Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella

You may think you already know this story about a beautiful servant girl, a cruel stepmother, a magnificent ball, and a lost slipper. But you've never heard it for true.

Now you can hear the tale from someone who was there: a poor washerwoman from the island of Martinique. She has just one thing in the world to love, her goddaughter Cendrillon. When she finds Cendrillon heartsick over a rich man's son, at first she doesn't know what to do. But she has sharp wits, a strong will, and the magic wand her mother left her -- and soon she has a plan to give her dear Cendrillon the gift of a love that will change her life.

A Caldecott Honor author/illustrator team brings us a unique Cinderalla story, with a remarkable fairy godmother to tell the tale. Adapted from a traditional Creole story, this fresh retelling captures all the age-old romance and magic of Cinderalla, melding it with the vivid beauty of the Caribbean and the musical language of the islands.

Robert D. San Souci (1946-2014) authored more than sixty-five picture books and story collections for young readers, including The Reluctant Dragon, illustrated by John Segal, a retelling of Kenneth Graham”s classic, as well as The Talking Eggs, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, and The Faithful Friend, illustrated by Brian Pinkney, both Caldecott and Coretta Scott King Honor Books. His other accolades include two Aesop Awards from the Children”s Folklore Section of the American Folklore Society, two Commonwealth Club of California Silver Medals, and numerous other awards. He was a lifelong resident of California.

Brian Pinkney has illustrated numerous acclaimed books for children, including Martin & Mahalia: His Words, Her Song; On the Ball; The Faithful Friend; Duke Ellington; and In the Time of the Drums. His many awards include two Caldecott Honors, a Coretta Scott King Illustration Award, four Coretta Scott King Illustration Honors, and the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award. Brian lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and frequent collaborator, Andrea Davis Pinkney. Visit him at BrianPinkney.net.

Phoenix Award Winner