In this hilarious and quirky collection, well-known fairy tales are turned completely on their heads. Jon Scieszka rewrites stories including 'Chicken Licken', 'The Princess and the Bowling Ball', 'The Really Ugly Duckling', 'The Other Frog Prince', 'Little Red Running Shorts', 'Jack's Bean Problem', 'Cinderumpelstiltskin', 'The Tortoise and the Hair' and 'The Stinky Cheese Man'. The humour stems not only from the absurd stories, but also from the playful design and the unexpected way in which familiar fairy-tale conventions are handled. Lane Smith accompanies the texts with expressive, humorous illustrations. The book was awarded 'Book of the Year' by the Federation of Children's Book Groups.