Interstellar Cinderella, by Deborah Underwood | Book Review

The Children’s Book Review | April 25, 2016

Interstellar Cinderella

Written by Deborah Underwood

Illustrated by Meg Hunt

Age Range: 3-5 years

Hardcover Book: 40 pages

Publisher: Chronicle Books

ISBN-13: 978-1-4521-2532-9

What to expect: Fairy Tales, Science Fiction, Independence

Cinderella is back in this futuristic retelling of the classic tale.

Cinderella studies ship repair late at night, after her evil stepmother and stepsisters have gone to bed. Her chores are numerous (after all, someone has to fix the zoombroom), but her heart is pure. So when an invitation arrives for the prince’s Gravity-Free Ball, her sisters and stepmother find a way to leave her behind. But Cinderella’s clever robotic mouse calls on her fairy godrobot. With a flick of her godrobot’s magic wand, Cinderella is off to the ball. She meets the prince and helps him fix his spaceship. Then they talk for hours about cool galactic gizmos. Alas, Cinderella runs away and leaves only her sonic socket wrench behind.

Never to fear, because the prince has a will and a way to search the entire galaxy for his crafty mechanic love interest. Will she agree to be his bride? In a sweet and independent twist, Cinderella chooses instead to be his friend and chief mechanic. A happy ending for all!

This is a beautifully retold and illustrated version of Cinderella. The rhyming elements are solid and entertaining. Children will love to read the book again and again. I especially appreciated that twist ending, where Cinderella chooses friendship over marrying a young man she just met. The illustrations are so unique and beautiful, and I loved the diversity in characters. A real step-up from traditional fairy-tale retellings. Perfect for your STEM-loving or totally traditional princess. Highly recommended!

Add this book to your collection: Interstellar Cinderella

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About Deborah Underwood

Deborah Underwood grew up in Walla Walla, Washington. In 2001, Deborah decided to start writing stories for kids. She is now the author of over fifty books for children, including the “New York Times” bestsellers “The Quiet Book”, “The Loud Book”, and “Here Comes the Easter Cat”.When she s not writing, you might find her singing in a chamber choir, playing a ukulele (very badly), walking around in Golden Gate Park, baking vegan cookies, or petting any dogs, cats, pigs, or turkeys that happen to be nearby.

Please visit her online at DeborahUnderwoodBooks.com.

Interstellar Cinderella, written by Deborah Underwood and illustrated by Meg Hunt, was reviewed by Denise Mealy. Discover more books like Interstellar Cinderella by following along with our reviews and articles tagged with Cinderella, Deborah Underwood, Fairy Tales, Fractured Fairy Tales, and Strong Female Characters.