A Cooked-Up Fairy Tale

K-Gr 2—In an enchanted land, William pursues his dream of becoming a renowned chef, though he is hampered by a woeful lack of knowledge concerning fairy-tale characters and their stories. Unfortunately, his work at the houses owned by local residents has not been successful. Preparing Pot 'O' Wolf Stew at the Brick House is perilous, and William can't please the patrons at Three Bears Bistro. Finally, he makes a delivery to the Fairy-Tale Headquarters. William has cooked the apples, beans, and pumpkin intended for, respectively, Snow White, Jack and the beanstalk, and Cinderella, and Judy, chief of Fairy-Tale Headquarters, admonishes him: "I need shiny apples and raw beans and a whole pumpkin. Don't you know anything about fairy tales?" However, it turns out that this creative chef has whipped up a fine recipe for a fractured fairy tale—blend familiar storybook characters with lots of dialogue, add a pinch of disharmony, and stir in a happy-ever-after ending. Richly colorful cartoon illustrations fill the book, while a variation of image size, angles, and text placement directs readers' eyes through the turning pages of each character's tale.