Fairy Tales Retold or Continued

Fairy tales have been retold through various cultures and mediums for generations. Contemporary retellers of fairy tales mix fantasy and realism, fleshing out characters and exposing new ideas. These tales build on traditional fairy tales to create new works of fantasy.

They are organized by tale, including stories with a variety of fairy tale references, and collections of short stories. Annotations for collections of stories include an alphabetical list of the fairy tales used. Many of the older books may be located in the S-Collection storage area; please consult the catalog and request assistance from the reference staff.

Bibliographies

011.62 B639t
Bomhold, Catharine and Terri E. Elder. Twice Upon a Time: a Guide to Fractured, Altered, and Retold Folk and Fairy Tales. 2008.
This is a guide to more than 300 fractured, altered, and otherwise retold classic folk and fairy tales presented in picture books for K-5 students. Annotations describe each book, explaining how it diverges from the original. Settings and themes are highlighted and extras such as author's notes and glossaries are noted. Organized by original story (Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, and so forth) and then by author, all entries also provide full bibliographic information. Indexes offer access by author, title, illustrator, location, and motif.

Retellings of Multiple Fairy Tales

Q. SE. AH47p
Ahlberg, Allan. Previously. 2007.
The adventures of various nursery rhyme and fairy tale characters are retold in backward sequence with each tale interrelated to the other. Includes Goldilocks, Jack and the Beanstalk, Jack and Jill, The Frog Prince, Cinderella, and The Gingerbread Man.

S. B3884s
Beck, Ian. The Secret History of Tom Trueheart. 2007.
When young Tom Trueheart's seven older brothers all go missing during their adventures in the Land of Stories, he embarks on a perilous mission to save them and to capture the rogue story-writer who wants to do away with the heroes. Their adventures involve Snow White, Rapunzel, Cinderella, and more.

S. B624s
Blubaugh, Penny. Serendipity Market. 2009.
When the world begins to seem unbalanced, Mama Inez calls ten storytellers to the Serendipity Market and, through the power of their magical tales, the balance of the world is corrected once again. The tales include re-tellings of The Princess and the Pea, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk and more.

S. B856s
Buckley, Michael. The Fairy-tale Detectives. 2005.
Orphans Sabrina and Daphne Grimm are sent to live with an eccentric grandmother that they have always believed to be dead. They solve crimes involving the Everafters, the magical creatures and people of fairy tales and fantasy, who are trapped in their town.
     Sequels (Sisters Grimm):
     Not Available at UIUC
     The Unusual Suspects. 2005.
     S. B856p
     The Problem Child. 2006.
     S. B856o
     Once Upon a Crime. 2007.
     S. B856m
     Magic and Other Misdemeanors. 2007.
     S. B856t
     Tales from the Hood. 2009.
     S. B856e
     The Everafter War. 2009.
     S. B856i
     The Inside Story. 2010.

S. D939i
Durst, Sarah Beth. Into the Wild. 2007.
Having escaped from the Wild and the preordained fairy tale plots it imposes, Rapunzel, along with her daughter Julie Marchen, tries to live a fairly normal life, but when the Wild breaks free and takes over their town, it is Julie who has to prevent everyone from being trapped in the events of a story.
     Sequel:
     S. D939o
     Out of the Wild. 2008.

S. G921w
Gruber, Michael. The Witch's Boy. 2005.
Lump is a foundling, raised by a witch and her strange friends. But when he is cruelly treated by the people of the outside world, he turns against his mother. Only through tragedy and pain does he come to accept himself and learn his heart's desire. Elements of fairy tales, including Rumpelstiltskin and Hansel and Gretel are incorporated throughout the story.

S. M276d
Maguire, Gregory. The Dream Stealer. 1983.
This fantasy combines elements from several Russian fairy tales, including the magical Firebird, Baba Yaga the witch, and the beautiful Vasilissa.

