Written by Tony Johnston
Illustrated by James Warhola
Publisher: Puffin 2000
Themes: Fractured fairytales
Synopsis: What becomes a Bigfoot most? This silly twist on a favorite fairy tale clears up that question (and more) with humor and style. The Bigfoot prince is looking for a wife. But his perfect mate must meet some stringent criteria: she must be odoriferous, have lots of matted fur and be the kind of nature lover that never picks flowers. Finding such a catch isn’t easy, so the prince throws a forest-wide fun-fest at which all the female Bigfeet can compete for him. Rrrrrella is a good candidate but her wicked stepsisters (who wear wildflowers in their well-groomed fur) won’t let her attend. With help from her Beary Godfather, Rrrrrella wows the prince at the fun-fest and leaves a giant bark-clog in her wake.
Opening: Once upon a time, in the old-growth forest, a band of Bigfoots lived. An enormous snag towered above the other trees close to their camp. Inside its hollow halls of bark lived a dashing Bigfoot prince.
He was tall and dark as a Douglas fir—with feet like cedar stumps. He was as odoriferous as his tree-home was coniferous. And so horrendously hairy that Bigfoot women near and far longed to marry him.
Resources: This book is an excellent model for students to write their own fairy tale. HERE is an interactive tool for students to write their own fractured fairy tales. HERE is an excellent guide for a Fairy Tale/Storybook Characters Unit for younger students. It can easily be adapted for older students.
Why I Like This Book: I am a huge fractured fairy tale fan and this book is such a treat. Not only is the prince looking for a woman Bigfoot tough enough to roll him off a log into the river, he wants a wants a woman who is a nature lover like him. This combination makes Bigfoot Cinderrrrrella an excellent choice for the classroom. It is delightfully humorous, and will appeal to boys as well as girls.
Susanna Leonard Hill features Perfect Picture Book Friday on her blog. This is a wonderful resource if you are wondering what books to give as gifts, needing material for a lesson, or just looking for a great book to read. Here is a list of books by category. Each book listed has a link to a review, information about that book, and resources for activities. There is also an alphabetical list.