The Irish Cinderlad

by Shirley Climo

Other authorsLoretta Krupinski (Illustrator)

Paper Book, 1996

Publication

New York : HarperCollins Publishers, c1996.

Collection

Eiland Center

Call number

Fairy Child

Physical description

26 cm

Status

Available

Call number

Fairy Child

Description

Becan, a poor boy belittled by his stepmother and stepsisters, rescues a princess in distress after meeting a magical bull.

Subjects

Fairy tales

Folklore Ireland

Genres

Children's Books

User reviews

LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26

Taken from two variants of the same Irish folktale - The Bracket Bull, found in Douglas Hyde's 1898 Four Irish Stories, and Billy Beg and His Bull, from Sara Cone Bryant's 1905 Best Stories to Tell Children - Shirley Climo's The Irish Cinderlad follows the story of Becan, a small boy with big feet.

Driven away from home by a wicked stepmother, and three unkind stepsisters, he is aided by a magical bull companion, whose sacrifice allows Becan to defeat, first an arhach**, or giant, and then a sea dragon intent on eating the king's daughter. Fleeing before the princess can thank him, but leaving behind one of his over-sized boots, Becan finds that his new royal admirer isn't content to just let him slip away...

I enjoyed this retelling of a traditional Irish tale (well, really a conflation of two tales), and was reminded, not just of the Cinderella tale type, with its identification-by-footwear motif - a parallel that the author clearly intended to emphasize, given her choice of title - but also of Norwegian folktales like Kari Woodenskirt (found in collections such as East of the Sun and West of the Moon), and many others which also feature magical bulls that prove helpful to the protagonist. I was pleased to see that Climo had included her source material, as some of her other folkloric adaptations (The Korean Cinderella, King of the Birds) omit that information.

All in all, an enjoyable tale, although I can't say that Loretta Krupinski's artwork appealed to me greatly. Others might enjoy her aesthetic style more than I, of course. In any case, young readers with an interest in folklore in general, or Irish tales in particular, will undoubtedly enjoy this gender reversal of a well-known tale-type! As for me, I think I might track down an alternate retelling, Curley's Billy Beg and His Bull: An Irish Tale, just to compare and contrast.

**I thought the Irish word for giant was fathac? Or is this some alternate form...?

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LibraryThing member cooperca05

A cute reversal of Cinderella where it is Becan (the Cinder Lad) who must fight dragons and his three step sisters to marry the Princess.

LibraryThing member dreamer2000

I like how the boy was being followed by the girl in this story it is normally the woman being chased by the man. I also like the friendship between the boy and the animals. It shows how rare it can be to find a true friend.

LibraryThing member ahernandez91

What a cute story about a male Cinderella! Becan was mistreated by his stepmother and three stepsisters, when they told him he had to herd the cattle! Doing so, he met a magical bull- like a fairy godmother- when his fate was told he was killed in a battle by the grey bull. The magic bull told

Becan to twist off his tale after death, wrapping it around his waste, and if he ever needed it- he must take it off. With this magical tale, Becan saves Princess Finola and was set to marry her after she found him by having the men of the Kingdom try on a boot that he left behind. I would definitely read this story aloud to my classroom, either for comparing and contrasting this and a different Cinderella story, or I'd use it for a retelling lesson with this and the original Cinderlad story. I could also use it for a prediction or questioning lesson which are reading comprehension strategies! Absolutely loved this book and the male twist on Cinderella.

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LibraryThing member HopeMiller123

This is a twist of a version of cinderella, but instead of it being a girl its a boy named Becan instead. His mother dies, has three evil step-sisters, and evil step mother. He eventually runs away from home because his family planned to kill a giant enchanted bull that Becan had become friends

with. The bull gave his life so Becan could survive and also gave him his tail to protect himself. When Becan came cross a giant and a dragon the tail the bull gave him saved his life. He had a small body and very large feet, and when he fought the dragon to save a princess he ran off leaving a boot behind. The princess looked far and wide for the man that saved her, and let every man try on the boot. Eventually, news came back to Becan and he found his princess and lived happily ever after. It a different take on a classic that I think kids would like and learn that certain difference we may have do not define us.

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LibraryThing member lhamed

This book is like the male version of Cinderella. The main charecter is Becan, and he has a mean stepmother with three stepsisters. His stepmother made him go work with the cow and he became friends with the bull until the bull died, and Becan left the house with is stepmother in it. just like in

Cinderella he overcomes many obstacles until he find true love.

