Traditional Literature Reviews- "Bubba The Cowboy Prince: A Fractured Texas Tale"

Bibliography

Ketteman, Helen. Bubba The Cowboy Prince: A Fractured Texas Tale. New York: Scholastic Press, 1997. ISBN 0-590-25506-1.

Plot Summary

“Bubba The Cowboy Prince” is a variation of the popular folktale “Cinderella”.  Bubba lives on a ranch with his wicked stepdaddy and two lazy stepbrothers, Dwayne and Milton.  He does all the work on the ranch while everyone else looks on giving him orders.  Miz Lurleen is a rich rancher and decides it is time to get married.  She throws a ball and invites all the cowboys around.  Bubba is forced to do so many chores to help Dwayne and Milton get ready for the ball that when it is time to leave, he is a mess.  Forced to stay behind, Bubba gets on his horse to check on the cows when he runs into his fairy godcow.  She transforms him into a handsome, clean cowboy and off he goes to the ball.  Miz Lurleen immediately takes to Bubba, only to have him run off (leaving a boot of course) after turning back into his stinky self at midnight.  She sets out on a quest to find him and of course is successful and offers to marry Bubba to his stepfamily’s chagrin.

Critical Analysis

“Bubba The Cowboy Prince” is a close variation to “Cinderella” from a Texan culture viewpoint.  This becomes obvious after reading the first page.  Bubba even has an animal helper, his dog.  Phrases like “git them doggies”, “downright purty” and “much obliged” are used to further emphasize the Texan influence.  The Texas ranch theme saturates this classic folktale and is further enhanced with the illustrations by James Warhola.  Miz Lurleen has classic big Texan hair and the landscape is full of cactus and brush, straight from a west Texas ranch.  There is even a bench shaped like the Alamo in one scene.  All of these elements add to the light-hearted feel to this “Cinderella tale”. 

Review Excerpts

Starred Review in PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY: “Ketteman and Warhola's well-matched flair for hyperbole gives both the narrative and illustrations a one-two punch.”

KIRKUS REVIEW: “There are no surprises in this version except in the hilarious way the premise plays itself out and in Warhola's delightful visual surprises.”

Connections

Students could pinpoint all of the Texas stereotypes that are throughout this tale.  They could discuss their own experiences with stereotypes and the pros and cons of them.  Students could read other “Cinderella tales” from other cultures and discuss how they reveal aspects of each culture.  Some of these include:

“The Turkey Girl: a Zuni Cinderella “ by Pollock, P.

“The Egyptian Cinderella” by Climo, S.

“Yen-Shen: A Cinderella Story from China” by Louie, A.