Book picks similar to
Raisel's Riddle by Erica Silverman


picture-books
picture-book
fairy-tales
jewish

The Girl with a Brave Heart


Rita Jahanforuz - 2013
    After showing kindness to a strange old woman, Shiraz receives the gift of beauty but her lazy and unkind stepsister, Nargues, suffers a less pleasant fate in this adaptation of the Grimm's fairy tale, Mother Hulda, reset in Tehran, Iran.

Follow the Drinking Gourd


Jeanette Winter - 1988
    in full color. "Winter's story begins with a peg-leg sailor who aids slaves on their escape on the Underground Railroad. While working for plantation owners, Peg Leg Joe teaches the slaves a song about the drinking gourd (the Big Dipper). A couple, their son, and two others make their escape by following the song's directions. Rich paintings interpret the strong story in a clean, primitive style enhanced by bold colors. The rhythmic compositions have an energetic presence that's compelling. A fine rendering of history in picturebook format."--(starred) Booklist.

Ella Enchanted


Gail Carson Levine - 1997
    Anything anyone tells her to do, Ella must obey. Another girl might have been cowed by this affliction, but not feisty Ella: "Instead of making me docile, Lucinda's curse made a rebel of me. Or perhaps I was that way naturally." When her beloved mother dies, leaving her in the care of a mostly absent and avaricious father, and later, a loathsome stepmother and two treacherous stepsisters, Ella's life and well-being seem to be in grave peril. But her intelligence and saucy nature keep her in good stead as she sets out on a quest for freedom and self-discovery as she tries to track down Lucinda to undo the curse, fending off ogres, befriending elves, and falling in love with a prince along the way. Yes, there is a pumpkin coach, a glass slipper, and a happily ever after, but this is the most remarkable, delightful, and profound version of Cinderella you'll ever read.Gail Carson Levine's examination of traditional female roles in fairy tales takes some satisfying twists and deviations from the original. Ella is bound by obedience against her will, and takes matters in her own hands with ambition and verve. Her relationship with the prince is balanced and based on humor and mutual respect; in fact, it is she who ultimately rescues him. Ella Enchanted has won many well-deserved awards, including a Newbery Honor.

Carmine: A Little More Red


Melissa Sweet - 2005
    But Carmine is a dreamy painter, always in search of capturing just the right hue in her drawings, and this drawing—the one she begins in a lovely forest clearing just off the path to Granny’s—must be her best yet. Here is a new, lively retelling of a timeless tale with enough twists and turns to keep readers guessing until the very end.

Dear Mili


Wilhelm Grimm - 1816
    A Grimm fairy tale, gloriously illustrated by Maurice Sendak, about a little girl who is sent to the forest by her mother to escape a war.

Me and You


Anthony Browne - 2009
    Meanwhile, a girl with golden hair is hopelessly lost in a big, frightening city when she comes across a house with the door left invitingly open. Inside are three bowls of porridge in the kitchen, three chairs in the living room, and three comfortable-looking beds upstairs, and no one seems to be home . . .

The Worst Princess


Anna Kemp - 2012
    But when that Prince proves to be a bit more traditional than what she had hoped for, Princess Sue—along with the help of fiery dragon—becomes determined to find a way to get the fairy-tale ending that she always envisioned for herself. For fans of Robert Munch's The Paperbag Princess!

The Nutcracker in Harlem


T.E. McMorrow - 2017
    E. McMorrow and Coretta Scott King Award-winning illustrator James Ransome. An author’s note at the end provides additional information about the history of the Harlem Renaissance, and about the author’s inspiration for this musical retelling.

Pigling: a Cinderella Story


Dan Jolley - 2008
    Her new wicked stepmother and stepsister make Pear Blossom the victim of their cruelty. They give her the nickname Pigling, or little pig, and do everything they can to torture her. But soon, magical creatures come to Pear Blossom's aid and one day, the girl meets a handsome magistrate. Will Pear Blossom's luck change for the better? Or is she destined to suffer at her stepfamily's hands forever?

City Shapes


Diana Murray - 2016
    And Bryan Collier's beautiful illustrations add even more layers to the cityscapes, letting readers get immersed in the hustle and bustle, culminating in a thrilling twist when the girl looks through her kaleidoscope and sees the skyline in a completely new way. A celebration of finding magic in scenes both new and familiar, City Shapes has the potential to become a classic.

Kate and the Beanstalk


Mary Pope Osborne - 2000
    Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum’un, I smell the blood of an Englishwoman. Be she alive or be she dead, I'll grind her bones to make my bread. Readers will cheer on the resourceful, gutsy Kate as she outsmarts the famously greedy giant.

Cakes and Miracles: A Purim Tale


Barbara Diamond Goldin - 1991
    "If only I could see," he says. Then one night in his dreams, Hershel has a vision of a winged angel descending a sparkling ladder. What the angel tells him--and what Hershel sees in his dreams--leads to an exciting surprise for the whole village.