Book Awards & Honors

About the Book

I read this story to my daughter the first time in 1998. To this day, whenever she sees this book, she just has to grab it and hug it close.

Our Rough-faced girl is the youngest of three sisters who is forced by the other two to sit by the fire and feed the flames, which results in the burning and scarring of her hair and skin. An Invisible Being lives in a huge wigwam across the village. All maidens wish to marry him, but to do so requires proving to his sister that they have actually seen him. Our girl's sisters fail the test. The Rough-Face Girl, however, sees the Invisible Being everywhere in nature and can answer his sister's questions correctly.

Rafe Martin did a magic job retelling this Algonquin version of Cinderella. And David Shannon's illustrations are a perfect foil for Martin's text. What child, growing into physical self-awareness, doesn't relate to Cinderella's outside scars? And what child won't feel triumphant when Cinderella's inner beauty and compassion win the day?

Highly recommended for kids and their adults!