Ten Cinderella Tales from Around the World

It's officially summer here in the Northern Hemisphere and we'd like to take this season to focus on folk and fairy tales (and perhaps myths and legends, too) here on Ink & Pen. So, to start things off here are ten Cinderella tales from around the world. Considering that it is widely accepted that the Cinderella tale was first recorded in China, it's surprising that multicultural versions of the story are not more popular, but thankfully there are a multitude of picture book versions from a truly diverse array of countries and cultures.

When I was a teacher, I spent an entire month exploring Cinderella tales with my students and we still didn't get through every culture's version. I found my students open to and interested in Cinderella stories from every culture. In fact, when I began reading them a Perrault version (what would be the "standard" for those of us in mainstream Western culture--except perhaps in Germany) they asked me what country the story was from, not viewing it as more original, authentic, or authoritative than any other version.

Of course, the Cinderella tale can be problematic when it comes to gender, body image, etc. I would strongly recommend that you engage any children you may be reading with in a discussion about standards of beauty as well as any other issues you may see with the tale. It's important for children to know that physical attributes are not an indicator of inner worth, and while some children will come to this conclusion on their own, it is helpful to have a trusted adult either introduce or reaffirm this notion.

I'm not including synopses for these books for though they differ widely in details, they are all versions of the same tale. Here are my top ten (in no particular order):

1. Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale


2. The Korean Cinderella


3. The Rough-Face Girl

Five Diverse Picture Books for Father's Day

This upcoming Sunday is Father's Day in the U.S. and for once I am happy to present a list of book recommendations prior to the actual day of celebration! So, here are five diverse books that celebrate fathers and explore fatherhood. All summaries in quotes from IndieBound.

When Dads Don't Grow Up
written by Marjorie Blain Parker, illustrated by R.W. Alley

"[T]his playful book follows four father-child pairs as they spend happy, silly times together, popping bubble wrap and watching cartoons and taking part in shoppingcart races. These are dads who aren't worried about looking goofy or getting their hair wet - dads who still remember what it's like to be little. Don't be fooled. They may look like grown-ups on the outside, But underneath they're just like you . . . Kids!"

A Father Like That
written by Charlotte Zolotow, illustrated by LeUyen Pham

A great choice for children who don't have their father in their lives--or expanding the horizons of children who do--this book shows all the things the little boy protagonist knows about fathers without having his own present. Though it is clear the little boy feels a void is left by his father's absence, he has a loving, supportive mother and enjoys imagining an ideal father for himself.

Five More Picture Books That Celebrate Creativity in Girls

Our previous post about books that celebrate creative girls has been so popular that we wanted to offer you more five more titles in the same vein:

Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match/Marisol McDonald No Combina
written by Monica Brown, illustrated by Sara Palacios

From her brown skin and red hair, to her penchant for wearing polka dots with stripes, people tell Marisol McDonald that she doesn't match. Marisol doesn't mind though: she likes herself the way she is, but when a friend tells her she couldn't match if she tried, Marisol decides to take up the challenge. But matching is no fun for Marisol who learns that her uniqueness is something to celebrate. Palacios's illustrations are vibrant, colorful, and fun. Includes a note on why the author created a multiracial protagonist, as well as a note on the translation. Bilingual: English/Spanish

Jingle Dancer
written by Cynthia Leitich Smith, illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright & Ying Hwa-Hu

Jenna wants to dance at the upcoming powwow, but there isn't enough time to order the tins to make her dress jingle. Undeterred, Jenna visits family members and friends considerately asking each for only enough jingles to make a row, ensuring no one dress will be silent. Each person who lends Jenna jingles can't attend the powwow and asks her to dance for them. When the day of the powwow arrives, Jenna dances beautifully to the brum, brum, brum, brum beat of the drum, for herself and for everyone that helped her, jingling all the while. Beautifully illustrated by Van Wright and Hu who showcase the diversity of skin tones found among Native American people. Includes an author's note and glossary.

Seven Folktales from Asia and the Pacific Islands

Though May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, an important part of any heritage are the stories which travel with immigrants from their native land to wherever they land. Below are six folktales in picture book form, and one collection of Aboriginal stories, from Asia and the Pacific Islands. They are all excellent tales, but due to time constraints, the summaries come from Goodreads.

As stated in a previous post, the only stories featuring Pacific Islander characters that I could find are the folktales featured here. I couldn't find any picture books that featured Pacific American characters, let alone protagonists. While this is sadly not surprising, the (seeming) complete lack of Pacific American representation is truly appalling. If you know of any good picture books (not Lilo & Stitch--though we're not making a judgement on that movie!) with Pacific Islander characters, please share them in the comments! I hope that some of you are authors and illustrators and involved in book publishing--this is clearly a problem that needs to be rectified!

