Eva C WINNER

Find at least five differences between the original picture and the version in the book.  When Eva drew this, she hadn't read the book yet.  Isn't it amazing?  She is so talented with fashion, hair and attitude.  All she got in the way of help was, "Remember, ogres can be as tall as the whole palace.  anybody who feels like coloring this, just print out the picture, and make sure you remember the mom and three ogre teens are redheads.  FYI:  that's Cinderella and Prince Edward on the balcony (as newlyweds.)



To win a free book, you can enter the coloring contest using this drawing.  Print it, e-mail it to contest2@flipsidefairytales.com, and wait until the winner is announced.

Tomorrow's Winning Picture

Tomorrow's contest winner did NOT get to read this scene before drawing a picture.  All she got was a quick explanation.  One of the reasons the sunshine had to be taken out of the drawing for the final book version was because the scene happens just after sunset.  Wait and see what she came up with for a conversation between Cinderella and a family of ogres she just (accidentally) wished would come visit.

Book 1 Chapter 2 

The ogre girls reminded Cinderella of three very dear childhood friends.

Jack explained, “No short names for dem.”

“If I could choose your daughters’ human names, I would call them Heather, Laura and Stephanie. Three beautiful names for your beautiful girls.”  She nodded toward the girls, who waved and giggled at her.

The girls tried out their names and seemed to like them. Heather was tallest

and had hair a vivid shade of red, but not nearly as bright as her mother’s. Laura, with deep brown eyes, had hair a soft shade of orange, like a blooming sunrise. Stephanie, the smallest and a little plump, showed delighted dimples on her freckled cheeks. Her hair was strawberry blond. Seeing the three of them with their mother made Cinderella wonder whether an artist had diluted the same red paintbrush in water each time he made a new head of hair, the shades were arranged so artistically.

“Thanks for da names, your hi-nes-ess,” said Stephanie, concentrating hard on making the word ‘highness.’

The princess  was only as tall as an ogre’s knee. Hearing a young ogre many times taller than herself address her as ‘your highness’ seemed ludicrous. She flashed a smile to hide her desire to giggle and said, “You’re welcome.”

Nayeli R -- WINNER!

The drawing is a lot more charming with the shading intact.  When our yearly awards happen, the original version will definitely be one of the contenders for grand prize.

Beautiful work.

Also a beautiful artist:

Tomorrow's Winning Picture

Here's all the winner of the contest knew about her scene:  Cindrella is talking to an ogre.  He's really huge, and she's about up to his knee.

Book 1 Chapter 4

Hoping to keep the newcomers away from her guests, she made sure all the glass blowers were watching her next move. She slowly wandered toward the back side of hill and down the far side of it until her head would be out of sight. Then, turning toward the picnic spot, she lifted up her skirts to race around the hill to her husband.

She abruptly stopped when she ran straight into the kneecap of a mountain ogre even bigger than Jack.

“Oh, dear. Please excuse me,” she said, rubbing her forehead.

Jacob S -- WINNER!

There's only a few differences between the original drawing and the one that ended up in the book.  If you can find two, you're doing pretty well.  Jacob doesn't think he's very good at art.  WE DISAGREE.  The total dejection that prince feels is just about what anybody would get if he knew he was going to get in trouble with his dad, and Jacob caught it perfectly on paper!  Nice going.  By the way, the dad happens to be the King.  That makes it so much worse.


Jacob got a free book because he won this contest.  Congratulations!

If you'd like to color this picture, feel free to print it out, take a photo and send it to Contest2@flipsidefairytales.com (the coloring contest that's ongoing.)  One coloring contest winner will get a free book each month.

Tomorrow's Winning Picture

The winner of this illustration contest had never read the book.  Stay tuned to see if he did a good job at showing what's going on.  All he knew before drawing it was this:  part of the palace collapsed while the king was away (because of ogres visiting) and Cindrella was listening to Prince Edward's worries:

Book 1 Chapter 7

That evening, in the bedchamber, with sheaves of papers in his hands and a deflated look on his face, Edward reported. “The cost of repairs will be immense. I have personally gone over the operating costs, tax revenues and incomes from all other sources available. We will never have enough unless we use emergency funds. The worst part is only my father can give permission for the use of emergency funds.”

“Oh dear. That’s awful,” she said, sympathetically.

“I’m going to be in such big trouble when my dad gets home.”  Edward slumped into the armchair by the window.

Kennedy H -- WINNER!

The color version of this drawing is so charming, it makes us wish every book could be in color!  Kennedy only knew the short one in the picture was Cinderella and the ogre was a lot bigger -- a LOT BIGGER.  What an awesome job.  It helps that the ogre looks like a nice guy.  In Cindrella's world, the mountain ogres are decent people, just a lot to deal with.  Kennedy got a free book for winning the contest.  Yay!

here's how the drawing turned out for the book. It's the last thing you'll see in the book Big Help

Each month, we have a coloring contest.  If you like this drawing, print it out, color it and e-mail a picture of your work to contest2@flipsidefairytales.com.  One winner in the coloring contest is chosen each month and gets a free book.

To enter the chapter art contest, go to www.flipsidefairytales.com/art to learn what pictures are needed for upcoming books.

Rachel C -- Winner!

Here's the amazing drawing for chapter 1.

Here's the lovely girl who drew it -- kind of looks like Cinderella, don't you think?

Here's how the drawing looks in the book.

Congratulations to Rachel.  This was a really nice piece of artwork.  She received a free copy of the book Big Help.  YAHOO!

