BIBLIOGRAPHY
Simonds, Nina; Swartz, Leslie; The Children’s Museum of Boston. 2002. MOONBEAMS, DUMPLINGS AND DRAGON BOATS. Ill. By Meilo So. New York, NY. Gulliver Books. ISBN 0152019839.
PLOT SUMMARY
A great team effort resulted in a unified presentation of stories, recipes and activities surrounding five different Chinese festivals. The festivals include the New Year, the Lantern Festival, Qing Ming, the Cold Foods Festival, The Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid Autumn Moon Festival. A description of the lunar year clarifies how the festival days are set each year. The stories are short and easily understood, drawing simple connections to the various festival activities. For example, preparing tanggua, or melon shaped candies that are sticky as the New Year approaches in order to “…stuff the Kitchen God’s mouth with the candy to make certain there will be good health and bountiful crops in the coming year.”
The watercolor paintings are well-placed, sized and positioned, allowing for ease of reading and attention to detail.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Some recipes appear to be simple enough for children to follow and have success, while others seem a bit more advanced and involve higher level cooking techniques, such as in Sweet Rice Packages. The activities included in this collection vary enough to appeal to a variety of children, as long as they enjoy crafting.
The stories, or tales, included in this collection tend to sound simplified with very little action and detail. The settings are directly related to the calendar and festivals. The characters seem flat and underdeveloped which is probably due to the brevity of the stories. There is a sense of lesson-learning in the selections, which can evoke disinterest among some children.
Beautiful flowing and exquisite detail in the watercolor illustrations.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Kirkus starred September 15, 2002
“An index would have allowed users to return easily to a favorite recipe, activity, or story, but the work is well organized and worth some page-turning to find a specific selection. A guide to Chinese pronunciation and two pages of additional resources are included. No library should be without this well-designed, beautiful, and informative resource.”
Booklist October 15, 2002 Vol. 99, No. 4
“Attractively designed, the pages include plenty of white space, creating a fine background for So's brilliantly colored, stylized paintings.
CONNECTIONS
When I read the choices for this assignment, I found the title to be attractive and pleasant. Yet as I read the book, I found I really didn’t want to finish the reading. I’m not sure if it is because this work is more of a reference guide, or if the stories are so shallow that the interest is sustained. As a general rule, my oldest daughter and I love to read cookbooks and try new recipes, yet her reaction to this book was much like mine.
I found the guide to pronunciation was informative and useful.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Martin, Rafe. 1992. THE ROUGH-FACE GIRL. Ill. By David Shannon. New York, NY. G. P. Putnam’s Sons. ISBN 0399218599.
PLOT SUMMARY
Based on a basic Cinderella theme, this is a folktale from the Algonquin Indian tribe. The story is takes place on the shores of Lake Ontario and comes from a line of oral storytelling tradition. The Rough-Face Girl is one of three sisters who want to marry the Invisible On who was described as great, rich, powerful, and handsome. The two older sisters force the younger sister to tend the fire, giving her the famed roughness of face, hair and hands. Their poor father gives all that he has for the two older ones to have necklaces and clothing to meet the great man. Yet, they are caught in their web of lying by his gatekeeping sister. When the Rough-Face girl asks for these gifts from her father, he has nothing more to give. So she makes the best of the situation, and goes to meet the Invisible One. The story ends somewhat abruptly, with the couple riding off in a canoe.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Character development is sparce in text but enhanced by Shannon’s illustrations. The illustrations are full page and color with simple narrow white borders, focusing on people. The portrayal of the Invisible One’s face in the sky and his body in the clouds seem out of place, as compared with the other drawings. Yet the Milky Way link to the Invisible One’s sled runners seems more in sync with the other images.
In the vein of traditional literature, the characters are good or bad, the setting is simple and straightforward, as in the explanation of the village, “Off from the other wigwams of this village stood one great huge wigwam.” Goodness prevails in the end as “they lived together in great gladness and were never parted.”
The sister of the Invisible One plays a very unembellished protector role and is responsible for screening the marriage applicants.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Kirkus starred (1992)
“An Algonquin Cinderella story, with accomplished but sometimes overliteral illustrations.”
“Martin's retelling is spare and understated, but never dry; the two sisters are richly comic figures, the climax and ending uncontrived yet magically romantic.”
Publishers Weekly (April 13, 1992)
“In places, though, he struggles with the paradox of illustrating the invisible--an eagle, tree, cloud and rainbow form the face of the Invisible Being in one disappointingly banal image.”
CONNECTIONS
This could be a tool when comparing versions of Cinderella stories.
As students begin to study cultural values, this story could introduce some specific to Native American Indians.
