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Newfangled Fairy Tales #1
Newfangled Fairy Tales, Book #1
This collection of ten contemporary fairy tales puts a delightful new spin on classic stories and themes. King Midas is a workaholic banker who would rather play with his money than attend his son's Little League baseball games. The Big Bad Wolf is running a successful scam on Little Red's Grandma until Little Red catches him in the act. The Three Bears invade Goldy's house because their forest home is being stripped to build a super highway. A Prince refuses to marry any of the grumpy princesses who lost sleep because there were peas under their mattresses. A clever princess pays a dragon to lose a fight so she can marry the man she loves.
112 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
15 people are currently reading
228 people want to read
About the author
Bruce Lansky
198 books50 followersI was born on June 1, 1941. My first home was an apartment in Manhattan's Upper West Side, a neighborhood that overlooked the George Washington Bridge. Soon after kindergarten, my family moved to Scarsdale, which seemed to be “in the country.” In high school, I broke my ankle when I went out for the lacrosse team, so I wrote a sports column for the school newspaper. I don't think I showed any particular talent for writing then.
I went to St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland. I actually learned to read Greek (I didn't understand it, though). I transferred from St. John's to New York University, so I could study political science and economics. I graduated with a major in philosophy and a minor in English. My first job was a market researcher for a beer company in New Jersey. Over the next five years, I switched jobs several times: advertising copywriter, advertising account executive, and marketing manager at a candy company.
I married Vicki and we had a baby, Douglas. I wanted him to have a home surrounded by grass and trees and ball fields, so I accepted a job in Minnesota, and Doug got a baby sister, Dana. What rescued me from poverty was that my wife and some other mothers wrote a cookbook. We published it ourselves, and it was a huge hit. That's how I figured out that I wanted to be a publisher when I grew up. We built Meadowbrook Press, and I became an author of baby name books and humor books for adults.
Ten years ago, I wanted to put together a children's book of all the poems they loved best. To find these poems, I tested poems in elementary schools. As I was testing poems on children, I decided to write a few to see what the response would be. At first it wasn't that good, but as my writing improved, I added my poems to new books. To get them just right, I'd rewrite them over and over. I've now edited six poetry anthologies and filled three books with my own poems. Because I spent a lot of time reading and testing poems in classrooms, schools started inviting me to perform. I've now performed at hundreds of schools. My goal to put on the most entertaining, most educational, and most motivating assembly a school has ever had. My web site, http://www.gigglepoetry.com, helps kids discover the fun of reading and writing poetry.
Language arts are a very important part of what you learn in school. You can read great books that take you to far-away lands. You can write your own stories and make yourself the hero of exciting adventures. Even if it seems hard sometimes, don't give up. Keep practicing your reading and writing skills, and soon it will become easier. There are so many wonderful worlds to explore in books and poetry. Get your very own passport by learning to read and write the very best that you can.
I went to St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland. I actually learned to read Greek (I didn't understand it, though). I transferred from St. John's to New York University, so I could study political science and economics. I graduated with a major in philosophy and a minor in English. My first job was a market researcher for a beer company in New Jersey. Over the next five years, I switched jobs several times: advertising copywriter, advertising account executive, and marketing manager at a candy company.
I married Vicki and we had a baby, Douglas. I wanted him to have a home surrounded by grass and trees and ball fields, so I accepted a job in Minnesota, and Doug got a baby sister, Dana. What rescued me from poverty was that my wife and some other mothers wrote a cookbook. We published it ourselves, and it was a huge hit. That's how I figured out that I wanted to be a publisher when I grew up. We built Meadowbrook Press, and I became an author of baby name books and humor books for adults.
Ten years ago, I wanted to put together a children's book of all the poems they loved best. To find these poems, I tested poems in elementary schools. As I was testing poems on children, I decided to write a few to see what the response would be. At first it wasn't that good, but as my writing improved, I added my poems to new books. To get them just right, I'd rewrite them over and over. I've now edited six poetry anthologies and filled three books with my own poems. Because I spent a lot of time reading and testing poems in classrooms, schools started inviting me to perform. I've now performed at hundreds of schools. My goal to put on the most entertaining, most educational, and most motivating assembly a school has ever had. My web site, http://www.gigglepoetry.com, helps kids discover the fun of reading and writing poetry.
Language arts are a very important part of what you learn in school. You can read great books that take you to far-away lands. You can write your own stories and make yourself the hero of exciting adventures. Even if it seems hard sometimes, don't give up. Keep practicing your reading and writing skills, and soon it will become easier. There are so many wonderful worlds to explore in books and poetry. Get your very own passport by learning to read and write the very best that you can.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 10, 2014
To be fair - I only read the first story in this book, "Little Bad Wolf and Red Riding Hood" because it was free. I love reading new versions of fairy tales, so I fully intended to buy the full book but changed my mind after the first story.
