The Egyptian Cinderella by Shirley Climo

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Egyptian Cinderella by Shirley Climo is not just another Cinderella story; it is one of the oldest versions known to exist, and there is a grain of factual truth to it.

Today my 4th graders traveled to Egypt and learned that slavery occurred long before America existed. It was not uncommon for pirates to snatch women and children from one country and carry them off to another country and sell them as slaves. In fact, the slave trade was rather prevalent throughout Europe and Asia. In this story we learn about a girl who was taken from her homeland of Greece when she was a young child and sold into slavery in Egypt.

In Climo's version of a Cinderella tale, there isn't a stepsister or stepmother, but there are servant girls who treat our young heroine Rhodolpis, poorly. After all, they are servants and she is just a slave. The story is missing a fairy godmother and a ball, but there is a slipper and a Pharaoh (instead of a prince). Overall, The Egyptian Cinderella is a fascinating look into an ancient culture. Your students will find it both foreign and familiar.