Status
Available
Genres
Publication
HarperCollins (1992), Edition: Reprint, Paperback, 32 pages
Description
In this version of Cinderella set in Egypt in the sixth century B.C., Rhodopes, a slave girl, eventually comes to be chosen by the Pharaoh to be his queen.
User reviews
LibraryThing member ShannaThomp08
The Egyptian Cinderella by Shirley Climo and illustrated by Ruth Heller is a great cinderalla story that introduces children to a different culture that is displayed in the book. Rhodopis as know n as the ciderella in this story faces many challegenes, but soon is rewarded in the end. As children
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read thisn book they will be capitvatied by the illustrations as well as the story line itself. Show Less
LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26
The story of Rhodopis - a young Greek girl captured by pirates and sold into slavery in Egypt, only to go on to become Pharaoh Amasis' queen - is the earliest known example of the "Cinderella," or persecuted-heroine-type tale (type #510A in the Aarne-Thompson Folklore Classification system), having
In addition to offering an interesting counterpart to the more well-known (and more contemporary) French version, which has given its name to the tale-type - like Cinderella, this story too includes a lost slipper, used by the pharaoh to find his ideal mate, as well as some magical intervention on the part of the god Horus and his falcon (as opposed to a fairy god-mother) - The Egyptian Cinderella also provides a fascinating snapshot of the world of classical antiquity, and highlights some of the differences between that world and our own. To wit: it demonstrates how the institution of slavery, in the ancient world, was far different from its modern counterpart; and points to the relatively recent origin of our own concerns with, and ideas of, race.
The idea that some peoples were innately more fit for servitude and enslavement goes back, not to the ancient world, but to the beginnings of the trans-Atlantic slave-trade - it was a philosophy dreamt up to justify that most unjustifiable and barbaric of practices. In the world of the ancient Mediterranean, by contrast, slavery was largely situational - one could become a slave through defeat in warfare, through capture by pirates, and (in some cultures) through debt - and was not necessarily a permanent, multi-generational condition. In the ancient world, a slave could and did marry the Pharaoh. In the same vein, while prejudice was just as present amongst the ancients, as amongst ourselves - witness the way in which Rhodopis is ridiculed by the Egyptian servant-girls with whom she works, simply because her appearance is different from their own - it did not have the same directed quality as our own prejudice, as it did not draw from the same kind of specifically racial animus.
I would imagine that these and other differences would make The Egyptian Cinderella - in addition to being an entertaining tale - an excellent book for study with younger readers, affording thoughtful teachers an excellent vehicle for exploring the world of antiquity, and contrasting it to our own. Given that this is so, I am particularly bemused to note the accusations of racism against the book on various sites online. Some reviewers, appearing not to have read the book at all, wonder why an "Egyptian" Cinderella would be light-skinned and green-eyed (perhaps because she isn't Egyptian...?); while others object to the idea that the villains of the piece (such as they are) are darker-skinned than the heroine.
These negative reviews tend to point out two rather disturbing realities: first, that there is a great deal of ignorance about the ancient world abroad in our culture; and second, that it is apparently taboo to depict a darker-skinned person as a villain, even if this may reflect reality. I can't say I find either of these things particularly admirable (quite the reverse, actually), although the icing on the cake comes with the knowledge that an explicitly Afrocentric retelling of this tale (presumably including an Egyptian Rhodopis?), was published a number of years after Climo's telling. I can only assume that the author of The Egyptian Cinderella and Other Egyptian Tales does not see the absurdity of taking a tale in which the heroine's outsider status is central to any understanding of meaning, and making her an "insider" instead. It's as if a group of far-right, modern-day Israelis, believing that the Moabites were the ancestors of their present-day enemies, the Arabs, decided "To hell with the Book of Ruth! We don't want a Moabitess in our sacred stories - we'll make her an Israelite instead!" It would be laughable, if it weren't so sad.
Leaving aside these issues of identity politics, and the racism of extreme (read: essentialist) Afrocentrism, The Egyptian Cinderella is just an engaging story, one I would recommend to readers interested in the Cinderella tale-type specifically, to general fairy-tale fans, and to anyone - teachers, librarians, parents - interested in sparking a truly thoughtful discussion of the ancient world with the children in their care.
