Title: Now You See It, Now You Don't: The Amazing World of Optical Illusions
Drawings: Constance Ftera
Author: Seymour Simon
Publisher: Morrow Junior Books
Publication City: New York, NY
Publication Date: 1976,1998
ISBN: 0-688-16152-9
Summary
The Amazing World of Optical Illusions is created in the book by Seymour Simon. Simon shows the reader how optical illusions are created and how the reader can create their own illusions. He also explains why exactly optical illusions happen, and how our eye plays tricks on us. Illusions happen in everyday circumstances, but the readers do not realize that what they are seeing is actually an illusions. There is a whole chapter devoted to illusions in art. What some people may consider art technique, Seymour considers an illusion. He uses MC Esher as an example of illusion in art, in addition to Jacob Van Ruisdael. The book is interactive giving readers many experiments to try.
Review
Most people are familiar with the saying "your eyes are playing tricks on you." Seymour Simon explains how your eye actually does play tricks with you. Optical illusions are a tricky thing. They do not always happen the way they are supposed to happen. This happened many times to me as I was reading the book. Simon would point out how something looked as though it bent outward towards us, but my perception was that it bent away from me. Simon discusses how the optical illusion occurs and gives the reader many examples to try. Students will love the chance to get out of the seats and "trick" their eyes.
The illustrations are what brings the book to life. The examples given are fun to look at, and helps the reader understand the concepts given in the book. Without the illustrations the book would make no sense to the reader.
Simon presents the information in a way that is exciting to the student, if they are very interested in illusions. After awhile, if the student is only interested in the pictures and looking at optical illusions they might become bored. The hands on activities are nice, but if one is not interested in art, the book becomes a bit tedious. The book is written toward the audience of upper elementary students, and asks many questions of the reader, in addition to the experiments given.
Professional Reviews
From Booklist
Gr. 3^-6. One of the clearest and most interesting discussions of optical illusions ever written for children, this was first published in 1976 as The Optical Illusion Book. The new format allows space to increase the size of the illustrations, making them clearer and more effective. Though the text of the new edition remains substantially the same, improvements to the volume include a more attractive book design and more dynamic jacket. An appealing choice for school and public libraries. Carolyn Phelan
Book Description
This classic book on optical illusions explores dozens of visual riddles about distance, depth, brightness, contrast, and color. Newly designed and filled with more than eighty illustrations -- plus eight full-color pages of optical illusions -- Now You See It, Now You Don't lets youngsters see for themselves why they can't always believe their eyes!
Connections
Have students create their own book of optical illusions. Explain the concept of a tessellation and how that can become an illusion itself.
Have students perform the experiments, using an adult when needed, and have them record their findings in a journal. Have them explain what they found, and how they felt about their findings.
Take a trip to an art exhibit appropriate for the age group and have the students record illusions they see in the art in a journal. They can even decorate the front with their own illusion.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Quest for the Tree Kangaroo
Title: Quest for the Tree Kangaroo:An Expedition to the Cloud Forest of New Guinea
Author: Sy Montgomery
Photographer: Nic Bishop
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company
Publication City: Boston, Massachusetts
Copyright: 2006
ISBN: 0-618-49641-6
ISBN-13: 978-0618-49641-9
Summary
The Matschie's Tree Kangaroo lives in the tree forest of Papua New Guinea, and it is one of the rarest animals in the world. It lives only in the cloud forest on the Hunon Peninsula. Tree Kangaroos were hunted for food for many years, and have grown afraid of people. Spotting one and being able to catch it to tag it is a hard task.
Seven people gathered on a team to help Lisa find and track the tree kangaroo. A three day hike left the team exhausted, but determined to help the tree kangaroos. When they finally find one, the kangaroo is foundto have a problem with his leg. The vet fixes him up the best way she can without much modern technology. Will the poor thing survive?
While searching the team learns about their surroundings and other rare animals that live in the clouad forest, but it is still the tree kangaroo that they are most excited about catching. When they catch a male and female tree kangaroo "on a date" the rare chance to track mating brings excitement to the team. This has never been done before! This makes the trip a successful one!
Review
The Quest for the Tree Kangaroowill get the attention of any student who judges the book by the cover, sees the cuddly tree kangaroo and decides any book with a cuddly animal on the front just has to be great. In this case, it is not a bad judgment. Sy Montgomery writes the book with a flair for explanation that does not make the student think they are failures for not knowing the fact, or make them think Montgomery thinks they are too stupid to understand difficult concepts. The pictures are colorful and well composed. Boys will especially like the picture of the leech on one of the worker's skin. Students will be just as excited as the leader of the expedition, Lisa, when they find a Matschie's tree kangaroo, and they will be just as sad when they learn what happens to Ombum, one of the tree kangaroos they captured.
The book is also a good lesson on how people can change. The village near the cloud forest in Papua New Guinea use to hunt tree kangaroo for food. Now the villagers understand that killing the kangaroos led to the endangerment of the species, and help with the studies of the creature. They have found food sources in other items like chickens. Quest for the Tree Kangaroo also teaches students the culture of another society without hammering the facts into the student's head.
Professional Reviews
From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 4-9–Montgomery and Bishop continue their outstanding collaboration to introduce readers to scientists at work. Here, they document their participation in an expedition to the rugged and remote cloud forest of Papua New Guinea in search of the elusive and fascinating Matschie's tree kangaroo. Biologist Lisa Dabek heads a team of scientists from around the world who work with local guides to locate the creatures and fit them with radio collars to learn more about them. Bishop's photographs capture the expedition in detail. Stunning close-ups of plants, insects, and birds vie for attention with panoramas of moss-draped trees in the eerie, ancient forest. Montgomery describes both the hardships and exhilaration of the enterprise. She also introduces readers to some of the local people dedicated to conservation efforts. Dabek's pursuit of her interest in animals despite problems with asthma and her suggestions about exploring the natural world should encourage young scientists. The book's fascinating glimpses into a little-explored region will hold the attention of anyone interested in unusual creatures and the efforts to study them.–Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Montgomery and Bishop follow award-wining titles such as The Tarantula Scientist (2004) with another beautifully illustrated entry in the Scientists in the Field series. This time, they join researchers on a grueling expedition in Papua New Guinea to track the rare Matschie's tree kangaroo. Montgomery gives a chronological, sometimes moment-by-moment account of the challenging climb into the remote cloud forest, the conditions in camp (rice-and-fern dinners, icy waterfall showers), and the awe-inspiring encounters with barely studied animals. The text occasionally veers into a casual tone ("a leech dropped into Lisa's eye. Yuck!") that seems aimed at a young audience, while the small font, exacting detail, and meandering narrative may demand older readers. Still, Montgomery gives an unusually strong, visceral sense of the work and cooperation fieldwork entails and the scope and uniqueness of this particular mission. She also communicates the thrill of studying animals in the wild, making observations, and discovering new information. As usual, Bishop's color photographs are exemplary and extend the excitement in stunning close-ups of creatures and of the team at work. Web resources, notes about conservation, and a glossary of Tok Pisin (the language spoken by the team's Papuan members) are appended. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Connections
Read other books in the "Scientists in the Field" series and compare the animals or other sciences.
The book was written two years ago, what research has happened since then? Students can learn research skills looking up articles by Lisa Dabek about the Matschie's tree kangaroo.
There are many endangered species out there. Have students branstorm using a web how they can help these animals.
Author: Sy Montgomery
Photographer: Nic Bishop
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company
Publication City: Boston, Massachusetts
Copyright: 2006
ISBN: 0-618-49641-6
ISBN-13: 978-0618-49641-9
Summary
The Matschie's Tree Kangaroo lives in the tree forest of Papua New Guinea, and it is one of the rarest animals in the world. It lives only in the cloud forest on the Hunon Peninsula. Tree Kangaroos were hunted for food for many years, and have grown afraid of people. Spotting one and being able to catch it to tag it is a hard task.
Seven people gathered on a team to help Lisa find and track the tree kangaroo. A three day hike left the team exhausted, but determined to help the tree kangaroos. When they finally find one, the kangaroo is foundto have a problem with his leg. The vet fixes him up the best way she can without much modern technology. Will the poor thing survive?
While searching the team learns about their surroundings and other rare animals that live in the clouad forest, but it is still the tree kangaroo that they are most excited about catching. When they catch a male and female tree kangaroo "on a date" the rare chance to track mating brings excitement to the team. This has never been done before! This makes the trip a successful one!
Review
The Quest for the Tree Kangaroowill get the attention of any student who judges the book by the cover, sees the cuddly tree kangaroo and decides any book with a cuddly animal on the front just has to be great. In this case, it is not a bad judgment. Sy Montgomery writes the book with a flair for explanation that does not make the student think they are failures for not knowing the fact, or make them think Montgomery thinks they are too stupid to understand difficult concepts. The pictures are colorful and well composed. Boys will especially like the picture of the leech on one of the worker's skin. Students will be just as excited as the leader of the expedition, Lisa, when they find a Matschie's tree kangaroo, and they will be just as sad when they learn what happens to Ombum, one of the tree kangaroos they captured.
The book is also a good lesson on how people can change. The village near the cloud forest in Papua New Guinea use to hunt tree kangaroo for food. Now the villagers understand that killing the kangaroos led to the endangerment of the species, and help with the studies of the creature. They have found food sources in other items like chickens. Quest for the Tree Kangaroo also teaches students the culture of another society without hammering the facts into the student's head.
