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The Gift of the Crocodile: A Cinderella Story
In the Spice Islands, where clove and nutmeg trees grow,
a girl named Damura lived long ago.
Damura is a beautiful girl, as kind and lovely as the little green parrot that perches on the nutmeg tree. But Damura's stepmother and stepsister mistreat her. They force her to rise before dawn, carry out all the chores, and sleep on the floor. One day, while down by the river, Damura calls out to the creatures of the wild for help. Rising from the waters, an ancient crocodile answers the call. This unusual fairy godmother, aptly named Grandmother Crocodile, outfits Damura in a sarong of gold, with slippers to match, and sends her to the palace to dance for the prince. Once he sees her, the prince knows that she will be his bride.
But the fairy tale isn't quite over. Damura's wicked stepmother and stepsister are so jealous that they push Damura into the river, where she is swallowed by a crocodile. Too bad they didn't know about Grandmother Crocodile....
The Gift of the Crocodile, a tale from the Spice Islands in Indonesia, offers a colorful and dramatic twist on the universally adored Cinderella story.
a girl named Damura lived long ago.
Damura is a beautiful girl, as kind and lovely as the little green parrot that perches on the nutmeg tree. But Damura's stepmother and stepsister mistreat her. They force her to rise before dawn, carry out all the chores, and sleep on the floor. One day, while down by the river, Damura calls out to the creatures of the wild for help. Rising from the waters, an ancient crocodile answers the call. This unusual fairy godmother, aptly named Grandmother Crocodile, outfits Damura in a sarong of gold, with slippers to match, and sends her to the palace to dance for the prince. Once he sees her, the prince knows that she will be his bride.
But the fairy tale isn't quite over. Damura's wicked stepmother and stepsister are so jealous that they push Damura into the river, where she is swallowed by a crocodile. Too bad they didn't know about Grandmother Crocodile....
The Gift of the Crocodile, a tale from the Spice Islands in Indonesia, offers a colorful and dramatic twist on the universally adored Cinderella story.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
November 6, 2014
Now, I have read many different versions of the “Cinderella” fairy tale and they usually have the same set up which includes:
1) The main heroine “Cinderella” has an evil stepsister and stepmother that make her life miserable.
2) “Cinderella” has a “fairy godmother” figure that gives her a new dress and helps her get to the ball.
3) “Cinderella” loses her slipper, which causes the prince to search the entire kingdom to find the maiden who fits the slipper.
So, imagine my surprise that there was finally a version of “Cinderella” that came from Indonesia and I was not disappointed by the results!
In this version of the classic “Cinderella” story, a young girl named Damura once lived a happy life with her mother. But one day, her mother dies and Damura’s father ended up marrying another woman who happened to have a daughter of her own and at first they treated Damura well, but then they started mistreating her by making her do all the housework. One day, the prince of the land invited all the young women in the village to dance for him and Damura ends up going to a wise old crocodile who she calls Grandmother Crocodile and the Crocodile acts as a fairy godmother to Damura by giving her a golden sarong and golden slippers to wear at the palace. Once the prince notices Damura at the ball, he immediately wanted to marry her; but of course, Damura was forced to run away from the palace when the rooster started crowing and she accidentally left one of her slippers behind.
Will the Prince find the maiden who wore the slipper and what will Damura’s stepmother and stepsister do if the Prince finds out that Damura is the one dancing at the ball?
Read this book to find out!
I have read many books written by Judy Sierra and I was always intrigued with her ability to retell stories that deal with folktales and myths (especially the brilliant children’s book “The Gruesome Guide to World Monsters)! So, imagine my surprise when I saw that Judy Sierra had retold an Indonesian folktale that was inspired by the “Cinderella” story and man was I impressed with what I read in this version of the classic “Cinderella” story! I loved the fact that we finally got a version of the “Cinderella” tale from Indonesia since I rarely read folktales that came from Indonesia and it was nice seeing a different spin on the “Cinderella” tale as this story honestly did give an extremely unique spin on the tale. I loved the fact that the fairy godmother in this tale is actually a large crocodile that is called “Grandmother Crocodile” as it gave the story a more unique style and I just love the idea about the main characters associating with animal characters in folktales in general. I also enjoyed learning more about the culture of Indonesia in this story as we get to see the characters dance at the ball and I loved seeing how significant Damura’s sarong is for her character in this story. Reynold Ruffins’ artwork is truly gorgeous to look at especially of the scenes where the characters are shown in a swamp and you can see the trees tangled up with each other and see how colorful the swamp looks like. I also loved the images of the characters’ clothing as they look truly exotic and it makes me want to wear the clothing worn by the Indonesians of that time!
