Cinderella Stories From Around the World

Cinderella, adapted and illustrated by K.Y. Kraft, is a beautiful version of the familiar European Cinderella story.



Yeh-Shen by Ai-Ling Louie is a Chinese version of the story, more than a thousand years older than earliest known European version.  The major difference between the two is that rather than getting gifts from a fairy godmother, Yeh-Shen earns them by being kind to a magical fish.



The Golden Sandal by Rebecca Hickox is a retelling of the Iraqi Cinderella story, known in Arabic as "The Red Fish and the Clog of Gold".  As in the Chinese version, a helpful fish replaces the fairy godmother.



Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella by Robert D. San Souci is based on a version of "Cinderella" from the West Indies.  Told from the point of view of the fairy godmother, the author includes some of the original French and Creole words (with a helpful pronunciation guide in the back).



The Egyptian Cinderella by Shirley Climo is based on the oldest known version of the tale, recorded in the 1st century BCE by the Greek historian Strabo.  Rhodopis is a Greek girl enslaved in Egypt who eventually marries the Pharaoh with the help of a great falcon, a symbol of the Egyptian god Horus.



The Rough-Face Girl by Rafe Martin is based on an old Algonquin folktale.  Another good Native American version of the "Cinderella" story is Sootface, by Robert D. San Souci.



The Irish Cinderlad by Shirley Climo is based on a traditional Irish tale, "Billy Beg and His Bull".  Not only is the "fairy godmother" of this story a bull, the "Cinderella" character is a boy!



Smoky Mountain Rose: An Appalachian Cinderella by Alan Schroeder takes place in the Smoky Mountains.  The story is told in a musical Southern dialect that makes it a fun read-aloud, and the fairy godmother is a talking pig!



The Korean Cinderella by Shirley Climo is actually a combination of three different Korean versions of the story.  With the help of a frog, a sparrow, and a black ox, Pear Blossom completes her chores and makes it to the festival in time to lose her shoe.



Based on folklore from Hidalgo, Mexico, Domitila: A Cinderella Tale from the Mexican Tradition by Jewell Reinhart Coburn is less a magical fairy tale than a story passed down through the Rivero family about a young commoner who captures the heart of the governor's son.



Based on one of Scheherazade's tales from the Thousand and One Nights, The Persian Cinderella by Shirley Climo has all the familiar elements of the "Cinderella" story, but this particular version doesn't end when the lovely Sattareh wins the heart of the prince - in fact, her troubles are just beginning!



Abadeha: The Philippine Cinderella by Myrna J. de la Paz, based on a native Filipino legend, features the Spirit of the Forest as the story's "fairy godmother".



Jouanah: A Hmong Cinderella by Jewell R. Coburn is one of the more interesting versions of the "Cinderella" story, in my opinion.  Set in a Hmong village in Laos, young Jouanah finds herself with a nasty new stepmother not because her biological mother has died, but because she has voluntarily been turned into a cow for the good of her family. 



The Orphan: A Cinderella Story from Greece by Anthony Manna is a fun version for read-alouds, with a repetitive, rhyming refrain.  Rather than a fairy godmother, the young girl receives gifts from Nature, such as a beautiful pair of blue shoes from the Sea.  The child's mother also continues to give her guidance from beyond the grave.



Anklet for a Princess: A Cinderella Story from India by Meredith Babeaux Brucker is based on Nagami ("Jewel of the Snake"), a story from East India about a a young girl subject to the cruel whims of her stepmother, but who finds her happy ending with the help of Godfather Snake.



The Gift of the Crocodile: An original Cinderella tale set in the Spice Islands of Indonesia, Judy Sierra's story reminds readers to be kind to all creatures, casting a sympathetic crocodile in the role of the Fairy Godmother.  For families studying Christopher Columbus, it will be interesting for children to know that the Spice Islands (or Moluccas) were the intended destination when Columbus accidentally discovered the New World.



The first English translation of an ancient Cambodian tale unearthed from an 18th century French essay on Khmer culture, Angkat: The Cambodian Cinderella is a beautiful if somewhat disturbing version of the fairy tale.  While the authenticity must be appreciated, parents of young children should be aware that Angkat, the young heroine, is actually murdered by her father, stepmother, and stepsister and must be raised from the dead by the story's fairy godmother, the "Spirit of Virtue".

Best for younger children due to the story's simplicity, Chinye is a beautifully illustrated story from West Africa.  When the mistreated Chinye brings a gourd brimming with riches back from the forest, she shares the wealth with her entire village.  The story emphasizes the importance of being a good citizen and responsible member of one's community.



The Way Meat Loves Salt: A Cinderella Tale from the Jewish Tradition is a combination of the Cinderella story and Shakespeare's King Lear, set in Poland.  The fairy godmother character turns out to be the prophet Elijah, who presents young Mireleh with a magic stick after she is banished from her father's home for saying she loves him "the way meat loves salt".  In place of a ball, there is a wedding, and of course a happy ending!



John Steptoe's Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters is a wonderful African version of the Cinderella story, but it is his stunning illustrations that really take the book to the next level.  The Zimbabwe region is brought to life in beautiful detail, and I highly recommend the book for children with an interest in Africa, or to anyone who simply enjoys a great fairy tale!