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Graphic Spin
Cinderella: The Graphic Novel
Cinderella's wicked stepmother won't let her go to the ball. But with a little help from a Fairy Godmother, she'll be getting there in style. There's just one catch. At midnight, her magical gown will turn back into dirty old rags.
33 pages, Library Binding
Published September 1, 2008
About the author
Beth Bracken
45 books27 followersBeth Bracken is a children's book editor. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with her husband, Steve, and their son, Sam. When she's not reading, writing, or editing books, Beth spends most of her time knitting endlessly while watching reruns of old TV shows and drinking lots of tea.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
June 30, 2024
Part of the Graphic Spin series of folk and fairy tale graphic novel retellings, both my adult reading self and equally so my inner child majorly adore how Beth Bracken with Cinderella: The Graphic Novel successfully and engagingly textually combines many aspects of Charles Perreault's Cendrillon and Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm's Aschenputtel, with me in particular appreciating Bracken showing in Cinderella: The Graphic Novel that Ella and very much like in Aschenputtel is inconsolable after her mother's death and how her many tears finally cause a tree to grow near her mother's grave to provide a bit of solace and comfort. For yes and in my not so humble opinion, emotional trauma is often only vaguely hinted at in folklore and that I have always found the emotive and spiritual depth and richness of Aschenputtel refreshing and much more to my tastes than the rather on the surface textuality of Cendrillon.
Therefore, I really massively do appreciate Beth Bracken melding and fusing Charles Perreault and the Brothers Grimm together in Cinderella: The Graphic Novel, retaining the best parts of both stories (like Charles Perreault's fairy godmother, the pumpkin carriage and the mandate for Ella to be back home from the ball by midnight and as already mentioned Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm's poignant depiction of Ella's sadness when her mother dies) but getting rid of the deliberate foot disfigurement by Ella's stepsisters from Aschenputtel albeit (and very much appreciatively) Cinderella: The Graphic Novel still retaining how the Ella's avian friends swoop down and punish the nasty stepsisters at the end of Cinderella: The Graphic Novel (when they are hoping to attend Ella and the prince's wedding).
And finally, just to say that while I think Beth Bracken's author's note for Cinderella: The Graphic Novel is educational and nicely enlightening, the folkloric purist in me does kind of wish Bracken would not mention Walt Disney's Cinderella movie. Because although I understand why, I also think that it is rather annoying how Walt Disney's Cinderella seems to often be more popular than either Charles Perreault's Cendrillon or the Brothers Grimm's Aschenputtel and that this is for me both sad and also something rather problematic on a traditional folklore level.
Now with regard to Jeffrey Stewart Timmins artwork for Cinderella: The Graphic Novel, while in and of themselves, Timmins' illustrations are stylistically adept (albeit the brownish colour scheme is a bit too drab for my eyes and as such kind of aesthetically drags Beth Bracken's text for Cinderella: The Graphic Novel down a bit instead of lifting it up, instead of being a successful and positive visual mirror), sorry, but how Jeffery Stewart Timmins depicts his human characters in Cinderella: The Graphic Novel, this is rather visually strange and uncomfortable. For I really do not at all aesthetically enjoy that in Cinderella: The Graphic Novel, Ella, her stepmother and her two stepsisters are all drawn by Timmins in such a way that they look very similar to each other both physically and also with regard to their clothing and their hairstyles, and not to mention that Ella and the prince she ends up marrying actually look like they are or at least could be siblings (inadvertently of course, but still, how similar looking all of Jeffrey Stewart Timmins' depicted characters are in Cinderella: The Graphic Novel, except perhaps for Ella's father, this is aesthetically not at all to my visual tastes, it kind of ruins the graphic novel aspect of Cinderella: The Graphic Novel for me and thus makes my final rating for Cinderella: The Graphic Novel only a rather begrudging, annoyed tand very low three stars).
