Snow White's dark side?

Critical thinking
So parents don't need to throw away their fairy tales, Baker-Sperry says. “What I really want is for parents and childcare providers to talk to children as they’re reading," she says. "Don’t get rid of fairy tales, but do get your children to think.”

Baker-Sperry and Zipes offer these tips for healthier consumption of fairy tales:

• Don’t ban fairy tales. This is akin to banning candy. If children don't see or read them at home, they’ll do so at school or their friends’ homes.
• Start a dialogue. Ask questions after viewing the film or reading the book -– particularly questions directly related to the portrayal of female beauty or other messages you want them to ponder. For example: What do you think the prince likes about Cinderella other than how she looks? What do you think Cinderella likes about the prince? “You want them to think critically. That’s the key. Ask questions that make them think,” says Baker-Sperry.
• Have older children rewrite the tale. They could change the protagonist so he or she is kind and smart, but not necessarily beautiful or handsome. Alternately, ask them to write a story where Cinderella decides against marrying the prince. It’ll make them consider other possibilities.
• Reward authors and filmmakers who create more interesting and progressive tales. Some modern fairy tales and fairy-tale films still offer the simplistic message of good over bad but they’ve done away with the sexist stereotypes. Zipes recommends "Ever After," "Freeway," "Shrek" and the fairy-tale films in Jim Henson's series "The Storyteller."
• Have your antenna up for all media. Many books, movies, commercials and television shows are essentially retellings of fairy tale themes. Adults can encourage their children to question the messages in all these formats.

Victoria Clayton is a freelance writer based in California.

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