Professional Reviews
From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 4-9–Montgomery and Bishop continue their outstanding collaboration to introduce readers to scientists at work. Here, they document their participation in an expedition to the rugged and remote cloud forest of Papua New Guinea in search of the elusive and fascinating Matschie's tree kangaroo. Biologist Lisa Dabek heads a team of scientists from around the world who work with local guides to locate the creatures and fit them with radio collars to learn more about them. Bishop's photographs capture the expedition in detail. Stunning close-ups of plants, insects, and birds vie for attention with panoramas of moss-draped trees in the eerie, ancient forest. Montgomery describes both the hardships and exhilaration of the enterprise. She also introduces readers to some of the local people dedicated to conservation efforts. Dabek's pursuit of her interest in animals despite problems with asthma and her suggestions about exploring the natural world should encourage young scientists. The book's fascinating glimpses into a little-explored region will hold the attention of anyone interested in unusual creatures and the efforts to study them.–Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Montgomery and Bishop follow award-wining titles such as The Tarantula Scientist (2004) with another beautifully illustrated entry in the Scientists in the Field series. This time, they join researchers on a grueling expedition in Papua New Guinea to track the rare Matschie's tree kangaroo. Montgomery gives a chronological, sometimes moment-by-moment account of the challenging climb into the remote cloud forest, the conditions in camp (rice-and-fern dinners, icy waterfall showers), and the awe-inspiring encounters with barely studied animals. The text occasionally veers into a casual tone ("a leech dropped into Lisa's eye. Yuck!") that seems aimed at a young audience, while the small font, exacting detail, and meandering narrative may demand older readers. Still, Montgomery gives an unusually strong, visceral sense of the work and cooperation fieldwork entails and the scope and uniqueness of this particular mission. She also communicates the thrill of studying animals in the wild, making observations, and discovering new information. As usual, Bishop's color photographs are exemplary and extend the excitement in stunning close-ups of creatures and of the team at work. Web resources, notes about conservation, and a glossary of Tok Pisin (the language spoken by the team's Papuan members) are appended. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Connections
Read other books in the "Scientists in the Field" series and compare the animals or other sciences.
The book was written two years ago, what research has happened since then? Students can learn research skills looking up articles by Lisa Dabek about the Matschie's tree kangaroo.
There are many endangered species out there. Have students branstorm using a web how they can help these animals.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Secrets of a Civil War Submarine
Title: Secrets of a Civil War Submarine: Solving the mysteries of the H.L. Hunley
Author: Sally M. Walker
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books, Inc.
Publication City: Minneapolis, MN
Publication Date: 2005
ISBN-13: 978-1-57505-830-6
ISBN-10: 1-57505-830-8
Summary
Secrets of a Civil War Submarine is about the H.L. Hunley, the first submarine to make a successful hit on an enemy submarine, but unfortunately the Hunley sank after the hit and no one knows what happened to it. That is, until 1995 when she was found covered under 131 years of mud. The process to preserve the condition of the submarine while trying to uncover it's secrets are detailed in the book. It was a painstaking process, but in the end most secrets are revealed through various sciences, like forensic science to reconstruct the faces of the crewmen. The book includes pictures from The Friends of the Hunley which is an organization that helped finance the restoration and excavation of the Hunley. There are also biographies of the crewman with pictures of what they might look like.
Review
Secrets of a Civil War Submarinetells the story of a submarine that was missing for 131 years. No one knew where the Hunley was because no one knew where she went after she made the first successful hit from a submarine. While not all secrets cannot be completely revealed because the people involved are deceased, the secrets told in this book are fascinating. Students will love trying to figure out the reasons the Hunley sank, but they have to get through the history part of submarine technology first. Walker's writing brings alive the painstaking process of cleaning the Hunley while maintaining the integrity of a piece of machinery that has been underwater for 131 years. If the book gets a little tedious describing the excavation process, it is because the process itself was tedious. The pictures in the book help move the story along and provide much needed description for those readers who have a hard time picturing descriptions. Students will enjoy the forensic science part of the book where the forensic scientist recreates the facial structure of the crew members from the facial bones. Walker once again brings alive the science behind the recreation, and reveals what exactly a forensic scientist can tell just from the teeth.
Professional Reviews
From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 6-10–Walker brings a little-known story of the Civil War to life in this fascinating book. When the Union blockade of all ports in the South stopped supplies from reaching the Confederate Army, Horace L. Hunley decided to create a submarine that would be able to sneak up on enemy ships and blow them up. After many years of trial and error, the H. L. Hunley actually succeeded in sinking the USS Housatonic in February of 1864. But the submarine never returned to port, and her crew perished in the Charleston Harbor. This is a finely crafted account of the Hunley from its inception to the modern archaeological quest to exhume her from the water. It is divided into chronological chapters complete with pictures, maps, and primary sources. Half of the book discusses the construction and design of the submarine, in addition to its practice runs and its first and only mission. The second half consists of the process of locating and excavating the Hunley, as well as piecing together the puzzle of exactly what happened on that fateful night in 1864. The archaeological process is well documented in both words and pictures, and the conclusions are interesting and even surprising. Highly recommended for school and public libraries.–Anna M. Nelson, Collier County Public Library, Naples, FL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Gr. 7-10. The author of Fossil Fish Found Alive (2002) now discusses a different sort of discovery, the Confederate submarine H. L. Hunley. After sinking a Union sloop near Charleston, South Carolina, in 1864, the hunley did not return to port. Although divers searched for more than 130 years, the sub was not found until 1995. Over the last 10 years, archaeologists have carefully raised the hunley and painstakingly sifted through the 20,000 pounds of sediment it contained for artifacts and human remains and, ultimately, clues to why, when, and how the vessel sank. Walker begins with the history of the Hunley's design and construction as well as its place in Civil War and naval history. She really hits her stride, though, in explaining the complex techniques and loving care used in raising the craft, recovering its contents, and even reconstructing models of the crewmembers' bodies. Back matter includes a detailed author's note, source notes, a bibliography, and recommended Web sites. Thoroughly researched, nicely designed, and well illustrated with clear, color photos, the book will serve as an informative guide to anyone interested in the hunley or intrigued by archaeology. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Connections
Have the students research current submarine technology. What characteristics do they share with the Hunley? What did they learn from the Hunley?
Have the students brainstorm other ways to remove the naval blockade. Have students choose one of the answers and research if it would have worked or not.
Create some sort of archaeological dig, or if they are near one, take a field trip where they can learn hands on experience.
Have students create a timeline of the Hunley from the beginning of it's inception to teh end of the book. What do the scientist think happened in the 131 years it was underwater? Plot that on the line also.
Author: Sally M. Walker
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books, Inc.
Publication City: Minneapolis, MN
Publication Date: 2005
ISBN-13: 978-1-57505-830-6
ISBN-10: 1-57505-830-8
Summary
Secrets of a Civil War Submarine is about the H.L. Hunley, the first submarine to make a successful hit on an enemy submarine, but unfortunately the Hunley sank after the hit and no one knows what happened to it. That is, until 1995 when she was found covered under 131 years of mud. The process to preserve the condition of the submarine while trying to uncover it's secrets are detailed in the book. It was a painstaking process, but in the end most secrets are revealed through various sciences, like forensic science to reconstruct the faces of the crewmen. The book includes pictures from The Friends of the Hunley which is an organization that helped finance the restoration and excavation of the Hunley. There are also biographies of the crewman with pictures of what they might look like.
Review
Secrets of a Civil War Submarinetells the story of a submarine that was missing for 131 years. No one knew where the Hunley was because no one knew where she went after she made the first successful hit from a submarine. While not all secrets cannot be completely revealed because the people involved are deceased, the secrets told in this book are fascinating. Students will love trying to figure out the reasons the Hunley sank, but they have to get through the history part of submarine technology first. Walker's writing brings alive the painstaking process of cleaning the Hunley while maintaining the integrity of a piece of machinery that has been underwater for 131 years. If the book gets a little tedious describing the excavation process, it is because the process itself was tedious. The pictures in the book help move the story along and provide much needed description for those readers who have a hard time picturing descriptions. Students will enjoy the forensic science part of the book where the forensic scientist recreates the facial structure of the crew members from the facial bones. Walker once again brings alive the science behind the recreation, and reveals what exactly a forensic scientist can tell just from the teeth.
Professional Reviews
From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 6-10–Walker brings a little-known story of the Civil War to life in this fascinating book. When the Union blockade of all ports in the South stopped supplies from reaching the Confederate Army, Horace L. Hunley decided to create a submarine that would be able to sneak up on enemy ships and blow them up. After many years of trial and error, the H. L. Hunley actually succeeded in sinking the USS Housatonic in February of 1864. But the submarine never returned to port, and her crew perished in the Charleston Harbor. This is a finely crafted account of the Hunley from its inception to the modern archaeological quest to exhume her from the water. It is divided into chronological chapters complete with pictures, maps, and primary sources. Half of the book discusses the construction and design of the submarine, in addition to its practice runs and its first and only mission. The second half consists of the process of locating and excavating the Hunley, as well as piecing together the puzzle of exactly what happened on that fateful night in 1864. The archaeological process is well documented in both words and pictures, and the conclusions are interesting and even surprising. Highly recommended for school and public libraries.–Anna M. Nelson, Collier County Public Library, Naples, FL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Gr. 7-10. The author of Fossil Fish Found Alive (2002) now discusses a different sort of discovery, the Confederate submarine H. L. Hunley. After sinking a Union sloop near Charleston, South Carolina, in 1864, the hunley did not return to port. Although divers searched for more than 130 years, the sub was not found until 1995. Over the last 10 years, archaeologists have carefully raised the hunley and painstakingly sifted through the 20,000 pounds of sediment it contained for artifacts and human remains and, ultimately, clues to why, when, and how the vessel sank. Walker begins with the history of the Hunley's design and construction as well as its place in Civil War and naval history. She really hits her stride, though, in explaining the complex techniques and loving care used in raising the craft, recovering its contents, and even reconstructing models of the crewmembers' bodies. Back matter includes a detailed author's note, source notes, a bibliography, and recommended Web sites. Thoroughly researched, nicely designed, and well illustrated with clear, color photos, the book will serve as an informative guide to anyone interested in the hunley or intrigued by archaeology. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Connections
Have the students research current submarine technology. What characteristics do they share with the Hunley? What did they learn from the Hunley?
Have the students brainstorm other ways to remove the naval blockade. Have students choose one of the answers and research if it would have worked or not.
Create some sort of archaeological dig, or if they are near one, take a field trip where they can learn hands on experience.
