Pear Blossom Easy to Draw Korean Cinderella
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As someone with a keen interest in comparative folklore, I am usually quite enthusiastic, when it comes to reading and identifying variants of the same tale type, across diverse cultures. It can often be quite illuminating to examine how different peoples have used the same storytelling elements, shifting the focus of the tale in order to make it more relevant to their own specific needs. That said, I have instinctively shied away, in the past, from Climo's four retellings, and others like it, not because I am uninterested in the stories themselves, but because it irritates me to see them described, in such an explicit way, as "Cinderella" stories. I know, of course, that a given tale type - in this case, the "persecuted heroine" tale, type 510A in the Aarne-Thompson folklore classification system - will often be described, colloquially, by whichever variant is most well known. Thus my own favorite telling of tale-type 310,
Petrosinella , is described as a "Neopolitan Rapunzel." But in reality, this story is no more the "Korean Cinderella," than Cinderella is the "French Pear Blossom," and although I understand the need to market a book, and to attract readers - 'Like Cinderella? Then you might want to read this as well! - I think such parallels are best left to the description, or possibly to the sub-title.Leaving this issue - and the fact that Climo did not provide an actual source for her story - aside,
The Korean Cinderella does present an engaging tale, one that young fairytale lovers will enjoy. The accompanying illustrations by Ruth Heller, who also worked on another of Climo's Cinderella ventures ( The Egyptian Cinderella ), as well as her King of the Birds , are colorful and appealing, although I think her strength runs more to designs and motifs, than to faces, as her human figures just looked a little off to me. All in all, one I would recommend to those looking for variants of the persecuted heroine tale-type, although I would also advise that readers consider the limiting nature of the title that Climo chose. ...more
In the land of Korea, where magical creatures existed, there lived a young girl named Pear Blossom who was extremely
For many years, I have read so many different interpretations of "Cinderella," but I have never come across a Korean version of this classic tale! "The Korean Cinderella" is a glorious retelling of the classic "Cinderella" written by Shirley Climo along with illustrations by Ruth Heller and it will surely be an instant hit with children who love reading stories from other cultures!In the land of Korea, where magical creatures existed, there lived a young girl named Pear Blossom who was extremely beautiful. One tragic day however, her mother died and her father ended up marrying a mean and spiteful woman named Omoni, who also has a daughter named Peony and they were both cruel to Pear Blossom and made her do all the work around the house. Even though Omoni forces Pear Blossom to do so many chores, Pear Blossom is helped by many magical creatures such as a magical frog, magical sparrows and a magical ox. One day however, a festival is held and Pear Blossom notices the handsome magistrate, but she accidentally leaves behind one of her sandals, which the magistrate ends up finding.
I will admit that I have read so many different versions of Cinderella that the story itself becomes familiar to me, no matter how different the versions are. Shirley Climo has done a brilliant job at writing this Korean retelling of the classic fairy tale as the story is truly breathtaking and marvelous to read about. I loved the way that Shirley Climo portrayed the magical creatures that eventually help Pear Blossom on her chores as regular animals such as a frog, a pack of sparrows and an ox as that really brought out the beauty of Korean folktales. I also loved the Korean phrases that were shown in this book such as Omoni, which means 'Mother' and 'tokgabi' which means 'goblin.' Ruth Heller's illustrations are truly beautiful in this book as they were inspired by the patterns painted on the eaves of Korean temples, which truly brings out the true spirit of Korea. Probably my favorite illustrations in this book were of the characters themselves, as they show realistic facial expressions whenever they are unhappy or whenever they are mad, such as the image of Peony having her hair be pulled by the sparrows and you can see the anguish look on her face as her hair is being pulled.
Overall, "The Korean Cinderella" is a brilliant adaptation of a classic fairy tale that fans of the "Cinderella" stories will surely love to read over and over again! I would recommend this book to children ages five and up since some of the Korean phrases like "Omoni" and "Tokgabi" might be hard for younger children to understand.
Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog
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I liked the illustrations much better in this book, although they're still not my favorite by her. However, I'm impressed by how much they fit the story, and appreciated them even more when I read the illustrato
I read this one immediately after reading The Egyptian Cinderella and I'm glad of the order I chose, because I liked this one much better. I'm not really a huge fan of fairy tales, or the Cinderella story, but I read these versions because I saw that they had illustrations by Ruth Heller.I liked the illustrations much better in this book, although they're still not my favorite by her. However, I'm impressed by how much they fit the story, and appreciated them even more when I read the illustrator's note in the back of the book and realized how much education and on site research had gone into them.
I found the story more interesting than the other (although the other had a fabulous author's note!) The author's note in this book was useful too, and I do wish both notes had been in the front vs. the back of the book. This version of the story apparently comes from three variations of a tale told to Korean children for centuries. It is interesting to realize how certain tales have commonality among so many different cultures.
Here there is a step-mother and one step sister to Pear Blossom (Cinderella). I have to say I do feel irritated by the ineffectual father that is a character in this story. I did enjoy the magical talking animals that make appearances in this version and their background is explained in the author's note.
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Name: The Korean Cinderella
Genre: Fairy Tale/Folk Lore
Version: The Korian culture
Cinderella: Pear Blossom (Pigling/Little Pig)
Magical element/"fairy godmother": A huge frog, sparrows, ox (nature/animals),
Glass Slipper: A straw sandal
The ball: A village festival
Message: Persistence will lead to happiness (I think).
*It never really occurred to me before reading this version, how 'Cinderella' characters are always abused children.
The Korean CinderellaName: The Korean Cinderella
Genre: Fairy Tale/Folk Lore
Version: The Korian culture
Cinderella: Pear Blossom (Pigling/Little Pig)
Magical element/"fairy godmother": A huge frog, sparrows, ox (nature/animals),
Glass Slipper: A straw sandal
The ball: A village festival
Message: Persistence will lead to happiness (I think).
*It never really occurred to me before reading this version, how 'Cinderella' characters are always abused children.
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Here we meet the unfortunate Pear Blossom, and cheer for her to overcome the mistreatment by her stepmother and stepsister. Ruth Heller's illustrations are lovely, except for her character's facial features; they are hideous - even Pear Blossom, who is supposed to be beautiful.
Here we meet the unfortunate Pear Blossom, and cheer for her to overcome the mistreatment by her stepmother and stepsister. Ruth Heller's illustrations are lovely, except for her character's facial features; they are hideous - even Pear Blossom, who is supposed to be beautiful.
I write this only because the author notes that this was a story commonly told in Korean households. However, when I asked my mother about this fairy tale, she had no idea what I was talking about. A lot of the terminology I have heard of, like "to
I gravitate towards books that are of Korean heritage, obviously because of my background. I always seem to enjoy the connections I can make to the stories and I feel that although I was born and raised in Chicago, I grew up in a very Korean household.I write this only because the author notes that this was a story commonly told in Korean households. However, when I asked my mother about this fairy tale, she had no idea what I was talking about. A lot of the terminology I have heard of, like "tokgabis" which means goblins, because they do occur in other folklore I've been told.
The setting of the countryside is consistent with most traditional literature, and portrays what most of South Korea is like. There are a lot of consistencies with the traditional clothing that the people used to wear, as well as consistencies in the pendants that are portrayed.
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I liked the Korean version of Cinderella, as it differed so much from the version I grew up with and know so well. The girls name, Pear Blossom, was given to her by her mother when her father planted a pear tree the day she was born. I liked that the magical animals helped her complete her impossible chores and, unlike the fairy godmother, they did not help her become more beautiful for the ball/festival. The magistrate did not see Pear Blossom dressed in the finest clothes or traveling in a horse drawn carriage. She was dressed as she always was and he still fell in love with her instantly.
I could see myself using this book with my students during writing instruction. Because it is so different from the American version my students know, I would be interested in seeing if they liked the Korean version better. They could write an opinion piece, supporting their opinion of this book with specific details from the story and comparing it with details from the American Cinderella story.
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The pictures helped tell the story and were intricate and colorful. The pictures displayed the culture and clothing worn in Korea. There are no borders as the images flow from one page to the next with some pictures not having any text. This was my least favorite Cinderella story.
