CeeCee: Underground Railroad Cinderella

(Hardback)

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Description

A Cinderella retelling with a young enslaved girl in the title role. On a Maryland plantation, CeeCee's story doesn't end with a prince, but a different type of rescue. By author-to-watch Shana Keller and illustrated by Coretta Scott King Honor and NAACP Image Award winner Laura Freeman, this classic fairy tale reimagined is one you won't soon forget. A Cinderella retelling with a young enslaved girl in the title role. On a Maryland plantation, CeeCee's story doesn't end with a prince, but a different type of rescue. By author-to-watch Shana Keller and illustrated by Coretta Scott King Honor and NAACP Image Award winner Laura Freeman, this classic fairy tale reimagined is one you won't soon forget. CeeCee is a young enslaved girl growing up alongside the two spoiled daughters she must work for on a plantation in Maryland. She takes care of them, catering to their every whim and suffering their casual cruelty. She learns to read by listening to their lessons and stories with the threat of punishment if caught. CeeCee receives help from the caring cook, Binty, and hope comes in the form of a different kind of escape. CeeCee chances everything for the possibility of a new life. While many are familiar with the traditional Cinderella story, this retelling is sure to empower and uplift a new generation of young readers.

Reviews

A brave overlay of a thought-provoking retelling of the Cinderella story, this does not arrive at a conventional fairy-tale ending, but something far better: the young heroine finds a pathway to freedom. CeeCee, who is Black, only has a scrap of paper with her true name on it that her mother gave her before they were separated by the cruel conditions of slavery. CeeCee grows up in Maryland, enslaved by a white family with two girls who treat her very poorly in wicked stepsister fashion. Digital illustrations effectively capture CeeCees stoicism, showing the warmth of the kitchen and the hardship of the attic where she is locked after she is caught trying to read. She repeatedly dreams of being rescued by a prince, but it is Binty, the cook, and her own resourcefulness that guide her to make a gown and coat suitable for her escape. When the time of CeeCees liberation arrives, safety comes from a different version of royaltyHarriet Tubman. Educators will love this opportunity to show the ongoing merits of the old tales: as vehicles for lessons, history, and metaphors in a guide to life. Readers looking for a straightforward retelling of Cinderella will be rewarded instead with a tale rich in depth as they root for CeeCee. Visually appealing illustrations feature dark shadows and effective use of light to depict CeeCees bravery as well as her persistent humanity in an inhumane situation. VERDICT With rich language and a complex subject matter deftly touched on throughout, this is suitable for intermediate students; its no fairy tale, but a retelling that amplifies courage and perseverance in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges.
School Library Journal, starred review

Author Bio

Shana Keller is the author of several picture books. She says the day she got her library card was more exciting than the day she got her driver's license. She has traveled her whole life, and has lived all over the US and in Europe, too. When Shana's not writing, she loves to practice jiujitsu, run half-marathons, and read. Shana lives in North Carolina. Laura Freeman has illustrated more than twenty children's books, including Follow Chester!- A College Football Team Fights Racism and Makes History; Hidden Figures- The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race (a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor book and NAACP Image Award Outstanding Literary Work for Children); the Nikki & Deja series; and Fancy Party Gowns-The Story of Fashion Designer Ann Cole Lowe. Her art can be found on a wide range of products, from dishes to textiles to greeting cards. Laura is originally from New York City and now lives in Atlanta with her husband and two children. www.lfreemanart.com