YOUTH LIT. REVIEWS

(This blog site was originally created for a Texas Woman's University graduate course assignment.)

Book Review For THIS IS NOT MY HAT

Book Review For:

 

Klassen, Jon. 2012. THIS IS NOT MY HAT. Ill. by Jon Klassen. Somerville: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763655990

            A small fish informs readers that he stole a hat from a big fish and, basically, that he’s going to get away with it. Through subtle hints in the illustrations, readers learn that the big fish is on to the little fish and is following him despite what the small fish is saying. Tension is created by the image of a crab pointing out to the big fish where the little fish went. The climax reaches its peak when readers see the big fish’s tail fin going into the tall plants where the little fish is hiding. Will the little fish be able to hide from the big fish? Will he really get away with this crime?

            THIS IS NOT MY HAT takes place in deep, dark waters, and as the reader reads to the right, the fish swim along in the same direction. The untraditional, mostly black pages of the book capture the readers’ attention as trailing bubbles and swaying grasses help to indicate movement and a gentle pace to the story. The elongated rectangle shape of the book and pages adds to this horizontal movement effect.

            Jon Klassen’s illustrations reveal more to the reader than the words. In fact, it is with great amusement that readers discover that the little fish is only saying what he wants to believe and not what is actually happening. For instance, despite the little fish saying that the big fish won’t notice his hat is gone, readers see the direction and shape of the big fish’s eyes and know that he does indeed notice the absence of his hat and that he isn’t too happy about it. The size difference between the two fish escalates the tension and establishes the possibility of danger for the little fish. After the reader sees the big fish’s tail fin going into the tall plants where the little fish is hiding and the climax is reached, the next two pages reveal nothing but the tall plants, leaving the readers to wonder what is happening and lengthening the suspense. These crucial details do not go unnoticed, such as the presence or absence of the hat on the big fish’s head.

            THIS IS NOT MY HAT contains the universal truth that it’s dangerous for someone to pick on someone else bigger than him/herself, and the theme is cleverly conveyed. If a person steals something, they are likely to get caught.

            After sharing this artwork/story, which has won the Caldecott Medal in 2013 and has become the 2013 New York Times Bestseller, with young children, I might ask them to write about what happened in the tall grasses that we couldn’t see, and the moral implications of stealing could be discussed. I might also ask them to create an additional scene to the ending or to construct a new hat for the little fish.

Book Review For DON'T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS!

Book Review For:

 

Willems, Mo. 2003. DON’T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS!. Ill. by Mo Willems.
            New York: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN078681988X

            This funny picture book starts off with a bus driver giving readers parting instructions not to let the pigeon drive the bus. The pigeon then repeatedly tries to convince readers to abandon those instructions and let him drive, and there’s no telling what this pigeon will do next to get his way! Will he find a way to actually drive the bus? Will he convince readers to let him? Read it to find out!

            Mo Willems has expertly created a picture book that practically begs to be read out loud to young children who like to say “no”. The two characters are quite believable, with the bus driver being an authority figurehead and the pigeon acting like a persistent, determined child. The style of the driver’s uniform and the bus is a 1950’s style, and the passage of time is broken into three sections: before the driver leaves, when he is gone, and when he returns. Willem also uses multiple scenes, each on its own square, on two pages to indicate a more rapid passage of time. (This is when the pigeon is getting wound up and directing various ploys at the reader to let him drive.)

 

            The simple illustrations contribute to the casualness, the safe atmosphere, and keeping the focus on the driver, the bus, and the pigeon. By placing multiple scenes on one page, Willems increases the story’s pace and brings readers to the climax that is portrayed by bigger, messier drawings of the pigeon throwing a tantrum with feathers flying. The exhibition of the pigeon having a tantrum in public is a cultural marker, as is the American 1950’s style of the driver’s clothes and bus.

 

            The text in this book is almost like it was written in pencil, also giving the story a casual mood that lets readers feel comfortable with responding verbally, and the way that Willems’s characters talk directly to the readers is unique, also inviting active participation. Through this banter, children inadvertently pick up on the theme, which is not to let someone talk you into doing something you know isn’t right.

            DON’T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS! is a 2004 Caldecott Honor book and a New York Times Bestseller. Additionally, a School Library Journal review claimed that “the genius of this book is that the very young will actually recognize themselves in it” (Ratterrree, 132). Furthermore, adults and children ages three and up get a big smile on their faces while listening to this entertaining story.

 

            Caution: children may want to read other books with Mo Willems’s pigeon like THE PIGEON FINDS A HOT DOG!, DON’T LET THE PIGEON STAY UP LATE!, THE PIGEON WANTS A PUPPY!, and THE PIGEON HAS FEELINGS, TOO!. Enjoy!

 

REFERENCES

Ratterree, Dona. 2003. "Review of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!" SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL 114 (49.5): 132.

