Cinderella and Other Tales by the Brothers Grimm Book and Charm

by Jacob Grimm, Wilhelm

For almost two hundred years, the Brothers Grimm have transported readers into a world of magic and adventure with their enchanting fairytales.

From classics such as Cinderella and Snow White to lesser–known gems like The True Bride and Mother Holle, these timeless tales never fail to delight. Enter the wonderful world of witches and fairies, elves and giants, and princes and princesses in this collection of thirty beloved stories!

Ages 8+

Genres: Fantasy, Classics, Picture Books, Fiction, Fairy Tales, Childrens, Literature

193 pages, Kindle Edition

About the author

German philologist and folklorist Jakob Ludwig Karl Grimm in 1822 formulated Grimm's Law, the basis for much of modern comparative linguistics. With his brother Wilhelm Karl Grimm (1786-1859), he collected Germanic folk tales and published them as Grimm's Fairy Tales (1812-1815).

Indo-European stop consonants, represented in Germanic, underwent the regular changes that Grimm's Law describes; this law essentially states that Indo-European p shifted to Germanic f, t shifted to th, and k shifted to h. Indo-European b shifted to Germanic p, d shifted to t, and g shifted to k. Indo-European bh shifted to Germanic b, dh shifted to d, and gh shifted to g.

This jurist and mythologist also authored the monumental German Dictionary and his Deutsche Mythologie .

Adapted from Wikipedia.

Reviews

[Angelica · Rating 2 out of 5]

The morbid reality of such a fairytale with a dash of child friendly animals. Everyone expects a fairytale to be kept G rated, though this story takes a grotesque turn for the better.
Cinderella, a simple fairytale of a damsel in distress desiring nothing but a prince charming to save her from the wicked stepfamily of hers after attending a ball she was forbidden to go to. With her useless deadbeat father of hers and deceased mother she has no one to turn to other than her lovely critter friends and of course hope. That’s it!
The whole thing was a whirlwind of dullness. Lack of juicy details. What are the characters like outside from being told directly how they act? What exactly were the thoughts of each character? Adding more spice to each character would be at its peak! As well it ended too quickly. Aside from the negatives, the “gore-y” parts is maybe what saved it from being a total killjoy of a story but also the villains getting what they deserve. Overall story is probably a good four out of ten.

[Christopher Hicks · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting but certainly not the Disney version!!

[★ Mikael ★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was really interesting to read the original version, it's definitely not like Disney portrayed it

[Suzannah Rowntree · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't really read any Perrault fairytales in a direct translation before. Thoroughly enjoyed these.

[Aviza · Rating 5 out of 5]

yeah i definitely love the original creepy version more

[Carolyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow, I thought I would be giving myself a little break by reading something "light" in comparison to some of the biographies I read. I know I've heard the Brothers Grimm (they were professors who collected traditional folk tales of Germany) stories were somewhat dark, but I guess I learned first hand. Holy cow for some serial killer stories. Whew! No wonder my girls weren't the biggest fans of this book.

[Gus Pogue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Traditional Fantasy
Middle School (4-6)
This is a fine enough retelling of the Cinderella story, but not really one to be used in a classroom setting outside of very specific occasions due to the content featured being rather violent.

[Adelle Polhemus · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was an interesting retelling of Cinderella and it would be something that older students may enjoy to read, but I do not think that it is a book that you can keep in your classroom because it is a little bit dark.

