The Irish Cinderlad (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Loretta Krupinski (Illustrator) "In Ireland, in the old times, there lived a lad named Becan..." (more)
Key Phrases: speckled bull, Princess Finola

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2?A pleasant but rather bland condensation of a traditional tale. One of the sources cited, Sara Cone Bryant's "Billy Beg and His Bull" from Best Stories to Tell to Children (Houghton, 1912; o.p.), is much like Seumas MacManus's wonderful retelling in In Chimney Corners (Doubleday & McClure, 1899; o.p.), in which Billy and the Bull are lifelong companions. The old versions have wonderful runs of poetic language and lots of action, a fair amount of which is violent. As well as gentling the story, Climo seems to want to democratize it. The hero is not a king's son but the son of a traveling peddler. He is described as being small in stature with inordinately large feet and the reteller makes much of the fact that he is ridiculed for his appearance. She even names him Becan, or "Little One." There is no magic stick that turns into a sword and gives the lad wondrous strength, and no belt from the bull's hide to make him invincible. Instead, the bull tells Becan to take his tail after he is dead because it will protect him. In fact, the tail kills a giant and the dragon almost on its own accord when the boy unleashes it. The tidy, full- and double-page illustrations are done in pastel colors and look like opaque watercolors. The people's faces are round and simple. It's fine for young picture-book readers and squeamish parents. However, Ellin Greene's retelling, Billy Beg and His Bull (Holiday, 1994), is much closer to the early versions, with its spirited text and earthy and humorous illustrations by Kimberly Bulcken Root.?Marilyn Iarusso, New York Public Library
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 5^-8. Becan, an Irish lad ridiculed for his huge feet, befriends a bull with magic powers who feeds him and bequeaths him his tail as a belt. With the belt, Becan vanquishes a giant, taking his sword and boots. With the giant's sword, Becan slays the dreaded Serpent, saving Princess Finola and losing a boot in his departure. According to the appended note, this "Cinderella" variant is based primarily on Douglas Hyde's "The Bracket Bull" and Sara Cone Bryant's "Billy Beg and His Bull." The retelling is satisfactory but lacks enough cultural detail to give it a distinctive Irish flavor. The illustrations are overly pretty and romanticized. When the text specifies a "blue-green sea," the picture shows a pinkish purple ocean. In a robust story of courage and danger, the dainty illustrations seem incongruous. This will be useful primarily in libraries where Climo's earlier titles, The Egyptian Cinderella (1989) and The Korean Cinderella (1993), are popular. Linda Perkins

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1 edition (February 2, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060243961
• ISBN-13: 978-0060243968
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #791,128 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad, August 4, 2006

By	A-M (Near D.C., USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Irish Cinderlad (Trophy Picture Books) (Paperback)

I enjoyed this reversal (in more than one way) of Cinderella. Here its a boy--with big feet. (Made me wonder if Tolkein had read this somewhere along the way). He is mistreated by his stepmother and sister, but instead of a fairy godmother, gets a magic bull. (This really proclaims the irishness of the story to me, instantly bringing Cuchulain to mind).

The story is fun and I really loved the last line that the princess has. I liked the illustrations, for the scenery, but the people were weirldy childish looking to me, especially in comparison to the magnificent bull that we get to see our hero befriend.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful change from the traditional Cinderella story., April 23, 2000

By A Customer

The Irish Cinderlad is a continuation of Climo's journey in theCinderella folktales. Children can see how a boy can also be part ofthe Cinderella story. Educators can use this story to demonstrate thesimilarities between different cultures around the world. The illustrations in this book continue with the high standards set in the other "Cinderella" stories in this series.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Irish Cinderlad, March 29, 2009

By	Arica Kelley - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Irish Cinderlad (Trophy Picture Books) (Paperback)

This is a Cinderella book but based in Ireland. The Irish have their own twist on this classic in which Becan our Hero is the awkward boy growing up with the evil Stepmother and Stepsisters. Perfect for those little boys who are going through the tough stages that not all Mommy's can help with.

I also recommend The Rough Faced Girl, and Yeh Shen to go with this collection.