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first been recorded in the work of the Greek geographer Strabo some time in the late first century BCE, or early first century CE. Another retelling can be found in the work of Roman author Aelian (ca. 175–235 CE). The fairy-tale itself is (of course) fictional, although the story is based upon the life of an actual historical figure.In addition to offering an interesting counterpart to the more well-known (and more contemporary) French version, which has given its name to the tale-type - like Cinderella, this story too includes a lost slipper, used by the pharaoh to find his ideal mate, as well as some magical intervention on the part of the god Horus and his falcon (as opposed to a fairy god-mother) - The Egyptian Cinderella also provides a fascinating snapshot of the world of classical antiquity, and highlights some of the differences between that world and our own. To wit: it demonstrates how the institution of slavery, in the ancient world, was far different from its modern counterpart; and points to the relatively recent origin of our own concerns with, and ideas of, race.
The idea that some peoples were innately more fit for servitude and enslavement goes back, not to the ancient world, but to the beginnings of the trans-Atlantic slave-trade - it was a philosophy dreamt up to justify that most unjustifiable and barbaric of practices. In the world of the ancient Mediterranean, by contrast, slavery was largely situational - one could become a slave through defeat in warfare, through capture by pirates, and (in some cultures) through debt - and was not necessarily a permanent, multi-generational condition. In the ancient world, a slave could and did marry the Pharaoh. In the same vein, while prejudice was just as present amongst the ancients, as amongst ourselves - witness the way in which Rhodopis is ridiculed by the Egyptian servant-girls with whom she works, simply because her appearance is different from their own - it did not have the same directed quality as our own prejudice, as it did not draw from the same kind of specifically racial animus.
I would imagine that these and other differences would make The Egyptian Cinderella - in addition to being an entertaining tale - an excellent book for study with younger readers, affording thoughtful teachers an excellent vehicle for exploring the world of antiquity, and contrasting it to our own. Given that this is so, I am particularly bemused to note the accusations of racism against the book on various sites online. Some reviewers, appearing not to have read the book at all, wonder why an "Egyptian" Cinderella would be light-skinned and green-eyed (perhaps because she isn't Egyptian...?); while others object to the idea that the villains of the piece (such as they are) are darker-skinned than the heroine.
These negative reviews tend to point out two rather disturbing realities: first, that there is a great deal of ignorance about the ancient world abroad in our culture; and second, that it is apparently taboo to depict a darker-skinned person as a villain, even if this may reflect reality. I can't say I find either of these things particularly admirable (quite the reverse, actually), although the icing on the cake comes with the knowledge that an explicitly Afrocentric retelling of this tale (presumably including an Egyptian Rhodopis?), was published a number of years after Climo's telling. I can only assume that the author of The Egyptian Cinderella and Other Egyptian Tales does not see the absurdity of taking a tale in which the heroine's outsider status is central to any understanding of meaning, and making her an "insider" instead. It's as if a group of far-right, modern-day Israelis, believing that the Moabites were the ancestors of their present-day enemies, the Arabs, decided "To hell with the Book of Ruth! We don't want a Moabitess in our sacred stories - we'll make her an Israelite instead!" It would be laughable, if it weren't so sad.
Leaving aside these issues of identity politics, and the racism of extreme (read: essentialist) Afrocentrism, The Egyptian Cinderella is just an engaging story, one I would recommend to readers interested in the Cinderella tale-type specifically, to general fairy-tale fans, and to anyone - teachers, librarians, parents - interested in sparking a truly thoughtful discussion of the ancient world with the children in their care.
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LibraryThing member michelleramos
This is the Egyptian version of the classic fairytale Cinderella. In this version the "Cinderella" is a stollen slave from Greece. Her master sees how well she dances and has beautiful shoes made for her. When she is forced to miss a very important event a bird steals her shoes. The prince is given
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the shoes and goes out in search of their owner. He finds her and they live happily ever after. Show Less
LibraryThing member mlsullivan
I absolutely loved the illustrations in this book. I enjoyed how it talked about the Pharoh and all the things that happened in olden Egypt.
LibraryThing member slmturner
A slightly different version of the famous Walt Disney's Cinderella. The story takes place in long-ago Egypt. Rhodopis is a slave who has three servant girls that make her do all of the work. They pick on her because she looks different. She has rosy red skin, green eyes, and blonde hair, hence her
It has wonderful, bright illustrations that help bring the story to life. It was a typical Cinderella story with some changes. The author's note at the end makes the story more life-like. She explains that it is one of the oldest versions of Cinderella and that some of the story is true. Knowing that the story was based on a real person makes me feel more connected with it.
