The story of Cinderella is not just one story; there are thousands of variations of this tale around the world. Cinderella-style stories can be traced back to ancient China. Books about this story can be found in a wide range of nations and areas, including Korea, the Caribbean, Ireland and Persia. There are Cinderella stories set in medieval Andalusia and in today's New York. Some Cinderellas read Qur'an, wear hijaab and offer salah. Others dance on a Caribbean beach. All these stories show children that people in different countries feel the same emotions when family members treat them badly.
Humorous and light-hearted tales with funny, captivating pictures encourage children to explore multicultural stories. In some cases, the pictures may not be culturally or historically accurate. Yet, they can help children understand the spirit and attitude of people from other cultural backgrounds. Multicultural stories open windows to the world; children from other cultures may laugh at different things, but your child can understand that everyone laughs in a similar way.
Stories about inner strength and cunning solutions, often with a surprising outcome, can be an exciting way to introduce children to other cultures and customs. For centuries, storytellers around the world have used animals to tell stories; often the animal characters have human qualities that everyone can relate to. These can be found in anthologies of traditional folk tales from around the globe. Search for stories from a certain part of the world or compare stories about a particular animal from different parts of the world.
Multicultural stories about brave boys or girls who overcome hardships and problems or settle in new environments provide children with strong role models. Some picture books and stories are about children who move to a new country and use inventive ways to solve new problems. Seeing your own culture represented in stories helps children to see themselves as valuable. Such stories also provide children with a way to see their own reflections.