One Eye! Two Eyes! Three Eyes!

Title: One Eye! Two Eyes! Three Eyes!  A Very Grimm Fairy Tale

Author: Aaron Shepard

Illustrator: Gary Clement

Genre: Fairy Tale/Children’s Picture Book

Age Group: Lower-Middle Elementary

Rating: 5 stars

            This story shares a lot of similar characteristics to other fairy tales I am familiar with, such as Cinderella.  There are 3 sisters, and the one sister who is outcast ends up with the prince in the end.  There is an old woman who is illustrated to be similar to a fair godmother, as she casts charms and hovers above the ground.  In the story, two-eyes (the main character) is outcast for being different because she has two eyes.  Her sisters have 1 and 3 eyes, which is considered “normal” in this story, making for interesting discussion in an elementary classroom.  The old woman teaches Two-Eyes charms so that she can eat, and the sisters become suspicious.  In the end, Two-Eyes is saved from her hateful sisters by a knight, and lives happily ever after.

            The illustrations in this story add emotion to the text.  They parallel with the words, and add humor and detail.  The cartoon style goes perfectly with the light mood, and the images cover much of the page.

            I think this story is perfect for reading aloud in a classroom to a group of students.  Many students will see the parallels to Cinderella, and also discover the message that being “different” is a good thing.  I would definitely use this book to teach either a lesson on difference or a lesson on fairy tales to children of young ages in my future elementary classroom.