Cinderella of the Nile

The ancient Mediterranean slave trade drives the plot of this 2,000-year-old legend retold by Naidoo. A girl named Rhodopis (Greek for "rosy-cheeked") is celebrated for her beauty, but pirates know that "a girl like this could be sold for a fat bag of silver coins." Like a river, Rhodopis's story rolls by many things: a sojourn with the owner of the legendary field slave Aesop-who tells her a fable of trees and reeds, emphasizing that because the reeds bend, they do not break-and a place with a Greek merchant who treats her like a daughter, sparking the jealousy of his Egyptian servants (three malicious sisters). From here, the parallels with "Cinderella" emerge, as a slipper stolen by Horus the falcon god unites Rhodopis and the Pharaoh. Vafaeian's richly hued and intricately detailed folk-style illustrations offer a visual counterpoint to a complex tale. Ages 7-11. (Jul.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Cinderella is an actual slave in this illustrated Egyptian version of the story.Born in Greece at a time when "pirates freely roamed the seas" and affectionately called Rhodopis, "rosy-cheeked," she is pale-skinned with long, red hair and "eyes like sapphires." One day, while herding goats, she is kidnapped by a pirate wearing what looks like a turban. She is sold on an island, where she befriends Aesop, another slave, who is depicted as a black man. Her master doesn't like her melancholy face, so he sends her down the Nile, where she is sold again, this time to a Greek merchant named Charaxos, who treats her wellwhich makes his Egyptian servants, three brown-skinned women, jealous. Through her torments, Rhodopis sings the song Aesop taught her and befriends animals as a comfort. When the pharaoh, who has brown skin, hosts a feast, the Egyptian servants arrange to go. Rhodopis is washing clothes in the river when the falcon-headed god Horus picks up one of her shoes. He delivers it to the pharaoh, who takes it as a sign and sets out to find the slender-footed owner of the slipper. Iranian artist Vafaeian's stylized illustrations successfully evoke an older, different world, with meticulously textured coloring, unusual use of size and proportion, and ancient Egyptian aesthetic. As with most fairy tales, readers may disagree over whether this version is suitable for children.A rich addition to the global fairy-tale collection. (Fairy tale. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Long, long ago when pirates freely roamed the seas around Greece, a beautiful baby girl was born in a village to the north. She had eyes like sapphires and fine red curls. The happy parents, who had waited many years for this child, called her 'Rhodopis' because her cheeks were so rosy.Rhodopis was a kind child who loved milking the goats and helping to make cheese. She collected water from the well, fed the chickens and did everything her parents asked with a smile. "You are our treasure!" they said.However, other villagers whispered that her greatest treasure was her hair, the colour of the finest sunset. As Rhodopis grew, word of her unusual beauty spread over the mountains. Her parents thought they were safe living far away from the sea but news of their red-haired daughter reached a band of pirates. A girl like this could be sold for a fat bag of silver coins.So it was that one afternoon, a bandit silently watched Rhodopis herd the family's goats up the mountain. She sang sweetly. "Hurry up, my pretty ones,no wolves are near.I'll chase them awaywith my stick here!"When Rhodopis drew near, the bandit leaped out and grabbed her. "Mama! Papa!" she cried, but the bleating of the goats drowned her voice. For days and nights, Rhodopis stumbled up and down mountain paths, bound by a rope. At the end of the fifth night, she felt her legs would give way. But just as the sun began to rise, she saw a sheet of silver stretching ahead as far as the sky on the other side. The bandit grinned. "You're going over the sea, my pretty one. If my eyes see true, that ship there comes just for you!" Excerpted from Cinderella of the Nile by Beverley Naidoo All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.