Cinderella's Dress

by Nancy Willard, Jane Dyer (Illustrator)

Magic happens when Newbery Medalist Nancy Willard and best-selling illustrator Jane Dyer combine talents in an imaginative retelling of this best-loved fairy tale, focusing on the ever-popular dress.

With Nancy Willard's characteristic verbal wit and Jane Dyer's beautiful, detailed paintings, this charming book will be irresistible to young girls who know the Cinderella story and love it. In this version, two magpies who live outside Cinderella's window make her a magnificent dress from bits of shiny paper they've collected. The jealous stepsisters rip it apart, and Cinderella is left in rags--until thanks to her friends the magpies she finds a magic ring belonging to her late mother. Her fairy godmother appears, and a new dress, a coach made of a pumpkin, and happy endings follow.

Genres: Picture Books, Cinderella, Childrens, Fairy Tales, Fiction, Retellings

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2003

About the author

NANCY WILLARD was an award-winning children's author, poet, and essayist who received the Newbery Medal in 1982 for A Visit to William Blake's Inn. She wrote dozens of volumes of children's fiction and poetry, including The Flying Bed, Sweep Dreams, and Cinderella's Dress. She also authored two novels for adults, Things Invisible to See and Sister Water, and twelve books of poetry, including Swimming Lessons: New and Selected Poems. She lived with her husband, photographer Eric Lindbloom, and taught at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York.

Reviews

[Casey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another classic Cinderella story. When 2 birds make a dress for her to go to the ball, her step sisters ruin it. The birds give her a magic ring and a fairy shows up. While you know the story.

This was a pretty good book. This book is mostly drama.

I recommend this book to girls who like Cinderella.

[Shiloah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pictures were lovely. We enjoyed the spin of the magpies being her helper...but the kids were disappointed in how it ended abruptly and they don’t get to enjoy the ball.

[Jordyn Cortez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this version of Cinderella, I loved the Magpie birds and it was fun and exciting to read. I think the pictures and the story correspond very well. I would definitely read this book to children in my future classes. It was a nice shortened version of the original Cinderella and still tells the beauty of the whole story.

[Jensine Foley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an awesome book to read to young girls. Out of all the young children books I have read, this one is my favorite. It teaches young girls that you do not always need the expensive new things, but rather work with the resources you have in front of you.

[Willow Schroyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book takes a different approach to the story about Cinderella. The fact that it's two birds who help her with her dress and not mice and it also looks like it takes place in Japan. This story also simply focuses on her dress for majority of it. The Nice watercolor pictures give the book this relaxed feeling and the lighter colors give the book a relaxed tone. The cover of the book is simply beautiful with the light colors and how it look's like a lot of work and detail went into the art.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the illustrations. I liked the magpies. I didn’t get the rhyming scheme and why the magpies and the fairy godmother had to make her dress. It also bugged me that this was clearly a rewriting of the Disney version as no other version has the step sisters tearing off the dress.

[Leeza · Rating 5 out of 5]

🐦‍⬛👗✨💎👑 Each spring the magpies build new nests outside my room. They never fail, before their fledglings fall asleep, to tell their favorite fairytale. 👑💎✨👗🐦‍⬛

[GardeniaPearl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't quite hit it for me. The magpies were fun, but it stops in the middle of the story.

[L-Crystal Wlodek · Rating 5 out of 5]

This version of Cinderella is told from the point of view of two magpie birds that live outside Cinderella's window and have adopted her as their own. When hearing about the ball, they make her a magnificent dress from bits of shiny paper and materials that they have collected. The jealous stepsisters rip it to shreds and Cinderella is left in rags. However, the magpie birds come to the rescue when they find a magic ring belonging to her mother causing a fairy godmother to appear, and a new dress, glass slippers, a coach made of a pumpkin. After the ball and meeting the prince, she lives happily ever after.

This version of Cinderella can appeal to all ages. It is told in rhyme and the illustrations are detailed, irresistible paintings making this story a very fun read. This book follows the same storyline and themes of the original Cinderella, but has a unique point of view. The text and bright, colorful, and beautiful illustrations really appeal to the readers emotions. This book can be used in the classroom when talking about points of view, analyzing different versions of Cinderella, or when talking about rhyme or poetic form. This version of Cinderella is very visually appealing and irresistible to read.

[NS Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It is the classic tale of Cinderella but from the birds point of view. It starts out describing the birds, their nest and thier daily activity of watching Cinderella through a window. The birds watch as Cinderella is treated unfairly by her step sisters. They also describe hearing about the Princes ball to find a wife. When they see that Cinderella is not allowed to go because her stepsisters won't let her, they decide to help her. This book goes into great detail about making the dress but the story ends when Cinderella leaves for the ball.

