In this jewel-like version of a classic story, popular folklorist Shirley Climo tells the tale of Settareh, the Persian Cinderella. Magic enables Settareh to outsmart two jealous stepsisters and win the heart of a prince. But where most Cinderella stories end, poor Sattareh's troubles are only beginning!

Nice new telling of Cinderella Persian style. ( )

My kids and I enjoyed this one, and I liked that it gave a glimpse into gender divisions in other cultures (the festival is segregated by gender instead of being a coed ball, and the queen goes looking for the owner of the anklet on her son's behalf because "How can a man look for a maiden?"). I do have mixed feelings about the passive protagonist. All things, good and bad, just happen to her. If things work out well for her, it's not because she had any active hand in them but because she sat and waited and was "good." Good fodder for discussion, though. ( )

I really enjoyed this book. It was a very informative book that was both familiar, because of the classic story line of Cinderella, and new, because of the twists in the story and the cultural differences. The book was exactly what I predicted it to be in terms of content. I expected this book to be very informative of Persian culture and the lifestyle of the Persian people. This book included many interesting facts in a way that made the story flow and was not too obvious. For example, the author included information on the gender differences of people and the emphasis placed on gender: “She lived with her stepmother [and] two stepsisters…in the women’s part of the house…Settareh seldom saw her father, for he was busy in the world of men.” Due to the cultural differences between the original Cinderella story and this story, there were many unexpected plot twists and changes in the story that made it more realistic. For example, during the time period in which this story takes place, and the societal standards that the Persian people place on gender, the Queen was the one who sought Settareh, the main character, out. She also “gave Settareh a mirror so that she might gaze upon the prince’s reflection without the embarrassment of facing him,” when they first meet. The story was both familiar, yet engaging due to the unexpected plot twists that made me really enjoy reading the book. Finally, the illustrations in the book really enhanced the story and gave a visual representation of what was being described by the author. Since it is another culture, the pictures really helped me to see exactly what they were saying in the story. They helped me especially when I didn't know what kinds of garments and traditional clothing was worn by Persian people in the time period in which the story takes place. ( )

The Persian Cinderella is similar to the typical Disney Cinderella story. However, there are some differences in them. This story has a magic pari inside of a pot that grants the girl all her wishes. Settareh has two stepsisters who are rude to her and make fun of her. Before the holiday, the pari gave Settareh her wishes and granted her with new clothes and diamond anklets. The prince in this story found one of the anklets. The mother of the prince went out to find out whom they belonged to. Eventually she found Settareh and the stepsisters realized there was a pari in the jar. The stepsisters wished evil things upon the girl, but the prince saved her in the end. I liked how there were similar elements to the other Cinderella, but the author still made it different. For example, one of my favorite parts was the pari. I liked how the author made the godmother different in this story and it created a genie or a fairy that granted wishes. The main message was to be confident in yourself and not allow others to control your life. Settareh did not allow her sisters to control her and she bought whatever she wanted at the market. Overall, I enjoyed this story because it was a different version of Cinderella and the plot was very interesting. ( )