A DAY WITH CINDERELLA

This oversized board-book version of “Cinderella” features a built-in clock with hands that click when turned.

Cinderella’s story is presented with specific times assigned to certain events. First, Cinderella wakes up at 6:00 to begin her chores, and children are asked to “Turn the clickety clock hands to 6 o’clock.” At 11:00, a letter arrives announcing the ball, and Cinderella is told to wash her stepsisters’ dresses and clean their shoes. Kids, meanwhile, are asked to turn the clock hands “to 11 o’clock.” At 7 p.m., Cinderella’s stepsisters leave for the ball, and her fairy godmother arrives to begin her magical transformation. Cinderella leaves for the ball at 9:00, arrives at 10:00, and has a wonderful time until the clock strikes midnight and she must run from the palace, leaving a slipper behind her. At 1:00 the next afternoon, the prince arrives at Cinderella’s home, discovers the slipper is hers, and spirits her away to the palace. Children will enjoy participating in the story by adjusting the clock hands—and hearing the satisfying clicks as they move—as each new time is announced. The retelling, geared to preschoolers rather than the typical board-book audience of babies and toddlers, is straightforward and serviceable, the illustrations quirky and cheerful.

A good choice for children learning to tell time.