Jewell Reinhart CoburnRecensioni

The Cinderella story is inherently flawed, but I love returning to this version for the beautiful illustrations and zanier and dastardly plot twists I like in a lot of traditional folklore, particularly from the Middle and Far East.

Domitila is not only sweeter than a cactus bloom in early spring, she is also a talented cook and an amazing leather artist. Most of the classical elements of a Cinderella story can be found in Domitila. A gentle weaving of her mother's nurturing with strong family traditions is the secret ingredient for Domitila to rise above hardship to eventually become the Governor's bride. Moreover, with a firm belief in simplicity and realism, Domitila makes a lasting impression as a triumphant Cinderella in her humility, service, and unassuming modesty.

In the first English retelling of this ancient Cambodian tale, our heroine goes further, survives more, and has to conquer her own mortality to ragain her rightful place. Angkatchild of ashesendures great wrongs as she seeks to rise above the distresses caused by her own family. Angkat appeared in an 18th century French essay which was found by Dr. Coburn deep in some dusty archives while she was researching Khmer culture and folklore. The artist effectively employed dramatic expressions, gestures, and ambiance in each illustration. This ancient and truly captivating version of the Cinderella story will delight and enthrall readers of all ages.

Jouanah's shocking introduction to her newly-translated mother is the unforeseen crisis point where her young life takes a sudden and decisive turn. Her story takes readers to the remote mountains of Southeast Asia, to the traditional home of the Laotian Hmong. All essential Cinderella elements are here to enthrall readers of all ages. Gorgeous artwork remains faithful in the depiction of the Hmong lifestyle and the high mountain villages. Now in its 4th printing, this book has been a classic addition to children's literature everywhere.

When a terrible drought afflicts the people of her village, Lani, known for her dutiful spirit, gentle heart and long, black hair, is affected most powerfully. Appearing one day with dried-out white hair, she avoids her fellow villagers and cares quietly for her ill mother. But when an old man injures himself outside her house, and she has no water to give him, she reveals to her neighbors that she knows where to get some of the life-sustaining substance. Leading them into the mountains, she shows them a plant that, when pulled out and hacked to bits, releases a flood of water. Unbknownst to the villagers however, Lani has saved them at the risk of her own life, by revealing the vengeful mountain spirit's secret Is her death inevitable, or will the water spirits freed by her actions have something to say about it...?

Published as part of the "Common Values Series," which presents world folktales that feature universal human values, Lani and the Secret of the Moutain, also known as "The Long Haired Girl," is taken from the traditional lore of China's Dong (or Kam) people. The main text of the book, retold by Jewell Reinhart Coburn, is in English, but simplified English, Spanish, Chinese Traditional, Chinese Hanyu Pinyin (transliterated Chinese), Hmong, Khmer, Lao, and Vietnamese versions are also included in the rear, making this a truly multilingual book. There is also an instruction guide for using the story, with historical background and a list of questions and activities. I found the story here interesting, and came away with an interest in the Dong people, and their larger metaphysical beliefs about spirits. I also appreciated both the intention behind the series - to explore shared human values through folklore - and the presentation of the story in so many different languages. The art wasn't really to my taste - it had a flat quality I found unappealing - but leaving that aside, this is a book I would recommend to young folklore lovers.

This is the story about the Mexican Cinderella. The tale is told not by a glass slipper that was left, but enchanting food. When Domitila goes home, the "prince" goes to search for her. Even though an evil woman tried to fool him, he could not be thwarted.

This book is about Jouanah as a cinderella who both her parents trick by the step mother. Jouanah have to go through hardship and on the New Year festival she met her prince charming who help her escape hell. I like this book but it very similar to the original cinderella and will use it for my class because kids love folktale. It suitable for grade fourth to eight.