Book Review For SYLVESTER AND THE MAGIC PEBBLE

Book Review Of:

Steig, William. 1969. SYLVESTER AND THE MAGIC PEBBLE. Ill. by William Steig. New York: Simon & Schuster Inc. ISBN 067166154X

            The main character in this classic story is a donkey named Sylvester. While out walking he comes across a magical red pebble that grants wishes. Unexpectedly, a lion comes along, making Sylvester panic and make an unfortunate wish. Sylvester is then caught in a pickle and is separated from his parents for some time. Will they be reunited again, or are they destined to remain lost to each other forever? Through Sylvester’s adventures, children can understand the underlying themes that one must be careful what they wish for and that to be with one’s loving family is the best and only gift one truly needs.

            In SYLVESTER AND THE MAGIC PEBBLE, William Steig has artfully crafted a delightful story. The family is a traditional, devoted family as one can see illustrated on the first page. The father is present, contentedly reading the newspaper, the mother is cleaning the house, and Sylvester is studying his rock collection. Steig’s personal style of storytelling is indicated partly by the flow of multiple sentences on a page, which the reader follows in a steady pace. A change of pace and (therefore) emphasis are created by the existence of only one or two sentences on a page.

            The setting is mostly outdoors in a rural area, with some scenes of cozy homes and buildings. The passing of time is portrayed through illustrations of the passing seasonal weather, by the daytime, and by a night scene filled with stars and shadows.

            The bold watercolor illustrations compliment the story skillfully, as is evident in the sun’s rays shooting outward when the characters are happy and the contrast between the parents’ sad expressions and the usually delightful spring weather and picnic activity. Culture is revealed through the characters’ conservative, American, 1960-ish attire.

 

            Some adult readers may take offense to the mother working around the house while the father sits idly or to the policemen who are pigs; however, when one considers the time period that this book is written, these things might be overlooked. Either way, these issues are over the heads of the young age group this book was intended for.

            Professional praise for this picture book is astounding. Steig won the Caldecott Medal for SYLVESTER AND THE MAGIC PEBBLE in 1970, and in describing Steig, the New York Times Book Review claimed that “everything he does is magic” (Book Verdict).

            After sharing this story with children, I would suggest using it to practice finding contextual clues to discover what types of feelings the various characters exhibit and segueing into another book called: WISH: WISHING TRADITIONS AROUND THE WORLD by Roseanne Thong.

 

REFERENCES

 

"Book Verdict: Expert Reviews of Print & Media." Bookverdict.com., last modified April 1, 2010, accessed September 9, 2013, http://bookverdict.com/details.xqy?uri=Product-261698.xml.

Traditional Literature: True Story

Book Review For:

 

THE TRUE STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS! Retold by Jon Scieszka. New York: Viking Kestrel, 1989. ISBN 9780670827596

            Children who are already familiar with THE THREE LITTLE PIGS tale will have their brains thinking in a totally different pattern with this tale which is refreshingly told from the wolf’s point of view. The book cover illustration shows A. Wolf’s picture on the front page of a newspaper being held in a pig’s hoof. In this picture, the fact that he is wearing a distinguished, domestic suit and bow tie gets the reader wondering if he might possibly be a good guy. The illustrations throughout the story, however, remain mostly dark, indicating his dark nature, perhaps?

            The wolf starts off presenting his case that he’s really not bad, he just has allergy problems (hence the huffing or sneezing) and needed a cup of sugar for his “dear sweet old granny’s birthday cake” (hence a motive for being at the scene of the crime). One illustration depicts bunny ears sticking up out of the cake mix, which reminds the readers of his natural eating habits and that he’s not so innocent.

            At the first pig’s house of straw, he claims the door merely fell in when he knocked on it, and when no one responded, he was going to head on home. Then he sneezed, accidentally killing the first little pig. (All the illustrations show of the dead pig is a rounded rump sticking up from the dirt, and the wolf is in the distance observing the scene with a hanky!) The wolf says he hated “to leave a perfectly good ham dinner lying there”, so he ate it.

            At the second pig’s house of sticks, the scenario repeats, naturally.

            Still without a cup of sugar, the wolf heads to the third little pig’s house made of bricks and knocks on the solid fortress’s door. According to the wolf, this little pig was very rude, telling him to leave and not bother him. The wolf’s allergies caused him to start sneezing, and the pig hollered that his “old granny can sit on a pin!” This infuriated the wolf, and that was why he was trying to knock down the door and huffing and sneezing when the police arrived. The illustrations show the wolf in action at the scene, from the viewpoint of a news reporter, amidst the police and a microphone. This picture of the wolf is shown in the newspaper on the following page with the headline “BIG BAD WOLF!”

            The wolf says the news reporters didn’t think that wanting to borrow a cup of sugar was exciting enough, so they enhanced the sneezing into huffing and puffing the pigs’ houses down. The wolf is still proclaiming his innocence at the end of the story, and from behind bars, in a striped prisoner’s uniform, holding out a cup with the words “PIG PENN” on it, asking readers to loan him a cup of sugar. This leaves the reader to be the judge of if this was his true motive all along. Was it possible, after all, that he was framed? Or is he full of hot air? (Wink, wink!)