Have students create a timeline of the Hunley from the beginning of it's inception to teh end of the book. What do the scientist think happened in the 131 years it was underwater? Plot that on the line also.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Something BIG Has Been Here
Title: Something BIG Has Been Here
Author: Jack Prelutsky
Illustrator: James Stevenson
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publication City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 1990
ISBN: 0-688-06434-5
Summary
"Something BIG Has Been Here" is a book of poems that any child will love and use for those pesky memorization grades. Poem topics range from a lady who buys perfumes with dubious scents to the title poem about a monster with very large feet. Where else can you find four vain tortoises try to beat each other in a "slow" race, a fish who can ride a bike but can't swim, an Addle-pated Paddlepuss, and a boy digging a hole in the ceiling with a spoon.
Review
Jack Preltusky's poems are entertaining and just plain fun, which is why students love them so much. They are not the type of poems where the reader has to sit down and figure out what the poet meant, they are straight forward and some even have great punchlines. Each poem does have some sort of a rhyme scheme which will make the students feel comfortable and is a great teaching tool in finding different rhyme schemes. Prelutzsky's use of big words like trepidation, mellifluous, and succulent is a wonderful learning tool for the student. It does not insult the intelligence of the student. The students are able to figure out the meaning of the word using context clues.
Each poem is illustrated by James Stevenson. The illustrations are simple sketches. Most of the time they add little to the story. In a few they actually ruin the punchline, like in "The Barber of Shrubbery Hollow". In the poem Prelutzsky talks about a barber who doesn't know why he stays open because no one frequents his shop. It isn't until the punchline that he reveals that all the men in the town are bald!But if you look at the picture, you can tell that right away.
Professional Reviews
Amazon.com
In this delightful companion to Jack Prelutsky's The New Kid on the Block, an early worm frightens the early bird, four vain and ancient tortoises race to see who can get to the finish line last, and outrageous imaginary characters such as the "Know-Nothing Neebies" ("We're perfectly pompous, / indelibly dense, / we haven't a trace / of a semblance of sense") pop up as magically as any creature from The Phantom Tollbooth or The Wizard of Oz ever did.
In "Captain Conniption," young readers will giggle to meet the self-professed "scourge of the sea." "I'm Captain Conniption, / and up to no good, / you'll soon walk the plank / if I think that you should, / I'd show you right now / how I vanquish a foe, / but I hear my mother, / so I have to go." Other subjects near and dear to children's hearts make fabulous fodder for fun, including sibling rivalry, bad table manners, meatloaf, and bats. Illustrator James Stevenson's lively line drawings capture Prelutsky's goofy poetic antics perfectly, making this collection another essential addition to any child's library. (Ages 4 to 12) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Publishers Weekly
If this anthology of light verse and black-and-white drawings from Prelutsky and Stevenson were a movie, it would be titled The New Kid on the Block Part II. In format, subject matter and tone, fans of the earlier volumes will rejoice in finding more of the same. These are not poems to savor for their metaphoric language or depth of thought, but are instead frivolous, rib-tickling verses about the "Ghost Who's Lost His Boo," about "Rhododendra Rosenbloom" who buys perfume from a "ten scent store," or about the "Fearless Flying Hotdogs" who are "mustered in formation / to climb, to dip, to dive." Prelutsky's comic monologues focus on such topics as "I am Tired of Being Little" or "I'm Sorry! for being a brat," or the irresistible declaration of love, "Warteena Weere Just Bit My Ear." From Twickles and Moodles to the making of Grasshopper Gumbo, the emphasis is on the preposterous. Stevenson's waggish drawings provide half the fun in this comic collection that skips lightly on the mind and tongue. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Connections
Have students create their own "Addle-pated Paddlepuss" or a Moodle without a middle and create a poem about them.
Have students write down words they did not understand and have them look them up and create a "definition drawing" where they draw the meaning of the word instead of just copying it out of the dictionary.
Have students brainstorm what the "Something BIG" was and draw it.
Have students compare & contrast poems from other Prelutsky poem books. Are they all the same, or are there differences?
Author: Jack Prelutsky
Illustrator: James Stevenson
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publication City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 1990
ISBN: 0-688-06434-5
Summary
"Something BIG Has Been Here" is a book of poems that any child will love and use for those pesky memorization grades. Poem topics range from a lady who buys perfumes with dubious scents to the title poem about a monster with very large feet. Where else can you find four vain tortoises try to beat each other in a "slow" race, a fish who can ride a bike but can't swim, an Addle-pated Paddlepuss, and a boy digging a hole in the ceiling with a spoon.
Review
Jack Preltusky's poems are entertaining and just plain fun, which is why students love them so much. They are not the type of poems where the reader has to sit down and figure out what the poet meant, they are straight forward and some even have great punchlines. Each poem does have some sort of a rhyme scheme which will make the students feel comfortable and is a great teaching tool in finding different rhyme schemes. Prelutzsky's use of big words like trepidation, mellifluous, and succulent is a wonderful learning tool for the student. It does not insult the intelligence of the student. The students are able to figure out the meaning of the word using context clues.
Each poem is illustrated by James Stevenson. The illustrations are simple sketches. Most of the time they add little to the story. In a few they actually ruin the punchline, like in "The Barber of Shrubbery Hollow". In the poem Prelutzsky talks about a barber who doesn't know why he stays open because no one frequents his shop. It isn't until the punchline that he reveals that all the men in the town are bald!But if you look at the picture, you can tell that right away.
Professional Reviews
Amazon.com
In this delightful companion to Jack Prelutsky's The New Kid on the Block, an early worm frightens the early bird, four vain and ancient tortoises race to see who can get to the finish line last, and outrageous imaginary characters such as the "Know-Nothing Neebies" ("We're perfectly pompous, / indelibly dense, / we haven't a trace / of a semblance of sense") pop up as magically as any creature from The Phantom Tollbooth or The Wizard of Oz ever did.
In "Captain Conniption," young readers will giggle to meet the self-professed "scourge of the sea." "I'm Captain Conniption, / and up to no good, / you'll soon walk the plank / if I think that you should, / I'd show you right now / how I vanquish a foe, / but I hear my mother, / so I have to go." Other subjects near and dear to children's hearts make fabulous fodder for fun, including sibling rivalry, bad table manners, meatloaf, and bats. Illustrator James Stevenson's lively line drawings capture Prelutsky's goofy poetic antics perfectly, making this collection another essential addition to any child's library. (Ages 4 to 12) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Publishers Weekly
If this anthology of light verse and black-and-white drawings from Prelutsky and Stevenson were a movie, it would be titled The New Kid on the Block Part II. In format, subject matter and tone, fans of the earlier volumes will rejoice in finding more of the same. These are not poems to savor for their metaphoric language or depth of thought, but are instead frivolous, rib-tickling verses about the "Ghost Who's Lost His Boo," about "Rhododendra Rosenbloom" who buys perfume from a "ten scent store," or about the "Fearless Flying Hotdogs" who are "mustered in formation / to climb, to dip, to dive." Prelutsky's comic monologues focus on such topics as "I am Tired of Being Little" or "I'm Sorry! for being a brat," or the irresistible declaration of love, "Warteena Weere Just Bit My Ear." From Twickles and Moodles to the making of Grasshopper Gumbo, the emphasis is on the preposterous. Stevenson's waggish drawings provide half the fun in this comic collection that skips lightly on the mind and tongue. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Connections
Have students create their own "Addle-pated Paddlepuss" or a Moodle without a middle and create a poem about them.
Have students write down words they did not understand and have them look them up and create a "definition drawing" where they draw the meaning of the word instead of just copying it out of the dictionary.
Have students brainstorm what the "Something BIG" was and draw it.
Have students compare & contrast poems from other Prelutsky poem books. Are they all the same, or are there differences?
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Fold Me A Poem
Title: Fold Me a Poem
Author: Kristine O'Connell George
Illustrator: Lauren Stringer
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc.
Publishing City: San Diego, CA
Publication Date: 2005
ISBN: 0-15-202501-4
Summary
A series of poems about a little boy who creates various Origami animals. Most of the poems are written in free verse, but the first poem, Origami, is a Haiku. Poems range from poems about folding to poems about doctoring an animal after the cat gets to it. The illustrations by Stringer add to the poetry by showing the origami characters and their surroundings.
Review
The poems are short and mostly done in free verse. The first poem, Origami, is obviously a 5-7-5 haiku. Other poems just mimic a haiku, but do not share the syllable pattern. Children will like the poems, but will enjoy Stringer's illustrations just as much, if not more. Each illustration adds to the poem by showing the actual origami animal and the little boy interacting with the paper or paper creatures. For the poem "Camel" George talks about leaning the Camel against a sand dune, and the reader sees the salt shaker "sand dune." Students will also enjoy the little boy's cat who eyes the paper creatures, and will boo the cat when he actually catches an ostrich during a "Wind Storm". The students will be relieved when the boy fixes his ostrich, and it is shown with a band-aid in later pictures. The patterned paper used in the illustrations give depth to the animals, and is appropriate for each animal. The moth is a particularly bland beige color, and the students can imagine a green dog with other doggy friends that are red, yellow, and blue.
Professional Reviews
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2–George's 32 brief poems focus on a boy as he folds a series of origami animals and imagines their thoughts and possible activities. Some of the selections exhibit a creative spark, while others tend to take their meaning from the illustrations, which are the real strength of the presentation. The vividly colored acrylics depict the boy actively engaged in play with his creations, and the details that Stringer provides infuse the verses with both energy and humor. Her illustrator's note offers insight into her own efforts to master the art of origami. No patterns or instructions are included, although a useful bibliography is appended to guide those wishing to learn the craft themselves.–Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ
From Booklist
Gr. 1-3. From morning until night, a boy spends his day folding squares of colored paper into animals. The opening poem, "Origami," follows the five-seven-five-syllable haiku form while defining the magic of the paper-folding art: "Square sheet of paper-- / folded, suddenly wakes up. / Good morning, Rooster." While many of the other poems have the terseness of haiku, they follow their own syllabic patterns. Each appears on a single page or a double-page spread along with a large-scale painting of the boy making his animals, playing with them, observing them, or, in one case, repairing them after a cat attack. In "Hungry" he comes to a realization: "All afternoon / the paper cows / have been eyeing / the green paper. Oh. / Grass!" Warm in colors and often large in scale, Stringer's acrylic paintings capture the world of the boy's imaginative play as well as the intricately folded paper figures that inspire and inhabit it. Unusual, handsome, and good for reading aloud. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Connections
Get a bunch of patterned paper and print off instructions on how to create origami animals and let the children create animals as you read the poems to them.
