Gift of the Crocodile: A Cinderella Story

\ Publishers Weekly\ - Publisher's Weekly\ Setting this colorful story in the Spice Islands, Sierra (Nursery Tales Around the World) incorporates motifs found in Cinderella folktales from various parts of the world as well as elements of Diamonds and Toads-type fables. Overworked by her conniving stepmother and stepsister, Damura one day loses her tattered sarong in the river. When a crocodile responds to her pleas for help, Damura remembers her late mother's advice to treat wild creatures with respect. She talks politely with Grandmother Crocodile, who fetches for her "a silver sarong that sparkled like the night sky." Damura's deceitful stepsister soon pretends she has lost a sarong, too, in hopes of receiving an equally lovely new one, but the crocodile gives her a sarong that turns into a filthy rag swarming with leeches. Later, when the prince invites all the young women to dance for him at the palace, the crocodile produces a sarong of pure gold for Damura, plus slippers to match. A few departures from the standard Cinderella story will keep readers on their toes. Sierra's confident delivery finds its match in Ruffins's (Running the Road to ABC) primitivist acrylic art, which captures the lush vegetation, sparkling multitoned waters and the people's patterned clothing while retaining an essential calm and spareness. Strategic use of spot art and small silhouettes in addition to full-page and full-spread compositions creates a visual syncopation. Even with an abundance of available Cinderella stories, this version is memorably vivid. Ages 4-8. (Nov.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\ \ \ \ \ Children's LiteratureIn this handsome Cinderella variant set in the Spice Islands, Damura's mother on her deathbed advises her daughter to be kind to all wild creatures. In a delightful and childlike twist, Damura is bribed with a beautiful handmade doll to plead her would-be stepmother's case to her father. When the stepmother and her daughter arrive, the work piles on and as Damura kneels by the river doing laundry, her old sarong floats away in the current and a crocodile hears her sobs of despair. In exchange for Damura's politeness and rocking her smelly and sharp-toothed baby, Grandmother Crocodile offers to retrieve the sarong but returns instead with a sparkling silver one. When the greedy sister tries the same thing, but is cruel to the baby and crisp with Grandmother, she wins a dirty leech-covered rag. A prince seeks a bride, so the silver sarong goes to the sister, but Grandmother Crocodile supplies a carriage and an outfit. The prince claims his bride with the lost slipper, but the jealous stepmother and daughter push Damura into the river where she is eaten by a crocodile. In a truly funny sequence, Grandmother confronts her river-children and a fat young crocodile owns up to his mistake, coughs, and out steps Damura. The evil-doers flee and the new princess and her family live happily ever after while the watchful eyes of the crocodiles float above the mangrove-edged water. Ruffins's handsome acrylic paintings reflect the Indonesian love of color and pattern, and the page designs vary to include bordered and unbordered illustrations and several eloquent silhouette vignettes. Sierra's telling is strong and fun to read aloud. Her inclusion of a useful author note will fascinate older readers asit suggests travel routes this Cinderella tale may have taken, acknowledges the Chinese version as the earliest written, and sorts out variations in motifs, such as slippers and helpers across cultures. Savvy listeners may also connect the good/greedy girl rewards with numerous other tales such as Steptoe's Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters (Lothrop, 1987) or Charlotte Huck's Toads and Diamonds (Greenwillow, 1996). The Philippine Rockabye Crocodile by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey (Greenwillow, 1988) for a younger audience, contains only the good sister/greedy sister segment of this story. A first rate retelling and a fine addition to the groaning shelf of Cinderella variants. 2000, Simon & Schuster, $17.00. Ages 7 to 11. Reviewer: Susan Hepler\ \ \ Children's Literature"In the Spice Islands, where clove and nutmeg trees grow" begins this Cinderella tale from Indonesia. Damura must work hard for her wicked stepmother and cruel stepsister, and sleep in the ashes. The role of fairy godmother is played by Grandmother Crocodile, who provides Damura with golden sarong, blouse, and slippers to wear to the Palace dance at which the prince will choose his bride. Of course the prince is captivated. Through her lost slipper he finds the elusive Damura and marries her. They cannot live happily ever after yet, however, for the stepmother and daughter push Damura into the river where she is swallowed by a crocodile. But Grandmother Crocodile makes sure that justice triumphs. Ruffins's highly stylized scenes convey the lushness of the setting and the animation of the people. Birds, butterflies, and the many patterned sarongs add to the appealing single and double-page scenes. Many little black-and-white vignettes help keep the visual narrative flowing. The rich patterns of Indonesia are only suggested. There are notes about both the Spice Islands and the Cinderella theme. But there is no clue as to the identification of the "lorikeet" mentioned in the text. 2000, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Ages 4 to 8, $17.00. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz\ \ \ \ \ School Library JournalK-Gr 4-A handsome Cinderella variant from the Spice Islands. Young Damura is advised by her dying mother to be kind to all wild creatures. Later on, in an interesting twist, the girl is bribed with a doll to plead her would-be stepmother's case to her father. After the marriage, she is mistreated by the woman and her daughter. She loses her old sarong while washing laundry in the river. Hearing her sobs, a crocodile offers to retrieve it if the girl will rock her baby, and returns with a silver dress. When the greedy sister tries the same thing but is cruel to the baby and crisp with Grandmother Crocodile, she wins a leech-covered rag. Years later, when a prince seeks a bride, the stepsister wears the silver dress but Grandmother Crocodile supplies Damura with the essentials. After the prince claims his bride with a lost slipper and the two are married, the jealous stepmother and her daughter push Damura into the river where she is eaten by a crocodile. In a funny sequence, Grandmother confronts her river children and a fat crocodile is forced to cough out Damura. Ruffins's handsome acrylic paintings reflect the Indonesian love of color and pattern. Page design varies to include bordered illustrations, vignettes, and several eloquent silhouettes. Sierra's retelling is strong and fun to read aloud. A useful author's note sorts out variations in motifs across cultures. A fine addition to the groaning shelf of Cinderella stories.-Susan Hepler, Burgundy Farm Country Day School, Alexandria, VA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\ \ \ \ \ Kirkus ReviewsA reptilian"fairy godmother" provides more than fine clothing for this Indonesian Cinderella. Beguiled by a widowed neighbor's gift, young Damura persuades her father to remarry. Subsequently forced into servitude, her distress draws an ancient crocodile—who, because she behaves with proper respect, not only furnishes her with lovely sarongs, but brings her back to life after her stepmother and stepsister feed her to another crocodile. Ruffins (Running the Road to ABC, 1996, Coretta Scott King Honor) sets long-limbed, colorfully clad figures into bright, open tropical settings, ably capturing Damura's sadness, her stepsister's disagreeable nature, even the crocodile's solicitude with clearly drawn expressions and body language. Sierra tells the tale simply and fluidly, closing with a note on her source (a Dutch collection of Spice Island folktales), and on Cinderella tales in general. The story itself follows a familiar track, even to the lost slipper, but the exotic setting, plus several humorous touches, set it apart from the rest of this year's crowd. (Picture book/folk tale. 6-9)\ \