            Although author Jon Scieszka and illustrator Lane Smith have won many awards for other works, I could not find any awards for this particular title. The SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL calls it “the fractured fairy-tale gold standard, with tongue-in-cheek text and sophisticated artwork both darkly sinister and delightfully droll” (Fleishhacker 2012).

After sharing this story with children, one could discuss how it is similar and different than the original tale or ask the children to pick another villain from a different fairy tale and rewrite a story from their perspective.

References

 

Fleishhacker, Joy. "Folk and fairy tales retold: Spin offs." SLJ.com. SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, last modified July 1, 2012, accessed September 24, 2013, http://www.slj.com/2012/07/books-media/folk-and-fairy-tales-retold-spin-offs-focus-on/.

 

Traditional Literature: Anansi

Book Review For:

ANANSI AND THE MOSS-COVERED ROCK. Retold by Eric A. Kimmel. New York: Holiday House, 1988. ISBN 9780823406890

            One by one, the spider, Anansi, tricks some African animals into going for a walk with him in the forest. He uses a special moss-covered rock to knock them magically unconscious and repeatedly steals their food. Throughout many of the illustrations where various African animals examine the rock, or lie flat on their back, or return to their homes to discover the theft of their food, Little Bush Deer is mostly hidden, but can be partially seen peeking out from the bushes and observing this trickery. Little Bush Deer decides to turn the tables on Anansi and do to him what he’s been doing to others. Anansi then wakes up to discover that all the food that he has taken has been stolen from him. However, and despite this experience, Anansi continues to dabble in trickery “to this very day”.

            This folktale, or beast tale, with its predictable pattern and satisfying ending, shows the reader that laziness, greediness, and stealing will get a person nowhere. The lines, textures, shading, and minute details of the illustrations make them stand out and appear realistic, which engages the reader visually. Because of these aspects of the book, I was not surprised when I read Karyn Peterson’s article on the School Library Journal webpage in which she interviews Melissa Zymboly Depper, a 2013 Library Journal Mover and Shaker. Melissa made a comment about this very book in her interview, saying she could read it “out loud every day for the rest of [her] life” (Peterson 2013). I personally could not agree more.

            I would suggest having children act out this delightful, repetitive story after reading it together. Even if younger children needed prompting with their lines, it would still be fun. Computer generated pictures of all the animal characters could even be printed out and turned into puppets by gluing them to popsicle sticks. Additional folktales with similar messages could be read and compared to this one as well.

References

 

Peterson, Karyn M. "Literacy Leader: Up Close with Melissa Zymboly Depper." School Library Journal. School Library Journal, last modified May 2, 2013, accessed September 20, 2013, http://www.slj.com/2013/05/librarians/early-literacy-leader-up-close-with-librarian-melissa-zymboly-depper/.

Traditional Literature: Three Pigs

Book Review For:

THE THREE PIGS. Retold by David Wiesner. New York: Clarion Books, 2001. ISBN 9780618007011

            This retold fairy tale’s title is one word different from the regular tale THE THREE LITTLE PIGS. Yes, the word “little” is left out on purpose, thus implying that the pigs have more power in manipulating their own situation than before.

            This story starts out in the traditional manner of “Once upon a time…”, along with classic watercolor illustrations of the first pig in his straw house and the big, bad wolf. However, the pig is blown right off of “the page”, which is a smaller rectangle on the real page. As the first pig’s body goes beyond the rectangle “page”, his image becomes more pronounced and realistic. Every little hair on his body can been seen, leaving the flat-looking wolf behind on the “page”, searching for the missing pig. This sequence is repeated with the second pig. The two pigs join together off of the “pages” and join the third, smart pig who has a different coloring of black and white. He also moves beyond the rectangle “page” and becomes more 3-D-like.

            The three pigs scatter the “pages” and take off on an adventure of their own choosing. They travel through the pages of a couple different stories and pick up a cat and a dragon along the way. I had to laugh when the third pig explained to his new friends that they were looking at a picture of his house, boasting “…Notice the brickwork. I did it myself.” Eventually, with everyone’s help, the pigs rearrange the pages and even the words to, of course, outwit the wolf.

            After finishing the story, the reader can return to inspect the cover illustration that contains a close-up of the three pigs and nothing else. The smart pig is strategically placed in the middle, and the reader then realizes how these humble pigs took control of their situation and made it into something desirable and beneficial to them. It’s no wonder that David Wiesner won the 2002 Caldecott Medal for THE THREE PIGS. With amusing, unexpected turns and a happy ending, this cleverly illustrated story carries a powerful message.The SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL similarly stated, “Witty dialogue and physical comedy abound in this inspired retelling of a familiar favorite” (Bird 2012).

            After reading the story to children, I would ask them to share or write about an uncomfortable/undesirable situation that they were in and how they could have changed things to make it better for themselves and everyone else that was involved

 

References

Bird, Elizabeth. "Top 100 Picture Books #68: The Three Pigs by David Wiesner." SLJ.com. SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, last modified May 23, 2012, accessed September 24, 2013, http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2012/05/23/top-100-picture-books-68-the-three-pigs-by-david-wiesner/#_.