Moss Gown

Moss Gown
Written by: William H. Hooks
Illustrated by: Donald Carrick
Published by Clarion Books in NY in 1987
Genre: Traditional Literature
Ages: Grades3-5

Summary: Moss Gown is about a young woman who lives on a traditional Southern Plantation. Her father is growing old and wishes to make plans for his daughters for their future. He says that the amount to which they each prove their love for him will determine the amount of his land they will inherit. The author makes it obvious to the reader that Moss Gown loves her father the most and the feeling is mutual, but her father does not understand her replay of "more than meat loves salt" and he gives the plantation to his two eldest daughters who subsequently throw Moss Gown out of the house (and later on, also their father). Moss Gown is forced to walk through the woods on her way to find a place to work. There she finds a "green-eyed witch woman" weaving a magical gown of moss that will turn gossamer each evening she wears it "as long as the Morning Star does shine." Moss Gown finds a job working in the kitchen of the house of the Young Master whom she subsequently falls in love with at a Southern Ball. Eventually, her father finds her and she is able to explain (through a meat-filled meal without salt) just how important salt is to meat.

Response: I really enjoyed this work! I have been interested in learning more about the South since I first watched "Gone With the Wind" years ago. (I loved that so much I also had to read the book!) This work is a great twist on the traditional Cinderella story and contains many elements of Southern Charm including a Ball and gentlemanly man with whom Moss Gown falls in love.

This book has many similarities and differences within it regarding the traditional Perault/Disney version of Cinderella to which we are all most familiar. There is a fairy godmother type person who gives the girl a dress and their is a time limit which she can spend with the gentleman, but there is also an underlying story about her father who loves her dearly, and the feeling is mutual, but who misunderstands her choice of terms of endearment, which leads to her subsequent departure from the plantation.

The illustrations in this book are very well-done. The only three double-page spreads are on the beginnings of the four settings of the work: the part set at the plantation, the part set in the woods, the part in the kitchen at Young Master's house, and the part at the wedding; all other pictures are single-page spreads. Nearly all of the illustrations have many lines to create depth in the ornate costumes the characters wear. The colors used by the illustrator are mostly muted, but contain great depth. In each illustration, costumes and backgrounds are just different enough on the color wheel to keep the interest of readers.

Teaching Connections: I believe that the idea we used in class was the best idea that could be used with this book. Writing an I-poem for two voices helps readers link similar works and determine their similarities and differences in ways different from just creating Venn Diagrams. Although, it would be extremely helpful to have students create a Venn Diagram first in order to solidify their ideas and give them a visual aid to help them create their own I-Poem. An I-Poem guide might be necessary in order to help students begin to understand the concept, however, teachers should encourage them to change any part of the form they wish. Click here to view Dr. Frye's I-Poem format.

Students could also draw their own illustrations with the words in this book.

(Image retrieved from: http://www.lilypadbooks.com/scstore/graphics/MossGown.jpg on 4 April 2008)