The Turkey Girl: A Zuni Cinderella Story - Hardcover

Pollock, Penny

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0316713147 ISBN 13: 9780316713146

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 1996

Synopsis

To a young girl who tends turkeys for a living, an opportunity to go to The Dance of the Scared Bird seems but a distant dream.

About this title

Reviews

Kindergarten-Grade 3?In this version of the Cinderella story, a poor outcast Zuni girl who tends turkeys longs to attend the Dance of the Sacred Bird. Observing her suffering, the turkeys outfit her in a white doeskin dress adorned with rare shells, as well as turquoise necklaces and earrings, and silver bracelets. To prove that she remembers them, she promises to return from the dance "before Sun-Father returns to his sacred place." As in other retellings, she does not keep her word. At this point, the story diverges greatly from the version with which most American children will be familiar: when she finally returns home, the turkeys have abandoned her forever. As an author's note points out, the story symbolically reinforces the moral that "when we break our trust with Mother Earth, we pay a price." Pollock explains that she found this story in a collection of Zuni folktales collected by Frank Hamilton Cushing, but does not provide the source. Young's spare oil crayon and pastel illustrations contain almost elemental forms that sometimes merely suggest the objects they depict. The artist makes the most of the desert's dramatic lighting, creating shadowy backgrounds that draw attention to the story's spiritual underpinnings. While his palette jumps wildly from pale shades to the most vibrant pinks, blues, and golds of a vivid desert sunset, the illustrations do not detract from Pollock's thoughtful retelling, which itself gracefully captures the Zuni landscape. Unfortunately, many pages are difficult to read due to a lack of contrast between the illustrations and the words placed on top of them.?Ellen Fader, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

In this sobering Native American variation of the Cinderella story, the focus is not on finding true love but on remaining true to one's promises. To repay the kindness of the poor orphan girl who tends them, the tribe's turkeys dress her in a fine doeskin robe so she can attend the Dance of the Sacred Bird. So enthralled is she with the dancing that she breaks her promise to return to the turkeys before dawn and consequently loses her friends forever. Pollock frequently interrupts the narrative with references to Zuni clothing and dwellings-the girl's yucca sandals, her "turquoise necklaces and earrings of delicate beauty." In contrast, Young's (Lon Po Po) characteristically abstract illustrations evoke the sunlight and heat of the pueblo villages with few visual clues about the story itself. Except for the heroine's beautiful face, the characters and setting are hazy shadows, often appearing simply as dark silhouettes. The reader never sees the celebrated gown, which is shrouded in a mantle; the dancers at the festival are barely visible smudges seen through the pueblo's doorways. Like the music of story hour radio shows, these illustrations set a mood, forcing the reader to fill in the visual details. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Unlike most Cinderella variants, this retelling of a Zuni story ends unhappily, and hinges on the main character's unfaithfulness. When the ragged turkey herder hears that a Dance of the Sacred Bird is to be held in nearby Hawikuh, she weeps--until her avian friends magic her clothes into splendid garments, hawk up silver and jewelry that they've collected in their crops for years, and send her off, charging her to return before sunset or prove herself ``mean of spirit.'' Enthralled by the music and the men, she delays too long, and loses turkeys, fine clothing, and any hope of respect from her peers. Pollock (Garlanda, 1980, etc.) tells the tale in formal, flowing style, with long sentences and polite dialogue; Young's large, impressionistic scenes only hint of place, dress, or culture, but fully capture the story's changing moods with floating, indistinct figures and strongly colored light. A graceful, dreamy episode. (Picture book/folklore. 6-8) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Gr. 4^-6. A young Turkey Girl forgets her debt to her loving flock and ends up with nothing in this retelling of a Zuni tale. Turkey Girl, outcast and poor, goes to a great feast with the help of her turkeys, who dance her a becoming costume and rich jewels. But she forgets her promise to return before the sun sets, and when she finally does remember, it is too late: the turkeys have gone, and nothing remains. The bleakness of the tale is softened by Young's elegantly evocative pastel and oil crayon illustrations. Desert violets and rich reds complement one another against the spacious backdrop of the southwestern sky. The changing light, a constant indication of the emotional tenor of the plot, glows with reflected firelight, the sun's setting rays, and the chill twilight shadows. Pollock's retelling is steady and solid, and her source is clearly indicated in an author's note that gives some background on the tale. Janice del Negro

Edition details

• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0316713147
• ISBN 13: 9780316713146
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Young Ed
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32