S. W925D
Wrede, Patricia. Dealing with Dragons. 1990.
Cimorene is tired of her life as a princess and discovers she much prefers being captured by a dragon. In this and the following sequels, traditional fairy tales and themes are retold with hilarious results.
     Sequels (Enchanted Forest Chronicles):
     S. W925S
     Searching for Dragons. 1991.
     S. W924C
     Calling on Dragons. 1993.
     S. W925C
     Talking to Dragons. 1993.

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Collections

S. B622r
Block, Francesca Lia. The Rose and the Beast: Fairy Tales Retold. 2000.
Modern retellings in Block's individual style include: Beauty and the Beast, Bluebeard, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Snow White and Rose Red, The Snow Queen, and Thumbelina.

S. B794T
Brooke, William J. A Telling of the Tales: Five Stories. 1990.
Contemporary retellings of five classic fairy tales and tall tales; Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, John Henry, Paul Bunyan, and Sleeping Beauty.
     More retellings and continuations of traditional tales by William J. Brooke:
     S. B794U
     Untold Tales. 1992.
     S. B794TE
     Teller of Tales. 1994.

S. 821 D138R
Dahl, Roald. Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes. 1983.
Humorous, gruesome and gory retellings of classic stories in rhyme. Includes: Cinderella, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and Three Little Pigs.

S.398.2 T848
Datlow, Ellen and Terri Windling (ed). Troll's Eye View: a Book of Villainous Tales. 2009.
Everyone thinks they know the real story behind the villains in fairy tales--evil, no two ways about it. But the villains themselves beg to differ. In this anthology for younger readers, you'll hear from the Giant's wife (from Jack and the Beanstalk), Rumpelstiltskin, the oldest of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, and more.

S. 398.2 W831
Datlow, Ellen and Terri Windling. Wolf at the Door: and Other Retold Fairy Tales. 2000.
Modern, fantastic, and sometimes tragic retellings of fairy tales, including The Twelve Months, Cinderella, The Goose Girl, and Little Red Riding Hood.

S. M276l
Maguire, Gregory. Leaping Beauty: and Other Animal Fairy Tales. 2004.
Retellings of well-known fairy tales with animals as protagonists. Includes: Cinderella, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, Rumplestiltskin, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and The Three Little Pigs.

S. 398.2 M33r
Marcantonio, Patricia Santos. Red Ridin' in the Hood and Other Cuentos. 2005.
Fairy tales and myths retold through various Latin American cultures. Includes: Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, Beauty and the Beast, Emperor's New Clothes, Hansel and Gretel, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, Orpheus and Eurydice, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Pied Piper of Hamlin, and Three Little Pigs.

S. M2152do
McKinley, Robin. The Door in the Hedge. 1981.
Of these four stories, two are excellent rewritings of the traditional tales "The Princess and the Frog" and "The Twelve Dancing Princesses."

SE. SCI27S
Scieszka, Jon and Lane Smith. The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales. 1992.
Parodies of traditional fairy tales, narrated by the characters themselves. Includes: The Little Red Hen, Chicken Licken (Chicken Little), Princess and the Pea. The Ugly Duckling, The Frog Prince, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, Rumpelstiltskin, The Tortoise and the Hare, and The Gingerbread Man.

S. 398.2 V286T
Vande Velde, Vivian. Tales from the Brothers Grimm and the Sisters Weird. 1992.
Humorous and sometimes grim retellings of thirteen classic fairy tales. Includes: Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Hansel and Gretel, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin, The Frog Prince, The Pied Piper of Hamlin, The Princess and the Pea, and The Three Billy Goats Gruff.

Cinderella

S. F228G
Farjeon, Eleanor. The Glass Slipper. 1956.
This novel length retelling of Cinderella adds new elements while retaining the classic plot.

S. H1172j
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Just Ella. 1999.
Ella has gotten her fairy tale ending and her prince; but is that truly what she wants? A continuation of the story of Cinderella.

S. 398.2 L578f
Levine, Gail Carson. Cinderellis and the Glass Hill. Included in The Fairy's Return and Other Princess Tales. 2006.
In this male version of Cinderella, Ellis is always the outsider, looked down on by his brothers. The princess is lonely and has no one to listen to her. But a series of hilarious events brings the two together and they live happily ever after.

