BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sierra, Judy. 2005. SCHOOLYARD RHYMES: KIDS' OWN RHYMES FOR ROPE SKIPPING, HAND CLAPPING, BALL BOUNCING, AND JUST PLAIN FUN. Ill. by Melissa Sweet. New York: Knopf. ISBN 0-375-92516-3.
PLOT SUMMARY
Schoolyard Rhymes is a compilation of fifty playground rhymes and chants. Most of the rhymes are well-known favorites that have been around for many years. Some are more recent, less familiar additions to the genre.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This delightful, silly, and fun collection of rhymes and chants from playgrounds and schoolyards is presented in a colorfully chaotic manner. The higglety pigglety arrangement of the characters in the illustrations conjures up the very atmosphere of a busy schoolyard. Words from some of the rhymes are strung together to form jumping ropes. This further suggests activity and movement. The expressive faces of the people and animals invite the reader to share in the fun. Melissa Sweet uses mixed-media and watercolor to create amusing, ridiculous, and sometimes just plain gross images that represent the chants and rhymes. The selector, Judy Sierra, has thoughtfully included an introduction about schoolyard rhymes at the beginning of the book. At the end is an index of first lines for the fifty rhymes and chants included in the compilation.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
School Library Journal: "Sierra has selected some of the funniest and most memorable schoolyard rhymes available in this appealing collection, including such old favorites as 'Miss Mary Mack, Mack, Mack,' 'Lady with the Alligator Purse,' and 'Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire.'"
Booklist: "Sweet's comical, mixed-media art adds to the wackiness of the rhymes, with jump ropes commanding a prominent position, whether used by children or pickles or bears."
CONNECTIONS
>"Test drive" some of the rhymes in the collection to see which ones lend themselves to jumping rope and which ones are better suited to clapping games.
>Try your hand at creating additional verses for some of the chants and rhymes.
>Read Street Rhymes Around the World by Jane Yolen (ISBN 1878093533). Compare and contrast the counting games, circle games, and jump rope rhymes from 17 countries with those in Judy Sierra's Schoolyard Rhymes.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
The Goose Girl: a Story from the Brothers Grimm
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kimmel, Eric A. 1995. THE GOOSE GIRL: A STORY FROM THE BROTHERS GRIMM. Ill. by Robert Sauber. New York: Holiday House. ISBN 0-8234-1074-9.
PLOT SUMMARY
A naive, young princess travels with her cunning, self-serving maid to a far away kingdom where she is to marry the prince. The maid taunts the princess cruelly and forces her to trade clothes and horses. Upon their arrival at the distant kingdom, the maid is ushered inside the castle, and the princess is sent to help the boy who herds the geese. The King eventually learns the truth about the maid's deception and condemns her to a grisly death. The true princess marries the prince.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Eric Kimmel's retelling of the Brothers Grimm story of the goose girl incorporates all the traditional elements of a fairy tale. The story begins in the typical European manner with the phrase, "Once upon a time...." Characters include a princess, a prince, a talking horse, a goose herder, a king, and a maid. The princess and the maid are archetypes of good and evil respectively. Kimmel employs the style motif of a talking horse, Falada, who continues to repeat the phrase, "If your mother were to see, her heart would burst with grief for thee." even after the cruel maid has him killed.
The author uses well-recognized elements to place the story in a long ago kingdom. The women ride horses through a forest to a castle in a far away land where the princess is to wed a prince. The dress of the characters, the furnishings in the castle, and the style of the buildings are used by the illustrator, Robert Sauber, to help define the setting of the story. His painterly style uses deep, vibrant colors applied with broad, sweeping strokes. Each illustration is framed in a border which reinforces the sense that one is looking at oil paintings in an art gallery.
This beautifully illustrated tale of betrayal and courage will draw the reader into a world of castles, royalty, and talking horses. Love and goodness triumph in the end and they live "...happily ever after."
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Publishers Weekly: "This Brothers Grimm story of a good-hearted princess usurped by her maid and turned into a common goose girl is classic fairy tale fodder, and Kimmel revels in the magical, wistful aspects of this fanciful genre."
School Library Journal: "The story is propelled by Kimmel's perfect pacing and phrasing and by the vitality of the oil paintings, achieved through a sense of rapid dashes of color, with some scenes having an almost unfinished quality."
CONNECTIONS
>Read another work by the team of Kimmel and Sauber, I-Know-Not-What, I-Know-Not-Where: A Russian Tale. Compare and contrast the illustrations in this book with The Goose Girl. >Read other books that feature talking animals like Charlotte's Web.
