Monday, September 26, 2011

"That'll do, Pig. That'll do."--a review of THE THREE PIGS by David Wiesner

What happens when a big bad wolf huffs and puffs so much that the first little piggy is blown right out of the story? Join the three little pigs in David Wiesner’s version of this familiar tale to find out. The three little heroes gambol and romp outside the confines of their story, meeting up with a curious cat and his fiddle and a rather courtly dragon along the way. When the five adventurers decide to go home, how will they fit in? Will they have to recreate their world? Will the big bad wolf still be waiting for them? Do they live happily ever after?

 

 
Fairy tales are very explicit. They have good guys and bad guys, punishment and reward, black and white. Or do they? Lüthi notes that the opening formulas of fairy tales—once upon a time—are intended to lead one from the real into the nonreal world and the closing formulas—happily ever after—from the nonreal back to the real (p. 51). What happens between those two frames is anything but explicit, a strange murky cloud where all is not as it appears.

 
David Wiesner plays with appearance versus reality, and everything we thought we understood about fairy tales, in his version of The Three Pigs. The story begins traditionally, with soft pastel watercolors, which one might associate with a traditional tale. The “once upon a time” opening illustration is framed by a conventional white border on the page. The text, a traditional serif font. The story progresses this way for three frames until the wolf blows the first little pig from his house of straw right out of the storyboard. The pig is much bolder, much brighter in gouache, and more of an individual once he escapes his traditional role (of being eaten up). This event sets up the sequence for the play of appearance versus reality for the rest of the story. Now, speaking what can only be his true mind in a playful, casual font via text bubble, the pig goes to find his brothers. Which pigs are the real pigs? The pigs in the story or the ones who escape? It’s not even clear that the pigs know the answer to this question. The next few pages see them all stepping out of and in between story frames, playing with them, pushing their old boundaries until all three end up contrasted against a stark white background where they literally take flight from their story, soaring on a folded paper airplane made out of a discarded picture of the big bad wolf.

 
Soon they land, but their adventure isn’t finished. As the pigs explore high and low, one little pig even senses there is someone spying on them. “I think…someone’s out there,” he says, staring directly at the reader, pulling us in. While that pig has sussed out the reader, the other two have found more stories. Their adventure takes them into a child’s book of nursery rhymes, and they soon turn tail out of that story, which looks like a child’s board book illustration, complete with oversized font and a moon with a friendly face. What’s so real about that? The cat, much too dignified for his former artistic treatment, lets his curiosity get away with him, so he and his fiddle follow the pigs out of that crazy nursery rhyme into a world where they discover many more stories just waiting for them to enter. They lower themselves into the realm of a courtly dragon who happens to be guarding a golden rose, awaiting his destiny, probably to be slain by the king’s eldest son who is on his way to bring back the golden rose. The dragon escapes his rather literal black and white world, stepping out of his story frame into living color. The three pigs, the cat and the dragon examine story after story, until they finally find a frame that looks worthy of entering. It just happens to be a picture of the third pig’s brick house. They decide they should all go home, which requires they reconstruct the story. After the frames are carefully replaced, our heroes once again enter the tale, but the story has now been quite graphically altered, font blowing in every direction off the page. The wolf is shut out of the house, and our five companions sit down to enjoy a big bowl of soup, to live “happily ever aft. …”

 
My review of this book is not the same as my other book reviews because this book is truly like no other I’ve ever read or enjoyed so thoroughly. Wiesner is brilliant, and I am suffering from a severe case of hero worship. While Scieszka and Lane’s The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs plays with point of view and the notion of the reliable narrator, it is not nearly as cleverly subversive as Wiesner’s version, perhaps because Wiesner uses every single picturebook element at his disposal to turn this story on its head. He begins his subterfuge on the cover. The illustration is traditional in realistic gouache detail, but there is a hint of mischief already in the eyes of the pigs, who are inviting us into their story on a very personal level. The back cover also hints at what is to come between the pages, as a cat, sans fiddle, stares directly at the viewer from underneath a framed illustration of a brick house. One can count hints of ten different types of children’s literature as the pigs romp throughout the book, including an alphabet book, which hints at the very play of words and text which is to come at the end of the story. Various fonts, artistic mediums and styles, and framing devices all contribute to the play of appearance versus reality.

