Customer Reviews

The Persian Cinderella

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Lovely Iranian ancient story. A great edition to any child's collection

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

As one of the models used in the book (Settareh herself!!) i now had my own children to whom to read this story. Though clearly the book has different meaning to them since mommy is the princess in the book, it is a wonderful book to teach culture and that stories can be diffirent in different parts of the world. When I was teaching 3rd grade, I used this book also... along with the Korean, and "cowboy" versions when discussing diversity! A wonderful tool for that as well as sharing Persian culture.

"The Persian Cinderella" as written by Shirley Climo captures the rich traditions of the Persians and the colorful illustrations by artist Robert Florczak are vivid and beautiful. Here, the main character is Settareh, who having lost her mother at birth is at the mercy of her stepmother and stepsisters and other female relatives who all live together in the women's quarters. When Setarreh is given a gold coin by her father to purchase special clothes for the new year or No Ruz, Settareh eagerly goes shopping together with the other ladies. But instead of spending money on clothes, Settareh purchases some food, gives alms, and finally buys a broken blue jug. To her amazement, Settareh finds a pari or fairy inhabiting the jug, and her smallest wishes are realized.

With the pari's help, Settareh is able to dress magnificently for the No Ruz festivities at the palace and catches the eye of the Prince himself. Will Settareh and the prince find happiness or will the conniving and jealous stepsisters find a way to rob Settareh of happiness?

The story is compelling and interesting - in fact, this is such a well-written story that it will not only appeal to young children but older children and adults as well. The author provides fascinating insights into the Persian culture of old, e.g. the separate living quarters for men and women, the celebration of the No Ruz festival, and also the elaborate costumes worn by the people, especially during important celebrations. This is a wonderful addition to the Cinderella lore.

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.

This book is incredibly well worded, and very descriptive. Even without the stunning pictures, the words paint a clear and beautiful image in your head. I remember, this book was in my elementary school library, and I absolutely adored it. We were only allowed to check out two books at a time, and more than half the time, this book was one of the two I chose. Even to this day, I hold the record for having checked it out the most times. It's a wonderful story and it sticks to the basic Cinderella tale while being unique and imaginative. I completely recommend this book, no doubt.

Well-told version of the Cinderella tale from a different perspective with good illustrations