Brief Annotation: San Souci, R. (1998). Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella. Illus. Brian Pinkney. New York, New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
Brief Annotation: This book is a version of Cinderella that takes place in the Caribbean; however, it is told from the view point of the “fairy godmother.” The godmother is Cendrillon’s true godmother and was given a magic wand by Cendrillon’s mother who died after childbirth. The godmother was only meant to use the wand for someone she loves, so when she sees how unhappy and how cruel Cendrillon is treated by her stepmother and step sister, she uses her wand to create a carriage, horses, and of course Cendrillon’s gown so Cendrillon could attend the ball. The godmother goes to the ball with Cendrillon and sees the prince fall in love with Cendrillon. The story ends the same as the traditional Cinderella, but this story is greatly told by the viewpoint of the godmother.
Genre: Folklore
Grade Level: 1-3
Readers who will like this: Readers who enjoy the story of Cinderella and who are excited or are interested in reading about a different version of Cinderella.
Response/Rating (1-4): This is a wonderful version of Cinderella, and one that I like very much as it is told not from Cinderella’s point of view, but from the godmother’s point of view. Cendrillon sees her godmother every day, respects and trusts her; she is an adamant figure in Cendrillon's life and as such, I enjoyed reading about their relationship and how the godmother wants nothing but the best for Cendrillon and is willing to help her in any way.
One question you would ask before a read aloud: Since this book is told from the view point of Cendrillon’s godmother, what would be different about this book compared to the traditional version where the view point is told from Cinderella?
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