Fat Is Not a Fairy Tale

In my Young Adult Lit class right now we are covering the topics of fairy tales and fantasy by reading Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, The Rose and the Beast: Fairy Tales Retold by Francesca Lia Block, and the infamous Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. (I am ashamed to admit that I have only read the first four Harry Potter books. :( But, not to worry, because this summer I plan on finally reading them all!) While I have always loved Belle, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and the other typical, well-known princesses (Okay, okay I still do, and to be honest I have a princess mug and night light -- both of which I use), I am fascinated by the number of YA books available on retold fairy tales -- many of which highlight strong female protagonists in control of their own fate. I think it is important for adolescents to be familiar with the age-old fairy tales like Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, etc. because they are a large part of our culture; however, I think it is even more important for them to seek new role models that better represent the realities of our world today. I'd like to share with you one of my favorite poems by Jane Yolen, entitled "Fat Is Not a Fairy Tale."


"Fat Is Not a Fairy Tale"

I am thinking of a fairy tale,
Cinder Elephant,
Sleeping Tubby,
Snow Weight,
where the princess is not
anorexic, wasp-waisted,
flinging herself down the stairs.

I am thinking of a fairy tale,
Hansel and Great,
Repoundsel,
Bounty and the Beast,
where the beauty
has a pillowed breast,
and fingers plump as sausage.

I am thinking of a fairy tale
that is not yet written,
for a teller not yet born,
for a listener not yet conceived,
for a world not yet won,
where everything round is good:
the sun, wheels, cookies, and the princess.
                                     -- Jane Yolen


What do you think? Can you picture this fairy tale?

~Kelly