Therefore, I really massively do appreciate Beth Bracken melding and fusing Charles Perreault and the Brothers Grimm together in Cinderella: The Graphic Novel, retaining the best parts of both stories (like Charles Perreault's fairy godmother, the pumpkin carriage and the mandate for Ella to be back home from the ball by midnight and as already mentioned Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm's poignant depiction of Ella's sadness when her mother dies) but getting rid of the deliberate foot disfigurement by Ella's stepsisters from Aschenputtel albeit (and very much appreciatively) Cinderella: The Graphic Novel still retaining how the Ella's avian friends swoop down and punish the nasty stepsisters at the end of Cinderella: The Graphic Novel (when they are hoping to attend Ella and the prince's wedding).
And finally, just to say that while I think Beth Bracken's author's note for Cinderella: The Graphic Novel is educational and nicely enlightening, the folkloric purist in me does kind of wish Bracken would not mention Walt Disney's Cinderella movie. Because although I understand why, I also think that it is rather annoying how Walt Disney's Cinderella seems to often be more popular than either Charles Perreault's Cendrillon or the Brothers Grimm's Aschenputtel and that this is for me both sad and also something rather problematic on a traditional folklore level.
Now with regard to Jeffrey Stewart Timmins artwork for Cinderella: The Graphic Novel, while in and of themselves, Timmins' illustrations are stylistically adept (albeit the brownish colour scheme is a bit too drab for my eyes and as such kind of aesthetically drags Beth Bracken's text for Cinderella: The Graphic Novel down a bit instead of lifting it up, instead of being a successful and positive visual mirror), sorry, but how Jeffery Stewart Timmins depicts his human characters in Cinderella: The Graphic Novel, this is rather visually strange and uncomfortable. For I really do not at all aesthetically enjoy that in Cinderella: The Graphic Novel, Ella, her stepmother and her two stepsisters are all drawn by Timmins in such a way that they look very similar to each other both physically and also with regard to their clothing and their hairstyles, and not to mention that Ella and the prince she ends up marrying actually look like they are or at least could be siblings (inadvertently of course, but still, how similar looking all of Jeffrey Stewart Timmins' depicted characters are in Cinderella: The Graphic Novel, except perhaps for Ella's father, this is aesthetically not at all to my visual tastes, it kind of ruins the graphic novel aspect of Cinderella: The Graphic Novel for me and thus makes my final rating for Cinderella: The Graphic Novel only a rather begrudging, annoyed tand very low three stars).
July 31, 2009
A nice retelling for children.
This book has the coolest textured endpages.
This book has the coolest textured endpages.
November 2, 2025
I discovered Cinderella: The Graphic Novel by Beth Bracken on Dr. Quiroa’s Goodreads Cinderella shelf. It’s part of Capstone’s Graphic Spin series, which retells classic stories in comic form. This version was published in 2008 and illustrated by Jeffrey Stewart Timmins. I borrowed it from my local library. I didn’t find any awards listed for this edition, but it’s one of several fairy tale retellings in the Graphic Spin series.
As a retold version of the traditional tale, this story stays true to the heart of Cinderella while adding a few lovely new details. After her mother’s death, Cinderella is heartbroken, and her sadness is felt right from the start. She visits her mother’s grave whenever she feels lonely or afraid, and it becomes a quiet, comforting place for her. She plants a small twig on the grave, and her tears water it until it grows into a beautiful tree. The tree is home to a group of gentle birds who later help Cinderella with the impossible chores her stepmother assigns, like sorting seeds from ashes. When her stepmother and stepsisters leave for the royal ball, Cinderella is visited by her fairy godmother, who transforms her rags into a gown and gives her a way to attend the celebration. At the ball, she captures the prince’s attention but flees at midnight as the magic fades, losing her slipper on the palace steps. The prince’s search for her leads to a joyful ending, while the stepsisters get a bit of well-deserved justice. The story shows both Cinderella’s inner struggle with loss and the unfair treatment she faces at home, but the message about kindness and perseverance comes through naturally and never feels forced.