[Tony Montez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary
Cinderella’s mother had passed away and her father had married a new woman with two daughters. The new mother and daughters were jealous of Cinderella’s beauty so they set her off to do all of the dirty work around the house. They made her do everything and teased her in the process because it was entertaining to them. Cinderella’s sisters were invited to the princes ball and they had Cinderella help them to get prepared for it. Cinderella knew she wasn’t allowed to go so after they had left for the ball she sat on the cinders by the fireplace and cried. Suddenly her fairy godmother appeared granting her exactly what she wanted. Mice turned into horsemen, pumpkins turned into coaches, lizards turned into footman, and Cinderella was standing wearing a beautiful dress. She was then off to the ball but only until midnight for that was when the curse would wear off. When she arrived at the ball, instantly everyone was amazed at her beauty and the prince was instantly drawn to her. They danced and the prince fed her all sorts of elegant dishes and then at 11:45 she said her goodbyes and set home. The prince had invited her to come back again the next day so she asked her fairy godmother if she would let her go back again the next day and that she did, looking even more beautiful. Cinderella had been having so much fun the second day that the time just flew by and before she knew it the clock was striking midnight. She had hurried off so fast that her glass slipper had fallen off. The prince took it and set out men to find the foot to fit that slipper so he could find her and marry her. When the men got to Cinderella’s house the slipper had not fit her sisters feet so they asked if any other women lived here and out came Cinderella. They placed the slipper on her foot and it fit perfect, she then took out the other slipper and put it on her other foot and they knew then that she was the one. She then forgave her sisters and stepmother and they began to treat her with kindness and tried to love her so they eventually moved into the castle with Cinderella and got married as well.

Reflection
This was a good version of Cinderella, I like that at the end it showed kindness and forgiveness and I think that it helps teach a great lesson to young readers. It shows that two wrong don’t make a right and that it’s good to forgive people and to act kind. Other then the ending, this story stayed pretty traditional sticking with all the main parts of the regular fairytale.

Classroom Connection
The one thing I would do with this as I had talked about with my other Cinderella stories, i would have the children read all of the versions, first reading the other two (3D Cinderella and Cinderella skeleton) and they would make a two story venn diagram with two circles, after they read and did that activity, i would have them read this book and then they would make a venn diagram showing all three books. it would be a bit more complex but they would learn how to compare three things at the same time and show their work in a venn diagram. It will also show them how to analyze the book and pick out the similarities and differences.

Text Complexity
Lexile Unknown, Text Complexity Unknown, Guided Reading Level Unknown

[Maryann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary:
The Brothers Grimm version of the tale of Cinderella, tells the story of a young woman Cinderella whose life changes dramatically when her mother dies. When Cinderella’s mother falls ill and passes away, Cinderella’s father quickly remarries a woman with two evil daughters. Cinderella’s stepsisters are always dressed in the most beautiful clothes and best shoes, where Cinderella is left wearing old rags and ratty clothes. When the kingdom is invited to a ball, where the prince is to select a princess to marry, Cinderella is not allowed to attend. Feeling sad and sitting at her mother’s grave, Cinderella wishes she could attend the ball. Cinderella is amazed when she is transformed into the most beautiful princess with a beautiful gown and shoes. Cinderella spends the evening dancing with the prince, but has to quickly leave when the night ends. Cinderella is transformed three times by the tree at her mother’s grave, each time looking just as beautiful and catching the prince’s attention. On the third night Cinderella looses her shoe and the prince finds it. He searches the kingdom looking for the beautiful woman who lost the shoe so he could marry her.
When the prince appears at Cinderella’s house, her evil stepsisters take dramatic measures to ensure the shoe fits. Her first stepsister cuts off her toe to get the shoe to fit, but when the prince sees the blood he knows she is not his princess. When Cinderella’s second sister cuts of her heel to ensure the shoe fits, the prince realizes she too is not his princess. When it is Cinderella’s turn to try the shoe on it is a perfect fit and the following words are said: “Turn and peep, turn and peep, no blood is in the shoe, The shoe is not to small for her, the true bride rides with you.” And they ride off and live happily ever after.

Response:
The Brother’s Grimm version of Cinderella is similar to the original tale of Cinderella with a dark “Grimm” twist to it. I would rate this version of Cinderella three stars, because I feel that the dark version is not as enjoyable for children to read. When the stepsisters cut off their toe and heel it is gory and not a pleasant read. My preference is typically the original version that I am used to and grew up with, which the 3D version I read previously fits more. I did like the way that Cinderella’s mothers grave played a part in this story, and made it seem like her mother played a part in Cinderella finding her prince charming.