Aimee G -- WINNER!

Aimee had to ask, "Wait.  How big are the rocks that are coming down?"  Answer:  about the size of cantaloupes.  With just that extra piece of help (and never having read the book) she came up with this wonderful drawing.  Cinderella stands between her husband and some pretty awful injuries.  because she won the contest, Aimee got a free book.  Congratulations!


Too bad we had to take out the shading from the original drawing.  It was really good.

People who love to color can print this picture, color it, and e-mail a picture of what you've done to contest2@flipsidefairytales.com.  Then, at the end of the month, watch this blog  or our Facebook page to learn who the winner for coloring is.  That person will get a free book!

To learn more about the drawings needed in upcoming books, go to www.flipsidefairytales.com/art

Tomorrow's Contest Winner

The following scene was illustrated by a girl who had never read the book.  All she knew was that a prince was on the ground, in danger of being squished by falling rocks, so the princess saved him by using a shield like an umbrella.

Book 1 Chapter 6

The ogre smiled. As she took a few steps forward she tripped over her own ragged sandals. She wobbled and took three extra quick catch-up steps – directly toward Edward.

“Watch out!” Cinderella yelled.

Diving full length to one side and rolling onto one knee, Edward avoided being squashed under the feet of the unsteady old ogre. The wooden tray the ogre carried, however, was unsettled by her stumble and the items on the tray wobbled, then rolled in all directions.

Cinderella darted to Edward’s side and held the wooden shield above both of them while heavy objects rained down all around. Three of them thudded onto the shield and rolled away. She saw grey rocks littering the ground all around her.

“Saved!” he said gratefully, as the last of the stones came to a rest in the grass.

Grace K -- WINNER!

Grace was one of the very first to enter the drawing contest.  She had the tough job of drawing a scene she had never read.  How does it look like when three ogre sisters (all teens) get all tangled up in a pile while they're working to gather cobwebs?  If she had time, she would have colored the ogres as redheads, but maybe someone down the road can do the coloring.  The patterns of cobwebs are great, but even better is the smile on the face of the one ogre facing front -- who says you can't have a great time when you're cleaning up?  Awesome work, Grace!  We love it!


If you want information on how to make a picture for an upcoming book, visit www.flipsidefairytales.com/art

Tomorrow's Winning Picture

This scene was illustrated by someone who never read the book.  Luckily, she got a free copy after she drew the picture -- so NOW she knows if it makes sense.

Book 1 Chapter 3

As the middle-sized ogre, Laura, cleaned cobwebs around the chandelier, Cinderella poked her head in the dining room door and called, “Mind the candles. They’ll singe your . . .”

“Ouch!”  Laura cried.

“Skin.”  Cinderella finished her sentence. Too late.

Stephanie and Heather crowded close to their sister to inspect the burn. Laura had been grasping the chain that held the chandelier. Now, tiny red marks made a row on her forearm.

Heather turned her back to the chandelier as she soothed her sister and in doing so, bumped the chandelier with her shoulder. The light fixture swung away and then bumped back into her, lighting the end of a strand of hair on fire. She squeaked and tripped into her sisters.

All three girls lost their balance.

Heather, the tallest of them, grabbed for the only thing that might have kept her standing – the hoop from the old chandelier. It separated from the ceiling with a puff of dust and a rain of splinters.

Down they all fell in a heap, laughing all the way. Luckily, the flame in Heather’s lock of hair went out on the way down, leaving only a funny smell in the air. The girls, cobwebbed fingers, iron hoop and all, lay on the floor in a messy, giggling heap.

Aubrey H -- WINNER!

Aubrey says in third grade she began to "observe more" of what things really look like.  That's when her drawings didn't end up with huge heads any more.  Considering she was just 10 when she made this drawing, it's clear she learned a lot.  Amazing skill!  When she handed it in, it was already colored.  So sad it can't go into the book in color, but we're totally impressed.



Any princess would be shocked if she found her husband tied to a tree with an ogre's shoelace.  Luckily, Cindrella knows just how to get him free.  Aubrey got a free book for winning this contest.

If you love to color, feel free to print this out, color it, and e-mail your drawing to contest2@flipsidefairytales.com.  One winner each month is chosen, and that person also gets a free book.

For information on illustration contests go to www.flipsidefairytales.com/art

Tomorrow's Winning Picture

What a great way to start out the year!  A new set of drawings for a new Fairy Tale.

Ever wonder what happened as Cinderella was living "happily ever after"?  It was just as magical and weird as ever - only with a growing family.

Here's a quick peek at one scene a girl illustrated without ever reading the first book in the Extra Wishes trilogy.  You'll see tomorrow that she did a pretty great job!

Book 1 Chapter 5

Gazing at the objects spread before her:  pillows, shoes and capes, she remembered there would be no servants to help her carry anything back to the palace. It was too bad she’d have to carry everything back herself. now that the wagon was gone.  Maybe Edward would help.  She walked back toward the place where Edward would be speaking with the ogre named Rock.

 “Help!” Edward said, working his mouth free from a cover as she entered the small clearing.

“Oh goodness me! Edward!” 

She switched from a walk to a run. When she reached him, she gasped in dismay.

Edward sat ramrod straight, tied to a tree with an enormous shoelace.

“What happened?” she cried.

“I gave the ogre my cape so he could have ‘a clo,’ and he went off to look in a lake to see if it’s big enough for him. He didn’t want me to run away. It seems he’s had problems with humans escaping from him before.”