Another issue I found in researching books to feature this month is that while some Asian cultures are well represented in picture books, multiple others are either underrepresented or completely neglected. I was hard pressed to find any books set in Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, or the Samoan Islands, among other countries, or books featuring Americans of those heritages. The books we feature here represent only a fraction of the diversity of Asian and Pacific Island cultures. It is my hope that in the near future we will see a better reflection of that diversity in picture books available to us.


Pig-Boy: A Trickster Tale from Hawai'i
retold and illustrated by Gerald McDermott

"Pig-Boy is hairy. Pig-Boy is dirty. Pig-Boy is hungry! And when trouble comes, he knows just what to do. (Of course, escaping trouble comes easily to a trickster, who can shape-shift his way out of sticky situations just in time!) With the tropical colors and cadences of the islands, master artist and storyteller Gerald McDermott brings irrepressible humor and energy to a Hawaiian trickster tale that's been beloved for generations. Includes an author's note."

Four Jewish Folktales in Picture Book Form

We're going to explore diverse folk and fairy tales further this summer, but here are four Jewish folktales in picture book form in honor of May being Jewish American Heritage Month!

The Wooden Sword: A Jewish Folktale from Afghanistan
retold by Ann Redisch Stampler, illustrated by Carol Liddiment

A tale about the benefits of hard work, being clever, and trusting God in difficult circumstances. Includes an author's note on the tale and the research that went into making this book.

Something from Nothing: Adapted from a Jewish Folktale
adapted and illustrated by Phoebe Gilman

A lovely story about reusing, remaking, and letting go.

Five Picture Books That Celebrate Asian American Heritage

To continue celebrating Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, here are five books that specifically celebrate Asian American heritage. Sadly, we haven't found any picture books featuring Pacific American characters, and only a few with Pacific Islander characters (they are all folktales). We'll be featuring those in a future post, but if you know of any picture books that feature Pacific American protagonists, we would really love to hear about them in the comments.

As with all our recommendations, these books are great for everyone. Reading about other cultures as well as our own enriches us all and helps create mutual understanding!
 
My Dadima Wears a Sari
written by Kashmira Sheth, illustrated by Yoshiko Jaeggi

A beautifully illustrated story of a little girl's admiration of her dadima (grandmother) and the lovely saris she wears. When the granddaughter asks her grandmother if she ever wants to wear something else, the grandmother says no and explains her love for saris. She chronicles how useful saris can be, how each one is different, and shares the special memories her saris hold. The book ends with the little girl and her sister being lovingly dressed in saris by their grandmother. Includes an author's note and "how to wrap a sari".

Tashi and the Tibetan Flower Cure
written and illustrated by Naomi C. Rose

Tashi is concerned about her grandfather who is sick. So when she remembers a story he told her of the people in his Tibetan village who used flowers to get well, she thinks she's found a solution. At first, her grandfather doesn't think the cure will work in the United States, so far from the magic of his native land, but Tashi is determined. Using acrylic paintings, Rose illustrates the healing power of a caring community. Includes short notes on Tibet, Tibetan Americans, Tibetan medicine, and Tibetan words.

Five Picture Books for Jewish American Heritage Month

May is Jewish American Heritage Month! Below are five picture books we love that celebrate Jewish American heritage:

When Jessie Came Across the Sea
written by Amy Hest and illustrated by P.J. Lynch

In this gorgeously illustrated book by one of my favorite artists, Hest tells the story of Jessie, an orphaned girl from Eastern Europe who leaves her quiet village life to journey to America. Jessie's parents died when she was a baby, so she was raised by her loving grandmother who teaches her how to make fine lace. In turn, Jessie teaches her grandmother how to read and write--knowledge she acquires from lessons with the village rabbi. When the rabbi receives a ticket to America but decides he needs to stay with his people, he chooses Jessie to go in his place. While Jessie and her grandmother are sad to be separated, they know it is a wonderful opportunity. Jessie entrusts her mother's precious wedding band to her grandmother's care and sets off for a new life. The rest of the story chronicles Jessie's life in America and correspondence with her grandmother and ends beautifully, but I don't want to spoil it for you, so you can read it for yourself to find out the rest! Winner of the Christopher Award.

