Review by Booklist Review
Ages 4^-8. There are many variations of the Cinderella story, and this version, set on the island of Martinique, is particularly vibrant, both in its melodious language and its spirited art. Collaborators San Souci and Pinkney, whose previous books include Sukey and the Mermaid (1992), have based their story on the French Creole tale, "Cendrillon." San Souci explains in an author's note that he has expanded the story and told it from the point of view of the godmother, a washerwoman who watches out for the lovely Cendrillon after her mother dies and her father remarries. The story follows the traditional lines, but always includes its own piquant touches. Breadfruit and lizards are turned into a coach and horses; and when the ugly stepdaughter tries on the slipper, the godmother calls out, "If you cut off those big toes, it would be a perfect fit!" Pinkney's artwork, executed in his signature style, is softened here by pinks, greens, and blues evoking the warm breezes of the islands. Flowers border some of the pictures and swirls of color add texture to the backgrounds. Even the pace of the story seems slowed by the setting. Perhaps that's why Pinkney uses every opportunity to infuse his pictures with action, whether it's Cendrillon being pulled out of the party by her godmother or sweeping across a dance floor when she finally dances with her bridegroom. A vital rendition of an old favorite. --Ilene Cooper
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Of this retelling of the Cinderella tale, set on the Caribbean, PW said, "The lyrical cadences of the text spattered with French and Creole words combine with the sensuous paintings to bring the tropics to life." Ages 5-10. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-A Caribbean Cinderella story, told from the godmother's point of view and brought to life by Pinkney's distinctive scratchboard illustrations. Based on West Indian versions of the story, the narrative is full of French Creole words and phrases. It tells of a poor washerwoman who is left a magic wand by her mother and discovers its power to help her beloved goddaughter. A fruit à pain (breadfruit) is transformed into the coach; six agoutis (a kind of rodent) become the horses; and Cinderella's slippers are bright pink with roses embroidered on them. Pinkney's art perfectly conveys the lush beauty and atmosphere of the island setting, featuring vibrant peaches, lavenders, aquas, and greens against the background of the sea. Frames of native greenery, shells, exotic blossoms, and small creatures are interwoven around most of the text, integrating it with the story's scenes to excellent effect. The result is an outstanding Cinderella variant for any collection.-Judith Constantinides, East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
(Younger) An exemplary author's note reveals that this lively adaptation is based on a French Creole version of Perrault's familiar tale, ""expanded . . . considerably, drawing on details of life on the island of Martinique"" as described by Lafcadio Hearn in the 1890s as well as by more recent sources. Choosing Cendrillon's godmother (a lonely old washerwoman) as narrator provides a fine rationale for the intimate yet traditional storytelling tone that San Souci adopts here (stepmother ""Madame ProspFrine was a cold woman, and puffed-up proud because her grandfather had come from France""). The godmother witnesses the ball, since she goes along, as custom dictates, as Cendrillon's chaperone. A contemporary sensibility is also evident, though laudably unobtrusive: Cendrillon's menial labor, as well as her godmother's, is shown to have true dignity, which is especially significant since she is a black woman who is virtually enslaved; and she's drawn to the ball that's being given for Paul not because of his father's great wealth but because she knows Paul to be kind as well as handsome. Pinkney's signature multimedia art (scratchboard enhanced with paints and dyes) glows with the richly saturated colors of the Caribbean, his energetic lines and swirling draperies filling the illustrations with life while his characters' expres-sive eyes reveal their subtlest emotions. This vital, assured ""Cinderella"" deserves a place in every library. joanna rudge long (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
San Souci's retelling of the Cinderella story in a Martinique mode has music to it that cannot be denied. Cendrillon's godmother, an island washerwoman, narrates; she is no fairy, but is in possession of a mahogany wand that may be deployed on someone she loves. She enables Cendrillon to make a grand entrance to the local ball (and plays chaperon) and catch the eye of the young gentleman who is as elegant as a prince. The infatuation is instant, dances are spun, the clock strikes twelve, a slipper is lost, Cendrillon is found, wedding bells chime. Much of the pleasure of this book is in the setting and the sense that this could happen anywhere, that magic transcends time and place. Pinkney's scratchboard illustrations give the comic proportions a tangibility that leaps off the pagethe laundry snaps, the coachmen jostle with the movement of the carriage, and the stepdaughter's toes, are, indeed, sausages. (Picture book/folklore. 4-8)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
