Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Fairy Tale Giveaway Hop (Ends 5/1) WW (Closed)


Fairy Tale Giveaway Hop 

April 26th to May 1st

As I was growing up, indeed fairy tales were some of my absolute favorite books to read and listen to.  I suppose Disney had a hand in my perception of fairy tales, but I was also one who always sought to know the "real" story rather than the "Disney-fied" version.  I am going to feature some of my favorite fairy tales that Disney destroyed!

Do a search for The Little Mermaid, and all you will probably find is Disney's version unless you dig a little deeper.  We tend to buy what Disney dished out in their movie and musical.  Now, don't get me wrong.  I am not saying that I don't enjoy the film and the music.  But why does it have to have a happy ending?  I think it speaks much more of the little mermaid's love for the prince that she allows him to have the woman he loves.  She gives her life so he can be happy.  Okay, maybe that is not the story that all little girls want to hear as they are growing up, but I think the tragedy of it makes it a better story.  

What about Beauty in the Beast?  It pains me to say that the portions that Disney added truly do detract from the message of the story.  This is my favorite Disney movie, but when they added in the enchanted castle characters (as delightful as they are), the message of the story becomes very muddied.  And the parts they left out about her vain sisters--what happened to that?  Beauty is to be completely unsoiled and unspoiled.  She is willing to go to the Beast when he father says she must.  There is no "get out of jail free" card for her.  Thankfully, she learns to love the Beast, and she does break the spell.  I just wish they would have added some more of the original elements to the story.

Now, Cinderella isn't too bad, I have to say.  There are so many versions, that you really can't fault Disney for what they did.  It's too bad they left out the gruesome portions that I had forgotten but now am reminded.  The stepsisters try to fit their foot in the slipper so much that they cut off pieces of their feet to make them fit! And isn't it poetic justice when the stepmother and stepsisters have their eyes plucked out and eaten by ravenous birds?  Did these things being left out change the story and ruin it?  No, but I have to say that Cinderella often appears too good!  And so meek and mild.  And I never did like the fairy godmother being so bungling.  I never saw that in any of the versions I read.

I could go on and on, but if you really would like to see more, check out this site.  It is awesome!

Now, I honestly am not going around bashing Disney for changing the fairy tales.  They changed Pocahontas, too.  I always liked what they did with Lion King and Bambi because they actually seemed more realistic, but these aren't really fairy tales.  If Disney had not changed the stories to a degree, I can assure you that I would not want to let my daughter watch them.  And after all, who would want to see the queen of Snow White eat the supposed heart of Snow White?  That movie is scary enough as it is.


What is my favorite fairy tale?  You would have to ask, wouldn't you?  The one that seems to stick with me is the original version of Beauty and the Beast.  Maybe that's why it's my favorite Disney film.  I have happy memories of listening to record albums and cassette tapes of read-along stories.  These were basically fairy tales.  And I can remember a version of this tale on tape where I got to read the part of Beauty.  All the other characters were on the tape, and I got to read and play her part.  The first musical I ever tried out for was Beauty Lou and the Country Beast.  I almost made it.  When Disney's version came out, I was enthralled with the music.


I also enjoyed Rumpelstiltskin.  I did a version of this one year with my music students where the Rumpelstiltskin was a rapper.  I always appreciate the cleverness of the girl who became princess.  I also enjoyed The Boy Who Cried Wolf.  One story my dad could tell was that story.  I always understood the moral of the story, and most people don't even know this story.


Okay, enough about all that.  Time for an international giveaway. One of my readers can enter to win one book related to a fairy tale (must meet this criteria) up to $10.  All you will need to do is enter on the rafflecopter form below by 9:00 P.M. Pacific time on May 1.  And don't forget to hop on to the other blogs as well for even more chances!



a Rafflecopter giveaway










117 comments:

  1. Does the Ugly Duckling count as a fairy tale? I love that the little duck becomes a beautiful swan, one of my favorite ducks. I understand why Disney changed the stories. I downloaded the Household Tales of Brothers Grimm into my Kindle app. After seeing Tangled, I read their version of Rapunzel & was shocked by part of the storyline & knew it was definitely not something that belonged in a Disney movie.

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  2. My favorite fairytale, I love them all but if I had to pick it would be the little mermaid.

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  3. One of my favorites is Sleeping Beauty, though I'm generally very fond of Grimm's fairy tales!

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  4. I'm not sure.... I loved a recent retelling of Sleeping Beauty called a Long Long Sleep- it was amazing!

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  5. My favorite fairy tale is the original Little Mermaid where she became a sea foam. So never is there a happily ever after at some fairy tales. :)

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  6. Christina K. in the rafflecopter

    My favorite is Cinderella! She begins as such a lonely girl, but then she becomes determined and then happy and she has animals helping her:))

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  7. For me, it's Beauty and the Beast. I only know the Disney version but it's such a lovely movie that I don't really mind not knowing it's origin. Maybe I should go and check out the true story.

