This month we are sharing Abadeha: The Philippine Cinderella by Myrna J de la Paz and illustrated by Youshan Tang.
The legend:
Abadeha is a beautiful young Filipina (woman) who is treated harshly by her Stepmother while her father works as a fisherman. One day she is crying by the river when the Spirit of the Forest takes pity on her and gives her a Sarimanok (a mythical rainbow chicken). Abadeha is full of hope when she returns home. Unfortunately her Stepmother has other plans for the plump chicken. Fortunately the magical chicken and the Spirit of the forest have more in store for the young girls. Over time, with a series of surprises, they send Abadeha her 'Prince charming' and make sure she gets to live 'happily ever after'.
The theme is true to the Cinderella story. What really added to the book were the cultural references and the amazing paintings which showed how the characters may have lived on a small island in the Philippines.
The Sarimanok is mythical bird from the Folklore of the Maranao People (who originate from the island of Mindanao in the Philippines). It is believed to be a chicken with long flowing multicolored feathers. It often brings good luck in the legends in which it appears. The Piwi kids loved the idea of a rainbow chicken (and I had Rainbow Brite flashbacks) so we decided to make our own!
For all the fun and instruction to make your own Sarimanok please visit the full post here or download the template.
As always please feel free to link up your Fairy tale themed books and activities in the link up at the end of the post.
But wait there's more!
This month we are excited to be co-hosting the first Poppins Book Nook giveaway. This month one lucky reader will win a copy of A First Book of Fairy Tales
a Rafflecopter giveaway
