Picture Book Review: ‘Interstellar Cinderella’

Since the 17th century, there have been innumerable variations of the Cinderella story told throughout the years, and thanks to Deborah Underwood, author of the New York Times bestseller, The Quiet Book, we now have Cinderella… in space! But you’ll find no golden haired princess, pumpkin carriage, or dainty glass slippers in the pages of Interstellar Cinderella.

On a faraway planetoid, young Cinderella is a resourceful redhead with work goggles for a headband and a dream of repairing rockets. When a space prince holds a royal parade, Cinderella’s fairy godrobot grants her some new tools to fix a broken ship so she can attend the festivities. It’s a brilliant twist to the classic fairy tale that enables young readers to meet a brave heroine who can creatively solve problems, work with tools, and be herself.

Ms. Underwood deftly tells this tale in rhyme with clever hints to the source material:

“But wait!” the prince called after her. “Please tell me how to find–”
The girl was gone–but she had left her socket wrench behind.

Meg Hunt’s deep and detailed illustrations add to the fun with a fresh yet retro style. It all amounts to a stellar read, worth returning to again and again. Let this marvelously modern version of Cinderella be the first one your kids ever encounter.

Interstellar Cinderella (Chronicle Books) is available on Amazon or at your local bookstore.