Sootface

Beautifully written and the water color illustrations match the text. A sort of Native American Cinderella tale, but much more complex than the fairy tale. I don't really feel the classroom is the place for Cinderella tales of any sort, but since I have received a great deal of positive feedback in

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response to the story from children, I would recommend it for the home.

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SynopsisSootface is the third daughter of an Ojibwa widower. Her two older sisters treat Sootface very badly, forcing her to cook, clean, and do all of their chores while they take credit One day the sister of the Invisible warrior told the villagers that her brother was ready to take a wife but

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would only marry the first girl who could tell her what his bow and bowstring was made of. Slowly each of the village girls don their finest gowns and make the trip to the warrior’s house only to be turned away. One day Sootface’s two sisters decide to make the trip but are each rejected after offering the incorrect answer. Lonely and hopeful that she might find a husband and escape her sister’s Sootface decides to try her luck and see if she could answer the hunter’s question. After being told she could not borrow a clean dress or have any help getting ready to visit the hunter, Sootface crafts herself a dress of white birch bark and weaves a garland of flowers in her hair. Sootface then visits the hunter’s house and wins a husband, leaving her sisters to bemoan her luck and the village to know her true worth and beauty. ReviewI enjoyed the book. The illustrations by Daniel San Souci are very detailed and take pains to represent the Ojibwa people in a non-biased or racially incorrect manner (i.e. wrong clothing). The print might be a bit hard for young readers to master, as it’s rather small and condensed closely together on sharp white backgrounds (Or I might be getting old).

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Summary: An Ojibwa man was raising three daughters. The two older girls made the youngest daughter, whom they called Sootface, do all the chores and they sometimes beat and made fun of her. Sootface was sad and tired but still had hopes to someday find a husband. Meanwhile, there was a mighty

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warrior who was invisible that lived with his sister away from the village. He told his sister that the woman who could see him and know what his bow and bowstring was made of would become his bride. Many of the young women, including Sootface's oldest sisters, failed the test. Sootface decided to try and her kind heart caused her to be able to see the mighty warrior. He gave Sootface a new name and they married.

Personal Reaction: I have read Cinderella stories many times to my daughters. This was a refreshing new version I had not read before. Although it's not always realistic, I still enjoy stories with "happily ever after" endings.

Classroom Extensions: I could 1) also read a version of the Cinderella story they are probably used to hearing to refresh their minds and have them discuss the similarities and differences between the two or 2) have the class research and learn more about the Ojibwa tribe.

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Once, an Ojibwa man whose wife had died raised three daughters alone. The two older girls were lazy and bad-tempered, and made their youngest sister do all the work. When the flames from the cooking fire singed her hair or burned her skin, they laughed and called her Sootface. While she worked,

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Sootface dreamed that one day she would find a husband. Then a mighty warrior with the power to make himself invisible decides to marry. Only a woman with a kind and honest heart could see him, and be his bride. Though her sisters ridicule her, Sootface sets off to try her luck, never looking back. Her courage and good nature bring her the husband she has longed for.

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This is a another spin on Cinderella, told from a Native American tribe. In this story it has more to do with what that tribe valued in life a good hunter for men and long beautiful hair and dresses. The prince in this story is invisible and only someone with a good heart can see him. Sootface is

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not beautiful and didn't have nice clothes but she could see him and then became his wife.

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This is a Native American Cinderella story. The youngest of her sisters, Sootface is forced to cook and clean. Her sisters make fun of her and make her wear rags while they dress nicely. Her hair is short and burned and her face full of soot. A mighty warrior who invisible to most, decides that

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wants to find a wife. He tells his sister that whomever can describe his bow and bowstrings, that is who he will marry. Many women, including the 2 sisters of Sootface, went to the warriors sister to guess at what the bow and strings were made of. Sootface dressed herself up as best she could and went to the warriors sister and described the bow and bowstrings and they married and lived happily ever after.

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A really interesting spin on the old "Cinderella" format, this book is centered around Native American culture. Sootface is the youngest of her sisters and made to do all the chores and wear rags. Her hair has been burnt short by tending the cooking fires, day after day. The sisters laugh and call

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her "Sootface". One day, there comes word that the best huntsman in all the land is seeking a wife. Being skilled in magic, he can make himself invisible to all those women not pure enough for him. All the women in the villiage try, they approach the huntsman's sister and try to describe his bow, but they all fail. Sootface is the last to try, dolling herself up as best as she is able, she sets off to meet his sister and describe his bow. She is successful and becomes his wife. Her new husband and sister in law take much better care of her and she is revealed to be quite beautiful in the end. Her sisters, still single, are left to tend to the chores without her. An amazing look into Native American culture, in a familiar format that children will understand, this book is a winner in my eyes.