This book would be enjoyed by children of all ages. I could be used when talking about different points of view. It could also be used when comparing different versions of Cinderella. There are many differences. Finally, the book is filled with rhyming words. Students of all ages could recognize this and help point out he rhyming words. The illustrations are also very appealing. They are bright and colorful which would attract older and younger students to this book.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book!! Who knew that you can just pull a book out from a shelf and it be sad,funny, loving and just amazing??!!! I think that it still really follows along the lines of Cinderella very well. Unlike some other Cinderella books not so much.
Young Cinderella has to clean and work hard while her step sisters and step mom go to the prince's ball. The mama and dad Magpies sell all kinds of sowing material in their nest in the tree. They think that Cinderella is their daughter since her step family doesn't treat her well. They notice that she doesn't have a gown and can not go to the ball! They quickly make her a beautiful dress and give it to her. Cinderella puts it on and it fits. Then her sisters tear it up and here comes the fairy who gives her a new beautiful dress and takes her to the ball.
I recommend people who know the story of Cinderella very well. (Everyone should!) I personally think that everyone could enjoy this book! Maybe girls a little bit better though. ;) .

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was not your typical Cinderella story it had a twist to it. However, I did enjoy reading it, the new twist it had with the pair of magpies made the story more interesting. We all know that birds played a role in the original story, but these two were different. These magpies have a nest outside the kitchen door where they see Cinderella and how hard she works. When they realize she will not make it to the ball, they decide to make her a dress with all the scrapes they have. Cinderella's evil sister tear it apart, leaving Cinderella without a dress to go. They had a ring that gave Cinderella the ability to have her fairy godmother help her. At first the mamma magpie did not want to give the golden ring but when she say Cinderella needed it she dropped it so she could find it. It all worked out in the end, as in the original Cinderella ends up with the King, and every spring magpies build new nests outside her room.

[Brenna Mclean · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cinderella's Dress by Nancy Willard is a spin-off of the classic fairytale, Cinderella. In this story, two magpipe birds are watching over Cinderella and make the special dress for her for the ball. The story focuses on the town getting ready for the ball and all of the chaos of last minute details. The fairy godmother comes and gets her to the ball, and Cinderella goes off with the prince happily ever after.
I did not enjoy this book. Cinderella is one of my favorite fairytales, and this was just too different for me. I did not understand the two birds and I felt as though the story was boring. The watercolor pictures were pretty, but the story did not interest me at all. Also, there was only one page on the actual ball, so the story was leading up to it just for the book to end suddenly. Overall, I think that this story of Cinderella's Dress could have been more fun and more interesting.

[N_Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nancy Willard’s Cinderella’s Dress is great for girl’s ages 5-9. Children will fall in love with this rhythmically retold story, which is told, from the perspective of two Magpie birds. In this version, two Magpies birds who live outside of Cinderella’s window hear news of the ball and decide to make Cinderella a beautiful dress from bits of shiny paper they've collected. Cinderella discovers the dress and hopes to go along to the ball with her stepsisters. But, when the jealous stepsisters see her in the dress they ripe it apart leaving her left in rags once again. While alone and crying, Cinderella finds her deceased mother’s magic gold ring. Her fairy godmother suddenly appears. Coming quickly to her rescue, she gives Cinderella a new dress, a coach made of a pumpkin, and a very happily ever after ending.

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

You know, I was hoping for a new and exciting twist on the same old rehashed to death Cinderella a story and all I got was a retelling that ended abruptly. Isn't the best part of Cinderella is she find the prince and lives happily ever after. Not that her fairy god mother comes and gives her a dress and coach....yes we all know the ending but I like that part the best...that she overcomes her wicked step mother and sisters and triumphs...but the fact that it just ends...and the magpies tell the story. Who likes magpies? Magpies are flying rats... nobody likes magpies...I don't like mice all the much but even in the Disney version of blood hair blue eyes, Gus Gus is still a tolerable mouse! The pictures didn't do much for me either. Very dull! As you can guess I didn't really care for anything about this book!!! Rant over....for now!

[CH - Marvin Childress · Rating 2 out of 5]

Author: Nancy Willard; Illustrator: Jane Dyer; Age: 7-8.
The story is reminiscent of The Cobbler and the Elves. Cinderella is treated poorly and the ball is approaching. Two magpie's sit outside her window watching her mistreatment, and they decide to fashion a beautiful dress for her, but something terrible happens the night of the ball.

This is a good read for 2nd or early 3rd grade. I think the variations of traditional literature are good, because students seem to feel validated before they read, which helps their confidence. I would use this to discuss bullying and adversity.

