"Suddenly, Fred felt himself tumbling
about, like a little lost leaf in a storm.
The next thing he knew, he had a long
silver mane and four ginormous hooves.
Goodness! He was attached to some
sort of gaudy orange contraption. And
there was Ella, all dressed up and fancy."
Fred is a wee mouse with an always-itchy ear who lives in a pumpkin patch that belongs to his friend Ella (Cinderella, as she is known to many). In this alternate fairy tale, he is caught up in an adventure, not of his own choosing. His is a quiet life until a stranger appears one night, looking for a pumpkin for Cinderella. Fred asks why and learns she is Cinderella's fairy godmother. She takes the pumpkin and also Fred, turning him into a horse!
With a warning from her godmother about the curfew and complaints about the discomfort of the glass slippers, Ella and Fred are off to the ball. Fred can only imagine the fun, while Ella isn't having a grand time at all. With only one glass slipper when she leaves, she shows her displeasure by throwing it a nearby lamppost, smashing it to smithereens. They are almost home when the spell breaks and everything magical disappears.
Ella is quick to collect some seeds from the broken pumpkin and takes them home, along with Fred. When the prince comes looking for the owner of the glass slipper, Ella hides and watches the contortions her stepsisters go through to try to make the slipper fit. Ella certainly doesn't need a prince who hates dirt and gardening. Ella saves and plants the pumpkin seeds in the spring, growing an award-winning pumpkin. At the fair she meets the young farmer in second place. That farmer falls madly in love with Ella. The two women marry, and move to a small farm where Fred keeps watch over their pumpkin patch. They all live happily ever after!
Mr. Zelinsky’s bright and silly scenes created in ink and assembled digitally, add a wonderful note to the storytelling. Pages are filled with witty text, constant action, and expressive characters. Full of charm for a new generation.
"I’ll find my own destiny, thank you very much,”
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