Beyond the Traditional Tale

Camila Paula Goldin
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Every traditional tale has been told countless times, and along the way we have decided who the heroes are and who the villains must be. But the books in this column refuse those assignments. They turn the story over to the silenced stepmother, the bored and lonely dragon, the long-lost twin sister history forgot. In the gaps these original stories left open, a quietly radical question takes shape, asking whose version we have been believing and why. These stories invite readers to approach familiar tales with a more sceptical eye, to question what they think they know, and to discover whose story has been waiting to be told.  
 
Editor's note: I am delighted to feature Camila Paula Goldin, who joins us from Argentina. Because English-language children's books are hard to come by there, she sourced these titles through one of the few bookshops in the country that carries them. I have kept the British English spellings throughout in recognition of where these reviews were written.

Another Twist in the Tale. Catherine Bruton. (2020). Nosy Crow.
Reimagining Charles Dickens’s Oliver Twist, Another Twist in the Tale follows a neglected character in the original story: Oliver’s long-lost twin sister. Unlike the Victorian age where gender and class structures were centre stage, the story focuses on a female character, Twill Twist, and the significant gap that history defined. The dialogical relation between both texts is creatively woven as the plot reframes the classic version through a modern lens. Catherine Bruton captures the social complexities of the time and challenges women’s archetypes by shifting the narrative to values of social justice and empathy. While Oliver Twist is portrayed as a passive character whose survival is subject to others’ benevolence, Twill’s somewhat rebellious adventures empower the unvoiced people in their search for independence and agency and unveil an untold narrative. For educators of young adults in secondary schools, this book might create a rich opportunity for deep classroom discussion not only on comparative literature but also on social aspects such as whose voices are heard and whose are traditionally marginalised. By adding a female character to the narrative, Bruton seems to challenge power structures and amplify otherwise excluded voices and points of view. (Gr 7 Up)

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Rabunzel. Gareth P. Jones. Illus. by Loretta Schauer. (2021). Farshore.
A twist on the classic Grimm’s tale replaces the traditional damsel with a long-eared heroine. Instead of a standard rescue from the tower, Rabunzel explores a modernised plot of witty exploration. Rabunzel, the rabbit, isn’t waiting for a prince to rescue her. Rather, she uses her ears to outsmart the “hungry-eyed creatures” of the forest. By using a rhythmic and repetitive style, this story offers a shift from a passive, subversive character into a proactive, problem-solving one, thus engaging young readers. The book invites readers in through a clever use of words and illustrations that engage the reader in inference. This charming story provides yet another modernised tale which triggers character analysis and a lesson on self-reliance which empowers young readers to profit from their strengths to seek independence. Suggested for early readers with knowledge of traditional stories. (Gr 1 Up)

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Seriously, Cinderella Is So Annoying! The Story of Cinderella as Told by the Wicked Stepmother. Trisha Speed Shaskan. Illus. by Gerald Claude Guerlais. (2011). Raintree.
A young lady, two annoying and clumsy sisters, and a cruel stepmother make up the traditional fairy tale. Was Cinderella really a victim? What if one of the most famous stories was reimagined through the eyes of the wicked stepmother? Has anyone heard it or has it been silenced all along? In this version of the story, the once-heroine Cinderella is reframed as an eccentric, talkative, and annoying guest who is constantly singing and talking to animals. Far from being a villain, the stepmother now addresses the audience about her ordeal to keep the poor girl busy with chores as mere distractions rather than acts of cruelty. By filling the gaps in the prior literary plot in a creative and domestic way, the readers are invited to question the canonical truth and explore how the narrator's perspective can bias and reshape the story. In an attempt to appeal to the reader’s empathy, the stepmother has a defensive tone with clear evidence to support her actions. By using a conversational and humorous style, Trisha Shaskan engages readers in being sceptical, in uncovering the sides – albeit contradictory –each story might have, and in joining a controversial debate about deciding who we believe and why. This book might serve as a resource for middle school students to work on point of view, critical thinking, and narrative voice. (Gr 4 Up)

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Seriously, Snow White Was So Forgetful: The Story of Snow White as Told by the Dwarves. Nancy Loewen. Illus. by Gerald Claude Guerlais. (2013). Raintree.
Princesses' stories tend to be alike: a desperate girl who suffers from an Evil Queen’s vanity. However, this book challenges the princess stereotype by introducing a different narrator viewpoint. Told from one of the dwarfs’ perspective, the classic tale portrays Snow White as an absent-minded character rather than a victim of the queen’s mere malevolence. As readers reconcile the Grimms’ version of the story, the focus shifts to the daily logistics of the dwarfs, who take care of a forgetful Snow White whose careless domestic misfortunes range from an undone chore or a mixed-up recipe to an unlocked door. This refreshing and humorous version of the tale serves as a catalyst to discuss the usually ignored ordinary context which underpins the “happily ever after”. Another addition to a collection of texts to trigger discussions with young readers about taking a more sceptical and humanising stance when interpreting imaginative worlds and literary productions. (Gr 4 Up)

