Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella - Review

Virginia Caldwell
Book Review Module 2
TWU assignment
LS 5603 - 20

Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella


Bibliographic Data:
San Souci, Robert D. 1998. Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella. Ill. By Brian Pinkney. New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 068980668X


Plot Summary:

This Cinderella twist, set on a Caribbean Island, is about Cendrillon, a sweet girl who is abused by her stepmother and stepsister, but is loved by her monetarily poor godmother. With the help of a magic wand, the godmother prepares and sends Cendrillon to attend a ball and meet the young man she likes, Paul. At the ball Cendrillon and Paul fall in love, but Cendrillon disappears at midnight. Paul looks for her, finally finds her, and they get married.


Analysis:

Cendrillon begins with a statement that is almost a dare to the reader, and it effectively makes that reader want to find out what happens next. The story is told from the point of view of a servant, but not Cendrillon, a tactic that adds to the appeal of the book. She is a godmother, but a human godmother. The magic comes from a wooden wand that was the only item her own mother left her when she passed away. The catch is that the wand must be used to help a loved one. She uses it to send Cendrillon to the ball. This action sends the message that love is very powerful.

When Paul comes to search for Cendrillon, the godmother wants to redo the spell that allowed Cendrillon to attend the ball in a coach and fine clothes, but the wise Cendrillon refuses. She wants Paul to love the real Cendrillon. When he sees her, he still loves her. The message about love being powerful is repeated when Paul sees Cendrillon in rags, but still loves her same as when she was dressed in a gown.

The peppering with French-Caribbean words gives the story a healthy Caribbean flavor. The glossary of these words in the back is also a nice touch. For example:

“Her sweet “Bonjou” was music.” (San Souci, 1998)

“Oh yes Nannin’!” she cried. “It is a birthday fet for Paul.” (San Souci, 1998)


The illustration of Cendrillon is stunning. The wide brushstrokes and bright colors paint a vivid image of the Caribbean Island. The characters are drawn so that they show their character and feelings to the reader. The brushstrokes have many curves that contribute to the general feeling of movement in the story. The illustration really seems to put the reader right into the Caribbean, and the story itself.


Review Excerpts:

Publishers Weekly
"The lyrical cadences of the text spattered with French and Creole words combine with the sensuous paintings to bring the tropics to life." 12/17/ 2001 Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

The above review is from Book Index with Reviews. 2007 EBSCO Publishing, Powered by The Title Source TM (Accessed through http://online.twu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_142_1 on September 19, 2007).


Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
“San Souci's retelling has a zest that gives the old familiar tale new energy. . .” by Janice M. Del Negro, (January 1999)

The above review is from Book Review Digest Plus. 2007 Wilson Web. Accessed through http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2081/hww/shared/shared_main.jhtml?_requestid=49057 on September 20, 2007).


Connections:

Some books with similar themes: The Rough-Face Girl, by Rafe Martin; Chinye: a West African Folk Tale, by Obi Onyefulu; In the Land of Small Dragon: A Vietnamese Folktale, by Ann Nolan Clark; Little Firefly: an Algonquin Legend, by Terri Cohlene; and Yeh-Shen, a Cinderella Tale from China, by Ai-Ling Louie.


Activities: This book would work well as a part of a fairytale unit, or a Cinderella variation unit. If many variations were read, then a class discussion about the similarities and differences in the books would be great. This book could also be used in a unit about the Caribbean.