I have always been deeply fond of fairy tales. I enjoy exploring the nuances between different versions and uncovering the meanings that lie beneath the surface. Yet most of the stories I grew up with are rooted in a white, Western perspective and shaped by traditional gender roles. Stories for children should help them see themselves reflected in what they read. As Lucas Maxwell observes, young readers need to “see their cultures, their families, their religions, and their backgrounds written in genuinely and not as some throwaway tick-box” to truly connect. The selection below embraces that idea, offering reimagined fairy tales that open the genre to greater diversity.
A Limerick Fairytale – Gráinne O’Brien & Lena Stawowy
Once Upon a Wild Wood – Chris Riddell
Fearless Fairy Tales – Konnie Huq & James Kay
Princess and the Peas – Rachel Himes
Too Many Pigs and One Big Bad Wolf –
Davide Cali & Marianna Balducci
The Twelve Dancing Princesses – Rachel Isadora
Hansel & Gretel – Beth Woollvin
Ninja Red Riding Hood – Corey Rosen Schwartz & Dan Santat
Beauty and the Beast – H. Chuku Lee & Pat Cummings