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another Cinderella retelling, and we read it this past fall, but I didn't realize it had made such an impression until my four-year-old chose it again this winter. In this version, two magpies who live outside Cinderella's house decide to be her godparents, and they do craft a magnificent dress for her from all the sparkly items in their nest. But this dress is destroyed in short order by her stepsisters, and the "Mama Magpie" finds out that she has to give up her most treasured possession in order to really help her god-daughter. Some of the rhyming can be a bit annoying to the adult readers, but it's a fun angle on the story, and the pictures are quite beautiful.

[Janis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting version of the Cinderella story. This one is told from the perspective of two magpies who live outside of her house. They 'adopt' her as their own after seeing her go through her trials with her step-relatives. They are the ones that provide the dress before the fairy-godmother's arrival and see her off to the ball. The pictures are wonderful and also have an 'I Spy' quality. However, the story ends abruptly with Cinderella's arrival at the ball--no happily ever after. I guess that's because it's only about the dress. I just missed my romantic ending is all.

[Sabrina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't very impressed with this version of Cinderella. The story centers around her dress which is supposed to be made by magpies, ripped to shreds by her stepsisters, and then replaced by a beautiful gown granted her by her fairy godmother. The writing is awkward because it seems that the author cannot settle on a rhyme scheme or whether or not she wants to rhyme at all. The illustrations are okay and the perspective of the story is different, but it's just not that exciting and/or beautiful or well done.

[Jordan Laskoski · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked how this story was told from the two birds point of view. I think for young children that might be a little confusing for them. This illustrations were pretty and used very light, delicate colors which I liked. This is a very interesting version of the Cinderella story. This story had a lot of different things in it. The story is centered around her dress, instead of the slipper. I felt that this story was nothing special. The writing is sort of hard to understand and thrown in everywhere.

[Meltha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of three Cinderella stories I read today, this one, though rather pretty and quiet creative with its use of the magpies (I'm assuming these are based off the birds in the Grimm version), and I quite liked the paper dress, just didn't work terribly well for me. They rhyme scheme was odd, and they stopped this without going to the ball, which is usually the high point of the story. The ring that brings the fairy godmother did seem familiar. I think it may have shown up in either a different version of Cinderella or maybe a completely different folktale.

[S.j.reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

My main issue with this story is the lack of continuity in its form. It starts out like a rhyming poem, which was fine, but then the rhyming loses it's rhythem and makes reading it aloud difficult. Also, as it is an adaptation to the typical Cinderella story, I think there were too many similarities to the Disney version for it to be a completely unique retelling. I hope I remember next time not to accidentally pick this book up from the library.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really fun spin off of an old fairty tale classic. I have such a weakness for fairy tales, and think it would be a really fun unit to do with elementary school children of all ages. The illustrations are soft and whimsical, which was actually my favorite part of this particular book. I think it would be fun to make a collection of books retelling and illustrating the same story but telling it in different ways.

[Dominique · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cinderella's dress was about a very poor widow girl who's parents have died,and is forced to work as a maidfor her evil step sisters. She soon finds out that a very important ball is coming up and she wants to go very badly,but when her dress is finally ready that the magpies made for her,her(evil)step sisters and tare the dress up. cinderella gets upset ,and then a fairy god mother

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adorable version of Cinderella, this version told from the POV of two birds that nest outside Cinderella’s house.

Feeling sorry for the girl as they watch her step-family boss her around, they try and help her get to the ball. They do, but it ends up taking two tries.

It’s a very sweet retelling of the well-known story with, as there should be, gorgeous illustrations of The Dress.

[The Book Maven · Rating 1 out of 5]

Atrociously awkward rhymes narrate this version of Cinderella, who benefits from the intervention of some kind-hearted magpies. The illustrations are lovely, but that's all that can really be said for this book. Don't bother with it unless your boy or girl is really obsessed with Cinderella, or else you want to teach a person who not to write rhyming verse.

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the reframing of the familiar story, now told from two magpies' perspective. And I loved the softly colored, whimsical illustrations. But the text struggled. The author should not have tried to rhyme...and why didn't she include the end of the story? It only went up to the part where Cinderella got in the carriage to get to the ball. I was so puzzled.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Told in verse.
Reminiscent of the Disney version, but instead of mice we have magpies who make the dress for Cinderella.

The magpies have secreted away a shiny gold ring. Once they give it to Cinderella, her fairy godmother disappears.

All but the last page or 2 is prep for the ball. It's assumed you know "the rest of the story."

[Brian Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

This strange twist in the time old fairy tale of Cinderella is interesting. The emphasis on the dress rather than the age old slipper was nice I thought. I enjoyed how it was told from 2 points of view, but I feel it might be a harder read to understand for younger kids in 1rst and 2nd grade.

[Lonnye Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

The retelling of the sweet and timeless happy-ever-after story comes up short. I was disappointed that Willard did not include the magical ending of Cinderella. My granddaughter and I did have the opportunity to discuss magpies and their habit of collecting shiny bits and bobbles.