Bonnie Ferrante's Blog, page 64

Cinderella Penguin or The Little Glass Flipper by Janet Perlman. Book Review.

This book follows the traditional storyline, the only exception being that the characters are penguins dressing and living like human beings. After the initial charm of this, the reader begins to hope for more. But alas, it is not to be. Pictures are brightly colored and cute. I was expecting more Penguin-ish things to show […]

Kongi and Potgi: A Cinderella Story from Korea by Oki S. Han and Stephanie Haboush Plunkett. A Month of Cinderellas Continued.

The book begins with “Some Facts About Korean Culture”. It explains the landscape, houses, dishes, marketplaces, and folktales as well as some vocabulary. The story plays out much like the traditional Cinderella story until Kongi needs help working in the stony field. At this point an ox speaks to her and helps her to plow. […]

The Golden Sandal: A Middle Eastern Cinderella Story by Rebecca Hickox. Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. A Month of Cinderellas Continued.

A little girl named Maha convinces her widowed father to marry the widow next-door. Her stepmother, jealous of her skills and beauty, overworks and under feeds her when the father is away. When Maha frees a talking fish, her stepmother threatens to beat her. The fish provides her with a gold coin. As time passes, […]

Two First Nations’ Cinderella Tales. A Month of Cinderellas Continued.

The Rough-Face Girl by Rafe Martin. Illustrated by David Shannon. Only a woman who can see the great, rich, powerful, handsome, and Invisible Being can marry him. A poor man has three daughters, the youngest of which is scarred from being forced to constantly tend the fire. The haughty, hardhearted two older girls decide to […]

Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal, A Worldwide Cinderella by Paul Fleischman. Illustrated by Julie Paschkis. A Month of Cinderellas Continued.

The book begins with an author’s note relaying the evolution of the Cinderella story. Then it begins, “Once upon a time there lived a wealthy merchant whose wife had died. They had one daughter, gentle-eyed and good-hearted.” We never learn the daughter’s name. The daughter convinces her father, who is lonely, to marry a widow […]

A Month of Cinderellas continued – Caribbean Cinderella

Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella by Robert D. San Souci. Illustrated by Brian Pinkney. This version is told from the viewpoint of the godmother. She is a poor washerwoman who has inherited a wand of mahogany. Three taps of it will change one thing into another but only for short time. When Cendrillon is not allowed […]

A Month of Cinderellas continued – Retell

One of the best strategies you can teach a young child is to retell the story book in her own words. A simple way to help her master this is through play. Children love to dress up and pretend they are someone else. They are born actors. Once your child has heard the original story […]

A Month of Cinderellas

For the month of April, I am going to discuss variations of the Cinderella story. The Cinderella theme appears in European (The Greeks may lay claim to the oldest version from 7 BC), Asian, and American cultures. It has become a theme for young adult and adult science fiction and fantasy. It is the subject […]

Petunia Goes Wild by Paul Schmid. Book Review.

This picture book is illustrated with simple black pastel or crayon drawings and touches of purple and orange watercolor. The pages are mostly white. However, the simple drawings are engaging. Petunia is a little girl who wants to be free of societal restrictions and bathe naked in mud puddles, eat her food off the floor, […]

If I Had a Triceratops by George O’Connor. Book Review.

The little boy in this picture book is sweet and engaging. The simple cartoon like illustrations convey his emotions perfectly. Most illustrations are full-color two-page spreads. The little boy wants to do everything with his Triceratops that other children can do with their dog. The results are hilarious. Part way through the book it would […]