Dinorella: A Prehistoric Fairy Tale

Cinderella gets the paleontological treatment in this alliterative fever dream of a picture book from author Pamela Duncan Edwards and illustrator Henry Cole. Much put-upon by her stepsisters Dora and Doris, Dinorella does all the cleaning up in their dinosaur den, but is denied the chance to go to Duke Dudley's Dinosaur Dance. Fortunately for her, Fairydactyl is there to save the day, and get her ready to attend. But when she arrives and finds the duke under attack by a deinonychus, she must step in to save the day, winning the duke's heart in the process...

I tend toward themed reading projects, and recently I've been tracking down every picture book retelling—traditional, international, fractured—of the Cinderella story that I can show more find. So it is that I requested Dinorella: A Prehistoric Fairy Tale from the library, forgetting that my last encounter with this author/illustrator duo, Rosie's Roses, wasn't quite to my taste. Here, unfortunately, I had a similar experience. The alliteration was fun at first but soon became overwhelming for me, the fight with the deinonychus felt too far removed from anything I associate with this tale type to be entertaining, and the artwork, created using acrylic and colored pencil, was sometimes fun but more often drab and dark. Tastes vary of course, and young people who enjoy silly stories might warm to this one, but it was a decided miss for me. show less

This story is a fun twist on the classic Cinderella fairy tale. This prehistoric version follows Dinorella and her dreadful step-sisters, Dora and Doris. With a dash of magic and courage, Dinorella’s future turns from drab to dreamy.
I absolutely loved this book as a kid. It was in my mother’s classroom library and I read it almost every day after school. It was so fun to read again after so many years.
The use of alliteration was a creative and charming touch. This book stays true to the theme of Cinderella with the addition of playful changes. I love that in this version Dinorella is a damsel but she’s not in distress. It was such a cute “girl-power” touch! The author does a fantastic job of taking a princess fairy tale and show more making it engaging for both girls and boys alike. Dinosaurs and humor blend seamlessly into the fantasy of this fairy tale spin. show less

Dinorella is another retelling of the classic Cinderella. However, in this story the heroine is the one who saves the Duke from getting hurt. This is important to show to young girls who may see a lot of damsels in distress. The characters being dinosaurs could appeal to both girls and boys. This story would be a good way to introduce another retelling of Cinderella that is a little more dynamic.

I liked this book for a few reasons. For one, I liked the plot of the story because it was not typical. In the story, the female was the hero who saved the male instead of the other way around. The main character, Dinorella, saved the Duke from another dinosaur who was fighting him. I think it is important for children’s books stray away from always having the female character play the damsel in distress. Also, I liked the illustrations because I think that they engage both boys and girls to want to read the story. While the story is based on the fairy tale Cinderella, boys may be interested in reading this story because the characters are not people, but instead dinosaurs. As boys read this book, they are able to look at the show more different dinosaurs. The big message of Dinorella: A Prehistoric Fairy Tale is to not let others discourage you from participating in certain activities because they do not think you are worthy enough. In the story, Dinorella’s sisters told her that she should not go to the dance because she is, “too dull” or “too dowdy.” Yet her sisters’ words did not discourage her from going to the dance where she ended up being a hero. show less

This wacky version of Cinderella is told with a maximum number of words beginning with the letter D. It begins,

“Dora, Doris, and Dinorella lived down in the sand dunes in a dinosaur den. Dora and Doris did nothing all day. They dumped debris around the den. They never did the dusting or the dishes. Dinoerlla was dainty and dependable. Dora and Doris were dreadful to Dinorella. All day they demanded…”

This almost becomes a tongue twister. It would be a good book for a teacher to reinforce the initial consonant D but otherwise this daunting device is decidedly deficient. However, the vocabulary is quiet difficult and the contrivance makes the story difficult to follow.

One plus for this version is that Dinorella saves the prince from show more a carnivore.

Instead of losing a glass slipper, Dinorella loses a diamond earring which the prince uses to find her.

The illustrations are bright and fun featuring a mix of dinosaur and modern living.

This book would be fun to read to children aged seven and up. You had better do some warm-up exercises first. show less

Dinorella, a prehistoric fairy tale, retells the traditional story of Cinderella through a more relatable situation: dinosaurs. Kids love dinosaurs! That is why this adorable little story is so silly. With humorous illustrations and human personalities, these dinos’ replay the well-known theme: believe in your dreams and they may come true. Dinorella is bossed around by her step sisters but in the end, she overcomes their authority and ends up with the duke (prince) at the dance! “Dreamy!’ said Dinorella as they danced off into the distance.” This story is very cute and provides a different perspective on the story of Cinderella, which is useful for lessons that involve connections and different ways to tell stories. I approve show more of this book and love its humor! show less

This is a fun twist on the classic fairy talk of Cinderella. Her stepsisters never wanted to help her do any of the chores. They were all invited to the dance and they wouldn't let her go. Then she meets her Fairydactal and then she goes to the ball and it ends with her and Dudley ending up together. This booka has awesome new vocaulary that all starts with the letter D that students may not know. This is a great book to use for new spelling words. A teacher could have students pick out five new words they don't know, look them up and then use them in their own story about Dinosaurs.