13 Books to Read After Watching Cinderella
If you’re a Disnerd and a book nerd, then welcome to the Disnerd Movie Challenge Book Club! (DMC Book Club for short.) Every once in a while we’ll chime in with book recommendations to dive further into your favorite Disney movies and the stories behind them. You can find out more about it in our first DMC Book Club post here.
If you’ve just finished watching Cinderella and aren’t ready to leave the fairy tale just yet, here are a few books we’ve enjoyed:
1) The original Cinderella by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
Did you know that in the original tale the birds were essentially Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother? Or that Cinderella’s slippers weren’t made of glass, but gold? Or that Cinderella’s step-sisters literally cut off parts of their feet in order to fit into the golden slipper? Yeah, we can understand why Disney decided not to include that last part… Also, it’s lucky that in Disney’s version of Cinderella the father is killed off early on, because the dad in the original sure is a piece of work! Definitely give this one a read (it’s short) and tell us which version you like better.
2) The original French version of Cinderella adapted by Marcia Brown
The French version of Cinderella is also one of the most recognized versions. Here Marcia Brown has translated, adapted, and illustrated Charles Perrault’s French classic. This is the version of the tale that first introduces the idea of a Fairy Godmother, a pumpkin turned into a golden carriage, and the fateful spell expiration at the stroke of midnight.
3) So This Is Love: A Twisted Tale by Elizabeth Lim
This newest book in the Twisted Tale series won’t be available until April 2020, but we’re totally ready for it! All the books in the series explore what would happen if a key turning point in a Disney film had not worked out as planned. In this case, the question is: what if Cinderella never tried on the glass slipper?! We’ve enjoyed reading the previous Twisted Tales books, so we expect we’ll enjoy this one just as much.
4) Walt Disney’s Cinderella retold by Cynthia Rylant, pictures by Mary Blair
Mary Blair painted the original pictures for Walt Disney’s animated Cinderella, and here her elegant art is gathered together as a picture book. Cynthia Rylant’s stories about hardscrabble lives have won not only awards and honors, but hearts. Who better to take a young girl from the darkness of her garret room to the light and brilliance of a ballroom? Together these two great artists have created something quite astonishing: a Cinderella that is breathtaking, heartrending, and joyous, both for those who are coming to the tale for the very first time, and for those who think they know it well.
5) A Wish Your Heart Makes: From the Grimm Brothers' Aschenputtel to Disney's Cinderella by Charles Solomon
People have been telling a version of the Cinderella story for more than two thousand years. While the most popular versions appeared in Charles Perrault’s Histoires ou contes du temps passé (“Stories or Fables of Times Past”) (1697) and the Grimms’ “Fairy Tales” (1812), the story can be traced back to the story of Rhodopis, a Greek slave girl who marries the pharoah of Egypt, which Strabo recorded in the first century B.C.E. In the late nineteenth century, British follklorist Marian Roalfe Cox catalogued 345 variations of the story. This book traces the history of the Cinderella fairy tale, emphasizing its strong ties to Walt Disney and his studio, from the animated film all the way up until the 2015 live action remake.
6) Have Courage, Be Kind: The Tale of Cinderella by Brittany Candau
If you preferred the live action Cinderella from 2015, then this novelization of the story will take you deeper into Ella and Kit’s worlds. At its heart it’s a story about kindness and courage, about love lost and love found, and about the power of names.
7) Cinderella (Live Action) Junior Novel by Elizabeth Rudnick
This retelling of the live action film’s story is great for older kids who are able to read independently and want to relive every moment of their favorite movie. It even includes photos from the film!
We know some of you have little kids in your lives, and love sharing your Disney fandom with them. These next few books are especially perfect for the littlest Cinderella fans in your life.
8) Cinderella: Princessography by Molly Hodgins
We’ll admit that this one is actually pretty cool even if you’re not a kid. This interactive book is told from the Fairy Godmother’s point of view as she takes you through the story and shares different pull-out artifacts along the way. You can open up the original invitation to the ball, hold the key that Jaq and Gus used to rescue Cinderella, and explore even more moments from the story as you immerse yourself in Cinderella’s world.
9) Cinderella: The Story of Cinderella by Disney Book Group
If Cinderella is your child’s favorite princess, this might just become their favorite book. When Cinderella’s cruel stepmother forbids her from attending the Royal Ball, she gets unexpected help from her mice friends and her Fairy Godmother. Cinderella attends the ball as a mysterious guest and dances with the prince. At the stroke of the midnight, she loses one of her glass slippers and transforms back into a maid. Will the prince ever find her now? This collectible storybook includes beautiful, full color art in the style of the beloved film, Cinderella.
10) Cinderella (Live Action Film) Picture Book by Brittany Candau
If the kids in your life love the live action version of Cinderella’s story, then this picture book retelling is perfect for story time. Ella is a special girl–one who cares for every person and animal she comes across; one who values kindness and courage above all else. But her true uniqueness comes from staying compassionate and brave, even when faced with trials and tragedy. From not giving into darkness, even when it seems all hope is lost.
11) Cinderella: A Night at the Ball by Rico Green
If the magical ball gown and dancing all night long with the prince are your child’s favorite parts of the Cinderella story, then they’ll love reading this picture book retelling of the live action film, accompanied by beautiful photos.
12) Cinderella (Disney Princess) by Random House Disney with illustrations by Ron Dias
This list would not be complete without one of the Little Golden Book editions of the Cinderella story! Anyone else here remember reading Little Golden Books as a kid? We love how these picture books bring the animated story to life for story time with little Cinderella fans.
13) Walt Disney’s Cinderella Little Golden Board Book by Random House Disney with illustrations by the Disney Storybook Art Team
Now here’s one for the baby Cinderella fans! This is a board book, which is great for toddlers who sometimes are more interested in tasting a story than reading it. This is the perfect way to introduce even the youngest kids to the wonderful world of Disney. Who knows? They might just grow up with Cinderella as their favorite princess.