The reason why I gave this book a four star rating was because I felt like the pacing of this story was a bit too slow and I often found myself wishing that the story would move on at a much quicker pace to retain my attention. Also, I felt that the characters were a little too flat as they did not seem to have much personalities other than being stand ins for the characters of the original “Cinderella” story.
Overall, “The Gift of the Crocodile” is a great story for anyone who is a huge fan of the classic “Cinderella” story and who wants to read folktales from other countries such as Indonesia! I would recommend this book to children ages six and up since there are some Indonesian terms in this book that might confuse smaller children.
Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog
March 4, 2009
4.5 STARS. I quite liked this version of Cinderella! It's from the Spice Islands of Indonesia and it definitely adds a new flavor to the tale, one that I loved! The message of "Cinderella" being kind to animals is so refreshing, and gotta love that the "fairy godmother" is a crocodile. Too fabulous! The illustrations are beautiful and feel "authentic." The only aspect I felt was lacking is that there was really no love development between Damura/Cinderella and the Prince. (Not that there usually is, but, still...!)
One note of caution or applause, depending on how you look at it--this story, more than a lot of other tellings, has a bit more of the "grim" aspect in terms of the violence--
SPOILER:
Damura is actually eaten by a crocodile and brought back to life by Grandmother Crocodile who warns her brood to never bother Damura again, but to eat the stepmother and stepsisters if they are ever seen around the river. Now, personally, I kind of liked this aspect, but it might be a bit "much" for some readers.
One note of caution or applause, depending on how you look at it--this story, more than a lot of other tellings, has a bit more of the "grim" aspect in terms of the violence--
SPOILER:
Damura is actually eaten by a crocodile and brought back to life by Grandmother Crocodile who warns her brood to never bother Damura again, but to eat the stepmother and stepsisters if they are ever seen around the river. Now, personally, I kind of liked this aspect, but it might be a bit "much" for some readers.
October 14, 2020
A kindhearted young girl named Damura is manipulated into asking her widowed father to remarry in this
Cinderella
variant from Indonesia's Spice Islands (AKA the Maluku Islands). Mistreated by her new stepmother and stepsister, she is forced to take on the role of servant, and given only a ragged sarong to wear. When she loses this at the river one day, while doing the washing, she calls upon the wild animals for aid, and finds herself confronted by Grandmother Crocodile. This fearsome fairy godmother brings her a beautiful sarong of silver, while Damura cares for her offspring, but metes out a very different reward when Damura's stepsister attempts the same task. When the local prince holds a gathering in order to find the most graceful dancer, and Damura cannot attend because she does not have the required finery - her silver dress having been taken from her - Grandmother Crocodile steps in to help once again. But although Damura's dancing wins her the heart of the prince, who uses her golden slipper to locate her, the story does not end there, for the wicked stepmother and stepsister have another plan...
Adapted from a version of this story found in G.J. Ellen's 1916 Woordenlijst van het Pagoe op Noord-Halmahera ("Glossary of the Pagu of North Halmahera"), The Gift of the Crocodile: A Cinderella Story comes from the island of Halmahera, and contains many elements common to this tale type, the world over. The wicked stepmother and stepsister, the heroine being made to take the role of servant, the magical helper (or fairy godmother), the dainty slipper the heroine leaves behind for her prince - these are all present. I thought it was interesting that the magical helper here was a crocodile, as the fearsome reputation of this animal works to emphasize the heroine's kindness and good manners in the story, and to make her reward all the more extraordinary. By calling the crocodile 'Grandmother,' Damura emphasizes their connection, protecting herself from the animal's appetite, something Grandmother Crocodile herself confirms, when she says "it was wise of you to call me Grandmother...for if you had not, I might have eaten you." I also thought that the last episode of the story, in which Damura's wicked stepmother and stepsister feed her to a crocodile, only for Grandmother Crocodile to rescue and revive her, was fascinating, and added an unusual element to the tale. The accompanying artwork from Reynold Ruffins, done in acrylic, is beautiful, with bold colors and immensely appealing stylized figures. I have encountered Ruffins' work once before, in Verna Aardema's Misoso: Once Upon a Time Tales from Africa , and am glad to have run into another of his titles. This is one I would recommend to all young folklore enthusiasts, and to any reader interested in Cinderella type stories from around the world.
