Robert D. San SouciIllustrator: Brian Pinkney
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 1998
This book was a lot like the Disney version of Cinderella, it was given from the perspective of the godmother of Cendrillon. The majority of all aspects of the French version are in this book, the magic and the slipper and a "godmother", even though she was not a fairy but works as a washerwomen.
As I said the basics of this story are all the same, the major difference is the French words that are incorporated and the fact that it is the Caribbean version. The culture is different as is the language. It starts out with the Godmother taking care of Cendrillon's mother because she is so sick and then she passes away and her father remarries. He marries a french woman who has one daughter, another difference but similarity all wrapped up in one. Once he gets remarried the stepmother makes Cendrillon do all the chores and wash the clothes. One day Cendrillon comes to the river to do the wash and for once she is not happy, the godmother asks her was is wrong and Cendrillon tells her that there is a ball tonight. All she wants to do is go to the ball so her godmother promises that she will go. The godmother gets the wand that she inherited from her mother and transforms Cendrillon into a beautiful young lady who is fit for the ball. Well just like the Disney version they must leave by midnight because the magic will wear off. Well Prince Paul dances only with Cendrillon all night and tries to chase her when she runs off, but she is gone. All that is left behind is a pink slipper that came off of her foot. Well the next day Prince Paul goes around to all of the houses trying to find that young women. The godmother sends Cendrillon down the stairs and Paul realizes that it is her and falls in love immediately. Well, of course there is the fairy tale ending, and they get married and have a wonderful life!
This story was much closer to what version I was used to. The illustrations are FANTASTIC! They were done in scratchboard, luma dyes, gouache, and oil paints. I love how the paintings look so realistic and seem to be very characteristic to the Caribbean culture. A lot of the illustrations were two page but some were just one. Typically with the one page ones the opposite page was usually bordered with something that corresponded to the other page. Just the way that these pictures were done is just incredible to me! You can see where the lines are but it does not distract from the picture or call away from the beauty of it. It is hard to explain if one has not seen the work but I just love the style. I loved how the godmother at the end suggest to the stepmother to cut off the big toes! It is like the Grimm brothers version! I loved how that small detail was incorporated into this new spin on an old story. I would highly recommend this version to anyone, just to see the illustrations.
One thing that could be done in the class that is doing a Cinderella unit is they could compile all the information on the Cinderella character and draw pictures of her. After they have written descriptions, writing activity, and drawn the characters, art activity, they would be able to make a book on all the different characters. Also would be useful would be a Venn diagram, it would probably be essential for a younger class.
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