Hamilton, V. (2000). The Girl Who Spun Gold. Blue Sky Press.
Summary
In this west Indian tale, Quashiba is a peasant girl who is going to become the queen. The King believes that she can spin things made out of gold, but Quashiba is under pressure from both King and supernatural being--Lit'mahn. Despite this, Quashiba remains humble and endures the threats from both men, while ultimately overcoming her trials. In this retelling, Quashiba eventually forgives the King when he learns his lesson, and all is well.
A Teacher's Perspective
I've never been a fan of Rumpelstiltskin, ever, but this version is stunning in both style and illustration. The gold touches in the illustrations add to the effect, and the author even explains why the gold was added. It sticks true to the tale, the king mistreats Quashiba after they are married, so if you read this to younger children you may need to explain that he did not marry her for love to begin with--teach them about selfishness.
Otherwise, this is a wonderful book that could be used in a middle grade classroom when comparing culture fairy tales.
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This is a wonderful read aloud:
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