Discuss what Origami means and how it came to be. Look up other Japanese art and see how it is used in everyday life.
Discuss this question: Is a paper airplane origami? Why does it actually fly? Turn it into a basic physics lesson.
Author: Kristine O'Connell George
Illustrator: Lauren Stringer
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc.
Publishing City: San Diego, CA
Publication Date: 2005
ISBN: 0-15-202501-4
Summary
A series of poems about a little boy who creates various Origami animals. Most of the poems are written in free verse, but the first poem, Origami, is a Haiku. Poems range from poems about folding to poems about doctoring an animal after the cat gets to it. The illustrations by Stringer add to the poetry by showing the origami characters and their surroundings.
Review
The poems are short and mostly done in free verse. The first poem, Origami, is obviously a 5-7-5 haiku. Other poems just mimic a haiku, but do not share the syllable pattern. Children will like the poems, but will enjoy Stringer's illustrations just as much, if not more. Each illustration adds to the poem by showing the actual origami animal and the little boy interacting with the paper or paper creatures. For the poem "Camel" George talks about leaning the Camel against a sand dune, and the reader sees the salt shaker "sand dune." Students will also enjoy the little boy's cat who eyes the paper creatures, and will boo the cat when he actually catches an ostrich during a "Wind Storm". The students will be relieved when the boy fixes his ostrich, and it is shown with a band-aid in later pictures. The patterned paper used in the illustrations give depth to the animals, and is appropriate for each animal. The moth is a particularly bland beige color, and the students can imagine a green dog with other doggy friends that are red, yellow, and blue.
Professional Reviews
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2–George's 32 brief poems focus on a boy as he folds a series of origami animals and imagines their thoughts and possible activities. Some of the selections exhibit a creative spark, while others tend to take their meaning from the illustrations, which are the real strength of the presentation. The vividly colored acrylics depict the boy actively engaged in play with his creations, and the details that Stringer provides infuse the verses with both energy and humor. Her illustrator's note offers insight into her own efforts to master the art of origami. No patterns or instructions are included, although a useful bibliography is appended to guide those wishing to learn the craft themselves.–Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ
From Booklist
Gr. 1-3. From morning until night, a boy spends his day folding squares of colored paper into animals. The opening poem, "Origami," follows the five-seven-five-syllable haiku form while defining the magic of the paper-folding art: "Square sheet of paper-- / folded, suddenly wakes up. / Good morning, Rooster." While many of the other poems have the terseness of haiku, they follow their own syllabic patterns. Each appears on a single page or a double-page spread along with a large-scale painting of the boy making his animals, playing with them, observing them, or, in one case, repairing them after a cat attack. In "Hungry" he comes to a realization: "All afternoon / the paper cows / have been eyeing / the green paper. Oh. / Grass!" Warm in colors and often large in scale, Stringer's acrylic paintings capture the world of the boy's imaginative play as well as the intricately folded paper figures that inspire and inhabit it. Unusual, handsome, and good for reading aloud. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Connections
Get a bunch of patterned paper and print off instructions on how to create origami animals and let the children create animals as you read the poems to them.
Discuss what Origami means and how it came to be. Look up other Japanese art and see how it is used in everyday life.
Discuss this question: Is a paper airplane origami? Why does it actually fly? Turn it into a basic physics lesson.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Witness
Title: Witness
Author: Karen Hesse
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication City: New York, New York
Copyright: 2001
ISBN: 0-439-27199-1 (hc)
Summary
Witness, a story told in free verse poetry, takes place in a small Vermont town in 1924. Things are at an upheaval in the town. The Ku Klux Klan has come to town and it could mean disaster for 6-year-old Esther Hirsh and 12-year-old African-American Leanora Sutter. Little Esther and her doting father had recently moved to the town to live with Sara Chickering, an older woman who has never married. Esther had spent time the summer before with Chickering as a Fresh Air kid. Esther brightened the world around Chickering, but to the other townspeople she was still the little Jewish girl. Esther is a naive little girl who does not make the connection between her dead dog and the KKK.
Leanora Sutter was a talented dancer who had lost her mother the year before when her Daddy's wagon had gotten stuck in the mud and the locals refused to help. Her mothers gave Leanora her sweater, and the mom caught a bad cold she never recovered from. Leanora is world wise and know what the KKK is and is scared of them.
Johnny Reeves, a reverend, believes in the "purity" of America and protestants. He is a staunch supporter of the KKK. Merlin Van Tornhout is a racist who has an overly fond view of himself. The Pettibone's own a general store and are split on their views of the KKK. Other characters join together to try to keep the KK from their town. With unlikely help from the Vermont legislature the town gets out from under the thumb of the KKK, but not before a suicide, a shooting, and a failed attempt at poisoning a well.
Review
Witness is a hard look at a pre-depression small town in Vermont as it accepts the KKK into town and then realizes the true meaning behind the facade of the KKK. The novel is written in free verse poems by the main characters, and the seriousness of the KKK.
The words of 6-year-old Esther Hirsh are those of an innocent child who talks of "have comings" instead of visits and "having sleeps" instead of sleeping. All of the other characters, who are world weary, talk in near perfect English for the period, even 12-year-old African-American Leanora Sutter.
Witness tackles other tough topics than pure racism. The Reverend Johnny Reeves is alluded to be a pedophile, who is taken care of by the Klan despite his initial involvement. The young audience will not fully realize the reason Johnny Reeves is punished by the Klan. The inclusion is a necessary part by showing the pure hypocrisy of what the KKK was and still is. Johnny Reeves truly believed that he was better than the Jews and the "Negros" but his little "problem" exposed him as a hypocrite.
Merlin Van Tornhout deals with self-arrogance that cripples him in decision-making until the KKK reveals it's true self. When he realizes the errand the Klan sent him on was not just, he had to flee. Perhaps a student reading the novel will realize how not doing anything to prevent injustice is just as bad as taking part.
While Witness does focus on the KKK vs. the "negro"", th book does a wonderful job of highlighting the hatred of Jews at the time. One has a tendency to believe that the Jews were only persecuted in Europe, when things as brutal as murders happened in America also.
Professional Reviews
Amazon.com
It is 1924, and a small Vermont town finds itself under siege--by the Ku Klux Klan. Using free verse, Newbery Medal-winning author Karen Hesse (Out of the Dust) allows 11 unique and memorable voices to relate the story of the Klan's steady infiltration into the conscience of a small, Prohibition-era community. The Klan's "all-American" philosophy is at first embraced by several of the town's influential men, including Constable Parcelle Johnson and retailer Harvey Pettibone. But Harvey's sensible wife, Viola, and independent restaurant owner Iris Weaver suspect from the beginning that the Klan's arrival heralds trouble. As the only African Americans in town, 12-year old Leonora Sutter and her father try to escape Klan scrutiny, while 6-year-old, city-born Esther Hirsch remains blissfully unaware of the Klan's prejudice against Jews as she enjoys the Vermont countryside. And Sara Chickering, the lady farmer who has opened her home to Esther and her father, is torn between her own hidden biases and her growing love for Esther.
All, however, are galvanized towards action when a shadowy figure shoots at Esther and her father right through Sara's front door. Who would commit such an evil act? And is it too late to remove the poison that has insidiously leaked into their once tight-knit community? Part mystery, part social commentary, Hesse's historically accurate chronicle is a riveting catalyst for discussion that thoughtfully explores race and identity from every possible point of view. The free verse format and distinct characterizations also make Witness a perfect choice for library or classroom reader's theater productions. (Ages 12 and older) --Jennifer Hubert --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Publishers Weekly
The author of Out of the Dust again turns language into music in her second quietly moving novel written entirely in verse. Here, 11 narrative voices chronicle actual events occurring in a sleepy Vermont town after the arrival of the Ku Klux Klan in 1924. Those victimized by the Klan include the families of Leanora Sutter, a 12-year-old African-American girl, and Esther Hirsh, the six-year-old daughter of a Jewish shoe salesman. Rounding out the portrait of the town are community leaders (an enlightened physician, a newspaper editor who moves from neutral to anti-Klan) as well as less prominent folk shopkeepers, a Protestant minister who are swayed into joining the white supremacist group. Their chorus of hatred rings loudly at first, but is tempered by their dawning realization of the severity of the Klan's punishment to their targets as well as the more rational, compassionate strains of the Klan's opponents. Hesse offers glimpses of the world at large through references to Prohibition, the Leopold and Loeb case and a letter Leanora pens to Helen Keller. The author distinguishes the characters (whose pictures appear in the front of the book) not only by their varying opinions but also by their tone of speech. The simpler, candid language of the two youngest cast members, Leanora and Esther, effectively crystallizes their gradual loss of innocence. Easily read in one sitting, this lyrical novel powerfully records waves of change and offers insightful glimpses into the hearts of victims, their friends and their enemies. Ages 9-12.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Connections
Together with a history teacher, research the KKK during the pre-Great Depression years and during. Write poems about the experiences of the victims of KKK violence.
Research what a Fresh Air Fund is. Is it still around? Write stories/poems about the growing concerns about our environment.
Have students write essays or poetry of their thoughts after reading the book. They can illustrate first if it helps them.
Author: Karen Hesse
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication City: New York, New York
Copyright: 2001
ISBN: 0-439-27199-1 (hc)
Summary
Witness, a story told in free verse poetry, takes place in a small Vermont town in 1924. Things are at an upheaval in the town. The Ku Klux Klan has come to town and it could mean disaster for 6-year-old Esther Hirsh and 12-year-old African-American Leanora Sutter. Little Esther and her doting father had recently moved to the town to live with Sara Chickering, an older woman who has never married. Esther had spent time the summer before with Chickering as a Fresh Air kid. Esther brightened the world around Chickering, but to the other townspeople she was still the little Jewish girl. Esther is a naive little girl who does not make the connection between her dead dog and the KKK.