I liked this book for three reasons. First, the author, Jewell Reinhart Coburn, did a great job of incorporating Cambodian culture and Kherma into the classic tale of Cinderella. For example, when Angkat's father remarries another widow with a daughter, Angkat is forced to compete for "Number One". The "Number One" child is given much more privilege whereas the "Number Two" is basically the family's servant. Angkat's stepsister, Kantok, has similar qualities of Cinderella's stepsisters; she's lazy, sneaky, and selfish and wants nothing more but to take Angkat down. Second, I liked that just as much as it was similar to Cinderella, it was different. For example, in the original tale of Cinderella, her father passes away whereas in Angkat's story, her father is alive throughout and eventually turns on her as well. Angkat is constantly battling her overly jealous father, step-mother, and step-sister. In Angkat's story, the events leading up to the "slipper" scene are changed to relate to Cambodian culture. The story also has a very spiritual side to it as well. Last, the illustrations are intriguing and pleasant to the eye. Filled with a lot of detail, you truly get the cultural feel in this book. The illustrator, Eddie Flotte, uses mostly cool-purple tones in his pictures.
Overall, throughout the story, I was intrigued and engaged. It was different to read this classic tale from a different cultural persepctive. I was constantly making comparisons between the two to pinpoint which scenes correlated with each other.

This book is perfect for students who have read Cinderella before because they understand the story even though the clothing and scenery is different. This book is helpful for students to learn about the culture in Thailand. For example, in the illustrations they show the environment they live in like on the first page they show huts with wood and straw with animals around. Children can easily notice that the environment is much different from the environment which we live in. Also the names in the book are unique, such as Hmong and Jouanah. In the story the main little girl wheres a head wrap and a long dress that is different from the kind of dresses children wear here, which is helpful for the children to see other clothing from other countries. The children will also be able to compare and contrast in the story the similarities between this Cinderella and the one we are familiar with. For example, both stories have to deal with a boy seeing a pretty girl and finding her shoe, the story differs with only one ugly sister and instead they call her new sister. I very much liked this story because of the similarities and differences this book shared with the original Cinderella story. I also liked how the story was worded, for example at the end of the story instead of just saying they lived happily ever after, the author said, "There, it is said, they lived long, happy lives, turning the sadness Jouanah had known into endless joy." The story is a very sweet story about love, kindness, and hope and I recommend for everyone.

This was a wonderful story, similar to the Cinderella story we all know and love. I really liked the story line and plot, and I think children would really enjoy reading or hearing it. It would be great to have when needing diverse books in the library.

I thought this book was a pretty good book, just very different than the cinderella stories I am used to reading. A reason I really enjoyed this book was the illustrations. They were beautiful and full of so many different colors. The illustrations grabbed my attention right away. For example, on one of the pages there is a picture of Jouanah in a dress and the dress is all different colors. Its a black background with a red, orange, green, yellow, and purple patterned dress.The color coordination on these illustrations are great. Another interesting thing I noticed and liked about this book was the vocabulary. For example, the book uses words like "slyly," and "scheming." The adjectives in this story are very intelligent words that I would consider academic language. So, not only are the readers learning about a different culture, they are also learning better ways to use adjectives. The over all idea of the book is to show readers a different cinderella story from a different culture.

I enjoyed Khmers, Tigers and Talismans by Jewell Coburn. First, this Cambodian folktale (told in chapter book format) has believable and well developed characters. The author does a fantastic job of showing Jaya's growth from a little boy to a wise and revered king. For example, the story begins when Jaya saves a man by killing a tiger with crude weapons. As a child, Jaya is inquisitive but impulsive. However, by the end of the book, the author shows Jaya's transformation. Using his sharp mind and moral compass, Jaya frees the Cambodian people from their slavery to the Mekong. Watching Jaya's character growth definitely added to the reading experience.

Second, I enjoyed the descriptive writing style of this book. The author describes both the physical environment and the dramatic action in vivid detail. For example, Coburn writes, "deep within the steaming Cambodian jungle, behind a forbidding, vine covered wall, lies the magnificent, mysterious lost city of Angkor Thom. It stands majestic yet deserted at the end of a grand but decaying causeway bordered by terrifying stone creatures."

The author's "big picture" message is that all great leaders begin as simple children. Ultimately, the author's purpose is to inspire the reader to emulate Jaya's bravery, thoughtfulness and kindness.

This fairy tale story talks about a young Hmong Cinderella, Jouanah. She lived with her poor father and mother. Her mother was turned into a cow for food and money and the father remarried. After the sad death of her father, she lived with her step-mother and step-sister, lonely and alone. The New Year Festivities were arriving and Jouanah wanted to go. Her fairy god mother (mother) blessed her with new clothes and shoes to go to the New Year Festivities. My interpretation is the same as a Cinderella story, treat others the way you would like to be treated. The illustrations were drawn with chalk and looked scratchy. However, the characters looked very realistic and the colors were bright. The text was on one side of the page so the other page was the illustration. It was very neat. A teacher can use this book as an example of comparing and contrasting the Cinderella books (different cultures, differences, similarities).