The language is simple and easy to follow, and the graphic novel format really adds to the storytelling. The panels, speech bubbles, and bits of narration all work together to show how the story moves along and how Cinderella is feeling. Because the words and pictures share the job of telling the story, readers have to notice both to fully understand what’s happening. The illustrations are dark and moody, with curved lines and close-up views that make Cinderella’s sadness and sense of confinement feel real. The dark shades throughout the early panels seem to mirror her grief and loneliness, while the lighter colors at the ball reflect a growing sense of hope and possibility. The shift in color helps readers feel the emotional transformation that takes place as her story unfolds.
I found this version meaningful because it holds onto the traditional story but also lets readers connect with Cinderella’s emotions in their own way. Her grief, hope, and quiet strength invite different interpretations and make great discussion starters. In the classroom, I’d begin by asking students what moments or images stood out to them before we talked about theme or illustration. This gives everyone a chance to share their first reactions and see how each reader brings their own experiences to a story. Later, we could look more closely at how the artwork affects tone and mood or compare this version to another Cinderella retelling.
There are many ways this book could be used in grades 5 and 6 classrooms. It would work well in a study of fairy tale variants, where students explore how authors adapt traditional stories for modern readers. It could also support lessons on visual literacy and how color, line, and space create meaning. Students might create their own short comic versions of familiar fairy tales, look closely at the types of conflict shown in the story, or write journal responses connecting Cinderella’s grief to a time they found comfort in memories or symbols. I think this book would be a great fit as part of a unit on fairy tales, visual storytelling, or multimodal texts.
As a retold version of the traditional tale, this story stays true to the heart of Cinderella while adding a few lovely new details. After her mother’s death, Cinderella is heartbroken, and her sadness is felt right from the start. She visits her mother’s grave whenever she feels lonely or afraid, and it becomes a quiet, comforting place for her. She plants a small twig on the grave, and her tears water it until it grows into a beautiful tree. The tree is home to a group of gentle birds who later help Cinderella with the impossible chores her stepmother assigns, like sorting seeds from ashes. When her stepmother and stepsisters leave for the royal ball, Cinderella is visited by her fairy godmother, who transforms her rags into a gown and gives her a way to attend the celebration. At the ball, she captures the prince’s attention but flees at midnight as the magic fades, losing her slipper on the palace steps. The prince’s search for her leads to a joyful ending, while the stepsisters get a bit of well-deserved justice. The story shows both Cinderella’s inner struggle with loss and the unfair treatment she faces at home, but the message about kindness and perseverance comes through naturally and never feels forced.
The language is simple and easy to follow, and the graphic novel format really adds to the storytelling. The panels, speech bubbles, and bits of narration all work together to show how the story moves along and how Cinderella is feeling. Because the words and pictures share the job of telling the story, readers have to notice both to fully understand what’s happening. The illustrations are dark and moody, with curved lines and close-up views that make Cinderella’s sadness and sense of confinement feel real. The dark shades throughout the early panels seem to mirror her grief and loneliness, while the lighter colors at the ball reflect a growing sense of hope and possibility. The shift in color helps readers feel the emotional transformation that takes place as her story unfolds.
I found this version meaningful because it holds onto the traditional story but also lets readers connect with Cinderella’s emotions in their own way. Her grief, hope, and quiet strength invite different interpretations and make great discussion starters. In the classroom, I’d begin by asking students what moments or images stood out to them before we talked about theme or illustration. This gives everyone a chance to share their first reactions and see how each reader brings their own experiences to a story. Later, we could look more closely at how the artwork affects tone and mood or compare this version to another Cinderella retelling.
There are many ways this book could be used in grades 5 and 6 classrooms. It would work well in a study of fairy tale variants, where students explore how authors adapt traditional stories for modern readers. It could also support lessons on visual literacy and how color, line, and space create meaning. Students might create their own short comic versions of familiar fairy tales, look closely at the types of conflict shown in the story, or write journal responses connecting Cinderella’s grief to a time they found comfort in memories or symbols. I think this book would be a great fit as part of a unit on fairy tales, visual storytelling, or multimodal texts.