Leanora Sutter was a talented dancer who had lost her mother the year before when her Daddy's wagon had gotten stuck in the mud and the locals refused to help. Her mothers gave Leanora her sweater, and the mom caught a bad cold she never recovered from. Leanora is world wise and know what the KKK is and is scared of them.
Johnny Reeves, a reverend, believes in the "purity" of America and protestants. He is a staunch supporter of the KKK. Merlin Van Tornhout is a racist who has an overly fond view of himself. The Pettibone's own a general store and are split on their views of the KKK. Other characters join together to try to keep the KK from their town. With unlikely help from the Vermont legislature the town gets out from under the thumb of the KKK, but not before a suicide, a shooting, and a failed attempt at poisoning a well.
Review
Witness is a hard look at a pre-depression small town in Vermont as it accepts the KKK into town and then realizes the true meaning behind the facade of the KKK. The novel is written in free verse poems by the main characters, and the seriousness of the KKK.
The words of 6-year-old Esther Hirsh are those of an innocent child who talks of "have comings" instead of visits and "having sleeps" instead of sleeping. All of the other characters, who are world weary, talk in near perfect English for the period, even 12-year-old African-American Leanora Sutter.
Witness tackles other tough topics than pure racism. The Reverend Johnny Reeves is alluded to be a pedophile, who is taken care of by the Klan despite his initial involvement. The young audience will not fully realize the reason Johnny Reeves is punished by the Klan. The inclusion is a necessary part by showing the pure hypocrisy of what the KKK was and still is. Johnny Reeves truly believed that he was better than the Jews and the "Negros" but his little "problem" exposed him as a hypocrite.
Merlin Van Tornhout deals with self-arrogance that cripples him in decision-making until the KKK reveals it's true self. When he realizes the errand the Klan sent him on was not just, he had to flee. Perhaps a student reading the novel will realize how not doing anything to prevent injustice is just as bad as taking part.
While Witness does focus on the KKK vs. the "negro"", th book does a wonderful job of highlighting the hatred of Jews at the time. One has a tendency to believe that the Jews were only persecuted in Europe, when things as brutal as murders happened in America also.
Professional Reviews
Amazon.com
It is 1924, and a small Vermont town finds itself under siege--by the Ku Klux Klan. Using free verse, Newbery Medal-winning author Karen Hesse (Out of the Dust) allows 11 unique and memorable voices to relate the story of the Klan's steady infiltration into the conscience of a small, Prohibition-era community. The Klan's "all-American" philosophy is at first embraced by several of the town's influential men, including Constable Parcelle Johnson and retailer Harvey Pettibone. But Harvey's sensible wife, Viola, and independent restaurant owner Iris Weaver suspect from the beginning that the Klan's arrival heralds trouble. As the only African Americans in town, 12-year old Leonora Sutter and her father try to escape Klan scrutiny, while 6-year-old, city-born Esther Hirsch remains blissfully unaware of the Klan's prejudice against Jews as she enjoys the Vermont countryside. And Sara Chickering, the lady farmer who has opened her home to Esther and her father, is torn between her own hidden biases and her growing love for Esther.
All, however, are galvanized towards action when a shadowy figure shoots at Esther and her father right through Sara's front door. Who would commit such an evil act? And is it too late to remove the poison that has insidiously leaked into their once tight-knit community? Part mystery, part social commentary, Hesse's historically accurate chronicle is a riveting catalyst for discussion that thoughtfully explores race and identity from every possible point of view. The free verse format and distinct characterizations also make Witness a perfect choice for library or classroom reader's theater productions. (Ages 12 and older) --Jennifer Hubert --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Publishers Weekly
The author of Out of the Dust again turns language into music in her second quietly moving novel written entirely in verse. Here, 11 narrative voices chronicle actual events occurring in a sleepy Vermont town after the arrival of the Ku Klux Klan in 1924. Those victimized by the Klan include the families of Leanora Sutter, a 12-year-old African-American girl, and Esther Hirsh, the six-year-old daughter of a Jewish shoe salesman. Rounding out the portrait of the town are community leaders (an enlightened physician, a newspaper editor who moves from neutral to anti-Klan) as well as less prominent folk shopkeepers, a Protestant minister who are swayed into joining the white supremacist group. Their chorus of hatred rings loudly at first, but is tempered by their dawning realization of the severity of the Klan's punishment to their targets as well as the more rational, compassionate strains of the Klan's opponents. Hesse offers glimpses of the world at large through references to Prohibition, the Leopold and Loeb case and a letter Leanora pens to Helen Keller. The author distinguishes the characters (whose pictures appear in the front of the book) not only by their varying opinions but also by their tone of speech. The simpler, candid language of the two youngest cast members, Leanora and Esther, effectively crystallizes their gradual loss of innocence. Easily read in one sitting, this lyrical novel powerfully records waves of change and offers insightful glimpses into the hearts of victims, their friends and their enemies. Ages 9-12.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Connections
Together with a history teacher, research the KKK during the pre-Great Depression years and during. Write poems about the experiences of the victims of KKK violence.
Research what a Fresh Air Fund is. Is it still around? Write stories/poems about the growing concerns about our environment.
Have students write essays or poetry of their thoughts after reading the book. They can illustrate first if it helps them.
Monday, September 17, 2007
The Three Kings: A Tale from the Middle East
Name: The Three Kings: A Tale from the Middle East
Author: Eric A. Kimmel
Illustrator: Leonard Everett Fisher
Publisher: Holiday House
Published City: New York, New York
Publication date:1994
ISBN: 0-8234-1115-X
Summary
The Arab Princess is as wise as she is beautiful,but she has a problem. She needs to get married and she cannot decide between three cousins: Prince Fahad, Prince Muhammed, and Prince Moshen. She loved Prince Moshen, but he was a poor Prince with nothing to offer her. The Chief Minister did not like her decision because Moshen had nothing, so she gave him and his two cousins a chance for her hand in marriage. She gave them one year to find "the greatest wonder", and whichever cousin found it would receive her hand in marriage. The cousins started off together and then went off in three directions. A year later they returned to the place where they split off to find their wonder. Prince Muhammed had brought back a crystal ball from distant Hadramaut that he could use to see what is happening anywhere in the world. Prince Fahad brought back a flying carpet from Egypt. Prince Moshen brought back an orange from the shores of the Great Sea. The others laughed at his orange, but it was a special orange. The orange could cure any illness, even when the person was dying. While sitting togther Prince Moshen wondered aloud how the princess was doing. Together they looked into Prince Muhammed's crystal ball and found out the Princess was not well. In fact, she was dying. They all hopped on Prince Fahad's flying carpet and flew to the princess's palace. There Prince Moshen gave her his orange and she was restored. It was time to make a decision. All three wonders helped save her life, but which one would she choose? Every courtier had their opinion, but she choose Prince Moshen. While all had helped save her life, it was Prince Moshen who gave up all he had to save her.
Review
The tale of the Three Princes can be found in The Arabian Nights. The tale has all of the elements of a Disney tale: a princess who wants a poor prince, a flying carpet, a crystal ball, and a cure for any disease. The real difference in the story is that it does not transform anyone into something they are not. The princess is always wise and Prince Moshen will always be poor.
Young children will love the story of the wise princess who does not listen to the cheif priests tell her what to do, but uses solid reasoning to choose her prince. Children will be happy that she chose her poor prince who gave all he had to save the princess. Love triumphs over all, and everyone is happy at the end.
The chalk drawings add the air of mystery and enchantment to the tale. In the notes about the book, illustrator Leonard Everett Fisher tells how he wanted to recreate the essence of the Arab world. The chalk drawings on a black board have a graininess to them that reminds the reader of the desert sand that inhabits the Arab countries.
The reader only sees the face of the wise and beautiful princess when she is on her death bed. The moon in all of the pictures is a cresent, the symbol of the Muslim culture. There are shades of the royal color of purple throughout the book. The flying carpet is purple, the blankets on the Prince's camels are purple, pillows on the Princess's bed is purple, and in one of the illustrations the sky has a purple hue.
Professional Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Three cousins compete to find an object wondrous enough to win the hand of a princess--and end up saving her life. "A sprightly retelling with ambient artwork that shimmers with wisdom and magic," said PW in a starred review. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4-A wise and beautiful princess is wooed by three princes. Two are men of wealth and renown, while the third, Mohsen, possesses "little more than his handsome face, his cloak, and his camel." It is he, of course, whom she wishes to marry. To give him a chance to compete with them, she sends them all on a quest, vowing to marry the one who returns with the greatest wonder. The first finds a crystal ball; the second, a flying carpet; Mohsen, a curative orange. On their return journey, the men see tragedy in the crystal ball-the princess is dying. The carpet whisks them back to the princess, and Mohsen feeds her his orange. She is saved, but still the question remains-which prince should she marry? She chooses Mohsen because he has sacrificed his treasure for her. Storytellers familiar with Virginia Tashjian's With a Deep Sea Smile (Little, 1974; o.p.) or Harold Courlander's The King's Drum & Other African Stories (Harcourt, 1962; o.p.) will recognize this as a variant of the African story, "The Search." But where these earlier versions leave the final question unresolved, Kimmel's tale provides a satisfying conclusion. His smooth narrative is strong and direct-traditional in structure, but with a fresh, contemporary voice. Dark underpainting and dense blocks of bold color give Fisher's illustrations weight and dimension, while his dramatic use of light focuses the eye effortlessly through the pictures. A welcome addition that deserves to become a read-aloud standard.
Linda Boyles, Alachua County Library District, Gainesville, FL
Connections
Have students get in groups of three or four and have them look at other tales in 1001 Arabian Nights and turn them into Children's books. They must do extra research, and they cannot use Aladdin.
Have students continue the stories of how Prince Fahad and Prince Muhammed found other princess's to marry.
