This collection of ten contemporary fairy tales puts a delightful new spin on classic stories and themes.
King Midas is a workaholic banker who would rather play with his money than attend his son’s Little League baseball games. The Big Bad Wolf is running a successful scam on Little Red’s Grandma until Little Red catches him in the act. The Three Bears invade Goldy’s house because their forest home is being stripped to build a super highway. A Prince refuses to marry any of the grumpy princesses who lost sleep because there were peas under their mattresses. A clever princess pays a dragon to lose a fight so she can marry the man she loves. – Goodreads Synopsis
Newfangled Fairy Tales Review
These modern takes on old fairytales are utterly delightful. I can truthfully say that all but one of them evoked at least a snicker from me. Even though the collection has eight different authors, they did a great job in making sure the tone stayed consistent. At 116 pages total, each story is short enough to be perfect bedtime story length, or, if you’re an adult whose grabbed it for your own pleasure, they’re definitely break-sized.
My favorite fun story of the bunch was “And So They Did” by V. McQuin. Full of repeats and outrageous exclamations, it’s a beautifully silly read that an adult can enjoy reading just as much as the child they’re reading it to. “The Prince and the Pea” by Bruce Lansky didn’t quite reach the silliness level of V. McQuin’s story, but it definitely appealed to me on a deep level. Finally, a princess with her head screwed on straight! Denise Vega’s “Jill and the Beanstalk” is also worthy of mentioning. The notes at the back says that she wrote it after reading “Jack and the Beanstalk” to her kids for the first time and realizing it was about a lazy boy who was rewarded for stealing. I agree, and I like Vega’s version much better.
Overall, this is a great collection of contemporary fairy tales that will delight adults and children alike. There’s something in here for everyone, and the book is definitely worth your money. You can get it on Amazon.
Title: Newfangled Fairy Tales | Series: Newfangled Fairy Tales #1 | Editor: Bruce Lansky | Publisher: Meadowbrook Press (site) | Pub. Date: 1998-1-1 | Pages: 116 | ISBN13: 9780671577049 | Genre: Children’s Fiction | Language: English | Triggers: None | Date Read: 2016-6-5 | Source: Received a copy from the publisher free in exchange for an honest review.
How delightful – it sounds like it’s in a similar vein to Once Upon A More Enlightened Time, which made me laugh like a drain.
I’ve never heard of it, but from the title – yes, sounds very much like something like that.