The Rough-Face Girl

Written by Rafe Martin · Illustrated by David Shannon

A poor girl with a scarred face and burnt hair seeks to marry the Invisible Being, a powerful and handsome spirit who lives in a great wigwam.

5.3/7 Bookroo experts·4.4/5 Goodreads · 12,782 ratings

32 pages· 1,496 words· Est. 12 min read-aloud· AD540L

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Bookroo's summary

In a village by Lake Ontario, an invisible being is the most sought-after suitor. To win his heart, women must convince his sister they've seen him. The Rough-Face Girl, marked by fire, faces this daunting challenge. Can she succeed where others, including her cruel sisters, have failed? Discover a tale of courage and perception in this unique retelling of a classic story.

From the publisher

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?

At a glance

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 32
Words: 1,496
Reading age: 4–8
Audience: Picture
Lexile: AD540L

Themes & topics

Books about cinderella stories Books about culture Books about race and ethnicity Books about perseverance Books about inner beauty

What readers & critics say

Reviews

5.3

out of 7

5.3

“In this Algonquin version of the Cinderella story, our heroine has some different qualities than we are used to seeing in similar tales. While the older wicked sisters are characteristically self-centered and preoccupied with having beautiful things to flatter their vanity, our heroine is the very picture of humility. Also, in sharp contrast with her sisters who will say and pretend anything in the interest of self-promotion, Rough-face Girl sees things as they are; she sees the many beauties in the world around her, depicted by David Shannon's in brilliant illustrations. She sees the Invisible Being as he is, and is seen by both him and his sister, not as she appears to her sisters and the other villagers with her scarred face and hands, but as her essential self. I enjoyed the unique aspects of the Algonquin tale very much.”

Grammy

Trusted reviewer

The illustrator