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This book could be helpful for children to read, they could lear
This book was very engaging, I enjoyed a different Cinderella story. The story still ties in with the tale of Cinderella. She was rescued from her miserable life by an official, had impossible chores, also had an unkind sister calling her "pigling". What I loved most, is how the illustrator tried to capture traditional Korean culture with the art and patterns. The art was rich in color with vibrant colors like showing the festival.This book could be helpful for children to read, they could learn about the different cultures and this book did an admirable job with Korean references. I do think this is for older students because of the lengthy pages and the ancient Korean culture. With the dialogue, I think this book is a good fit for children ages 6-12. Children can learn an important message about good karma. If you do good, good things will happen to you. Positive intentions and deeds come back to help you.
Everyone is familiar with the story of Cinderella, but this story is a very good retold version with Korean culture. The illustrations were beyond beautiful with extensive detail and having Korean rituals. The illustrations capture the magic. The vibrant illustrations made this book come to life and it was enjoyable to read one of my favorite stories as a kid in a unique version. Kids will enjoy this book because it is likely one of their favorite familiar stories just with an opposed view.
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I lov
Here is another multicultural version of Cinderella, as I love these stories. Here Pear Blossom is the much wanted and loved daughter of a couple, but when the mother dies, the father remarries. The new step-mother and step-sister are cruel, make Pear Blossom work, and call her 'Pigling.' They give her impossible tasks to fulfill, yet Pear Blossom is able to finish them with help of magical animals. In the end her beauty is noticed by a magistrate who marries her without knowing her at all.I love Cinderella stories, but I much prefer the ones that focus on character rather than beauty. What I do love about this story is the beautiful illustrations with authentic cultural details like the straw sandals, Tanchong patterns, and clothing. I think there is definitely classroom value in this book, as aside from comparing it to other Cinderella stories, there are many cultural details to pull out. It is very suitable to about second grade reading range.
...more This version of Cinderella is very interes
The Korean Cinderella is a story about Pear Blossom, who at a young age, lost her loving and caring mother. Her father soon remarries a widow who also had a daughter around Pear's age. The two mother and daughter torments Pear as they fill her day with impossible chores. But luck is on Pear's side, as Pear gets help from her magical friends. Pear one day looses her slippers, but she gets the surprise of her life when she met the person that returned it.This version of Cinderella is very interesting as it shows a lot of cultural belief and differences. This version has a lot of magical elements that involves animals, unlike the original fairy tale. The cultural version is a great version to read aloud with your children. There are Korean words and phrases within the text, so it'll be fun to read and learn together.
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The illustrations felt overdone and just felt like the pages were unnecessarily cluttered with too much going on.
I did enjoy reading a different version of Cinderella then the one I grew up hearing, though.
While I think there are times and ways to incorporate foreign words into a story, I rarely think it works well to have the foreign word immediately followed by the translation. While Climo doesn't do this a lot in this story, it still felt out of place each time to me.The illustrations felt overdone and just felt like the pages were unnecessarily cluttered with too much going on.
I did enjoy reading a different version of Cinderella then the one I grew up hearing, though.
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Traditional Literature: Folktale
Target Range: 2nd -5th Grade
We all know the traditional Disney version of Cinderella where she loses her glass slipper outside of the Ball. But, what about a traditional Korean Cinderella who loses her straw sandal after a goblin helped her do a chore so she can make her way to a festival? This tale tells of a beautiful girl named Pear Blossom, who like, in the other version
Climo, Shirley. The Korean Cinderella (1993). Harper Collins Publishers. Printed in Mexico.Traditional Literature: Folktale
Target Range: 2nd -5th Grade
We all know the traditional Disney version of Cinderella where she loses her glass slipper outside of the Ball. But, what about a traditional Korean Cinderella who loses her straw sandal after a goblin helped her do a chore so she can make her way to a festival? This tale tells of a beautiful girl named Pear Blossom, who like, in the other version of Cinderella, loses her mother and her father remarries a terrible woman who has a daughter around Pear Blossoms's age. Her step-family is constantly thinking of ways to belittle her by calling her "Pigling" or get rid of her by giving her impossible chores. Pear Blossom is helped by "tokgabi" or goblin on each of those chores. On her way to the festival, after completing a chore, she comes across a magistrate and decides to hide but as she does her straw slipper falls into a stream. The magistrate yells. What will the magistrate do do Pear Blossom? Will she make it to the festival? Will she get her sandal back?
