Review: Esther Didn't Dream of Being Queen
Esther Didn't Dream of Being Queen by Allison Ofanansky, illustrated by Valentina Belloni Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House) Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Ruth Horowitz Buy at Bookshop.org Allison Ofanansky gives the familiar story of Esther a not-a-fairy-tale twist. Narrated by Esther, it begins with “Once upon a time,” and goes on to frame the story in the context of Cinderella. Like Cinderella, Esther is an orphan who becomes a queen. But there the similarities end. Esther is happy to live quietly with her cousin Mordecai, gardening and giggling with her friends. She disapproves of the king’s “rowdy parties,” and when word goes out that all pretty young women are to report to the palace for a beauty contest, Esther tries to avoid the order. The king, she states, is not her idea of “prince charming.” When she is eventually forced to appear at the palace, she follows Mordecai’s warning not to reveal her background, but notes that it feels “strange” to hide wh