Traditional Literature: CINDY ELLEN

Bibliography
Lowell, Susan. 2000. CINDY ELLEN: A WILD WESTERN CINDERELLA. By: Jane Manning. Joanna Cotler Books. New York, New York. ISBN 0060274476

Plot Summary
This book is a remake of the classic fairy tale CINDERELLA. In this story Cindy Ellen is a cowgirl that is trying to impress a rich rancher’s son by riding in a rodeo. Cindy Ellen loses one of her diamond spurs at the square dance and Joe Prince comes looking for her.

Critical Analysis
CINDY ELLEN is a catchy story with its western twang. Susan Lowell captures the cowgirl spirit in this classic story. Most will feel as though they have read this story before but will laugh out loud at the twists and turns in this story. The watercolor illustrations are realistic and vivid. I love that Jane Manning illustrated Cindy Ellen to blend in with the desert background in the beginning and then makes her jump off the page every time the fairy godmother pays her a visit.

Review Excerpt(s)
Publishers Weekly: “Savory slang adds punch to this tale…”
Publisher’s Weekly: “Illustrations lush with cactus-flower colors and pale maize gold enhance this rawhide-and-lace fantasy”
Booklist: “The smooth, hard-edged illustrations lack personality, despite Cindy Ellen's many freckles; the fairy godmother has the most spirit, in her huge sombrero and red-fringed gloves.”

Connections
*This book could easily be compared and contrasted with the original Cinderella story.
*This book could be used in a thematic unit of Cinderella stories. A great activity would be to map the different versions of Cinderella.
*CINDY ELLEN is good for sequencing events in a story.
Sanderson, Ruth. CINDERELLA. ISBN 0316779652
Daly, Jude. FAIR, BROWN AND TREMBLING: AN IRISH CINDERELLA STORY. ISBN 0374322473
Louie, Ai-Ling. YEH-SHEN: A CINDERELLA STORY FROM CHINA. (illustrated by Ed Young) ISBN 039920900X
Rebecca, Hickox. THE GOLDEN SANDAL:A MIDDLE EASTERN CINDERELLA STORY. ISBN 0823413314
Han, Oki S. Plunkett, Stephanie Haboush. KONGI AND POTGI: A CINDERELLA STORY FROM KOREA. ISBN 0803715722
San Souci, Robert D. CENDRILLON: A CARRIBEAN CINDERELLA. ISBN 068980668X