THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY
Mark Binder explains…
"My second summer as a storyteller, I had two important gigs: ReadBoston, which was Mayor Menino's literacy program, and Shake-A-Leg, now called Sail to Prevail, a summer camp in Newport that taught youngsters with disabilities how to sail boats.
"Cinderella Spinderella turned out to be the perfect tale. As the Fairy Godmother says, "You can't dance in glass slippers." Even better, the urban setting for the piece worked beautifully in Boston for young people ages 5 to 15. (Adults like the story too, but shhh.)
"The ebook is designed to be diverse. Readers can pick what Cinderella and the Prince look like. The illustrator, Steve Mardo, did more than 300 drawings! The ebook won five international awards.
"In print, it was impractical to have the 25 variations, so we did five. Ultimately, though, the "Autumn" version has been the top seller.
"I hope you and your family will enjoy it. Let me know!"