1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Martin, Rafe. THE ROUGH-FACE GIRL. Ill. by David Shannon. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam’s Sons. ISBN 0399218599

2. PLOT SUMMARY
This is an Algonquin Indian version of the Cinderella story. THE ROUGH-FACE Girl’s characters include an Invisible Being, his sister, and a frail and poverty-stricken father with three daughters. “The two older daughters are cruel and hard-hearted, and make the youngest sister sit by the fire and feed the flames.” After years of feeding the flames of the campfire, the youngest sister’s face and arms become scarred and her hair is seared and rough. The older sisters tease the younger sister and make her life miserable. One day the two older sisters speak with their poor father and asks him for a new wardrobe. They say that one of them will marry the Invisible Being. Their only obstacle is the Invisible Being’s sister. As they approach the Invisible Being’s Wigwam, they encounter the sister at the entrance. The sister of the Invisible Being asks the cruel daughters two questions about the Invisible Being that they cannot answer. As a result, they are turned away. The younger sister meets with her father and asks him for some beads, moccasins, and a buckskin dress. The father is sorry and has nothing left to give her, but some hand-me-down beads and moccasins. She says, “Whatever you can spare, I can use.” The Rough-Face Girl arrives at the Invisible Being’s wigwam and is greeted by his sister. The sister asks the girl the same two questions she asked her two older sisters. “What’s his bow and the runner of his sled made of?” She, unlike her sisters, successfully answers the questions and can sees and has always seen the Invisible Being. The sister of the Invisible Being takes the Rough-Face Girl to the lake. The water heal the Rough-Face Girl’s scars. In the end, the Rough-Face Girl marries the Invisible Being and live happily ever after.


3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The two older sisters mistreat the Rough- Face Girl. The Rough-Face Girl lives a simple life full of pain and despair. She is kind, loving, and selfless. The older sisters are cruel, selfish and despicable. The sisters and the women in the village want to marry the rich, supposedly handsome Invisible Being. The Rough-Face Girl overcomes her tormentors and is transformed from brunt to beautiful. She marries the Invisible Being.
This Algonquin version of the Cinderella story differs from the popular classic version. In this Native American folktale, the Rough-Face Girl lives with her biological father and sisters. In the well know classic variation, the ill-treated girl lives with her stepmother and two stepsisters. After the Rough-Face Girl marries the Invisible Being and lives happily ever after, the fate of the father and the two sisters are not revealed in this version. In the popular Cinderella version, it is told to the reader the father and daughters outcome.

David Shannon’s illustrations are beautiful, magical and mysterious. His use of soft acrylic paints reflects the mood and magic of this wonderful folktale. Shannon use of brown woodland sticks compliments each page of his illustrations. Shannon brings a feel of nature to the illustrations. This feel of nature, brings the text alive for the reader.
Furthermore, the use of the different shades of brown and tan creates a unique contrast of visual effect. The illustrations present a rhythm to the text that makes this folktale an excellent read aloud. Children of all ages will enjoy this fascinating story. The ROUGH-FACE GIRL is one of my students favorite Cinderella stories. During story time, I would watch my students reading parts of the book like a Readers Theater. I truly enjoyed watching the boys play the part of the cruel sisters. They were so cute when they were trying to figure out what to tell the Invisible Being's sister about his bow. After seeing them perform, I wrote my students a script of THE ROUGH-FACE GIRL. They like the script and give me a daily performance.


4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
School Library Journal: “Simply in the words of an oral storyteller, Martin retells an Algonquin folktale. . . Shannon’s finely crafted. . .paintings. . .embody the fuller flavor of the story. . .this is a splendid read-aloud.”
PARENT’S Magazine: “There are many versions of the Cinderella story, but none is more eloquent or affecting- - or more strikingly illustrated.”
Booklist: “Given the beauty of the story, the strength of many of the illustrations, and the current interest in comparing variants of folktales from different cultures, libraries will find this a well-used picture book.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*During creative writing, have students write an outcome for the father and the two cruel sisters. Students should illustrate their story using soft acrylic paints. Allow students to share their story with their classmates.
*After reading aloud three versions of the Cinderella story, provide blank story booklets for the children and encourage them to write their own version of a Cinderella story. Students should share their version with the other second grade students in their classroom.
*In the drama center, have students act out THE ROUGH-FACE GIRL.
*Other versions of the Cinderella story:
Louie, Ai-Ling. Ill. by Ed Young. YEH-SHEN: A CINDERELLA STORY FROM CHINA. ISBN 9780785715337
Steptoe, John. MUFARO’S BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS. ISBN 9780688040468
Climo, Shirley. Ill. by Ruth Heller. KOREAN CINDERELLA. ISBN 0064433978