This story could also be a good discussion-starter for “do not judge people simply by the way they look.”
Martin, Rafe. 1992. THE ROUGH-FACE GIRL. Ill. By David Shannon. New York, NY. G. P. Putnam’s Sons. ISBN 0399218599.
PLOT SUMMARY
Based on a basic Cinderella theme, this is a folktale from the Algonquin Indian tribe. The story is takes place on the shores of Lake Ontario and comes from a line of oral storytelling tradition. The Rough-Face Girl is one of three sisters who want to marry the Invisible On who was described as great, rich, powerful, and handsome. The two older sisters force the younger sister to tend the fire, giving her the famed roughness of face, hair and hands. Their poor father gives all that he has for the two older ones to have necklaces and clothing to meet the great man. Yet, they are caught in their web of lying by his gatekeeping sister. When the Rough-Face girl asks for these gifts from her father, he has nothing more to give. So she makes the best of the situation, and goes to meet the Invisible One. The story ends somewhat abruptly, with the couple riding off in a canoe.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Character development is sparce in text but enhanced by Shannon’s illustrations. The illustrations are full page and color with simple narrow white borders, focusing on people. The portrayal of the Invisible One’s face in the sky and his body in the clouds seem out of place, as compared with the other drawings. Yet the Milky Way link to the Invisible One’s sled runners seems more in sync with the other images.
In the vein of traditional literature, the characters are good or bad, the setting is simple and straightforward, as in the explanation of the village, “Off from the other wigwams of this village stood one great huge wigwam.” Goodness prevails in the end as “they lived together in great gladness and were never parted.”
The sister of the Invisible One plays a very unembellished protector role and is responsible for screening the marriage applicants.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Kirkus starred (1992)
“An Algonquin Cinderella story, with accomplished but sometimes overliteral illustrations.”
“Martin's retelling is spare and understated, but never dry; the two sisters are richly comic figures, the climax and ending uncontrived yet magically romantic.”
Publishers Weekly (April 13, 1992)
“In places, though, he struggles with the paradox of illustrating the invisible--an eagle, tree, cloud and rainbow form the face of the Invisible Being in one disappointingly banal image.”
CONNECTIONS
This could be a tool when comparing versions of Cinderella stories.
As students begin to study cultural values, this story could introduce some specific to Native American Indians.
This story could also be a good discussion-starter for “do not judge people simply by the way they look.”
BIBLIOGRAPHY
IKTOMI AND THE BERRIES. Retold and Ill. by Paul Goble. 1989. New York, NY. Orchard Books. ISBN 053105819.
PLOT SUMMARY
This story about Iktomi, the Lakota Native American trickster, centers around a hunting trip taken “in the old traditional way.” He strikes out burdened with the tools and clothing of his ancestors, initially looking for prairie dogs. Many obstacles cause Iktomi to change the purpose of his expedition to duck hunting and then to gathering berries. All of his schemes fail and he takes leave of us in anger, after almost drowning in the river while chasing reflections of the berries in the water.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The text in IKTOMI AND THE BERRIES includes two additional levels of text; reader/author comments, and Iktomi’s comments. This technique gives the feeling of author as a character and the added commentary gives a conversational tone that borders on sarcasm. Without turning to the didactic text, the author is able to give the intended lesson of what behaviors are acceptable and what is not. For example, “Iktomi thinks a lot of himself. He is forever boasting about something he is going to do.”
Personification is given to Iktomi’s stomach when he replies, “How can I hunt if you make all that noise?” Iktomi speaks to himself in first person and the author’s comments speak directly to the reader, as in “Do you think he even knows how to swim?”
The setting is like most in traditional literature, simple and generalized. In the beginning, “ The sun had just risen and he was out hunting,” and at the end, “Iktomi went on his way again.” Much detail was given to tying the rock to himself and going down to the bottom of the river, yet the resolution happens with the mere turn of the page without explanatory text.
The pictures are drawn and painted with a lot of detail, yet the face lacks expression. The different levels of text origination help to give the intended meaning and tone.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Horn book starred Feb 1990
“Iktomi, that clever trickster, is hunting prairie dogs in another amusing adventure. Vibrant watercolor and ink illustrations grace the pages of this attractive and useful story.”
CONNECTIONS
The style of having written comments alongside the text will interest some older readers and listeners. There is quite a bit of subtle sarcasm and humor hidden in these remarks! Even the illustrations show the prairie dogs laughing at Iktomi’s expense.
IKTOMI AND THE BERRIES. Retold and Ill. by Paul Goble. 1989. New York, NY. Orchard Books. ISBN 053105819.