February 27, 2019
Upon reading this book, you will want to ponder the front cover. The illustrations, drawn by Jeffrey Steward Timmins are very dark and immediately reminded me of Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas. You can infer that the front character is Cinderella, although she does not portray any similarities to the original fairy tale Cinderella. Opposed to the bright colors found in the original version, translated by Perrault and illustrated by Marcia Brown, this version, retold by Beth Bracken has few colors, if any. The pages are filled with various shades of gray and most of the story is set in a dark town reflecting an ominous mood.
Although the reader will recognize the familiar cast of characters, this story is told in an unfamiliar way as it is compiled into a graphic novel. You truly gain a sense of the characters and their spirit through speech bubbles and a series of images. As you flip through the graphics, the voices and emotions of the vile step sisters or sweet Cinderella will ring in your head and heart. I truly appreciated the sweetness in Cinderella's voice that overpowered the dark tone of the images. I also enjoyed the small yet powerful additions to the story that made this version unique and special.
In the beginning of this version you meet Ella's father and her evil step-family who have entered her life. As her dad travels to town, he asks her step-sister what they would like. One replied "Dresses! As many as you can fit into your carriage!" "Jewels! As many as you can fit into your pockets". Their greed was relentless. Cinderella on the other hand asked for a simple gift... a small twig. Although it was just a simple twig, it ends up holding a special part in the story. This is just one example of many twists you will find in this unique version of Cinderella.
Although the reader will recognize the familiar cast of characters, this story is told in an unfamiliar way as it is compiled into a graphic novel. You truly gain a sense of the characters and their spirit through speech bubbles and a series of images. As you flip through the graphics, the voices and emotions of the vile step sisters or sweet Cinderella will ring in your head and heart. I truly appreciated the sweetness in Cinderella's voice that overpowered the dark tone of the images. I also enjoyed the small yet powerful additions to the story that made this version unique and special.
In the beginning of this version you meet Ella's father and her evil step-family who have entered her life. As her dad travels to town, he asks her step-sister what they would like. One replied "Dresses! As many as you can fit into your carriage!" "Jewels! As many as you can fit into your pockets". Their greed was relentless. Cinderella on the other hand asked for a simple gift... a small twig. Although it was just a simple twig, it ends up holding a special part in the story. This is just one example of many twists you will find in this unique version of Cinderella.
October 18, 2012
As you know I love to read fairy tales, the original and retold stories. Cinderella has always been one of my favorite stories. When I was at the library the other day with my girls, Cinderella: The Graphic Novel caught our eye.
Cinderella: The Graphic Novel is not quite the Disney version most people are used to. This version of the story was wonderful. The author, Beth Bracken went closer to the original version and put her own spin on it.
What I love the most about this book is how well the artwork and story go together. The art in this graphic novel is wonderful! I love the style of it.
If you are a fan of Cinderella and graphic novels this is a perfect fit. Bonus, at the back of the book there is a bit of Cinderella history that we all enjoyed reading. I have now read this with my children three times because they LOVE it! I will be purchasing it soon because I will eventually have to return it to the library.
Happy reading,
Rebecca
Cinderella: The Graphic Novel is not quite the Disney version most people are used to. This version of the story was wonderful. The author, Beth Bracken went closer to the original version and put her own spin on it.
What I love the most about this book is how well the artwork and story go together. The art in this graphic novel is wonderful! I love the style of it.
If you are a fan of Cinderella and graphic novels this is a perfect fit. Bonus, at the back of the book there is a bit of Cinderella history that we all enjoyed reading. I have now read this with my children three times because they LOVE it! I will be purchasing it soon because I will eventually have to return it to the library.
Happy reading,
Rebecca
March 6, 2024
The artwork is excellent, it's a little bit creepy, stylised, but still realistic. Like that's not a cover artist they brought in, thats the style and quality. The incredibly basic speech bubbles, the lettering, the narration boxes really let the whole thing down though. They almost didn't need the boxes, with a little more work they could have done away with them completely and with a letterer rather than a computer program they could've matched the speech to the artwork and it wouldn't have been so jarring.
