Resource List

Fractured Fairy Tales

Are you sick and tired of the same old fairy tales? Do you wish there were different ways to tell these old stories?

Well, you’re in luck! Look no further than fractured fairy tales!

What’s a fractured fairy tale, you ask? These are stories that, quite literally, break the rules of normal fairy tales. The characters might be familiar, but maybe they’ve been placed into a whole new setting. Or perhaps you’ll read a story from the villain’s perspective. Maybe you’ll find out what will happen to these famous characters if their lives were a little bit more like yours!

Below, we’ve created a list of suggestions to jump-start your fractured fairy tale journey. There are ten books listed first - some famous and some not so much. Keep scrolling to find some cool websites, games and movies that fit the fractured fairy tale theme! What other stories do you already know about that could fit on this list? What might you discover from trying just one of these? The answer might surprise you!

Books

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs

Jon Scieszka

Recommended Book #1

Still one of the funniest adaptations of the classic tale, The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs continues to entertain. See this story told from the Big Bad Wolf’s perspective - he’s been greatly misconstrued as a character and he’s here to set the record straight.

Recommended Book #2

This book is perfect for anyone who wants to reach through the pages of their favorite fairy tale to interact with the characters. When a father tries to read his daughter some classic tales at bedtime, the little chicken can’t help interrupting and trying to save all of the characters from their fates. Increasingly hilarious scenes ensue as the story continues.

Recommended Book #3

This adorable kids’ book turns the classic Goldilocks tale on its head, and instead we follow the adventures of a young bear, lost in a big city. On his quest to find his way, he tries to figure out which parts of the city are just right…

Recommended Book #4

This fan-favorite book answers the age-old question: why does Cinderella obey her wicked stepmother and stepsisters at all? In this retelling of the famous story, Ella goes on a journey to find a way to break her curse (or “gift”, as the fairy who gave it to her calls it), and finds her own independence along the way.

Recommended Book #5

This Cinderella retelling might just make you think in a completely new way. In this version, Cinderella grows up next door to another girl in a very similar situation: wicked stepmother, too many chores, no thanks… and yet, Cinder Edna looks at her life in a totally different way than her next door neighbor, and figures out that she might be able to attend the prince’s ball all on her own - without a fairy godmother.

Recommended Book #6

A fun Humpty Dumpty story that also won the Caldecott award for its stunning illustrations, After the Fall shows the consequences of the famous event. Humpty Dumpty suddenly finds himself terrified of heights, and his life isn’t the same. We follow him as he tries to overcome his fears so he can continue doing the things he loves.

Recommended Book #7

As fun a story as the pictures are visually gorgeous, Red depicts the wayward titular character in a whole new way. This wordless book will enchant even the youngest readers, and everyone will enjoy the happier, sillier ending than the original.

Recommended Book #8

There just seems to be no end to the Cinderella theme! This is another story told from the villain’s perspective - in this case, the wicked stepmother. This version is a favorite of teachers, who use the story to show their students the value of seeing conflict from both sides of the story. Fun, creative, and drawn in an entertaining cartoon-like style, kids will greatly enjoy this book.

Recommended Book #9

The Big Bad Wolf has been terrorizing innocent pigs for far too long! Join the famous three pigs on a whole new adventure: to get rid of their bully for good! Armed with newly-acquired martial arts skills, the three little pigs take matters into their own hands.

Recommended Book #10

An excellent example of a fairy tale with mostly the same story as the original, only in this one the characters are all new. What if the story of the naked emperor and the clever tailor was told by dinosaurs? Diane Goode weaves together this hilarious tale with something that nearly all kids take a liking to at one point or another. All one needs to enjoy this book is to sit back and accept the complete absurdity of it.

Movies, Games & Websites

Shrek

This animated fantasy/comedy favorite continues to entertain, even a full generation after its release. While the story contains many classic fairy tale elements: familiar characters, dragons, an evil villain and a princess in a tower, there is nothing traditional about the oddity that is *Shrek*.
IMDb

Hoodwinked

Using popular fairy tale characters (Red Riding Hood, her granny, the woodsman and the wolf) as a jumping off point, this animated comedy movie dissolves unexpectedly into a mystery story, taking the audience into brand-new territory.
IMDb

Cinders

For those wishing to combine their love of reading with the interactive nature of gaming, we encourage the older kids (13 and up) to check out this beautiful visual novel. Playing the main character, this game puts you in the glass slippers and lets you make choices that can change the course of the story.
Find out more about it here!

Okami

This stunningly animated video game will put you as the main character of a classic Japanese folktale. You play as the wolf on a quest to find the magical objects needed to defeat the evil villain who wishes to cover the world in darkness. This award-winning game definitely lives up to the hype.
Find out more about it here!

Roterra

This indie video game combines the familiarity of fairy tales with the challenge of puzzles. With many characters and fairy tale settings to choose from, there are countless ways to play your way through the 80+ puzzles you need to try to beat.
Find out more about it here!

Fractured Fairy Tales

This interactive website created by ReadWriteThink will challenge kids who are just on the cusp of learning to write. Using an easy-to-use series of screens to click through, kids can first read an example of a fairy tale, then they are tasked with writing their own! Endless fun for kids who want to stretch their creative muscles.
You can find the website here!

Enchanted

A risky move by Disney to create a live-action princess movie paid off big time with *Enchanted*. Following a typical animated princess who’s just waiting for her prince to come, we see her suddenly swept away into modern day - and decidedly *not* fantastical - New York City. With her prince nowhere to be found and armed with only her spunky optimism, our princess must find a way to save herself.
IMDb

Tangled

Disney’s new foray into non-traditional tellings of classic fairy tales gets it right again with *Tangled*. This Rapunzel story is turned on its head as the hero turns out to be not so heroic, and the princess turns out to be the hero of her own story.
IMDb

StoryNory

A website that’s useful for both kids and adults! With a simple layout and easy-to-find categories, there are a ton of classic fairy and folk tales hosted here that are free to read.
You can find the website here!

Once Upon a Time: The Storytelling Card Game

Our only analog game to make this list, *Once Upon a Time* is definitely worth it. Using elements that will be familiar to all players - characters, monsters, villains and magical objects - the story is yours to build. You craft the story along with the other players, card by card, until you have created something completely new and unique.
Find out more about it here!

Molly Nelson
LIS 517: Literature and Related Media for Children
The University of Southern Mississippi
May 3, 2022