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The Beast Within: A Tale of Beauty’s Prince. Serena Valentino. (2014). Disney Hyperion.
“Once upon a time, a young prince lived in a shining castle.” He was then cursed and transformed into the Beast. But: Who was the Prince before? Why was he so cruel? Within a book series that changes the way in which many tales were told, in The Beast Within, Serena Valentino turns the clock back and fills the gaps in the traditional story Beauty and the Beast by focusing the narrative on an arrogant Prince. While the original tale begins directly with the curse as a magical event, this version explores the decay that preceded the beast’s transformation by depicting the choices the prince made that led to his shortcomings. Regarding the terms of the enchantment and the origin of the rose, Valentino introduces the Odd sisters, their world, only logical to them, and their twisted moral code. In this book, the creation of the beast is portrayed as a calculated response to empty words and manly vanity behaviour. Since the story fills the gaps of the original one, this prequel may highly engage young adult readers while also serving to encourage kids to read and develop their inferential writing skills through the intertextual clues within the story. The Beast Within is a compelling piece for upper primary and teenagers’ classrooms, which can provide a foundation for comparative and contrastive literature analysis in which there could be new meaning found in the gaps of an existing story. (Gr 6 Up)

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The Goldilocks Guide to (Bad-Tempered) Bears. Rachael Davis. Illus. by Deise Lino. (2023). Collins Big Cat.
The traditional Goldilocks narrative is transformed in this playful retelling. Davis manages to turn a young girl’s adventure into the challenging plot of a home-invader who becomes an expert in bears. This non-linear story uses a guidebook, journal-like format in which readers are welcome to understand the girls’ thought processes and scientific discoveries. Reimagining the classic tale, the story follows cheeky Jessi Locks in her exploration of the ursine lifestyle, providing a humorous yet insightful blend of fiction and informative reading. As she gathers information on the bears, she addresses the reader as a partner in crime in the mishaps she encounters. The interactive nature of this story may be a good choice to bridge the gap for reluctant readers through a graphic and textual layout and also to encourage them to interact with a literary text in a frisky way. A great addition to the modern tales section for young readers’ libraries (Gr 2 Up). 

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The Knight Who Said “No!” Lucy Rowland. Illus. by Kate Hindley. (2018). Nosy Crow.
The quintessential "perfect" knight called Ned is always ready to say yes. That is until he suddenly defies his always polite and compliant nature to strong “No!” answers, sweeping his family as well as all the grown-ups in the kingdom off balance. Through a medieval setting and rhyming expressions, the book captures how the traditionally good knight Ned struggles for a little childhood autonomy and temperament building with wit and warmth. In his encounter with a misunderstood dragon, Ned grows, and the story shifts from a comedy to a lesson on empathy. The portrayal of a beastly dragon provides a significant reflection on stereotypes as it defies the typical depiction of a dragon, which turns out to be lonely and bored. This book is an exceptional auditory experience for read-aloud sessions for five-or-six-year-olds. Since it supports both linguistic and phonological awareness and emotional literacy, it is a great addition to any early years library as a resource for emerging readers. (Gr 2 Up) 

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There Is No Dragon in This Story. Lou Carter. Illus. by Deborah Allwright. (2017). Bloomsbury Children’s Books.
If anyone thinks of any story with a dragon, they will probably recognise it as the villain. Tired of his repetitive role, the dragon in There Is No Dragon in This Story seeks a new identity as he tries to join other classics only to feel an outcast. This book encourages the reader to question the stereotypical characters in traditional literature and to go beyond the rigid and scripted roles and labels. Beyond the humorous style, the book addresses themes of belonging, frustration, and the courage to pursue your own identity rather than sticking to a scripted legacy. Through intertextuality, readers may draw on their knowledge of classical characters and focus on the journey of the dragon in a modern fairy tale. Highly suggested for lower primary readers to deal with identity, inclusion, and acceptance. (Gr 2 Up)

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Use Your Imagination. Nicola O’Byrne. (2014). Nosy Crow.
The magic of boredom may serve as a powerful spark for children’s own ideas. In Use Your Imagination, a simple wish for something to happen sets off a profound journey into the creative process in a playful way. By exploring the essential building blocks of writing a story with questions such as: “How do you start to write a story? What is the story about? Who are the characters?” The book turns the daunting task of writing into an accessible adventure.
The story follows a wolf with a hidden agenda who guides the rabbit as the story is being written. Through some literary elements, mainly the basic “ingredients” of a traditional tale, O’Byrne creates great narrative tension by using the typical Big Bad Wolf persona we see in well-known stories. Just when the reader expects a predictable ending, the rabbit’s growing imaginative confidence cleverly shows how literacy and creativity can launch personal empowerment and imagination. 
This book encourages students to see themselves not only as readers but also as architects of their imaginative worlds. An enjoyable read young readers are sure to enjoy. Highly recommended for units on story structure, creative writing, and critical thinking. (Gr 1 Up) 

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​Camila Paula Goldin is an educator, Literature teacher, and teacher trainer from Argentina. She holds an MA in Education, Leadership and Management with Distinction from Oxford Brookes University, UK. She would like to thank  KEL Ediciones Argentina for kindly providing some of the books to review.