Great idea for a book and really well executed. A thoroughly good read. Highly recommended. .

Cinderella and the Furry Slippers is a twist on the classic cinderella with bright illustrations. Cinderella wants to go to the ball and meet a prince so she can leave her cruel step-family behind, but when she calls up a fairy godmother, things aren’t as she expected. Instead of a flowing ballgown, she gets a bold eclectic dress. Instead of glass slippers, furry boots. And instead of a fancy pumpkin coach pulled by white horses, a turnip pulled by a ragtag group of woodland animals. The castle isn’t quite what she was expecting, either. I absolutely love the message of the book and the illustrations are fun and hilarious.

Please note, I received a free ARC in exchange for a review. The review contains my honest, uninfluenced opinion and I was not compensated in any way for a positive review.

I read this book thinking it would be cute and it totally was! It did seem a little weird because its such a classic fairytale but totally different. I liked how kooky it was. It was a really great concept but not a huge fan of the art work.

I did not expect this. So good. I love when things because magically feminist and beautifully fierce. Fun and entertaining, with awesomely bright images. Kids will definitely be entertained, and learn a better lesson than the Disney version.

My girls loved this silly version of Cinderella. It made us laugh several times. I enjoyed how in the end Cinderella's happily ever after wasn't what most would expect. It think this book has some good lessons for little girls.

I love alternate versions of fairy tales. I love the notion that the girl realizes that she doesn't need the prince to be happy. But this book was just plain awful! Cinderella wants to go to the ball to meet the hunky prince she has seen in magazines. She calls the fairy godmother on the phone and a strange lady comes with bats flying around her and conjures up some awful dress complete with fugly shoes with fur instead of heels. The prince is worse than anyone can imagine and Cinderella finally comes to her senses after she smells his breath that she doesn't need a prince to save her. Don't waste your time!

*thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

1 star.
A Cinderella fairytale retelling done as a picture book.... HELL YES. Unfortunately, after reading this, I was dissapointed. After all the really good reviews on here about this book, I feel as though Ive read something different. I just got to the end and all I thought was 'huh? what did I just read'.
Sorry, but this one wasnt for me. On a good note though, the pictures were bright and colourful.

I'm still giggling after reading this.

In this parody of Perrault's Cinderella, the heroine decides to attend the ball and realizes that the prince isn't all that he's cracked up to be. Actually, nothing is what she expected.

With whimsical gothic-pink drawings (bats, rats, green fairy godmothers, etc.) that are both an homage and mockery of traditional Cinderella retellings, and tongue-in-cheek writing, this version is certain to spin the tale of Cinderella on its head and provide a heroine who realizes that expectations are not all that they're cracked up to be and that she can make a far better happy ending using her own wits. Oh, and the furry slippers bit is adorable.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Cinderella isn’t thrilled with her life tending to her stepmother and stepsisters. When she sees an ad for a dance she calls up for a fairy godmother to help her get there. The fairy godmother and her helpers aren’t exactly what Cinderella expected and the dress looks nothing like it did in the magazine. Despite the unconventional attire and transportation, Cinderella makes it to the dance only to find out that it is a dance competition and the winner will get a solo dance with the Prince. The dance goes nothing like what Cinderella or the readers expected.

Wow. This was…different to say the least. Cinderella’s stepfamily and the fairy godmother all look like they have horrible growth issues (huge heads, tiny heads, mal-shaped bodies…it looks like she lives inside a funhouse world). I actually loved the crazy twist on her transportation (turnip pulled by a moose, a camel, and a lama). The ending gets a twist too. The prince ends up to be not much of a winner and Cinderella escapes to attend a ladies job fair, with hints on the last page that she pursues a new vocation of being a dragon tamer. Definitely a different twist on the typical Cinderella tale. If you’re looking for fractured fairy tales or compare/contrast Cinderella books, you might want this one. I can see some children getting a little disturbed by the weirdly shaped bodies and the Prince’s deadly breath, so know your reading audience.

Cinderella and the Furry Slippers is a picturebook written by Davide Cali and illustrated by Raphaelle Barbanegre. It is currently scheduled for release on October 10 2017.

Cinderella is dying to go to the ball. She's seen pictures of the fancy castle and the handsome prince, she's heard the fairy tales about true love, she's found the perfect dress in Princess magazine and she's even found an ad for a Fairy Godmother. She's all set. Except the fairy godmother doesn't look like the one in the ad. And the castle doesn't look like the picture. And the prince well, Cinderella decides her fairy-tale ending is going to look different--and be a whole lot more fun.