NOTE: like so many other authors who have retold Cinderella variants from around the world, Judy Sierra incorrectly states in her afterword that the Chinese version was the first version, worldwide, to be written down. This is an error I frequently see, and its ubiquity always confuses me. In point of fact, the first written version of a Cinderella-style story is that of Rhodopis, the Greek girl who was kidnapped by pirates and sold into slavery in Egypt. This 'Egyptian Cinderella' can be found in the first-century BC writings of the Greek author Strabo, predating the ninth-century AD Chinese version by many centuries.
Adapted from a version of this story found in G.J. Ellen's 1916 Woordenlijst van het Pagoe op Noord-Halmahera ("Glossary of the Pagu of North Halmahera"), The Gift of the Crocodile: A Cinderella Story comes from the island of Halmahera, and contains many elements common to this tale type, the world over. The wicked stepmother and stepsister, the heroine being made to take the role of servant, the magical helper (or fairy godmother), the dainty slipper the heroine leaves behind for her prince - these are all present. I thought it was interesting that the magical helper here was a crocodile, as the fearsome reputation of this animal works to emphasize the heroine's kindness and good manners in the story, and to make her reward all the more extraordinary. By calling the crocodile 'Grandmother,' Damura emphasizes their connection, protecting herself from the animal's appetite, something Grandmother Crocodile herself confirms, when she says "it was wise of you to call me Grandmother...for if you had not, I might have eaten you." I also thought that the last episode of the story, in which Damura's wicked stepmother and stepsister feed her to a crocodile, only for Grandmother Crocodile to rescue and revive her, was fascinating, and added an unusual element to the tale. The accompanying artwork from Reynold Ruffins, done in acrylic, is beautiful, with bold colors and immensely appealing stylized figures. I have encountered Ruffins' work once before, in Verna Aardema's Misoso: Once Upon a Time Tales from Africa , and am glad to have run into another of his titles. This is one I would recommend to all young folklore enthusiasts, and to any reader interested in Cinderella type stories from around the world.
NOTE: like so many other authors who have retold Cinderella variants from around the world, Judy Sierra incorrectly states in her afterword that the Chinese version was the first version, worldwide, to be written down. This is an error I frequently see, and its ubiquity always confuses me. In point of fact, the first written version of a Cinderella-style story is that of Rhodopis, the Greek girl who was kidnapped by pirates and sold into slavery in Egypt. This 'Egyptian Cinderella' can be found in the first-century BC writings of the Greek author Strabo, predating the ninth-century AD Chinese version by many centuries.
April 22, 2024
My second grade kiddos loved this! I started by rattling a container I’d filled with cloves and whole allspice (I didn’t have any whole nutmeg) and ask who wanted to smell. I walked around and wafted to every kid who wanted a turn, some loved it, some did not. I showed them Indonesia in relation to us on the map and talked about it being Columbus’ intended destination when he reached North America.
Before I cracked the book open the kiddos were engrossed. And the story is so great that it was easy to keep them enraptured.
Before I cracked the book open the kiddos were engrossed. And the story is so great that it was easy to keep them enraptured.
September 26, 2009
This book is another version of a Cinderella story. Damura is a girl whose mother passes away and ends up living with a terrible step mother and step sister. They treat her very badly. While out by the river one day washing clothes, Damura remembers something her mom told her-to ask nature for help. Out of the water pops a crocodile who Damura calls, "Grandmother". The crocodile helps her in this time of need. When Damura finds out that the prince is coming, the crocodile gives her a beautiful outfit-a gold sarong and slippers. The step sisters became very jealous of this and push Damura off a boat to have her eaten by a crocodile. Luckily, the grandmother crocodile had such a fond relationship with Damura because she saved Damura. The step sisters were never to be seen again. Damura and the prince lived happily ever after with their family.
I really enjoyed reading this version of Cinderella. As a child I always loved reading different versions of stories I heard so many times. In this story, Damura used her surroundings in order to ask for help and was able to make her life better when she was having so much trouble. I am looking forward to sharing this story with my students too in order to help them make text to text connections.
I really enjoyed reading this version of Cinderella. As a child I always loved reading different versions of stories I heard so many times. In this story, Damura used her surroundings in order to ask for help and was able to make her life better when she was having so much trouble. I am looking forward to sharing this story with my students too in order to help them make text to text connections.
