Goldilocks on CCTV by John Agard

Frances Lincoln Limited, 2011. ISBN 978 1 84780 183 8.
(Ages: 11+) A twist on the old favourites! Through poetry, John Agard has given a modern twist to fairytales such as Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk and Red Riding Hood. Imagine Cinderella asking her fairy godmother to turn her pumpkin into a motorbike and instead of silver slippers - biker boots! Imagine Sleeping Beauty singing a rap song as she calls on her 'dude' to rescue her.
Readers aged 11+ will enjoy these 'grown-up' versions of fairytales. John Agard has used rhyming, rap and story-telling to investigate the point of view of different characters such as the wolf and the ugly sisters. This would be a great resource for the classroom, giving students a chance to compare traditional tales and experiment with writing their own stories or poems.
The illustrator, Satoshi Kitamura, has used black and white illustrations to compliment the text. He has a unique technique and I especially like the 'Scream' (By Edvard Munch) influence for the poem The Bad Hair Day.
Kylie Kempster