Kimmel, Eric A. 1995. THE GOOSE GIRL: A STORY FROM THE BROTHERS GRIMM. Ill. by Robert Sauber. New York: Holiday House. ISBN 0-8234-1074-9.
PLOT SUMMARY
A naive, young princess travels with her cunning, self-serving maid to a far away kingdom where she is to marry the prince. The maid taunts the princess cruelly and forces her to trade clothes and horses. Upon their arrival at the distant kingdom, the maid is ushered inside the castle, and the princess is sent to help the boy who herds the geese. The King eventually learns the truth about the maid's deception and condemns her to a grisly death. The true princess marries the prince.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Eric Kimmel's retelling of the Brothers Grimm story of the goose girl incorporates all the traditional elements of a fairy tale. The story begins in the typical European manner with the phrase, "Once upon a time...." Characters include a princess, a prince, a talking horse, a goose herder, a king, and a maid. The princess and the maid are archetypes of good and evil respectively. Kimmel employs the style motif of a talking horse, Falada, who continues to repeat the phrase, "If your mother were to see, her heart would burst with grief for thee." even after the cruel maid has him killed.
The author uses well-recognized elements to place the story in a long ago kingdom. The women ride horses through a forest to a castle in a far away land where the princess is to wed a prince. The dress of the characters, the furnishings in the castle, and the style of the buildings are used by the illustrator, Robert Sauber, to help define the setting of the story. His painterly style uses deep, vibrant colors applied with broad, sweeping strokes. Each illustration is framed in a border which reinforces the sense that one is looking at oil paintings in an art gallery.
This beautifully illustrated tale of betrayal and courage will draw the reader into a world of castles, royalty, and talking horses. Love and goodness triumph in the end and they live "...happily ever after."
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Publishers Weekly: "This Brothers Grimm story of a good-hearted princess usurped by her maid and turned into a common goose girl is classic fairy tale fodder, and Kimmel revels in the magical, wistful aspects of this fanciful genre."
School Library Journal: "The story is propelled by Kimmel's perfect pacing and phrasing and by the vitality of the oil paintings, achieved through a sense of rapid dashes of color, with some scenes having an almost unfinished quality."
CONNECTIONS
>Read another work by the team of Kimmel and Sauber, I-Know-Not-What, I-Know-Not-Where: A Russian Tale. Compare and contrast the illustrations in this book with The Goose Girl. >Read other books that feature talking animals like Charlotte's Web.
Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella
BIBLIOGRAPHY
San Souci, Robert D. 1998. CENDRILLON: A CARIBBEAN CINDERELLA. Ill. by Brian Pinkney. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-689-80668-X.
PLOT SUMMARY
Cendrillon's mother dies soon after giving birth. The girl's father remarries, and his new wife presents him with another daughter. The stepmother is cruel to Cendrillon and promotes her own daughter's interests when a wealthy suitor comes to town. Cendrillon's godmother intervenes and with the help of a magic wand, ensures that her goddaughter attends the ball in order to meet the young man. The magic ends and Cendrillon runs away leaving her pink slipper behind. When the young man comes to claim the wearer of the slipper as his bride, the half-sister and the stepmother try to trick him. Cendrillon's godmother urges her to step forward and reveal herself as the owner of the slipper. When the slipper fits perfectly, the young man, Paul, knows that he has found his true love, and they are soon wed.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This French Creole variant of the traditional tale, Cinderella, is set in the West Indies. The typical Cinderella story characters including the mean stepmother, spoiled half-sister, magical godmother, and handsome young man are all present. The theme of goodness overcoming evil is played out against the backdrop of the Caribbean Sea. San Souci gives a twist to the usual Cinderella tale by using the godmother as a narrator. The author uses French Creole words and phrases to reinforce the setting of Cendrillon. A glossary is added at the end of the book that provides pronunciations and translations. The Caribbean setting of the story is rendered beautifully in the rich, vibrant, colorful illustrations by Brian Pinkney. The artist includes palm trees, tropical flowers, and seascapes in his signature style of multimedia art to support the story setting. Pinkney also places his subjects in typical West Indies-style clothing including head dresses and jewelry. This lovely, lush retelling of the traditional story of the triumph of love, faith, honesty, and hard work will delight readers and listeners alike.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Horn Book Magazine: "An exemplary author's note reveals that this adaptation is based on a French Creole version of Perrault's familiar tale..."Publishers Weekly: "The lyrical cadences of the text spattered with French and Creole words combine with the sensuous paintings to bring the tropics to life."
San Souci, Robert D. 1998. CENDRILLON: A CARIBBEAN CINDERELLA. Ill. by Brian Pinkney. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-689-80668-X.