April 22, 2019
The Gift the Crocodile is a Folklore story that puts a twist on A Cinderella Story. It is based in Indonesia. This book would be a great book to read with 3rd graders or 5th graders, depending on the standard and activity.
One activity for this book, would be a free write activity. Students will write their own version of "A Cinderella Story". This activity would be for a 3rd grade classroom. We will read the story and a generic Cinderella story, and the students can write their own twist on the Cinderella story. For 5th graders, I would use this as a compare and contrast activity. This is one of the 5th grade standards. They will read the folklore book, then discuss its similarities and differences to the generic Cinderella story. Students will make a Venn Diagram chart, then write a brief essay on the similarities and differences.
I chose this as my wow book because I think it is a great story to connect other cultures to a generic, very popular story such as the Tale of Cinderella. Indonesia is also not a commonly discussed and learned about culture, so I felt that this was a great book to bring into the classroom.
One activity for this book, would be a free write activity. Students will write their own version of "A Cinderella Story". This activity would be for a 3rd grade classroom. We will read the story and a generic Cinderella story, and the students can write their own twist on the Cinderella story. For 5th graders, I would use this as a compare and contrast activity. This is one of the 5th grade standards. They will read the folklore book, then discuss its similarities and differences to the generic Cinderella story. Students will make a Venn Diagram chart, then write a brief essay on the similarities and differences.
I chose this as my wow book because I think it is a great story to connect other cultures to a generic, very popular story such as the Tale of Cinderella. Indonesia is also not a commonly discussed and learned about culture, so I felt that this was a great book to bring into the classroom.
November 24, 2019
Meh! Not as good of a story as other Cinderella stories we’ve read.
June 14, 2021
Interesting variation on theCinderella theme
February 11, 2014
Well done by Judy Sierra and interesting Cinderella version. I appreciated the notes at the end explaining the origin of this particular tale and the elements of the Cinderella folklore motifs that were included. Will make another good tale in the Cinderella comparison lessons. Also good to compare to The Talking Eggs and Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters.
August 2, 2015
The Gift of the Crocodile was simply charming and really adorable. It almost made me reconsider crocodiles as cute. I think the setting and colors of this book was fantastic. The call-and-response of the main character calling for her godmother croc was probably my favorite part. I would recommend to anyone who just want add smidgen of cuteness to their day.
May 10, 2015
Made a really nice read for my younger son who paid attention to each part of the story and the pictures. Neat to get another cultural version of the classic--and learn the international variations and origins of what Disney co-opted. Very well done.
June 11, 2017
Interesting. Has a few classic elements, but I find this Cinderella hard to embrace because she brings much of her problems onto herself and isn't inherently kind.
October 10, 2021
The gift of the crocodile, a colorful folktale from the spice islands in Indonesia, offers a bright, and dramatic twist on the universally, loved Cinderella story. This version of the Cinderella fairy tale was written by Jude Sierra, and was beautifully illustrated by Reynolds Ruffins. The story revolves around a girl named Damura, who lived long ago, in the spice islands where cloves, and nutmeg trees grow. Damura is a beautiful girl, as lovely, and kind as the little green parrot that perches on the nutmeg tree.The story begins with a wonderful illustration of daughter- mom tale, where Damura’s mom teaches her traditional dances, and to respect all the wild creatures. But soon after Damura’s mom dies, her daughter was tricked into convincing her father to marry another woman in the village. Damura was happy initially but soon her freedom became a nightmare. Honestly, I really felt sorry for the girl Damura, when she was mistreated by her stepmother, and her step daughter by making her life miserable, doing all chores from morning to night.
One day while Damura was doing laundry at the river, she lost her old sarong. She calls out to the creatures of the river for help politely remembering her mom’s advice. An ancient grandmother Crocodile answers her call, and gives her another sarong made of silver. Seeing that, her stepsisters felt jealous of Damura.
The story took an interesting turn, when a year later, the village buzzed with excitement, as the prince planned to hold a dance to choose his bride. Then the unusual godmother Crocodile, again appeared and gifted Damura, an outfit in a sarong of gold, with matching slippers, and sent her to the palace to dance with the prince. Like all other similar Cinderella stories, she loses a slipper at the ball, but the prince uses it to track Damura down, and marry her. This part of the story will keep my students focussed, and interested, as they can predict the end of the story. After reading up to this part of the story, I felt very connected to the original version of Cinderella. I was amazed by the idea about the main character associating with animals in this folktales.
