Traditional Literature Book Review #3

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Schwartz, Alvin. 1984. IN A DARK, DARK ROOM, AND OTHER SCARY STORIES. Ill. by Dirk Zimmer. New York: Harper & Row. ISBN 0060285370

2. PLOT SUMMARY
IN A DARK, DARK ROOM, Alvin Schwartz retells seven scary stories especially for children. The stories include The Teeth, In the Graveyard, The Green Ribbon, In a Dark, Dark Room, The Night It Rained, The Pirate, and The Ghost of John.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
IN A DARK, DARK ROOM is a numerous award-winner including ALA Notable Children’s Book of 1984, School Library Journal’s Best Books of 1984, and Library of Congress Children's Books of 1984. It is also a part of the I Can Read Series published by Harper. An I CAN READ book typically has simple vocabulary in large type and chapter-like divisions. This particular book is a 2nd Reading Level book for children ages 4 to 6.

IN A DARK, DARK ROOM is based on traditional folktales from various countries. The book contains a Contents page listing each story and what page they are found on. There is a Foreword addressed to the readers, in which Schwartz tells the reader when and how to read the stories in order for everyone to have a good time.: “The best time for these stories is at night—in front of a fire or in the dark. Tell them s-l-o-w-l-y and quietly.” On the last page, Schwartz includes an excerpt about “Where the Stories Come From.”

Each of the stories has different styles. For example, a couple of the stories use repeated patterns and sounds. The Teeth is a repetitious story about a little boy that keeps running into men with longer and longer teeth. The following dialog is continuously repeated: “Why are you running? the man asked. “I just met a man with teeth this long.” I said. “It scared me.” In The Graveyard, the phrase “Ooooh!” is repeated after every line, until the very end in which the woman scared the corpses by going “AAAAAAAAAAAH! All the As and use of all capital letters makes for a dramatic effect. This also makes it fun to read aloud. The Ghost of John is a short little rhyming poem. A few of the stories have climaxes. For example, The Green Ribbon ends at the climax when Jenny’s head fell off. Finally, others, like The Pirate, start off sounding stilted and unnatural. However, The Pirate is a good story filled with prepositional phrases like under, in, behind. The words are also repeated: “She looked under the bed and under the rug.”

Dirk Zimmer provides both spooky and funny illustrations that go along with each story. However, the illustrations start even before the stories start. On both the front cover, and a double-page spread on the title pages, we see characters from each of the stories going into “a dark, dark room.” There is the pirate, the man with the teeth, the headless woman, the ghost, and the skeleton. Then, on the dedication page, we see the back of a black cat, as he sits in an open doorway. Finally, my favorite is the illustration on the page facing the Contents. It is of a skeleton reading a book by the light of a candle (which is sitting on a skull). At the end of the book, we see the scene again, but the skeleton is gone, the book is sitting on the stool, and the candle has melted into a puddle of wax.

Zimmer does a great job of depicting the images of each story. For example, he starts and ends the story In a Dark, Dark Room with double-page spread. In the first one, Zimmer creates “dark, dark wood.” Then, to create a dramatic effect at the end of the story, he makes the two pages with an all black background, with a box in upper left corner of one page and the ghost coming out across the centerfold, heading towards the reader!

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
School Library Journal
“Now all second graders have their own collection of spooky stories— seven traditional tales retold in simple language. The colorfully dark illustrations add a comic touch. Not a ghost of a chance of keeping this one on the shelves.”

5. CONNECTIONS
This is a great book to read during the Halloween season, sharing it along with doing other fun Halloween books.

*Activities with this book:
-Have the children each pick their favorite story out of the book to retell it in their own words to the class.
-Read other 2nd Level I CAN READ books especially for Halloween, and compare with IN A DARK, DARK ROOM.:
THE CASE OF THE SCAREDY CATS by Crosby Bonsall
THE CASE OF THE HUNGRY STRANGER by Crosby Bonsall
AUNT EATER'S MYSTERY HALLOWEEN by Doug Cushman
GHOSTS! by Alvin Schwartz
-Share “In a Dark, Dark Wood” which is an extended version of the story In a Dark, Dark Room, found at http://www.jackolanterns.net/inadarkdarkwood.htm and have the children draw each of the things found in the box.

