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Yeh-Hsien: A Chinese Cinderella (Bilingual Multicultural Book) - Somali-English

Yeh-hsien (A Chinese Cinderella) - Diverse children's book in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Hindi, Kurdish, Russian, Swedish, Tagalog, and many other languages.  Inspiring story for multicultural classrooms
This Chinese version of Cinderella is similar to, but delightfully different than, the classic version of the fairy tale.
 
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LANGUAGE: SOMALI & ENGLISH


Product Code: CINSO

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Yeh-Hsien: A Chinese Cinderella (Bilingual Multicultural Book) - Somali/English
Author: Dawn Casey
Illustrator: Richard Holland

You've heard of Cinderella, but what about the story of Yeh-Hsien? Believed to be the original Cinderella story, Yeh-Hsien is a girl raised by a wicked stepmother, living a hard life with the most difficult chores. The stepmother kills her favorite fish, but Yeh-Hsien is amazed to discover that the fish bones are magical! Her greatest wish is to attend the village festival, but she loses her slipper there...

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Cinderella is one of the world’s best known and loved fairy tales. The story, which appears in various forms in many cultures, appears to have originated in China approximately 1000 years ago. The Chinese story, retold here by Dawn Casey, contains many of the elements of the more modern (European) versions that readers may be familiar with.

Our clever and kind heroine Yeh-Hsien is orphaned and left to the care of her tyrannical stepmother and stepsister. She is dressed in rags, given “hardly a scrap to eat,” and is forced to do the hardest chores.

Yeh-Hsien’s only friend is a fish she secretly has raised with “food and with love.” When her stepmother discovers Yeh-Hsien’s secret, she is consumed with desire to capture and eat the fish. Wearing one of Yeh-Hsien’s ragged robes, the stepmother lures the fish to her, and kills and eats Yeh-Hsien’s only friend.

When Yeh-Hsien realizes that her friend is gone, she crumples to the ground weeping. Suddenly an old man floats down from the sky and reveals what happened to her friend. He tells her to fetch the fish bones, as they contain a powerful magic that will grant all her wishes.

Soon spring arrives. Yeh-Hsien’s stepmother and stepsister head to the Spring Festival, ordering Yeh-Hsien to stay and guard the fruit trees. Yet Yeh-Hsien is determined to go. She uses the fish bones to wish for a robe of silk, a dazzling cloak of kingfisher feathers, and shoes of gold. She attends the festival, but when she is recognized by her stepmother, she flees, losing one of her slippers.

The slipper is found and taken to the king, who vows to marry its owner. He leaves the shoe by the wayside where Yeh-Hsien finds it and carries it home. The king and his men follow her home, and in front of her disbelieving stepmother and stepsister, Yeh-Hsien goes to her hiding place, finds her beautiful clothing and returns with both golden shoes. Of course Yeh-Hsien becomes the king’s bride.

The Chinese version of Cinderella is similar to, yet delightfully different from the more recognized European or Disney interpretations of the story. I found Yeh-Hsien to be a stronger character than the heroine in these other Cinderella tales. In the Chinese story, it is Yeh-Hsien herself who decides to go to the festival and makes it happen because she is “so determined.” I also enjoyed the beautiful descriptive language of the story - “looking as graceful as the willow that sways with the wind…”

Although this book is recommended for children ages 4-8, older children who appreciate fairy tales also would find this version of Cinderella appealing.

- Maureen Barlow Pugh, Culture Connection Newsletter

Yeh-Hsien: A Chinese Cinderella (Bilingual Multicultural Book) Part 1
Yeh-Hsien: A Chinese Cinderella (Bilingual Multicultural Book) Part 2
PRODUCT TYPE:
  • Paperback book

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