Across the Alley
written by Richard Michelson, illustrated by E.B. Lewis

Abe and Willie are neighbors, but they can't play together outside. Instead, they become best friends across the alley that separates the buildings where they live. Through their windows, Willie teaches Abe how to throw a "big-league slider" and Abe teaches Willie how to play his violin. When Abe's grandpa mistakes Willie's playing for his grandson's, he decides Abe is ready to perform at the temple. One day before the recital, Abe is concentrating on practicing his wind-up and Willie is so caught up with his playing that they don't hear Grandpa come into Abe's room. What results is an opening of minds and the opportunity for each boy to do something hitherto closed to him. Lewis's lovely watercolors pair well with this story that illustrates love's power to overcome prejudice, one friendship at a time.

Five Diverse Picture Books for Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there! Here are five diverse books that celebrate mothers and mother love.

Mother's Day
written by Anne Rockwell, illustrated by Lizzy Rockwell

A wonderful book (especially for a classroom read aloud) about students in a very diverse class sharing the kind things they plan to do for their mothers for Mother's Day. The story includes instructions on making a flower with a button, paper and pipe cleaner.

Hush!: A Thai Lullaby
written by Minfong Ho, illustrated by Holly Meade

A Thai mother tells all the noisy creatures in and around her house to quiet down while her son sleeps. Winner of the Caldecott Honor.

Five Picture Books That Celebrate Jazz

April was an exciting month being National Poetry Month, Autism Awareness Month, Asperger's Awareness Month, and including Earth Day and Arbor Day. Additionally, April was also Jazz Appreciation Month. I had some difficulty acquiring the books I wanted to feature--hence this post being late--but better late than never!

Bebop Express
written by H.L. Panahi, illustrations by Steven Johnson and Lou Fancher

Fancher and Johnson's collage art portrays a racially diverse array of jazz musicians and appreciators aboard the fictional Bebop Express which travels from city to city in search of jazz. Every city has its own unique style which is expressed in words and rhythmic sounds which should make for a fun read-aloud. 

Five Fun Picture Books for Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month

It's May and that means it's Asian-Pacific Heritage Month! Of course, we celebrate everyone all year long, but we like to make a special effort to highlight specific people groups when it is their special month. We'll have lots of recommendations for you over the course of the month so be sure to stop by often.

 Big Sister, Little Sister

written and illustrated by LeUyen Pham

 

The title says it all in this hilarious book about the trials of being a little sister, narrated by Little Sister. Little Sister definitely thinks she gets the short end of the stick, getting hand-me-downs and never getting to do things first, but she still has fun being a little sister. In the end, Little Sister comes to the conclusion that though Big Sister is bossy she is a good big sister, and while she'll always be older, Little Sister will always be better at being a little sister. A laughter-filled book about sisterhood with appeal to a broad age. 

The Seven Chinese Sisters

written by Kathy Tucker, illustrated by Grace Lin

 

In this girl-centered retelling of the Chinese folktale Ten Brothers, six sisters, each different and each with their own special skill, save their youngest sister from a dragon.

For Earth Day and Arbor Day: Four Books about Wangari Maathai

In honor of Earth Day and Arbor Day (later on this week here in the U.S.), we have four recommendations for books about Wangari Maathai, the environmentalist and activist who curbed Kenyan deforestation by planting trees. For those of you unfamiliar with Maathai, here is a short summary of her life and work:

Born April 1, 1940, Wangari Maathai grew up in the central highlands of Kenya. Taught from a young age to respect trees and the world around her, she eventually moved to the U.S. to study biology in college. When she returned to Kenya as a college professor (a particularly noteworthy accomplishment for a woman at the time), Maathai found the government was allowing big foreign companies to deforest her homeland, leading to problems like soil erosion and lack of food.  Maathai took action; gathering other mothers, they began planting trees to ensure the world they passed on to their children and future generations would be a good one. In 1977, she founded the Green Belt Movement--now a worldwide movement--promoting the planting of trees, recycling, and alternative energy sources.

In 2004, at the age of 64, Wangari Maathai became the first African woman and the first environmentalist to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Until her death from ovarian cancer in 2011, Maathai was active in planting trees, sharing about the importance of preserving our environment, and promoting women's and children's rights, both in her native Kenya and abroad. These books are all great introductions to Maathai's life and work. They can be read individually, but I would recommend they be read together--perhaps over the course of a week or weekend, or sprinkled throughout a day--as they compliment each other and all tell Maathai's story from a unique vantage point. The last two books have lighter text--and so miss out on some of the important and interesting details of Maathai's life--but may be easier for younger readers (4 and younger) with shorter attention spans. All of the books include notes with additional information about Maathai's life and times.

Five Langston Hughes Picture Books

from "April Rain Song" by Langston Hughes

Our celebration of poetry continues! Here are five picture books that feature poems by Langston Hughes, one of America's great poets. Four of the books are created from a single Hughes poem, while the final book is a collection. All are beautifully illustrated and worth checking out. Enjoy!


