Book picks similar to
The Ugly Duckling by Rachel Isadora


picture-books
fairy-tales
traditional-literature
picture-book

Beauty and the Beast


Max Eilenberg - 2006
    Though her patron is hideous, his disarming generosity slowly leads to a surprising connection. Accessibly and with great compassion, Max Eilenberg sheds fresh light on one of our most beloved fairy tales. Angela Barrett's enchanting illustrations illuminate both the sumptuous palace and the horrifying beast himself. The resulting tour de force reminds us that ultimately love conquers all.

Good Night, Baddies


Deborah Underwood - 2016
    You didn’t catch Red Riding Hood. You huffed and puffed without success. But brush your fangs, please, nonetheless. Wicked witches. Evil queens. And big, bad wolves. By day they’re such baddies! But cozy at night at home among friends? Why, they couldn’t be nicer! Inspired by the mischief-makers from classic folk and fairy tales, this picture book shows that even the baddest baddies can have big hearts.

Baboushka and the Three Kings


Ruth Robbins - 1960
    The Russian folktale about an old woman's endless search for the Christ child.

Beauty and the Beast


Cynthia Rylant - 2017
    The Beast, shut away from the world in his great stone castle, knows only loneliness. Brought together by a stolen rose, each finds that love may call for sacrifice, but true love can bloom in even the darkest places. Newbery medalist Cynthia Rylant tells a classic tale of bravery and transformation with stunning, lyrical prose, accompanied by Meg Park's soft yet vibrant illustrations. This new picturebook makes a beautiful keepsake that children will pore over for years to come.

The First Strawberries


Joseph Bruchac - 1993
    Long ago, the first man and woman quarreled. The woman left in anger, but the Sun sent tempting berries to Earth to slow the wife's retreat. Luminous paintings perfectly complement the simple, lyrical text. "Complete harmony of text and pictures: altogether lovely." -- Kirkus Reviews, pointer reviewJoseph Bruchac is an award-winning storyteller whose books for children include Eagle Song, Children of the Longhouse, and Arrow to the Sun (all Dial). He lives in Greenfield Center, New York. Anna Vojtech lives in Marblehead, Massachusetts.

The Gift of the Crocodile: A Cinderella Story


Judy Sierra - 2000
     Damura is a beautiful girl, as kind and lovely as the little green parrot that perches on the nutmeg tree. But Damura's stepmother and stepsister mistreat her. They force her to rise before dawn, carry out all the chores, and sleep on the floor. One day, while down by the river, Damura calls out to the creatures of the wild for help. Rising from the waters, an ancient crocodile answers the call. This unusual fairy godmother, aptly named Grandmother Crocodile, outfits Damura in a sarong of gold, with slippers to match, and sends her to the palace to dance for the prince. Once he sees her, the prince knows that she will be his bride. But the fairy tale isn't quite over. Damura's wicked stepmother and stepsister are so jealous that they push Damura into the river, where she is swallowed by a crocodile. Too bad they didn't know about Grandmother Crocodile.... The Gift of the Crocodile, a tale from the Spice Islands in Indonesia, offers a colorful and dramatic twist on the universally adored Cinderella story.

Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood


Mike Artell - 2001
    He presents no match for the spunky heroine and her quick-thinking cat TeJean, though, as they use some strong Cajun hot sauce to teach Claude a lesson he will never forget!The combination of hilarious rhyme and exaggerated art creates a highly original retelling of the classic fairy tale. A pronunciation guide/glossary accompanies a tempting dialect that begs to be read aloud or acted out again and again. This is Little Red Riding Hood as she's never been seen before: Cajun and ducky.

My Very First Mother Goose


Iona Opie - 1996
    And the most magical of all are the beloved, venerable words of Mother Goose. Now folklorist Iona Opie has gathered more than sixty treasured rhymes in their most perfect, honest form. From "Hey Diddle, Diddle" and "Pat-a-Cake" to "Little Jack Horner" and "Pussycat, Pussycat," these are familiar verses that have been passed from parent to child for generations; these are the rhymes that are every child's birthright.With watercolors by Rosemary Wells that may prove equally enduring, MY VERY FIRST MOTHER GOOSE captures the simple joy and the sly humor that are the essence of Mother Goose. Parents and children will find themselves exploring this volume together, savoring delightful details and funny surprises on every page. This is a book that promises hours of quiet smiles and merry grins for readers of all ages.

