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The Persian Cinderella Review
01-02 TX Bluebonnet Award Masterlist User Submitted The Persian Cinderella ReviewsApril 30, 2008 great this was a great story! and according to the back of the book, is the story 'the anklet' from the arabian nights. i thought it was very well told. i didn't really like the pictures though. they kind of look like figures posing instead of characters in the story, and there are noticable outlines around the people so as to make you think they're cut outs, or are not a part of the scenery they're presented in. the over posy-ness and the not fitting into the background kind of reminds me of cheesy picture books i read from the 80's. now these pictures aren't as bad as those, but the way they are presented are reminiscent of that... style. for this reason i didn't give it a 5, but i still like the book and think it's worth reading as the storytelling was well done. February 25, 2008 A blue pot, jasmine, a new costume, an anklet, and a prince The current trend in fairy tales is to publish as many versions as exist. Whatever the country of origin, the central plot in Cinderella is the same: one girl is somehow on the edge of family with a stepmother and sisters, the magical gain of clothing for the festival, a prince, lost footwear, and a reunion of Cinderella and the prince for a happily ever after. What sets apart "The Persian Cinderella" is its magnificent illustrations, as can be ascertained by examining the cover of the book. What really impresses me with the artwork is this statement by illustrator Robert Florczak: "All costumes, architecture, props, designs, color schemes, landscapes, flora and fauna are based on authentic ancient Persia" (last page, unnumbered). Shirley Climo explains that the story comes from "The Arabian Nights" and uses authentic Persian elements: setting--the No Ruz, or New Day of both ancient Persian and today's Iran, Settarch as a popular name for this Persian Cinderella even today, and the Prince's name which means "one who shows compassion." There is also a pari, or fairy, which in this story is invisible, then takes the form of a bird--sort of. I mention the background of the book because of negative reviews on the product page about Persian customs being inaccurately portrayed. I am guessing what is missing is the chador. Imagine depicting those in children's books in America? They would be too frightening. What fairy tale tells the whole truth anyway? There must be elements of magic and possibilities. There are little girls in my school (I am the librarian) who love fairy tales. They will check out the same ones over and over. I would like to tell them these stories won't happen, endings in life are not always happy, read something else. Of course, I don't. Let them have their magic, their happy-ever-after. That is certainly what happens in "The Persian Cinderella." This book is highly recommended for addition to home or school libraries for its sheer beauty and interesting variations of a familiar story. May 1, 2007 Lovely Story This is a charming story and gets two thumbs up from both of my daughters. The illustrations are reasonably good and I recommend the book. There were however, two small typos which I hope the Author will correct: The Wedding ceremony is referred to as the "Agha" instead of Aghd" and the Persian Gulf is referred to as Persian Sea. March 22, 2007 The Persian Cinderella Well-told version of the Cinderella tale from a different perspective with good illustrations January 15, 2007 Offensive to Persian culture.... I bought this book to introduce my niece to some of her auntie's Persian culture. When her mom called me to tell me about the book, I was disgusted by what she had to say. This book re-enforces horrid Persian stereotypes and does nothing positive for Persian culture. This book is offensive and I regret buying it for my niece. Shame. August 22, 2005 relating to the book I think I am going to read it to my students and my niece. December 17, 2001 A Story of Enchantment I loved this book. And better yet, my 5 year old daughter sat spell-bound, her face inches from the pages, as I read this to her. As I finished the last page, she said, "Let's read it again!" Especially wonderful if, like my daughter, your child is of Iranian heritage. The illustrations are gorgeous and the story magical. August 29, 2000 Stunning The Persian Cinderella is a welcome addition to this classic"rags to riches" tale. Most impressive are Florczak's paintings which absolutely leap off the page (...there are no photographs in this book, Florczak's painings are simply so detailed and lifelike that they are occasionally mistaken for photography). I cannot recommend this book more highly. END August 29, 2000 Stunning The Persian Cinderella is a welcome addition to this classic "rags to riches" tale. Most impressive are Florczak's paintings which absolutely leap off the page (contrary to Mr. March, there are no photographs in this book, Florczak's painings are simply so detailed and lifelike that they are occasionally mistaken for photography). I cannot recommend this book more highly. June 14, 2000 A little bit of Scheherazade in Disney's Cinderella What attracted me most to this book was the clever combination of pictures and paintings. Mr. Florczak seems to have combined Persian models and some photographs, then added his own magic touch to create such beutiful images that are feast for the eyes. As an educator, I know that many people associate Cinderella with Walt Disney--not Brothers Grimm. Ms. Climo shows us the rags to riches of the same characters in different cultures. This one is particulrly fascinating because the story does not end as we are accustomed to presume. Yes the girl gets to see her prince at the New Year party but as we know Scheherazade's stories are filled with twist and turns of events like the designs on a Persian carpet. Ms. Climo's art is to tell the story as a native. Here she is the Scheherazade. The Persian Cinderella is fun for those kids who already know the Disney's version. The story goes beyond the Ball. I liked the Korean Cinderella too. Ms. Climo is as articulate as a Korean grandma and we are little kids too fascinated by the tale to care for a rice cake. I think the Persian Cinderella is a wonderful read, and since it's produced so beautifully, it's a great gift for any kid ages 2 to 92.
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