http://www.shens.com/anklet_for_a_princess/ en-us Copyright 2009 Fri, 15 Aug 2008 15:19:24 -0800 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Anklet for a Princess: A Cinderella Story from India by Lila Mehta, adapt. by Meredith Brucker, illus. by Youshan Tang was reviewed in The Bloomsbury Review.

"Anklet for a Princess is, just as the subtitle suggests, an Indian Cinderella story. However, my kids were so captivated by this book, with its colorful illustrations, that you would have thought they had never heard the Cinderella story before. The lengthy, in-depth plot took a few nights to get through, but my kids remained spellbound to the very end.

Cinduri is a young beauty with dark hair extending below her waist. She lives with her mean stepmother and stepsister who, of course, make her do all the chores.

One day Cinduri goes to fetch drinking water from the lake (which she carries by balancing a heavy pot on her head) and meets a great white snake with a big red jewel on his head. He is angered by her living conditions, adopts her as his goddaughter, and promises to do anything for her whenever she summons him with a magic song.

Cinduri longs to attend the Navaratri Festival to meet the Crown Prince, who is searching for a bride. So Godfather Snake magically makes beautiful clothes and jewelry appear. But instead of glass slippers, she wears anklets with bells and diamonds. After dazzling the Prince, Cinduri runs to leave by midnight, when all the magic will disappear, and she leaves behind an anklet. It is the anklet that brings the two together in the end.

From a cultural perspective, this book is very educational. It reveals Indian customs, shows the characters in traditional dress, and emphasizes the Indian way of life. My kids were fascinated by the jewelry and clothing of the characters, and the magic snake was "totally cool." This book is a great version of an old favorite story."

 
]]> http://www.shens.com/anklet_for_a_princess/2008/08/the-bloomsbury-review.html http://www.shens.com/anklet_for_a_princess/2008/08/the-bloomsbury-review.html Reviews Reviews Fri, 15 Aug 2008 15:19:24 -0800 Anklet for a Princess: A Cinderella Story from India by Lila Mehta, adapt. by Meredith Brucker, illus. byYoushan Tang was reviewed in School Library Journal:

"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 Eastern 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."
]]> http://www.shens.com/anklet_for_a_princess/2008/08/school-library-journal.html http://www.shens.com/anklet_for_a_princess/2008/08/school-library-journal.html Reviews Reviews Fri, 15 Aug 2008 15:03:58 -0800 Anklet For A Princess by Lila Mehta, illustrated by Youshan Tang was reviewed by Children's Bookwatch.

"Anklet For A Princess: A Cinderella Story From India is an fabulous adaptation of the East Indian story "Nagami" (Jewel of the Snake), a legend that in many ways resembles the classic fairy tale Cinderella. The young woman Cinduri is overburdened with work from her stepmother and stepsister, and receives barely enough to eat in return. But Godfather Snake learns of her troubles and helps her attend the village's annual Navaratri Festival dressed in the most beautiful golden-threaded sari and diamond anklets, and there she wins the heart of the Prince. A captivating picture book story commendably written by Lila Mehta, deftly adapted by Meredith Brucker, and wondrously illustrated in full color by Youshan Tang, Anklet For A Princess would make a welcome and popular addition to any school or community library picture book collection."


]]> http://www.shens.com/anklet_for_a_princess/2008/08/childrens-bookwatch-reviews.html http://www.shens.com/anklet_for_a_princess/2008/08/childrens-bookwatch-reviews.html Reviews Reviews Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:39:08 -0800