PLOT SUMMARY
This story about Iktomi, the Lakota Native American trickster, centers around a hunting trip taken “in the old traditional way.” He strikes out burdened with the tools and clothing of his ancestors, initially looking for prairie dogs. Many obstacles cause Iktomi to change the purpose of his expedition to duck hunting and then to gathering berries. All of his schemes fail and he takes leave of us in anger, after almost drowning in the river while chasing reflections of the berries in the water.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The text in IKTOMI AND THE BERRIES includes two additional levels of text; reader/author comments, and Iktomi’s comments. This technique gives the feeling of author as a character and the added commentary gives a conversational tone that borders on sarcasm. Without turning to the didactic text, the author is able to give the intended lesson of what behaviors are acceptable and what is not. For example, “Iktomi thinks a lot of himself. He is forever boasting about something he is going to do.”
Personification is given to Iktomi’s stomach when he replies, “How can I hunt if you make all that noise?” Iktomi speaks to himself in first person and the author’s comments speak directly to the reader, as in “Do you think he even knows how to swim?”
The setting is like most in traditional literature, simple and generalized. In the beginning, “ The sun had just risen and he was out hunting,” and at the end, “Iktomi went on his way again.” Much detail was given to tying the rock to himself and going down to the bottom of the river, yet the resolution happens with the mere turn of the page without explanatory text.
The pictures are drawn and painted with a lot of detail, yet the face lacks expression. The different levels of text origination help to give the intended meaning and tone.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Horn book starred Feb 1990
“Iktomi, that clever trickster, is hunting prairie dogs in another amusing adventure. Vibrant watercolor and ink illustrations grace the pages of this attractive and useful story.”
CONNECTIONS
The style of having written comments alongside the text will interest some older readers and listeners. There is quite a bit of subtle sarcasm and humor hidden in these remarks! Even the illustrations show the prairie dogs laughing at Iktomi’s expense.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
LS 5603 Picture Book Review #3
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Marcus, Leonard S. 1998. A CALDECOTT CELEBRATION: SIX ARTISTS AND THEIR PATS TO THE CALDECOTT MEDAL. New York: Walker & Co. ISBN 0802786561
PLOT SUMMARY
Marcus interviewed six Caldecott Award winners for the sixtieth celebration of the award, with one illustrator from each decade. The award is named after Randolph Caldecott, an English illustrator, although the award is now given to American artists for the most distinguished picture book for children. The artists included in this celebratory book are McCloskey, M. Brown, Sendak, Steig, Allsburg, and Wiesner. Each illustrator has a photo and a quote from their acceptance speech which is followed by some biographical information and details of the journey of the development of the book.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Quite interesting and detailed collection which contains photos of the illustrators and their dummies used to prepare the illustrations as well as copies of sketches. The text is an easy and informative format, beneficial for both teachers and students. I have always found wordless books a bit disconcerting at first, yet, David Wiesner gives great perspective in his quote from his Caldecott acceptance speech for TUESDAY: “A wordless book offers a different kind of experience…Each viewer reads the book in his or her own way….As a result, there are as many versions of what happened that Tuesday night as there are readers.”
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
School Library Journal “Anecdotes about the relationship between the illustrators and their editors are also included, reinforcing the idea that this collaboration is very important in the creation of excellent books.”
Booklist “Marcus, who interviewed each artist, provides a lively, informative introduction to each book and its maker. A beautifully made book, this will serve as a fine resource for children interested in illustration and for teachers researching author/illustrator studies.”
CONNECTIONS
Super resource for both teachers and students who may be doing a book study of one of these featured books.
Attractive book lends itself to being approachable by children, especially for biographical research on any of the six artists.
Great resource for introducing Caldecott award winning books.
Marcus, Leonard S. 1998. A CALDECOTT CELEBRATION: SIX ARTISTS AND THEIR PATS TO THE CALDECOTT MEDAL. New York: Walker & Co. ISBN 0802786561
PLOT SUMMARY
Marcus interviewed six Caldecott Award winners for the sixtieth celebration of the award, with one illustrator from each decade. The award is named after Randolph Caldecott, an English illustrator, although the award is now given to American artists for the most distinguished picture book for children. The artists included in this celebratory book are McCloskey, M. Brown, Sendak, Steig, Allsburg, and Wiesner. Each illustrator has a photo and a quote from their acceptance speech which is followed by some biographical information and details of the journey of the development of the book.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Quite interesting and detailed collection which contains photos of the illustrators and their dummies used to prepare the illustrations as well as copies of sketches. The text is an easy and informative format, beneficial for both teachers and students. I have always found wordless books a bit disconcerting at first, yet, David Wiesner gives great perspective in his quote from his Caldecott acceptance speech for TUESDAY: “A wordless book offers a different kind of experience…Each viewer reads the book in his or her own way….As a result, there are as many versions of what happened that Tuesday night as there are readers.”
