Cinderella Penguin, or, The Little Glass Flipper (1992)

Genre: I would classify this as traditional literature under the subtitle of a fairytale, because even though it is about penguins, it has the basic structure of Cinderella, with only about two details that are different about it (including the penguin as the main character). The illustrations are outlandish and fun and the students would enjoy them. Traditionally, one can predict the outcome of this story because it is extremely close, if not almost exactly identical, to the original plotline of the Cinderella story, down to the characters, the shoe being left behind, the ball, and living happily ever after as the last line of the story.

The media used in this book, I believe was either ink or some kind of watercolor and acrylic paint. The colors are solid and the details are varied, but they are not small enough to have ink work or small etching done. The colors are modern and the drawings are also of the modern variety. The characters are very humorous to look at and the illustrations are what make the story so much better in my opinion. ( )

It's the pictures that make this book work. My favorites are the costumes at the ball. I love the Carmen Miranda penguin, the giraffe, the Viking, the pirate, the moose. But when the Great Fairy Penguin turns the cheese into a coachman, that's pretty stinking hilarious too. ( )