You’ve probably heard of Cinderella. In fact, you’ve probably seen a movie or two about her story. But, did you know that many authors have adapted Cinderella’s story with a humorous twist or to represent various cultures from around the world? Here are some of my favorite versions of Cinderella. These can be read to compare and contrast or just for fun!
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VERSIONS OF CINDERELLA
There are so many different versions of Cinderella to read. In no particular order, here are several different versions of Cindrella. Some are better than others, but I hope you find a new favorite to enjoy.
Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters
Mufaro’s two daughters react in different ways to the King’s search for a wife – one is aggressive and selfish, the other kind and dignified. The king disguises himself to learn the true nature of both the girls and chooses Nyasha, the kind and generous daughter, to be the queen.
Seriously, Cinderella is So Annoying!
OF COURSE you think Cinderella was the sweetest belle of the ball. You don’t know the other side of the story. Well, let me tell you…
Cinderella
Poor Cinderella, who is relegated to a dingy garret room by her duplicitous stepmother and beleaguered by her nasty stepsisters, never gives in to hostility or revenge. Instead, this sweet heroine remains steadfast in her kind, gentle ways, and her generosity flows like a mountain stream. This tale of virtue rewarded is as charming and rich as any prince.
Cindy Ellen
Once upon a time, there was a sweet cowgirl named Cindy Ellen, who lived with the orneriest stepmother west of the Mississippi and two stepsisters who were so nasty, they made rattlesnakes look nice! But when a fast-talkin’ fairy godmother teaches Cindy Ellen a little lesson about gumption, Cindy lassos first place at the rodeo and the heart of Joe Prince.
Cinder Edna
Once upon a time there were two girls who lived next door to each other. Cinder Edna was forced to work for her wicked stepmother and stepsisters, just as her neighbor, Cinderella, was.
Edna, on the other hand, had learned a thing or two from doing all that housework, such as how to make tuna casserole sixteen different ways and how to get spots off everything from rugs to ladybugs. And she was strong and spunky and knew some good jokes.
Then one day the king announced that he would give a ball …
Cinder-Elly
Readers young and old will enjoy this fresh look at the age-old tale in which an urban-dwelling Cinder-Elly used the help of a trash can, a copy machine, and even a glass sneaker to find her Prince Charming.
The Rough-Face Girl
In a village by the shores of Lake Ontario lived an invisible being. All the young women wanted to marry him because he was rich, powerful, and supposedly very handsome. But to marry the invisible being the women had to prove to his sister that they had seen him. And none had been able to get past the sister’s stern, all-knowing gaze. Then came the Rough-Face girl, scarred from working by the fire. Could she succeed where her beautiful, cruel sisters had failed?
Adelita
Hace mucho tiempo—a long time ago—there lived a beautiful young woman named Adelita. So begins the age-old tale of a kindhearted young woman, her jealous stepmother, two hateful stepsisters, and a young man in search of a wife. The young man, Javier, falls madly in love with beautiful Adelita, but she disappears from his fiesta at midnight, leaving him with only one clue to her hidden identity: a beautiful rebozo—shawl. With the rebozo in place of a glass slipper, this favorite fairy tale takes a delightful twist.
Yeh-Shen
Half-starved and overworked by her stepmother, Yeh-Shen’s only friend is a fish with golden eyes. When the stepmother kills the fish for dinner, poor Yeh-Shen is left with only the bones. But the bones are filled with a powerful spirit. When Ye-Shen is forbidden to attend the annual spring Festival, the spirit grants her a gown of azure blue and delicate golden slippers. That night, everyone marvels at the beautiful, mysterious young woman at the ball.
Prince Cinders
In this delightful retelling of the classic fairy tale, Prince Cinders sets out on an adventure, aided by his very own fairy godmother.
