Robert D. Souci-
Author. David Catrow- Illustrator. San Diego: Silver Whistle/Harcourt, 2000. 32
pages. ISBN: 978-0152050696.
Author website: http://www.rsansouci.com/
Ilustrator website: http://www.catrow.com/
Media: Pencil and watercolor.
Genre: Fairytale/ folklore, Halloween
Annotation
A retelling of the classic fairytale, Cinderella, told in a rhyming macabre
verse, with characters that are ghoulish skeletons, and is set in a graveyard. In
this story, however, Cinderella Skeleton loses more than her shoe.
My thoughts
Cinderella Skeleton is another retelling of the timeless
fairytale with a touch of Tim Burtonesque dark humor that should draw giggles out
of unexpecting audiences. Cinderella, as most expecting audiences know, is
traditionally a story of unjust oppression and triumphant reward. There are
thousands of Cinderella stories adding up to millions of words that generally
fall into these same concepts and storyline. Cinderella is bullied by her
stepsisters and mother, finds escape in a ball thrown by the Prince, also finds
love in the ball, loses love, she finds love again, and then the happy ending.
The words for
most Cinderella stories stay mostly the same. Except for the words in Cinderella Skeleton. This poetic rhyming
book is very different than other versions of Cinderella. Through rhyme,
alliteration, and its ghoulish concept, Robert D. San Souci makes this a unique
and cleverly written tale that becomes more about the experience of the
language rather than Cinderella’s standardized plight. Examples of alliteration
in this story are “decayed decrepit/ withered wreath/ common clay/ pursuing
prince/ witch’s warning/ burnished bones.”
In addition, this storyline and setting is completely displaced from
the ordinary and usual version because of the unique slant. This is a story of
the undead dead and takes place in a graveyard and its mausoleums. In contrast
to the traditional character, this Cinderella “hung up cobwebs everyplace,
arranged dead flowers in a vase, littering the floor with dust and leaves, fed
the bats beneath the eaves: she shad no time for rest or fun.”
Contributing to the text are David Catrow’s spooky illustrations that
compliment the lushness of the language. The skeleton stepmother is adorned is
a lush fur collared dress while the stepsisters are more skeleton’s do fou-fou.
Color schemes suggest the sunset, night, or sunrise with the exception of a bright
yellow spread dedicated to the moment of Cinderella’s first connection with
Prince Charnel. They add just the right amount of spooky creepy to keep the
book light and humorous.
The challenging vocabulary, complex rhyme scheme, and the macabre
theme made this book more suitable for readers in Grades 3-7 than preschoolers
or a Halloween storytime for older listeners. I found this copy at the Taipei
Public Library Da’An (Main) Branch.
As a side note, I recognize that this might not be considered an “outstanding”
picture book. The one that I was going to write about, American Born Chinese, is only considered to have folklore as a
subgenre. I still would recommend it because it includes a basic telling of
Monkey King and is a good book, but I did not know if it ‘qualified’ for this
discussion post since the folklore part was not the book’s main focus. Unfortunately,
I haven’t had time to investigate an adequate pictorial Monkey King/ Journey to
the West this week, but it will make it onto my blog when I find it. I love the
stories of Monkey King.
C01總館
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398.2 S229
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1
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書刊
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Due: 2012/7/11
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Literary Devices
Use of Rhyme
Use of Rhyme
Cinderella Skeleton
Heard Charnel say, “Your beauty burns
Like bonfires ablaze at night.
Your brightness fills me with delight!
Dance with me, lady, I implore.”
She smiled; he led her to the floor,
Where they waltzed with
Graceful dips and turns.
Use of Alliteration:
decayed
decrepit/ withered wreath/ common clay/ pursuing prince/ witch’s warning/
burnished bones
Reading level/ Interest Age
Grades 3-7
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