But the fairy tale is not quite over. The next part of the story will keep my students to think aloud about the various types of climax that can happen here. Unlike most other versions, Damura’s evil stepmother, and her daughter were so jealous that they pushed her into the river, where she was swallowed by a fat crocodile. But once again, the ancient godmother, Crocodile came to rescue Damura, from the fat crocodile, while the stepmother, and her daughters went to the darkest part of the forest, and hid themselves.
I would definitely share this book with students beginning in the lower elementary grades (from 1 and 2) for reading aloud, and 3rd grade for independent reading. This book is an excellent demonstration, and mentor text of how to recount stories of folktales, fables from diverse cultures like Indonesia, and how to determine the central message of the lesson through key ideas in the text.
Before reading, for grades 1 and 2, the teacher will interact with the students about the prior knowledge of the story, connecting with the older version of the fairytale Cinderella. The students can share their background experiences of reading the old Cinderalla.
During reading, the teacher will pause, and ask the students to predict the feelings of Damura in various parts of the story. The students will turn and talk with their partner discussing the feelings of Damura, and share with their teacher.
After reading, the students in a small group, will recount the story about Indonesia, and discuss the central theme that the author conveyed in the story in their own viewpoints.
For writing, for 1st and 2nd graders, the students in a group of 5 can fill up a story map in a graphic organizer either by drawing pics by recalling the story, or by writing the main details of the story step by step in their own words, and each group will share the details of the story map in the class.
My students will love the fact that the fairy godmother in this tale is actually a large crocodile that is called “Grandmother Crocodile” which gave the story a more unique style. Since this story is a different Indonesian version of the folk tale Cinderella, my students will find some extremely unique spin on the tale, as it is different from the average folktales, by putting emphasize on the culture of Indonesia. My students will love the gorgeous artwork of colorful scenes in a swamp, the images of the entangled trees, and the images of the exotic character clothing of Indonesia.The students will also enjoy learning the scenic description of Indonesia, as they get to see the characters dance at the ball, and will love watching the pictures how different and significant Damura's sarong is for her character in the story. The students from almost all backgrounds will love to read this folktale, especially those who love to read the classic Cinderella. The story is entertaining, engages students for the whole time, and I will use this book to show perspective on stories. Overall, this folktale is perfect, and fantastic for lower elementary grades, as they show most curiosity in animals, and fairytale stories.
One day while Damura was doing laundry at the river, she lost her old sarong. She calls out to the creatures of the river for help politely remembering her mom’s advice. An ancient grandmother Crocodile answers her call, and gives her another sarong made of silver. Seeing that, her stepsisters felt jealous of Damura.
The story took an interesting turn, when a year later, the village buzzed with excitement, as the prince planned to hold a dance to choose his bride. Then the unusual godmother Crocodile, again appeared and gifted Damura, an outfit in a sarong of gold, with matching slippers, and sent her to the palace to dance with the prince. Like all other similar Cinderella stories, she loses a slipper at the ball, but the prince uses it to track Damura down, and marry her. This part of the story will keep my students focussed, and interested, as they can predict the end of the story. After reading up to this part of the story, I felt very connected to the original version of Cinderella. I was amazed by the idea about the main character associating with animals in this folktales.
But the fairy tale is not quite over. The next part of the story will keep my students to think aloud about the various types of climax that can happen here. Unlike most other versions, Damura’s evil stepmother, and her daughter were so jealous that they pushed her into the river, where she was swallowed by a fat crocodile. But once again, the ancient godmother, Crocodile came to rescue Damura, from the fat crocodile, while the stepmother, and her daughters went to the darkest part of the forest, and hid themselves.
I would definitely share this book with students beginning in the lower elementary grades (from 1 and 2) for reading aloud, and 3rd grade for independent reading. This book is an excellent demonstration, and mentor text of how to recount stories of folktales, fables from diverse cultures like Indonesia, and how to determine the central message of the lesson through key ideas in the text.
Before reading, for grades 1 and 2, the teacher will interact with the students about the prior knowledge of the story, connecting with the older version of the fairytale Cinderella. The students can share their background experiences of reading the old Cinderalla.
During reading, the teacher will pause, and ask the students to predict the feelings of Damura in various parts of the story. The students will turn and talk with their partner discussing the feelings of Damura, and share with their teacher.
After reading, the students in a small group, will recount the story about Indonesia, and discuss the central theme that the author conveyed in the story in their own viewpoints.
