James Marshall's Cinderella

Retold by Barbara Karlin 

and Illustrated by James Marshall

This version of Cinderella is best known for its illustrations by James Marshall's.  The story line is very similar to the American fairy tale. The author, Barbara Karlin, sticks very closely to the original plot. However, she does include a casual tone to the text. The only parts I found Karlin to stray from the original plot included; the character the king, who was the instigator of the ball (with the intentions of helping his son find a wife) and the ending, when the fairy godmother moves in with the couple. 

The illustrations are unique to James Marshall's style.

 The characters have square faces, pig-like noses, large red cheeks, and tiny specs as eyes. They often appear squatty and obese. Their clothing as well as the objects around them are always large and circular (for the most part). The The illustrations are meant to be humorous and eye-catching.  Children will spend long periods of time maing comments such as: "Look at her big teeth! The stepsisters are so ugly!", "That is a fat cat!" or "Hahaha! Look at the prince sit in the hammock!" These are all comments I have heard real students in the classroom say while reading this book together. The illustrations serve as the entertainment for a story most children "have already heard." I recommend using this version to immerse struggling readers into the content area.