“In a dark, dark wood there was a dark, dark house; And in the dark, dark house there was a dark, dark room; And in the dark, dark room there was a dark, dark cupboard; And in the dark, dark cupboard there was a dark, dark shelf; And on the dark, dark shelf there was a dark, dark box; And in the dark, dark box there was a....ghost!

In a dark, dark wood there was a dark, dark house; And in the dark, dark house there was a dark, dark room; And in the dark, dark room there was a dark, dark cupboard; And in the dark, dark cupboard there was a dark, dark shelf; And on the dark, dark shelf there was a dark, dark box; And in the dark, dark box there was a....mouse!

In a dark, dark wood there was a dark, dark house; And in the dark, dark house there was a dark, dark room; And in the dark, dark room there was a dark, dark cupboard; And in the dark, dark cupboard there was a dark, dark shelf; And on the dark, dark shelf there was a dark, dark box; And in the dark, dark box there was a....elephant!

In a dark, dark wood there was a dark, dark house; And in the dark, dark house there was a dark, dark room; And in the dark, dark room there was a dark, dark cupboard; And in the dark, dark cupboard there was a dark, dark shelf; And on the dark, dark shelf there was a dark, dark box; And in the dark, dark box there was a....skeleton!

In a dark, dark wood there was a dark, dark house; And in the dark, dark house there was a dark, dark room; And in the dark, dark room there was a dark, dark cupboard; And in the dark, dark cupboard there was a dark, dark shelf; And on the dark, dark shelf there was a dark, dark box; And in the dark, dark box there was a....nothing!”

Happy Reading!
Lonnie

Traditional Literature Book Review #2

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Yolen, Jane. 2003. THE FLYING WITCH. Ill. by Vladimir Vagin. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0060285370

2. PLOT SUMMARY
The Flying Witch, Baba Yaga, is a female witch that lives in a chicken-footed house and flies a mortar and pestle. In the story, Baba Yaga picks up a feisty little girl that she hopes to eat. Children will enjoy the surprising ending of this book that is beautifully illustrated by the Soviet National Gold Award winner, Vladimir Vagin.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Based on the traditional Russian folktales about Baba Yaga, THE FLYING WITCH is an original story created by award-winning author Jane Yolen. On the last page, Yolen includes a source note “About Baba Yaga”, in which she describes where the stories of Baba Yaga came from and how she is usually portrayed in Russian oral tales.

Yolen’s story is full of cadence, or a rhythmic flow in prose. We see repeated patterns of descriptive sounding words. For example, the reader can hear the witch flying “Whirrr. Whirr. Clunkety-clank,” the sound of the turnip truck “Clangety-clang,” and the turnips being dropped into the pot, “Plip-plop. Plip-plop.” These phrases repeat the consonant “c” sound. We also see the repetition of the constant “r”: “They made a great racket. A rickety-racket.” Finally, Yolen also includes a rhyme that must be repeated in order to gain access to the witch’s house:
“Turn, little hut, turn.
Stand with your back to the old oak tree.
Stand with your front door open to me.”

The story has a simple, direct plot. The conflict is that Baba Yaga is going to eat the little girl, unless the girl can find a way to save herself. The reader can learn many things from the little girl. She is not stereotypically portrayed, but is smart, rational, and feisty. For example, when she fell off the truck, she did not sit there and cry like some people would: “Well, I have two good feet and a fine sense of direction. I will go through the forest on my own.” She also “knew better than to talk to strangers.”

The little girl shows that people are capable of doing things on their own, and do not have to be dependent on others to help them: “But I have two good feet, a fine sense of direction, two strong arms, and a clear mind. I will get away on my own.” She outwits Baba Yaga and gets her to go to the market, where the little girl’s father is selling turnips. The father follows Baba Yaga to her house to save the little girl, but she saves herself, by making Baba turnip stew.

