Sootface (International Literature)

Sootface, retold by Robert San Souci and illustrated by Daniel San Souci, is an Ojibwa Cinderella story. The family is composed of three sisters and their father. The two oldest sisters make their youngest sister do all of the cooking and cleaning while their father is hunting. They tease her and call her Sootface. A warrior who has the power to make himself invisible lives with his sister across the lake. As a way to find a wife, the warrior sends his sister to the village to tell the women that the one who can see her brother will marry him. The warrior knows that whoever can see him is a kind and honest person. Many women from the village, including Sootface's sisters, visit with the warrior's sister, but they are unable to tell what his bow is made from. Sootface pays a visit to the warrior's sister who makes her hair beutiful and gives her new clothes. Sootface is able to see that the bow is made from a rainbow, and she becomes the warrior's wife. This is a great book for studying international literature and other cultures. There are also important themes throughout the book that can be studied. The value of determination and a kind heart is portrayed throughout the story.