<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: A beautifully illustrated book with authentic Korean details
Review: A delightful retelling of a story that is found in many cultures. This book is beautifully illustrated with examples of traditional Korean architecture and clothing.
Rating: 
Summary: A decent story with somewhat offensive illustrations
Review: On one level I enjoyed this picture book-- the story is engaging, the illustrations are rich, vibrant, and seem to jump off the page, and it's apparent that the author did some research before writing this book. However, on another level, I was offended by the subtle racist undertones of one Westerner's portrayal of an "ethnic" Cinderella story. The feel of the story is "exotic"-- indeed, the story begins: "Long ago in Korea, when magical creatures were as common as cabbages..." (The exotic East as seen through the eyes of the West-- and so the story continues.)
The illustrations, while they try to be faithful to the feel of traditional Korea, also exude a subtle racist undertone-- the illustrator clearly does not know how to draw Asian faces. The facial features are distorted and the eyes are too slanted. The illustrator drew from her perception of what Asian faces should look like-- yellow skin, slanted eyes-- and exaggerated these features. I'd rather read a Korean Cinderella story written and illustrated by a Korean writer and illustrator. As a sidenote-- Shirley Climo and Ruth Heller have also written/illustrated an Egyptian Cinderella. I have many of the same complaints with this story as well. Once again, there are racist undertones in both the story and the illustrations. As a second sidenote-- if you're looking for an "ethnic" Cinderella story, _Yen-Shen: A Cinderella Story from China_ is excellent. It is a retelling of the first recorded Cinderella story (written some time during 618-907 AD). Thus, as the forward states: "Cinderella seems to have made her way to Europe from Asia."
Rating: 
Summary: A Longer Cinderella
Review: This is one of the longest text versions of the Cinderella story I have ever come across. It is a wonderful telling of the tale, and works nicely to illustrate how this tale is part of many cultures the world over. I can't speak to the accuracy of the details of Korean culture, but the artwork is fascinating. Due to length of the story, however, I tend to wonder how well it would hold younger children's attention. It works well, though, for illustrating cultural difference to college students.
<< 1 >>
| 