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
School Library Journal “Anecdotes about the relationship between the illustrators and their editors are also included, reinforcing the idea that this collaboration is very important in the creation of excellent books.”
Booklist “Marcus, who interviewed each artist, provides a lively, informative introduction to each book and its maker. A beautifully made book, this will serve as a fine resource for children interested in illustration and for teachers researching author/illustrator studies.”
CONNECTIONS
Super resource for both teachers and students who may be doing a book study of one of these featured books.
Attractive book lends itself to being approachable by children, especially for biographical research on any of the six artists.
Great resource for introducing Caldecott award winning books.
LS 5603 Picture Book Review #2
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Gerstein, Mordicai. 2004. THE MAN WHO WALKED BETWEEN THE TOWERS. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 04397000418
PLOT SUMMARY
This book recounts in an easy, talking style, the 1974 performance by Philippe Petit, of a high wire walk between the Twin Towers in New York City. From France, Petit was a street performer who knew this daring act was illegal, yet, desired to fulfill this dream so much that he posed as a construction worker while the buildings were still being completed and gained access to the roof tops. Throughout a night, Gerstein details the tasks completed in order to perform. Petit stepped out onto the wire as the sun was rising, danced until he was finished and walked back to officers to be handcuffed. A kind judge sentences him to perform for the children in the park.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This in depth view of New York City is portrayed with controlled pen and paint drawings, surrounded by thick white borders on the pages. When Petit arrives on top of the towers, the borders become a shaded blue and the pictures are shadowed with blues and blacks, representing both the night and the impending danger. As the final placement of the highwire takes place, the illustrations become elongated, showing the great distance of 140 feet. Petit’s actually walk/dance is vividly enlarged both horizontally and vertically on two successive foldout layouts. The book concludes with an eerie look at the city with a ghostly appearance of the Twin Towers looming over the other buildings from the ground view…with a tightrope and dancer posed in between.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Booklist “Here's a joyful true story of the World Trade Center from a time of innocence before 9/11. In 1974 French trapeze artist Philippe Petit walked a tightrope suspended between the towers before they were completed.”
Horn Book “Finally, the last pages bring us to the present ("Now the towers are gone"), showing the current empty skyscape. "But in memory, as if imprinted on the sky, the towers are still there." And so they are on the last page, translucent against the clouds, with a tiny Philippe on his wire connecting the towers to each other and the past to the present.”
CONNECTIONS
This book can serve as a historical reference, study of events of 9/11, as well as a fine example of illustration and story and how each can complement and support the other.
Utilize as a study of Caldecott Award winning books.
Part of a biographical study of Philippe Petit
Study of street and circus performers.
Appeals to an older elementary audience.
Gerstein, Mordicai. 2004. THE MAN WHO WALKED BETWEEN THE TOWERS. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 04397000418
PLOT SUMMARY
This book recounts in an easy, talking style, the 1974 performance by Philippe Petit, of a high wire walk between the Twin Towers in New York City. From France, Petit was a street performer who knew this daring act was illegal, yet, desired to fulfill this dream so much that he posed as a construction worker while the buildings were still being completed and gained access to the roof tops. Throughout a night, Gerstein details the tasks completed in order to perform. Petit stepped out onto the wire as the sun was rising, danced until he was finished and walked back to officers to be handcuffed. A kind judge sentences him to perform for the children in the park.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This in depth view of New York City is portrayed with controlled pen and paint drawings, surrounded by thick white borders on the pages. When Petit arrives on top of the towers, the borders become a shaded blue and the pictures are shadowed with blues and blacks, representing both the night and the impending danger. As the final placement of the highwire takes place, the illustrations become elongated, showing the great distance of 140 feet. Petit’s actually walk/dance is vividly enlarged both horizontally and vertically on two successive foldout layouts. The book concludes with an eerie look at the city with a ghostly appearance of the Twin Towers looming over the other buildings from the ground view…with a tightrope and dancer posed in between.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Booklist “Here's a joyful true story of the World Trade Center from a time of innocence before 9/11. In 1974 French trapeze artist Philippe Petit walked a tightrope suspended between the towers before they were completed.”
Horn Book “Finally, the last pages bring us to the present ("Now the towers are gone"), showing the current empty skyscape. "But in memory, as if imprinted on the sky, the towers are still there." And so they are on the last page, translucent against the clouds, with a tiny Philippe on his wire connecting the towers to each other and the past to the present.”