Have students brainstorm which of the three wonders they would have chosen and the many things they could have done with it. In this case, the orange can be sliced and each slice will heal.
Author: Eric A. Kimmel
Illustrator: Leonard Everett Fisher
Publisher: Holiday House
Published City: New York, New York
Publication date:1994
ISBN: 0-8234-1115-X
Summary
The Arab Princess is as wise as she is beautiful,but she has a problem. She needs to get married and she cannot decide between three cousins: Prince Fahad, Prince Muhammed, and Prince Moshen. She loved Prince Moshen, but he was a poor Prince with nothing to offer her. The Chief Minister did not like her decision because Moshen had nothing, so she gave him and his two cousins a chance for her hand in marriage. She gave them one year to find "the greatest wonder", and whichever cousin found it would receive her hand in marriage. The cousins started off together and then went off in three directions. A year later they returned to the place where they split off to find their wonder. Prince Muhammed had brought back a crystal ball from distant Hadramaut that he could use to see what is happening anywhere in the world. Prince Fahad brought back a flying carpet from Egypt. Prince Moshen brought back an orange from the shores of the Great Sea. The others laughed at his orange, but it was a special orange. The orange could cure any illness, even when the person was dying. While sitting togther Prince Moshen wondered aloud how the princess was doing. Together they looked into Prince Muhammed's crystal ball and found out the Princess was not well. In fact, she was dying. They all hopped on Prince Fahad's flying carpet and flew to the princess's palace. There Prince Moshen gave her his orange and she was restored. It was time to make a decision. All three wonders helped save her life, but which one would she choose? Every courtier had their opinion, but she choose Prince Moshen. While all had helped save her life, it was Prince Moshen who gave up all he had to save her.
Review
The tale of the Three Princes can be found in The Arabian Nights. The tale has all of the elements of a Disney tale: a princess who wants a poor prince, a flying carpet, a crystal ball, and a cure for any disease. The real difference in the story is that it does not transform anyone into something they are not. The princess is always wise and Prince Moshen will always be poor.
Young children will love the story of the wise princess who does not listen to the cheif priests tell her what to do, but uses solid reasoning to choose her prince. Children will be happy that she chose her poor prince who gave all he had to save the princess. Love triumphs over all, and everyone is happy at the end.
The chalk drawings add the air of mystery and enchantment to the tale. In the notes about the book, illustrator Leonard Everett Fisher tells how he wanted to recreate the essence of the Arab world. The chalk drawings on a black board have a graininess to them that reminds the reader of the desert sand that inhabits the Arab countries.
The reader only sees the face of the wise and beautiful princess when she is on her death bed. The moon in all of the pictures is a cresent, the symbol of the Muslim culture. There are shades of the royal color of purple throughout the book. The flying carpet is purple, the blankets on the Prince's camels are purple, pillows on the Princess's bed is purple, and in one of the illustrations the sky has a purple hue.
Professional Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Three cousins compete to find an object wondrous enough to win the hand of a princess--and end up saving her life. "A sprightly retelling with ambient artwork that shimmers with wisdom and magic," said PW in a starred review. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4-A wise and beautiful princess is wooed by three princes. Two are men of wealth and renown, while the third, Mohsen, possesses "little more than his handsome face, his cloak, and his camel." It is he, of course, whom she wishes to marry. To give him a chance to compete with them, she sends them all on a quest, vowing to marry the one who returns with the greatest wonder. The first finds a crystal ball; the second, a flying carpet; Mohsen, a curative orange. On their return journey, the men see tragedy in the crystal ball-the princess is dying. The carpet whisks them back to the princess, and Mohsen feeds her his orange. She is saved, but still the question remains-which prince should she marry? She chooses Mohsen because he has sacrificed his treasure for her. Storytellers familiar with Virginia Tashjian's With a Deep Sea Smile (Little, 1974; o.p.) or Harold Courlander's The King's Drum & Other African Stories (Harcourt, 1962; o.p.) will recognize this as a variant of the African story, "The Search." But where these earlier versions leave the final question unresolved, Kimmel's tale provides a satisfying conclusion. His smooth narrative is strong and direct-traditional in structure, but with a fresh, contemporary voice. Dark underpainting and dense blocks of bold color give Fisher's illustrations weight and dimension, while his dramatic use of light focuses the eye effortlessly through the pictures. A welcome addition that deserves to become a read-aloud standard.
Linda Boyles, Alachua County Library District, Gainesville, FL
Connections
Have students get in groups of three or four and have them look at other tales in 1001 Arabian Nights and turn them into Children's books. They must do extra research, and they cannot use Aladdin.
Have students continue the stories of how Prince Fahad and Prince Muhammed found other princess's to marry.
Have students brainstorm which of the three wonders they would have chosen and the many things they could have done with it. In this case, the orange can be sliced and each slice will heal.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Cinderella the Dog and Her Little Glass Slipper
Name: Cinderella the Dog and Her Little Glass Slipper
Author & Ilustrator: Diane Goode
Publisher: The Blue Sky Press
Publishing City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 2000
ISBN:0-439-07166-6
Summary
In this telling of the Cinderella story, Cinderella is a dog who looks like a little spaniel. Cinderella's father has married a well-bred lady, who thinks of only herself and her two daughters. Cinderella is a nice dog, so she does everything for her stepmother and stepsisters. She does not tell her father because her father is afraid of his new wife. Not once does Cinderella complain even when her stepsisters are getting ready for the Prince's ball and ridicule her. Cinderella even mentions that a ball is not a place for her to go. When Cinderella cries after her sisters have left, her fairy godmother appears and wisks her up a carraige, horses, footmen, and a ballgown complete with little glass slippers. The story twists here from the original, Cinderella has to attend TWO balls before the leaves her glass slipper behind.
Review
One of a few Cinderella adaptations that features dogs, Cinderella the Dog and Her Little Glass Slipper offers a little twist to the traditional tale. Diane Goode uses almost every breed of dog to tell the story of Cinderella. Cinderella is a loyal spaniel while the step-sisters and step-mother look like the meaner breed of pit-bulls. The Prince is a charming Jack Russell Terrier, and the fairy godmother is a cute little brown & tan mutt with a pink tutu.
Cinderella's father is still living, but is so afraid of his wife he does nothing to help his daughter. He lets his wife and step-daughetrs take all the room in his house, leaving poor Cinderella living in ashes. In this day and age it is hard to imagine a girl not eventually standing up for herself or having such a noble heart that she doesn't evenmention her suffereing to her father. But when the invitation comes for the Prince's ball, she doesn't even question if she should go.
In the other Cinderella stories the Prince has only one ball, but this version the Prince holds two balls. One wonders how the stepsisters did not recognize Cinderella twice. The tale is a feel-good version. Once the sisters find out Cinderlla is the mysterious princess they begged for her forgiveness which the noble Cinderella gave with no thought.
The illustrations of the dog characters are lively despite the use of the pastel colors. Dogs inhabit all of the architecture and some of the dresses. For example, the gargoyles are dogs and inside the castle are bas-reliefs of other dogs. Cinderella's gown has a wolf chasing bunnies, her wedding dress has paw prints, and so do the step-sisters bridesmaids dresses.
Professional Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
As she did in The Dinosaur's New Clothes, Goode gives a familiar fairy tale an unexpected cast, this time introducing a pack of canines with a good-natured spaniel as the title character. The author interjects some witty wordplay (Cinderella's stepmother is a "well-bred" lady; and one of her mangy stepsisters scoffs, "Everyone would laugh to see such a dirty dog at the ball"), but it is the art that throws youngsters the juicier bone. Silly images abound: the nasty stepsisters, dressed in their finery with powdered wigs towering above their ears, primp for the ball; Cinderella's fairy godmother, a winged dog wearing a pink tutu, hovers above the ground; and the tongues of canine revelers hang out literally as the transformed beauty enters the royal ballroom. Goode works dog motifs into her luminous paintings with amusing frequency (dogs are featured on furniture and wall moldings, as weathervanes and statues and a paw-print pattern decorates Cinderella's wedding dress). This imposing heroine and the much smaller prince, a Jack Russell terrier, make quite the fetching couple as they celebrate their wedding at the tail end of this waggish volume. Ages 4-up. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 4-Goode, who cast dinosaurs in Hans Christian Andersen's "The Emperor's New Clothes," now makes dogs the actors in this version of "Cinderella." Though she does not acknowledge her source, her shortened, colloquial retelling follows Marcia Brown's free translation of Charles Perrault's story (Scribner, 1971). Dogs dressed as 18th-century French courtiers provide boundless opportunities for verbal and visual jokes. For example, the bodice of one stepsister's ball gown fastens with bones, while bones decorate her extravagant wig. She mocks Cinderella by saying, "Everyone would laugh to see such a dirty dog at the ball." The scenes of the gala feature a wild assortment of breeds, as well as an elegant wolf couple. The prince, looking adoring as only a canine can, is half Cinderella's height, not counting her wig. Goode dresses the animals in pretty pastel colors and displays them against buff stone architecture, carved with dogs in bas-relief. Librarians who enjoy the humor of dressed-up animals as human surrogates may relish the silliness and informality of this story, an irreverent contrast to the standard version. Traditionalists may find it all a bit arch and tedious, and will prefer Brown's classic for storyhour. Collection builders may want to add it to meet demands for comparative retellings of the famous tale.
Margaret A. Chang, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Connections
Have Students write their own versions of Cinderella.
Have students choose a different animal and tell the Cinderella story using that animal and have them illustrate it.
Compare & Contrast this feel-good version of Cinderella with the original Grimm Fairy Tale. Have the students rate which one they like best and give reasons.
