The Princess Swap: Cinderella and the Beast or Beauty and the Glass Slipper by Kim Bussing (Random House Books for Young Readers, 304 pages, grades 3-7). Ella from Cinderella and Belle from Beauty and the Beast unexpectedly switch places in this fairy tale mash-up. The bold and adventurous Belle winds up as a servant in Ella’s stepmother’s basement, while Ella, whose glass leg has always kept her on the sidelines, finds herself sharing a gloomy castle with a fearsome beast. Cinderella’s prince is just a kid named Amir in this telling, and he’s sad that his sister Anisa has mysteriously vanished for the last few years. The two stories come together as Ella learns more about the cursed beast, and each heroine has to take matters into her own hands to create a happily-ever-after ending for both of them. A preview of book two, featuring Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, is featured at the end.
I’m not really much of a fractured fairy tale fan, but this version was so clever and well-told, once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down. The stories are told in alternating third-person chapters, and many of the chapters ends on a cliff-hanger that will keep the reader turning the pages. Even the villains are treated with some sympathy in the end, and both girls are strong and brave, with just enough flaws to be believable.
Lily’s Dream: A Fairy Friendship by Bea Jackson (Aladdin, 40 pages, ages 4-8). Although Lily dreams of flying, so far her fairy wings haven’t worked. As a result, she knows more about beauty close to the ground, and one day she stumbles upon a beautiful fairy house. When the human creator reveals herself, Lily runs away, accidentally leaving behind her cherished gold anklet. The next day, she goes back to look for it, and the girl, who introduces herself as Willow, has found it. Willow makes Lily a fairy-sized acorn helmet, pillow, and trampoline to help her practice flying. Soon she’s taken to the air, and although she still can’t fly high, “Lily was over the moon.” Includes an author’s note that gives more of Willow’s backstory.
Those who judge books by their covers will be captivated by the picture of Lily on this one, and will undoubtedly find the rest of the story equally enchanting. I hope that this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship and that Willow and Lily will have more stories, maybe told from Willow’s point of view. I enjoyed reading about her in the author’s note and wished that more of it had been incorporated into he main story.