For writing, for 1st and 2nd graders, the students in a group of 5 can fill up a story map in a graphic organizer either by drawing pics by recalling the story, or by writing the main details of the story step by step in their own words, and each group will share the details of the story map in the class.
My students will love the fact that the fairy godmother in this tale is actually a large crocodile that is called “Grandmother Crocodile” which gave the story a more unique style. Since this story is a different Indonesian version of the folk tale Cinderella, my students will find some extremely unique spin on the tale, as it is different from the average folktales, by putting emphasize on the culture of Indonesia. My students will love the gorgeous artwork of colorful scenes in a swamp, the images of the entangled trees, and the images of the exotic character clothing of Indonesia.The students will also enjoy learning the scenic description of Indonesia, as they get to see the characters dance at the ball, and will love watching the pictures how different and significant Damura's sarong is for her character in the story. The students from almost all backgrounds will love to read this folktale, especially those who love to read the classic Cinderella. The story is entertaining, engages students for the whole time, and I will use this book to show perspective on stories. Overall, this folktale is perfect, and fantastic for lower elementary grades, as they show most curiosity in animals, and fairytale stories.
April 15, 2019
Recently, I had the pleasure of reading a folktale called The Gift of the Crocodile: A Cinderella Story by Judy Sierra, illustrated by Reynold Ruffins. It was a great picture book that I would use for students of all ages from kindergarten to fifth grade. This was a story that originated in Indonesia and is a version of the traditional story of Cinderella. The story begins with a girl named Damura, who lives in the Spice islands with her mother and father. Her mother teaches her many things like how to kindle a fire, cook, harvest rice plants, shows her the dances of their ancestors, and gives her advice for her future. Damura’s mother gets sick and passes away, leaving her with her father. One day a widow woman from her village asks Damura if she wants a doll in exchange for her convincing her father to marry the women. After some convincing, the father agrees to marry the women. Damura gains a new step sister and step mother, who are nice to her at first, but eventually, they make her their servant. Damura realizes she traded her happiness for a doll. One day Damura goes to the river where she washes her family’s clothes, she loses her sarong, she remembers her mother’s advice and calls on the ancestors. That’s when she meets the crocodile. The crocodile is like her fairy godmother and she is able to help Damura get her happy ending.
This was a cute picture book and I loved the illustrations. I would use this book in a kindergarten through fifth grade class to do a read aloud. This book could also be used in second to fifth grade classes to introduce motifs, this book has several folktale motifs. I would also use this book and have students compare different cultural versions of folktales related to Cinderella story. It could show that certain stories have several versions differing by place or culture. This activity could be done with second through fifth grades as well.
This was a cute picture book and I loved the illustrations. I would use this book in a kindergarten through fifth grade class to do a read aloud. This book could also be used in second to fifth grade classes to introduce motifs, this book has several folktale motifs. I would also use this book and have students compare different cultural versions of folktales related to Cinderella story. It could show that certain stories have several versions differing by place or culture. This activity could be done with second through fifth grades as well.
March 18, 2020
This is such a great spin on the Cinderella story we grew up reading and watching as children. This Cinderella story takes place in Indonesia on the Spice Islands, which introduces children to not only folklore, but how different cultures introduce folklore and how the same story can be told across cultures!
This would be a great book to introduce across all elementary grade levels. This book could be used when comparing and contrasting and making connections across similar texts. Start with reading the Cinderella story that is popular in our culture, and then introduce The Gift of the Crocodile to students- have conversations about similarities and differences within both of the books. Since there are similarities and differences among this Cinderella story and others, it would be fun to have students write their own spin on a Cinderella story. Also, using this book when introducing perspective and how writing can be written in different perspectives, but follow similar story lines.
This was a wow book for me since I have not read many other Cinderella stories, especially not any that introduce different cultures and race. This is wonderful for those who want to connect with the characters in their reading and who want to see different characters perspectives of the same story line.
This would be a great book to introduce across all elementary grade levels. This book could be used when comparing and contrasting and making connections across similar texts. Start with reading the Cinderella story that is popular in our culture, and then introduce The Gift of the Crocodile to students- have conversations about similarities and differences within both of the books. Since there are similarities and differences among this Cinderella story and others, it would be fun to have students write their own spin on a Cinderella story. Also, using this book when introducing perspective and how writing can be written in different perspectives, but follow similar story lines.