Author & Ilustrator: Diane Goode
Publisher: The Blue Sky Press
Publishing City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 2000
ISBN:0-439-07166-6
Summary
In this telling of the Cinderella story, Cinderella is a dog who looks like a little spaniel. Cinderella's father has married a well-bred lady, who thinks of only herself and her two daughters. Cinderella is a nice dog, so she does everything for her stepmother and stepsisters. She does not tell her father because her father is afraid of his new wife. Not once does Cinderella complain even when her stepsisters are getting ready for the Prince's ball and ridicule her. Cinderella even mentions that a ball is not a place for her to go. When Cinderella cries after her sisters have left, her fairy godmother appears and wisks her up a carraige, horses, footmen, and a ballgown complete with little glass slippers. The story twists here from the original, Cinderella has to attend TWO balls before the leaves her glass slipper behind.
Review
One of a few Cinderella adaptations that features dogs, Cinderella the Dog and Her Little Glass Slipper offers a little twist to the traditional tale. Diane Goode uses almost every breed of dog to tell the story of Cinderella. Cinderella is a loyal spaniel while the step-sisters and step-mother look like the meaner breed of pit-bulls. The Prince is a charming Jack Russell Terrier, and the fairy godmother is a cute little brown & tan mutt with a pink tutu.
Cinderella's father is still living, but is so afraid of his wife he does nothing to help his daughter. He lets his wife and step-daughetrs take all the room in his house, leaving poor Cinderella living in ashes. In this day and age it is hard to imagine a girl not eventually standing up for herself or having such a noble heart that she doesn't evenmention her suffereing to her father. But when the invitation comes for the Prince's ball, she doesn't even question if she should go.
In the other Cinderella stories the Prince has only one ball, but this version the Prince holds two balls. One wonders how the stepsisters did not recognize Cinderella twice. The tale is a feel-good version. Once the sisters find out Cinderlla is the mysterious princess they begged for her forgiveness which the noble Cinderella gave with no thought.
The illustrations of the dog characters are lively despite the use of the pastel colors. Dogs inhabit all of the architecture and some of the dresses. For example, the gargoyles are dogs and inside the castle are bas-reliefs of other dogs. Cinderella's gown has a wolf chasing bunnies, her wedding dress has paw prints, and so do the step-sisters bridesmaids dresses.
Professional Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
As she did in The Dinosaur's New Clothes, Goode gives a familiar fairy tale an unexpected cast, this time introducing a pack of canines with a good-natured spaniel as the title character. The author interjects some witty wordplay (Cinderella's stepmother is a "well-bred" lady; and one of her mangy stepsisters scoffs, "Everyone would laugh to see such a dirty dog at the ball"), but it is the art that throws youngsters the juicier bone. Silly images abound: the nasty stepsisters, dressed in their finery with powdered wigs towering above their ears, primp for the ball; Cinderella's fairy godmother, a winged dog wearing a pink tutu, hovers above the ground; and the tongues of canine revelers hang out literally as the transformed beauty enters the royal ballroom. Goode works dog motifs into her luminous paintings with amusing frequency (dogs are featured on furniture and wall moldings, as weathervanes and statues and a paw-print pattern decorates Cinderella's wedding dress). This imposing heroine and the much smaller prince, a Jack Russell terrier, make quite the fetching couple as they celebrate their wedding at the tail end of this waggish volume. Ages 4-up. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 4-Goode, who cast dinosaurs in Hans Christian Andersen's "The Emperor's New Clothes," now makes dogs the actors in this version of "Cinderella." Though she does not acknowledge her source, her shortened, colloquial retelling follows Marcia Brown's free translation of Charles Perrault's story (Scribner, 1971). Dogs dressed as 18th-century French courtiers provide boundless opportunities for verbal and visual jokes. For example, the bodice of one stepsister's ball gown fastens with bones, while bones decorate her extravagant wig. She mocks Cinderella by saying, "Everyone would laugh to see such a dirty dog at the ball." The scenes of the gala feature a wild assortment of breeds, as well as an elegant wolf couple. The prince, looking adoring as only a canine can, is half Cinderella's height, not counting her wig. Goode dresses the animals in pretty pastel colors and displays them against buff stone architecture, carved with dogs in bas-relief. Librarians who enjoy the humor of dressed-up animals as human surrogates may relish the silliness and informality of this story, an irreverent contrast to the standard version. Traditionalists may find it all a bit arch and tedious, and will prefer Brown's classic for storyhour. Collection builders may want to add it to meet demands for comparative retellings of the famous tale.
Margaret A. Chang, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Connections
Have Students write their own versions of Cinderella.
Have students choose a different animal and tell the Cinderella story using that animal and have them illustrate it.
Compare & Contrast this feel-good version of Cinderella with the original Grimm Fairy Tale. Have the students rate which one they like best and give reasons.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters, and Other Wily Characters
Name: Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters, and Other Wily Characters
Author: Patricia C. McKissack
Illustrator: Andre Carrilho
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books
Publisher City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 2006
ISBN:0-375-83619-5
Summary
Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters, and Other Wily Characters is a collection of tales Porch lies are tales of humor and exaggeration told to listeners of all ages gathered together on the porch, according to McKissack. Stories involved in this bunch of Porch Lies are a face-to-face encounter with the King of the Ghosts, an encounter where an old grandmother out tricks Jesse James, and the state fair where the granddaddy of all lies is told by saying "not much of nothing."
The reader learns how Cake Norris has died at least 27 times, but somehow is still walking around Earth. Each tale will leave the reader laughing, even the creepy "Earth Bone and King of the Ghosts."
Review
Porch Lies is a compilations of stories based on what author Patricia McKissack heard on the front porch of her grandmother's house. McKissack added her own character names and expanded the outlandishness of the tales.
Each character telling the story is a bit of a stereotype, but in a good way. They are great storytellers who enthral the reader, and they are willing to bend the truth of the story for a great laugh or for spine-tingling effects. Most stories take place in the depression years in the South. Few white people enter into the stories, but they tend to be rich,older ladies, Klansmen, or former slave owners. In "Aunt Gran and The Outlaws" Frank and Jesse James enter the tales for a white version of the "slickster" tales.
Each tale starts off with a little bit of background about the tale. The background information is written in italics to set it off from the rest of the tale. Sometimes the background is just as funny as the story, like in "Change." The storyteller is normally an older person telling a story of their youth. Each tale is also dedicated to a person or people who have somehow inspired the story, or have told the story before.
"A Grave Situation" is a story about a rich, older white woman and her African-American driver. It has shades of "Driving Miss Daisy." The story is told from the viewpoint of a 10-year-old servant girl who had the utmost faith in the slickster character. Mis. Crickett Thompson had a driver named Lincoln "Link" Murphy who was a known slickster or "sneasal". Link walks a fine line between right and wrong, and Mis. Cricket lets him get away with his shenanigans. When Mis. Crickett dies her requests were promptly denied by her lawyer, and it is Link who comes to save the day. The story reads well, and any school teacher or Librarian should read this story aloud to their classes. The reader is sucked into the tale wondering just what Link is going to do next. The naivete of the young Beatrice Perriman is refreshing and elementary students will identify with her ability to see the good in Link Murphy.
Carrilho's illustrations are perfect for the African-America tales. The starkness of the black and white illustrations mirrors the oldness of the tales. One would believe they are looking at an old black and white television set as they read.
Professional Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 5 Up–These 10 literate stories make for great leisure listening and knowing chuckles. Pete Bruce flatters a baker out of a coconut cream pie and a quart of milk; Mingo may or may not have anything smaller than a 100-dollar bill to pay his bills; Frank and Jesse James, or the Howard boys, help an old woman against the KKK-ish Knights of the White Gardenia; and Cake Norris wakes up dead one day–again. Carrilhos eerie black-and-white illustrations, dramatically off-balance, lit by moonlight, and elongated like nightmares, are well-matched with the stories. The tales are variously narrated by boys and girls, even though the authors preface seems to set readers up for a single, female narrator in the persona of McKissack herself. They contain the essence of truth but are fiction from beginning to end, an amalgam of old stories, characters, jokes, setups, and motifs. As such, they have no provenance. Still, it would have helped readers unfamiliar with African-American history to have an authors note helping separate the truth of these lies that allude to Depression-era African-American and Southern traditions. That aside, they're great fun to read aloud and the tricksters, sharpies, slicksters, and outlaws wink knowingly at the child narrators, and at us foolish humans.–Susan Hepler, formerly at Burgundy Farm Country Day School, Alexandria, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Gr. 3-5. Like McKissack's award-winning The Dark Thirty (1992), the nine original tales in this uproarious collection draw on African American oral tradition and blend history and legend with sly humor, creepy horror, villainous characters, and wild farce. McKissack based the stories on those she heard as a child while sitting on her grandparents' porch; now she is passing them on to her grandchildren. Without using dialect, her intimate folk idiom celebrates the storytelling among friends, neighbors, and family as much as the stories themselves. "Some folk believe the story; some don't. You decide for yourself." Is the weaselly gravedigger going to steal a corpse's jewelry, or does he know the woman is really still alive? Can bespectacled Aunt Gran outwit the notorious outlaw Jesse James? In black and white, Carrilho's full-page illustrations--part cartoon, part portrait in silhouette--combine realistic characters with scary monsters. History is always in the background (runaway slaves, segregation cruelty, white-robed Klansmen), and in surprising twists and turns that are true to trickster tradition, the weak and exploited beat powerful oppressors with the best lies ever told. Great for sharing, on the porch and in the classroom. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Connections
Students can write their own Porch Lies.
Have students look up Porch Lies in other literature and compare the story-telling styles.
Students can research Frank & Jesse James and Web Hollow to see if there is a grain of truth in the story "Aunt Gran and the Outlaws."
Author: Patricia C. McKissack
Illustrator: Andre Carrilho
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books
Publisher City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 2006
ISBN:0-375-83619-5
Summary
Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters, and Other Wily Characters is a collection of tales Porch lies are tales of humor and exaggeration told to listeners of all ages gathered together on the porch, according to McKissack. Stories involved in this bunch of Porch Lies are a face-to-face encounter with the King of the Ghosts, an encounter where an old grandmother out tricks Jesse James, and the state fair where the granddaddy of all lies is told by saying "not much of nothing."
The reader learns how Cake Norris has died at least 27 times, but somehow is still walking around Earth. Each tale will leave the reader laughing, even the creepy "Earth Bone and King of the Ghosts."