The illustrator, Vladimir Vagin, uses solid, clear illustrations to interpret the text. They help create a light mood, instead of a dark and scary mood. All of the pages, except for two double spreads, are arranged with text surrounded by a boarder and the facing page with a full size illustration. Vagin creates a fun, imaginative boarder by using the house’s chicken legs. Each boarder includes little details, such as different bugs and animals. Vagin also humorously portrays Baba Yaga with a long beak-like steel nose.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
School Library Journal
“Yolen's vivid writing reflects the flavor of the original tales and comes alive with repetition of key phrases throughout the text. The author wisely injects humor to lighten up her version of the witch who scours the forest while seeking children to eat and thus provides a refreshingly original twist to the tale.”

Chicago Tribune
"The clever little girl...is timeless, and it's a pleasure to see her clever capabilities at the heart of the story."

Publishers Weekly
“Meticulously drafted paintings depict old Russia's onion domes, birch forests, and steely gray skies. Traditional motifs and stylized forms infuse the illustrations with a strong folk flavor, as they also incorporate antique tools and peasant costumes. Baba Yaga's black fingernails and scythe-shaped iron nose mark her as a villainess.”

Booklist
“Baba Yaga a vegetarian?...Compared with some of the original tales, this is "thin soup," with an inconsistent, somewhat strained plot. But there are some nice storytelling flourishes and some well-detailed artwork, with the feel of old Russia, perfectly suits the story. Many libraries will welcome this nonviolent New Age Baba Yaga.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*The story is good for a discussion on the perception of girls in society and how both boys and girls can do anything they put their minds to.

*Activities with this book:
-Find and compare this book with other funny, spooky stories:
SHREK! by William Steig (Farrar, 1993).
-To help the children learn more about Russian folktales, read the books that were used as sources for this story:
RUSSIAN FOLKTALES by W. R. S. Ralston
RUSSIAN FAIRY TALES (PANTHEON FAIRY TALE AND FOLKLORE LIBRARY) by Aleksandr Afanasev
-When reading the story aloud, stop and let the children fill in the descriptive sounds: “Whirrr. Whirr. Clunkety-clank,” “Clangety-clang,” and “Plip-plop. Plip-plop.” You can also have the children memorize and cite the rhyme to get into the witch’s house.

Happy Reading!
Lonnie

Traditional Literature Book Review #1

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cole, Babette. 1987. PRINCE CINDERS. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons. ISBN 0399215026

2. PLOT SUMMARY
In Babette Cole’s PRINCE CINDERS, Prince Cinders is “small, spotty, scruffy, and skinny.” He has three big hairy brothers that go to the Palace Disco and leave Prince Cinders home to clean. Prince Cinders wishes to be big and hairy like his brothers and a little fairy grants his wish. However, the spell does not go as planned and Prince Cinders turns into a big hairy monkey. Princess Lovelypenny sees this big hairy monkey and is frighten, but at that moment, the clock strikes midnight, and Prince Cinders changes back into himself. The princess thinks he has saved her from being eaten by the monkey and the story ends with them getting married and living “happily ever after.”

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This is a variant of the fairy tale “Cinderella” in which there is a male protagonist. Moreover, instead of losing a shoe, the prince looses his trousers. The story is set in modern times with cars and a disco palace where the musicians play guitars. The plot is simple and direct. Prince Cinders wants to be big and hairy like his three brothers-“When his work was done, he would sit by the fire and wish he was big and hairy like his brothers.” The theme is funny and the story ends with a “happily ever after.”

The fairy is not what you would expect either. She is a dirty little girl that cannot get her magic to work right. She says, “This empty can shall be a car” and it does turn into a car, but it is a little toy car, and when she tries to make a suit it is a swimsuit. Finally, the fairy makes Prince Cinders big and hairy all right, a big and hairy monkey! The catch, though, is that he does not now that he is a big hairy monkey, because when he looks in the mirror he looks like a big hairy man. The fairy’s spells and chants are silly, whimsical rhymes -“Ziz Ziz Boom, Tic Tac Ta” and “Toe of rat and eye of newt, Your rages will turn into a suit!”