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  8. So many! I like Peterpan, really. I used to wish I were Wendy. I wished I could go to Neverland with Peterpan and fly around with him and tinkerbell! So magical!

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  9. My favorite fairy tale is Aladin. Dont know why really. Ever since I can remember when choosing a fairy tale it was aladin.

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  10. Beauty & the Beast is definitely my favorite.

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  11. I love The Little Mermaid also. The original story without the happy ending.

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  12. My favorite fairy tale before was Cinderella (all sweet and beautiful) but then it changed and until now I love Belle of Beauty and the Beast. She's so brave, beautiful and intelligent.

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  13. I love Cinderella, obviously, and I also loved Angela Carter's version of Little Red Riding Hood!

    Dani
    Pen to Paper

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  14. My favorite Fairy Tales (because I have two) are Snow-White and Rose-Red, and The Six Swans.

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  15. My favorite is The Princess and the frog because in this story the princess saves the Prince! She not helpless he is :)

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  16. My favorite when I was a young girl was Cinderella. She was so pretty in her fancy dresses. I am wanting to read Cinder!!

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  17. Mine is little Red Riding Hood, I always was fascinated by Werewolves.

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  18. I love the 12 Dancing Princesses. There have been so many great retailing of this fairy tale and I love all of them!!!

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  19. I really liked The Little Mermaid going up. Awesome giveaway.

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  20. Hansel and Gretel. Spot the chocaholic!! :)

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  21. I love The Beauty & the Beast. Though, talking about princess & stuff, I also LOVE Anastasia movie.

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  22. Rapunzel, Anastasia, Sleeping Beauty... and much much more... :D

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  23. My favorite fairy-tale is Cinderella. I want a prince charming.

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  24. I loved the Rose and White Rose tale. The one with the bear

    =)

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  25. I like Beauty and the Beast because Belle is such a bookworm.

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  26. My favorite fairy tale is Beauty and the Beast because I loved how Belle was able to see past the Beast's appearance and learn to love him.

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  27. My favorite fairy tale has always been Beauty and the Beast.

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  28. I asked a very similar question for my blog hop! :-) Course now that means I have to actually think of an answer...I guess Beauty and the Beast, but Anderson and Grimms both have lots of really fun lesser known ones.

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  29. My favorite fairy tale would be Beauty and the Beast. :)

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  30. My favorite fairy tale is Cinderella.

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  31. My fav is Beauty and the Beast, partly because Belle loves books and has brown hair - er, in the movie that is, which also happens to be the first movie my dad gave me when I was 10, so I was programmed to like it, lol.

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  32. The most favourite is Beauty and the Beast:) But I also loved many other fairy tales, among thme those written by brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault.

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  33. My all-time fave fairytale is Cinderella. Though I'm willing to receive other fairytale(s) book if I ever (hopefully) win.

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  34. My fave is Sleeping Beauty! I've always loved it!

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  35. Cinderella is my favorite. Thanks a lot for the giveaway!

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  36. My favorite fairy tale is Beauty and the Beast

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  37. I'm not so sure about my favorite fairy tale, but I really like Beauty and the Beast among all the others I've read, so maybe it's that one. :D

    Thanks for the giveaway! :)

    - Noely Jeleen

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  38. I have to go with the Disney retellings because I love a happy ending! And I adore Beauty and the Beast (and yes, mostly because of the Disney retelling!)

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  39. My fave fairy tale is the little mermaid the real story!!

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  40. I have always loved Sleeping Beauty.
    magic5905 at embarqmail dot com

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  41. Disney it used to be Cinderella, now Beauty and the Beast. My fav. FT is 12 Dancing Princesses.

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  42. I love CInderella and Beauty and the Best

    Kristie Betts
    Momsfreebies17@yahoo.com

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  43. My favorite is Sleeping Beauty. Thanks so much for your giveaway!

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  44. I love Cinderella, always have. And yes, I will admit it, I still love watching the Disney version :) Thank you for the giveaway!

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  45. I was such a tomboy growing up so I always loved Peter Pan!

    Wendy/books4me

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  46. My favorite fairy tale is Beauty and the Beast though I like so many others.

    Thanks for participating in the hop and for the giveaway opportunity.

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  47. My favorite fairy tale was Peter Pan. Thanks for the giveaway :)

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  48. My favorite is Beauty in the Beast.

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  49. I've always been a big Beauty and the Beast fan. I think the best retellings I've read have been Sleeping Beauty ones.

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  50. I was always a fan of Rumpelstiltkin..mostly because I think the morals are so flawed in the story...

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  51. All time my favorite fairytale is Beauty and the Beast...love that story :))
    akajra(at)hotmail(dot)cz

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  52. One of my favorite is the fairytale about Snw White:)

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  53. I have lots of favorite fairy tales.Robin Hood, Beauty and the Beast, Alice in Wonderland and many more... :)

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  54. My favorite fairy tale is Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs

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  55. The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale is one of the best books ever:)

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  56. My favorite fairy tale has always been the little mermaid.

