Description:
"It's easy to feel a sense of peace after completing Fawzia Gilani's Cinderella. This humble version of the classic fairy tale is a gentle reminder that victory comes as much from a peaceful soul as a beautiful dress and a dramatic confrontation." - Luxury Reading
Cinderella is one of the oldest, best-known, and most loved stories worldwide, with hundreds of cultural variants and re-tellings from ancient Egypt and China to the present day. In this version we follow the trials and tribulations of the sweet, gentle, and pious Zahra when her parents die and she is left at the mercy of an uncaring stepmother and stepsisters. This is a well-crafted Islamic version of the classic tale in which faith, goodness, and prayer are rewarded in the end. The charming, richly detailed illustrations of Shireen Adams, set in medieval Andalusia, help bring the text to life.
Brief description: Dr. Fawzia Gilani-Williams is the Cluster Lead Librarian for Bloom Education, UAE and serves as a research fellow for the Eid Stories Institute for Literary Studies and Peace Research in the UK. Born and raised in England, Fawzia earned a Ph.D in the field of English Language and Literature from the University of Worcester. Her Master's degree is from the University of Birmingham, UK. She is an internationally experienced principal, teacher and researcher. Fawzia's areas of specialization include elementary education, Islamic children's literature, and creative writing. Her research interests are child identity and empowerment, character development, and Islamic critical theory. She has written a number of 'mirror books' and 'window books' to promote intercultural literacy, emotional development and social flourishing. She is the author of the Islamic fairy tale series produced by Kube, UK. Her titles include Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Rapunzel which together underscore moral power, quiet heroism and multicultural cognizance. Fawzia's book, Yaffa and Fatima Shalom Salaam, illustrated by Chiara Fedele was awarded a silver medal by the Sydney Taylor Book Award.
Review Quotes:
"It's easy to feel a sense of peace after completing Fawzia Gilani's Cinderella. This humble version of the classic fairy tale is a gentle reminder that victory comes as much from a peaceful soul as a beautiful dress and a dramatic confrontation." - Luxury Reading