This retelling is based on three variations of the tale that are popular with children in Korea. This author uses Korean terms but explains them in English such as "Omoni" for mother and "tokgabi" for goblin. The goblins in this story (the frog, sparrows, and the ox) are what we can equate to the fairy god mother presence. It is interesting to note that the author is also the author has written another variation of the Cinderella story known as "The Egyptian Cinderella" and according to the back of the book jacket, she has researched over hundreds of different versions of Cinderella stories around the world. This brings up thoughts about how true to the specific culture the narrative is and what variants she might mix to create the narratives for her stories.
The book itself is a hard-cover book. The pages are of a good thickness which makes the pages easier to turn. The artwork/illustration covers most of the pages. The actual narrative/ story is written in fairly large print, 1.15 line spacing with a few paragraphs on each page. It is because of the sheer length of the story that the target range can be from grades 2-5. I would use this as a read aloud for grade two as the it is a fairly long text and the students/child may get tired reading it themselves.
The artist Ruth Heller based her bright and colorful (green, yellow, red, etc) illustrations on her research on Korea. The art work is so detailed. Her animal drawing are realistic to animal features, but are over-sized giving the essence of other worldly or powerful entity. She used patterns that are seen on Korean temples and styled the characters clothing in traditional Korean dress. She noted in her "Illustrators Notes" that the information she gathered to create the setting of 300 years ago comes from her visits to Korean museums, palaces, festivals, concerts, and at a village. You can see the traditional inspiration through the illustrations of the page borders, and jewelry/ornaments that the characters wear.
The text actually has a few strengths. The first being that it does stay true to the Korean culture and stories. The other being the colorful artwork. You can see how much the story was inspired by real Korean architecture and culture. The actual narrative was refreshing in comparison the other Cinderella's. There are a few differences which can be noted specifically when the step-sister gets injured by the goblins and also that Pear Blossom looses her sandal before the event. There is no step-sister trying to put on the shoes in her stead. The weakness is the actual length of the text, I feel that many students would turn away from this text because of how long it is. They may get intimidated by the number of paragraphs or lose their attention as they read it.
Possible Lesson: Comparison of different Cinderella tales from all over the world.
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Booklist (Vol. 89, No. 17 (May 1, 1993))
Ages 5-8. Pear Blossom was named for the pear tree planted in honor of her birth by her aging father and mother. After her mother dies, her father marries again, and Pear Blossom is ill-treated by her stepmother and stepsister. Her stepmother sets her impossible tasks and threatens her with dire punishment unless she successfully completes them. With the help of a frog, some sparrows, and a black ox, Pear Blossom completes the tasks and finds good fortune
Booklist (Vol. 89, No. 17 (May 1, 1993))
Ages 5-8. Pear Blossom was named for the pear tree planted in honor of her birth by her aging father and mother. After her mother dies, her father marries again, and Pear Blossom is ill-treated by her stepmother and stepsister. Her stepmother sets her impossible tasks and threatens her with dire punishment unless she successfully completes them. With the help of a frog, some sparrows, and a black ox, Pear Blossom completes the tasks and finds good fortune in marriage to a wealthy magistrate, "and in the courtyard of her splendid new house, a dozen pear trees blossomed." Though characters' faces sometimes lack articulation, Heller's paintings are exotically lush and colorful as well as engaging. Climo includes an explanatory note about Cinderella variants (the Korean version in particular), and Heller explains the decorations, costumes, and settings she used in the illustrations. An agreeable retelling of the Cinderella story.
Horn Book (September, 1993)
Children will delight in comparing this version of the familar story with the one they already know. A frog, sparrows, and an ox help Pear Blossom find happiness in a manner different from that of the traditional fairy godmother, but the end result is the same. Ancient Korean patterns are carefully woven into the illustrations.
