Cendrillon - Traditional Literature

Cendrillon, by Robert D. San Souci and illustrated by Brian Pinkney, is a Caribbean twist on the classic tale of Cinderella. In this version, Cendrillon's godmother is in her life because she nursed baby Cendrillon when she was a baby and her mother was sick. The godmother was given one thing by her own mother who died, a mahogany wand which could turn one thing into another with just a few taps. She never had much use for this... until Cendrillon's stepmother mistreats her. She turns Cendrillon's washerwoman rags into a beautiful dress and accompanies her to a ball thrown by the prince. The rest of the story is basically the same as the tale we all know and love until the prince comes to Cendrillon's house with the slipper she lost at the dance. In the traditional story, Cinderella hears the prince trying the slipper on her stepsisters and comes out with the other slipper. In this version, however, Cendrillon's godmother is the one who coaxes her to reveal herself.

I loved this book! It had french words scattered throughout the book such as nannin' for godmother and blanchisseuse for washerwoman. There were just enough words to bring in the French culture well, but not enough to hinder a non-French speaker from reading the story. In the back, there was a "Glossary of French Creole Words and Phrases". Both the story and pictures give the impression of the French Creole way of life. This would be a good book for the classroom because it uses a story that children already know and understand to help them learn about another language and culture.