A poor orphan with no friends and no possessions, Turkey Girl eked out a living by caring for the turkeys which belonged to the more affluent families in her Zuni settlement, given scraps of food and rags in payment. When the Dance of the Sacred Bird is announced, she grieves that she is unable to attend, until the turkeys magically provide her with jewels and a beautiful dress. They warn her that she must return to them before sundown, or she will lose them forever, and she promises, but dancing can be addictive...

Adapted from a story in Frank Hamilton Cushing's 1901 Zuñi Folk Tales, this Zuni variant on the 'persecuted heroine' tale type (sometimes known as the 'Cinderella story') is quite unusual. It is more of a pourquoi story, explaining how turkeys came to live separately from humans, than it is a tale of a mistreated but kind girl getting her just reward, and it is quite atypical, in its unhappy ending. Penny Pollock's retelling here was engaging enough, although it didn't strike a strong chord with me. Similarly, the accompanying pastel and oil crayon illustrations from Ed Young didn't do much for me. I found them interesting, on the whole, but also thought them a little too blurry and indistinct. Tastes vary of course, so I'd still recommend The Turkey Girl: A Zuni Cinderella Story to young folktale lovers, as well as to readers interested in the Cinderella tale type in world folklore. ( )

To a young girl who tends turkeys for a living, an opportunity to go to The Dance of the Scared Bird seems but a distant dream.

The Turkey Girl by Penny Pollock is the Zuni version of a Cinderella story, except the ending to this story is not so "happy." The turkey girl fails to fulfill a promise made and reaps the consequences of her actions.

I honestly appreciate the fact that this fairytale did not end happily. I am a firm believer that children need to see and understand that life is not as simple as good vs. bad and right vs. wrong. This story teaches people responsibility, the turkey girl knew that she had to make it back to the turkeys before father sun set behind the mountains, but she failed to do so and therefore she returned back to her old self. ( )

A poor Zuni, American Indian, girl tends to turkeys and thinks she is not good enough for the dance. Much to her surprise the the chief turkey speaks to her and offers to repay her kindness. The turkeys perform an ancient ritual and make her a beautiful gown with jewels. There one command is that she returns before the sun sets. The girl is beside herself with joy and rushes to the dance. She is the most beautiful girl there and has the best time of her life. She stays past the setting sun. Upon returning to the turkey pen she finds they have left. She broke her promise. From that day on the turkeys have lived apart from their human brothers.
This a though provoking tale to share with young readers. The illustrations are a dreamy pastel in American Southwest colors. ( )

The style of this book was very clear. The illustrations use colors and images that represent the mountains and way of life in Turkey. This story does a wonderful job of using the oral traditions of a Cinderella story. For example, the girl goes to the dance. My favorite aspect of this book was the illustrations. The colors, mystery, and abstractness kept me engaged and curious. I read the book two times over and it eas just as amazing. ( )