Cinder Edna by Ellen Jackson

Bibliography:
Jackson, E. CINDER EDNA. Ill. Kevin O’Malley. New York, NY: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books. ISBN 0688123228

Plot Summary:
Cinder Edna is about Cinderella and her next door neighbor Cinder Edna. Both girls are forced to work for wicked stepmothers and stepsisters, but each girl’s life is determined by her attitude. Cinderella focuses on her troubles waiting for assistance from her fairy godmother so that she can attend the ball while Cinder Edna saves for her dress by putting it away on layaway. The girls attend the ball to meet their prince, but the midnight deadline has the girls rushing for the doors causing confusion while the princes track down their princesses.

Critical Analysis:
This parody of the traditional tale of Cinderella focuses on providing a contrast between two girls who face similar situations, but with a different attitude each girl ends up with a different life. Cinderella is portrayed as a beautiful, put-upon girl who relies on the aid of others to alter the direction of her life. In contrast, Cinder Edna is a plain, industrious, good-humored girl who uses her own ingenuity to get what she wants.

The moral of the story is that a good attitude and a willingness to work can make change one’s circumstances, but the book lacks an even hand. The feminist take is refreshing in comparison to the original version where Cinderella waits for her prince. In Cinder Edna, Cinderella becomes the “villain” because she is a passive person. It gives the reader the impression that beautiful people are lazy and vain and will not attain true happiness. A better take might have been that it is possible for anyone pretty/ugly, smart/dumb, or vain/humble can find happiness at a level that suits them.

Kevin O’Malley’s contribution to the book are vibrant illustrations that convey the humor in the store through pastel drawings. The expressions and positions of the figures show the attitude of the characters to advantage and help reveal the soul of each one. The drawings are a highlight of the story.

Review Excerpts:
School Library Journal: “Kids will love this version of the familiar story for its humor and vibrant artwork.”

Publishers Weekly: “O'Malley's nicely executed, cleverly detailed spreads contrast Cinderella's fantasy glow with Edna's clear-eyed, can-do attitude. This Cinderella send-up is full of kid-pleasing jokes and, besides, it's never too early to discover the hazards of codependence.”

Connections:
-This parody can be part of a classroom discussion talking about the different ways Cinderella acts and behaves from studying Perrault’s version and other cultural variants of the story such as: The Rough Face Girl by Rafe Martin or The Korean Cinderella by Shirley Climo
-Other modernized versions of the tale could be told to offer other perspectives such as: Prince Cinder by Babette Cole and The Paper Bag Princess by Robert N. Munsch
-The class could discuss the attitudes adopted by each character, both the male and female roles and ask about who lived “happily ever after?”