There is also a touch of pro-feminist in the story with Princess Lovelypenny the one that proposes. She is also the one who talks to the fairy about what to do with the brothers…“whom she turned into house fairies, and they flitted around the palace doing the housework forever and ever.”

The front cover has a picture of Prince Cinders cleaning and the back cover has a big hairy monkey, in a swimsuit, with a crown on its head. It alludes to what is going to happen in the story. The illustrations start on the opening end page with two monkeys holding a crest and the motto “Courage in Tesco.” There is also a double page spread on the copyright and title pages, of all the mess that Prince Cinders is trying to vacuum.

The illustrations reinforce the text and add detail. For example, the illustrations include items with readable labels on them, such as “nasty cigs,” “Macho Magazine;” and “Zazzy Wash.” I think it makes the story more believable. We also see that since everyone in town is a prince or princess, they all wear little crowns. Cole uses white space for a dramatic affect, such as the page that describes Prince Cinders. The only thing on the page is little Prince Cinders, standing off to the side. Cole also uses proportions to show differences in size. Another double page spread has a picture of Prince Cinders as a big hairy monkey, which takes up a whole page, and then shows the toy car and the little fairy on the facing pages, each much smaller.

There are reoccurring elements found in the illustrations throughout the book. First, the little car shows up in several scenes, including at the bus stop. Then, there is a cat in all the scenes in which Cole uses to show different emotions. He looks curious, then scared, and finally, you just see his tail when he is running away from the big hairy monkey. Finally, in all the scenes with the Palace Disco, there is a little statue man holding a trophy on his head. In the first shot, he is standing straight and tall. Then, in the background of the bus stop scenes, you can see him struggling to stay standing, but the trophy is too heavy.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Publishers Weekly
"Take a classic story, substitute a few key ingredients, season freely with silliness and imagination, dress it all up in jaunty illustrations, and what have you got? In the case of Cole's Prince Cinders, an outrageously funny romp of a picture book…Prince Cinders heads off in his new incarnation to the Rock 'n' Royal Bash to claim his princess, a conventional end he achieves through most unconventional means. A madcap, highly entertaining spoof.”

5. CONNECTIONS
* Kid’s Reviews
My four-year-old son loves this story, especially the illustration of Prince Cinders as the big hairy ape, peering through the window at the royalty dancing at the Palace Disco. My six-year-old daughter likes Princess Lovelypenny's leopard print outfit. Both my kids think being doomed to clean the palace forever is a fate worse than death, and from the expressions on the faces of the house fairies, Prince Cinders's brothers would probably agree.” -K. Bennett

*Activities with this book:
-Have the children write their own version of “Cinderella” and share with the class.
-Find and compare this book with other “Cinderella” books:
Jackson, Ellen. 1998. CINDER EDNA. HarperTrophy (Reprint edition). ISBN: 0688162959
Minters, Frances. 1997. CINDER-ELLY. Picture Puffins (Reprint edition). ISBN: 0140561269
-Do a dramatization of the story, with a simple script, and have the children read different parts.
-Watch the 1993 cartoon movie version of Prince Cinders and compare it with the book.

*Related Websites
-The following is a link to a website that includes a language arts lesson plan used with the book PRINCE CINDERS prepared by Jennifer Dalke.
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/LAPrinceCinders-PredictingComprehension12.htm

Happy Reading!
Lonnie

Picture Book Review #3

Here is my final picture book review.

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Juster, Norton. 2005. THE HELLO, GOODBYE WINDOW. Ill. by Chris Raschka. New York, NY: Michael Di Capua Books. ISBN 0786809140

2. PLOT SUMMARY
In Norton Juster’s first picture book, and the 2006 Caldecott Medal winner, a little girl tells about her experience with the Hello, Goodbye Window, a special window at her Nanna and Poppy’s. We learn of the different people and things she imagines seeing through the window (including T-Rex!). We also see what the girl’s relationship is like with her grandparents. She is very close to them as shown by the last page of the book-“When I get my own house someday I’m going to have a special Hello, Goodbye Window too. By that time I might be a Nanna myself. I don’t know who the Poppy will be, but I hope he can play the harmonica.”

