Jeffrey Stewart TimminsCritiques

This Cinderella story has a new twist to it. Cinderella's father brings her back a hazel twig from one of his trips, and she goes ahead and plants it on her mother's grave. With enough of her tears, she waters the twig, and with time, it becomes a large tree that houses many birds. Those same birds help her from her evil stepsisters and stepmother in the end. I was not too fond of the illustrations of the book. I found them to be gloomy and dark. I prefer vibrant happy colors. Also, I wouldn't say I liked the comic bubbles as a way to read the story. However, I'm sure a younger audience wouldn't mind it. I rated this book a two due to the dark colors, the cartoons were scary and looked evil, and it wouldn't be a book I would recommend.

Reviewed for HereBeFiction! http://www.herebefiction.org/content/cinderella

summary:A graphic story of the classic fairytale about a poor young girl, her wicked step-mother and step-sisters, and her unforgettable trip to the ball.
Personal Reaction: This is a great traditional story that shows a fair tale ending.
Classroom extensions: To incorporate this story into a classroom assignment I could show have the children do a good deed unto another in a way that they would want to.

Cinderella is the second Graphic Novel I read and enjoyed. The story setting was changed to Transylvania, as well as Cinderella’s name it was Ella and the author even elaborated on how the name Cinderella was bestowed upon her.
I did expect a bit more color in the illustrations they were shaded in greys, blacks and browns with a little red thrown in whenever the evil characters were in the frame. I also expected better detail as well. I also was surprised as to how plain the illustrator made Cinderella look -this disappointed me. It seemed there was no difference between Cinderella and her evil stepsisters and how they looked.
This was a big change from every Cinderella book I have ever read something else that I noticed was when Cinderella was sad the background was very dark almost smoky, when she was happy the frames had a lighter background and made the mood appear happier too.
A nice bonus this book had was the quick list of characters on the front pages. There was also a little bit about the author, illustrator, a glossary, a history of the story, discussion questions, writing prompts and some kid-safe internet sites kids can explore for further research contained on the back pages.
This would be a great read for kids ages 9 and up.½

This would be a great book for 7-10 year olds.It is not very colorful but it does have pictures. Text is in the form of word bubbles. Also, a great one to read when teaching about fairy tales.

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Cinderella is about a young girl that loses her father and is forced to live with her evil step mother and step sisters. After being enslaved the young girls fairy god mother grants her one evening where she attends the royal ball and falls in love with the handsome prince.

Always a great classic story, although some think this story is only for young children this version on the book really bumps up the age with illustrations and attention to detail.

I would use this book in a study about folk literature and the history behind it in an older elementary class. I would also pair this study with literature circles and an essay writing experience where the students learn to summarize in essay format.

Another telling of the timeless Cinderella story. This time told in dark graphic novel form.½

I had to read this for a review at work. I love Cinderella, and this did not hinder my feelings at all. It was retold very well. For those readers that aren't that interested, grab this!

The graphic novel Cinderella was a spin on the classic story we all know and love. It was about the girl whose wicked step mother and wicked step sisters move into her home and begin treating her like a servant. She goes to a ball and dances with the prince and then she has to leave and he finds her glass slipper. He tries it on her foot and they live happily ever after.

I really liked this book. It was fun to read and it worked new elements that I had never heard or seen before in a Cinderella story into the story line. The artwork was kind of muted and dark to go along with the almost depressing story line. When good things happen in the pictures, they get lighter. When the step family is treating her badly, the pictures are darker. I liked how the pictures went with the text.

I would use this to show students how to make pictures match text. It would also be a good to show students how to do a compare/contrast on 2 different Cinderella stories.

An excellent series with absolutely gorgeous, usually stylized artwork. Each title includes a glossary, history of the tale in question, and discussion questions, making them as valuable educationally as they are recreationally. I highly recommend them for anyone with children interested in fairy tales.

In Beth Bracken’s Cinderella: The Graphic Novel, illustrations and plot combine to present a dark Dickensian rendition of the classic fairy. Unlike the popular Disney version, Cinderella’s mistreatment at the hands of her stepmother and stepsisters begins while her father is still alive. What support she receives is not from him, however, but from a series of unusual events – such as a flock of birds aiding her in an impossible task set by her stepmother – centered around the grave of her mother. Jeffrey Stewart Timmins’ predominantly brown illustrations and grotesque stepsisters lend themselves well to the dark nature of the story. An interesting retelling, this Cinderella might be best suited for more mature readers in a transitional reading phase to tackle themselves, instead of as a picture book for younger children. In support of this, Bracken includes a glossary of difficult terms, history of Cinderella, discussion questions, and sources for further writing and research.

Like Rapunzel, Cinderella is illustrated by Jeffrey Stewart Timmins and he shines here as well. I especially loved how he treated the women's hair and silhouettes in Cinderella. He has again used watercolor to create these beautiful washes of color but small details too. Thought again I would have wished the speech bubbles be hand drawn.

I love the story of Cinderella and with the addition of Jeffrey Stewart Timmins's illustration this is a winning rendition. Like the other Capstone offerings from the Graphic Spin line in the back of the book you will find a history of the fairy tale, discussions and writing prompts. Cinderella is a reading level of 2.1 or I.

This was the typical Cinderella story. It pretty much was just like the original, except for it was like a comic book.

This book was okay for older children, but for my age-group would probably not be very appropriate.

If I read this book, I would just add props in the house area, such as dresses, shoes ect...... But when I read Cinderella, it is more on the 3 and 4 year age level.

Ages 7 and Up. A graphic novel retelling of the classic Cinderella story. Illustrated in a cool, gothic style, but all the characters look alike. The book includes a historical background, discussion questions, and writing prompts at the back, which are interesting and a good way to use the book in school.
Recommended for elementary or middle grade graphic novel collections.

What I liked: Cinderella as a graphic novel. The illustrations are wonderful. The story is classic. The illustrations are darker (not as nauseating as, say, a Disney version) and more realistic. This book could interest those (boys and many girls) that are not actually interested in princess stories.
What I did not like: Cinderlla and the prince looked identical, which was a little different.
Recommendation: I would buy this book for my library (medium public library).½

The fairy tale Cinderella is adapted to graphic novel format. This version of the story is a mix of the Brother Grimms' version and the Perrault version. After Cinderella's mother dies her father remarries and Cinderella's stepmother and stepsisters treat her badly. The plot includes the tree and birds that help Cinderella complete an impossible task that her stepmother requires her to do. But it also includes the fairy godmother from Perrault's version. The reader feels badly for Cinderella because she is often shown mourning her mother or having to do work for her stepfamily. In many of the images Cinderella looks very small. The setting is vague and gloomy because the majority of the images are done with a brown wash. This helps create a sense of mourning and contributes to the suffering that Cinderella experiences. The illustrations of the castle are very vague and simple. I enjoyed the overall style of the illustrations because they made the fairy tale seem new and they created new depths to Cinderella. However, I do think that the darker tones make this fairy tale a little more suitable for grades 5-8. There are themes of good overcoming evil. I also enjoyed how Cinderella looked like a normal girl. Recommended.

This is the classic tale of Cinderella using a graphic novel format. The story begins with Ella's mother dying and Ella's father marrying a new woman within the year. The story changes a bit from the classic Disney version with a tree in a garden but mostly it is the same story that many of us know. This book is of the highest quality. In the back of the book, there is a glossary, a history of the story Cinderella, discussion questions and writing prompts. There is also a recommended internet site.½

Graphic Novel, Traditional Literature, Fairy Tale

Amanda (Fall 2009)