Cinderella Skeleton by Robert D. San Souci

Cinderella Skeleton by Robert D. San Souci and illustrated by David Catrow

This book is a twisted and somewhat morbid retelling of the Cinderella fairytale. I thought this book was funny and had a humorous take on the traditional tale. It’s basically the same idea of Cinderella but it’s just with skeletons and takes place in a graveyard. Instead of Cinderella Skeleton cleaning all the time, her stepmother had her spread dust everywhere, put cobwebs up in the corners, and fed the bats that lived with them. I also thought the illustrations really made the book come alive with the reader. The pictures show how frail and somewhat decrepit the skeletons were with their sunken in eyes, bony fingers, and other skeleton like features. Instead of losing a glass slipper at the end of the night, Cinderella Skeleton snaps off her foot and hobbles away. The prince (Charnel) goes from skeleton to skeleton to see if it fits on any of the ladies (they all snap off their foot to test the fit). It ends with Cinderella Skeleton and the Prince lived happily ever after and her step-sisters dissolved into dust. I think kids would really enjoy this (somewhat creepy) book because of the unique twist on the traditional story, vibrant illustrations, and the witty rhyming that the author uses throughout the book.