"Cinderella Skeleton" by Robert D. San Souci, Illustrated by David Catrow

Image Courtesy of: http://mediamacaroni.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/cinderellaskeleton.jpg

Bibliographic Citation

Title: Cinderella Skeleton

Author: Robert D. San Souci

Illustrator: David Catrow

Year of Publication: 2000

Publisher City: New York

Publisher: Silver Whistle

ISBN: 0-15-202003-9

Author Website: http://www.rsansouci.com/

Illustrator Website: http://www.catrow.com/
   A video of Catrow drawing Cinderella Skeleton: http://vimeo.com/6650302

Media Used for Artwork: Pencil, Watercolor

My Top 10 Favorite Picturebooks for Older Readers

Awards

·         International Reading Association Children's Choices, 2001

Annotation

This picture book is a retelling of the fairytale Cinderella with a few unique twists that morph the world many are use to.  Cinderella is no long a beautiful living girl but instead a decaying skeleton.

Personal Reaction

                This isn’t the Disney version of Cinderella that people are use to; it is a reinvention of the story that is far closer to the darker, bloodier version by the Brothers Grimm.  No toes or heels are cut off in “Cinderella Skeleton” but foot bones are snapped off with ease.

                The story of “Cinderella Skeleton” is told as a poem.  Robert D San Souci used the rhythm scheme he created to his full advantage, while not taking away from the telling of the story.  The author must have been aware that his choice to make Cinderella a corpse could become quickly dark and choose to use humor to lighten the mood.  An example of this is that house in which Cinderella Skeleton resides “invites guests to REST IN PEACE.”

“Cinderella Skelton” will attract older readers who aren’t drawn to happily ever after Disney versions of fairy tales any more but still like fairy tales.  After reading this retelling, a reader can start searching out retellings of fairytales that are novel length, such as “Beastly” by Alex Flinn (or even watching the movie adaption).  The story of Cinderella is the one that readers know by heart but the reinvention of the characters and setting allows reader to see the story from another perspective.  It is also a way to teach that certain basic stories are constantly used throughout literature but are morphed to fit an author’s ideas or illustrator’s design.

The artwork is what drew me to this book in the first place.  Cinderella in this case is a skeleton with “teeth like polished kidney stones” and “dankish hair” that Prince Charnel (a very creative renaming of Prince Charming) adores.  One almost feels that David Catrow was inspired by Tim Burton films.  There are touches of Jack Skellington from “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and the bride from “Corpse Bride” in the illustrations.  Catrow illustrated the skeletons so that they would have such expressions and personalities.  And Cinderella Skeleton’s silk gown of spider web has a frightening elegance to it.  Beauty presented in an unexpected way.  Though the skeletons could be seen as frightening to some, others will be delighted in the humor Catrow also uses in his drawings.  For example: the carriage that takes her to the Halloween Ball is a funeral wagon, and instead of a mighty steed Prince Charnel rides a bicycle to search for his lost love.  Overall, this is a delightfully morbid retelling of a classic fairytale that is enhanced by the illustrations.

Use of Rhyme: Each stanza is broken up the same wait.  The first line always begins “Cinderella Skeleton,” and the rhythm scheme after is ABBCCA throughout.

Use of Alliteration: Throughout the poem repetition of the first letter of the word is used.  Some examples include:

“Decayed, decrepit-what a fright.”

“And firmly packed with spite and spleen.”

Use of Onomatopoeia: Making a word from a sound is used a few times in this picture book.  Some examples include:

“Saw witch touch wand- Tip-tap!-to all.”

“Ignoring the thump of her footless stump.”

Use of Repetition: Throughout the story each stanza starts with Cinderella Skeleton.