Cendrillon (Traditional or Folk Literature)

Cendrillon, written by Robert San Souci and illustrated by Brian Pinkney, is a great example of international fiction literature. It is a Caribbean version of the popular fairy tale Cinderella. The story is told from the perspective of Cendrillon's godmother who works as a washerwoman. Cendrillon's mother dies when Cendrillon is very young, and her father remarries. Her step-mother and half-sisters are very cruel to her, and treat her as a servant. As a result, Cendrillon and her godmother spend lots of time working side by side. There is a ball one evening that Cendrillon is not invited to attend. After she helps her sisters and step-mother get ready, Godmother pulls out a magic wand given to her by her own mother many years ago. This wand has the ability to change things into something else for a short amount of time. She uses this wand to dress Cendrillon in a beutiful dress and create a horse-drawn carriage. At the dance, Cendrillon dances with Paul, a prominent young man. As the power from the wand wears off, Cendrillon must rush out of the mansion leaving behind a shoe. Paul uses this shoe to attempt to find the girl he danced with. Each of the sisters tries on the shoe, but it fits only Cendrillon. They fall in love and wed with a typical "happily ever after." This story would be great for the classroom. Not only is it an example of international literature, it is also a great tool for studying other cultures. Teachers and students can use this story to discuss similarities and differences in cultures by comparing and contrasting this version of Cinderella to the American version.