Fairy tale books for kids are commonplace in most elementary schools since they are entertaining to share and offer a wealth of educational opportunities. Check out this list of some of our less traditional favorites if you want to expand your collection with exciting new alternatives to enhance representation.
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Children’s Fairy Tale Books
This line of children’s board books featuring fairy tales is a requirement for Pre-K, and we also adore them for elementary school. They condense well-known stories into a handful of words and bring them to life with diverse images. A Japanese Snow White, an Indian Rapunzel, and a Caribbean Little Mermaid? Yes, please!
Little Red needs a partner to compete in the woodland ice skating tournament. Sharp fangs, large ears, and a lot of hair are surprising characteristics of the one she discovers. Numerous more well-known personalities also make an appearance. This mash-up of fairy tales is a popular read-aloud choice.
This version of the porcine classic with martial arts influences never gets old. The three pigs head to the dojo to get ready after deciding they’ve had enough of the wolf’s mistreatment. This provides classrooms with new topics to explore and is a tonne of fun to read aloud. Check out Ninja Red Riding Hood and Hensel and Gretel: Ninja Chicks.
Little Red leaves the house to deliver medication and baked delicacies to her aunt Rosie. Even when a lion attempts to stop her, Little Red is one shrewd niece. We adore the whimsical additions to the well-known story and the references to the place and culture of Africa.
You should check for Bethan Woollvin’s novels if you desire children’s fairy tales that differ from the original characters’ portrayals. In her telling, Rapunzel defies the witch because she is wise and courageous. Excellent for lessons on comparing and contrasting tale elements. Consider Little Red and Hansel and Gretel as well.
This well-known tale is reworked with Peruvian elements and Spanish language interspersed throughout. Comparing the finale to the original version is entertaining.
This imaginative retelling speculates what could occur if characters from two stories met. As a sequel to the classic tales of “Red Riding Hood” and “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” it’s entertaining to read. This one encourages students to consider the emotions of villains, which is excellent for conversations about empathy.
When Goldilocks the inventor is stuck, she employs a brilliant tactic: she goes for a stroll. Who arrives at her place? Three bears, of course—STEM-minded animals! This creative retelling is a hit with kids.
The courageous and astute space princess Lex must undo a wicked fairy’s spell to restore books to her realm. Check out the author’s Interstellar Cinderella as well.
The three books that follow, including this one, offer much-needed LGBTQIA+ representation to the genre. Any princess a prince’s parents bring him, he is not interested in getting married. A courageous knight captures his interest as a dragon threatens his realm.
The prospect of attending a prince’s royal ball does not thrill a maiden. She shows there anyhow, and it turns out she has a particular bond with the prince’s sister. Everywhere you look, the drawings vary, including various body shapes and skin tones. Hooray!
We appreciate this retelling for its inclusion of LGBTQIA+ people and its clever nods to baking. To discover his new royal baker, Prince Samuel organizes a bake-off. Cinderelliot succeeds in winning the prince’s affection via baking.
In this disjointed adaptation of “Snow White,” a wicked witch tries to trick a princess into eating a poisoned apple. What the witch anticipated to be a straightforward storyline becomes a humorous foray. When reading this book aloud to a class, have the kids predict how the antics will pan out.
What if YOU got to choose the outcome of the fairy tale? This story’s choose-your-own-adventure format allows readers to decide what to do in various ordinary circumstances.
These Scholastic Branches fairy tale books are ideal for young elementary school students to enjoy alone. Many themes from well-known fairy tales are present throughout Kara and Zed’s magical adventures, including magic mirrors, vanished slippers, and a wicked queen.
These children’s fairy tale books provide a brand-new approach to discovering your favorite tales: via food! The original title has dishes with well-known stories like “Snow White” and “Hansel and Gretel.” Other books include tales and recipes from other civilizations.