 
What I enjoyed the most was the absolute joy of flight I experienced with the pigs as they realized they had shed the traditional confines of their story. The back to back pages of nothing but white at the heart of the story are the spots where the boundaries between appearance and reality no longer exist. There is freedom in that. The humor abounds, and I laughed out loud when the pigs discovered the cat who introduces himself with a “Hey diddle diddle!” His back is defensively arched, and he’s not really sure whether he should be worried or not. On another page, the dragon, still true to his nature in protecting the golden rose, compares another picture of a cat (perhaps Puss in Boots) to his new cat companion, as if to say, “So, there are more than one of these fabulous creatures.” The whole book is just so absolutely delightful, it brought me to tears (I’ve never seen characters in any story treated with such dignity) and nearly defied analysis. Some readers may feel like the flabbergasted wolf, relegated to the outside looking in, not quite sure if what they have experienced is real or not. What is clear is that Wiesner wants readers to feel at home in the pigs’ new story. There is no complete happily ever after, because, after all, the adventures have just begun.

 
Awards and Reviews
  • Caldecott Medal, 2002
  • ALA Notable Children’s Book, 2002
  • Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, 2001
  • NY Public Library, 100 Titles for Reading, 2001
  • School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, 2001
  • Capitol Choice Selection, 2001
“Wiesner has created a funny, wildly imagined tale that encourages kids to leap beyond the familiar, to think critically about conventional stories and illustration, and perhaps to flex their imaginations and create wonderfully subversive versions of their own stories.”—Gillian Engberg, Booklist

 
“Wiesner’s dialogue and illustrations are clever, whimsical and sophisticated….”—Sean Kelly, New York Times Book Review

 
“Children will delight in the changing perspectives, the effect of the wolf’s folded-paper body, and the whole notion of the interrupted narrative. Wiesner’s luxurious use of white space with the textured pigs zooming in and out of view is fresh and funny. … Witty dialogue and physical comedy abound in this inspired retelling of a familiar favorite.”—Wendy Lukehart, School Library Journal

 
“This has the advantage over many postmodern reworkings of making a very light reading demand, so kids whose artistic sense is more sophisticated than their verbal perception will appreciate their chance to be in on the joke.”—Deborah Stevenson, Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

 
“Obviously, there’s a lot going on here, but once you get your bearings, this is a fantastic journey told with a light touch. … Wiesner may not be the first to thumb his nose at picture-book design rules and storytelling techniques, but he puts his own distinct print on this ambitious endeavor.”—Kitty Flynn, Horn Book Magazine

 

Lesson Extensions and Resources

 
Vicki Blackwell has developed a Literature Pocket for The Three Pigs by David Wiesner available here. It includes PDF bookmarks, a lesson idea about using Kidspiration for students to create story maps of the story, springboard ideas for writing, pig crafts, a reader’s theatre script and much more.

 
Readwritethink.org has posted “Creative Writing through Wordless Picture Books,” a lesson plan by Laurie A. Henry, which focuses on using wordless picture books, including standards, handouts, interactive story maps, and links to two bibliographies of wordless picture books. Even though Wiesner’s version isn’t entirely wordless, the importance of the illustrations can serve as a foundation for teaching visual literacy and the study of wordless texts.

 
Teaching Books has an Original Author Program for David Wiesner. It includes a video interview with the author about the picturebook making process, and would be a great start to helping students get excited about creating their own picture books.

 

References

 
Engberg, Jillian. “Pigs on the Loose.” Review of The Three Pigs, by David Wiesner. Booklist 97 (2001): 1761.

Flynn, Kitty. Review of The Three Pigs, by David Wiesner. Horn Book Magazine 77 (2001): 341-342.

Kelly, Sean. Review of The Three Pigs, by David Wiesner. New York Times Book Review 106 (2001): 20.

Lüthi, Max. “Central Themes of Classical Fairy Tales.” In Fairy Tales, edited by Jann Einfeld. 48-57. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 2001.

Lukeheart, Wendy. Review of The Three Pigs, by David Wiesner. School Library Journal 47 (2001): 126

Scieszka, Jon (1989). The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs. Illus. by Lane Smith. New York: Viking. ISBN 0670827592

Stevenson, Deborah. Review of The Three Pigs, by David Wiesner. Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books 54 (2001): 355.

Wisesner, David (2001). The Three Pigs. New York: Clarion. ISBN 0-618-00701-6.

