Rebecca Hickox

The daughter of a widowed fisherman, Maha was lonely for a mother's love, and convinced her father to marry their neighbor. Unfortunately for her, her new stepmother was resentful and unkind, and the young girl was made to do all the work, while her stepsister lazed around. After sparing the talking red fish she finds one day, Maha gains a magical ally who helps her throughout her childhood and adolescence. When denied the chance to attend the henna party of a wealthy merchant's daughter, Maha appeals to the fish, and is given enchanted clothing to wear. Returning home at the end of the evening, she loses one of her golden sandals, and it is found by the merchant's son, who is so struck by its dainty beauty, that he decides he must marry its owner...

Adapted from the Iraqi tale of The Little Red Fish and the Clog of Gold, to be found in Inea Bushnaq's 1986 Arab Folktales, this Middle Eastern Cinderella story has many of the elements associated with this tale type, from the unkind stepmother and lazy stepsister, to the magical protector/guide. There is even a party to which the Cinderella figure wishes to go, although here it is a women's only party, rather than the ball of the western tradition. The Golden Sandal: A Middle Eastern Cinderella Story is the second folkloric picture-book I have read from author Rebecca Hickox, following upon her Zorro and Quwi: Tales of a Trickster Guinea Pig, and I enjoyed the narrative, appreciating the mixture of familiar and unfamiliar elements. The accompanying artwork from illustrator Will Hillenbrand, created on velum in a variety of media (he discusses his method in a note at the read), was likewise appealing. The only thing I would criticize is the author's claim, in her afterword, that the Chinese variant of this tale type is the oldest recorded version. This is in fact untrue, as the ancient Egyptian version - see Shirley Climo's The Egyptian Cinderella for a retelling - is the oldest known version. Leaving that aside, this is one I would recommend to young folklore enthusiasts, and to anyone seeking Cinderella variants from around the world.… (més)