This fairy tale tells a story about a Cambodian Cinderella. Her name is Angkat and she also lives with her step-mother and one step-sister. This story is a little different from the original version because it is from the Cambodian Culture. There are differences to this story but the story line is the same. My interpretation on this book was exactly as the original version of Cinderella, the way you treat other people. The illustrations in this book are water colored and very dull. There are not bright pictures drawn and the characters aren't outlined so it looks very watery and dull. However, the text was very easy to read. Big and bold on the pages and it looked as if the texts were bunched together in one corner of the page. A teacher can use this book to show how different the Cinderella versions are! It shows different cultures and how one story can be turned into something so different yet so similar.

Read for Traditional Literature assignment.

This book is a different take on the tale of Cinderella. This one is based on the Hmong culture and she goes through the same thins as Cinderella but with moderation to fit into the Hmong Culture. I Liked this book because it is fun to read about my own culture and a great book. The grade level would be 4-5th grade.

This is a variant on the Cinderella story from Cambodia. Anghat is given the sandals by a spirit after she's been betrayed and mistreated by her stepmom and stepsister and even her father. The sandals lead her to a prince, but her jealous family turns violent. Things are set to rights with more magic.

I liked this book for a few reasons. One reason I really liked this book was the features on the last page. The book concludes with a glossary page defining Spanish words, a recipe for the Nopales that Domitila makes in the book, and a publisher's note explaining the story. I really liked this last page because it extends the book and explains what occured in the story. The glossary helps readers who may not pick up on the meaning of Spanish words in the context of the story. The recipe was a fun addition that readers could use to make food like Domitila. Finally, the publisher's note helped explain the overall theme of the book and the background of the traditional story. Another reason I liked this book was the Spanish headings on each page. The headings made this picture book seem like a longer chapter book. While it was a little confusing that the words were in Spanish, it fit the story because it is a traditional Mexican tale. I liked the headings because for those who speak Spanish, it is clear what that page will be about. The main idea is to never give up hope because love conquers all and can bring people out of the worst situations.

Raised by loving parents in the vast desert state of Hidalgo, Domitila grows to be a talented and beautiful young woman in this Mexican folktale, skilled at both cooking and working with fine leather. When her mother becomes ill, and Domitila must leave home in order to find work, she eventually gains a position as second cook in the governor's kitchens. Here, putting her mother's oft-repeated mantra - "Do every task with care, and always add a generous dash of love" - to work, Domitila so impresses the governor's son, Timoteo, with her delicious nopales, that when she must return home, he sets off in pursuit. Gaining great insight into this humble girl, with her many gifts, Timoteo is much changed by his journey, and even the meddling of the evil widow Malvina, who wants him to marry her own daughter, cannot prevent him from finding his true love, Domitila.

Based upon a story passed down in the Rivero family of Santa Barbara, California, Domitila is a fascinating variant of the Cinderella type tale, complete with the worthy (but poor) heroine, the 'prince' who comes to love her, and the meddling step-family. There are some significant differences, of course, with Domitila's nopales, and a small sample of her leather-working, providing Timoteo with the means of locating her, as opposed to some kind of footwear, but this only adds depth and richness to the tale. In this story, it is Cinderella's skill, and her goodness, that win the prince, not her elusive beauty, or small feet. The accompanying illustrations by Connie McLennan are appealing, although I think I agree with another reviewer, in thinking that Domitila's face looks very different, at certain points in the story. Despite this quibble, this book has both narrative and illustrative appeal, and is one I would recommend to all young fairytale lovers, and to anyone looking for Cinderella variants.

Folklorist Jewell Reinhart Coburn, who subsequently retold two other Cinderella variants from different cultures - Angkat: The Cambodian Cinderella and Domitila: A Cinderella Tale from the Mexican Tradition - began with this version of the story from the Hmong people of Southeast Asia.

