Cinderstella
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Cinderstella has plans for her own happily ever after. A future princess she is not. Her calculations and equations are simple enough — she'd rather be an astronaut!
Read along in this modern retelling of a beloved fairy tale, as Cinderstella challenges what is expected of her to pursue her true passion and find a universe of opportunity in planets and stars.
Includes a Note to Readers that provides suggestions for parents, caregivers, and educators to spark children's interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields and related careers despite lingering gender stereotypes and biases that exist.
Brenda S. Miles, PhD, is a pediatric neuropsychologist who has worked in hospital, rehabilitation, and school settings. She is an author and co-author of several books for children, including Move Your Mood! and Stickley Sticks to It!: A Frog's Guide to Getting Things Done. Brenda encourages children of all ages to dream big, find joy, and embrace adventure.
Susan D. Sweet, PhD, is a clinical child psychologist and mother of two. She has worked in hospital, school, and community-based settings and is passionate about children's mental health and well-being. Susan hopes all children follow their dreams and find their own happily ever afters.
Susan and Brenda have also co-authored Princess Penelopea Hates Peas: A Tale of Picky Eating and Avoiding Catastropeas and King Calm: Mindful Gorilla in the City.
Valeria Docampo's inspiration for her art is rooted in everyday life: the eyes of a dog, the shape of a tree, the sound of rainfall, and the aromas of breakfast. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, she studied fine arts and graphic design at the University of Buenos Aires. She has illustrated several books for children, notably Tout au Bord, La Vallée des Moulins, Phileas's Fortune, and Not Every Princess.
It’s so important to tell our girls stories that aren’t tales of princes and princesses living happily ever after. It’s important for them to dream of careers, especially those in the STEM fields. This book is not preachy, but it does contain some additional resources for parents at the end on how to encourage girls into STEM pursuits, or at least how not to discourage it. This book is truly a Cinderella story for the next generation. Cinderstella is a girl after my own heart.
—Mom's Radius
We are seeing a huge shift in picture books that promote strong female protagonists who don't need a prince or anyone else to come and save them. We have strong willed girls who are perfectly capable of determining their own destiny and that is what we have in Cinderstella.
—The Petite Stag
Reading Is Fundamental
This book is part of the "Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) Social Emotional Learning Collection." Books in this collection are accompanied by FREE resources, including puzzles and word games, designed to enhance both literacy skills and socioemotional engagement of young readers.
Visit the RIF Cinderstella page for these resources.
