Author: Paul Fleischman
Illustrator: Julie Paschkis
Genre: Picture Book; Traditional Literature; Variant
Sub-Genre: Folk Tale, Fairy Tale, Magic
Themes: Family, tragedy, royalty, subservience, happy ending
Primary Characters: Cinderella; her "helpers" (Cinderella's Fairy Godmother and various other takes on this character who appears during her hour of need)
Secondary Characters: Stepmother and stepsisters who are cruel to Cinderella
Published Sept. 4, 2007 by Henry Holt & Co.
Awards: This book is a Junior Library Guild Selection, and won the 2008 Bank Street "Best Children's Book of the Year".
This book is DELIGHTFUL! The illustrations are amazing, all extremely detailed and displaying a unique style that brings to life the different cultures contained within the pages. It ties together several different versions of the classic Cinderella story, telling the tale as it would be told in foreign countries such as Ireland, Zimbabwe, and Mexico (to name just a few of the many). I would use this book as part of a unit on classic traditional literature, or one on diversity. Its depictions of all the different cultures from around the world would be invaluable for children to see, as this will foster an appreciation for diversity and a basic familiarity with cultures in countries foreign to our own. Also, if there is a child in my class who happens to be from one of the countries shown in the book, this would be a great springboard for him or her to share some aspects of their native culture with our class!
No comments:
Post a Comment