The Rough-Face Girl

written by Rafe Martin and illustrated by David Shannon
ages- k-5

This Algonquin Indian Cinderella, beings with a poor man with three daughters. The two oldest daughters are cruel and force the youngest daughter to constantly tend the fire. As a result, her hair is singed and her skin is marked with the scars from sparks from the fire. The father gives all that he has to his two haughty daughters so that they might marry the invisible being; a rich, powerful, and supposedly handsome man on the banks of Lake Ontario. In order to marry the invisible being, the sisters must answer the questions that his sister poses. When the girls can't answer the questions, they are shamed and sent home. The Rough-Face girl then goes to her father and asks for the same things that her sisters were given. With the exception of some bits of broken shell and his old moccasins, he is unable to help her. He watches helplessly as his daughter uses her wits to create a dress, moccasins, and a shell necklace. As she walks to meet with the sister of the invisible being, other villagers mock her. Will she be able to be successful where her sisters have failed?

In this hauntingly beautiful telling of the Cinderella story, the true beauty of the spirit is emphasized. When the invisible being meets the Rough-Face girl, he remarks on her beauty, proving that the vision of beauty is individual. Beautifully written and illustrated, The Rough-Face Girl is unique and powerful.