Climo, S. (1996). The Irish Cinderlad. New York, NY: HarperCollins.
Brief Annotation: Young Becan has a comfortable life with his loving mother. When his mother dies, his father marries a bad-tempered woman with three ornery daughters. They do not want Becan around, and order him to take care of the cows and the mean bull. After being chased up a tree by the bull, Becan reaches down and scratches the bull behind the ear and asks for his friendship. The bull and Becan become friends, and the bull magically provides food for the underfed boy. When the stepmother learns of the friendship between Becan and the bull, she decides that she will have the bull butchered. Becan and the bull escape, but a fight with another bull ends in the bull’s death. Before dying, the bull orders Becan to take his tail. The tail helps Becan defeat a giant, and then a water dragon before it swallows up a lovely princess. After saving the princess, Becan leaves behind a boot, and a princess that is determined to find and marry her hero.
Genre: Folklore
Grade Level:1-4
Readers who will like this: Children who enjoy fairy tales and folklore, children who will appreciate a story with a boy Cinderella-type character, children who like stories with adventure and perseverance.
Response/Rating (1-4): 4. This is a welcome adaptation of the classic Cinderella story with a boy as the main character.
One question you would ask before a read aloud: What does it mean to be a hero?
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