Do you remember having fairy tales read to you when you were a child? I have some fun fairy tales to share with you this month, but these are not your typical fairy tales. These are fairy tales with a twist, otherwise known as “fractured” fairy tales.
Best enjoyed after your child is familiar with the traditional fairy tale, fractured fairy tales begin with the premise of the well-known fairy tale, but that’s where the similarity ends. The twists and turns away from the expected will surprise and delight your child.
Read the synopses of a few of my favorites below, and download my free library list to take with you on your next visit to the library.
Bubba the Cowboy Prince
by Helen Ketteman
Are you ready for a fairy tale gone country western? Just pull on your cowboy boots. With a little Texas magic and the help of his fairy god-cow, Bubba the Cowboy Prince goes from being a smelly ranch hand on his stepdaddy’s ranch to being the most popular guy at the ball. Move over, Cinderella, Bubba’s comin’!
Cinder Edna
by Ellen Jackson
If you’re looking for a “normal” fairy tale, you’ve come to the wrong picture book. The heroine in this Cinderella story doesn’t even have a fairy godmother. But rather than give up, this resourceful would-be princess finds her own way to the ball and proves that even when life isn’t a fairy tale, you can still live happily ever after—brown loafers and all.
Fanny’s Dream
by Caralyn and Mark Buehner
There are no glass slippers in Fanny’s Dream, but there is a sturdy farm girl who dreams of living the life of a princess. But on one starry night, Fanny chooses the hard work and laughter of real life on the farm over the possibility of living a fairy tale. And as Fanny soon discovers, sometimes reality is even better than dreams!
Goldilocks and
Just One Bear
by Leigh Hodgkinson
If you like your fairy tales with a little twist, you’ll find that the twist in Goldilocks and Just One Bear is just right. When “just one bear” suddenly finds himself lost on the streets of the big, noisy city, he decides to hunt for a nice quiet spot to have a snack and a nap. But what (and who!) he finds is the biggest twist of all!
Petite Rouge:
A Cajun Red Riding Hood
by Mike Artell
You’ve probably heard the story of Red Riding Hood, but you’ve likely never heard it told like this before. In irresistible Cajun-French dialogue, Mark Artell tells the tale of a goose, a crafty cat, a hungry alligator, and a gullible grandma. If you think you know how this twisted tale ends, you’re in for a sizzling southern surprise!
The Once Upon a Time
Map Book
by B.G. Hennessy
If you’ve ever wanted to explore the kingdoms of your fairy tale dreams, pick up this charming map book and discover some worlds you’ve only read about. You’ll travel through Neverland and Wonderland, and then follow the Yellow Brick Road all the way from Oz to the Emerald City. And you’ll learn a thing or two about maps along the way!
The Princess and the
Packet of Frozen Peas
by Tony Wilson
When Prince Henrik asks for advice on marriage, his brother insists that he marry a real princess. But Henrik soon discovers that real princesses can be kind of sensitive and…whiny. What if Prince Henrik decides he doesn’t want to marry a princess? What if he wants to marry the hockey-loving girl of his dreams instead?
There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight
by Penny Parker Klostermann
If you thought the tale of the old lady who swallowed a fly was funny, you’re going to love reading about the dragon who swallowed a knight! Not only does the dragon in this slightly twisted tale have a GIANT appetite, he also seems to have forgotten his manners. After all, do you think it’s polite to swallow a knight?
The Stinky Cheese Man
and Other Fairly Stupid Tales
by Jon Scieszka
If you’re bored with prince-meets-princess-and-lives-happily-ever-after fairy tales, The Stinky Cheese Man will make your day. These tales, which are definitely not boring, are wonderfully creative, slightly unorthodox, and, well, fairly stupid. And they’ll keep you laughing from the first page until the last “the end.”
The Three Ninja Pigs
by Corey Rosen Schwartz
In this martial arts-inspired retelling of the classic Three Little Pigs, the pigs decide to hone their ninja skills before facing the Big Bad Wolf! The Three Ninja Pigs packs a punch with terrific rhymes, a too-big-for-his-britches wolf, and a rock ’em, sock ’em ending. These pigs are going to take care of the big bad wolf once and for all. Hi-yah!