In the introduction, Bruce Lansky expresses his problems with the fairy tales he grew up with and explains that he put together this book to combat those problems - no rewards for stealing, no submissive women waiting to be rescued, no fairies who try to kill innocent babies, and so on and so forth. The idea isn't new or original. I've heard complaints about fairy tales since adolescence (and I've made some of the same complaints myself). I understand his objections, but fairy tales go so far beyond that. There are so many different versions of the same tales spanning hundreds of years and there is a reason those stories are so timeless. Yes, there are versions I'm not incredibly fond of, but they hardly make it worth dismissing the entire history of the genre, which is what I felt Lansky did.
The first story in the book, "Little Bad Wolf and Red Riding Hood" by Timothy Tocher was just bland and the dialogue was uninteresting. Younger children might enjoy the story, but I think older kids would be bored by it.
Modernizing fairy tales is nothing new - and it can be done extremely well. If you're looking for newish versions of fairy tales for children, I suggest anything by Jon Scieszka.
(I know, I'm probably reading way too much into this for a children's book, but I believe fairy tales, when told or written well, should appeal to all ages.)
In the introduction, Bruce Lansky expresses his problems with the fairy tales he grew up with and explains that he put together this book to combat those problems - no rewards for stealing, no submissive women waiting to be rescued, no fairies who try to kill innocent babies, and so on and so forth. The idea isn't new or original. I've heard complaints about fairy tales since adolescence (and I've made some of the same complaints myself). I understand his objections, but fairy tales go so far beyond that. There are so many different versions of the same tales spanning hundreds of years and there is a reason those stories are so timeless. Yes, there are versions I'm not incredibly fond of, but they hardly make it worth dismissing the entire history of the genre, which is what I felt Lansky did.
The first story in the book, "Little Bad Wolf and Red Riding Hood" by Timothy Tocher was just bland and the dialogue was uninteresting. Younger children might enjoy the story, but I think older kids would be bored by it.
Modernizing fairy tales is nothing new - and it can be done extremely well. If you're looking for newish versions of fairy tales for children, I suggest anything by Jon Scieszka.
(I know, I'm probably reading way too much into this for a children's book, but I believe fairy tales, when told or written well, should appeal to all ages.)
January 19, 2025
Surprised me with its charm! A funny little anthology of retold fairy tales where the connective thread accidentally turns out to be CAPITALISTIC ENTERPRISE and NEW BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES.
I wasn’t expecting much going into this one– I feel like we’re all a little burnt out on “modernized” fairy tales based only on the conceit of man, isn’t it stupid that these stories come from an oral tradition outside of my cultural context? why don’t these characters act like normal people? i can't address any art associated with childhood without mockery. what if the prince was GAY (<— lying about criticizing that last one. Rudy and the Prince is tied for my favorite in this anthology.), so the introduction inspired no confidence. But this is from 1997, so it honestly might have been ahead of the curve with this kind of gimmick! I couldn’t blame it for its place on the timeline even if it was tired and meanspirited. And frankly, it was delightful!
At their best, these stories were irreverent, almost absurd, in ways that genuinely surprised me. (The baseball concession stand bit in the King Midas story caught me so off-guard that I made some weird surprise laugh– that was my other favorite. Jill and Red Riding Hood were charming as well.) At their worst, they just fail to distinguish themselves from something I’ve read already. They maintain the spirit of fairy tales– cleverness rewarded, narrative autonomy for child characters, entertaining,etc. You could remember one of these and retell them with no problem.
Typing this all out, I’m wondering how much of that charm comes from these “modern” retellings being thirty years old– still dated, still nostalgic, just on a different level. It does have that old book smell.
(And– the sleeping beauty story bears striking similarities to Thornhedge. Like, no Toadling or anything, but. remarkably similar. Not pointing any fingers or anything, it's just funny. ’97.)
I wasn’t expecting much going into this one– I feel like we’re all a little burnt out on “modernized” fairy tales based only on the conceit of man, isn’t it stupid that these stories come from an oral tradition outside of my cultural context? why don’t these characters act like normal people? i can't address any art associated with childhood without mockery. what if the prince was GAY (<— lying about criticizing that last one. Rudy and the Prince is tied for my favorite in this anthology.), so the introduction inspired no confidence. But this is from 1997, so it honestly might have been ahead of the curve with this kind of gimmick! I couldn’t blame it for its place on the timeline even if it was tired and meanspirited. And frankly, it was delightful!
At their best, these stories were irreverent, almost absurd, in ways that genuinely surprised me. (The baseball concession stand bit in the King Midas story caught me so off-guard that I made some weird surprise laugh– that was my other favorite. Jill and Red Riding Hood were charming as well.) At their worst, they just fail to distinguish themselves from something I’ve read already. They maintain the spirit of fairy tales– cleverness rewarded, narrative autonomy for child characters, entertaining,etc. You could remember one of these and retell them with no problem.