 

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Say My Name!--a review of RUMPLESTILTSKIN by Paul O. Zelinsky

After her foolish father brags to a greedy king, a poor miller’s daughter, alone and afraid, is forced to turn straw into gold.  Unable to accomplish the impossible, she fears for her life until a mysterious, tiny man comes to her rescue in exchange for her most precious belongings.  Her fortune changes when she is made queen, but her troubles soon return when the little man appears, demanding she make good on her final promise—her firstborn son.  Unless she can guess his name in three days’ time, the queen will find herself desolate once more.  Who will come to her rescue now?  Will she guess the little man’s name and save her son?

Rumplestiltskin, from the German of the Brothers Grimm. Retold & Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky.

Zelinsky’s goal was to create a “text best suited for a picture book.”  This is not as easy as it seems, as Rumplestiltskin is a fairy tale from the oral tradition which was written down by the Brothers Grimm over 200 years ago.  Zelinsky manages to capture the universal spirit of the traditional story by remaining true to some critical elements of the tale.  He maintains the conventional plot, which is the final triumph of the humble miller’s daughter over her oppressors, in a straightforward re-telling that sees her suffering first at the hands of her boasting father, then the avaricious king, and finally a scary little man who seeks to rob her of all that she holds dear.   Zelinsky has also remained true to the rule of threes.  There are three male oppressors.  In return for three nights of spinning gold—whir! whir! whir!—she gives away a necklace, a ring, and her firstborn.  In three nights of guessing his name, Zelinsky offers three of Mistress Miller’s guesses.  Of course, her third guess on the third night is correct.  Finally, Zelinsky preserves the presence of the mystical, which is probably the most crucial element of all fairy tales, in the wizened little form of Rumplestiltskin.  Where does he come from?  What is so important about his name?  How does he turn straw into gold?  We don’t know, and Zelinsky doesn’t try to tell us, choosing to let us wonder, just as children have for centuries.

Zelinsky’s oil paintings lend this picture book a classic feel, well suited to the re-telling. His choice of red and blue hues, beautiful ivory skin tones, his use of gold to illuminate, and his landscape and portrait techniques pay tribute to the high artists of the Northern Italian Renaissance. The castle setting and the clothing add to the classical appeal. Zelinsky is visually clever in moving the plot forward through the pictures. There are two spreads which encapsulate more than one story sequence in one painting, which reflect his straight-forward plot. As with classic artists, he is also masterful in his use of line and perspective to draw the viewer’s eye across the paintings, which also moves the story forward visually. Zelinsky makes his mark through subtle, and sometimes, not so subtle, humor, especially in characterizing the title character. The triumph over Rumplestiltskin is wrought with wit, reflected in the eyes of the queen, her maid and the baby, as they watch a furious and frustrated little man throw a tantrum before riding off on his cooking spoon. Perhaps even more than in his text, Zelinsky’s art offers a satisfying encounter between the known and unknown worlds, which is exactly what fairy tales should do.



Honors, Awards and Reviews

Randolph Caldecott Medal, 1987, Honor Book
Redbook Children’s Picturebook Award, 1986
Society of Illustrators and AIGA Certificates of Merit
Bratislava Biennale Selection
ALA Notable Book
SLJ Best Book
Parents' Choice Award, 1986, 2003


Best Books
Children’s Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, 2001—H.W. Wilson
Children’s Catalog, Nineteenth Edition, 2006—H.W. Wilson

“For all their elegance, the illustrations are comprehensible, dynamic, compelling, and unforgettable, imbued with human—and humorous touches. . . . This book is truly a tour de force.”—Burns, Mary, Horn Book, 62 (November/December 1986): p. 751.

“Zelinsky’s smooth retelling and glowing pictures cast the story in a new and beautiful light.”—Patron, Susan H., School Library Journal, 33 (October 1986).

“The story is plainly and gracefully told, unmarred by cuteness or stylistic tics that might obscure the power of the original Grimm. Children—one need hardly say—love the story for its mystery, and its familiarity. Adults will find that, like most classic fairy tales, this one rewards periodic rethinking.”—Prose, Francine, New York Times Book Review (November 9, 1986): p. 57.