Classroom Connection:
Students can compare and contrast the three versions of Cinderella that we read, the 3D fairytale, the Grimm version, and Cinderella Skeleton. Student’s can put together a Venn diagram comparing the similarities and the differences. Student’s can also create their own version of Cinderella after they have read all three. Students can also discuss the variety of ways each text was presented, by I Pad, Kindle, and hardcover. Student’s can debate which method of reading they preferred.

Text Complexity:
Interest Level: Grades 3 - 5
Grade level Equivalent: 5.9
Lexile Measure: 920L
Guided Reading: Not Available

[Jessica Guard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: Living with her two stepsisters and stepmother, Cinderella grew unhappy as she was forced to do chores, eat scraps, wear rags for clothing while her stepsisters got the best dresses, and was constantly dismissed as a servant. All she has is a cat to keep her company and her thoughts positive. When the day of prince's ball arrives, Cinderella is left behind while her stepsisters and stepmother travel to ball. Cinderella's fairygodmother appears and magically transforms Cinderella into a beautiful gown and tells her to grab a pumpkin and 7 mice. They are turned into a driver, 6 white horses, and a carriage. The fairygodmother explains that the prince will fall for Cinderella but she must leave by midnight because the spell will wear off and her clothes will turn to rags. Leaving behind her glass slipper, the prince picks it up and uses it as a way to find the woman he fell for at the ball.

Response:
EDCI Connections: I gave this a 3/5 star rating for this particular version of Cinderella. I found it was not very descriptive and came to a rather abrupt ending. Almost within the same paragraph that Cinderella fled the ball, the prince's servant had found that she was the owner of the glass slipper,Cinderella married the prince,and they lived happily ever after.
Personal Connection:This varies from the other Cinderella stories, which showcase the prince's determination and willingness to not sleep until he found the woman he fell for at the ball. I also noticed that in the 3D version, as well as Cinderella Skeleton, Cinderella was granted her wish to go to the ball because of her kind, pure heart. However, in this Grimm version, nothing (apart from being a hard worker)was spoken about why she deserved the fairygodmother's help. I felt that it was hard to feel connected to Cinderella.

Classroom Connections: Since I feel this version also did not have much background as to why Cinderella came into her unfortunate lifestyle, I think it would be interesting for students to examine the different characters and do a creative writing project. With each character in the story, I think it would be interesting for the students to write the story from the character's perspective and give more details about the events leading up to the prince's ball, and the feelings after.

Text Complexity:
Lexile Level:Unavailable
Guided Reading Level: Unavailable
Grade Level: PK-3rd
I think it would be appropriate to expect a 2nd grader to read this book independently.

[Michelle Dziezak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary
A young girl named Cinderella, lost her mother to illness and not even months later her father remarried a woman with two daughters. When they moved in, they treated Cinderella terribly making her do all the hard labor of cleaning and work. Then one night the evil step sisters went to a ball with the step mother and left Cinderella behind. All she ever had was her pet cat, and no friends. So that night Cinderella wished she could go to the ball, and all of a sudden her fairy godmother showed up. Cinderella was surprised and immediately she is turned into a beautiful princess. The only problem was she had no way to get to and from the ball. So her fairy godmother told her to collect mice and a pumpkin, after they were collected they were turned into the drivers, horses and the carriage would carry her to the ball. Cinderella was so happy, but there was only one exception she had to be back by midnight because the fairy spell would wear off. So off Cinderella went to enjoy her night until she forgets about the time. She ran out of the ball with the prince following her and her glass slipper falls off. The prince picks it up in awe hoping that he will find the beautiful lady he danced and fell in love with at the ball, and that is exactly what he does.

