The Lady in the Blue Cloak

Bibliography:
Kimmel, Eric A. 2006. The Lady in the Blue Cloak: Legends from the Texas Missions. Ill. by Susan Guevara. New York, NY: Holiday House. ISBN: 0823417387

Plot Summary:
Eric Kimmel showcases the stories of four different missions from across Texas in this compilation work. From a woman who tells the indigenous people of the Texas Territory that a friar will come to tell them of God to stories about losing loved ones, each retelling is accompanied by a oil on canvas picture. Many mission origination stories are included in the work, as well as an origin of some phrases popular among people of the modern city of San Antonio. There are stories of loss, love, kindness, why it is important to follow the rules included and all have a historical nature about them.

Critical Analysis:
Each story has that critical element of legends: some extraordinary, mystical power is at work, even if we do not know it. What is more interesting is that these stories give clear morals within each selections. All are set in a time period far before Texas was even a state, lending some historical interpretations to the stories. The writing is easily understood by an older reader, although some younger student may find the subject matter difficult to follow. The stories themselves are not necessarily fluid and may contain some "foreign" words, which an elementary school reader could find hard to understand.

Each story is introduced by a striking oil painting and although the illustration is one per story, the picture tells so much of the story that is included. The colors are lush and the each illustration is informative of the story plot to which it corresponds. The paintings have the air of religiosity, which lends itself nicely to the topic of the book.

Awards and Reviews:
Naylor Award - Daughters of the Texas Revolution

"Each of these six selections opens with a full-page illustration that captures the heart of its story...the tales are all well told and engaging." - SK Joiner, School Library Journal

"The background is 17th-, 18th- and early 19th-century Texas, then under the rule of Spain and Mexico, and the conflicts between Spanish colonizers and Indians is evident in these brief tales, which include strong moral lessons." - Kirkus Reviews

"There are very few collections of these stories available for the age group, and the mysticism, faith, and magic--captured in reverential oil paintings bordered with angels, saints, and other religious imagery--will resonate with some children, particularly Catholics and Texans, for whom the symbolism and history may be more familiar." - Gillian Engberg, Booklist

Connections:
*Especially for those in Texas, this can be used in conjunction with a unit on Texas history. Read some non-fiction choices about the history of Texas Missions and compare what you have read between the two books.
*Take a picture that had several elements and have the students create their own story based on it.
*Have a reader's theater based on one or more of the stories in the work. Students can be groups of charging Comanches or friars protecting their mission.

Book Jacket found on: http://www.flipkart.com/lady-blue-cloak-eric-kimmel/0823417387-t7w3fm5ibc

Yummy: Eight Favorite Fairy Tales

Bibliography:
Cousins, Lucy. 2009. YUMMY: EIGHT FAVORITE FAIRY TALES. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN: 0763644749

Plot Summary:
Several popular children's fairy tales are recounted by Cousins in this picture book anthology. The tales range from well-known, like "Little Red Riding Hood" to some that are less known to children in the states, like "The Musicians of Bremen". Using the classic tales, Cousins puts her own twist in some tales, like changing names or actions, while keeping the integrity of the root version. The reader of this title will find themselves being taken through a more modern version "Goldilocks" right into the nearly word-for-word recounting of "The Little Red Hen".

Critical Analysis:
While the stories are (or could be) familiar to a reader, the way in which Cousins uses her illustrations give even the most recognizable characters and stories new life. Pictures are bold, and though they are not intricate they emphasize and underscore the story for the young reader. The tales are simple to follow, with a clear emphasis on morals to be learned from the story. No moral is more explicit than that of "The Little Red Hen": no one wanted to help the Hen, so no one gets to enjoy the fruit of all her labor, save her!

What is important to note is the severity and brusqueness of some of the illustrations, which may be too much for a very young reader. Little Red Riding Hood's feet are dangling out of the wolf's mouth and the woodsman chops the wolf's head clean off in that story. However, the illustrations look like a child could have done them, which may help a child to identify and understand a story on a different level. Additionally, the text is repetitive, making it conducive for a young reader, just learning.