This was a wow book for me since I have not read many other Cinderella stories, especially not any that introduce different cultures and race. This is wonderful for those who want to connect with the characters in their reading and who want to see different characters perspectives of the same story line.
September 11, 2017
This book is a spin on the classic Cinderella story. Damura’s mother dies and a neighbor lady marries her father and bring her daughter along. The stepmother and daughter put Damura to work and take away all her happiness. Damura befriends a crocodile, who she calls grandmother and the crocodile protects Damura from her stepmom. When Damura’s step mom won’t let her go to the prince’s ball grandmother gets her a dress and lets her go. The prince is looking for the beautiful woman at the ball and finds out that it is Damura, he wants to marry her. At the send the step mom tries to stop Damura by throwing her in the river.
I thought this book was pretty good. It was a unique spin on the cinderella story. It was not exactly the same so I did not feel like I was reading the same exact book but with different characters. It had enough of a spin to feel like a new unique story.
This book could be used in a kindergarten- second grade classroom. The book has underlying animal themes, so if we are talking about the environment and reasons to protect and love animals this book could be used. Also, if you had a diverse classroom and wanted students to be able to relate to a brown skinned cinderella this would be a good choice.
I thought this book was pretty good. It was a unique spin on the cinderella story. It was not exactly the same so I did not feel like I was reading the same exact book but with different characters. It had enough of a spin to feel like a new unique story.
This book could be used in a kindergarten- second grade classroom. The book has underlying animal themes, so if we are talking about the environment and reasons to protect and love animals this book could be used. Also, if you had a diverse classroom and wanted students to be able to relate to a brown skinned cinderella this would be a good choice.
January 27, 2024
"The Gift of the Crocodile" is a folklore story based on a Cinderella story. The appropriate age group for this book is ages 4 to 8 years old. This story was about a young girl name Damura who life took a major turn after she persuaded her dad to marry a woman that gave her a doll. I gave "The Gift of the Crocodile" four stars because liked how the author made the story her own. Instead of the American fairy godmother, Judy Sierra uses grandmother Crocodile, which was a great twist to the story. I think with the author using the crocodile it keeps you on the end of your seat. I kept wondering was grandmother Crocodile going to eat someone. But the story was a great read. The colors were gorgeous. So bright and inviting. Planning a lesson plan with "The Gift of the Crocodile" I would have the children use materials to create outfits that they would have worn to the prince's ball. Next, I would have them to create a drawing of grandmother Crocodile. Finally, I would have the children to create a king or queen crown that we could wear in a parade around the school. Another great children's book.
Work Cited: Lavoie, Matthew. "The Gift of the Crocodile." YouTube, 14 September 2023, https://youtu.be/mCt_cFLUJbA?feature=....
Reviewed: 23 January 2004
Work Cited: Lavoie, Matthew. "The Gift of the Crocodile." YouTube, 14 September 2023, https://youtu.be/mCt_cFLUJbA?feature=....
Reviewed: 23 January 2004
April 23, 2019
This is a remake on the story Cinderella. A girl named Damura lives with her step mom and two step sisters. They treat her horribly and make her do chores and sleep on the floor. She has always known though that she has a connection with animals. One day at the river she meets grandma crocodile. She acts as Damura's fairy godmother and sends her to the ball with and gold sarong and shoes. There she meets the prince. When they fall in love the step mother and step sisters get jealous and throw her into the river where she is swallowed by a crocodile. Until grandma crocodile comes and saves her.
I have read a lot of stories that are a different version of cinderella, but this one was definitely unique. I like the kind of twist of the environment she's in it gives it a bit of a cultural difference. And I like that the grandmother crocodile puts an emphasis on the fact that Damura gets what she gets because of how kind she is.
I would most likely keep this as just an entertaining book on the shelf. But if were to use it in a lesson I would include it with other books that are a remake of Cinderella. This could teach the kids how to creatively take a story and make it their own. A fun assignment with it could be to assign random classic fairytales to different kids and have them rewrite it with their own twist on it.
I have read a lot of stories that are a different version of cinderella, but this one was definitely unique. I like the kind of twist of the environment she's in it gives it a bit of a cultural difference. And I like that the grandmother crocodile puts an emphasis on the fact that Damura gets what she gets because of how kind she is.
I would most likely keep this as just an entertaining book on the shelf. But if were to use it in a lesson I would include it with other books that are a remake of Cinderella. This could teach the kids how to creatively take a story and make it their own. A fun assignment with it could be to assign random classic fairytales to different kids and have them rewrite it with their own twist on it.