“Rumplestiltskin is a tour de force by an immensely talented artist. Zelinsky is that rare practitioner who can create sophisticated work that adults will marvel at, and that children will joyfully embrace.”—Publisher’s Weekly, 1986

Lesson Extensions
An excellent lesson plan created by Deborah Hallen for teaching the elements of a fairy tale in Rumplestiltskin can be found here.
AP Extensions
There is enough substance and research about fairy tales to legitimately use them as material in both Advanced Placement Literature and Composition and Language and Composition courses as studies on theme, rhetorical devices and comparative literature.

One idea would be to introduce students to annotated texts using examples from sources such as Sur La Lune. Students could then be assigned their own annotations on another text.

Sur La Lune also has a fantastic list of “Tales Similar to Rumplestiltskin” which would be a worthwhile option to use with older students who are capable to making complex comparisons of different versions.  Students could create their own graphic organizer to compare variants.
You could also use a study in fairy tales as a springboard to database research.  Students could research articles related to Rumplestiltskin or other fairy tales, creating Annotated Bibliographies of their findings.
References


Hallen, Deborah (n.d.) “Rumplestiltskin.” Paul O. Zelinsky.com (accessed September 24, 2011 from http://www.paulozelinsky.com/rumpelstiltskin_lessons.html).
Heiner, Heidi Ann. (1999; updated 2007) SurLaLune Fairy Tales (accessed September 24, 2011 from www.surlalunefairytales.com).
Zelinsky, Paul O. (1986). Rumplestiltskin. New York: Puffin. ISBN 978-0758701404.





 

Monday, September 19, 2011

Isn't that a strange hmm-hmmmmm hmm?-a review of ANANSI AND THE MOSS-COVERED ROCK by Eric A. Kimmel

One day, while “walking, walking, walking” through the forest, Anansi the Spider discovers a moss-covered rock that has the power to knock the sense out of anyone—“KPOM!”—who repeats a certain phrase.  Upon spying Lion’s great pile of yams, Anansi weaves a plan.  One by one, he introduces all the animals of the forest to the moss-covered rock, and, true to his trickster nature, tricks them into saying the sleep-inducing phrase, “Isn’t this a strange moss-covered rock?”  This gives greedy Anansi just the time he needs to help himself to all of their food.  Unknown to Anansi, Little Bush Deer has been spying on him as he plays his tricks, and she hatches a plan of her own.  In the end, Little Bush Deer outwits the clever Anansi by goading him into repeating the magic words.  Will Anansi learn his lesson?  No way!  “He’s still playing tricks to this very day.”


Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock by Eric Kimmel
Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock is a quick moving narrative that begs to be performed, and it is easy to imagine the different ways a storyteller might interpret this tale. Kimmel’s use of repetition, “walking, walking, walking,” enhances the action of the story, establishing a sense of place and movement within the forest (and on the stage) where the animals make their homes, which flows naturally for the performer. Repeated phrases such as the onomatopoeic “KPOM!” to the simple, yet magical, question, “Isn’t this a strange moss-covered rock?” establish a rhythm to the story and cause the listener to predict the action to come. The turning point in the story comes when we discover that Little Bush Deer has been watching all this action from “behind the leaves.” Her entry into the story and her subsequent plot to turn tables on Anansi are humorous, as she pretends to fall into the same trap as the other animals, only to beat him at his own game. What is the lesson of this tale? If listeners get it, they are wiser than Anansi, who may be disappointed for now, but is plotting more tricks for a later date.


While Stevens’ illustrations may not be considered by some to be up to par with other Caldicott-worthy Anasi tales, such as Haley’s A Story, A Story (Haley, Gail. 1970. A Story, A Story. New York: Alladin) or McDermott’s Anansi the Spider (McDermott, Gerald. 1972. Anansi the Spider: a Tale from the Ashanti. New York, Henry Holt), they are strong and add dimension to the narrative. The strengths of her watercolors lie in her ability to visually create jungle setting while endowing the characters in the tale with very human qualities, gestures and emotions. And this is something she does with skill, from Anansi’s comical facial expressions to the implicit humor of the greatest animals in the jungle knocked flat on their backs. Another fun element she contributes to the story is hiding Little Bush Deer in the background of each frame for the first half of the book, allowing her to become part of the visual story, long before she enters it in the actual written or spoken text. Children looking at the pictures will have fun trying to spot Little Bush Deer as she hides behind the bushes. Adults may have higher expectations when it comes to illustrations, but Stevens has managed to situate this story in the realm of a child’s imagination, which emphasizes the humor and simplicity this African tale should hold for everyone—child or adult.

