Based on the award-winning apps, this series of Nosy Crow Fairy Tales is the perfect introduction for preschoolers to these classic stories. With simple child-friendly text and bright, modern artwork with lots of fun details, makes for a perfect read-aloud. Cinderella works hard to clean the house and look after her nasty stepsisters, but when the rest of the family go to a royal ball, Cinderella is left behind. That’s when the fairy godmother arrives and works her magic – Cinderella will go to the ball after all! Cinderella and the prince dance all night until midnight strikes, the magic stops working, and Cinderella has to make a quick exit. Will the prince ever find her again? PreS-Gr 1-An introductory fairy tale based on an existing interactive app. The app allows a child to help Cinderella clean the kitchen, dress her stepsisters for the ball, choose the kind of music that she and the prince will dance to, etc. However, the text of the book, while clearly written, is simple in the extreme, diminishing the power of the story. The digitally rendered illustrations are colorful and well designed, but their cartoonish nature does not provide the drama inherent in the narrative. The intention here (according to the statements on the back of the book) is to give the tale "a funny and contemporary take," but the only contemporary touches seem to be a 1950s-style radio and a Ping-Pong table, and the humor certainly doesn't jump out at you. VERDICT While the app may be fun for children, this text version of the oft-told tale pales in comparison with the rich, amazing versions available and is a strictly additional purchase.-Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. Ed Bryan has studied industrial design and worked as a 3-D artist, animator, and illustrator on video games. He likes nothing better than making up stuff and coloring it in. Ed Bryan grew up in Suffolk, England, in a house full of home computers and pencils.