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A Wish Your Heart Makes: From The Grimm Brothers' Aschenputtel to Disney's Cinderella    by Charles Solomon Amazon.com order for
Wish Your Heart Makes
by Charles Solomon
Order:  USA  Can
Disney, 2015 (2015)
Hardcover
* * *   Reviewed by Bob Walch

It may well be the most famous of all stories - of a young woman who overcomes impossible odds to find her true love and then live happily ever after. The tale of a Cinderella-like character can be traced back in one form or another to the first century B.C.E.. Strabo told the intriguing story of Rhodopis, a Greek slave girl who eventually married the Egyptian pharaoh.

By the late nineteenth century a British folklorist, Marian Roalfe Cox, had catalogued 345 versions of this type of rags to riches love story. Over the centuries there not only have been numerous narratives but, in later decades, films, stage plays, operatic and ballet renditions of this popular romantic scenario that shows faith, love and kindness overcoming greed, jealousy and rage.

In this beautifully illustrated, over-sized volume, Charles Solomon explores the story's ancient origins, contemporary adaptations, and the making of the classic Disney animated film. Besides interviews with the filmmakers, there are numerous drawings and paintings by artists who range from Mary Blair, Marc Davis and Ollie Johnston to Ward Kimball and Frank Thomas.

Of particular interest to film enthusiasts will be the behind-the-scenes look at both the cartoon and the live-action film Cinderella directed by Kenneth Branagh and produced by the Disney Studios.

For those who collect these Disney books - that feature set and costume designs as well as the stories behind some of the studio's iconic movies - this is a must purchase. This collector's edition won't last long and you won't want to miss out. It would also make a very special heirloom gift for a youngster who loves the story of Cinderella.

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