http://www.shens.com/jouanah/ en-us Copyright 2009 Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:36:07 -0800 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification 32-page teacher's guide for Jouanah: A Hmong Cinderella is now available for free download as a pdf file. This version of Cinderella by Jewell Reinhart Coburn and illustrated by Anne Sibley O'Brien reflects the folklore and traditions of the Hmong tribe of Laos, and the teacher's guide has, up until now, been only available for purchase as a three-ring binder.

The guide includes an introduction to the Hmong, prereading activities, and 18 reproducible activities that explore both the literature and the culture reflected in the book.

The file is 1.8MB. Adobe Reader or other pdf reader software is required for viewing and printing the free download.

Download now!
]]> http://www.shens.com/jouanah/2008/12/teachers-guide-for-jouanah-now.html http://www.shens.com/jouanah/2008/12/teachers-guide-for-jouanah-now.html Downloads Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:36:07 -0800
During the Vietnam War, the Laotian Hmong were widely recruited by both the Communist Pathet Lao and the United States (U.S.) Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Those serving the U.S. effort monitored transportation routes, gathered intelligence information for the CIA, and rescued U.S. pilots who had been shot down by the communists. When the communists took control of Laos in 1975, the Hmong who had served the U.S. were forced to flee Laos or suffer severe punishment or death. Many escaped by crossing the Mekong River so they could live in refugee camps in Thailand. It was in these camps where they remained until resettlement opportunities became available in other countries. Those choosing to settle in the U.S. began arriving as early as 1975. ]]> http://www.shens.com/jouanah/2008/08/about-the-hmong.html http://www.shens.com/jouanah/2008/08/about-the-hmong.html Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:57:34 -0800 Jouanah: A Hmong Cinderella is from School Library Journal:

"This tender variant of the Cinderella story from the Hmong people of Southeast Asia takes place in a peasant village. After Jouanah's mother is willingly transformed into a cow to help the family prosper, her father takes another wife with a daughter who is as ugly and mean-spirited as Jouanah is kind and selfless. The stepmother lies and manipulates, the cow dies of grief, and the father soon follows his first wife to the grave. Treated cruelly, Jouanah is left at home to work during the New Year celebration. Dressed in finery bestowed by her mother's spirit, the young woman belatedly joins the festivities, catching the eye of the village elder's son. A lost slipper brings the lovers together, though the stepmother schemes to keep them apart. O'Brien's realistic, expressive paintings breathe with the atmosphere of "a sun-splashed clearing high in the mountains" while adding depth to the characters portrayed in the text. A publisher's note gives the source for the story. Libraries owning familiar European versions as well as A-Ling Louie's Yeh Shen (Putnam, 1988) and Oki S. Han and Stephanie Haboush Plunkett's Kongi and Potgi (Dial, 1994) will find this new title valuable for comparison. An authentic, satisfying story of good character rewarded." ]]> http://www.shens.com/jouanah/2008/08/school-library-journal.html http://www.shens.com/jouanah/2008/08/school-library-journal.html Reviews Reviews Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:55:47 -0800 MultiCultural Review has a review of Jouanah: A Hmong Cinderella by Jewell Reinhart Coburn and illustrated by Anne Sibley O'Brien.

"This story will attract those interested in collecting or teaching the many versions of the Cinderella story as it has appeared in several dozen different cultures. The "extras" (not found in Grimm's commonly known Cinderella) include a loving mother who willingly sacrifices herself by turning herself into a cow whose spirit takes on the role of the "fair godmother." We find the ugly and jealous stepmother and lazy stepsister who make Jouanah work hard, and the handsome and eligible young man who recognizes the goodness of Jouanah as well as her loveliness... The characters are most expressive and colorful, and the border designs are taken from textile patterns.
]]> http://www.shens.com/jouanah/2008/08/multicultural-review.html http://www.shens.com/jouanah/2008/08/multicultural-review.html Reviews Reviews Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:50:44 -0800 Jouanah: The Hmong Cinderella, by Jewell Reinhart Coburn and illustrated by Anne Sibley O'Brien:

"The story is well written. The beautiful illustrations depict the lush greens of the mountains and the browns of the Hmong huts. On the bottom of each page of text is a strip of a Hmong design and above the text a small illustration of a Hmong object such as Jouanah's embroidered slippers... This is an exquisite book, well worth the purchase price."
]]> http://www.shens.com/jouanah/2008/08/small-press-magazine.html http://www.shens.com/jouanah/2008/08/small-press-magazine.html Reviews Reviews Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:47:46 -0800