Kirkus Reviews (1993)
A retelling based on three of the "half a dozen" Korean Cinderella variants: "Pear Blossom's" stepmother calls her "Little Pig," barely feeds her, and assigns her impossible tasks (filling a cracked jug), but the girl is helped by magical animals (a giant ox that weeds a rice paddy for her). A young magistrate, "struck by her beauty," identifies her at a village festival by her lost sandal, and thus she makes an honorable marriage. The simple tale is retold in a vigorous, rather dramatic style. Heller, whose illustrations are based on her research in Korea, offers bold montages of figures and patterns in a striking array of intense colors. Her facial expressions are less expertly crafted than her realistic animals, sculptural draperies, and decorative traditional motifs, while the mix of styles leads to some cluttered effects; still, an attractive setting for a worthy variant.
Publishers Weekly (February 12, 1996)
Conflating several Korean variants of Cinderella, this story is "at once comfortingly familiar and intriguingly exotic," said PW, with "lavish" and extensively researched art. Ages 5-9. (Feb.)
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The Korean terms used in this book help to create an authentic atmosphere. Although both the author and illustrator live in California, their rendition of Cinderella is believable and seems to be well-researched. The text is blocked off in a frame on each page to create emphasis on the words. Because the text is framed, the collage-like style of the pictures is not overwhelming.
This fairy tale book demonstrates many of the typically found aspects of traditional literature. The hero is identified early on as Pear Blossom, and her goal is to find happiness after her mother dies. The rivals in the story are Omoni and Peony, who try to prevent her from happiness. The helpers appear in the forms of animals, but are thought to be tokgabi goblins. These helpful and semi-magical animals represent a motif in this story. It is also implied that Pear Blossom's mother's spirt is helping her overcome the tasks Omani and Peony set in front of her, so she can ultimately find happiness.
In addition to the typical roles, there were several instances of contrast present in the story. The hero versus villain is the most prevalent, with Omani being old, mean, and demanding, and Pear Blossom being kind, young, and accepting of tasks.
This story is interesting to read, and would act as a great read aloud. Students would be able to compare and contrast this version of Cinderella to others read in the classroom, as there are many similarities.
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Climo tells the story of a young Korean girl, Pear Blossom, who is mistreated by her evil-spirited stepmother, Omoni, and her stepsister Peony. Forced the do demeaning, nearly-impossible chores and wea
The Korean Cinderella is an enchanting version of the Cinderella tale, as told by Shirley Climo. Having researched "hundreds of different versions of the Cinderella story around the world" (as described in her author bio at the end of the book), Climo is also the author of The Egyptian Cinderella.Climo tells the story of a young Korean girl, Pear Blossom, who is mistreated by her evil-spirited stepmother, Omoni, and her stepsister Peony. Forced the do demeaning, nearly-impossible chores and wear rags, the ever-working and never-complaining Pear Blossom cries out, "Will none in this world help me?".
Pear Blossom's cries are heard, and to her aid come several animals that help her finish Omoni's demanding tasks. After three instances where Pear Blossom is assisted by the magical creatures--a gigantic frog, a flock of sparrows and a black ox, she encounters a magistrate on his way to the festival. All at once, Pear Blossom's fate is about to change, thanks to these magical helpers!
As described in the author's note at the end of the story, tokgabis appear in many Korean fairy tales. Thought to be the spirits of those who have died, these goblins may come to the aid of humans or cause them trouble. The magical animals who come to help Pear Blossom might be thought of as the spirit of her mother. Similar to other Cinderella tales where the protagonist cries out to the spirit of her deceased mother, kind and gentle Pear Blossom is helped by magical forces of good. These forces are not quite as good for those who represent evil in the story-Omoni and Peony.
Finally, Climo uses several Korean words throughout the story, which along with Ruth Heller's brilliantly constructed, detailed illustrations, give the book a more authentic feel. I would be interested to hear how this tale has been told throughout Korean folklore and how this telling compares!
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