Product Description

Candace finds herself cast out of her home by jealous older sisters, but with the help of a witch woman and a magical moss gown, she captures the heart of the young plantation owner.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #516805 in Books
• Published on: 1990-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 48 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780395547939
• Condition: USED - VERY GOOD
• Notes:
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From Publishers Weekly
"Carrick's landscapes . . . beautifully capture the mood of the eloquent and enchanting story," said PW of this retelling of a North Carolina folktale about an old man who disowns his youngest daughter but ultimately comes to accept her. Ages 3-8.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 5 A retelling of a southern folktale also known as Rush Cape and similar to Cap O'Rushes , this is basically a Cinderella story in a King Lear setting. Candace is banished from her home by her planter-father when she does not tell him she loves him in as flowerly terms as her two insincere sisters. Candace's fairy godmother in this case is a green-eyed black witch-woman who gives her a dress made of moss which can turn into a beautiful ballgown by the use of magic words. From then on, the Cinderella elements take over as Candace uses the moss gown to win the heart of the young master at a three-day party held at the plantation where Candace has gone to work as a kitchen maid. In the end, Candace is reunited with her father, who learns how deep a love is which is, as Candace told him, ``More than meat loves salt.'' This is an excellent retelling of an unfamiliar American folktale. It is vivid and engrossing with a highly satisfying ending. Feminists will be pleased that Candace is not a passive Cinderella who lets the Fairy Godmother do all the work, but who, instead, brings about her own turn of events with the help of the witch-woman. The design is elegant, and Carrick's illustrations are splendid: dramatic, colorful, and crowded with pertinent details. A magical choice for both school and public libraries. Kay McPherson, Central Atlanta-Fulton Public Library
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"The smooth-as-silk mix of Hooks' engrossing text and Carrick's elegant illustrations creates a picture story book of magic and drama." -- Review

Customer Reviews

Cinderella meets King Lear - a delightful fairy tale!
This is a beautiful children's storybook that combines the age-old Cinderella fairy tale with the play "King Lear" (giving Shakespeare's tragedy a happy ending), and sets it in the colonial South. The tale is one that evolved among American colonists and has been passed down through the generations in various forms. Author William H. Hooks has set it down here in a delightful format.

An old man, trying to decide how he should split his property among his three daughters, asks them each how much they love him. The two eldest flatter him with false protestations of love, while the youngest says simply: "I love you more than meat loves salt" (pg. 11). Thinking that his youngest loves him no more than common salt, the father splits his lands between the other two, who promtply turn her out of the house. While fleeing through the woods, the girl meets a green-eyed black woman who gives her a magical dress made of leaves and moss, which turns into a beautiful gown at night. Moss Gown, as she decides to call herself, then finds work as a kitchen maid in the home of a young gentleman. She is ridiculed by the other help for her shabby dress, but when the gentleman throws a special ball, Moss Gown shows up in the beautiful dress and dazzles them all. No one recognizes her, and she slips away as the night ends and the dress turns back to moss. The gentleman, who has fallen quite in love with the mysterious girl, pines for her and is absolutely determined to track her down.

Though I suspect you can guess the outcome, I'll leave you to discover it yourself. This book would be great to read aloud to children, but is also written simply enough for them to read for themselves. Each page is attractively illustrated as well, and at the end the author has included a note on the origins of the story. I have enjoyed this book since I was a child, and would highly recommend it.

Excellent tie-in to Shakespeare's King Lear
This tale is an excellent tale made in the Cinderella fashion with a Shakespearean twist. It would be a great book to get youth interested in the play King Lear.

Moss Gown
This book is very good. It reveals emotions as well as patienc