Awards and Reviews:
School Library Journal Best Books of the Year
Booklist Editors' Choice
New York Times Book Review 10 Best Illustrated Children's Books
New York Times Book Review Notable Books of the Year
Publishers Weekly Best Children's Books of the Year

"Though Cousins uses simple language to tell the stories to a younger audience, she manages to convey the wit and wonder of these tales with an admirable economy of language. Her illustrations fill the page with strong lines, vivid colors, and significant events that bring the story to spine-tingling life." - Keri Collins Lewis, Children's Literature

"Beloved classics are successfully served by these bold, striking renditions. Large, arresting gouache spreads in Cousin's signature style utilize saturated colors and thick, dark outlines against solid backgrounds. Expressive characters enhance the stories' shifting moods. Large type accentuates the dynamic texts, building each spare entry to its powerful climax." - Meg Smith, School Library Journal

Connections:
*Have your kids find a fairy tale they are fond of and recreate their own version! Ask them to draw their own pictures, change around characters or make the story their own. Have them tell their version to the class and ask why they may have made the changes they did.
*Read different versions of each of the stories, maybe from different countries. Compare the works, making a list as the children tell you what they think the differences are. Use the same idea to make a list of the similarities.

Book Jacket found on: http://www.candlewick.com/cat.asp?mode=book&isbn=0763644749&browse=Title

Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal: A Worldwide Cinderella

Bibliography:
Fleischman, Paul. 2007. GLASS SLIPPER, GOLD SANDAL: A WORLDWIDE CINDERELLA. Ill. by Julie Paschkis. New York, New York: Henry Holt & Company. ISBN: 080507953X

Plot Summary:
The story of Cinderella can change from country to country and Paul Fleischman incorporates these Cinderella variations in GLASS SLIPPER to create one cohesive tale. We follow the story from a perspective of a mother reading her daughter a Cinderella tale and the work begins at the universal beginning, speaking of a girl left with only a father after her mother dies. The story takes flight from this point, bringing in elements of the classic tale, like a stepmother, unsightly stepsisters, a handsome prince and a ball. However, instead of only recounting a Cinderella tale American children are familiar with, Fleischman uses bits and pieces of the story from around the world. For instance, the fairy godmother Americans may be familiar with is introduced as a crocodile (from Indonesia) or a witch woman (Appalachia). Recognizable elements of the traditional American Cinderella tale are wound with foreign ones to develop the work, from start to finish.

Critical Analysis:
The plot of this book is fairly straight forward, in that there is a clear conflict. Its theme is also one of "good versus evil", where good inevitably triumphs, as it should in any classic folktale. What is especially of note in this particular book, is the way the author intertwines the different Cinderella tales to create one simple, unified tale. The story contrasts within itself: the Cinderella character finds what she is going to wear to the ball in a variety of different ways, all displaying the differences between each country's version of the tale within one book.

This contrast further pointed in the use of the illustrations. Illustrations in this book are use to show the differences between each country; main pictures are set within backgrounds that display elements of the country. Ireland has a green background with prevalent Celtic symbols, while France is a purple background with a prominent Fleur-De-Lis. The Cinderella character is drawn approximately the same facially, to give some consistency, while other characters and clothing change with each country.

Awards and Reviews:
IRA Notables Books for a Global Society
NCTE Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts
Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
NYPL Book for Reading and Sharing
Kirkus Best Book of the Year
Arizona Grand Canyon Young Readers Master List
California Children's Media Award, Silver Medals

"This inspired retelling blends many versions of Cinderella into a single, extraordinary tale. Paschkis...makes use of folk art and textile patterns throughout the world in the clever background paintings behind each of her panel illustrations...and characters remain recognizable despite their costume changes." - Publishers Weekly

"Fleischman and Paschkis have created a pan-cultural, universally pleasing interweaving of variants from 17 different cultures. [It] reads nearly seamlessly and somehow manages to convey simultaneously the essential sameness of the story and the particularities of the different versions." - Miriam Lang Budin, School Library Journal

Connections:
*This is a perfect story for comparing and contrasting! Read this book and one of a more familiar version (Americanized). Break the students into groups after reading the story and have them list all the differences they notice.
*Since the story has elements from many different countries, take the opportunity to spotlight these countries on a map. Have the children investigate other stories from those countries!
*Take a trip in the classroom! From the countries used in the work (like Germany or Iraq), take time to show the children a custom from a particular country. This could have significance to why their version of Cinderella is told the way that it is or it could just be how to properly say hello.

Book Jacket found on: http://www.sunprairiepubliclibrary.org/Cinderella.html

Pass It Down: Five Picture Book Families Make Their Mark

Bibliography:
Marcus, Leonard S. 2007. PASS IT DOWN: FIVE PICTURE BOOK FAMILIES MAKE THEIR MARK. New York: Walker & Company. ISBN 0802796001

Plot Summary:
Our families make impressions on us, whether it be good or bad. In this concept, Leonard Marcus shows us that some parents made such an impact on their children, the children decided to do the same job as their parents. However, instead of being a lawyer or doctor, these parents happened to be children's book illustrators and authors. The author interviews and recounts the lives and works of five famous such families of illustrators and writer, where the parents and children all create images and words in books many children read today.

Critical Analysis:
What is most important about this work is the fact that Marcus reveals some of the background of the authors and illustrators and their works. This background does not merely encompass personal history, but also goes as far as to include letters from their editors and finished and unfinished pieces of book art. The book is a just a scratch on the surface of the topic, but is geared toward children, so the book contains just enough information for children to be able to grasp and understand the concepts. A glossary full of terms that may not be understood by the intended reader is included, which I think is especially of note. Reading a term is one thing, but the ability to understand what it means can be empowering to a young reader. The writing is clear and concise and the additions of the work-in-progress pictures give children an understanding of how picture books are created.

Awards and Reviews:
2008 NCTE Children's Assembly Notable Children's Books in the English Language Arts
2008 Bank Street Best Children's Books of the Year starred selection
2007 Texas Woman's University Librarians' Choice 100 Best Books of the Year

"Written in an engaging style with clarity and immediacy, this doubles as an accessible primer on the art of penning and visualizing picture books." - Kirkus Reviews

"The writing level is perfectly in keeping with elementary-school children, and the style is chatty and anecdotal." - Horn Book

Connections:
*What do kids have in common with their families? After reading the book, let the kids think on shared trait within their own family circle. Is every good at something (or are they all hopeless at something)?
*Find books done by the authors and illustrators highlighted in the work and read them aloud. Discuss what the similarities and differences are between two works done by one family.

Related Books:
A Caldecott Celebration: Seven Artists and their Paths to the Caldecott Medal also by Leonard Marcus

BOOK COVER FOUND ON:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/829302.Pass_It_Down_Five_Picture_Book_Families_Make_Their_Mark

Knuffle Bunny

Bibliography:
Willems, Mo. 2004. KNUFFLE BUNNY: A CAUTIONARY TALE. New York, New York: Hyperion. ISBN 0786818700

Plot Summary:
Trixie and her parents live in the city. One day Trixie and her father walk through the city to do some laundry and Trixie misplaces her stuffed animal, Knuffle Bunny. Unable to tell her father what has happened (Trixie cannot speak yet), she shows him her distress by becoming unraveled. They walk all the way back home, where Trixie's mother asks about Knuffle Bunny. The family rushes back to the laundromat where Trixie and Knuffle Bunny are happily reunited and Trixie says her first words.

Critical Analysis:
Different from the regular picture book, Willems uses a combination of photography and illustrations to display the events of the story. The plot flows in a format where the young reader can identify the problem and watch the resolution/outcome. This is a story that many children and parents can relate to: children may have lost something very important to them or may have been unable to express themselves and parents cannot always understand for what their children are asking.

Many of the images within the story are ones with which children can place themselves in; walking through the park or going on a errand with a parent is customary in many children's lives. The use of photography as a background can be especially helpful for children to grasp the plot due to its realistic nature.

Awards Won:
Caldecott Award Winner, 2005
BCCB Blue Ribbon Picture Book Award
Parenting Media Award Winner

"Even children who can already talk a blue streak will come away satisfied that their own strong emotions have been mirrored and legitimized, and readers of all ages will recognize the agonizing frustration of a little girl who knows far more than she can articulate." - Jennifer Mattson, Booklist

"Personalities are artfully created so that both parents and children will recognize themselves within these pages. A seamless and supremely satisfying presentation of art and text." - Martha Topol, School Library Journal

Connections:
*Photographs could be taken of the area around the library or school, similar to the photographs in KNUFFLE BUNNY. Children can make construction paper cutouts of themselves and family members and use the photos and cutouts to recount or create their own story.
*Allow the children to tell there own story about a lost item! Let the children create their own book about something they lost, in any media they would like (drawing, collages, etc).
*Try non-verbal communication: Trixie found it difficult to communicate without words, so give the kids a task in which they are unable to use regular means of communication. After the task is complete, review what they did and talk about what was a good idea and what could be improved upon.

More books by Mo Willems:

KNUFFLE BUNNY TOO: A CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY
DON'T LET THE PIGEON STAY UP LATE!
THE PIGEON FINDS A HOT DOG!

BOOK JACKET FOUND ON: http://www.betterworldbooks.com/Knuffle-Bunny-id-0786818700.aspx

The House In The Night

Bibliography:
Swanson, Susan Marie, THE HOUSE IN THE NIGHT. Ill. by Beth Krommes, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt: Boston. 2008 ISBN: 0618862447

Plot Summary:
Taking the shape of a nursery rhyme told line by line, the story follows a child going to her home and finding comfort in a book. The child receives a key, which let her into her home. Once in the home, the child reads through a book that takes her on a journey through the town and back to the safety of her home. A quiet, reassuring picture book that is reminiscent of GOODNIGHT MOON, the book is illustrated in stark black with golden highlights.

Critical Analysis:
The story is simple and patterned, something that is relevant and important for those children just learning to read. By repeating patterns, with corresponding pictures, a connection is made between the reader and the book. The actual story within the work is one with which many children can identify: home is where you feel safe and where all of the things you know are. By drawing this parallel, a young reader's attention may be captured and kept.

Illustrations to this story are in two colors, black and gold, which makes the featured elements of the work focal points. Although there are only two colors, the pictures are highly textured and detailed with easily identifiable items, like houses, flowers and birds, included for the intended reader. Krommes does extra work in using the black in different strengths, developing dark and light in each picture and utilizing the difficult art technique of scratchboard.

Awards and Reviews:
Caldecott Winner, 2009

"Gentle bedtime reading, consider this a book that is designed to illuminate a child's dreams." - Elizabeth Bird, School Library Journal

"This volume's artful simplicity, homely wisdom and quiet tone demonstrate the interconnected beauty and order of the world in a way that both children and adults will treasure." - Publisher's Weekly

Connections:
*A librarian may want to focus on the importance of the use of the golden color within the book. Asking children what is highlighted and what the reasons that they are can help focus connecting the words in the book and the pictures.
*Relating this work with another one about nighttime (GOODNIGHT MOON) may help children to identify themes. A discussion about the difference between the books can be started and a list can be made of those differences.

BOOK COVER FOUND ON: http://awesomestorytime.wordpress.com/2009/02/19/its-bedtime/

A New Focus - Children & Young Adult Literature

This blog will now be used to review children's books for a new class, Lit for Children and Young Adults, I am taking this semester at TWU (LS 5603). For the next few months, I will be reviewing and giving my opinion on books I am reading as class assignments. Hopefully, I will be able to adequately share my feelings on the works!