PLOT SUMMARY
Cendrillon's mother dies soon after giving birth. The girl's father remarries, and his new wife presents him with another daughter. The stepmother is cruel to Cendrillon and promotes her own daughter's interests when a wealthy suitor comes to town. Cendrillon's godmother intervenes and with the help of a magic wand, ensures that her goddaughter attends the ball in order to meet the young man. The magic ends and Cendrillon runs away leaving her pink slipper behind. When the young man comes to claim the wearer of the slipper as his bride, the half-sister and the stepmother try to trick him. Cendrillon's godmother urges her to step forward and reveal herself as the owner of the slipper. When the slipper fits perfectly, the young man, Paul, knows that he has found his true love, and they are soon wed.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This French Creole variant of the traditional tale, Cinderella, is set in the West Indies. The typical Cinderella story characters including the mean stepmother, spoiled half-sister, magical godmother, and handsome young man are all present. The theme of goodness overcoming evil is played out against the backdrop of the Caribbean Sea. San Souci gives a twist to the usual Cinderella tale by using the godmother as a narrator. The author uses French Creole words and phrases to reinforce the setting of Cendrillon. A glossary is added at the end of the book that provides pronunciations and translations. The Caribbean setting of the story is rendered beautifully in the rich, vibrant, colorful illustrations by Brian Pinkney. The artist includes palm trees, tropical flowers, and seascapes in his signature style of multimedia art to support the story setting. Pinkney also places his subjects in typical West Indies-style clothing including head dresses and jewelry. This lovely, lush retelling of the traditional story of the triumph of love, faith, honesty, and hard work will delight readers and listeners alike.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Horn Book Magazine: "An exemplary author's note reveals that this adaptation is based on a French Creole version of Perrault's familiar tale..."Publishers Weekly: "The lyrical cadences of the text spattered with French and Creole words combine with the sensuous paintings to bring the tropics to life."
CONNECTIONS
>Read another collaboration by San Souci and Pinkney such as The Faithful Friend or Sukey and the Mermaid to examine how the illustrations work to support the story.
>Study maps and books about the Caribbean Sea. Make lists of foods, animals, and plants that are native to the region.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Picture Book Review - Joseph Had a Little Overcoat
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Taback, Simms. 1999. JOSEPH HAD A LITTLE OVERCOAT. New York: Viking. ISBN 0-670-87855-3.
PLOT SUMMARY
Joseph lives on a farm in Poland. He is also a tailor and uses his knowledge to rework his tattered, plaid overcoat into items that get smaller and smaller with each alteration. The overcoat becomes a jacket, then a vest, then a scarf, then a tie, then a handkerchief, and finally a button for his suspenders. At the end he loses the button and decides to write a book about his experience.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Joseph is a resourceful character who makes the best out of difficult circumstances. Children in today's throw away society might not see the value in Joseph's thrifty renovation of his overcoat. Young readers will, however, be thrilled by the illustrator's (also Taback)primitive folk-art style, use of vivid color and clever die-cuts that dwindle in size page by page as the story progresses. Taback also mixes photos of real objects with painted renditions of similar objects in a sort of collage that provides the background setting for the scenes of the story. The use of real photographs, framed and hanging on the walls of Joseph's home, catches the reader by surprise and encourages a closer inspection of the page. The story is set in pre-WWII Poland, and the illustrations support this setting with numerous examples of appropriate cultural markers. The style of dress, facial features, activities, names, home decor, newspapers, and books all reinforce the culture represented in this story. Children who are familiar with Yiddish culture will find sayings and other references tucked away on almost every page.
Taback, Simms. 1999. JOSEPH HAD A LITTLE OVERCOAT. New York: Viking. ISBN 0-670-87855-3.
PLOT SUMMARY
Joseph lives on a farm in Poland. He is also a tailor and uses his knowledge to rework his tattered, plaid overcoat into items that get smaller and smaller with each alteration. The overcoat becomes a jacket, then a vest, then a scarf, then a tie, then a handkerchief, and finally a button for his suspenders. At the end he loses the button and decides to write a book about his experience.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Joseph is a resourceful character who makes the best out of difficult circumstances. Children in today's throw away society might not see the value in Joseph's thrifty renovation of his overcoat. Young readers will, however, be thrilled by the illustrator's (also Taback)primitive folk-art style, use of vivid color and clever die-cuts that dwindle in size page by page as the story progresses. Taback also mixes photos of real objects with painted renditions of similar objects in a sort of collage that provides the background setting for the scenes of the story. The use of real photographs, framed and hanging on the walls of Joseph's home, catches the reader by surprise and encourages a closer inspection of the page. The story is set in pre-WWII Poland, and the illustrations support this setting with numerous examples of appropriate cultural markers. The style of dress, facial features, activities, names, home decor, newspapers, and books all reinforce the culture represented in this story. Children who are familiar with Yiddish culture will find sayings and other references tucked away on almost every page.
