Korean Cinderella by Shirley Climo, Ruth Heller (Illustrator), Ruth Heller (Photographer)

From the Publisher

‘Climo and Heller conflate several Korean variants of Cinderella to offer up the story of Pear Blossom, a lovely girl who is sorely mistreated by her nasty stepmother and stepsister.… At once comfortingly familiar and intriguingly exotic, the text is especially noteworthy for its instructive but unobtrusive incorporation of Korean words.’—Publishers Weekly. ‘Heller’s paintings are exotically lush and colorful as well as engaging.… An agreeable retelling of the Cinderella story.’ —BL.

Notable 1994 Children's Trade Books in Social Studies (NCSS/CBC)

Children's Literature

Pear Blossom, a lovely Korean girl, is treated like a slave by her jealous stepmother and stepsister and forced to perform impossible tasks. With the help of magical creatures, tokgabis, Pear Blossom finishes all of her tasks just in time to see the prince in a procession. He sees the beautiful young lady lose her sandal and vows to marry the girl who wears the matching shoe. This masterfully retold version of Cinderella presents real Korean customs and includes dramatic, brightly colored illustrations.

Children's Literature

Every culture has its version of the children's classic Cinderella. This Korean version combines lyrical prose with exquisite illustrations to tell the story of Pear Blossom, her jealous stepmother Omoni, and stepsister Peony. The fairy godmother role is assumed by a group of magical animals. Omoni demands impossible tasks of Pear Blossom, and with their help, Pear Blossom meets the challenge and ultimately becomes a nobleman's wife. It should be noted that all the illustrations-from those depicting Korean rituals to the smallest clothing details-are the result of the illustrator's extensive research and passionate interest in Korean culture.

Children's Literature

This adaptation of Cinderella is based on 3 versions of the tale known in Korea. Korean words add to the flavor of the story. Ms Heller's illustrations portray village life and dress as it was 300 years ago with designs inspired by patterns painted on the eaves of Korean temples. The heroine's name is Pear Blossom. As soon as her father remarries, her new stepfamily dub her "Pigling." Pear Blossom is aided by a 'tokgabi' (frog goblin) and a black ox. An intriguing version gracefully told. Children like to find elements they know to compare with the Perrault and Grimm versions.

BookList

Pear Blossom was named for the pear tree planted in honor of her birth by her aging father and mother. After her mother dies, her father marries again, and Pear Blossom is ill-treated by her stepmother and stepsister. Her stepmother sets her impossible tasks and threatens her with dire punishment unless she successfully completes them. With the help of a frog, some sparrows, and a black ox, Pear Blossom completes the tasks and finds good fortune in marriage to a wealthy magistrate, "and in the courtyard of her splendid new house, a dozen pear trees blossomed." Though characters' faces sometimes lack articulation, Heller's paintings are exotically lush and colorful as well as engaging. Climo includes an explanatory note about Cinderella variants (the Korean version in particular), and Heller explains the decorations, costumes, and settings she used in the illustrations. An agreeable retelling of the Cinderella story.

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