"Cendrillon" is a Caribbean Cinderella story, and it is an example of multicultural literature as well as folk literature. The story is told from the perspective of a poor washerwoman, who turns out to be the “fairy godmother.” She was given the honor of being the godmother to Cendrillon, the daughter of a sick woman that the washerwoman took care of. After the mother died, the father married a mean and snobby woman, and they soon had a baby named Vitaline. Vitaline and her mother wore nice clothes, but they made Cendrillon wear rags and do lots of chores. Cendrillon was always still cheerful, but one day, she was sad because she was not allowed to attend a ball that is being thrown for a handsome and kind man named Paul. The washerwoman helps Cendrillon go to the ball by using a mahogany wand that her mother gave her long ago. Cendrillon went to the ball in a beautiful gown and in a carriage. Paul found Cendrillon very beautiful, and they danced. However, the magic of the wand ran out at midnight, so Cendrillon and the washerwoman, who was also disguised in beautiful clothes, had to run out quickly. Cendrillon dropped one of her pink slippers. Paul went around with the slipper to find the beautiful girl, and the washerwoman took Cendrillon to Paul. At first, the washerwoman changed Cendrillon into the beautiful gown, but Cendrillon made her change her back into her rags. Paul still loved her and found her just as beautiful, and they soon got married! Overall, this book was very similar to the Disney version of Cinderella, except that the pictures showed cultural Caribbean clothing such as turbans and bracelets. Also, the fairy godmother was a poor washerwoman. Another difference was that there was only one stepsister in this story. This book was actually written by the same auther as "Little Gold Star," and I found this interesting because the books were very different! He used different plots and VERY different styles of writing to show the cultural differences in these stories.
I really enjoyed reading this story. Fairy tales are amazing to me, and this story provided a cultural perspective to the traditional story. I would definitely use this in a class with third-fifth grade students. They can read many different versions of Cinderella and then compare and contrast the stories. This can be a great way to make students pay attention to detail in order to find similarities and differences. This book can also introduce students to the Caribbean culture. The pictures and style of writing, such as certain word choices and phrases, are different than many students are used to, and it helps to bring the Caribbean culture to life. Students can learn about the Cinderella story that many children who love in the Caribbean learn about! Learning about other cultures can always help children and people of all ages to connect to people who are different from them. This book can show students how even people who live far away enjoy reading similar stories! It helps to make the world feel a little bit smaller and to bring everyone a bit closer. Perhaps students could get Pen Pals from the cultures represented in vairous Cinderella stories, and they could learn more about that culture from other children around the world!
I really enjoyed reading this story. Fairy tales are amazing to me, and this story provided a cultural perspective to the traditional story. I would definitely use this in a class with third-fifth grade students. They can read many different versions of Cinderella and then compare and contrast the stories. This can be a great way to make students pay attention to detail in order to find similarities and differences. This book can also introduce students to the Caribbean culture. The pictures and style of writing, such as certain word choices and phrases, are different than many students are used to, and it helps to bring the Caribbean culture to life. Students can learn about the Cinderella story that many children who love in the Caribbean learn about! Learning about other cultures can always help children and people of all ages to connect to people who are different from them. This book can show students how even people who live far away enjoy reading similar stories! It helps to make the world feel a little bit smaller and to bring everyone a bit closer. Perhaps students could get Pen Pals from the cultures represented in vairous Cinderella stories, and they could learn more about that culture from other children around the world!
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