TROLLERELLA

A troll’s entrance into the Cinderella story falls rather flat in this latest fairy tale remake. Trollerella longs to be beautiful, and serendipitously gets her wish for one night, courtesy of the tooth fairy that inhabits the nearby well. At the royal ball, Trollerella dances with the prince, but exits (as Cinderella enters) when her manners prove less polished than her appearance. Both lose a glass slipper, but it’s Trollerella’s that’s found by the prince. Lacking the magic to make Trollerella seem beautiful forever, the tooth fairy casts a love spell on the prince and they live happily ever after. The tooth fairy’s corny mannerisms, bad puns and dental asides may amuse adult readers, but will lose the attention of most youngsters. Long’s brightly colored cartoon illustrations aptly portray the dichotomy between the ugly trolls and the snooty humans. Not the best of the myriad fractured Cinderella tales, but this may find a home with tooth fairy or troll fans. (Picture book. 4-8)