Cinderellis and the Glass Hill

Another entry in Levine's Princess Tales series, which are actually a collection of novellas that retell various fairy tales, some well known, others more obscure. Don't let the title fool you - Cinderellis focuses on a lesser known tale about knights trying to scale a glass mountain to win the hand of a princess. The only similarity this story bears to Cinderella is that the main character (a boy) gets covered in cinders and is thus nicknamed 'cinderellis'; and that he has two brothers (not stepbrothers) who don't include him in their friendship.

I was not in the least disappointed by this, though, because I really enjoy reading retellings of the lesser know stories. While I do love my Cinderella variations, there are just so many of show more them out there! Plus, I think I read the original of the glass hill tale in one of Andrew Lang's collections. It's hard to say - there are so many variations and similar fairy tales - but I at least read one with a glass hill and knights.

What makes Levine's Princess Tale series so lovable is the humanity and humor she brings to the old stories. Instead of archetypes, we get real people, with strengths and flaws (especially for the main characters), and lots of laughs. Cinderellis is an inventor, mainly of special powders, and desperately lonely. His brothers have never included him in their brotherly games (or farming, as the case may be). Princess Marigold is lonely, too, with a father always off on his quests, and children too intimidated by her royalty. And yes, she has a name! The obtuse nature of Cinderellis's brothers is funny, and the king's misadventures are a running joke, and miscommunications abound. Cinderellis is a light hearted story, sweet and quick, and an interesting resurrection of an odd fairy tale.
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This was a super cute gender swap loosely based on Cinderella plus any fairytale where a guy has to do some impossible task to gain the hand of the princess. Both Ellis and princess Marigold were lonely and seeking companionship from their family, which was sad, but gave them good motivation for a short story.

This has its high points, especially in terms of funny moments. But somehow, I couldn't get into the story. It started out well but soon became repetitive. I wouldn't call this a faithful retelling because it has hardly any points of similarities with the original "Cinderella". Just the initial part has some points in common with the fairy tale. But still, worth a try for the humour.

For younger readers. This has a nice fairy tale quality but the gender shift in making 'Ellis' a boy doesn't come with enough depth for me. The brothers were genuinely awful though.I'm also dismayed that a book for under 10s has a 15 year old hero and heroine who get married. What is this craze for pubescent nuptials and why? I'm beginning to fear a conspiracy by the promise keepers...

For younger readers. This has a nice fairy tale quality but the gender shift in making 'Ellis' a boy doesn't come with enough depth for me. The brothers were genuinely awful though.I'm also dismayed that a book for under 10s has a 15 year old hero and heroine who get married. What is this craze for pubescent nuptials and why? I'm beginning to fear a conspiracy by the promise keepers...

A very cute and unique tale on the classic Cinderella story. Written by the author of Ella Enchanted, Cinderellis tells the story of a young boy who lives with two ungrateful brothers on their family farm. When Cinderellis discovers three magical horses, his destiny is changed forever.

I love this book! It very similar to Cinderella, but it is a boy instead of a girl. This is about a young boy who is trying to fit in with his older brothers, but the tease him and do not include him in anything they do. Princess Marigold is also a key character in the story. Her father always leaves her to go on trips and she wishes that she had a real friend instead of her cat. One day her father put her on a glass hill so that her suitors must work to get to her. After a few mishaps and interesting things, Cindrellis and Marigold are united and live happy together forever.