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The story is set at a little girl’s grandparents' house where there is a Hello, Goodbye Window. The title may indicate that the book is about the Hello, Goodbye Window, but the implicit theme of story is about the special relationship between the little girl and her grandparents. The girl talks about all the things they do together when she comes over-ride bikes, work in garden, etc. The reader can also tell how much the grandparents care for the girl by their concern for her safety-“Not in the street please” and by the fun they have together-“Poppy chases me with a hose.”

Juster uses a variety of writing techniques. He tells the story through the eyes of the little girl, so the words are simple and show a sense of innocence-“When I get tired I come in and take my nap and nothing happens until I get up.” Juster also uses short and long sentences to create balance. In addition, some objects are treated as if they were human, such as “say goodnight to the stars” and “say good morning to the garden.” To show imagination, the letters are all capitalized when the girl is describing who she may see in the window. People she wants to see include Tyrannosaurus Rex, the Pizza Delivery Guy, and the Queen of England. Finally, the story is told in first person and the little girl talks directly to the reader, as shown when she is describing her emotions about being glad to be going home, but sad to be leaving Nanna and Poppy-“You can be happy and sad at the same time, you know. It just happens that way sometimes.” Any child can relate to this.

Chris Raschka uses a naïve style for his illustrations that gives the appearance of being childlike, kids’ drawings, which ties in with the little girl telling the story. The pictures are almost abstract with no clear lines or boundaries. The hues and colors are bright and bold, creating a fun, happy mood.

The story actually starts on the dedication page with a picture of the little girl hugging her parents goodbye. It continues in a double spread on the bibliographic and title pages, with the girl skipping to the grandparents hose, while the parents wave goodbye. We first see the grandparents’ house with the Hello, Goodbye Window, looking through the girl’s eyes. Then, text comes in, leading the reader to the house, and directing their eyes to the grandparents face in the Hello, Goodbye Window. The rest of the illustrations are viewed from outside the scenes.

The illustrations support the text and add elements to the story. Everything described by the girl in the text, the reader sees in the illustrations, including the jars in the kitchen. We also learn something in the illustrations that is not mentioned in the text. The little girl is biracial. Both Poppy and her father are white and Nanna and her mother are black. The little girl is depicted with a mix of both colors.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
School Library Journal (starred review)
"…The first-person text is both simple and sophisticated, conjuring a perfectly child-centered world…While the language is bouncy and fun; it is the visual interpretation of this sweet story that sings. Using a bright rainbow palette of saturated color, Raschka's impressionistic, mixed-media illustrations portray a loving, mixed-race family. The artwork is at once lively and energetic, without crowding the story or the words on the page; the simple lines and squiggles of color suggest a child's own drawings, but this is the art of a masterful hand.

Booklist (starred review)
"…The window imagery is less important than the title would make it seem. More intrinsic is Juster's honest portrayal of a child's perceptions (a striped cat in the yard is a tiger) and emotions (being happy and sad at the same time "just happens that way sometimes"). Raschka's swirling lines, swaths, and dabs of fruity colors seem especially vibrant, particularly in the double-page spreads, which have ample room to capture both the tender moments between members of the interracial family and the exuberance of spending time in the pulsating outdoors, all flowers, grass, and sky.”

5. CONNECTIONS
* Poppy play’s “Oh, Susannah” on his harmonica. Get a copy of Stephen Foster’s song and teach it to the children for a music lesson. You can also get some cheap harmonicas for the children to practice playing.

*The little girl telling the story remains nameless, but has special names for her grandparents, Nanna and Poppy. Discuss how our name makes each of us special individuals and have children share (if they know) how they were named. Then, have the children come up with a special name for the little girl.

*Have children share their ideas and experiences related to the book:
-As you read through the book, stop and ask the children what kind of things they like to do with their grandparents, who they would imagine if they had their own special Hello, Goodbye Window, ect.