The Bearskinner: A Tale of the Brothers Grimm


Laura Amy Schlitz - 2006
    Enter that sly opportunist, the devil, who wraps the soldier in the armor of a dead bear’s skin, fills its pockets with gold, and makes a dangerous and horrible wager. An unforgettable retelling of a classic Grimm tale, THE BEARSKINNER is a story about the struggle between the two sides of our selves, and the heroic strength it takes to claim a victory.

Fairy Tales for Mr. Barker: A Peek-Through Story


Jessica Ahlberg - 2016
    Barker, see on their fairy-tale adventure? Peek through from scene to scene to guess who they might meet next.Lucy is reading a fairy tale to Mr. Barker, but her dog has other ideas. When he jumps out the window — landing in a cottage with a broken chair, three bowls of porridge, and a little golden-haired girl — Lucy is right behind him. Goldilocks would rather not be there when the bears return, so she joins Lucy and Mr. Barker as they continue on their way, adding a trio of pigs, a boy with a goose, and a just-awakened princess during their journey. What happens next? Cutout windows throughout add visual surprises to this lighthearted fractured fairy tale.

The Cloud Spinner


Michael Catchpool - 2012
    He spins just enough cloth for a warm scarf. But when the king sees the boy's magnificent cloth, he demands cloaks and gowns galore. "It would not be wise," the boy protests. "Your majesty does not need them!" But spin he must—and soon the world around him begins to change.From author Michael Catchpool and illustrator Alison Jay comes a magical tale about the beauty and fragility of our natural world, and the wisdom and courage needed to protect it.

Fables


Arnold Lobel - 1980
    . . . The droll illustrations, with tones blended to luminescent shading, are complete and humorous themselves.' -- Association of Library Service to Children, ALA.

Huff & Puff


Claudia Rueda - 2009
    Three interior die-cut holes invite readers to huff, puff, and blow the pigs’ houses down! This fractured fairy tale ends sweetly when, rather than blowing down the third pig’s brick home, the wolf/reader blows out the candles on a cake baked by the pigs! A satisfying and engaging read for every young Three Little Pigs fan.Praise for Huff & Puff "Simple but wonderfully expressive, the illustrations are ink drawings with pale washes of tan, pink, yellow, and blue. A beautifully designed and wholly engaging picture book for young children."–Booklist"Sure to be a family favorite." –Shelf-Awareness “A good chance for youngsters to relish enacting the wicked role while still getting a friendly reconciliation at the end.”–Kirkus Reviews"Very young readers will get a kick out of taking the wolf’s part, and their parents will appreciate that the scariest bits of the original tale have been omitted."–School Library Journal"Like her repetitive text, Rueda’s illustrations are gently funny and elegantly simple."–Horn Book"The reader is encouraged to follow the pigs into the book."–Library Media Connection

The Girl and the Wolf


Katherena Vermette - 2019
    When she realizes she is lost, she begins to panic. A large grey wolf makes a sudden appearance between some distant trees. Using his sense of smell, he determines where she came from and decides to help her. Through a series of questions from the wolf, the little girl realizes she had the knowledge and skill to navigate herself--she just needed to remember that those abilities were there all along.

Chicken Little: The Real and Totally True Tale


Sam Wedelich - 2020
    A spry readaloud that will entertain adults and listeners in equal measure." -- Publishers WeeklyChicken Little is NOT afraid of anything. Well, okay, maybe a mysterious BONK to the head can produce panic. But only momentarily. It's not as though she meant to send the barnyard into a tailspin, thinking that the sky was falling. How ridiculous! But can she calm her feathered friends with facts and reason?A timeless favorite becomes a clever cautionary tale in this FUNNY, fresh, and timely picture book debut by cartoonist, Sam Wedelich!