This would be a good book to read to students while doing a writing lesson over Cinderella. The teacher could read this book along with other versions and let the students write their own version of Cinderella. Another extension is that the teacher could relate the story to real life by having the students realize that even though they might feel different, picked on, and down on their luck, that good things can still happen.
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name Rhodopis. A falcon steels her slipper and drops it into the Pharaoh's lap who then sets out to find the person who can fit the slipper. That person shall become his queen. It has wonderful, bright illustrations that help bring the story to life. It was a typical Cinderella story with some changes. The author's note at the end makes the story more life-like. She explains that it is one of the oldest versions of Cinderella and that some of the story is true. Knowing that the story was based on a real person makes me feel more connected with it.
This would be a good book to read to students while doing a writing lesson over Cinderella. The teacher could read this book along with other versions and let the students write their own version of Cinderella. Another extension is that the teacher could relate the story to real life by having the students realize that even though they might feel different, picked on, and down on their luck, that good things can still happen.
Show Less
LibraryThing member BNededog
The Egyptian Cinderella is a picture book about a Greek girl that was stolen by pirates and sold to the Egyptians as a slave. She was treated differently be the servant girls because they were only household servants and she was a slave. Whenever all of her chores were done she would dance with her
I enjoyed this book because it has a different spin on a classic fairytale. I liked the pictures in the book because they were very colorful. This would be a good book to take a small glimpse of how other cultures live.
Activity one would be to draw their version of what a Cinderella shoe would look like to them. The second activity would be to write a short paragraph on the differences between Cinderella and The Egyptian Cinderella.
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animal friends. One night when her master saw her dancing he decided to get her a pair of rose-gold slippers. On the day that the other servant girls went to see the pharaoh and would not let Rhodopis go a falcon, the god Horus, came down and stole one of her rose-gold slippers. He flew all the way to where the pharaoh was and dropped the slipper in his lap. The pharaoh took it as a sign for him to find the owner of the slipper and make her his wife. He searched all over the kingdom and none of the Egyptians fit the slipper until he came to where Rhodopis was. The other servant girls try to fit the slippers, but could not. However, when Rhodopis tried on the slipper it fit and they lived happily ever after.I enjoyed this book because it has a different spin on a classic fairytale. I liked the pictures in the book because they were very colorful. This would be a good book to take a small glimpse of how other cultures live.
Activity one would be to draw their version of what a Cinderella shoe would look like to them. The second activity would be to write a short paragraph on the differences between Cinderella and The Egyptian Cinderella.
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LibraryThing member Racheguevara
This is a wonderful rendition of the Cinderella fairytale. It keeps the important parts of the story, such as the mean servants who loath the slave girl Rhodopis, and the mystical elements that help her, as well as the slipper. However, the cultural aspects are different. Rhodopis is stolen from
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her family by pirates, and sold as a slave. There is no prince, but rather a Pharaoh. Instead of a glass slipper, Rhodopis is given leather slippers with rose-red gold, only not from the God Horus, but by her master after watching her dance beautifully in the garden. Horus simply helps Rhodopis by stealing one of her slippers and flying it to the Pharaoh’s court and dropping it in pharaoh’s lap. The Pharaoh interprets this as the God Horus sending him a sign, and has every maiden in Egypt try on the slipper. As the Pharaoh is making his way through Egypt, he sees Rhodopis in the rushes. After she tries on the slipper, she reveals the second one, and the Pharaoh takes Rhodopis to be his queen. It is no wonder that this book has won the Young Hoosier Book Award Nominee (1991-1992). Show Less
LibraryThing member kaitlinc23
This is a good example of fairytale, because it is a popular tale told through an Egyptian's point of view. It is a little bit different than the other Cinderella stories, but it is fun. The story is a little long so it would be hard to read to a bunch of primary grade students.
LibraryThing member msalissa
I really love this book because it is a great way to introduce different cultures into the classroom. It does not have the typical Cinderella that children are used to. It can help them to see that beauty can come in many different forms and help to open their eyes to different cultures and ways of
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living. Show Less
LibraryThing member kkcrossley
A Greek girl is sold as a slave to a nice man in Egypt. Her fellow slaves are jealous of her masters favor toward her and treat her badly. Based on true story that took place in 570-526BCE.