Response
I only gave this book 3 out of 5 stars because I felt like it was missing something. I know I really get tired of Cinderella but this story was missing something compared to all of the other Cinderella versions I have read. This just seemed blank and quick. This version of Cinderella was quick passed and felt like things were missing and/or jumbled together. All of the European Versions that we have grown up on elaborated on certain events throughout the story line, while this version sped through and got it over and done with as fast as possible.

Classroom Connection
For the classroom Connection, I believe that you could compare different versions of children’s literature that have been rewritten over the years and compare and contrast the differences and similarities in either a ven-diagram or just a chart. Also for a writing assignment students can be given a topic for a fairy tale, and each student writes their own version. Then they can share their stories and find the similarities and differences.

Text Complexity
The lexile and guided reading level is unavailable to share with everyone. It is written for grades pre-k to 4th grade. In my eyes children should be reading this independently by the 2nd grade. The earlier grade levels would have to have it read to them.

[Marianthi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary:
This story of Cinderella is the original Brothers Grimm version. The story is about the Cinderella that we have all grown to love expect this version takes a much more real and gory approach. It truly captures the essence of how desperate Cinderella's stepsisters are to marry the prince. It also gives us a very dreadful ending for her stepsisters. The story follows along with Disney's version of Cinderella as far as the setting, plot, and conclusion goes. Brothers Grimm version gives the reader a whole different look a the story of Cinderella.


Response:
I noticed that the book has the exact same story line as Disney's Cinderella that I grew up on. The details are a lot different though. I liked how Cinderella's mother was incorporated in the story. I think her mother's grave and tree acting as the fairy God mother was smart. I also noticed that her father was not very much on Cinderella's side and seemed to like her stepsisters a lot more than his own daughter. I also could not miss the grotesque cutting off of limbs and pecking out of eyes that happens to the stepsisters. There really was no vanity in this version.


This story makes me feel as thought it is not very suitable for children. I do not think it would go over very well when reading it to young children, they would probably have a lot of questions as to why a girl would cut their foot off. This makes me think that in the old days, fairy tales might not have been like the innocent Disney tales that we all have grown up on but perhaps had more of a real feel to them.


Classroom Connection:
I think a good connection here could be to read a Brothers Grimm fairy tale, like Cinderella, together as a class. Then have the students write what surprised them about the story and also allow them to compare it to the Disney version that they are probably all familiar with. I think this activity would help them see that there could be more than one way to look at something and also introduce them to other versions of books that they thought they knew.



Lexile: 920L
Guided Reading: N/A
The interest level for this book is for third through fifth grade. I think it is also neat for older readers to read this because it is so much different from the Disney Cinderella story that we are all used to.

[Jacqueline Campos · Rating 3 out of 5]

What is it like to be shunned by your stepmother, stepsisters and your father! Cinderella is a young girl whose mother dies when Cinderella is young leaving her at the mercy of her father and his new bride. Through the story you infer that her father must not care for her because the way she is treated by her stepmother and stepsisters is awful.
Cinderella grows to a young woman and befriends the birds in the forest not knowing that these new friends will save her from a life of misery. They will be the fairy godmother that helps her become the princess she is meant to be and help her find her true love. Come along on Cinderella’s journey of hardship and pain to love and happily ever after.

What I noticed in this version, which is the original version of Cinderella by the brothers Grimm, was how many changes have been made to this story. Her mother is usually not even mentioned, her father always dies but does not here, and the ending is not nearly as gruesome in the modern renditions of this classic tale. This story made me feel even sorrier for Cinderella. In the renditions I have always read I felt bad for her but felt at least she had, had her father’s love and knew that the only reason she was in this poor situation was because he was dead. However, in this version, which is the true tale, her father did not seem to love her and treated her horribly like her stepmother and sisters.

I would connect this to the classroom by using it for lessons on compare and contrast. I would use a venn diagram to show the similarities and differences in this version, the classic European version and then another non-European version to compare it to. I would also ask students which was their favorite version and why and have them write a short essay explaining this. I would use this in fourth grade and above because I would not want younger kids reading the Grimm version.

