Anklet for a Princess: A Cinderella Story from India

From School Library Journal
Grade 1-4-This addition to the publisher's collection of "Cinderella" stories from many cultures adheres closely to the European version, except for the Indian glosses: silver ankle bangles, a godfather snake, a dance at the Navaratri Festival, and the wedding-ceremony details. The tale is adapted from the East Indian story "Nagami," which is believed to be "-at least 1,000 years old and has been preserved in oral traditions," but no other sources are given. The emotional text is full of descriptive adjectives and bathed in cultural details. Tang's watercolors depict the action in bright colorful swirls, heavy black accents, and backgrounds of flower splashes. An additional purchase for those libraries that collect "Cinderella" variants, literary or otherwise.Susan Hepler, Burgundy Farm Country Day School, Alexandria, VACopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Book Description
Cinduri has a lot of work to do. Every day she walks to the lake to fetch drinking water, milks the cow, cleans the house, prepares the meals, cleans the animal pens, and sells vegetables. Her stepmother and stepsister, however, don’t do any of the work. They just order Cinduri about and give her a bowl of rice and a few leftovers to eat. The lake, however, is full of magic. When Godfather Snake hears of Cinduri’s troubles, he vows to make her life easier. And when the Prince comes to visit the village during the annual Navaratri Festival, Godfather Snake makes it possible for her to go, dressed in the most beautiful gold-threaded sari and sparkling diamond anklets. It is there that she wins the heart of the Prince. Adapted from the East Indian story "Nagami" (Jewel of the Snake), this version of the tale is rich with the traditions and culture of India while also conveying the universal values of the Cinderella story. Beautiful watercolor depictions of Indian life and styles accompany this introduction to Indian folklore.

Card catalog description
Cinduri, hungry and ragged, is befriended by Godfather Snake, who feeds her delicacies and dresses her in gold cloth and anklets with bells and diamonds, to meet the prince.

About the Author
Meredith Babeaux Brucker is a graduate of Stanford University who makes her home in Southern California. She worked for many years as a writer and story editor in the TV industry -- for CBS, MGM, and KTLA -- and is currently employed raising public awareness of childhood cancer. A popular writing teacher, she is the author of many articles and book reviews for magazines and newspapers, and nine published novels.


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Gr 1-4-This addition to the publisher's collection of "Cinderella" stories from many cultures adheres closely to the European version, except for the Indian glosses: silver ankle bangles, a godfather snake, a dance at the Navaratri Festival, and the wedding-ceremony details. The tale is adapted from the East Indian story "Nagami," which is believed to be "-at least 1,000 years old and has been preserved in oral traditions," but no other sources are given. The emotional text is full of descriptive adjectives and bathed in cultural details. Tang's watercolors depict the action in bright colorful swirls, heavy black accents, and backgrounds of flower splashes. An additional purchase for those libraries that collect "Cinderella" variants, literary or otherwise.-Susan Hepler, Burgundy Farm Country Day School, Alexandria, VA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.


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