Reviews and Best Lists


“The text is rhythmic, nicely building suspense to the inevitable conclusion. Stevens’ complementary, colorful illustrations add detail, humor, and movement to the text.”—Maria B. Salvadore, School Library Journal, November 1, 1988

“Kimmel’s retelling has a rhythmical lilt that makes it a fine choice as a read-aloud. Children will relish the humorous climax as the lovably incorrigible spider is bested—though, as the last line infers, never for long. Stevens’ watercolors capture the lush, vibrant colors of the jungle; her double-page spread of the animals prancing home with their goodies is sure to bring chuckles.”—Booklist, October 1, 1988

“Repetition and a well-paced narrative make this picture book a hit with the younger set. . . . the adroit placement of a little duiker adds a hint of mystery and intrigue. Educators teaching the concept of the African diaspora will find this book quite useful.”—Brenda Randolph, Africa Access Review

“A marvelously paced Anansi tale involves the West African spider trickster’s success in fooling Lion, Elephant, Giraffe and Zebra, but not Little Bush Deer! The bold, bright illustrations are especially effective in a group setting.”—Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choices, 1988

Books to Read Aloud to Children of All Ages, 2003—Bank Street College of Education

Recommended Literature, K-12, 2002—California Department of Education

Golden Sower Nominee, 1991—Nebraska

Lesson Extensions


As this story comes from an oral tradition, it might be helpful for children to view plays or retellings.  Several, of varying quality and levels of professionalism, are collected here.  Viewing these would be no substitute for watching a live performance, though.


A large variety of Anansi-related resources exist online. An entire 25-minute musical for elementary students is available from Bad Wolf Press. Read the first third of the script and listen to two songs here. Ties to national standards and important vocabulary are covered. (Fink, Ron, and Heath, John. 1995. Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock: a Musical for Elementary School Kids. Santa Clara, CA: Bad Wolf Press).

A Study Guide was developed as a result of the 2007 National Storytelling Network Conference.  Tied to national standards and benchmarks, this guide offers connections to several subject areas including reading/language arts, social studies, movement, art, math, and science.  I would recommend the Story Structure Chart, which helps children compare this story to other Anansi stories and the idea of retelling the story from Little Bush Deer’s point of view.  Using Stevens’ illustrations as a springboard, students could even re-create an illustrated re-telling hiding Anansi or other animals in the background.  To add to a lesson focusing on movement, students could use rain sticks, drums and vocalizations to re-create jungle sounds. 

Using this joke as an entry point, students could compare and contrast Anansi to Spider Man:

Q: What’s the difference between Anansi and the new Spider Man?
A: Anansi has a web, and Spider Man has a web site!

Storyteller, Marilyn Kinsella has written a puppet show re-telling.  The entire play is free for your use, if you give her credit.  Kinsella, Marilyn (N.d.). Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock: an African Tale adapted for puppets (accessed online from http://www.marilynkinsella.org/Puppetry/anansi_and_the_moss.htm).

Finally, the author himself offers a Study Guide via his website, www.ericakimmel.com.  It is available as a free, PDF download, and contains ideas related to art, cooking and science.  My favorite idea is to have children create their own special rock with magical properties.

Vital Statistics


Kimmel, Eric (1988). Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock. Illus. by Janet Stevens. New York: Holiday House. ISBN 978-0-8234-0689-0.





Sunday, September 11, 2011

Snow Day--a review of THE SNOWY DAY by Ezra Jack Keats

Peter wakes up one morning to find the world covered in snow. He spends his day outside, learning about the fun and beauty of a snowy day. Later that evening, when the snowball he put in his pocket disappears, Peter learns that you can’t always keep a good thing with you, but you can always dream about it. And, sometimes, if you’re really lucky, you might just wake up to find more snow has fallen while you were sleeping.
Keats, Ezra Jack. 1962. The Snowy Day. New York, Viking. ISBN 9780670654000.