A Cooked-Up Fairy Tale
by Penny Parker Klostermann
William may live in the land of fairy tales, but he’s not a prince and he definitely doesn’t know how to woo a princess! What William does know how to do is cook. But can a chef find his own space in such a magical place? This delightfully quirky book will make you rethink everything you thought you knew about fairy tales!
The Princess and the Pig
by Jonathan Emmett
The Princess and the Pig is a fairy tale mix-up of epic proportions! In one fateful moment, a princess falls from the castle and plops into a farmer’s cart, sending a piglet flying…straight into the castle to be raised by the King and Queen. Can a princess be happy living with an ordinary farm family? And can a pig find true love with a prince?
The Three Pigs
by David Wiesner
This is definitely not “The Three Little Pigs” fairy tale you heard as a child! The story starts off well enough, but just when you think you’re in for a traditional tale, everything gets turned upside down…literally! Complete chaos ensues when the three pigs jump out of their own story and begin to wreak havoc on lots of other tales, too!
Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty?
by David Levinthal
In the style of a 1940’s detective novel, David Levinthal takes an entertaining and imaginative look at five favorite fairy tales. The hero of them all is Binky, a fedora-wearing toad who just happens to be a first-class detective. Will Binky be able to crack all five cases? First up…figure out Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty!
The Great Fairy Tale Disaster
by David Conway
If anyone can turn a bunch of well-loved fairy tales into a completely mixed-up mess, the Big Bad Wolf can! And that’s exactly what happens when the infamous villain from “The Three Little Pigs” decides he’s tired of huffing and puffing the pigs’ houses down! Get ready to giggle your way through The Great Fairy Tale Disaster!
Seriously, Cinderella Is
So Annoying!
by Trisha Speed Shaskan
Everyone knows that Cinderella is the perfect princess, right? Well, you might think differently after you read this hilariously reimagined version of one of the most famous fairy tales of all! After you hear Cinderella’s stepmother tell her side of the story, you will almost certainly agree that Seriously, Cinderella Is So Annoying!
Goldilocks and the
Three Dinosaurs
by Mo Willems
If you think Goldilocks had trouble with three bears, just wait until she finds herself in the home of three dinosaurs! And to make matters worse, these dinosaurs are hungry. But dinosaurs would never purposely trick a golden-haired girl into coming into their home for the purpose of eating her! Or would they?
Little Red: A Howlingly Good
Fairy Tale with a Twist
by Lynn and David Roberts
Set in the late eighteenth century, this delightful (and very different!) retelling of a timeless fairy tale features a small boy named Thomas, a bright red cloak, a nearsighted grandmother, a keg of fizzy ginger beer, and of course, a big, bad wolf. But if you think you know how this story ends, think again!
Would you like to read some of my favorite fractured fairy tales with your children? Click to download my list to take to your local library.
Looking for MORE books? You can find more great library lists here!
Do you have a favorite picture book of “fractured” fairy tales? Please share it in the comments and I’ll add it to our Readers’ Picks list!
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rebecca
says:i LOVE the true story of the three little pigs and fractured fairy tale
Nicole
says:Three ninja pigs was great! Thanks
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThank you for letting us know you enjoyed this one, Nicole!
Kaitlin
says:What a fantastic list! I haven’t heard of many of these before and I am excited to check them out!
Amanda
says:Thanks for the new ideas! My kids (even the teen!) love fairy tales, especially when they are revamped.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Amanda! I hope you find a lot here to enjoy.
MRW
says:Thank you for this blog post! I grew up loving the Scandinavian fairy tales with trolls, elves, and fairies.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome!
Misty McCluney
says:These look fun!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThanks, Misty. I hope you find lots of these enjoyable.
Paula
says:Thank you for this list – I’ve read a few of these and I love this genre🙂
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Paula. It is such a fun genre!
Christine
says:My kiddos love fairy tales like this. We have a few book already but haven’t read these. Thanks for the recommendations.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Christine! I hope your kiddos enjoy these as well.
Alisha
says:These books interesting, thank you for sharing
Amanda Ruth
says:Thank you – I get tired of the same old fairy tales and appreciate having some fresh views to read to my kids!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI hope this can make fairy tales a bit more enjoyable for you, Amanda!
