The Brocaded Slipper and Other Vietnamese Tales (Paperback)

by Lynette Dyer Vuong (Author), Vo-Dinh Mai (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The five fairy tales presented here offer an exotic twist to such traditional stories as Thumbelina and Rip Van Winkle. Ages 7-10.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
‘Five enjoyable Vietnamese fairy tales reflect universal themes. The title story is a Cinderella tale; there are also versions of ‘Thumbelina,’ ‘The Frog Prince,’ and ‘The Goose Girl.’ The stories are often more satisfyingly complex than their Western counterparts. An excellent and unusual addition to folklore collections.’ —SLJ.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (April 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064404404
• ISBN-13: 978-0064404402
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #773,514 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully entertaining for all children young and old!!, October 24, 2001

By	Jody L. Schoth (Katy, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a very enjoyable storybook. The most interesting thing I discovered about it, is the traditional stories that I grew up with, being told in a Vietnamese setting. Very enjoyable, and I look forward to reading to my young girls these stories they know so well in another format!

3.0 out of 5 stars fun stories that also raise questions about fairy tales in general, March 28, 2009

By	Miss Print (NYC) - See all my reviews

I like mythology. I like fairy tales. I like Disney movies. I like anti-princess books even though I feel like the term is kind of aggressive and confrontational. That said, it's easy to forget, with sanitized Disney/picture book versions aplenty, how very creepy some fairy tales can be.

Such was my main difficulty with The Brocaded Slipper and Other Vietnamese Tales (1982) by Lynette Dyer Vuong with illustrations by Vo-Dinh Mai. Although these stories originate in Vietnam, the stories have familiar counterparts in the West collected by the Brother Grimm in Europe. Readers well-versed in fairy tales will recognize Cinderella, Thumbelina, Rip Van Winkle, the Frog Prince, and even Goose Girl (who I must admit I did not recognize). Readers familiar with the original Grimm stories, or even the tales of Hans Christian Andersen, will recognize the brutal, grim, tone found in so many "original" fairy tales.

Just to give an idea of what I mean, in the title story (a version of Cinderella) the heroine Tam achieves happily ever after only to be killed by her evil stepsister. Three times. Once, when she returns to life as a bird, Tam is eaten.

The stories in this volume are told in a style very similar to the Grimm tales. While the names might not be familiar, the stories will be for some readers. Each story runs about twenty (small) pages with larger print, so the book goes by fast. This is a great companion to any collection of Western tales for readers looking to broaden their fairy tale perspectives.

I found The Brocaded Slipper difficult to deal with for a lot of reasons. While I like fairy tales it has become increasingly more difficult to purely enjoy them. Reading from an English major's perspective the stories feel simplified. From a feminist perspective they are often chauvinistic and support gender stereotypes. They can be scary and violent and even gory.

And yet, the main thing I got from this collection was a question: How did we get from Cinderella being eaten to a world of happily ever after?

4.0 out of 5 stars Vietnamese tales, February 8, 2007

By	Karyn W "blckwidow8" (Kansas City, MO United States) - See all my reviews

These five stories have so many similarities to European tales it is uncanny. They are well told and different enough to make you think about the cultural differences. I think the book is great for any reader aged 7 and up, especially anyone interested in reading some Asian, or specifically Vietnamese, folktales. And the few illustrations are intricate and very well done.