What if you could send fan mail to your fairy tale idols? And what if they wrote back? “Happily ever after” takes on a new meaning in this book from actor-comedian-author Richard Ayoade and best-selling illustrator David Roberts.
It’s once upon a time . . . as only the irreverently witty Richard Ayoade can tell it. In this series of letters organized by C. C. Cecily, Senior Secretary of the Fairy Tale Fan Club, the fairest of them all (and a few bitter foes) correspond with curious—and opinionated—fans. So if you’ve ever wondered how a less-than-genius (and less-than-clothed) emperor fell for a certain con, how the Big Bad Wolf is handling meatless Mondays, or whether Rapunzel recommends going for the big chop, no need to look far, far away.
Multihyphenate Richard Ayoade, author of The Book That No One Wanted to Read, hilariously imagines what questions modern children would have for characters such as Sleeping Beauty, Prince Charming, and Little Red Riding Hood—and what they might have to say in return. Complete with clever, spoof-gothic illustrations from David Roberts, this wry storybook may have even the Brothers Grimm cackling in their graves.---from the publisher
128 pages 978-1536222173 Ages 8-12
Keywords: fairy tale characters, storybook characters, letters, humor, fun, 8 year old, 9 year old, 10 year old, 11 year old, 12 year old
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Over generations children have enjoyed stories like Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel and Rumpelstiltskin, tales from long ago written by those such as Hans Christian Andersen, Charles Perrault, Calor Collodi, and of course, the Brothers Grimm. The characters and plots have been presented to them one way and another so often that they are now familiar, and they suspend reality, enjoy the tales of adventure and adversity, admire the courage and bravery of the characters and delight in good triumphing over evil every time, particularly as 'evil' is so recognisable as a witch, a wolf, or a whatever, that it is almost strange that 'good' doesn't recognise it. And of course, they know the ending in advance - no surprises that it will be "and they lived happily ever after."
What they seldom do, though, is question the main character's choices or actions , or ask, "What happened next?". To them, the predictable ending is enough, the tale told, the book closed. Well, at least, not openly, because, after all, these tales were created to teach children lessons about doing the right thing and one of those 'right things' is not to question the adult telling it.
But in this refreshingly different book, C. C. Cecily, the Senior Secretary of the Fairy Tale Fan Club, has collected a large amount of letters that young children have sent, letters in which they have questioned aspects of those stories, expressed their opinions and challenged decisions. They're curious about what the heroes and heroines are doing now, how they feel about what happened to them, would they change their choices... When C. C. Cecily, who adores writing, receives these letters, they are passed on to the relevant character to respond to, and then with the addition of his own comments for clarification, sent to the asker. Over time, he has amassed so many letters, many asking the same thing, that he has collated them into a book so those asking have a ready reference at hand, although if there is something that has not been addressed in the collection, readers are invited to submit their questions to the address given.
And thus follows a series of letters addressing perplexing issues such as Ester asking Jack if, knowing what happened, whether he would still swap his cow for a handful of magic beans, whether Cinderella has any tips for dealing with mean sisters, and even giving Sleeping Beauty a blast for marrying someone who kissed her without permission! Each is then responded to by the character. including Sleeping Beauty defending her actions, and all provide some LOL moments that will delight young readers as the respondents are not necessarily as obsequious as they might expect. Perhaps it's because their stories have already stood the test of time and they don't need the fame and fortune that today's celebrities seek.
Using humour, a letter format, a variety of fonts and lots of illustrations in a distinctive but appropriate style, this is something new and different to encourage young readers to think more deeply about the stories they read, to consider 'what-if' scenarios, and to not only put their queries and/or opinions into a letter, but then take on the perspective of the character and reply. Just as the original tales were intended to make a child think about their behaviour, so too, it might encourage the child to be more reflective about theirs. With the popularity of restorative justice and the common question of, 'What could you have done differently?' it offers an opportunity to learn to consider and reflect in a non-threatening environment.
But most of all, it is original, funny and appealing to those who know and enjoy fairy tales, and have often wondered why.
Recommended by: Barbara Braxton, Teacher Librarian, New South Wales AUSTRALIA
See more of her recommendations:
500 Hats http://500hats.edublogs.org/
The Bottom Shelf http://thebottomshelf.edublogs.org/
