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TRADITIONAL LITERATURE REVIEWS |
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YEH-SHEN: A CINDERELLA STORY FROM CHINA
Retold by Ai-Ling Louie |
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ALA Notable Children's Book
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
IRA Children's Choice
IRA Teachers' Choice |
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But fate was not so gentle with her stepmother and stepsister. Since they had been unkind to his beloved, the king would not permit Yeh-Shen to bring them to his palace. They remained in their cave home, where one day, it is said, they were crushed to death in a shower of flying stones. |
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Louie, Ai-Ling. 1982. Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella Story from China. Illustrated by Ed Young. New York : Philomel Books. ISBN: 0-399-20900-X |
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If you love Cinderella, you have to meet Yeh-Shen. Yeh-Shen is a beautiful little orphan girl with a kind heart and a gentle spirit. She lives with her jealous stepmother and ugly stepsister. Yeh-Shen’s stepmother gives her the most unpleasant chores and kills her beautiful fish friend. An old spirit instructs Yeh-Shen to gather the bones of her fish because they are magical. The bones fulfill her modest demands and when festival time arrives, dress her in a beautiful gown of azure blue. She turns many heads at the party but she loses one of her golden slippers in her haste to return home. The king of the island places the slipper in a pavilion by the side of the road. Yeh-Shen arrives in the middle of the night, takes the shoe, and returns home. The king follows her, and asks her to try on the slippers. They fit, she marries the king, and her stepmother and stepsister are crushed to death in a shower of flying stones.
Yeh-Shen, A Cinderella Story from China is a simple, yet beautiful, and compelling tale. Set in China a long, long time ago, the plot moves quickly and several motifs are incorporated. Yeh-Shen is transformed twice, she uses magical fish bones, and she gets a visit from an old spirit. Yeh-Shen suffers horribly, she is rewarded for her sacrifice, and her stepfamily is punished harshly for their cruelty. The soft watercolor illustrations help the story flow from page to page. Evil is conquered and all is well in the world. Every child that loves the European or Walt Disney version of Cinderella must meet Yeh-Shen. They will soon become life-long friends. |
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What the Critics Have to Say...
A misty dreamlike air. A worthwhile addition to picture-book collections.- Booklist |
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IN A DARK, DARK ROOM AND OTHER SCARY STORIES
Retold By Alvin Schwartz
ALA Notable Children's Book |
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Have you seen the ghost of John? Long white bones and the flesh all g-o-n-e? Ooooooooh! Wouldn't it be chilly with no skin o-n? |
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Schwartz, Alvin. 1984. In a Dark, Dark Room And Other Scary Stories. Illustrated by Dirk Zimmer. New York: Harper & Row. ISBN: 0-06-025271-5 |
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Do you like feeling scared? Alvin Schwartz thinks you do and he has gathered seven scary folktales from around the world that will have you running for Momma! You will read about teeth growing bigger as the night gets darker. A few corpses will rise and talk in a graveyard. You will see a gruesome head roll and an ugly ghost fly. You will meet a dead boy on a rainy night, a scary pirate ghost, and the chilly ghost of John.
In A Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories is an awesome assemblage of folktales for young children. Children will be drawn to the book because of Zimmer’s spooky illustrations of realistic settings and mystical creatures. Schwartz does an excellent job retelling the stories in this “I Can Read” book. The stories are just scary enough and just real enough to please both parents and children. Conclusions are reached quickly and repetition is used effectively. In The Teeth, the story repeats itself each time the young boy encounters someone new and In The Graveyard, “Ooooh!” is repeated after every sentence. This is an excellent book to introduce young children to traditional literature. Just keep the lights on! |
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What The Critics Have to Say....
Now all second graders have their own collection of spooky stories--seven traditional tales retold in simple language. . . . The colorfully dark illustrations add a comic touch. Not a ghost of a chance of keeping this one on the shelves.- School Library Journal |
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THE FROG PRINCE, CONTINUED
By Jon Scieszka |
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First you keep me awake all night with your horrible, croaking snore. Now I find a lily pad in your pocket. I can't believe I actually kissed your slimy frog lips. Sometimes I think we would both be better off if you were still a frog. |
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Scieszka, Jon. 1991. The Frog Prince, Continued. Illustrated by Steve Johnson. New York: Viking. ISBN: 0-670-83421-1 |
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You think you know but you don’t know! They did not live happily ever after! The prince and the princess actually hate each other. Well, that is what Mr. Jon Scieszka wants us to believe. His book, The Frog Prince, Continued tells the story after the story. The princess is fed up with the prince. He hops on the furniture and grabs flies with his tongue. Thinking he would be better off with the way things were before the wedding, the prince leaves the castle in search of a witch who can turn him back into a frog He meets several wicked witches on his journey but they have other things in mind for the prince. He runs from them all and encounters The Fairy Godmother. She turns him into a frog carriage and the prince soon realizes how blessed he was. The clock strikes midnight and the prince is turned back into his former self. He returns home, kisses the princess and they turn into frogs. This time they hop off happily ever after!
Scieszka is a master at twisting traditional folktales. This book is no exception. Readers are given a brief glimpse of life after the fairy-tale marriage, and they will learn a valuable lesson from the royal couple. The plot moves quickly, the illustrations are delightful and evil witches from other folktales repeatedly show up along the way to provide plenty of comic relief. The prince encounters obstacles, and learns to be grateful for all he has been given. This book ends happily and is a wonderful book to read aloud. Reluctant readers will not be able to keep their hands off this one! |
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What the Critics Have to Say...
It's an entertaining effort-- just not up to that superlative first book.- Kirkus Reviews
A hilarious sequel to the popular fairy tale continues the adventures of the prince as he unhappily copes with the realities of being human once more, until, tired of it all, he sets out to find a witch who can turn him back into a frog. - Ingram |
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