Review
Porch Lies is a compilations of stories based on what author Patricia McKissack heard on the front porch of her grandmother's house. McKissack added her own character names and expanded the outlandishness of the tales.
Each character telling the story is a bit of a stereotype, but in a good way. They are great storytellers who enthral the reader, and they are willing to bend the truth of the story for a great laugh or for spine-tingling effects. Most stories take place in the depression years in the South. Few white people enter into the stories, but they tend to be rich,older ladies, Klansmen, or former slave owners. In "Aunt Gran and The Outlaws" Frank and Jesse James enter the tales for a white version of the "slickster" tales.
Each tale starts off with a little bit of background about the tale. The background information is written in italics to set it off from the rest of the tale. Sometimes the background is just as funny as the story, like in "Change." The storyteller is normally an older person telling a story of their youth. Each tale is also dedicated to a person or people who have somehow inspired the story, or have told the story before.
"A Grave Situation" is a story about a rich, older white woman and her African-American driver. It has shades of "Driving Miss Daisy." The story is told from the viewpoint of a 10-year-old servant girl who had the utmost faith in the slickster character. Mis. Crickett Thompson had a driver named Lincoln "Link" Murphy who was a known slickster or "sneasal". Link walks a fine line between right and wrong, and Mis. Cricket lets him get away with his shenanigans. When Mis. Crickett dies her requests were promptly denied by her lawyer, and it is Link who comes to save the day. The story reads well, and any school teacher or Librarian should read this story aloud to their classes. The reader is sucked into the tale wondering just what Link is going to do next. The naivete of the young Beatrice Perriman is refreshing and elementary students will identify with her ability to see the good in Link Murphy.
Carrilho's illustrations are perfect for the African-America tales. The starkness of the black and white illustrations mirrors the oldness of the tales. One would believe they are looking at an old black and white television set as they read.
Professional Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 5 Up–These 10 literate stories make for great leisure listening and knowing chuckles. Pete Bruce flatters a baker out of a coconut cream pie and a quart of milk; Mingo may or may not have anything smaller than a 100-dollar bill to pay his bills; Frank and Jesse James, or the Howard boys, help an old woman against the KKK-ish Knights of the White Gardenia; and Cake Norris wakes up dead one day–again. Carrilhos eerie black-and-white illustrations, dramatically off-balance, lit by moonlight, and elongated like nightmares, are well-matched with the stories. The tales are variously narrated by boys and girls, even though the authors preface seems to set readers up for a single, female narrator in the persona of McKissack herself. They contain the essence of truth but are fiction from beginning to end, an amalgam of old stories, characters, jokes, setups, and motifs. As such, they have no provenance. Still, it would have helped readers unfamiliar with African-American history to have an authors note helping separate the truth of these lies that allude to Depression-era African-American and Southern traditions. That aside, they're great fun to read aloud and the tricksters, sharpies, slicksters, and outlaws wink knowingly at the child narrators, and at us foolish humans.–Susan Hepler, formerly at Burgundy Farm Country Day School, Alexandria, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Gr. 3-5. Like McKissack's award-winning The Dark Thirty (1992), the nine original tales in this uproarious collection draw on African American oral tradition and blend history and legend with sly humor, creepy horror, villainous characters, and wild farce. McKissack based the stories on those she heard as a child while sitting on her grandparents' porch; now she is passing them on to her grandchildren. Without using dialect, her intimate folk idiom celebrates the storytelling among friends, neighbors, and family as much as the stories themselves. "Some folk believe the story; some don't. You decide for yourself." Is the weaselly gravedigger going to steal a corpse's jewelry, or does he know the woman is really still alive? Can bespectacled Aunt Gran outwit the notorious outlaw Jesse James? In black and white, Carrilho's full-page illustrations--part cartoon, part portrait in silhouette--combine realistic characters with scary monsters. History is always in the background (runaway slaves, segregation cruelty, white-robed Klansmen), and in surprising twists and turns that are true to trickster tradition, the weak and exploited beat powerful oppressors with the best lies ever told. Great for sharing, on the porch and in the classroom. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Connections
Students can write their own Porch Lies.
Have students look up Porch Lies in other literature and compare the story-telling styles.
Students can research Frank & Jesse James and Web Hollow to see if there is a grain of truth in the story "Aunt Gran and the Outlaws."
Friday, September 7, 2007
A Caldecott Celebration: Six Artist and Their Paths to the Caldecott Medal
Title: A Caldecott Celebration: Six Artist and Their Paths to the Caldecott Medal
Author: Leonard S. Marcus
Publisher: Walker & Co.
Publication City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 1988
ISBNs: 0-8027-8656-1; 0-8027-8658-8(reinforced)
Summary
The Caldecott Medal celebrated 60 years in 1988, and as a tribute to the medal, Leonard S. Marcus chose one book from each decade as a highlight of the decade. The chosen books in order are: Make Way For Ducklings by Robery McCloskey, Cinderella; ot, THe LIttle Glass Slipper adapted by Marcia Brown, Where the Wild Things are by Maurice Sendak, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig, Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg, and Tuesday by David Wiesner. Each illustrator gives insight into how they chose the books storyline-or setting in Wiesner's case. The illustrators/authors go into some detail as to how they drew their illustrations, and why they chose the specific medium to portray their ideas.
Review
As the 70th year of Caldecott approaches, it will be interesting to see if there is an update to this book. For a fan of children's books, and for someone who likes to know the behind-the-scenes story of the story, then they will enjoy this book. Marcus makes the assumption that the reader has read each book and is familiar with the plots. The sketches provided to show beginnings of illustrations is a nice touch, and it is noticably lacking in the 1970s choice, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. It makes the reader wonder why Marcus chose that particular book. "A Caldecott Celebration: is written at an appropriate level for a child who needs to write a book report on awards, illustrators, or children's books. The writing assumes the young reader can handle phrases like "stuffy mythological scenes" and "bloodcurdling rendition."
Professional Reviews
From Publishers Weekly:
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. He has chosen one book from each decade, "so that viewed together, the six offer an informal cross section through time of the American picture book": Robert McCloskey's Make Way for Ducklings, Marcia Brown's Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper, Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are, William Steig's Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, Chris Van Allsburg's Jumanji and David Wiesner's Tuesday. With a generous sprinkling of the artists' own words and sometimes those of his or her editor, Marcus chronicles the inspiration behind these works, the creative process, the artists' reactions to winning the prestigious award and its effect on their careers. He fills the volume with the kinds of details children relish: McCloskey once shared his Greenwich Village digs with 16 ducks and Steig does black-and-white drawings first, then fills in each color one by one throughout the book. Encouraging readers to see each picture book through the artist's eyes, Marcus shows Brown's compositional studies, explains how Van Allsburg chose from which perspective to view the coiled python in the living room and how Sendak decided "that the illustrations leading up to the rumpus would get larger and larger, as Max's emotions pushed out the words." He traces the evolution of the illustrations for Tuesday from Wiesner's first quick sketches, when the idea occurred to him on a jet plane. With Marcus's sure hand guiding this tour, readers will find cause for celebration. All ages.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Connections
Students will choose a book from the past decade (1998-present) and add a chapter on to "A Caldecott Celebration."
Students will compare and contrast the winner with the honors books and use their judgement on whether or not the committee made the correction decision.
Author: Leonard S. Marcus
Publisher: Walker & Co.
Publication City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 1988
ISBNs: 0-8027-8656-1; 0-8027-8658-8(reinforced)
Summary
The Caldecott Medal celebrated 60 years in 1988, and as a tribute to the medal, Leonard S. Marcus chose one book from each decade as a highlight of the decade. The chosen books in order are: Make Way For Ducklings by Robery McCloskey, Cinderella; ot, THe LIttle Glass Slipper adapted by Marcia Brown, Where the Wild Things are by Maurice Sendak, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig, Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg, and Tuesday by David Wiesner. Each illustrator gives insight into how they chose the books storyline-or setting in Wiesner's case. The illustrators/authors go into some detail as to how they drew their illustrations, and why they chose the specific medium to portray their ideas.
Review
As the 70th year of Caldecott approaches, it will be interesting to see if there is an update to this book. For a fan of children's books, and for someone who likes to know the behind-the-scenes story of the story, then they will enjoy this book. Marcus makes the assumption that the reader has read each book and is familiar with the plots. The sketches provided to show beginnings of illustrations is a nice touch, and it is noticably lacking in the 1970s choice, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. It makes the reader wonder why Marcus chose that particular book. "A Caldecott Celebration: is written at an appropriate level for a child who needs to write a book report on awards, illustrators, or children's books. The writing assumes the young reader can handle phrases like "stuffy mythological scenes" and "bloodcurdling rendition."
Professional Reviews
From Publishers Weekly:
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. He has chosen one book from each decade, "so that viewed together, the six offer an informal cross section through time of the American picture book": Robert McCloskey's Make Way for Ducklings, Marcia Brown's Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper, Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are, William Steig's Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, Chris Van Allsburg's Jumanji and David Wiesner's Tuesday. With a generous sprinkling of the artists' own words and sometimes those of his or her editor, Marcus chronicles the inspiration behind these works, the creative process, the artists' reactions to winning the prestigious award and its effect on their careers. He fills the volume with the kinds of details children relish: McCloskey once shared his Greenwich Village digs with 16 ducks and Steig does black-and-white drawings first, then fills in each color one by one throughout the book. Encouraging readers to see each picture book through the artist's eyes, Marcus shows Brown's compositional studies, explains how Van Allsburg chose from which perspective to view the coiled python in the living room and how Sendak decided "that the illustrations leading up to the rumpus would get larger and larger, as Max's emotions pushed out the words." He traces the evolution of the illustrations for Tuesday from Wiesner's first quick sketches, when the idea occurred to him on a jet plane. With Marcus's sure hand guiding this tour, readers will find cause for celebration. All ages.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Connections
Students will choose a book from the past decade (1998-present) and add a chapter on to "A Caldecott Celebration."
Students will compare and contrast the winner with the honors books and use their judgement on whether or not the committee made the correction decision.
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