This is a fairy tale like story based on the typical Cinderella stories but with a Korean twist. It takes place long ago in Korea. It has vibrantly colored pictures that resemble the Korean culture. It tells about their belief of mystical animals. It also defines a few Korean words in the story.

I liked the bright, colorful pictures. They depicted the Korean culture. The story briefly describes how the culture was long ago;plants, food, festivals, clothing, and mythical animals. I do not believe that it does not describe the Korean way of life sufficiently enough to get a real feel for it. I think that it would be better to use this book with a fairy tale unit.

This would be a great book to read during a unit on Cinderella. The students could get an idea of the Korean culture by reading it. The students could also discuss how the Korean people, back then, dress. They could compare and contrast their dress compared to ours. I could explain how dress is a part of one's culture. ( )

This book is based on three of the six Cinderella stories that have been told in Korea for centuries. In this Korean version our Cinderella is named Pear Blossom, or Pigling by her stepfamily, from whom she endures the similar hardships that are commonly known to the traditional story. The characters are garbed in colorful kimonos and colorful oriental tapestries provide a background for the setting. Pear Blossom is assisted with magic and a goblin, but not a fairy godmother, which helps her to marry the local magistrate.

Girl is called Little Pig/Pigling. The women in her life are more cruel than most of the other Cinderella stories. Fairy god mother role - goblin/spirit. Author's note provides brief background on this version of the Cinderella tale. Illustrator's note provides information on the illustrations in the text. ( )

Critique:
Genre: This story has several magical elements: for example, when the gigantic frog acts as a stopper to fill the hole of a jar and when the sparrows talk and polish all of the rice and pile it in a corner. These magical elements allow the story to have both a good character (Pear Blossom), and evil characters (Omoni and Peony). They create conflict in the story that entertains the reader but also teaches a moral about how you treat other people.
Plot: This Korean Cinderella story follows a similar plot to the traditional Cinderella story told in America. However, it gives it a new twist because the dad is still alive, and there is not one fairy godmother, but many different magical elements and animals that help out Pear Blossom. The evil stepmother and stepsister allow the conflict to occur between them and Pear Blossom since they are jealous of her. It is eventually resolved when the magistrate is attracted to Pear Blossom and wants her as his wife. The climax occurs when Pear Blossom sees the magistrate and he becomes attracted to her.
Media: Mixed media ( )

FROM LIBRARY CATALOG:

In this version of Cinderella set in ancient Korea, Pear Blossom, a stepchild, eventually comes to be chosen by the magistrate to be his wife.