A wild, irreverent, and extremely funny book--for the right audience. Don't let the fairy tale spin fool you; younger children may be confused about the strange twists to these well-known tales and by the offbeat illustrations.

But for grades two to six, this book is like recess in the middle of a spelling test. These children will love the unusual layout, and the way the book pokes fun at classic stories and characters. The author and illustrator intentionally draw attention to book design with: a title page entitled "The Title Page;" an upside-down dedication page; and an introduction that includes a Surgeon General's warning. Intermediate to advanced readers will get a kick out of following the challenging dialogue and varying shapes and sizes of typeface-from tiny to gigantic.

As a read-aloud, it's fun for the whole family. When read to a group of kids and adults aged five to thirty-five, the reaction was all giggles. The entire group--particularly the older ones--had fun recalling the original fairy tale and comparing it to the new version.