BUBBA THE COWBOY PRINCE: A FRACTURED TEXAS TALE

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ketteman, Helen. 1997. Bubba the Cowboy Prince: A Fractured Texas Tale. Ill. by James Warhola. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0590255061.

PLOT SUMMARY
Bubba, a Texas cowboy, is made to do all the chores on the ranch by his wicked step-daddy and cruel stepbrothers. He never has fun and never complains. One day, the “purtiest and richest gal” in town, Miz Lurleen, wants to find herself a “feller” and decides to throw a Texas ball. Bubba is unable to go to the ball because he’s too busy helping his lazy stepbrothers getting “gussied up in their finest duds.” But a fairy godcow comes to his rescue and uses her magical powers to change him to the most handsome cowboy in the land. Bubba goes to the ball where he meets Miz Lurleen, but the spell is broken at the strike of midnight and Bubba is left standing in his raggedy clothes. He rides off on his cow, which was once a beautiful stallion, and leaves one of his boots behind. Miz Lurleen travels all over town looking for her mysterious “feller”, where she finally finds her cowboy prince, Bubba.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This whimsical interpretation of the Cinderella story is sure to entertain children and parents alike. Ketteman uses Texas dialogue and vocabulary which makes the story funny and an enjoyable read. Phrases like “you’re cute as a cow’s ear” and “you’re sorrier than a steer in a stockyard,” are hilarious when read aloud. Just like the language in this tale, the illustrations are vibrant and colorful. Warhola’s pictures clearly display the Texas setting with bucking horses, pastures filled with cows, a horseshoe fireplace, and the unforgettable Alamo in the background. He surprises the reader by showing the characters gestures and facial expressions with full emotion. Additionally, Ketteman entertains the reader by revealing the magical elements such as when the fairy godcow changes Bubba into a handsome cowboy. “His jeans were crisp, his boots were shiny, his shirt was dazzling, and his Stetson was whiter than a new salt lick.” Bubba is excited and remarks, “Why, I look downright purty”. Like the traditional Cinderella story, this fractured tale has a happy ending, where Bubby and Miz Lurleen “live happily ever after, roping, and cowpoking, and gitting them doggies along.”

REVIEW EXCERPTS
Review in Booklist: “Retold countless times with new twists and different settings, the story of Cinderella seems to have universal and endless appeal.”
Review in Kirkus Reviews: “This Cinderella parody features the off-the-wall, whang-dang Texas hyperbole of Ketteman.”
Review in Publishers Weekly: “Rustler lingo and illustrations chockablock with Texas kitsch make this ranch-spun Cinder-fella a knee-slappin’ tale.”

CONNECTIONS
Students can use a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast Bubba the Cowboy Prince and the traditional Cinderella story. They can compare and contrast story elements such as characters, plot, climax and ending.

Other Cinderella fractured fairy tales:
Cole, Babette. Prince Cinders. ISBN 0698115546
Jackson, Ellen. Cinder Edna. ISBN 0688162959
Johnston, Tony. Bigfoot Cinderrrrella. ISBN 0399230211
Lowell, Susan. Cindy Ellen: A Wild Western Cinderella. ISBN 0064438643