Review: CINDY ELLEN: A WILD WESTERN CINDERELLA by Susan Lowell

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lowell, Susan. 2000. Cindy Ellen: A Wild Western Cinderella. Ill. by Jane Manning. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 0439270065

2. PLOT SUMMARY
In this version of the Cinderella story, sweet Cindy Ellen’s father marries a petulant woman who has two daughters who are just as mean as she is. Of course, poor Cindy Ellen has to do all the chores around the ranch like mending fences and taking care of the animals while the stepsisters do nothing. When the rich cattle king decides to have a celebration, Cindy Ellen with the help of her fairy godmother and her own gumption steal the heart of the rancher’s son, Joe.

When the clock strikes midnight at the square dance, Cindy must rush home before the magic fades leaving behind one of her diamond spurs. In the days that followed, Joe searches the territory for his cowgirl. Finally, he finds Cindy Ellen and they ride off into the sunset together to live happily ever after.

Lowell also includes a note about western traditions as they relate to cowgirls at the end of the book.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Lowell’s southwestern version of the Cinderella story follows the basic storyline of a wicked stepmother, two mean stepsisters, hard work, a fairy godmother, and the “happily ever after” ending. However, she infuses so many western themes into the story that one can’t help but read it with a southern drawl.

Her fairy godmother like many women on the frontier is as tough as nails and of course Joe Prince, the rancher’s son is a handsome young cowboy with a belt buckle the size of Texas. With a bang of her six-shooter, the fairy godmother releases a cloud of fairy dust that changes squash into a stagecoach, cactus mice into horses, and a horned toad into a stagecoach guard. All of these elements of western lifestyle add to the entertainment value of this comical story.

Manning’s colorful illustrations also add to the fun atmosphere of the book. She draws the fairy godmother with an oversized sombrero and red-fringed gloves to match the red handkerchief around her neck. Cindy Ellen’s southwestern styled dress is enough to make any cowgirl a little jealous.

This enjoyable story of good winning out over evil is sure to amuse readers young and old.


4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY review: “Lowell… takes a fairy-tale heroine away from the hearth and gives her a home on the range and teaches readers a thing or two about moxie.”
KIRKUS review: "Bright, stylish.... Manning tricks out her characters in dazzling modern cowboy dress."

5. CONNECTIONS
A reader’s theater production of this story would be a great presentation to make during Texas Public Schools Week in March. Parents would love the altered version of the classic fairytale, and kids would love trying out their best twang when delivering their lines.

Students could create a western version of another popular tale such as Little Red Riding Hood or Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to name a few.