I found no information on this book but I would recommend it for fourth grade and above. I would say because of the wording that it would be a good read aloud for fourth grade and independent for grades fifth and higher.

[Stephanie]

Cinderella and Other Tales by the Brothers Grimm Book and Charm contains several traditional literature classics such as Cinderella and Snow White. Cinderella is a story about a young woman who is trapped serving her evil stepmother and stepsisters. One day all the sisters were invited to a grand ball at the King’s palace, but Cinderella’s evil stepmother refused to let her go. With the help of Cinderella’s fairy godmother and her magic, Cinderella attended the ball where she and the prince fell in love. Tragedy struck when the clock hit midnight and Cinderella’s magic wore off. She had to escape fast before anyone saw who she really was, leaving behind a glass slipper. The prince used the glass slipper to search for his mystery love. Eventually he arrived at Cinderella’s house but her evil stepmother would not let her see the prince. The prince saw Cinderella and demanded that she try the slipper on, and it fit! Cinderella and the prince lived happily ever after together.

Cinderella displays several different characteristics of a traditional literature book. First, this book is a fairy tale which is a characteristic of traditional literature. Second, this book has a short plot and fast paced action. Lastly, this book has a hero and a villain which is another characteristic of traditional literature. This book is a good text to use when teaching how to comparisons between fairy tales, and is a good model text for teaching students how to write their own fairy tales. Furthermore, this is a fun and exciting story that is great for third through fifth graders.

[Jaymee Sigafose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this story was very interesting. Everyone seems to think of the story of Cinderella in the Disney version of how they portray things to have gone. In this story, like that told by Disney, the young girl does not have a mother. But, this in this version she does have a father who is present in her life. He does marry, and she does have two daughters with very evil hearts. Yet, in this story it is not a fairy god mother who is granting her wishes, but instead bird who sits upon a tree placed at her mother's grave. She also meets the Prince three separate nights rather than just one. Of course, she does end up with her prince in the end though- the happily ever after will always be the same.

This can be used in a classroom when having students work in small groups. I would use this at the beginning of the year to familiarize students with different styles of writing. I also think it would be a good idea to have multiple different stories in the classroom be read by small groups and then it be the student's job to put on the story into a quick play. Through this you could see who was able to take away the big details and you would get to see what flare students added onto their production of the tale.

This was a WOW book for me because I believe that this story was good to read and truly showed me that the original fairy tales are not what Disney shows and can be just as fun to read and Disney is to watch. You gain a new point of view on some of your favorite stories through reading the original and I thought this one was humorous and well written.

[Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fairytale “Cinderella” ( the version) written by the Grimm brothers is fairly different than the more recognized Disney film. It’s kind of a more depressing adaptation of the story and not the best for children; little harsh. (The deeper meanings). The reason for giving it only four stars is because of the lack of characterization and explanation to why what is happening, well, is happening. But then again this was wrote in the romantic period where characterization was not seen as important as describing the setting.
The story itself is fairly short with little detail. The main theme is too stay yourself throughout everything, don’t change. It’s a simple storyline, tragedy happens her mother dies she’s alone with evil step family who mistreat her and make her do everything. She got help from the animals and the tree (that represented her mother) to help her ready for the ball where she met the prince. He instantly fell in love with her until he eventually found her and wed her.
I did enjoy this story; short, simple, and not so sweet. I do recommend this to an audience that is suitable for the more violent parts of the story. Like for example in the end where the step-sisters has their feet cut on and then their eyes peeled out for their wrongdoings. But other wise it is an interesting adaptation of Cinderella.

[monica ♪ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars
This book contains 10 fairy tales such as The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood, Puss in Boots, Little Tom Thumb, Little Red Riding Hood, and other tales.