Brandon Hall
says:The one with the Sheriff who vibrated his ears. His gimmick served the crimerate in his Town sheer Justice. I can not find it with google at ALL.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThe book sounds interesting, Brandon. I didn’t have any luck finding it either, but hopefully, someone that has read it will remember the title and let us know.
Arya Hegde
says:Thank you for sharing such useful information
Brandon Hall
says:Forgot to enter that the Sheriff is a Rabbit
Anita
says:Another series of alternate fairy tale stories for older readers…or awesome read-alouds. Rump by Leslie Shurtliff. She also wrote Red and Jack. My kids have literally been sitting on the edge of their seat. They beg me to read more and more!!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThank you for this review, Anita! I’m always looking for some great read alouds for my kids.
Lauryn R
says:These fairy tales withba twist books look great! I would definitely love to read them to my littles! :)
Laurie
says:Thanks for sharing this list. We love this type of book at our house. We also enjoy two already mentioned:
The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig and
An Undone Fairy Tale
JA
says:The Three Little Wolves and The Big Bad Pig is one of our favorites too!
Robin E. at All About Learning Press
says: Customer ServiceLaurie,
These sound great! Thank you for the recommendations.
Heather Berry
says:These look awesome! I look forward to buying them!
Stacy
says:I love reading and comparing classic fairy tales with their revamped counterparts.
Caroline
says:I love how creative different authors can be when coming up with new fractured fairy tales or unconventional takes at old fairy tales. Thanks for putting together a great list here!
I haven’t read this one yet, but I heard that Interstellar Cinderella by Deborah Underwood just came out recently. I’ll be checking it out at the library soon.
Gwen
says:I was going to say Interstellar Cinderella! :) Love that one!
Robin E. at All About Learning Press
says:Caroline,
Thanks for the the recommendation. I’ll have to check it out too.
Allison
says:These look really awesome!
Janel
says:These look like such fun!
Karen Wallace
says:Thanks for this list of “Fairy Tales”. Your book lists have been so valuable for us! Another one of these that we love is by a great illustrator and author, David Wiesner, called The Three Pigs. It is very unique and even my 12 year old was intrigued by it.
Marie Rippel
says: Customer ServiceI’m glad to hear that our book lists have been valuable to you, Karen! And thanks for mentioning David Weisner. You may enjoy some of his other books–we have reviews up for “Tuesday” and “Sector 7.” Here are the links if you’re interested:
http://blog.allaboutlearningpress.com/reviews-tuesday/
http://blog.allaboutlearningpress.com/reviews-sector-7/
Bridgett
says:These look fun! I printed out the list to have for our next library trip.
Brandy Hill
says:Thans for the awesome list! As a third grade teacher, I used these twisted fairy tales quite often, for activities such as comparing & contrasting! I also like to have the students write their own fractured fairy tale and these make great mentor texts for that!! Thanks again!
Kendra Rippel
says:Oh, you’re so welcome, Brandy. I hope this list is a hit with your third-graders. Honestly, we had so much fun reading all the fractured-fairy tales that went into making this list! Never has separating the wheat from the chaff been so much fun. :)
Jenn Khurshid
says:Thanks for this great list! I can’t wait to check these out!
Natalie Pankonin
says:My daughter loves The Princess and the Pig! We read it over and over amongst lots of giggles! What a great resource for other fun books. We will be checking these out. Thanks!
Marie Rippel
says: Customer ServiceThanks for your comment, Natalie. I hope you and your daughter love these fairy tales. And live happily ever after, of course!
Sarah
says:Thank you for this list! I’ll be requesting some of these this summer!
Marie Rippel
says: Customer ServiceHave fun with the books Sarah! :)
faith Robeson
says:these look like some really good books…thank you for sharing
Brandi Gandy
says:Almost all of these are new to me! Thanks for the suggestion!
Marie Rippel
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Brandi! I hope you find your happily-ever-after in this book list. :)
frances
says:It love book reviews/suggestions. Thanks!
Janice
says:Thanks for the great list! We love fractured fairy tales, and many of these are new to us. . .so off to the library!
Marie Rippel
says:Have fun, Janice! :)