Ella's Big Chance : A Jazz-Age Cinderella (Kate Greenaway Medal (Awards))

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining & Clever Re-write of Cinderella
Review: There are a lot of things to like about this book.
It is set in the 1920's and Ella is a garment maker, in her fathers elegant little dress shop. When her father remarries she gets a horrible new step-mom and two step sisters, suitably nasty.
"His new wife seemed
to pop up from nowhere like
a sharp-eyed, expensively
dressed jack-in-the-box"
Ella has a dear friend named Buttons, who makes life easier for her by keeping her company as she stays up late sewing, making her laugh and singing her songs.

The funny thing about Buttons to me is he looks like he MUST be an Aussie, and uses words like "brainless parakeets" which seems to prove the authors intention. He looks like a young mel gibson, fresh from the set of Gallipoli, and it's quite amusing. One of the wonderful things the author has done is make this book so quirky.

Ella doesn't have a perfect sylph-like figure merely hidden by soot, instead she's redheaded, with corky curls and a plump little body, which when tucked into a more suitable gown, looks just fine.

It's her personality which wins the Duke over and brings him around begging for her hand. And dear Ella takes a good look around her and realises that it's Buttons she really want's, and they take off, and set up their own dress shop.

The illustrations are fantastic, and as written in the back of the book, the ball scenes were inspired by the dance sequences in the R.K.O. Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers movies.
The dresses are Shirley Hughes original designs, inspired by the French couturiers of the 1920's, Doucet, Poiret and Patou.

Just love it.
Ages 8+ would most appreciate this book, although certainly any age will happily sit through it.

For you it makes an entertaing bedtime story.
For them, the same, and a little twist to the regular fairytale.
Kotori Nov 2004