May 8, 2015
Fantastic story. Classic Cinderella, condensed for children. Beautiful water color artwork. The back has a glossary for children and a little history on the origins of Cinderella. It even has writing prompts for teachers.
Loved it
Loved it
October 28, 2016
This graphic novel is a great addition to the cinderella stories. I enjoyed reading it.
January 7, 2020
We all know the story of Cinderella, so I'm very familiar with it. Yet, I can't stop reading new updated versions or retellings, so of course I picked this up when hubby found it during one of our (many) thrift store adventures.
Ella is very sad when she loses her mother and can't shake the sadness.
When her father remarries, her stepmother and two stepsisters move in and take over the house. Leaving Ella to become their housekeeper.
But when a ball is announced and her stepmother refuses to let her go, Ella finds a way...
This was a dark and lovely retelling of a very familiar story. I especially liked that her name was Ella, and that much of the story focused on the grief the poor girl goes through after losing her mother. She tries so hard to be strong, but can't stop visiting her mother's gravesite and cries all the time.
Yet, no one notices but the animals.
The essence of the original fairy tale is captured not only through the darker and subtle additions to the narrative, but also through the eerie illustrations. There's something Burton-esque about this graphic novel and I LOVED it.
The style of character drawings and even the colour palette are quite drab, yet so pretty. I enjoy all kinds of artwork in graphic novels and comic books, but the weirder the better.
At the end of the book there's also an interesting history about the true origins of this fairy tale, a few discussion questions and even writing prompts.
This book is going right to my Keeper Shelf.
Ella is very sad when she loses her mother and can't shake the sadness.
When her father remarries, her stepmother and two stepsisters move in and take over the house. Leaving Ella to become their housekeeper.
But when a ball is announced and her stepmother refuses to let her go, Ella finds a way...
This was a dark and lovely retelling of a very familiar story. I especially liked that her name was Ella, and that much of the story focused on the grief the poor girl goes through after losing her mother. She tries so hard to be strong, but can't stop visiting her mother's gravesite and cries all the time.
Yet, no one notices but the animals.
The essence of the original fairy tale is captured not only through the darker and subtle additions to the narrative, but also through the eerie illustrations. There's something Burton-esque about this graphic novel and I LOVED it.
The style of character drawings and even the colour palette are quite drab, yet so pretty. I enjoy all kinds of artwork in graphic novels and comic books, but the weirder the better.
At the end of the book there's also an interesting history about the true origins of this fairy tale, a few discussion questions and even writing prompts.
This book is going right to my Keeper Shelf.
May 25, 2022
CAWPILE Score: 5.29
MVP: This book is so short and doesn't really develop any characters so it's hard to pick an MVP.
This really wasn't a bad book. I enjoyed it and it was a quick read. The art style kind of reminded me of Tim Burton. I wanted a graphic novel version of "Cinderella" for a quick read, and this fit the bill. I guess it's the same for the original fairy tale, but there really isn't any character growth for any of the characters. I feel like it edged the line of the classic fairy tale and there were elements in there. I guess I can understand why they didn't feel the need to include the sparrows pecking at the step-sisters but I do really enjoy that part.
MVP: This book is so short and doesn't really develop any characters so it's hard to pick an MVP.
This really wasn't a bad book. I enjoyed it and it was a quick read. The art style kind of reminded me of Tim Burton. I wanted a graphic novel version of "Cinderella" for a quick read, and this fit the bill. I guess it's the same for the original fairy tale, but there really isn't any character growth for any of the characters. I feel like it edged the line of the classic fairy tale and there were elements in there. I guess I can understand why they didn't feel the need to include the sparrows pecking at the step-sisters but I do really enjoy that part.
