Cinderella Stories From Around the World
Mexico
Domitila: A Cinderella Tale from the Mexican Tradition
Jewell R. Coburn/Connie McLennan
A strong family tradition and her mother’s nurturing helps Domitila rise above hardship to eventually marry the Governor.
Adelita: a Mexican Cinderella Story
Tomie dePaola
Adelita is a wonderfully original Cinderella story with warm Mexican colors and designs. It is a colorful rebozo, shawl that disguises Adelita. Incorporates simple Spanish words and comes with glossary of phrases with pronunciations.
Little Gold Star: A Spanish American Cinderella Tale
Robert San Souci/Sergio Martinez
Blessed Mary touches Teresa’s forehead with her finger, and a beautiful gold star appears. With this blessings will she be able to win the heart of the handsome and wealthy Don Miguel?
Little Gold Star: A Cinderella Story
Tomie dePaolo
Arcia and her wicked stepsisters encounter a magical hawk. When Arcia is kind to the bird when is awarded with a little gold star on her forehead: but when her spiteful sisters try the same, they end up with donkey ears and cow horns.
Caribbean
Cendrillon:
A Caribbean Cinderella
Robert San Souci/Brian Pinkney
Told from the godmother’s point of view, it is based on the French Creole tale, set in Martinique. Features French Creole Words and Phrases.
United States
Smoky Mountain Rose: An Appalachian Cinderella
Alan Schroeder/Brad Sneed
Set in the Smoky Mountains Rose loses her glass slipper at a party given by the rich feller on the other side of the creek. The hog acts as the fairy godmother in this version.
Cendrillon: A Cajun Cinderella
Sheila Hebert Collins/Patrick Soper
Set in New Orleans and filled with Cajun-French words and phrases, the story reveals how Cendrillon meets her prince. Average illustrations.
Middle East
The Persian Cinderella
Shirley Climo
Settareh is not allowed to go to the royal New Year’s celebrations. With the help of a mysterious jug, she is able to go to the palace and meet her prince.
The Golden Sandal – Middle East
Rebecca Hickox
An enchanting Iraqi version about a beautiful young girl ill-treated by her stepmother and stepsister while her father is away fishing. After she saves a magical red fish the fish helps her attend a henna party of the bride-to be dressed in a fine gown and sandals.
Native American
Naya – the Inuit Cinderella
Brittany Marceau-Chenkie/Shelley Brooks
In this Cinderella story from the far North, an Inuit girl lives a traditional life with her grandfather. She needs time to finish her traditional leather clothing in order to attend the Community Feast, but her grandfather needs her for the hunt. Where will help come
from?
Sootface: An Ojibwa Cinderella Story
Robert San Souci/Daniel San Souci
Sootface is mistreated by her two older sisters who are lazy. Then a mighty warrior who can be invisible announces that he will marry the woman who can see him. Despite mockery, Sootface sets off to try her luck, never once looking back.
Turkey Girl: A Zuni Cinderella Story
Penny Pollock/ Ed Young
In this variant of the familiar story, some turkeys make a doeskin dress for the poor girl who tends them so that she can participate in a sacred dance, but they desert her when she fails to return as promised.
The Rough-Face Girl
Rafe Martin/ David Shannon
In this Algonquin Indian version of the Cinderella story, the rough-Face Girl and her two beautiful, but heartless sisters compete for the affections of the Invisible Being.
European
Fair, Brown and Trembling: An Irish Cinderella Story
Jude Daly
Trembling, youngest of the three daughters, is rescued from drudgery by an old henwife as a fairy god mother, who gives her splendid clothes and a milk-white horse to carry her to church-not the palace ball.
Baba Yaga & Vasilisa the Brave- Russian Cinderella
Marianna Mayer/KY Craft
Vasilisa, with the help and protection of her doll, is able to overcome her ill fate and marry the Tsar. Exquisitely illustrated.
Cinderella – European
Charles Perrault/LKoopmans
This Perrault’s classic tale is still timeless today.
Cinderella, cruelly mistreated by her evil stepmother and stepsisters, is helped by her magical fairy godmother, who sends her off to a ball to win the heart of a handsome prince.
The Irish Cinderlad
Shirley Climo/L Krupinski
Becan, a poor boy belittled by his stepmother and stepsisters, rescues a princess in distress after meeting a magical bull.
Cinderella/Coincidental
Francesca Boada/ Monse Fransoy
Perrault’s familiar Cinderella’s story is retold in both Spanish and English. The dual-language text make this book a useful and beautiful addition to both home and classroom libraries.
Africa
Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale Caldecott Honor Book
John Steptoe
Mufaro’s two beautiful daughters one bad tempered, one kind and sweet, go before the King who is choosing a wife. The names of the characters are from the Shona language of Africa. Truly beautiful.