S. L5788E
Levine, Gail Carson. Ella Enchanted. 1997.
Why was Cinderella so good and obedient? In Levine's retelling, Ella is under a curse, forcing her to be obedient to everyone; even her wicked stepmother and her nasty stepsisters. Will the prince rescue her from her miserable family? Or will Ella rescue herself from the curse of obedience?

S. L7804a
Lo, Malinda. Ash. 2009.
In this variation on the Cinderella story, Ash grows up believing in the fairy realm that the king and his philosophers have sought to suppress, until one day she must choose between a handsome fairy cursed to love her and the King's Huntress whom she loves.

S. N162b
Napoli, Donna Jo. Bound. 2004.
This retelling is based on Chinese Cinderella stories. When Xing Xing's stepmother binds only her own daughter's feet, she cuts Xing Xing off from a suitable marriage. Bound to a life of servitude, Xing Xing must eventually break free of her stepmother's power and make a new life for herself.

S. P967i 2000
Pullman, Philip. I Was a Rat! 2000.
When Cinderella flees from the castle, she leaves one of her transformed page boys behind. He and the princess must both adjust to their new worlds.

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Beauty and the Beast

S. F646be
Flinn, Alex. Beastly. 2007.
A modern retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" from the point of view of the Beast, a vain Manhattan private school student who is turned into a monster and must find true love before he can return to his human form.

S. M2152r
McKinley, Robin. Rose Daughter. 1997.
McKinley's second retelling of Beauty and the Beast, with a very different ending from the traditional story.

S. M2152B
McKinley, Robin. Beauty: a Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast. 1978.
This retelling follows the traditional plot while fleshing out the characters and bringing new life to the fairy tale.

S. N162be
Napoli, Donna Jo. Beast. 2000.
Set in Persia, this is the story of the Beast before Beauty arrives as well as the traditional plot of their tale.

Sleeping Beauty or Briar Rose

Q. S.398.2 H13s
Hale, Bruce. Snoring Beauty. 2008.
An adaptation of the traditional tale, featuring a sleeping, snoring princess who is rescued by a prince after being cursed by a bad fairy.

S. L5788pr
Levine, Gail Carson. Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep. 1999.
Princess Sonora has wonderful christening gifts; including an ever-increasing thirst for knowledge that begins to cause problems. When she falls asleep, will the right prince come?

S. L951t
Lowe, Helen. Thornspell. 2008.
In this elaboration of "Sleeping Beauty," Prince Sigismund, having grown up in a remote castle dreaming of going on knightly quests, has had only a passing interest in the forbidden wood lying beyond the castle gates until a brief encounter with a beautiful and mysterious lady changes his life forever.

S. M2152sp
McKinley, Robin. Spindle's End. 2000.
When Briar Rose is cursed by the evil Pernicia, a young fairy takes her away to be raised safely in the country. When she learns of her true heritage, she must not only defeat the evil fairy, but choose how she will live; as a princess or as simple Rosie.

S. Y78br2002
Yolen, Jane. Briar Rose. 2002.
Becca has always loved her grandmother, Gemma, and treasures her telling of Sleeping Beauty. When Becca begins to trace her grandmother's history, Gemma's constant retelling of Sleeping Beauty takes on a new, tragic significance.

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Rumpelstiltskin

S. N162sp
Napoli, Donna Jo and Richard Tchen. Spinners. 1999.
A young tailor cripples himself spinning gold to win his beloved. Years later, the girl he knows to be his daughter must face a similar dilemma and find her own freedom.

S. Sch53st
Schmidt, Gary D. Straw into Gold. 2001.
When the queen fails to guess Rumpelstiltskin's riddle, he takes her child. Eleven years later, two boys meet the queen and together they learn the true story behind Rumpelstiltskin's actions.

S. 398.2 V286r
Vande Velde, Vivian. The Rumpelstiltskin Problem. 2000.
A collection of humorous, tragic, inventive, and fascinating retellings of the familiar story.

Toads and Diamonds

S. K576g1
Kindl, Patrice. Goose Chase: a Novel. 2001.
When an old peasant woman gives Alexandria the goose girl a marvelous gift, she finds unexpected and unwelcome consequences. With the help of her enchanted geese, she must escape from those who seek to exploit her gift and find a new life.