*Other books for children about family and relationships:
Dorros, Arthur. ABUELA. ISBN: 0525447504
Williams, Vera B. A CHAIR FOR MY MOTHER. ISBN: 068800914X
Say, Allen. GRANDFATHER'S JOURNEY. ISBN: 0395570352

Happy Reading!
Lonnie

Picture Book Review #2

Here's my next review. I had so much fun with this book!

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Wiesner, David. 2001. THE THREE PIGS. Ill. by David Wiesner. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN 0618007016

2. PLOT SUMMARY
The 2002 Caldecott Medal winner, THE THREE PIGS, is beautifully written and illustrated by David Wiesner. In this very funny version of the traditional story “The Three Little Pigs,” Wiesner shows what would happen if the pigs were in charge of the story. It is written for children ages 4 to 8, but it is also loved by many adults.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
David Wiesner’s writing is humorous and light. He mixes up the traditional story of the “Three Little Pigs” and changes the plot. Wiesner uses anthropomorphism in his writing, by giving the pigs, and other animals in the story, human qualities. The reader gets the story from both a third person narrator and first person perspective from the three pigs. The pigs are blown out of their story frames and decide to fly off on an adventure to visit other stories. Thy visit HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE and then another story, where they rescue a dragon. The cat from HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE and the dragon then come into the pigs’ story and save them from the wolf. Wiesner ends with a closed ending, where the pigs, the cat, and the dragon are all living “happily ever after” in the brick house.

David Wiesner’s illustrations are vital for moving the story to a completely new level. The back cover foreshadows what happens later in the book, with the cat from HEY DIDDLE, DIDDLE. Wiesner uses many illustration styles in the story. Different font styles are used for the traditional story text and then dialogue balloons are used for the pigs outside of the story. The art media used includes watercolor, colored inks, and pencil.

The story starts on the title page with the three pigs carrying the straw, sticks, and bricks from which they will build their houses. On the first page, the reader is next to the wolf, looking down on the pigs. Then, the following pages consist of two story frames each, and within the story frames, we get the “normal” version of the story. Once the first pig is blown out of the story pages, the illustrations are used to show what the text is not telling us. For example, the text says the wolf “…ate the pig up,” but the illustration shows the wolf looking confused because the pig has climbed out of the story frame.

When the pigs are wandering outside of the story frames, they appear three-dimensional and real. Then, there is another twist when the pigs decide to go visit other stories. The illustrator shows this by changing the pictures, using different mediums and fonts. Therefore, as they enter the new story, the pigs conform to that book’s style, such as the comic-book line drawings of the dragon.

Wiesner also shows different perspectives. The pigs knock the pages down and use one to build an airplane to fly away. The reader gets a sense of movement with different perspectives of the plane underneath and then flying past them. There is also one point in the book where one pig is made to look close, by being extra big. This is when he “sees” the reader and he says, “I think…someone’s out there.”

This book is a great example of taking a well-known story and creating a new and dynamic plot.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
School Library Journal (starred review) and SLJ Best Books of the Year
"Children will delight in the changing perspectives...and the whole notion of the interrupted narrative...fresh and funny...Witty dialogue and physical comedy abound in this inspired retelling of a familiar favorite.”

Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“As readers have come to expect from the inventive works of Wiesner, nothing is ever quite as it seems in his picture books…he takes the idea of 3-D characters operating independently of their storybooks to a new level here.”

Kirkus Reviews
“…On the last few pages, the final words of the text break apart, sending letters drifting down into the illustrations to show us that once we have ventured out into the wider world, out stories never stay the same.

Booklist (starred review)
“Wiesner has created a funny, wildly imaginative tale that encourages readers to leap beyond the familiar; to think critically about conventional stories and illustration, and perhaps, to flex their imaginations and create wonderfully subversive versions of their own stories.”