The Egyptian Cinderella
Shirley Climo/Ruth Heller
Rhodopis, a slave girl eventually comes to be chosen by the Pharaoh to be his queen. This is a retelling of an ancient Egyptian legend that mixes fact and fable and brings the age of the pharaohs back to life.
Jewish
Raisel’s Riddle
Erica Silverman/Susan Gaber
What’s more precious that rubies, more lasting than gold? Raisel knows. Despite the jealous cook’s cruelty, she rises above adversity and her intelligence shines through. In this Jewish version, our Cinderella is a heroine for who knowledge is essential to happiness as love.
The Way Meat Loves Salt: A Cinderella Tale from the Jewish Tradition
Nina Jaffe/Louise August
The youngest daughter of a rabbi is sent away from home in disgrace, but thanks to the help of the prophet Elijah, she marries the son of a renowned scholar and is reunited with her family.
Asia
The Enchanted Anklet: From India
Strikingly presented in the East Indian fashion of saris, golden anklets, goddess festival and Godfather Snake with his magic jewel. Rewritten by an Indian Canadian, this Cinderella story has a western touch.
Anklet for a Princess: India
Lila Mehta
An updated version of Enchanted Anklet. New illustration highlights the original East Indian version of the Cinderella, Cinduri’s transformation.
The Gift of the Crocodile – Indonesia
Judy Sierra. Illus. by R. Ruffins
Damura is forced into slavery by her stepmother. A friendly crocodile is the godmother who provides the clothes and carriage needed to attend the Island Prince’s banquet where she looses her slipper.
Abadeha: The Philippine Cinderella
Myrna de la Paz/ Youshan Tang
Abadeha is young girl who is forced to perform impossible tasks by her mean-spirited stepmother. Only the Sprit of the Forest and her magic can help Abadeha find her prince. Colorful images of pre-colonial Philippine scenes, costumes, architecture, and folkways vividly enhances the enchanting story.
Angkat: The Cambodian Cinderella
The first English retelling of this ancient tale.
Angkat – our child of ashes endures great wrongs as she seek to rise above distresses caused by her own family. This heroine not only rises above these wrongs but also must conquer her own mortality to regain her rightful place.
Si Mariang Alimango: Filipino Cinderella
In this flavorful Cinderella, the fairy godmother takes the form of a crab. Besides providing a meal for the family, the crab also rescues Maria by giving her clothes and a carriage to go to the ball.
Yeh-Shen – The Original Cinderella
Ai-Ling Louie: Ill. Ed Young
A young Chinese girl overcomes the wickedness of her stepsister and stepmother to become the bride of a prince. The story is believed to be at least 1,000 years older than the earliest known Western version.
Jouanan—Hmong
The lovely Jouanah is abused by her cruel stepmother. Through a cow, the spirit of her dead mother takes care of her by giving her pretty clothes to wear to the festival where she meets a handsome young man. A true classic from the Hmong of Laos.
Cinder Edna
Ellen Jackson
Cinderella and cinder Edna, who live with cruel stepmothers and stepsister, have different approaches to like and, although each ends up with the prince of her dreams one is great deal happier that the other.
Sumorella: Hawai’i Cinderella Story
Sandi Takanyama/Esther Szegedy
A “mango boy” dreams of becoming a Sumotori and he knows he could be one it he had the chance. Be prepared for hilarious surprises as read this delightful Hawai’i style Cinderella story. Hawaiian dialect is an integral part of the story and comes with a glossary.
Cinderella’s Dress
Nancy Willard illus Jane Dyer
Two magpies befriend Cinderella and help create her dress. They have to decide who will make it, how will it be made and what kind of gown it will be.
Teacher Resources
The Oryx Multicultural Folktales Series: Cinderella
A Cinderella collection created by experts in folk literature, story telling and education.
Features 25 Cinderella stories form around the world, fascinating background material, and high-interest activities.
In Search of Cinderella
K. Goodwin
Twelve Cinderella stories from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Middle East are summarized and worked into lesson for the middle and upper grades. Features a review, and vocabulary.
Teaching With Cinderella Stories From Around the World (Grades 1-3)
Kathleen Hollenbech
Read, discuss, and enjoy the wonderful, diverse worlds of Cinderella! Capture the magic with this rich collection of activities based on 10 version from China, South Africa, Ireland, the Caribbean, and beyond. Engaging activities and reproducibles help children compare the stories and learn about different cultures.
Eight Cinderellas
Learn about the culture and customs of 8 nations with the Cinderella theme. Students can learn different through various activities. Discusses stories from China, Korea, Egypt, Germany, Native American culture, Africa, Russia and Great Britain. Stories not included. For teachers.