Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters is a retelling of the classic Cinderella story and an excellent opportunity for a lesson in character. The two sisters in this tale are put through the exact same test in their quest to marry a king, but Nyasha shines over her mean-spirited sister due to her selfless nature. Before reading this story, I would use the Booker T. Washington conversation about character to discuss the fact that what happens to people is not nearly as important as who they are. This quote is also a great opportunity to (tactfully) teach the historic use of male-centric pronouns, and to explain that the quote refers to all people, not just men.
Level: Elementary English/Language Arts
Subject Area: World literature, African American Literature
Author: Tiffany Heitman
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