The Snowy Day is “a classic,” a book that has been around for a while, a book that all children’s picture books aspire to be. But why? It’s a simple story. What is it with this book? The answer is fundamental. This book is about a lone explorer discovering a new world. The snowy day is Peter’s new world to conquer. He sets out, making his mark, leaving tracks in the snow. He learns what he can and cannot do, coming to terms with the snow in the branches, deciding he’d better not play with the big kids. He uses his imagination and sense of adventure to create meaning in this new world, crafting a snowman, snow angels, pretending to be a mountain climber conquering the highest mountain. He even tries to take some of his new world with him, putting a snowball in his pocket to save for later, before he returns to the familiar warmth of his mother at home. Peter’s sadness over the loss of the snowball reminds us of the sadness we feel when we realize that we will never have quite the same experience or see the world the same way, ever again. His dream reminds us that some worlds are fragile and easily lost. Sure, Peter will be blessed with other snowy days, and because he has mastered that world alone, he can share new adventures in that world with his friend from across the hall. Deep down, we are all children, still discovering new worlds, as terrific and terrifying as that might be.

I barely recall watching Captain Kangaroo read this book on television, long before I could read, and it’s the illustrations that I remember. It’s the illustrations, even more than the story, that give this book visible sticking power. How did Keats accomplish this? In collage and paint on board Keats plays with the entire visible light spectrum in fairly large color blocks. He uses reds, oranges and yellows to create the warmth of the familiar—Peter’s clothes, other children, his mother, his bath toys, the sun—and he juxtaposes those colors against the blues, indigos and violets of the snowy, unfamiliar outdoors. Perhaps the greatest contrast lies in Keats’ use of white, to create the unchartered territory of the snow itself, and his choice of red for Peter. The message of the entire text is encapsulated in a single, wordless illustration. In this picture, we see the back of Peter in his red snowsuit, a warm little spark of humanity, blazing out into fresh, white territory. In fact, he’s exploring so far, he is almost ready to step off the edge of the book. Luckily for us, he comes home. The next day, he takes a friend, the two of them creating a little spot of the familiar, in the midst of the snowy, white world. We never stop encountering new worlds, no matter how old we are. We are all just a little bit like Peter.

Awards and Reviews
  • Caldecott Medal, 1963
  • Cited by the New York Public Library as one of the "150 Most Influential Books of the 20th Century" (1996) as as one of the "100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know" (n.d.)
  • 100 Best Books for Children, 1999, National Education Association
  • Cited in Anita Silvey's 100 Best Books for Children
Teaching and Learning Resources

Pamela Chanko offers the following lesson plans in her book, Teaching with Favorite Ezra Jack Keats Books: Engaging, Skill-Building Activities That Help Kids Learn About Families, Friendship, Neighborhood & Community, and More in These Beloved Classics.

Science Connection: Saving Snowballs
1. Invite children to talk about the part of the book where Peter’s snowball melts. Can they think of a way he might have saved it? Invite children to brainstorm a list of ideas. Write children’s suggestions on chart paper as they dictate.

Language Arts Connection:
1. Revisit the story with children, inviting them to look for words beginning with snow (such as snowsuit, snowman, snowball). Write the words on a chart, using one color marker for snow and another color for the word ending. Invite children to look at the words and tell what they have in common. Explain compound words, inviting children to suggest other compound words beginning with snow to add to the list.
2. Invite children to map out a plan for their own snowy day. Divide a large piece of drawing paper into three sections: snowy morning, snowy afternoon, and snowy night. Discuss and draw what children do during each time of the day. Share pictures and post pictures in the room as part of a “Winter Fun” exhibit.

There is a fabulous Author Study on Ezra Jack Keats at Scholastic, which includes a lesson plan for creating snowflakes out of tortilla by Jeremy Brunaccioni, and so much more. http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collection.jsp?id=541

The de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection at the University of Southern Mississippi houses the Ezra Jack Keats Archives, and hosts “Ezra Jack Keats: a Virtual Exhibition.”
http://www.lib.usm.edu/~degrum/keats/main.html

3-Step Snowy Day Art Project, available here.
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=38897

Finally, many more lessons and links can be found at the Educator’s Corner, Ezra Jack Keats Foundation. http://www.ezra-jack-keats.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=112&Itemid=68

Friday, September 2, 2011

The Journey Leads You Home, Kitten—a review of Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes


Kitten spies the moon, which she mistakes for a bowl of milk, just waiting up in the sky.  Try as she might, leaping and running, down sidewalks, through gardens, past fields, kitten just can’t get that bowl of milk.  After many missteps and mishaps, Poor Kitten gives up her relentless pursuit.   Returning home with an empty tummy, what should Kitten find? A bowl of milk, “just waiting for her.”

Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes

Teaching the simplest concepts requires the most skill.  Lucky us! Kevin Henkes is skilled.  In Kitten’s circular narrative, Henkes manages to capture the essence of toddler life, from wonder and amazement to venturing out a bit too far to being wet, sad, tired, hungry and scared to returning home, a place of comfort and security.  The text, set in a very readable 22 pt. Gill Sans Extra Bold which reminds me of the texts found in many ABC books, moves us forward through the narrative, but it also repeats important phrases.  The phrase “just waiting” is repeated three times, until the turn “just waiting for her” when Kitten finally gets her milk.  The phrase “Poor Kitten” is repeated five times until, at last, she becomes “Lucky Kitten.”  The final turns of phrase are satisfying.  Writing like this is perfect for toddlers as it teaches them to anticipate and predict and the concept of cause and effect.  Also identifiable to toddlers are the emotions Kitten experiences along the way.  She is wet, sad, tired, hungry and scared—all things toddlers can easily relate to, especially when they begin to explore the unfamiliar.  Finally, without drawing a mommy cat or daddy cat, Henkes still manages to complete the narrative and portray Kitten’s utter sense of comfort and relief when she returns home to find her own bowl of milk.  This all takes place in a reading time of approximately 2 ½ minutes, which is about all the time you have with a toddler.

Henkes uses gouache and colored pencil to create illustrations that resonate within the book and with the narrative.  His repeated use of the circular motif, started on the cover and continued throughout the book in the moon, in the landscape, in Kitten’s eyes, and in the pond and its ripples, reinforces a shape that is probably the first shape toddlers can identify—the circle.  There are several spreads that repeat circles in various sizes and would be fun to point out to young children.  Perhaps most endearing are Kitten’s expressions, which are all too human, especially when she stares directly at you from the page with those moon-like eyes of hers.  Those eyes, in stark black and white reminiscent of a Lamaze toy, catch a child’s attention and draw them into Kitten’s world where kid and Kitten connect.  The final two illustrations, which finally unite Kitten, moon and milk, portray the comfort and harmony every child should understand.

Awards and Reviews[1]

  • School Library Journal Best Book
  • New York Times Best Illustrated Book
  • New York Public Library's "One Hundred Titles for Reading and Sharing"
  • Caldecott Medal
  • ALA Notable Children’s Book
  • Bulletin Blue Ribbon (The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books)
  • Texas 2X2 Reading List
  • Charlotte Zolotow Award
  • Book Sense Pick
  • Publishers Weekly Best Book


"The narrative and visual pacing will keep children entranced, and the determined young heroine and her comical quest will win them over."  Publishers Weekly

"The rhythmic text and delightful artwork ensure storytime success. Kids will surely applaud this cat's irrepressible spirit."  School Library Journal

"[A]rtful in its gracelessness and naivete, just like a kitten. Simply charming."  Kirkus Reviews

"'What a night!' Kitten concludes. What a picture book!" The Washington Post

Book Connections
If you like Kitten’s First Full Moon, you might also enjoy these classics:
  • Making the familiar comforting: Brown, Margaret Wise.  Goodnight, Moon. ISBN 978-0060775858.
  • Connecting with young readers: McCloskey, Robert. Make Way for Ducklings. ISBN 978-0670050178.


Teacher Connections
  • A lesson plan for teaching Counting can be found at Scholastic.  
  • A lesson plan for teaching Story Sequencing.
  • A lesson plan for teaching Phases of the Moon can be found via Alyse Passante at “Turn Off the TV.” 


Identifying Information
Henkes, Kevin. 2004. Kitten’s First Full Moon. Ill. by Kevin Henkes. New York, NY: Greenwillow. ISBN 978-006058821.


[1] Awards and Reviews gathered from Powell’s Bookstore online at http://www.powells.com/biblio/0060588284.  Accessed online September 1, 2011.


Always Learning

It looks like I started my blog just in time.  For those of you who don't know, I'm about halfway through my MLS degree at Texas Womans' University.  This semester, I'm taking Literature for Children and Young Adults with Dr. Sylvia Vardell.  Over the next three months, my postings will be related to class assignments, but, not to worry, there will be plenty of useful book reviews coming up.

Here are some upcoming titles:


Other genres include Traditional Literature, Poetry, Nonfiction and Biography, Historical Fiction, and Fiction, Fantasy & YA Lit.  I hope it will be helpful.