The Gift of the Crocodile: A Cinderella Story

In the Spice Islands, where clove and nutmeg trees grow,
a girl named Damura lived long ago.
Damura is a beautiful girl, as kind and lovely as the little green parrot that perches on the nutmeg tree. But Damura's stepmother and stepsister mistreat her. They force her to rise before dawn, carry out all the chores, and sleep on the floor. One day, while down by the river, Damura calls out to the creatures of the wild for help. Rising from the waters, an ancient crocodile answers the call. This unusual fairy godmother, aptly named Grandmother Crocodile, outfits Damura in a sarong of gold, with slippers to match, and sends her to the palace to dance for the prince. Once he sees her, the prince knows that she will be his bride.
But the fairy tale isn't quite over. Damura's wicked stepmother and stepsister are so jealous that they push Damura into the river, where she is swallowed by a crocodile. Too bad they didn't know about Grandmother Crocodile....
The Gift of the Crocodile, a tale from the Spice Islands in Indonesia, offers a colorful and dramatic twist on the universally adored Cinderella story

Author: Judy Sierra
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published: 11/01/2000
Pages: 40
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.07lbs
Size: 9.60h x 11.30w x 0.40d
ISBN: 9780689821882
Audience: Ages 4-8

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 4.4
Point Value: 0.5
Interest Level: Lower Grade
Quiz #/Name: 46150 / Gift of the Crocodile: A Cinderella Story


Award: Black-Eyed Susan Award - Nominee
Award: Golden Sower Award - Nominee


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Review - Children 10/15/2000 pg. 1492
Publishers Weekly 11/13/2000 pg. 104
New York Times 11/19/2000 pg. 24
School Library Journal 11/01/2000 pg. 148
Horn Book Magazine 01/01/2001 pg. 104
Christian Home & School 01/01/2001 pg. 26
Booklist 01/01/2001 pg. 962
Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2000 pg. 102 - Superior,Well Above Average
Booklist 07/01/2001 pg. 2011
Multicultural Review 09/01/2002 pg. 27
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2001 pg. 102 - Superior,Well Above Average

About the Author
Judy Sierra is the author of many award-winning books for children including the bestsellers Antarctic Antics, illustrated by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey; Wild About Books, illustrated by Marc Brown; and The Secret Science Project that Almost Ate the School, illustrated by Stephen Gammell. Sierra holds a PhD in folklore and mythology from the University of California, Los Angeles. She has received the Children's Choice Award from the International Reading Association, two Aesop awards from the American Folklore Society, and the E.B. White Read Aloud Prize from the Association of Booksellers for Children. She lives with her husband in Eugene, Oregon. Visit her online at JudySierra.net.

Reynold Ruffins is a graduate of The Cooper Union and a recipient of its most prestigious honor, The Augustus Saint-Gaudens Award for outstanding professional achievement in arts. Ruffins has taught art and design at many different schools and completed commissions for several clients, including IBM, AT&T, Coca-Cola, and The New York Times. Ruffins has illustrated over fifteen children's books and earned a Coretta Scott King Award for Running the Road to ABC.