Cinderella and the Furry Slippers is a fun take on the Cinderella story, and shows kids that getting what you want is not always the answer. Cinderella wants to go to the ball and dance with the prince, but nothing goes quite like she expects. Furry slippers and a less than ideal prince show her that the grass is not always greener. I liked Cinderella's willingness to change things up when they do not go as planned, and the way the fractured fairy tale changes the story. It was fun and entertaining. The artwork was a little cartoony for my preferences, but I think it matches the story and many will love this read.

Cinderella and the Furry Slippers by Davide Cali is a story with a twist on the Cinderella we know. Seeing a picture of the Prince in a magazine prompts Cinderella to want to go to the ball, meet the Prince, and have a fairytale ending. She calls a Fairy Godmother who dresses her since she has nothing appropriate to wear. But what she ends up with isn’t the dress of her dreams. Unlike the story we are used to, her carriage is a turnip with a variety of strange animals pulling it to the castle. And even the castle is not what she imagined. Furry slippers and all the Prince falls for her, but she immediately sees that the Prince is not her type, so she dashes from the ball.
*Spoiler Alert*
On the way home (she has to walk since her turnip coach is nowhere to be found) she sees a sign offering women career opportunities. So she decides to create her own ending to the story.

While I certainly understand the concept of this story, I have a few concerns. Perhaps I’m being overly sensitive, but Cinderella’s immediate dislike for the Prince appeared to be his bad breath. The fashion presented, and coach and animals were fun, but I think were intended to be a message. The dancing at the ball was pretty weird and Cinderella's was simply the worst of all. (Meant to be funny or a message?) One of the signs at the Job Fair is “Sick of lame princes? Sick of fancy pink dresses? Want to do something fun for once?” Pink and dresses and believing in love and a Prince can be a fun fantasy for kids. My opinion is kids need to be kids for a few years. I agree with the fact that people, both men and women, should not sit back and wait helplessly for their future to unwind, but this book felt more adult based, with an adult message.

Many of the illustrations are very cute. And I do think this book can be used as a positive tool in empowering both boys and girls. I just wanted to point out a few of my rather small concerns.
Penguin Random House Canada
Tundra Books 2017
Age Range: 3-7

Cinderella And The Furry Slippers by Davide Cali.
Handsome princes, fancy castles, extravagant balls . . . in this girl-power fractured fairy tale, Cinderella learns that if it looks too good to be true, it probably is, and it's better to create your own happy ending.Cinderella is dying to go to the ball. She's seen pictures of the fancy castle and the handsome prince, she's heard the fairy tales about true love, she's found the perfect dress in Princess magazine and she's even found an ad for a Fairy Godmother. She's all set. Except the fairy godmother doesn't look like the one in the ad. And the castle doesn't look like the picture. And the prince . . . well, Cinderella decides her fairy-tale ending is going to look different--and be a whole lot more fun.
This was a lovely little read. I read it to my girls and they loved the pictures in the book. 5*. Netgalley and penguin books random house Canada.

Plot:
Cinderella hires a Fairy Godmother from a magazine ad to help her win the heart of the prince, but neither ends up quite like those in the magazines.

Pros:
I love the illustrations
I like the fresh take on an old story
good talking points to start discussions, especially about what we see in ads vs. real life
I like that the slippers are fur, not glass

Cons:
I felt the ending could have been slightly tweaked (but I also LOVED the ending--read below)

Would I recommend this title:
Yes!

Full Review:
I really enjoyed this book. For me, the illustrations hit it out of the park and are very funny. I am also a sucker for fresh twists on old fairy tales. But it is also nice that they kept the slippers fur, since that is the way they are in the original. I guess I'm a stickler for the little details.

I feel like there are a few princess stories out there where the princess decides to take a different path other than just marrying the prince. The things that sets this one apart is that it deals with the unrealistic expectations set up in the media and in advertising. Cinderella and her sisters see all these hunks in the magazines, and the real prince doesn't match up. I think it could be a great starter for talking about these types of things in the real world.

**Some mild spoilers beyond this point**

I absolutely love the last spread of this book with all the varied female characters. I really enjoyed seeing the references to other fairy tale characters and their chosen vocations. For example, Red Riding Hood works as a wolf catcher.

