(Book Cover Source: WorldCat at: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/36188323&referer=brief_results, accessed September 21, 2008)BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Ketteman, Helen. 1997. Bubba the cowboy prince. Ill. by James Warhola. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0590255061
2. PLOT SUMMARY:
The traditional fairy tale Cinderella is given a new twist with a "strapping young feller named Bubba" as the protagonist. A wicked stepdaddy and two "hateful, lazy" stepbrothers are joined by a fairy godcow and Miz Lurleen, "the purtiest and richest gal in the county," to round out the cast of characters. While the plot faithfully follows the traditional tale, the delight comes in the parodies the author and illustrator have created in their version. The setting is the Wild West. A cowboy boot replaces the glass slipper. Instead of a pumpkin coach, a steer becomes a beautiful white stallion. A hoedown replaces the ball. Miz Lurleen identifies her prince in cowboy boots by shouting, "I'd recognize that smell anywhere!" Finally, their version of a happy ending is that Bubba and Miz Lurleen "lived happily ever after, roping, and cowpoking, and gitting them dogies along."
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Refreshing on many levels, this book offers a version of the traditional Cinderella tale that will captivate all types of readers. At last, here is a version of the tale to which boys can relate. Girls will appreciate Miz Lurleen's independence as owner of the "biggest spread west of the Brazos." Everyone will appreciate the humorous dialogue and illustrations filled with hilariously rendered western symbols. The moral of the tale loses none of its effectiveness, despite the comical twist. In fact, Bubba's love of ranching brings a poignancy to his sacrifices that is missing from the original tale. The grin on his face as he's riding the bronco on the opening page speaks volumes.
Like many picture books, James Warhola's illustrations are a huge part of the appeal of this book. From the magical cover rendered with acrylic paints in beautiful blues and purples, to the dusty tumbleweeds and spiky cacti, each image draws the eye. The humans and animals are extremely comical. The wild eyes of the horses and cattle are hilarious. The long suffering look on the horse as it is bathed is priceless. The cartoonish rendering of the characters seems to add to the tone of "we're just having fun, here." Abounding with visual stereotypes such as Miz Lurleen's "big hair," the snooty butler, bad guys with bad teeth, and pudgy stepbrother Milton bursting out of his shirt, this cartoonish tone seems to lessen any offense that might be taken. Filled with rich blue and green backgrounds, while the characters are highlighted in yellow and orange, each page stands out to the reader. Occasionally, Warhola uses a beige background behind a particularly significant image, as though to emphasize it. For example, this technique is used when the steer and Bubba undergo their magical transformation, again when the magic wears off, and when Bubba and Miz Lurleen ride off into the sunset. Finally, like the traditional tale, the notion of evil is definitely emphasized through the illustrations. The initial illustration of the wicked stepdaddy is downright scary.
There is also more than one hidden story within the pages. If one looks closely, the fairy godcow can be found on almost every page. There is also a budding romance between Bubba's and Miz Lurleen's dogs that unfolds throughout the story. These both serve to engage the reader even more deeply into the story and illustrations.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS:
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books: "Upended fairy tales are pretty familiar now, but this one has sass and pizzazz."
Kirkus Reviews: "There are no surprises in this version except in the hilarious way the premise plays itself out and in Warhola's delightful visual surprises."
San Francisco Chronicle: "The tale is familiar, but the cowboy patois, dechauvinized plot and hilarious illustrations make this a delightful updating."
5. CONNECTIONS:
*The text for this class, Children's Literature in Action by Dr. Sylvia Vardell, offers wonderful suggestions for teaching a Cinderella unit. It lists variants of the story from major world cultures and suggests choosing several to compare and contrast. In addition, links to Cinderella poems, novels, parodies, and web sites are also offered in order for students to make connections of a different nature. Closing by having students create their own versions of Cinderella is recommended. Finally, a suggestion is made to consider other folktales that have multiple versions such as The Three Little Pigs or Little Red Riding Hood.
*For older children, this would be a good starting point to launch a discussion about stereotypes. As noted above, several are perpetuated in Bubba The Cowboy Prince while others are avoided. Gender roles could definitely be part of the discussion. Beginning with a traditional tale like Marcia Brown's Cinderella and moving on to other less traditional stories like Susan Lowell's Cindy Ellen, whose godmother declares, "Magic is plumb worthless without gumption," would help promote discussion. Titles might include:
Brown, Marcia. Cinderella, or the little glass slipper. ISBN 0689814747
Cole, Babette. Prince Cinders. ISBN 0698115546
Jackson, Ellen. Cinder Edna. ISBN 0688162959
Lowell, Susan. Cindy Ellen. ISBN 0064438643
Munsch, Robert N. The paperbag princess. ISBN 0920236162
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