Miyuki: Folklore: “The Rough-Face Girl”

I chose the book named “The Rough-Face Girl” by Rafe Martin and illustrated by David Shannon. 

“The Rough-Face Girl” is about a Cinderella tale came from Algonquin Indian, an invisible being who handsome and rich lived in one village, many young women failed to marry with him because they could not see him. The Rough-Face Girl had been bullying from two older sister, but she tried to see invisible being, then she finally married with invisible being because she could see him detail.

This book’s themes are honesty and kindness. Genre is folklore of Cinderella. However, “The Rough-Face Girl” was told from north east of America. Native people revised it. This folklore is important because it will teach young readers understand about family and honesties. In addition, this story encourages young readers to explore significant morals. In addition, I found that this story’s pattern is motifs of a well known story, and means that it is a different story than with regular Cinderella, but the purpose (should focus on heart not only ugly face) did not change and the frame did not change too (one father has three daughter and two old sister bully to her young sister). Moreover, I can identify that this story also shows motifs because students can identify similar features when they compared this story and several of the other 1,500 stories like Cinderella. This folklore’s theme is happiness, and this book matched it. Lastly, I noticed that this book is a fairy tale because of magic. All women could not see the invisible being, but only his sister and his future wife can see him. It was magic fantasy!

I know that Grimm’s Cinderella was famous in Japan, but I saw it the first time in Fremont, California, at a library’s story telling day, where one Deaf teacher signed for Deaf children and their siblings. I was surprised that they told me that this book is similar with Cinderella! I decided that I want to read more native story versions of Cinderella.

I noticed that this book wanted to tell about a family’s relationship and how honesty will be repaid to their self. For example, in the picture book, The Rough-Face Girl was being bullied from her two older sisters, but she never looks for revenge on them and she was patient. She accepted to wear old clothes and shoes too, and finally, she married a handsome and rich man because of her honesties, and this will lead to discussions in the classroom about how to reduce hurting each other and bullying. In my classroom, I will let students read or ask about other Cinderella stories, and I will discuss the different contents and similar contents. In addition, students will figure out patterns for the versions of this folklore. Lastly, students will discuss about culture or tradition and what they found. It is important that children will develop to think over about peers and have kindness for each other. I noticed that this author, Martin wants to expose issues of social injustice and self-love and knowledge because in the past and now, most people love money and beauty more than poor, ugly, and a kind heart. This book will teach students respect for others because people should respect each other, not bully and hurt. In addition, the book emphasizes self-love and knowledge because this book shows several things about and explains native culture.

Age: 4 - 8 years