Culturally Responsive Fairy Tale Titles for the Classroom
Representation is critical to building a sense of self and identity and creating a classroom community filled with compassion and empathy. Many of the familiar tales we know and love from childhood have been reimagined in new titles that feature diverse characters reflecting the lives of the readers themselves.
The titles featured are culturally responsive; connecting to students’ own experiences and cultures. This allows them to access and learn in a meaningful and powerful way. These titles provide students with an entry point to traditional nursery rhymes and fairy tales by showcasing characters, settings, and plot points that are rooted in their own lives.
In teaching nursery rhymes and fairy tales, choosing a culturally responsive title builds upon the knowledge that students have from their own upbringing and expands their understanding of the world around them. Use these titles in your classroom to facilitate a discussion about nursery rhymes and fairy tales and how they have been adapted and reimagined within different countries and cultures.
Cinderella
The Rough-Face Girl
by Rafe Martin; illustrated by David Shannon
In an Algonquin village by the shores of Lake Ontario, many young women have tried to win the affections of the powerful Invisible Being who lives in a wigwam near the forest, but when the Rough-Face girl arrives, scarred by a fire, she realizes that she may hold the key.
The Korean Cinderella
by Shirley Climo; illustrated by Ruth Heller
Mistreated by a cruel stepmother who forces her to perform difficult tasks, Pear Blossom finds help from her fairy godmother, who appears to her in the form of tokgabis, special magical creatures.
Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella
by Robert D. San Souci; illustrated by Brian Pinkney
Adapted from a traditional Creole story, this fresh retelling captures all the age-old romance and magic of Cinderella, melding it with the vivid beauty of the Caribbean and the musical language of the islands.
Little Red Riding Hood
Little Red Gliding Hood
story by Tara Lazar; pictures by Troy Cummings
Little Red is an excellent ice skater, but she will need a good partner for the skating pairs competition and the only one available is a certain Wolf, who needs new skates as badly as Little Red does.
Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion
by Alex T. Smith
Carrying a basket filled with goodies and medicine to the home of her sick auntie, Little Red meets the Very Hungry Lion, whose plan to gobble her up is foiled as a result whimsical cleverness on her part, in a safari-themed adaptation of the classic fairy tale.
Mary Had a Little Lamb
Mary Had a Little Glam
In this fun take on Mother Goose, fashion-forward Mary helps some childhood favorites go glam. From the kid who lives in a shoe (and dons some fab footwear) to Jack, who breaks his crown but gets a great new one, Mary's friends look fine. But are they too well dressed for recess?
Maria Had a Little Llama / María Tenía Una Llamita
by Angela Dominguez
An endearing English-Spanish retelling of the classic nursery rhyme combines Peruvian-inspired illustrations with English and Spanish adaptations that offer a fresh twist on the story of a loyal little girl and her mischievous pet llama.
The Princess and the Pea
La Princesa and the Pea
by Susan Middleton Elya; illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal
A rhyming, Latino twist on a classic fairy tale in which a queen places a pea under a young lady's mattress to see if she is truly a princess.
Princess and the Peas
by Rachel Himes
In this version of the classic story, Ma Sally of Charleston County, South Carolina, devises a contest for her son's admirers: cook up a dish of black-eyed peas that meets her exacting standards, and the winner can marry her son.
The Princess and the Pea
by Rachel Isadora
Determined to find the perfect princess to call his own, an African prince gives all his suitors a special test to see if they are as noble as they say, yet after so many fail the test, the prince falls into despair—until one night a knock on the palace gate introduces him to a woman that will forever change his life
Rapunzel
Rapunzel
by Chloe Perkins; illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan
A beautiful Indian girl with long black hair is imprisoned in a lonely tower by a witch, until one day a young prince hears her singing.
Rapunzel
by Rachel Isadora
Rapunzel uses her flowing dreadlocks to free herself from her prison high in a tree in this colorful twist to this classic tale set in a vibrant African landscape featuring a handsome prince, his loyal zebra, and an evil sorceress.
Sugar Cane: A Caribbean Rapunzel
Patricia Storace; illustrated by Raul Coln̤
Sugar Cane, trapped in a tower overlooking the sea with only a pet green monkey named Callaloo for company, sings a beautiful song in hopes that someone will hear her--and break the spell of the evil island sorceress, Madame Fate.
Collections
Her Stories: African American Folktales, Fairy Tales, and True Tales
told by Virginia Hamilton; illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon
A collection of twenty-five African-American folktales focuses on strong female characters and includes "Little Girl and Bruh Rabby," "Catskinella," and "Annie Christmas."
Diez Deditos = Ten Little Fingers & Other Play Rhymes and Action Songs from Latin America
selected, arranged, and translated by José-Luis Orozco; illustrated by Elisa Kleven
A collection of finger rhymes and other action songs from Latin America as well as folk songs from a variety of Spanish-speaking countries with lyrics are presented in both English and Spanish.
Nursery Tales Around the World
selected and retold by Judy Sierra; illustrated by Stefano Vitale
Traditional folktales representing eighteen different cultures are grouped together according to theme and complemented by vivid paintings and borders based on the artwork of each country of origin.
Songs in the Shade of the Cashew and Coconut Trees: Lullabies and Nursery Rhymes from West Africa and the Caribbean
songs collected by Nathalie Soussana; musical arrangements by Jean-Christophe Hoarau; illustrations by Judith Gueyfier
A wide array of styles—nursery rhymes from Gabon, lullabies from Cape Verde and rumbas from the Congo—are performed in more than a dozen languages.
Tortillitas Para mMamá and Other Nursery Rhymes
selected and translated by Margot C. Griego et al.; illustrated by Barbara Cooney
A collection of nursery rhymes, each in both English and Spanish, collected from the Spanish community in the Americas, many with instructions for accompanying finger plays or other activities.
Indian Tales
written by Shenaaz Nanji; illustrated by Christopher Corr
Presents an anthology of traditional tales from different regions of India.
Skip Across the Ocean: Nursery Rhymes from Around the World
collected by Floella Benjamin; illustrated by Sheila Moxley
A collection of international nursery rhymes includes selections from such countries as Poland, Sri Lanka, Japan, and Nigeria, while North America is represented by Native American, Arctic Canadian, and Puerto Rican pieces.
The New York Public Library’s Center for Educators and Schools is devoted to making all of the Library’s resources accessible and useful for educators. You’ll find programs and services tailored for the educator community, such as book lists, credit-bearing workshops, special access to exhibitions, tips on teaching with primary source materials from our vast research collections, and much more. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter now!
Summaries provided via NYPL’s catalog, which draws from multiple sources. Click through to each book’s title for more.