Children's Books: 100 Titles-NYPL and Best Books for Children-Cahners

5. CONNECTIONS
*Have children pick another traditional story and work together to create a new version of it. *Gather other books illustrated by David Wiesner. Look to see how he uses sly humor through his artwork :
Wiesner, David. 1988. FREE FALL. New York, NY: Scholastic. ISBN 059045983X.
Wiesner, David. 1991. TUESDAY. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN 0395551137.
*Gather other versions of “Three Little Pigs” and compare and contrast them with Wiesner’s THE THREE PIGS. (For the wolf’s version-Scieszka, John. THE TRUE STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS BY A. WOLF. ISBN: 0670831018)
*Book-related websites:
http://www.vickiblackwell.com/lit/threepigs.html
This is a great site devoted to THE THREE PIGS. You can download bookmarks, read more about the author and illustrator, David Wiesner, and obtain lists of activities and projects dealing with THE THREE PIGS.

Happy Reading!
Lonnie

Picture Book Review #1

The following is my first book review.

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Marcus, Leonard S. 1998. A CALDECOTT CELEBRATION: Six Artists and Their Paths to the Caldecott Medal. New York, NY: Walker and Company. ISBN 0802786561

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Children’s book historian and critic, Leonard Marcus, interviewed six Caldecott winning artists. The book was written to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Caldecott Medal. According to the Introduction, the Caldecott Medal is “the world’s most prestigious illustration award.” Each illustrator featured represents a decade in the past 60 years. The book includes the following winners:
1942 MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS by Robert McCloskey
1955 CINDERELLA; or, THE LITTLE GLASS SLIPPER by Marcia Brown
1964 WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE by Maurice Sendak
1970 SYLVESTER AND THE MAGIC PEBBLE by William Steig
1982 JUMANJI by Chris Van Allsburg
1992 TUESDAY by David Wiesner

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Marcus’s book is well organized and very informative. It is suitable for elementary children, who want to learn more about illustrators, or adults interested in children’s books and art. It contains a table of contents, the artists’ interviews, a list of Caldecott winners for 1938-1998, a glossary of terms used, and an index. Marcus begins the book with a short introduction of Randolph Caldecott and the origin of the awards. Marcus then begins each section on an artist with a picture of the award-winning book and the year it won, the title and author, a picture of the illustrator, and when and where they were born, the publisher and the medium used for the illustrations. Finally, Marcus also includes a quote from the illustrator’s Caldecott acceptance speech. In each section, the artist tell how they got into illustrating picture books, how they made the Caldecott winning book, and how winning the Caldecott Medal has effected their life. Finally, Marcus ends the section with a list of the illustrator’s other Caldecott Medal winners and honor books.

The illustrations in the book serve a functional role. Almost every page includes sketches and drawings from the artists and their Caldecott award winning books. They are separated from the text by a blue border and include captions in italics. The jacket, designed by Claire Counihan, is both fun and informative. Before ever opening the book, you know who the six illustrators are and their Caldecott winning picture books. There are miniature images of the picture books and miniature pages that has the year won, the title of the story, and the author/illustrator. All of these create a colorful boarder around the title of the book. The title is also in fun, colorful letters. The back cover is the same as the front, bordering a summary and a list of the picture books and their illustrators. The end pages are easy on the eyes with light yellow, the front jacket flaps being a light pink with yellow stars, and the back jacket flap is light blue with yellow stars. Finally, there is an underlining theme of stars throughout the book. They are used to offset text and as background.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (starred review): “Filled with witty anecdotes and pithy observations, Marcus's (Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom) approach to examining the works of six Caldecott Medalists will be of as much interest to adults as to picture book readers.”

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “…This title has just about everything readers might want. Most of all, it has such wonderful tidbits-Robert McCloskey sketching the bottom of a duck's bill from his vantage point on the floor, Maurice Sendak buying an armful of roses for Ursula Nordstrom when he won, etc.”

BOOKLIST (starred review): “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.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Activities with this book:
Have children pick one of the illustrators to report on for a Career Day.
Have a week devoted to a specific illustrator, find, and read all of the books by them.
Have children practice making their own illustrations and then hold a contest to give out handmade Caldecott awards for different categories.
*Other books on children’s illustrators:
Cummings, Pat. 1992. Talking with Artists. New York, NY: Bradbury Press.

Happy Reading!
Lonnie :-)