Warm-hearted, witty, and reminiscent of the Paper-bag princess

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	• Cinder Edna Ellen Jackson HarperTrophy, 1998 - 32 pages average customer review:based on 22 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Warm-hearted, witty, and reminiscent of the Paper-bag princess

I Loved this book, and so did my two pre-schoolers. It is a great retelling of Cinderella with a modern slant. Cinder Edna and Cinderella are neighbours. While Cinderella pines away and sleeps in the Cinders to keep warm, Edna finds it too dirty and so after she does the work for HER wicked step-mother and step sisters she goes out and cleans bird cages and mows lawns.

Cinder Edna is a spunky, fun character - while Cinderella can't get to the ball without her fairy god-mother's help Cinder Edna has organised a dress on Layaway and catches the bus and while there have been discussions I see on here about feminist overtones and environmental issues (all of which are here) the thing I liked most about this is that people really need to earn what they get. We end up rewarded for what we put in. So Cinder Edna and Cinderella really end up with exactly what they put in. I like the concept of consequences and planning.

Anyway, this book makes me laugh. some of the lines are priceless - and my kids adore the story so it works well on both adult and child level

The illustrations are quite neat - I think they much be pastel, and they have a wonderful 50's kitsch feel about them - the step-mother and step-sisters are extraodinary!

I would really recommend this book, it left me with the same feeling the PaperBag Princess did - A real spunky heroine who can look after herself.

There are some utterly classic lines in this book

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Happily Ever After, by Mariah Krauel

"Now she's gone - the only girl I ever loved."
"Well, didn't you get her name?" asked Rupert impatiently (page 15).

In Cinder Edna, Ellen Jackson compares the classic Cinderella to a more light-hearted, realistic one, Cinder Edna. This Cinderella story with a twist is an enjoyable real world fairytale for children, especially little girls. The readers are able to relate with either Cinderella or Cinder Edna. While relating this enjoyable story, Jackson creates a dual tone of melancholy and optimism which are emphasized through the use of theme, contrasting diction, structure, and foils.

The tone of this children's story is illustrated through the theme of Cinder Edna. The theme portrayed is one of gaining happily ever after. Through the theme a lesson is taught about living happily ever after and the right attitude needed to achieve it. The theme is emphasized through the contrasting tones of the two main characters. Both Cinderella and Cinder Edna are forced to work for their wicked step mothers and step sisters. However, each girl takes on a different view of their situation. Cinderella evokes a tone of melancholy through her self pity and disparity towards her trial and chooses to dwell in pity, sitting among the cinders. On the other hand, Cinder Edna creates a tone of optimism through her self-sufficiency and independence toward her hard situation. She chooses to make the most out of her hard situation and to learn new skills. In the end, it is a cheerful outlook in hard times that leads to happily ever after.

Contrasting diction is also used to illustrate the tones of optimism and melancholy. Jackson uses "cruel" and "endless" to describe Cinderella's outlook on her situation. These words evoke a forlorn tone and create a feeling of pity toward Cinderella. Instead of trying to change her predicament, she sits and wishes for someone to come and change it for her. Contrastingly, Jackson describes Cinder Edna and her similar situation with cheerful diction. She uses "spunky" and "silly" to illustrate Cinder Edna's self-sufficiency and optimistic personality. Jackson also utilizes light-hearted rhymes to create Cinder Edna's happy tone. Cinder Edna figures out things for herself, and prepares ahead of time. Therefore, the varieties of diction help to create the contrasting tones of optimism and somberness.

The structure of Cinder Edna adds to the dual tones. While describing Cinderella's point of view Jackson uses long and loose sentences. She uses many descriptive words to add to Cinderella's distress. However, while discussing Cinder Edna, Jackson uses short sentences that add to Cinder Edna's "spunky" personality. This difference is noted through the description of both girls preparing for the ball. Cinderella is described as depending on her fairy godmother to figure out how she would get to the ball, through the utilization of various forlorn describing words. Therefore, a fairly large paragraph is formed to describe Cinderella's means of transportation instead of just a few lines. However, Cinder Edna's transportation to the ball is described with "Cinder Edna took the bus" (page 9). This short sentence gets to the point and emphasizes Cinder Edna's self-sufficiency and optimistic personality. Therefore, structure helps illustrate the dual tones of optimism and melancholy.

Jackson utilizes foils to create emphasis on the dual tones. Cinderella dwells on her troubles, sits in the cinders, and wishes for something to happen to change her predicament. After her wish comes true, she returns home moping and "sits forlornly among the cinders in the corner;" thus creating a somber tone (page 18). However, Cinder Edna makes the best of her predicament. She sings and whistles while she works and learns new skills. Cinder Edna works on the side to earn money and figures things out thing for her self. She buys her own dress and takes the bus to the ball. After returning, Edna continues on with her work, happy to have had the chance to go to a ball; thus illustrating a cheerful tone. The princes Randolph and Rupert are also foils of one another. After the ones they love disappear, Randolph blames others and pities himself. He did not have the common sense to ask Cinderella's name so he goes on a quest with her glass slipper to find her. However, Rupert prepares a plan of how he will find his true love. Rupert, having the common sense to ask the girl's name and about her, searches through the phone book and visits all of the Edna's in the village. He asks them questions pertaining to things he had learned about Cinder Edna at the ball. Therefore, through the use of foils the dual tone is created.

Throughout the story, Jackson illustrates a dual tone of cheerfulness and somberness. These contrasting tones are seen through the author's use of theme, contrasting diction, structure, and foils. Through this story the reader learns that we have to work for our own happily ever after. We need to have an optimistic attitude while overcoming our obstacles. We learn that with the right attitude anything is possible. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and recommend reading it to children.

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Finally, a fairy tale with values, and verve.

Wihtout giving too much away, Cinder Edna is the cleverest Cinderella story of them all. This story is a subtle compare and contrast of two overworked, underappreciated heroines, Cinderella, and Cinder Edna.
Cinderella's story is true to form but Cinder Edna is a new bread of heroine who makes her own luck. Less emphasis is placed on her aesthetics and much more on her ingenuity. Cinder Edna is all personality as she charms a near-sighted prince.

By the way, little boys like Cinder Edna too - its just that good.

This is a really fun book to read with girls of all ages. And its never too early to teach your daughters how to spot a prince, or that happily ever after is relative.

Send a copy to your still single sister on her 30th, 40th or 50th birthday. Bring it to the bridal shower for a funny little read aloud, or put in the goodie bag for your daughter's sweet sixteen party.

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clever

clever and unexpected --- a brilliant book. I wish there were more children's books like this. A feminist fairytal is possible.

Excellent role model for girls

Can't recommend this book highly enough for females of all ages. Cinder Edna is an incentive to become an actor in life, taking joy in doing, being, and sharing. The Cinderella story, on the other hand, emphasizes the superficial, and her value is obtained by being picked as the most beautiful by a prince. There's nothing wrong with beauty, but that's not where one will find happiness. I want my daughter and granddaughter to live their lives to the fullest, and Cinder Edna is a excellent role model of that. An inspiration for little girls and an awakening for women who have spent their whole lives wishing to be Cinderella.

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reviews: 1, page 2, 3, 4, 5

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