Caldecott Medal - 2000
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Publishers Weekly: "With its effective repetition and an abundance of visual humor, this is tailor-made for reading aloud."
Horn Book Magazine: "The text is simple to the point of prosaicness...but the art sings with color and movement and humor and personality."
CONNECTIONS
>Read Simms Taback's Caldecott Honor book, There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, and compare the use of the die-cut pages in this book to those used in Joseph Had a Little Overcoat. >Talk about ways to recycle and reuse old, worn out items.
Book Review - A Caldecott Celebration: Six Artists and Their Paths to the Caldecott Medal
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Marcus, Leonard S. 1998. A CALDECOTT CELEBRATION: SIX ARTISTS AND THEIR PATHS TO THE CALDECOTT MEDAL. New York: Walker and Company. ISBN 0-8027-8656-1.
PLOT SUMMARY
Leonard S. Marcus, children's book historian, biographer, and children's book critic, has written a delightful and informative book on six Caldecott medal winning illustrators. The book begins with an introduction to the award's namesake, an explanation of the selection process, and a description of the benefits of winning a Caldecott medal. The six chapters that comprise the body of Marcus' book each represent one of the six decades (1940's-1990's) of the award's existence. They are essays about a Caldecott Medal winning illustrator and the book for which he or she won the award. Each chapter has background information on the illustrator including his or her training as an artist. The creative process for each book is discussed by the illustrator - how he or she prepared for and rendered the final product. At the end of A Caldecott Celebration: Six Artists and Their Paths to the Caldecott Medal, is a list of all the winners from 1938-1998, a glossary of terms about illustration methods and materials, and an index of proper nouns.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Marcus has provided us with an excellent view into the process of illustration. By showcasing award winning illustrators, he has piqued our interest in the stories behind some well-known children's books. He uses these personal stories as a vehicle to acquaint readers with the decisions and methods, materials and media that go into book illustrations. Children and adults will be amused and captivated by the personal stories of the illustrators' efforts to study the subjects of the illustrations.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Publishers Weekly: "Filled with witty anecdotes and pithy observations, Marcus's ...approach to examining the works of six Caldecott Medalists will be of as much interest to adults as to picture book readers."
Horn Book Magazine: "A fresh, inviting examination of an established process and ritual."
CONNECTIONS
>Read the featured Caldecott Medal winning book after reading the chapter in Marcus' book about the illustrator. Continue on a weekly basis until all six are read.
>Look at other books by the illustrators featured in A Caldecott Celebration. Look for similarities in style and composition between these books and the medal winners presented in Marcus' book.
Marcus, Leonard S. 1998. A CALDECOTT CELEBRATION: SIX ARTISTS AND THEIR PATHS TO THE CALDECOTT MEDAL. New York: Walker and Company. ISBN 0-8027-8656-1.
PLOT SUMMARY
Leonard S. Marcus, children's book historian, biographer, and children's book critic, has written a delightful and informative book on six Caldecott medal winning illustrators. The book begins with an introduction to the award's namesake, an explanation of the selection process, and a description of the benefits of winning a Caldecott medal. The six chapters that comprise the body of Marcus' book each represent one of the six decades (1940's-1990's) of the award's existence. They are essays about a Caldecott Medal winning illustrator and the book for which he or she won the award. Each chapter has background information on the illustrator including his or her training as an artist. The creative process for each book is discussed by the illustrator - how he or she prepared for and rendered the final product. At the end of A Caldecott Celebration: Six Artists and Their Paths to the Caldecott Medal, is a list of all the winners from 1938-1998, a glossary of terms about illustration methods and materials, and an index of proper nouns.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Marcus has provided us with an excellent view into the process of illustration. By showcasing award winning illustrators, he has piqued our interest in the stories behind some well-known children's books. He uses these personal stories as a vehicle to acquaint readers with the decisions and methods, materials and media that go into book illustrations. Children and adults will be amused and captivated by the personal stories of the illustrators' efforts to study the subjects of the illustrations.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Publishers Weekly: "Filled with witty anecdotes and pithy observations, Marcus's ...approach to examining the works of six Caldecott Medalists will be of as much interest to adults as to picture book readers."
Horn Book Magazine: "A fresh, inviting examination of an established process and ritual."
CONNECTIONS
>Read the featured Caldecott Medal winning book after reading the chapter in Marcus' book about the illustrator. Continue on a weekly basis until all six are read.
