The Rough-Face Girl - by Rafe Martin

About the Book

From the Algonquin Indians comes an unusual and touching version of the Cinderella story. In their village lives an invisible being whom all the young women want to marry, because it is said that he is powerful and handsome. But only the rough-face girl, burned and scarred from tending the fires, has the vision to see him in every part of the natural world. Full-color illustrations.

Book Synopsis

From Algonquin Indian folklore comes one of the most haunting, powerful versions of the Cinderella tale ever told.

In a village by the shores of Lake Ontario lived an invisible being. All the young women wanted to marry him because he was rich, powerful, and supposedly very handsome. But to marry the invisible being the women had to prove to his sister that they had seen him. And none had been able to get past the sister's stern, all-knowing gaze.

Then came the Rough-Face girl, scarred from working by the fire. Could she succeed where her beautiful, cruel sisters had failed?

Review Quotes

"A strong, distinctive tale with art to match." --Kirkus Reviews (pointer review)

"A powerful retelling. . . . The text contains the cadences and rhythms of oral language, and the illustrations, dark and vivid, use earth tones and shadows to convey the drama of the text." --Horn Book

"A splendid read-aloud." --School Library Journal

"The drama of the haunting illustrations--and of Martin's respectful retelling--produce and affecting work." --Publishers Weekly

"Striking . . . This will make an impact on youngsters in folklore units, Native American studies, and story hour sessions." --The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

An IRA Teacher's Choice Book
A Parents Magazine Best Book of the Year
Winner of the Georgia Children's Picture Storybook Award
Winner of Nebraska's Golden Sower Award

About the Author

Rafe Martin is an internationally known, award-winning author and storyteller. His books and tapes have received national and regional acclaim, including: ALA Notable Children's Book distinction, Parent's Choice Gold Awards, the Anne Izard Storytellers Choice Award, and Honor Book for the 1994 Texas Bluebonnet Award. His work as a storyteller has been cited by the Women's National Book Association, which presented him with the Lucille Micheels Pannell Award for his "unique creativity and effectiveness in bringing children and books together."

As a noted storyteller and speaker, Rafe Martin has been featured at many prestigious events and institutions such as the National Storytelling Festival, the American Booksellers Association National Convention, the American Library Association Annual Conference, the Whole Language Umbrella Annual Conference, the National Council of Teachers of English Annual Conference, the American Museum of Natural History, the Vassar College Summer Institute on Children's Book Publishing, to name just a few; as well as countless schools, libraries, whole language, TESOL, and reading association events around the United States and as far away as Japan.

Rafe Martin is dedicated to creating literature that empowers children's imaginations. Drawing on the world's tradition of tales, as well as a growing number of his original stories, he seeks to pass on the storyteller's primary gifts: faith in the creative imagination and in the power of wish and dream; awareness of the interrelation of all living things; respect for the vision of the earth's many cultures; and delight in the mysteries of language--mere sounds on the air, or squiggles on paper--which allow us to use our own minds to see. Language and stories, he feels, are not only our oldest technologies but our most precious resources. How can T.V. begin to compare!

Rafe Martin has a Masters Degree in English Literature from the University of Toronto, where he studied with such noted figures as Northrop Frye and Marshall McLuhan. He and his wife, Rose, used to own and manage the Ox Cart Book Shop in Rochester, New York. It was here that Rafe Martin first began to explore his talent and skills in storytelling to which he now devotes his time. The Martins live in Rochester, New York, with their Siberian Husky, and two cats. They also have two grown children. When not working, Rafe often goes to his cabin in the Adirondacks. Situated on a river, it allows him to practice his favorite sport--kayaking.

copyright (c) 2000 by Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers. All rights reserved.