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This is an Native American version of Cinderella. The Illustration is done by Daniel San Souci and this one also brings out the story and makes it flow nicely like the Egyptian one.

Summary: This is the Ojibwa Indian's version of the Cinderella story. An Ojibwa mans wife died leaving him with three daughters. When he would go out to hunt the two oldest daugthers would treat the youngest daughter poorly. they would smear soot on her face and make her do all the work. The named

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her Sootface. When the father returned and asked why she was so dirty they claimed she would not listen and got too close to the fire and was clumsy. Another village nearby had a man who could make himself invisible. He told his sister to go to Sootface's village and let them know that whoever could see him and describe what he looked like and his bow and string, then he would marry them. Only those of pure heart would be able to do so. The sisters tried and failed miserably. Sootface was able to see him and he renamed her Dawn-Light.

Personal Reaction: I like this twist on the Cinderella story. I know that similar stories have been told all over the world. I have not heard one quite like this before.

Classroom Extension: We could do lessons on Indians beliefs. In this story it is believed he can become invisible. We could spin off of that into other beliefs, using other books.

We could also talk about bullying and self worth.

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Summary: an Ojibwa man wife had died and left him with 3 daughters to raise alone. The 2 older daughters were lazy and had bad attitudes and they made the youngest sister do all the work. One day when she was cooking the flames singed her hair and burned her face.Her sisters laughed at her and

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called her Sootface. Sootface never thought she would get married until a warrior who has the power to make himself invisible marries her because only a kind hearted and honest woman could see him.

Personal Reaction: This books showed to me not to give up hope on yourself and inner beauty is more important than outer beauty.

Classroom ideas: Give examples of situations on what happens to people physically and emotionally and teach them a way to were they understand they everyone is beautiful!

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Sootface is the moving Ojubwa version of Cinderella. Sootface is teased and taken advantage of by her sisters. She works hard and may not always look her best. When she hears of the tribe's well respected warrior looking for a bride, she prepares herself to win him over. Sootface proves to be the

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most beautiful woman in the tribe, but not because of her appearance. This tale shows the importance of treating others with kindness and that beauty is only skin deep.

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This story was the Native American version of Cinderella. I really enjoyed it. In this version of Cinderella there were still two older sisters who gave the girl the name Sootface. They also gave her a hard time. The prince this time was a great warrior who was invisible and would only choose the

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girl who could see what his invisible bow and bow string were mad out of. Of course the older sisters tried and failed and Sootface tried and succeeded. I think this would be a great version to use to compare other Cinderella stories too because while it had many of the same characteristics as a "regular" Cinderella it was also a lot different.

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The Native American folktale tells one culture's version of Cinderella. It is a clever, sweet tale with one hardworking girl who is mistreated by her family, and a mighty warrior who is looking for a spouse. While many Cinderella tales fail to give the heroine any real redeeming qualities beyond

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her victimization and beauty, this tale paints the picture of the sort of gentle, compassionate, determined woman girls could look up to.

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This is an Ojibwa version of Cinderella. The father is still alive and she's bullied by her two older sisters. Her purity gives her the opportunity to see the best hunter that was looking for a bride.
I love this version because it still has the aspect of a Cinderella story, but with the culture

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difference of the Ojibwa tribe.

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The youngest of the three daughters of a widowed hunter, Sootface was made to do all of the hard work by her elder sisters, and ridiculed for the dirty appearance that resulted from her constant attendance to the fire. Despite this mistreatment, and her poor appearance, she never gave up on her

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dream of finding a husband. When the mysterious invisible hunter who lived across the stream from her village announced that he would marry any maiden who could see him, and describe his bow, every girl in the village made an attempt to win him as husband, all to no avail. Then Sootface, clothed only in the finery provided by the forest, crossed the river and, through her kind and honest heart, won her heart's desire...

One of a number of picture-book retellings of this widespread Native American folktale with which I am familiar - see also: Rafe Martin's The Rough-Face Girl and Terri Cohlene's Little Firefly: An Algonquian Legend - Sootface: An Ojibwa Cinderella Story pairs an engaging story from author Robert D. San Souci with appealing artwork from illustrator Daniel San Souci. According to the author's brief note, the sources consulted for this telling include C.G. Leland's Algonquin Legends of New England, E.N. Patridge's Glooscap the Great Chief and Other Stories of the Micmacs, and Idries Shah's World Tales. The artwork was meticulously created after research at the Anthropology Department of UCLA, and reflects the clothing, design and setting of an 18th-century Ojibwa village. I have not yet read the Rafe Martin telling of this tale, but I can certainly say that I infinitely preferred this version from the San Soucis to that done by Cohlene, which I have also reviewed. Recommended to young folklore enthusiasts, and to readers interested in the 'Cinderella' tale type in world lore.

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