Cinderella Penguin
Poor Cinderella Penguin is bossed and bullied by her evil penguin stepsisters as they get dolled up for the Penguin Prince’s ball. After they have gone, a penguin tear rolls down Cinderella’s cheek. Suddenly, in a glow of bright blue light, the Great Fairy Penguin appeared before her. And the rest is penguin history.
Cinderhazel
Loving dirt more than anything, the blonde-haired witch Hazel manages to follow her stepmother and stepsisters to the Halloween Witches’ Ball, where she meets her true love, the equally messy Prince Alarming, in a zany version of the classic fairy tale.
The Golden Sandal
Since Maha’s father is away fishing most of the time, there is no one to help or comfort her. All that begins to change when Maha finds a magical red fish. In return for sparing his life, the fish promises to help Maha whenever she calls him. On the night Maha is forbidden to attend a grand henna to celebrate the coming wedding of a wealthy merchant’s daughter, the fish is true to his word. His magic sets in motion a chain of events that reward Maha with great happiness, and a dainty golden sandal is the key to it all.
Cendrillon
You may think you already know this story about a beautiful servant girl, a cruel stepmother, a magnificent ball, and a lost slipper. But you’ve never heard it for true. Now you can hear the tale from someone who was there: a poor washerwoman from the island of Martinique. She has just one thing in the world to love, her goddaughter Cendrillon. When she finds Cendrillon heartsick over a rich man’s son, at first she doesn’t know what to do. But she has sharp wits, a strong will, and the magic wand her mother left her—and soon she has a plan to give her dear Cendrillon the gift of a love that will change her life.
Domitila
Domitila is not only sweeter than a cactus bloom in early spring, she is also a talented cook and an amazing leather artist. Most of the classical elements of a Cinderella story can be found in Domitila. A gentle weaving of her mother’s nurturing with strong family traditions is the secret ingredient for Domitila to rise above hardship to eventually become the Governor’s bride. Moreover, with a firm belief in simplicity and realism, Domitila makes a lasting impression as a triumphant Cinderella in her humility, service, and unassuming modesty.
Trollerella
Having always lived a sad and lonely life under the castle bridge, Trollerella is excited when she finds an invitation to a ball that has fallen from the king’s carriage, thus with the help of the Tooth Fairy, Trollerella prepares to make herself glamorous for her special night in the hopes of meeting Prince Charming at the big event.
Dinorella
This dreamy, alliterative and different Cinderella story will have readers doubling over with delight. Dinorella is dying to go to the dance, but her dreadful stepsisters, Doris and Dora, declare she’s too dowdy and dull. Dinorella is stuck in the den – until Fairy-dactyl arrives and bedecks Dinorella with some dazzling diamonds, allowing her to depart for the dance.
Twinderella
Cinderella had a twin sister, Tinderella. They each did half the housework, half the mending, and half the mean step-sister tending. But when they meet only one prince, what will they do? The whole story has twice the magic and double the fun!
Cinderella Bigfoot
In this zany send-up, Cinderella’s feet are so big that she’s considered a safety hazard and isn’t invited to the royal ball. What is a nice girl like her to do?
Bigfoot Cinderrrrrella
In the old growth forest, a dashing Bigfoot prince searches for his Bigfoot princess. Rrrrrella, who also lives in the forest, would be a perfect match. But can she get past her ugly stepsisters to win the prince’s heart?
COMPARE AND CONTRAST CINDERELLA STORIES
If your students have read several versions of Cinderella, now would be a great time to compare and contrast those stories. Students can write the similarities and differences with the characters, setting, plot, and illustrations.
You can download this FREE compare and contrast graphic organizer here. I also have a set of printable AND digital graphic organizers for both fiction and nonfiction here.
Do you have a favorite version of Cinderella that didn’t make the list? Let me know so I can check it out!
Need more book ideas for comparing and contrasting? Check out this post.
Find my favorite versions of Little Red Riding Hood here.
Or, you can find all of my book lists organized by topic here.
Happy Reading!
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