LibraryThing member kerriwilliams
Great twist on Cinderella I liked that she was different right from the start with her blond hair and pale skin. Her differences made her special and made her stand out. I enjoyed the historical part at the end of the book about how there is some truth to this particula Cinderella story. I would
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use this Cinderella story when comparing Cinderella stories from the around the world in a fairytale folklore unit. Show Less
LibraryThing member acochra
This book would be a wonderful addition to a unit on fairy tales, because it adds another perspective to the popular fairy tale "Cinderella". Or if you have a unit on Egypt, this is a fun book to create a lesson off of. The illustrations are really engaging, and would give students a good visual
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for the artwork and people present during Egyptian times. Show Less
LibraryThing member khand
This book is about Cinderella and the pharaoh. It is a classic tale, about a golden shoe that winds up linking a slave girl to the pharaoh. This was also a great multicultural book.
LibraryThing member CircusTrain
5Q – simple retelling of the tale of Rhodophis that keeps the rhythm of traditional tales (similar syntax, etc). The illustrations have an appealing clarity and lightness.
3P – Although this book merits a 5, mainstream versions of Cinderella have more advertising behind them.
3P – Although this book merits a 5, mainstream versions of Cinderella have more advertising behind them.
LibraryThing member jentaz
This story is about a young slave girl instead of an orphan who is teased and tormented by the Egyptian servant girls that she works with because her skin is pale, eyes are green, and hair is light. She does not fit in with the other girls so she makes friends with the animals in nature around her.
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All the servant girls are jealous so they give Rhodopis more chores to do, but a falcon steals one of her red slippers, and takes it to the pharaoh and decides to search for and the girl whose foot fits the slipper and marry her. Show Less
LibraryThing member cmiersma
This is a retelling of the Cinderella story in Egypt. Cinderella is a slave girl who is from Greece and the other servant girls are very jealous of Cinderella. The other servant girls go to meet the pharaoh. The pharaoh finds Cinderella's beautiful slipper and goes in search of her. He finds her
This story involves some magic and unrealistic events that takes place to make this a fairytale. It contains both good and evil characters, Cinderella is good and the other servent girls are considered bad because of their attitude towards Cinderella.
A teacher could use this book to introduce the class with different versions of the Cinderella story and teach kids that there are many versions of the same story all over the world. A teacher could also use this book to have students practice appreciative listening.
The setting in this book takes place in Egypt. The setting in this book are necessary for the story because it builds the plot. If the setting was not included in the book, it would not have anything to do with the Egyptian's version of the Cinderella story.
Media: Oil Paints
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and marries her and she is no longer a slave. This story involves some magic and unrealistic events that takes place to make this a fairytale. It contains both good and evil characters, Cinderella is good and the other servent girls are considered bad because of their attitude towards Cinderella.
A teacher could use this book to introduce the class with different versions of the Cinderella story and teach kids that there are many versions of the same story all over the world. A teacher could also use this book to have students practice appreciative listening.
The setting in this book takes place in Egypt. The setting in this book are necessary for the story because it builds the plot. If the setting was not included in the book, it would not have anything to do with the Egyptian's version of the Cinderella story.
Media: Oil Paints
Show Less
LibraryThing member t1bclasslibrary
This is a neat story because it's possibly the earliest retelling of Cinderella and includes the slipper and everything. It's also got a bit of history behind it, as explained in the author's note. The only thing I wasn't crazy about was the illustrations. They're pretty and even nod to Egyptian
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drawing style, but I hate the eyes being so high in the head, and I objected to the protagonist being blond. That's not in the story- only that she has green eyes and feathery hair. I think, being Greek, that it was more likely that she had dark brown or black hair. Show Less
LibraryThing member gjchauvin504
I have always been fascinated by Egypt and fairytales, so when I saw this book I had to get it for my collection. I'm very glad I did! The story is fun to read even for adults and the pictures are wonderfully drawn. The attention to detail is amazing! I fell in love with this book the moment I
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opened it, and I think you will too. I am now looking at getting some of the other multicultural Cinderella stories as well. Show Less
LibraryThing member Macylynn
Book Overview:
This book is much like Cinderella; however, it has its differences. This story is based in Egypt and in a different culture than the American version. The Cinderella in this story is named Roodophis because of her red cheeks and is looked down upon because she does not have dark skin
Personal Reaction:
I surprisingly loved this book. I read Cinderella first and then the changes in this one show the different culture. I think it would be great for children to read to boost confidence in themselves if they feel different or are of a different culture.
