Glass slipper, gold sandal: a worldwide Cinderella by Paul Fleischman, illustrated by Julie Paschkis.

Fleischman has created a picture book that pays tribute to the varied Cinderella stories from around the world.  The storyline of the book follows the Cinderella tale, but touches from each country can be felt.  What could have been a muddled mishmash is a truly amazing experience as readers see the differences and the similarities in Cinderella tales.  A large part of the success is Fleischman’s ability to showcase cultures in single lines, small details and wording.  Another part of the book’s success are the illustrations which have bright colored frames that allude to other details of the story in that culture.  Each frame offers insight into the differences of that exact story, and the book could be read again and again looking at the various pictures.

This is exactly what is meant by a multicultural story.  It is a celebration of both our kinship and our diversity.  A must-purchase for all public libraries, you will find that older children who have a sense of different countries will enjoy this more than 4-6 year olds.  Highly recommended for folktale units or just for the joy of sharing.