S. L5788f
Levine, Gail Carson. The Fairy's Mistake. 1999.
The fairy Ethelinda rewards one sister and punishes the other for their behavior; but her reward makes the recipient miserable and her punishment delights the unpleasant sister. It takes a few more tries before Ethelinda gets it right.

Frog Prince

S. B172f
Baker, E. D. Frog Princess. 2002.
When Princess Emma reluctantly kisses a frog, things don't work out as she had planned. Transformed into a frog herself, the two set out on a journey to break the curse.
     Sequels:
     S. B172d
     Dragon's Breath. 2003.
     S. B172o
     Once Upon a Curse. 2004.

S. N162P
Napoli, Donna Jo. The Prince of the Pond: Otherwise Known as De Fawg Pin. 1992.
Turned into a frog by an old hag, the prince makes the best of his new life by entering fully into the world of his fellow frogs.
     Sequel:
     S. N162J
     Jimmy, the Pickpocket of the Palace. 1995.

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Snow White

S. H247m
Harrison, Mette Ivie. Mira, Mirror. 2004.
This is the story of the magic mirror used by Snow White's stepmother. Trapped in the mirror by the woman she had thought her sister, Mira's quest for freedom eventually leads her to true freedom and understanding of her sister.

S. L578fa
Levine, Gail Carson. Fairest. 2006.
Aza has hair as black as ebony, lips as red as blood, and skin as white as snow; and everyone thinks she's ugly. In a land where conventional beauty and singing are highly valued, her looks make her an outcast until she learns to control and accept her magical voice and her unique appearance.

The Six Swans

S. M365b
Martin, Rafe. Birdwing. 2005.
When the princess saves her seven brothers, the youngest is left with one swan's wing. This is the story of his journey toward acceptance and understanding.

Hansel and Gretel

S. N162M
Napoli, Donna Jo. Magic Circle. 1993.
The Ugly One was once a midwife, sorceress, and mother, but now she is hunted by devils and fights a constant battle against the evil they force her to do. When two children come to her candy house, she makes one final effort to save them from herself.

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Twelve Dancing Princesses

S. C1283p
Calhoun, Dia. The Phoenix Dance. 2005.
Phoenix, a shoemaker's apprentice, is afflicted with a strange illness (Bipolar Disorder). But when the twelve princesses are put under a spell, she must learn to master her illness to rescue them and herself.

S. Z133t
Zahler, Diane. The Thirteenth Princess. 2009.
Zita, cast aside by her father and raised as a kitchen maid, learns when she is nearly twelve that she is a princess and that her twelve sisters love her, and so when she discovers they are victims of an evil enchantment, she desperately tries to save them. Inspired by the Grimm fairy tale, "The Twelve Dancing Princesses."

Rapunzel

S. 813 N162Z
Napoli, Donna Jo. Zel. 1996.
Rapunzel's story is retold from the point of view of Rapunzel, or Zel, her mother and her "prince."

East of the Sun and West of the Moon

S. D939ic
Durst, Sarah Beth. Ice. 2009.
A modern-day retelling of "East o' the Sun, West o' the Moon" in which eighteen-year-old Cassie learns that her grandmother's fairy tale is true when a Polar Bear King comes to claim her for his bride and she must decide whether to go with him and save her long-lost mother, or continue helping her father with his research.

S. G2935s
George, Jessica Day. Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow. 2008.
A girl travels east of the sun and west of the moon to free her beloved prince from a magic spell.

S. P2784e
Pattou, Edith. East. 2003.
This retelling is based on the Norse tale, East of the Sun and West of the Moon but also includes elements of the better-known Beauty and the Beast. Set in the Arctic lands, this is a fantastical epic with strong characters.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

S.398.2 B288t
Baruzzi, Agnese and Sandro Natalini. The True Story of Goldilocks. 2009.
So you think you know the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears? Sometimes things are not what they seem--find out what happened before the famous tale began! This book has movable parts.

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