Classroom Extension ideas
1. This would be a great book to teach culture with because you could read the book and talk about their clothing, transportation, and wildlife.
2. Also, this book would tie into a fun art lesson doing things about different places in the world. The kids could see the different wildlife and even plants that grow in a place like Egypt that are different from here.
This book is much like Cinderella; however, it has its differences. This story is based in Egypt and in a different culture than the American version. The Cinderella in this story is named Roodophis because of her red cheeks and is looked down upon because she does not have dark skin
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and dark hair like all the other Egyptians. However, she is found by her owner speaking to the animals and interacting with nature. Her master gave her a pair of golden Ruby slippers because of her red cheeks but as a symbol of a goddess. In this book her sisters were going to travel to see the Pharoh because he wanted to find his Queen. However, when they arrived so did a bird that swept up Rodophis’ shoe earlier that day. He saw the shoe and said the most beautiful creature must wear this so he set out to find her. When he came to Rodophis house he made her try on the shoe, and it fit! So they lived happily ever after.Personal Reaction:
I surprisingly loved this book. I read Cinderella first and then the changes in this one show the different culture. I think it would be great for children to read to boost confidence in themselves if they feel different or are of a different culture.
Classroom Extension ideas
1. This would be a great book to teach culture with because you could read the book and talk about their clothing, transportation, and wildlife.
2. Also, this book would tie into a fun art lesson doing things about different places in the world. The kids could see the different wildlife and even plants that grow in a place like Egypt that are different from here.
Show Less
LibraryThing member tarannum93
I thought this book was just lovely! It has a great spin on the traditional stroy of cinderalla becuase it chancges the setting and the plot stlightly, but the over all conflict is the same. I think this book would be great for students to read in group work. Since there are many versions of the
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story cinderella, I could give each group a diffrent version and ask them to compare and contrast the diffrent versions. Show Less
LibraryThing member epalaz
This book is about a stolen child turned slave who becomes a princess. This Cinderella addresses other cultures and presents factual information. This would be gerat to read to children to show them that Cinderella could be anybody, anywhere.
LibraryThing member ArielDean
I liked this version because her and her evil sisters were slaves to this man. She was the most humble so he gave her nice shoes. The eagle takes her shoe and brings it to the prince. Instead of trying on the shoe at the end, she shows him the other match and they marry.
LibraryThing member abreck2
I think that this is a great multicultural book! I love how there is a twist on the traditional Cinderella story and that the book is about an "Egyptian Cinderella." I really liked the illustrations in this book. They were very colorful and detailed, which I think aided in emphasizing the fact that
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Egyptians are fancy and that Egypt is a beautiful place. I think that the colorful and detailed illustrations also emphasize the central message, which is that the Egyptian Cinderella was beautiful and was the representation and model of what an Egyptian of great character was. I also liked the language in the book. The author's use of similies was very effective in characterizing the Egyptian Cinderella. For example, on one page, the Egyptian Cinderella is described as, "Her eyes are as green as the Nile, her hair as feathery as papyrus, and her skin the pink of a lotus flower." Show Less
LibraryThing member AleciaDesselle
This take on the Cinderella story is one of the oldest, dating back to the first century B.C. Rhodopis is stolen from Greece and sold as a slave to an Egyptian. Mistreated by her owner’s servants, the will of the God Horus changes Rhodopis fate. The story, retold by Shirley Climo, mixes fact and
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fiction. Show Less
LibraryThing member jaelynculliford
The Egyptian Cinderella is a different retelling of the classic story of Cinderella. The main elements of the story of cinderella are in here, but with a twist. What a perfect addition to show the students about the different parts in the world.
Subjects
Awards
Young Hoosier Book Award (Nominee — Picture Book — 1992)
Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — 1994)
Language
Original publication date
1989
Physical description
32 p.; 8 inches
ISBN
0064432793 / 9780064432795