Revolting Rhymes

Written by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake

This wonderful book is a collection of fractured fairy tales told in verse. Dahl adds his own twists to change the lessons the stories originally told. For example, Cinderella decides that the prince is too brutal and instead wishes for a good man. Her fairy godmother grants the wish, and she lives happily ever after. Similar twists are added to Snow White, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks, and the Three Little Pigs. The pictures that accompany them are done by longtime Dahl collaborator Quentin Blake, whose illustrations perfectly capture the characters as re-imagined by Dahl.

While these stories are basically familiar, the vocabulary would be difficult for younger children. Older elementary students would probably enjoy the fractured nature of the tales as well as the gruesome twists, and this could be a great way to get them to read poetry. While the spelling is British (pyjamas) and so are some of the references (like one to Barclay's Bank), older children would most likely have the strategies in place to handle these challenges. Having students alternate reading these fairly short poems to a partner would get them started reading verse aloud, using stories they would definitely enjoy!