November 25, 2019
The Gift of the Crocodile: A Cinderella Story written by Judy Sierra is a children's folklore. This book is directed toward children in elementary and middle schools. This story is about a little girl named Damura who is the kindest little girl. Damura's stepmother and stepsisters mistreat her by making her wake up before sun rise and work nonstop and make her sleep on the floor. One day, Damura goes to the river and asks for help. The gift of a crocodile hears her cry and is willing to help her. I really enjoyed reading this story because growing up I loved the story of Cinderella. This is a different version of Cinderella but, I think this one is more fun and light hearted when it comes to the narrative. I think children will like this book because it is different than your average fairytale book and I think they would find it entertaining.
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January 21, 2025This Cinderella story is from the island of Halmahera in the Moluccas (also known as the Spice Islands) in Indonesia, as noted at the back of the book. I really wish the writer had been more upfront about that, since it seems that many people who have read this book are confused about the origins.
I did appreciate the note at the back of the book that explains the origins; I wish there had been a mention of any research going into the illustrations, since this isn't a culture I know well enough to know if these illustrations are accurate or not, but they were very pretty.
This story varies quite a bit from the more well known French version, which makes it delightfully surprising for anyone more familiar with that version.
I did appreciate the note at the back of the book that explains the origins; I wish there had been a mention of any research going into the illustrations, since this isn't a culture I know well enough to know if these illustrations are accurate or not, but they were very pretty.
This story varies quite a bit from the more well known French version, which makes it delightfully surprising for anyone more familiar with that version.
October 24, 2017
Genre: Traditional Literature
Recommended Grade Level: Primary
This book is a Cinderella story unlike any that you've heard before! I enjoyed this story as it had unique twists according to the Indonesian culture and the illustrations aid to show it as well. I would use this story to show students how the same story may be told a little bit differently in different cultures and parts of the world.
Recommended Grade Level: Primary
This book is a Cinderella story unlike any that you've heard before! I enjoyed this story as it had unique twists according to the Indonesian culture and the illustrations aid to show it as well. I would use this story to show students how the same story may be told a little bit differently in different cultures and parts of the world.
November 28, 2017
This traditional book perfect for grades 1-3 is a fun twist on the original Cinderella story. This book takes you on a twisted path of a princess in a small kingdom who goes to wash clothes and finds something magical. This book would be fun to read to show your class that even popular stories have different ways of being told. I would use this in my class to show perspectives on stories.
November 18, 2017
Beautiful book. It’s a twist on the Cinderella story and originated in the Moluccas Islands, the Spice Islands. I did not realize this and am thrilled as that’s my mother’s neck of the woods. The illustrations were terrific and reminded me of the time that I visited the Moluccas Islands!
October 1, 2019
I enjoyed this book a lot because I am used to the traditional, American version of Cinderella, so I enjoyed a different version of it. I think kids will learn to be kind in the story and enjoy the crocodile in it, referred to "Grandmother", and the morals behind the story.
February 27, 2024
I liked this spin on the traditional story of Cinderella. I think it's interesting to see it be told through a different culture as it takes place in Indonesia. I don't like it as much as the ones I grew up reading but it was still good.
April 16, 2024
"The Gift of the Crocodile: A Cinderella Story" by Judy Sierra is a captivating and culturally rich retelling of the classic Cinderella tale. Set in the Philippines, this enchanting story follows the journey of Damura, a kind and resourceful young girl who captures the heart of a handsome prince with her bravery and humility. Sierra's lyrical prose and vibrant storytelling bring to life the sights, sounds, and traditions of Filipino culture, making this version of Cinderella both familiar and refreshingly unique. With its themes of resilience, kindness, and the transformative power of love, "The Gift of the Crocodile" is a heartwarming tale that celebrates diversity and the universal desire for happily ever after. This beautifully illustrated book is sure to captivate readers of all ages, offering a fresh perspective on a beloved fairy tale classic.
March 5, 2018
I liked this one! The story itself was great, although I think the pacing was a tad slow. And the ending was awesome! A nice change from many Cinderella stories I've read.
August 19, 2019
Really enjoyed this one. Reminded me a bit.
December 10, 2019
I love this Cinderella story! It has many classic elements, but enough unexpected twists to keep you interested.
April 23, 2023
I really liked this version of Cinderella. It especially reminds us to be kind to animals :)
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