While I love the ending, I also have a small beef with it. Cinderella sees a sign advertising for a girl's only job fair and it says "Tired of Lame Princes? Sick of Pink Dresses?" This bothered me for two reasons. One, my daughter's favorite color is pink and she loves dresses. And she is also a strong, spunky girl. I like messages where girls can love pink and be successful. Two, the message of the book seems to be that what we see in magazines is unrealistic. But instead of being disgusted with the unrealistic prince ads, it hits home how lame real life princes are.

I know that I am nitpicking here. And it certainly didn't derail the entire book. I do still think it has a positive message and is worth the read.

**The link to the blog review will go live September 27th, 2017**

A girl power princess story for the ages. A funny take on Cinderella featuring furry slippers, a prince with bad breath, and a heroine who decides to forget about romance and head to the girl-power job fair instead. I adored it!

What an interesting book. Starts the same as all Cinderella stories but with some strange twists. I did love the ending a lot.

Another bright, colorful twisted fairy tale from Davide Cali and Raphaelle Barbanegre! Perfect for fans of The Paper Bag Princess for girls who want to rescue themselves and tame dragons!

its an interesting twist on a classic and the illustrations have great use of color but i was left feeling, well, like the story ended abruptly. i do see that the message of feminism being expressed, or in my opinion that is what i felt was being expressed. i don't think this book is for me.. just didn't hit the right spot. however, if my fair godmother gave me a moose instead of a horse i would certainly not complain!

This is a modern twist on the classic Cinderella fairy tale. Cinderella, per usual, spends her days cleaning and doing her stepmother’s and sisters’ hair. She sees the prince in a magazine and dreams coming to save her. When she finds out he’s having a ball, she calls up a fairy godmother and makes an appointment. That’s when it all starts to go awry. The godmother is not what she expects – and neither are the clothes. Even the ball is disappointing, and the prince – well, let’s just say he was more attractive in the magazine. So she makes her own happy ending.
I like the girl-power feel of this one, and the illustrations are bright and funny. I think this would make a good book to read aloud to any little girl, reinforcing that a girl can be whatever she wants to. And that pictures in magazines aren’t always realistic.

Cinderella dreamed that one day an awesome prince on a white horse would come to save her.

But no prince ever came; only more dishes to wash, floors to clean and hair to do.

This book starts off just like the traditional fairytale and, for the first few pages, I wondered what exactly was going to be different apart from the choice of footwear (as given away by the title)

I love the detail and the colours in the illustrations, such as the magazines featuring the prince being read by one of the stepsisters when Cinderella is doing her hair.

Children familiar with the original story will be amused by the subtle deviations, such as the Fairy Godmother designing an awful gown, the pumpkin being replaced by a turnip and the horses by an alpaca, camel and elk.

When Cinderella arrives at the castle (which isn’t nearly as grand as she had hoped), she is introduced to the dance competition which all the girls have to do to win a dance with the prince. The dancing is pretty unusual, but Cinderella is the worst of them all.

She manages to attract the prince’s attention when her furry slipper hits him in the head, but he has such bad breath she runs away!

I thought that would be the end of the story, and initially felt rather disappointed as the original story remained largely unchanged, despite cosmetic changes.

However, it is the next part of the book which is its real strength.

Just about to head home, Cinderella spots a poster for a girls-only job fair, aimed at those who are sick of silly princes and fancy pink dresses.
Needless to say, Cinderella finds something much more exciting than marrying a prince and lives happily ever after!

What I liked: Vibrant, colourful illustrations, feminist message with Cinderella going out and choosing her own future instead of simply aspiring to marry a prince.

Even better if:The last part of the book is the best bit but beginning might take a bit of getting into, particularly for children who feel they already know the story.

How you could use it in your classroom: I plan to use this in our unit looking at traditional tales as I love, love, love fractured fairy tales. I particularly like those which challenge the established narrative by giving the antagonist a back-story, show up the protagonist as being slightly less heroic than the original tale portrays or challenge gender roles and stereotypes. This book could be a useful starting point for discussions about characters in fairy tales and specific gender roles. It could also be useful for prediction, as many will not guess the real ending.

(Thanks to Netgalley and Tundra Books for my free review copy)

This is definitely an interesting take on an old tale!