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 WONDERFUL REWRITE AND WONDERFUL ART. KIDS LOVE IT!
This is one of my favorites when reading to a group of children. The story on Cinderella is rather timeless, having appeared first several hundred years ago in China. (No folks, it did not actually start with Perrault..sorry). Quite a few cultures have similar stories and there have been many version produced throughout the years. As a matter of fact, over the past twelve years are so, writing updated versions of this tale has become almost a cottage industry for the writers of children's books. This, in my opinion, is one of the best.
The setting of this particular Cinderella is the Smokey Mountain region of the Appalachian Mountains. The time is probably at around the turn of the century, although it is difficult to tell. The story follows the original tale pretty well, although there are some wonderful changes the writer and artist have made. Characters such as a "pig that knew some magic" in place of a Good Fairy, is an absolute delight.We of course know the end of the story, but that does not matter. Getting there is 90 percent of the fun. Now I will warn you, before you read this one to the kids, be sure you brush up on your Southern Appalachian dialect, as the entire charm of the story rests on this. To be quite frank, the kids will be delighted and so will you. Now before some of you go off the deep end, as one reviewer did here, and start yelling "stereotyping" and accusing the authors of "putting down" a group of people, travel through this geographical region. Better yet, talk to people who have traveled there fifty years or more ago. There is nothing wrong with the use of this dialect. It is simply the way a certain group of people spoke at a certain period in our time. I would suspect that most people who are really from this area of the country i.e. the Appalachians, are rather proud of their particular dialect, much as we are here is Southern Missouri, and that most of they are saddened to see it quickly becoming lost. It is a very deep part of our heritage. The author has done a very nice job of helping preserve this rich speaking tradition and we should be grateful for that.
As to the art work...I strongly suspect that the artist has been strongly influenced by Thomas Hart Benton. This, for me anyway, is a good thing, as Benton is one of my favorite American Artists. The Artist, Brad Sneed has captured the mood of the story perfectly with his rawboned, angular figures. I could set and look at these pictures for hours, and to be honest, would love to be able to afford an original to hang in my house. The paintings go perfectly with the story, same mood and same effortless flow. I love it.
Overall, if you want a great read for the kids, can stand looking at some great art while you are reading, then I highly recommend this work. It has been around a few years, and lets hope it stays for quite a few more.
I'm Reconsidering My Review Now
I laughed so hard when I read this book to my sons that I actually had tears in my eyes. I think they got more of a kick out of seeing how much I enjoyed the dialogue and pictures than anything else. After reading the review titled "Think twice", however, I have to admit that I feel a little chagrined. I come from a group of people that is very misunderstood (i.e. Muslims) and I am sorry to see that I fell into the trap of laughing at "stereotypes" without thinking twice about the offense that might be caused as a result. I thought I was more evolved than that. My bad.
Down Right Purdy!
I thought this was a beautiful Americanized version of Perrault's "Cendrillon". Unlike another reveiwer, I was not at all offended and thought this was a charming tale. The author's interpretation of a down-home style Cinderella story was right on target. I loved the idea of the hog replacing a fairy god mother! A fun read!
 Think Twice
This book is a mockery of Southern Appalachian people. Not only is the dialect incorrectly conveyed, but the pictures are demeaning as well. Mr. Schroeder, a native Californian, obviously made little (if any) attempt to get to know the group about whom he writes.
A Truely Wonderful Story
This book has a storyline much like the traditional Cinderella. It features Appalachian dialect which is remarkable. This story is an added bonus to any fairy tale unit and an excellent reading experience.
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