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LibraryThing member pbrent

The Irish Cinderlad is a version of the CInderella with a male protagonist. This has been the most significantly different version of the tale. Cinderlad must fight epics battles and overcome various obstacles to find the meaning of love in another. The illustrations are ornate and filled with many

textures.

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LibraryThing member ccbell

I loved the twist on the classic Cinderella story. There are differences in this version than in the regular Cinderella story. Becan has a magical bull as a fairy God mother and instead of leaving a pretty glass slipper behind he leaves a big boot behind. He doesn't go to a ball, but he does rescue

a princess and before she can thank him he is gone, but just as the original story goes, he left his boot behind. This was a great Irish version of Cinderella.

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LibraryThing member akrause

"The Irish Cinderlad" is a story about a male Cinderella. Becan is a young man who is of very small stature, but with large feet. His childhood was happy until a wicked stepmother and stepsisters come into his life. Becan’s stepmother banishes him to the fields where he works and herds the cows.

While in the fields, Becan befriends a mysterious, magical, talking bull. Becan confides in the bull and magically pulls a table cloth full of food out of the bull’s ear. The magical bull is killed by another bull, and tells Becan to remove his tail after he is dead. The bull’s tail helps Becan defeat a giant and rescue a princess by slaying the dragon that was going to kill her. After Becan rescues the princess, he gets on his donkey and rides away, but not before leaving behind one of his extra large boots. Eager to find the man who saved her, the princess searches for the large foot to fill that boot. After an entire year of searching, a messenger finally arrives at the home where Becan works, and Becan slips the large boot on his large foot. Of course Becan marries the princess and becomes Prince Becan. This version of Cinderella is quite different from the popular U.S. version with a few added twists. This book would work well with a lesson on comparing and contrasting or fantasy literature.

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LibraryThing member sabrina89

This Irish version of Cinderlad is turned around and the one who lost his shoe is a man. So it's the princess' turn to find her true love.
A very good idea to write a male Cinderella story. I would share this with children but only if they already know the female Cinderella story. A fairy-tale with

lots of action, dragons and adventures.

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LibraryThing member bstove1

I think this is a good children's book. I like that the main character is a male version of Cinderella. There are many versions of Cinderella, but none follow a male character, so it was very refreshing to read. I also really liked the illustrations throughout the story. They are animated, yet very

detailed and follow the story well, so I believe they enhance the story well. The message of this book is that good things happen to good people.

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LibraryThing member jjones58

This story is about a young boy named Becan. Becan’s father remarried and his new stepmother and stepsisters are very mean to him so he runs away. He defeats a giant, slays a dragon, and rescues a princess. His only flaw? His super big feet! After he rescues the princess, he leaves behind one of

his huge shoes. This book is an Irish folktale that is a twist on the Cinderella story! This book is great for a little boy’s version of the story, while throwing Irish heritage in there as well. It is a great story to have on your classroom's library shelves because the female students in your class can have their "version" of the story while the males can have theirs and can be paired with teaching a lesson about both folk and fairy tales. The dragons and adventure aspect of this story will attract the young male readers. The main idea of this story is to present younger male readers with a version of the popular fairytale and to teach them to never give up.

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LibraryThing member marabie

A very twisted version of the popular Cinderella story. In this book the Cinderella character is a boy referred to as Cinderlad. With his father away working Cinderlad's stepmother and stepsisters treat him badly and will not feed him. He befriends a majestic bull who provides food for the boy. The

bull has to fight another bull on their journey trying to escape. The bull tells the boy that if he should die in battle the boy should take his tail. The bull dies and the boy is sadden but does as he was told. The tail helps Cinderlad in many situations. One time he fights off a giant and takes the giant's huge boots. He eventually even uses the tail to attack a dragon that is trying to kill a princess. The boy rescues the princess and leaves. The princess searches for him by making men try on the boot that was left. Once she finds him they marry and live happily ever after.
I would read this to my students when discussing fairy tales. As a teacher I might make my students compare the popular version of Cinderella and this version.

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LibraryThing member wichitafriendsschool

Ever since he was a baby, Becan’s only worry has been his big feet—until his widowed father remarries. His new stepmother and her three daughters feed him crusts of bread and banish him to work in the fields. So Becan runs away. With the help of his only friend, a magical bull, he defeats a

giant, slays a dragon, and rescues a princess. But before she can thank him, Becan disappears, leaving behind him one of his enormous boots. The princess scours the kingdom for the owner of the giant boot. Will Becan’s feet give him away? And what will his fate be if they do?

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