>Look at other books by the illustrators featured in A Caldecott Celebration. Look for similarities in style and composition between these books and the medal winners presented in Marcus' book.
Picture Book Review - Duck for President
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cronin, Doreen. 2004. DUCK FOR PRESIDENT. Ill. by Betsy Lewin. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-689-86377-2.
PLOT SUMMARY
Duck becomes disenchanted with his lot in life on Farmer Brown's farm. He organizes an election and replaces Farmer Brown as the leader of the farmyard. The change in status comes with its own set of problems, and Duck decides to move on to higher office. Landing eventually in the Oval Office, Duck finds that he is still unhappy and returns to the farm to write his memoirs.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Duck for President is the third story to feature Farmer Brown and his difficult duck. Children will identify with Duck's dislike for the chores he must perform on the farm. The distasteful and dirty nature of the farm animals' chores is shown in Betsy Lewin's illustrations of them covered in debris. Duck exhibits strength, determination, creativity, and confidence in his efforts to change his circumstances. The plot presents a basic representation of the election process that is well within the grasp of children in the primary grades. The author indicates the passing of time by using phrases such as "at the end of each day" and "the next morning". Betsy Lewin's illustrations featuring red, white, and blue bunting and American flags, compliment the election story and support the festive atmosphere of an election campaign. A running joke in the text and the illustrations is the fate of the missing votes in each election. Children will catch on to this device after the second election and look for it as the story progresses. References in the story to Duck playing the saxophone on late night TV (a la Bill Clinton) and an illustration of a downcast Duck in the Oval Office with his back to the audience (Richard Nixon) will draw a chuckle from adult readers. The theme of Duck for President is that one may not gain happiness or avoid work by simply changing one's circumstances.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Kirkus Reviews: "Just in time for an election year, the feathered troublemaker of Click, Clack; Moo (2000) and Giggle, Giggle, Quack (2002) enters the political arena, with sidesplitting results."
Publishers Weekly: "...Lewin's chunky-outlined watercolors continue to cater to the younger crowd with her usual dashes of humor and daffy sweetness. Her depictions of the campaign-trail motorcades, parades, and town meetings are a hoot."
CONNECTIONS
>Read other Farmer Brown stories by Doreen Cronin like Click, Clack, Moo and discuss Duck's behavior. What lessons does he learn from his adventures? Will he ever change his ways?
>Have a pretend election with a parade.
Cronin, Doreen. 2004. DUCK FOR PRESIDENT. Ill. by Betsy Lewin. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-689-86377-2.
PLOT SUMMARY
Duck becomes disenchanted with his lot in life on Farmer Brown's farm. He organizes an election and replaces Farmer Brown as the leader of the farmyard. The change in status comes with its own set of problems, and Duck decides to move on to higher office. Landing eventually in the Oval Office, Duck finds that he is still unhappy and returns to the farm to write his memoirs.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Duck for President is the third story to feature Farmer Brown and his difficult duck. Children will identify with Duck's dislike for the chores he must perform on the farm. The distasteful and dirty nature of the farm animals' chores is shown in Betsy Lewin's illustrations of them covered in debris. Duck exhibits strength, determination, creativity, and confidence in his efforts to change his circumstances. The plot presents a basic representation of the election process that is well within the grasp of children in the primary grades. The author indicates the passing of time by using phrases such as "at the end of each day" and "the next morning". Betsy Lewin's illustrations featuring red, white, and blue bunting and American flags, compliment the election story and support the festive atmosphere of an election campaign. A running joke in the text and the illustrations is the fate of the missing votes in each election. Children will catch on to this device after the second election and look for it as the story progresses. References in the story to Duck playing the saxophone on late night TV (a la Bill Clinton) and an illustration of a downcast Duck in the Oval Office with his back to the audience (Richard Nixon) will draw a chuckle from adult readers. The theme of Duck for President is that one may not gain happiness or avoid work by simply changing one's circumstances.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Kirkus Reviews: "Just in time for an election year, the feathered troublemaker of Click, Clack; Moo (2000) and Giggle, Giggle, Quack (2002) enters the political arena, with sidesplitting results."
Publishers Weekly: "...Lewin's chunky-outlined watercolors continue to cater to the younger crowd with her usual dashes of humor and daffy sweetness. Her depictions of the campaign-trail motorcades, parades, and town meetings are a hoot."
CONNECTIONS
>Read other Farmer Brown stories by Doreen Cronin like Click, Clack, Moo and discuss Duck's behavior. What lessons does he learn from his adventures? Will he ever change his ways?
>Have a pretend election with a parade.
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