by Roald Dahl; illustrated by Quentin Blake

Alfred A. Knopf, 2002 (originally published 1983)

Image from author’s website

“I guess you think you know this story./You don’t.  The real one’s much more gory.” So begins Roald Dahl’s “Cinderella,” setting the tone for Revolting Rhymes. This collection of funny poems continues to expose the “real” plots to traditional stories in “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, “Jack and the Beanstalk”, “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”, “Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf”, and “The Three Little Pigs.” Laughs abound as we see heads roll, dwarves bet, noses fooled, justice served, pistols drawn, and a few surprise endings. Mention of modern luxuries like Barclay’s Bank and a “Rolls” transport these traditional tales to a world where they can be reinvented, and princesses can live happily ever after without a prince (this world is not our own, however, as there are still magic mirrors and talking animals). Each poem is written in rhyming couplets, which gives them a sing-song feel and lightens the blow of sudden deaths. Blake’s illustrations exude their usual character and appeal, bringing Dahl’s characters to whimsical life. A particular favorite is the bright, no-apologies approach to Cinderella’s Prince beheading a stepsister.  

(This review was originally submitted to my Materials for Children class)