The Negro Speaks of Rivers
poem by Langston Hughes, illustrated E.B. Lewis

*The thought of reading this book to children might make some uncomfortable given that the word "negro" is no longer socially acceptable outside of a historical context. I would encourage you to read the book anyway and to discuss the word with the children you're reading with. Sharing with children that at the time Hughes wrote this poem "negro" was an acceptable word, that has now been replaced with "Black" and "African American," will teach them not to shy away from uncomfortable words in the future, but rather to learn from them. In this way, we can all still appreciate the beauty of Hughes' poem and Lewis' art without being intimidated by a word that, in this context, is used to celebrate the beauty of the Black experience.

Article on Gender and Picture Books at A Fuse #8 Production

At the SLJ blog A Fuse #8 Production, Elizabeth Bird has posted an article entitled "Are There Any Girl Bears?": Gender and the 21st Century Picture Book. In the article, Bird examines the picture book 100 Animals on Parade by Masayuki Sebe, specifically noting the spread that asks readers if there are any girl bears. She sites the fact that the author/illustrator is pointing readers to gender markers such as bows and eyelashes and that identifying girls in such a superficial way limits girls. She also uses the example of Legos and their current strategy to color Legos marketed to girls pink and lavender--a far cry from their 1980s gender neutral marketing, seen below:

Five Picture Book Poetry Collections That Feature Diversity

There are so many wonderful diverse picture book poetry collections that it was hard to pick five to feature in this post. We'll do at least one more in celebration of April being National Poetry Month here in the U.S., but for now, here are a few that stood out to us for their inclusion of racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity:

Wing Nuts: Screwy Haiku
by Paul B. Janeczko and J. Patrick Lewis, illustrated by Tricia Tusa

This collection is a great choice for fans of humorous poets like Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky. Wing Nuts: Screwy Haiku features 23 senryū poems which are each three lines of laughs. Senryū is Japanese poetry form similar to haiku but tends to focus on the human experiences as opposed to nature, and are more humorous rather than their serious. This one is ideal for children who are old enough to appreciate puns as many of the poems require an understanding of word play. Tusa's illustrations are just as funny as the poetry and feature a wonderful array of racial diversity.

Book Recommendation: Happy International Children's Book Day!

Today is International Children's Book Day which is celebrated on Hans Christian Andersen's birthday. In honor of this day, we're recommending this lovely version of The Ugly Duckling retold and illustrated by Rachel Isadora. As you can see from the front cover below, the "Ugly Duckling" in this book is a black swan. We love that Isadora decided to include diversity, even in a book about animals. The illustrations for this book are as lovely as what we've come to expect from Isadora, and if you're at all familiar with her work, you will appreciate her ability to create beautiful art in a variety of styles and mediums.

Today is also World Autism Awareness Day and April is Autism Awareness Month, so we will try to have some recommendations on books that feature autistic characters for you soon.

Book Recommendation: On the Seventh Night of Passover

Miriam's Cup: A Passover Story
written by Fran Manushkin, illustrated by Bob Dancey

 

Book Recommendations: Happy Easter!

Hello everyone and Happy Easter! Here are two book recommendations for today's holiday:

Chicken Sunday

written and illustrated by Patricia Polacco

Book Recommendation: On the 5th Night of Passover

Okay, here is our second Passover book recommendation. This time we've got a silly one for you!

The Little Red Hen and the Passover Matzah

written by Leslie Kimmelman and illustrated by Paul Meisel

Book Recommendation: Happy First Night of Passover!

Tonight marks the first night of the Jewish holiday of Passover, or Pesach. Over the course of the eight nights of Passover, we'll be posting a few book recommendations, good for those who celebrate Passover and those who want to learn more about the holiday. Our first recommendation:

 

written by Doreen Rappaport

illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully

Five True Stories About Daring Girls and Women

Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride 

written by Pam Muñoz Ryan
illustrated by Brian Selznick

Here is the true story of the night Amelia Earhart and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt went for an unsanctioned nighttime plane ride--and all while still attired in their evening wear. Having similar courageous hearts, Roosevelt and Earhart were friends before the flight chronicled in this book. When Roosevelt heard Earhart would be in Washington D.C. to make a speech, she invited Earhart and her husband to The White House for dinner. When the dinner conversation turned to the joy of flying at night (at the time, only a few pilots--including Earhart--had attempted night flight), the two friends make a spontaneous decision to skip out on dessert in favor of a quick trip to Baltimore and back.

Ryan and Selznick celebrate the independent spirit of two of the most famous and inspiring women of their time. Selznick's illustrations are as superb as ever and capture the magic of their night flight. An author's note sifts fact from fiction.