Author: Rafe Martin
Title: The Rough-Face Girl
Illustrator: David Shannon
Readability score: Grade 3 to Grade 5
Genre: Fiction
Subgenre: Legend
Theme: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Beauty can be found inside and out.
Primary and secondary characters: Invisible Being, Sister, Rough-Face Girl
Awards: IRA Teacher's Choice Award
Date of Publication: 1992
Publishing Company: The Putnam & Grosset Group
ISBN number: 0-698-11626-7
The Rough-Face Girl is the Algonquin Indian's Cinderella story. In a village on the shores of Lake Ontario, there lived a girl who had a poor father and two older sisters who were very cruel to her. They made her keep the fire going. In time, her face, hands, arms, and hair had become badly burnt and scarred. One day, the two older sisters decided that they would marry the Invisible Being, who lived nearby. No one had ever seen him before. The girls dressed in fine clothing and marched through the village to the Invisible Being's wigwam. The Invisible Being's sister was waiting outside for them when they arrived. They told her they wanted to marry the Invisible Being. The sister asked them if they had seen the Invisible Being. They lied and said they had. She asked them if they knew what his bow and sled was made of. They failed to answer so they were sent home. The next day, the Rough-Face Girl asked her father for fine clothes so that she could marry the Invisible Being, but he had nothing but old shells and worn shoes. She took these things and dressed as best as she could. As she went through the village, all the people laughed and made fun of her. As she walked to the Invisible Being's wigwam, she saw all the beautiful things of the earth. When she arrived at the lakeshore, the sister was waiting for her. She asked Rough-Face Girl why she had come. When she replied, the sister asked her what the Invisible Being's bow was made of. Rough-Face Girl answered that it is the curve of the rainbow. Then, the sister asked what the runner of his sled was made of. The Rough-Face Girl answered that it was made of the Milky Way. She answered correctly. The sister brought her to her brother, the Invisible Being. He said that she was beautiful. The sister gave her the finest clothes and told her to bathe in the lake. As she bathed, her skin and hair was transformed to its former beauty. Then, the Rough-Face Girl and the Invisible Being were married. They lived happily ever after.
This story is a version of the Cinderella story as told by the Algonquin Indians. I could incorporate this book into a compare and contrast lesson. I would read this story and another Cinderella story. We would have a short discussion about each, noting specific elements of the plot. The students would then compare the two stories by creating a Venn diagram.
The Rough-Face Girl is the Algonquin Indian's Cinderella story. In a village on the shores of Lake Ontario, there lived a girl who had a poor father and two older sisters who were very cruel to her. They made her keep the fire going. In time, her face, hands, arms, and hair had become badly burnt and scarred. One day, the two older sisters decided that they would marry the Invisible Being, who lived nearby. No one had ever seen him before. The girls dressed in fine clothing and marched through the village to the Invisible Being's wigwam. The Invisible Being's sister was waiting outside for them when they arrived. They told her they wanted to marry the Invisible Being. The sister asked them if they had seen the Invisible Being. They lied and said they had. She asked them if they knew what his bow and sled was made of. They failed to answer so they were sent home. The next day, the Rough-Face Girl asked her father for fine clothes so that she could marry the Invisible Being, but he had nothing but old shells and worn shoes. She took these things and dressed as best as she could. As she went through the village, all the people laughed and made fun of her. As she walked to the Invisible Being's wigwam, she saw all the beautiful things of the earth. When she arrived at the lakeshore, the sister was waiting for her. She asked Rough-Face Girl why she had come. When she replied, the sister asked her what the Invisible Being's bow was made of. Rough-Face Girl answered that it is the curve of the rainbow. Then, the sister asked what the runner of his sled was made of. The Rough-Face Girl answered that it was made of the Milky Way. She answered correctly. The sister brought her to her brother, the Invisible Being. He said that she was beautiful. The sister gave her the finest clothes and told her to bathe in the lake. As she bathed, her skin and hair was transformed to its former beauty. Then, the Rough-Face Girl and the Invisible Being were married. They lived happily ever after.
This story is a version of the Cinderella story as told by the Algonquin Indians. I could incorporate this book into a compare and contrast lesson. I would read this story and another Cinderella story. We would have a short discussion about each, noting specific elements of the plot. The students would then compare the two stories by creating a Venn diagram.
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