: Picture Books, Fairy Tales, Childrens, Cultural, Storytime, Latinx, Retellings

24 pages, Board Book

Published September 13, 2016

Reviews

[Lata · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this board book purely for its illustrations. The story of Cinderella is transported to Mexico (I think). I like the bold colours of the illustrations.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on As Told By TinaI’m not entirely sure how I discovered that Chloe Perkins had written the fairy tales with a twist. But I knew I couldn’t wait to read these to the little ones. When I saw the library had Cinderella and Snow White, I immediately put them on hold at the library.

The illustrations in Cinderella are absolutely beautiful. They are colorful and include such a beautiful images of the Mexican culture; I couldn’t wait to read this story with a twist. A story that my girls would relate to.

The problem for me was that there really wasn’t a twist. Only the illustrations were different but the story was still the same. I was hoping that Perkins would include more of the Mexican culture in the story instead of just the illustrations. It felt like a missed opportunity.

The other issue I had was that there was entirely too much text on each page for a board book. I think it would’ve been better if this had been a regular book not a board book.

Overall, I loved the illustrations but I really wished that the story included the Mexican culture and gave it a real twist instead of just changing the illustrations.

[Jessica Calaway · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 - 4 years

[Tyler Piers · Rating 5 out of 5]

The step sisters got what they deserved. Where is Cinderella’s dad??

[CrystalIsReading on StoryGraph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another charming addition in the Once Upon a World board book series. This time the fairy tale is Cinderella, and the setting and art are Mexican. There's admittedly more text than I've ever seen in a board book, so it's almost like a smaller, sturdier picture book, but it is beautiful art that adds to the story. If you're going to read a child a princess story, something like this is a good place to start, exemplifying diversity along with the princess and true love themes. Teach an appreciation for beautiful diverse art early in life.

[Cathy | A Case Full of Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

These illustrations are so beautiful! My toddler spent almost fifteen minutes perusing the pages. That's like hours in toddler time!

[Clara Garcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cinderella is written by Chloe Perkins and illustrated by Sandra Equihua and is part of the Once Upon a World Series. I accessed a read aloud of this book on youtube for the purpose of this assignment. The book is the original cinderella story retold in a Mexican setting. The pictures are what really make this book appealing. I was curious about the author and searched for more information but was not able to find much, except that she grew up in Ohio and now lives in New York. Chloe Perkins has also written and published about 12 books 3 of which are in the Once Upon a World series and the other are Ready to Read: Living in... books. I was disappointed to be unable to find more background information on the author. Aside from the images, there was nothing that made this book stand out. I think this might be a book to include with a collection of Cinderella stories to show students the differences between the traditional tale.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute idea but again doesn't quite meet the mark. The cover style is completely different from the interior pages and I don't understand why this is board book only when it's SO MUCH TEXT on each page.

[Mary Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the illustrations set this tale in Mexico, there is no indication or explanation in the text. I found this odd and confusing as a reader, and think young readers would appreciate more cultural grounding. It is also quite long for a board book.

[Miranda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lovely illustrations, but I wish the Latin-American elements were part of the story and not just the art.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick retelling of Cinderella set in a Latin American country.

The setting for this could be Spain, could be Mexico, could be Peru...it's really up to the reader to decide from the illustrations. The telling is pretty much the Disney/Rogers & Hammerstein version but without Cinderella's family ever suspecting a thing and actually jokingly urging Cinderella to try on the slipper. This Cinderella may also have the craziest looking fairy godmother in history. (Not evil or scary necessarily, she looks like a Troll doll who tried unsuccessfully to tame her hair by putting it into braids.) If you're looking for more Latin American flavor to the Cinderella tale, you probably want to check out DePaolo's Adelita. For a short, sweet and super colorful retelling of Cinderella with a hint of nontraditional setting this is fun and cute. Good for a broad age range from toddler to elementary.

[Justin A · Rating 4 out of 5]

This board-book version of Cinderella tells the classic story of a girl who is made to work by her stepmother and stepsisters. The night of the ball, a fairy godmother uses her magic to transport Cinderella to the ball where she falls in love with the prince. There are no major deviations from the standard Cinderella story with the text of this story.

The one unique part of this story is the illustrations for the book set in Mexico, and Cinderella and her family are Mexican. The artwork is well done and in a consistent theme throughout the book. I did enjoy seeing the story with a different setting, and appreciated that it didn’t take any changes to the story itself to localize it to a different setting.

[Catrina McKittrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where the illustrations of the book seem to transport the reader to Mexico, and portrays Mexican culture, the writing did not. Where the book was cute, and seemed to be an easy read for children, it did not portray the culture through the writing. In that, it told the same, generic story of Cinderella that we see in movies and in most, regular children's books. I was hoping for more.

[Jenna Wichterman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A retold story of Cinderella. This was a pleasant version that added a cultural twist from the original written story. A pleasant story for early readers, however key points in the original plot were left out. The illustrations were fantastic and very detailed so the earlier statement is forgiven.

[Mother Goose Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cinderella written by Chloe Perkins and illustrated by Sandra Equihua is part of The Once Upon a World Series of fairytale retellings. In this version of the classic tale, the story takes place in Mexico. The basic storyline is the same. It is in a sweet, board book format with bold and colorful artwork. This is a delightful addition to any board book or fairytale collection.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a neat concept -- basically, this series takes traditionally Western fairy tales and sets them in a new geographic location (here, Cinderella is living in an unnamed Latin-American country) -- with cute illustrations that match the aesthetic of the culture.

[Delaney Klein · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fairytale (genre is traditional literature) is reimagined to offer a new multicultural look at a beloved classic. Each page is filled with beautiful Mexican artwork and illustrations. Children will love this story as it has captivated hearts over the ages but this time with a hispanic flare.

[Bookthreat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read our review at https://bookthreat.com/2017/06/05/thr...

[MaryLibrarianOH · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little wordy but would work for preschoolers. Like the diverse illustrations for this classic fairytale.

[Marcie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this version of Cinderella set in Mexico with beautiful illustrations by Sandra Equihua. Thanks for Princess and the Pea by same author being on the Chicago Public Library Best Books of 2017.

[Bronson · Rating 5 out of 5]

100% loved this reimagining of Cinderella set in Mexico!

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love the Once Upon a World series. They're beautiful board books; my favorites.

[Madison LibraryBookFamily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A retelling of Cinderella with beautiful Mexican styled art.

[Kit Feral · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't love Cinderella but the representation in this is cool! And I like the art a lot.

[Margaret Gerberding · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun update of the Cinderella story, set in Mexico!

[Lupe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations!

[Mely · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love the illustrations in this book! I see the Latin inspiration and that's definitely a plus. The story text was the perfect length for my 4 yr old's bedtime story.

[Goshen PL Childrens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read at Storytime on February 5, 2020
Them: Fairy Tales- Prince and Princess Stories

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story we all know by heart, but with beautiful Latin-themed illustrations. I might have liked to see some Spanish vocab or other cultural details in the text.

[Library Lady Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

The colors used in the illustrations in this version of Cinderella are so vibrant and engaging. Would love to see this is a full fledged picture book in addition to the board book version.