CONNECTIONS
This book can serve as a historical reference, study of events of 9/11, as well as a fine example of illustration and story and how each can complement and support the other.
Utilize as a study of Caldecott Award winning books.
Part of a biographical study of Philippe Petit
Study of street and circus performers.
Appeals to an older elementary audience.
LS 5603 Picture Book Review #1
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Willems, Mo. 2003 DON’T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS. New York: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 078681988X
PLOT SUMMARY
DON’T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS has a unique beginning with the driver of a bus speaking to the reader and/or listeners via a speech bubble in common everyday language. The bus driver makes a request for someone to keep watch until he returns with the one stipulation of not letting the pigeon drive the bus! The story continues with the first person portrayal of the pigeon who displays many behaviors that a young audience might recognize: begging, pleading, bargaining, etc. The pigeon’s desire to drive the bus represents an explicit theme that climaxes with a tantrum followed by the look of complete defeat. Yet the open ending shows the little bird does not give up easily!
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This Caldecott Honor book presents the pigeon in a bluish hue sporting simple crayon-like drawings. The bird’s eyes, head, and wings are utilized to give character and expression to the star of this show. Simple page layouts with figures appearing at the edges with neutral colored space in the middle give the impression of movement. Language of the bus driver and the pigeon is represented through speech bubbles in common dialog. The story pleads for audience participation and reads as if a child has given the very words to the pigeon! The culminating tantrum happens just before the bus driver returns and has a slightly brighter background color with much larger lettering. In the space of one page turn, the pigeon recovers from his despair with the same song, second verse! He has found a better vehicle, an 18-wheeler!
Interesting note is the end flaps correspond with the story, beginning with images of the pigeon dreaming of driving a bus, and ending with images of the pigeon dreaming of driving an 18-wheeler truck.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Horn Book: “Assuming that young listeners will take on the role of limit-setting grownups and not identify with the powerless but impertinent pigeon ("What's the big deal!?" "No fair!"), this well-paced story encourages audience interaction.”
Library Media Connection: “This book tells the story of an immature, whining pigeon that wants to drive a bus while the driver is away. The text is written in comic-book style but some of the vocabulary is too hard for very young students. The text emphasizes negative instead of positive behavior. Not Recommended.”
CONNECTIONS
* There are other Willems books about this pigeon’s adventures.
* Could be used with older readers to represent first person point of view in writing.
* Great for youngsters not yet reading on their own because the story encourages their participation.
*
Willems, Mo. 2003 DON’T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS. New York: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 078681988X
PLOT SUMMARY
DON’T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS has a unique beginning with the driver of a bus speaking to the reader and/or listeners via a speech bubble in common everyday language. The bus driver makes a request for someone to keep watch until he returns with the one stipulation of not letting the pigeon drive the bus! The story continues with the first person portrayal of the pigeon who displays many behaviors that a young audience might recognize: begging, pleading, bargaining, etc. The pigeon’s desire to drive the bus represents an explicit theme that climaxes with a tantrum followed by the look of complete defeat. Yet the open ending shows the little bird does not give up easily!
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This Caldecott Honor book presents the pigeon in a bluish hue sporting simple crayon-like drawings. The bird’s eyes, head, and wings are utilized to give character and expression to the star of this show. Simple page layouts with figures appearing at the edges with neutral colored space in the middle give the impression of movement. Language of the bus driver and the pigeon is represented through speech bubbles in common dialog. The story pleads for audience participation and reads as if a child has given the very words to the pigeon! The culminating tantrum happens just before the bus driver returns and has a slightly brighter background color with much larger lettering. In the space of one page turn, the pigeon recovers from his despair with the same song, second verse! He has found a better vehicle, an 18-wheeler!
Interesting note is the end flaps correspond with the story, beginning with images of the pigeon dreaming of driving a bus, and ending with images of the pigeon dreaming of driving an 18-wheeler truck.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Horn Book: “Assuming that young listeners will take on the role of limit-setting grownups and not identify with the powerless but impertinent pigeon ("What's the big deal!?" "No fair!"), this well-paced story encourages audience interaction.”
Library Media Connection: “This book tells the story of an immature, whining pigeon that wants to drive a bus while the driver is away. The text is written in comic-book style but some of the vocabulary is too hard for very young students. The text emphasizes negative instead of positive behavior. Not Recommended.”
CONNECTIONS
* There are other Willems books about this pigeon’s adventures.
* Could be used with older readers to represent first person point of view in writing.
* Great for youngsters not yet reading on their own because the story encourages their participation.
*
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