Essential Fairy Tales: Rumpelstiltskin

Mac Barnett and Carson Ellis

In some ways this series of posts I am compiling over these few weeks came about because of the Mac Barnett and Carson Ellis version of Rumpelstiltskin and also when Colby Sharp said his Grade Five class were unfamiliar with the fairy tale. That got me thinking about which fairy tales I would read to my senior primary groups - the Essential Fairy Tales.

Bernadette Watts

Paul O Zelinsky (you will also find this version with a different cover)

Paul Galdone

Martin Hargreaves

Jane Ray

Jonathan Langley

Here is a new Young Adult Australian novel that heavily relies on your knowledge of the fairy tale Rumpelstiltskin:

Once upon tomorrow

You might find this fracture version in a library:

From the series Hopscotch Twisty Tales

Essential Fairy Tales: Rapunzel

Here is a Pinterest collection with many versions of Rapunzel. Australian author Kate Forsyth has written two books about Rapunzel, one is a fictional retelling of the tale and of the life of Mademoiselle de la Force entitled, Bitter Greens, and her second book was non-fiction describing the development of the tale entitled, The Rebirth of Rapunzel: A Mythic Biography of the Maiden in the Tower. And I am keen to real Zel by Donna Jo Napoli. Another Australian novel for adults is The Crystal Heart by Sophie Masson

Maja Dusíková 

Trina Schart Hyman

Jutta Ash

Paul O Zelinsky 1998 Caldecott Medal winner

Bethan Woollvin

And finally here are two versions to share in your library:

How the library (not the Prince) saved Rapunzel

Rapunzel's Revenge

Essential Fairy Tales: Snow White

Illustration by Wanda Gag

"Snow White" is a German fairy tale, first written down in the early 19th century. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection Grimms' Fairy Tales, numbered as Tale 53

Nancy Ekholm Burkert

Susan Jeffers

Angela Barrett

Bernadette Watts

Charles Santore (see an alternate cover here)

Jane Ray

Retold by Joyce Dunbar illustrated by Julie Monks

Manuela Adreani

Francesca Rossi

Here is a detailed analysis of Snow White with examples of different illustrations. 

You should also look for this book - it is one of my top favourites:

Snow White in New York

And for a younger reader:

And I am keen to read this poetry book. Here is a review:

And I found this one for older readers (I have put it on my to read list):

Read more here Beatrice Alemagna

(See inside this book here)

Essential Fairy Tales: Cinderella

Květa Pacovská

You can find many more editions, versions, and retellings of Cinderella in this Pinterest collection from my friend at Kinderbookswitheverything. 

Barbara McClintock

Jane Ray and Berlie Doherty

David Roberts

James Marshall

Joy Cowley (World Classics series)

Loek Koopmans

KV Craft

Paul Galdone

Roberto Innocenti

Shirley Hughes

Finally I do need to share this fun Australian fractured version of Cinderella which is a joy to read aloud:

Newer versions have a different cover

Essential Fairy Tales: The Twelve Dancing Princesses

Errol Le Cain

The Twelve Dancing Princesses" (also "The Worn-Out Dancing Shoes" or "The Shoes that were Danced to Pieces" is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm and published in Grimm's Fairy Tales in 1815 (KHM 133). Did you know our Australian illustrator Anna Walker illustrated this classic fairy tale? See below for the cover. 

Ruth Sanderson

KY Craft

Jane Ray

Alison Jay

Rachel Isadora

Anna Walker

(You can see more fairy tales from this series with Australian illustrators here)

Dorothy Dunize

And you might look for this one - I saw it in a school library:

Here is the Kirkus review