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  57. Beauty and the Beast is one and Robin Hood is the other. I love them both! Thanks for the giveaway!

    Jaime

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  58. I love cinderella best of all... but movie wise- i love the whole Shrek tale

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  59. I love so many but Snow White, Cinderella and the Little Mermaid have always been my favourites

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  60. My favorite was Aurora from Sleeping Beauty:)
    Thanks for giveaway!!

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  61. I must say I hardly ever read a whole blog post but I really loved this one. I completely agree. My fave story is beauty and the beast. It make me happy that it is also my youngest daughters favorite story too. We just love belle!

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    1. Lol,forgot email. Hollybwright atcomcast. Net
      Thanks

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  62. thanks for the amazing giveaway!!
    i love almost all fairytales!
    but i have to say my all time fav. is the little mermaid and aladdin :D
    aladdin mostly because of abu!! sooo cute and funny
    and little mermaid because of mermaids, they always fascinate me :D

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  63. My favorite fairy tale is "The Little Mermaid" :)

    Thanks for the international giveaway!!

    Rafflecopter name - Rosemarie D

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  64. Always loved the tale of Scheherazade and the 1001 Arabian Nights. Best Ever.

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  65. I love the story about the girl who's 7 brothers are turned into swans and she must hand knit 7 jumpers of nettles to turn her brothers back into humans x

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  66. I love Cinderella! She beats the odds and wins her prince!

    Suz Reads in Rafflecopter

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  67. One of my favorites is Hansel and Gretel.

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  68. "Pinocchio" dreams do come true. As a child we had the record and book. We would lay on the floor and listen to the record and follow along with the book. One of my best memories when I was small.

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  69. The 12 Dancing Princesses is my favorite.

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  70. One of my all-time favorite fairytales it's Beauty and the Beast, hands down. I simply love it ^^

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  71. Sleeping Beauty is on of my favourites. Thanks for the giveaway!

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  72. Cinderella is my favorite fairy tale thanks crystal allen

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  73. Favorite fairy tale? Not counting retelling or Disney versions, it has to be the Farmer's clever daughter.

    (Ana)

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  74. Such a princess as I am - I can't go further than Cinderella ;)

    Thanks for the giveaway

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  75. My favorite fairy tale character is Beauty from Beauty and the Beast. She was beautiful and more importantly, kind.

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  76. My favorite fairytale is Beauty and the Beast because it teaches such a great lesson also who wouldn't want a library like the Beast had in his house ;D

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  77. My favorite fairytale was always Hansel & Gretel

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  78. I love East of the Sun and West of the Moon, especially since it is so similar to the Roman myth of Eros and Psyche

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  79. I love Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. Thanks!

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  80. My favorite fairy tale is probably Swan Lake or East of the Sun and West of the Moon because they are a lot less well-known than the 'Disney' fairytales!

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  81. My favorite fairy tale is Rapunzel (Tangled) & Shrek. :)
    Thanks for the giveaway! :)

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  82. My favorite fairy tale is a toss up between Snow White and Cinderella. I named my daughter Ella after CinderELLA so I guess if I have another daughter I'd have to name her Snow!lol
    email:sleehest@yahoo.com

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  83. I also love Beauty and the Beast!

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  84. My favorite is Beauty and the Beast. Thank you for the giveaway! :)

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  85. I love Cinderella, the beauty and the beast and The little mermaid!

    thanks so much for making this international!!

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  86. I also love the originals. My absolute favorite original Grimm tale is The Twelve Dancing Princesses. The later versions leave out all the be-headings : ) Thanks for the giveaway! I am participating in the hop as well (#27 ~ Fairday's Blog!) Have a great night : ) ~ Jess
    http://thesecretdmsfilesoffairdaymorrow.blogspot.com/

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  87. my favorite is The Princess and the Pea.

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  88. Disney's Sleeping Beauty not the Grimm's Tales. hehe
    I just love the 3 fairy godmothers. XD

    Thanks for the giveaway!

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  89. I love Beauty and the BEast

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  90. My favorite fairy tale is Sleeping Beauty.

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  91. My favorite fairy tale has always been Sleeping Beauty.

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  92. Thanks so much for this giveaway! My favorite Disney fairytale is Aladdin, but because I don't think that counts, I'll go with my second - Beauty and the Beast. However, new reimaginations and shows like Once Upon a Time are making me admire Snow White, especially the way Ginnifer Goodwin portrays her - as someone strong and brave who stands by her beliefs and convictions and tries to do what is right.

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  93. My favorite is Beauty and the Beast. I try to read every book that I find with this theme

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  94. I love Beauty and the Beast. It's the classic love story that i love in today's books.

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