Cinderella
Stories around the World [series]

Cari Meister, various illustrators
Capstone Books [through Hardie Grant Egmont]
ISBN: 9781479554416           RRP: $16.95

Wandering minstrels who first told their magical tales of lore are likely to have spread them across counties and cultures; so it is very common to find similar tales from different lands. This is the theme of this new series. Each book contains four versions of a well-known tale. This Cinderella collection includes the European version attributed to Perrault; the wonderful version from the North American First Peoples called Little Burnt Face; a well-known version from China, called Yeh-Shen; and an Ancient Egyptian version, Rhodopis. While the plots are consistent, the details vary and the comparisons will intrigue children. The illustrations are upbeat and modern, yet richly imbued with the cultural origin of each variation.