"... The princess will indeed prick her hand with a spindle. But instead of dying she shall merely fall into a profound slumber that will last hundred years. At the end of the time a king's son shall come to awaken her"


Although they sound so familiar, some of the stories in this book are so different from what we know from the movies or modern tales which have the same tittle.
They are kind of scary, in my opinion.
There are so many stories including an ogre slaughtered and ate little children in it.
Not the kind of happily ever after story I imagine 😟😟

And being a sarcastic person that I am, I think that fairy tales really are not my forte.
They're indeed beautiful. But I find them so superficial and too naive. Life is not that easy, Karen. LOL

Not really my cup of tea, but pretty entertaining.

[Rissa Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always amused with fairy tale books. This one's definitely not an exception. Although this one had a few classics that are already widely known, like Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood, it also had different versions of other classics like Sleeping Beauty and Little Tom Thumb that amused me just as much. Some, to my surprise, are tales that are completely new to me, so it was an absolutely pleasure reading them for the first time.

On a side note, I think it's amazing that we'll probably never run out of fairy tales to read. Hopefully more tales from different countries get translated as well.

This one's a really quick read. One you can squeeze in a hour or even less. Quite a little gem of a book.

[Amanda Catalina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the story Cinderella in this book and I was a bit surprised. I had never read the original story of Cinderella and the slight gore to it was startling. Despite this it was still a rich fairy tale and very intriguing. Despite not having illustrations the Brothers Grimm paint a clear picture of the stories events. This story will allow children to compare and contrast the original story and the changes modern society has made to the story, not to mention the changes to the story around the world.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading old fairy tales. It's so fascinating how different the originals (if you can call them that; who knows which version is the "original") are from the watered-down Disney versions. I stumbled upon this book at the library which was really serendipitous because I've been wanting to read Charles Perrault's tales for a while. There is no forward, nor is there any indication of who adapted or translated the stories. Those would have been nice to have, but I know enough about Perrault that it wasn't totally essential. But it was a great little collection. Would recommend.

[Joy Gerbode · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fascinating reading, as many of the fairy tales are quite a bit different than the way I remember them. My favorite, Cinderella, ended with the new princess inviting the stepsisters to the palace to live, where they because kind and beautiful and married dukes. There were stories I'd never heard, and twists to stories I'd never heard. It was interesting to read this book of original fairy tales, translated from the German.

[Claudia Fierro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me encontré este libro que me regalaron en mi primera comunión hace unos cuantos años y se lo leí a mi hija quien disfrutó al máximo estas historias, mis preferidas: La historia del príncipe Iván el Pájaro de Fuego y el Lobo gris y la historia de dédalo e Ícaro.

Es un libro hermoso con lindas ilustraciones que les encantan a los niños.

[Catrina McKittrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This version of Cinderella is a lot more graphic than the Disney version. That being said, I would be cautious before reading it to younger kids! On the other hand, I think that is really interesting to read this and compare it to modern day versions of these fairy tails that are adapted to children! Very interesting to read.

[Alyna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Traditional Literature
Grades 5-8
The traditional story of Cinderella is not a pretty one. It always makes me a little queasy to think about the sisters cutting their feet and getting their eyes pecked out. I think it's important for students to understand where our modern stories of Cinderella come from, but they should be older before reading or hearing this story.

[Foxenvul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh God! I don't know but.... this story kinda spooky. but I like the way the author describe the spookiness... makes me tremble a lot. I like the story, very different from disney version. way way waaayy tooo different. Grimms version didn't mention anything about glass slipper/shoes.

[Keri · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was surprised at how many stories there are in this collection. I few of them are extremely similar and towards the end I became quite bored with them. I also could have sworn that the Grimm brothers were the authors who had the more gruesome fairy tales?

[Jimmy Kwok · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the kind of happy endings that we hear now in the updated versions but lots of blood and killing as well tricks and lies. And these helped set the beliefs and values in the western worlds.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cute stories:)

[Stephanie Klaren]

I only read Cinderella. This is a good book to use with middle elementary students to do a compare and contrast with.