Jouanah, whose loving mother had allowed herself to be transformed into a cow, in order to help with the family farming during a time of great need, finds herself relegated to the position of servant when her father remarries, and her stepmother and stepsister prove both lazy and cruel. After the death of the cow (engineered by her jealous stepmother), and then of her father, Jouanah's position only worsens, and the gentle girl retreats further and further into silence. But then one day, during the New Year celebration, the spirit of Jouanah's mother provides her with the finery she needs to attend the village festivities, and catch the eye of the village elder's son. Will he be able to find her again, when she must flee, leaving behind only her dainty slippers...?

I think that this may be my favorite, of the three Cinderella variants retold by Coburn, as the contrast between the familiar and unfamiliar elements - the familiar slippers whose loss proves so fateful in reuniting the lovers; the unfamiliar transformation of the true mother into a cow, and her continued role (rather than a fairy-godmother) in Jouanah's life - is particularly pronounced, and makes for a fascinating read! I also greatly enjoyed the illustrations by Anne Sibley O'Brien, whose work I recognized from a number of Tilbury House publications (Who Belongs Here?: An American Story, Moon Watchers: Shirin's Ramadan Miracle, etc.). Her use of color, and her incorporation of Hmong folk motif borders appealed to me greatly. All in all, this lovely Hmong variant of the "persecuted heroine" tale type - a tale type found all over the world - is one that deserves to be better known. I highly recommend it to young fairy-tale lovers, and to anyone interested in Cinderella variants!

Taken from Le Conte Cendrillo Ches Les Cham, a late nineteenth-century essay written by the French folklorist Adhémard Leclère, this Cinderella variant from the Khmer people of Cambodia makes its English-language debut in this picture-book retelling. The author, Jewell Reinhart Coburn, is a folklorist herself, and has retold two other Cinderella variants: Domitila: A Cinderella Tale from the Mexican Tradition and Jouanah: A Hmong Cinderella.

Following the trials and tribulations of its eponymous heroine, Angkat is the story of a dutiful girl who finds herself transformed into the family servant, after her father remarries and her malicious stepmother insists that her daughter be the 'Number One Child.' Even after Angkat's life is transformed, thanks to the aid of the Spirit of Virtue - her erstwhile fish companion, killed by her jealous stepsister Kantok - who has one of her lovely golden sandals spirited away to the king's son, the poor girl cannot escape the scheming of her family, who lure her away from her new home in the palace, and crush her to death! Will Angkat and the prince manage to live happily ever after, or has death separated them forever...?

This was a fascinating example of the 'persecuted heroine' tale type (number 510A in the Aarne-Thompson folklore classification system), because the heroine's mistreatment occurs, not just at the hands of her step-family, but also at the hands of her father. I don't think I've read another version of this wide-spread story where that was the case. The accompanying illustrations by Edmund Flotte were quite expressive, although sometimes his faces seemed a little exaggerated to me. Still, this was an engaging retelling of a relatively unknown variant - here in the West, anyway - of the Cinderella story, and although it won't be making it to my list of favorite fairy-tales, I am glad to have encountered it. Recommended to young folklore lovers, as well as to any reader interested in Cinderella across cultures.

Domitila is another version of Cinderella. There were several differences with this version of Cinderella. This story focused on food instead of cleaning chores. Instead of her being found by her shoe, she was found by the food she cooked. I think this book allows you to see the multicultural aspect.

By following her mother's advice to perform every task with care and love, a poor young Mexican girl, Domitila, wins the love of the governor's son. Her nopales are the most delicious. Everybody in the State of Hidalgo knows Domitila for being a hardworker woman and a great cook.

Domitila is a Mexican version of Cinderella with lots of culture involved. I love all the bilingual quotes on each page; they are full of wisdom. It is very similar to Cinderella and is helpful for Mexican children to relate to. I love the fact that the protagonist is a great cook and nopales are her specialty, yum!

This beautifully illustrated book is Cinderella story. Domitila is a young woman who is very talented-she is an excellent cook and a leatherworker. Domitila end up working at the governors house after her mother becomes very sick. While working at the governors house, the governors son Timoteo falls in love with Domitila's cooking. Eventually, Domitila has to leave because her mom passes away. Timoteo goes to find Domitila and eventually changes his attitude and him and Domitila end up getting married. This book is a great book in that it exposes to children to a culture and language that they may not be aware of. There are really cool proverbs in Spanish and English bordering the pages and the back of the book as an appedix of cooking terms.