September 12, 2017
In this awesome book Cinderella, by Beth Bracken illustrated by Jeffrey Stewart Timmins , Ella's mom is very ill and she died but her father found a new wife and she already have two daughters. They call Ella Cinderella for a filthy girl. Cinderella is now their maid for the evil stepmother and stepsister. They went to the ball without Cinderella but she went to her mothers grave and she herd her fairy godmother and Cinderella wished to go to the ball with a gown . Cinderella danced with the Prince. She was in a rash and left she shoe and ran home. Will she make it?
August 7, 2019
Barely a graphic novel, really just a long picture book. The art is interesting, as it is a bit darker that you usually see with princess stories, but the “plot” was nothing new. Honestly I can’t be sure it isn’t the Grimm’s version with a few words changed to make it “retold” as the cover says. It reminds me of a project in art school where you just make sequential art for a fairy tale that you are assigned.
October 4, 2023
Cinderella the graphic novel gives a new insight to the traditional fariy tale everyone knows and loves. The story line remains the same Cinderella is the maid for her evil step mother and her daughters, as well as her stepmother would not let her go to the Princes ball. The novel is drawn in a dark evil way and not the bright way it is usually known as. This book would be a good book for when the children need a story to read in class that is not an educational book.
November 14, 2017
In this sad and happy story Cinderella The Graphic Novel by Beth Bracken. The main characters are Ella , stepsisters , and stepmother . The stepmother doesn't let Ella go to the ball because she didn't have a pretty dress to ware to the ball. I wounder if Ella is going to let her stepmother and her stepsisters live with her and is she going to forgive them about what they did to her.
November 10, 2021
I thought the book was a little too monochromatic and made the story more drab then necessary. The story line is similar to the one we all know. One thing that did bother me was that the glass slippers were purple instead of plain glass. The story is also way too quick and I feel it leaves out some major details.
June 25, 2019
The classic tale of Cinderella retold as a graphic novel. The illustrations are moody and bleak, even at times when the story is not. An interesting twist on the classic tale that could interest some young readers.
January 19, 2021
Didn’t realise this was intended for a school/learning based audience (it has discussion questions and writing prompts at the back), but the illustrations were lovely enough I didn’t mind the discovery! Follows a more Disney-esque version of Cinderella so it’s suitable for all ages.
March 19, 2018
It is a good graphic novel.
March 31, 2018
the graphic in this novel is very
interesting, but I did not like them very much.
besides this book is good, it's the story that everything goes well for the characters
interesting, but I did not like them very much.
besides this book is good, it's the story that everything goes well for the characters
September 14, 2018
it was a good book . Also it was kind of funny.
September 30, 2018
I enjoyed Cinderella: The Graphic Novel. I purchased it for my classroom and am looking forward to hearing how my students respond to this retelling.
November 22, 2018
Didn't care for the illustrations.
July 1, 2019
Good retelling of Cinderella as a graphic novel!
June 27, 2020
A good and short retelling of Cinderella with an interesting art style.
October 25, 2020
Un libro con illustraciones muy interesantes. Me gusta la parte con los pajaros.
February 8, 2021
Rating 3
The story of course was good. While the art style was unique it wasn't my favorite. However, I do understand what they were going for by using that style.
The story of course was good. While the art style was unique it wasn't my favorite. However, I do understand what they were going for by using that style.
February 11, 2021
A little bit of a spin to the original story and VERY interesting artwork. It's a quick read. Wasn't my favorite, but worth the read just for the interesting gothic artwork.
February 18, 2025
A bit basic, the art was spookish.
October 27, 2016
Great artwork and exciting!
September 8, 2017
In the graphic novel Cinderella By: Beth Bracken Illustrated by: Jeffrey Stewart Timmins Cinderella,The Evil stepsisters, The Evil Stepmother, and the Prince.The main Idea Is that the prince wanted to find cinderella to give her shoe back.
I wonder what her evil stepmother's reaction looked like when cinderella picked up the seeds?
I wonder what her evil stepmother's reaction looked like when cinderella picked up the seeds?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews