Twisted Tales - Six fairy tales turned inside out by Richard Tulloch Ill: Terry Denton.

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Random House Books ISBN: 9781741662740
(Ages 7-12) There are quite a few books out there that have taken the good old fairy tales and given them a twist. This one does it well and with enough difference to make it worth a look. There is a horrified lizard, friendly wolf, a princess who can't sleep, a deaf kingdom, two naughty greedy children and a cow with magic ploppies.The stories we know and love are told from a perspective we may not have thought of before.Children will like the humour used throughout the book, just the right amount of 'gross' to keep them interested.

Great to use when doing a unit on fairy tales to get students thinking from another's point of view.Overall an easy to read and entertaining take on old stories.One thing that did not quite sit right with me however was the pictures for the 'Lies in the Woods' story.Hansel and Gretel are supposed to be two fat roly poly pigs who have eaten too much junk food, however I feel the pictures do not portray this enough.The children in the drawings are not roly poly looking and I have concerns in this day and age about body image, when several times in the story they are described as grossly overweight.This in itself may be a good point of discussion with students.
Zana Thiele

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