Typing this all out, I’m wondering how much of that charm comes from these “modern” retellings being thirty years old– still dated, still nostalgic, just on a different level. It does have that old book smell.
(And– the sleeping beauty story bears striking similarities to Thornhedge. Like, no Toadling or anything, but. remarkably similar. Not pointing any fingers or anything, it's just funny. ’97.)
May 28, 2014
Kind of cute but I'm a fan of classic fairy tales and nursery rhymes no matter how disturbing some of them may they may be.
December 23, 2019
Didn't really care for Rudy and the Prince, but the rest were cute.
Want to Read
May 9, 2025Cutting is for Jill and the Beanstalk
By Denise Vega
Another cutting is for And So They Did
By V. McQuin
By Denise Vega
Another cutting is for And So They Did
By V. McQuin
January 5, 2014
In the introduction to this collection, Bruce Lansky explains that he always wondered why characters in fairy tales acted the way they did. Why did the princess complain about the tiny lump under her mattress, rather than being grateful for being offered a place to sleep? Why does everyone consider Jack a hero when he was silly enough to trade a cow for a few beans and then he steals from the giant? So Bruce decided that he would write and collect stories that told fairy tales in the way he would have appreciated as a kid. For instance, Red Riding Hood is scammed by the Big Bad Wolf and his son, who think it is easier to trick people out of food than to hunt for it. And her clothes are all red because her mother bought a lot of fabric on sale, not because it is her favorite color.
Readers who have wondered the same things about all those classic tales, like - why all the princesses are saved by someone else instead of saving themselves - will enjoy the stories in this collection and the other books in the series.
Readers who have wondered the same things about all those classic tales, like - why all the princesses are saved by someone else instead of saving themselves - will enjoy the stories in this collection and the other books in the series.
November 17, 2013
What a fun and funny update to an old story, it is still easy to read and understand, for kids and adults alike, but more modern in style.
See my review also at:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Story-Little-...
http://www.amazon.com/Story-Little-Ri...
See my review also at:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Story-Little-...
http://www.amazon.com/Story-Little-Ri...
May 11, 2011
Troubled by the submissive role the female characters tend to take in folklore related to children, Bruce set about writing fairy tales from a more assertive, and humorous point of view. Cinderella decides to stay home and open a dress shop instead of running after the prince, for example...
I was reminded of this book by a friend's recent review of another fairytale retelling, so I'll have to go back for a reread & check out the second book.
August 17, 2016
I was very excited about this story. I was looking for a good fairy tale retelling and I thought this would amuse me as the concept seemed interesting. The author was not happy how all the fables told to him as a child by his mother had a damsel in distress who needed saving. He didn't understand the logic behind those tales, so he rewrote them.
But it was disappointing. The story didn't make much sense. I wasn't contended. I am not sure if I want to check other stories.
But it was disappointing. The story didn't make much sense. I wasn't contended. I am not sure if I want to check other stories.
July 26, 2012
This is a cute collection of all of our well known fairy tales with a few more modern twists. I think kids ages 8-12 w ould probably enjoy reading these. It makes the characters actions more timely and modern as well as the settings. Cute stories
September 6, 2012
A quick, entertaining set of fairy tale variations. I found some of the stories to be really unique, particularly the Goldilocks and Princess & the Pea variations. Very fun and I think kids would like it too.
May 20, 2008
Bizzare retellings of classic fairy tales. I brought this book with me to kids camp to read to my cabin.....I think some of the stories scared them.
June 19, 2010
Loved these rewritten fairy tales! They have much better moral values than the original stories and loads of laughs.
July 8, 2012
Got a kindle sample and enjoyed the first one.
November 18, 2012
Amazon offered a sample story of the series and it is cute with a modern twist. It makes me want to check it out.
September 28, 2013
Cute, funny book! I just read the sample on iBooks but I liked the red riding hood story! Very modern twist, and it's endearing. Ending was quite creative!
March 26, 2013
Well, I thought I was getting the whole version, but I only got the free sample of Little Bad Wolf and Red Riding Hood. Cute, but wishing I had the rest to review.
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May 17, 2013hahaha...It was interestingly funny
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September 29, 2013Cute spin !
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January 8, 2014Jude loved it. It took us about 10 minutes to read and was a fun fairy tale variation. We would love to read more by Bruce Lansky. ( I read out loud to the kids )
April 5, 2014
It was OK. Cute spin on a classic.
June 1, 2014
Cute, funny.
Read
April 10, 2016Newfangled Fairy Tales was a cute story of the classic fairy tales with a different twist. I found Little Red Riding Hood the best of all. Bruce Lansky did a great job writing this book.
May 10, 2018
I was not impressed with this group of stories. A few were a little funny but overall I didn't really like it. I guess the stories were too different for me.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews