For your youngest fairy tale fans, these board books are not so much retellings as they are lively visual adventures. Each two-page spread offers a colorful cartoon illustration accompanied by one or two thematic words like "Girl," "Prince," or "Magic Wand." When sharing the book with a prereader, these words become prompts for the storyteller to tell it their own way, and may help with early word-recognition skills. The little books are charming as well, with glittering embossed covers.

You know there will be "Mean Stepsisters," a "Fairy Godmother," and a transformation at "Midnight" here, but there's also time for a lovely "Waltz."