Common Sense Media Review
By Darienne Stewart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Starry-eyed girl copes with disappointment in sparkly tale.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 5+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Louise Cheese loves being in the limelight and dreams of being “a big cheese” -- a big star. Naturally, she feels destined to land the starring role in her school’s production of Cinderella. But her friend Fern is chosen to play Cinderella and Louise is devastated to learn she’ll be a mouse. Sulky Louise stops speaking to her friend and pretends to her parents that she has the wished-for role. But when performance time comes, Louise finally embraces her role -- and her friend.
Is It Any Good?
Louise, despite her self-centered obsession with stardom, is a sweet and charming little heroine. Her me-first focus would be more trying if it weren’t for her enthusiasm. Her ugly reaction to getting a bit part in the play rings true and will resonate with any child who has felt left out or passed over. Her family plays a strong secondary role, letting Louise work her way through this difficult situation while they offer loving support.
The watercolor illustrations, saturated in pink and worked into the text, are lively, expressive, and full of fun details. Louise has behaved awfully to her friend, but it’s hard not to feel sorry for her as she stands before her parents in her bunny slippers and meekly admits she really won’t be Cinderella. And all must be forgiven when she smiles admiringly at her friend backstage, and then glows when it's her turn in the spotlight, even if she's just a mouse.
The watercolor illustrations, saturated in pink and worked into the text, are lively, expressive, and full of fun details.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the importance of supporting roles. Louise at first feels her role is small and unimportant. Would the play be as good without the mice? Look at the roles in a play or movie you’ve enjoyed and pay attention to the supporting roles. What do they contribute?
At the end of the play, Fern feels the pressure as the star of the show and freezes. Which would you be more comfortable with: the starring role or a smaller part?
Book Details
- Author: Elise Primavera
- Illustrator: Diane Goode
- Genre: Emotions
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster
- Publication date: September 8, 2009
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 5 - 8
- Number of pages: 40
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
What to Read Next
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate