Swamp Angel

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Isaacs, Anne. 1994. SWAMP ANGEL. Ill. by Paul O. Zelinsky. New York: Puffin Books. ISBN 0-14-055908-6

PLOT SUMMARY

When Angelica Longrider was born in 1815, she certainly made a BIG impression. At birth, she was taller than her ma.  By the time she was twelve, Angelica (lovingly known as Swamp Angel) towered over all those around her.  One summer the residents of Tennessee were being terrorized by a bear. Swamp Angel sets out to defeat Thundering Tarnation, the giant bear who ate all of the settlers’ food and was too wily to be caught.  Tarnation and Angel battled on and on, through day and even in their sleep. In this way, the tall tale explains why the Great Smoky Mountains were named so and how Ursa Major ended up in the starry night sky.

 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This is a great read aloud book for older children. The story uses a lot of “down home drawl” and the phrases from 1800s Americana.  In fact, a working knowledge of dialects (such as the typical Tennessee drawl) would add a lot to the understanding of this book.  The beautiful oil paint pictures add to the story. It is no wonder why SWAMP ANGEL is a Caldecott Honor Book. There is movement and action within the illustrations. They are done in the traditional early-American style, thus adding to the time period being represented in the story.  Reading the story with an accent can add to the fast-paced, humorous story.  Overall, the exaggerated story and beautiful pictures leave an impression on readers, both young and old.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY review:  “This valiant heroine is certain to leave youngsters chuckling-and perhaps even keeping a close watch on the night sky.”

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “It's an American classic in the making.”

CONNECTIONS

There are many tall tales that can be read in conjunction with Swamp Angel.  A great way to explain legendary American tall tales is through these picture books:

Blair, Eric. PAUL BUNYAN: A RETELLING OF THE CLASSIC TALL TALE. Ill. by Micah Chambers-Goldberg. ISBN 1-4048-0976-7.

Glass, Andrew. FOLKS CALL ME APPLESEED JOHN. ISBN 0385320450

Kellogg, Steven. SALLY ANN THUNDER ANN WHIRLWIND CROCKETT. ISBN 9780688171131

And, of course, readers must know what happened to Angelica when she moved to Montana:

Isaacs, Anne. DUST DEVIL. ISBN 0375867228

Anansi and the Magic Stick

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kimmel, Eric. 2009. ANANSI AND THE MAGIC STICK. Ill. by Janet Stevens. New York: Holiday House. ISBN 0-8234-1443-4

 

PLOT SUMMARY

Anansi the Spider is known for his laziness. In fact, the other animals spend quite a bit of time teasing him, hoping he will finish his chores. However, Anansi prefers sleeping his days away rather than working to fix his house or clean his yard.  When his animal neighbors become too much, Anansi decides to take a walk. He realizes that Hyena never does any work other, yet his house is perfectly clean.  And it’s then that Anansi sees the magic stick complete the chores that Hyena should have been doing.   During Hyena’s nap, Anansi steals the magic stick and decides to have it do his chores.  Things get out of hand and suddenly Anansi’s laziness has the entire village floating downstream in a river that was mistakenly made.  While things end up happy in the end, the reader also learns that Anansi did not learn his lesson and that he will continue his tricky ways.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

With full page illustrations and small text boxes, this picture book’s main power is with the illustrations.  Bright colors and humorous action scenes will have readers, young and old, giggling as a result of Anansi’s blunders.  It would be easy for youngsters that are not quite reading to understand the story through the illustrations.  The text repeats phrases throughout the book like, “working, working, working” and “quick, quick, quick” which can certainly be an opportunity for listeners to participate in the reading.

 

REVIEW EXCERPTS

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: “Whether it is with the braying voice of Zebra, the snorting of Warthog, the pride of Lion, the slyness of Hyena, or the tiny timid voice of Anansi, Terheyden's narration makes the characters come alive.”

 

BOOKLIST: “It's a long way from the original tale, but Kimmel tells it with cheerful energy and Stevens' chaotic mixed-media illustrations, with lots of bright pink and green, show Anansi's friends and neighbors--warthog, lion, hyena, zebra, and, in one picture, Kimmel and Stevens--caught up in the mess.”

CONNECTIONS

The beautiful illustrations and enjoy story make this a story that will certainly be returned to time and time again.  If the folktale was enjoyed, there are many modernized folktales that can be read. Here are a few:

Brett, Jan. THE MITTEN. ISBN 0399231099

Polacco, Patricia. THUNDER CAKE. ISBN 0698115813

Reinhard, B.J. SANJI’S SEED. ISBN 0764222104

 

The Three Little Pigs

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Gliori, Debi. 2002. BEDTIME STORIES. New York: DK Publishing, Inc. ISBN 0-7894-8861-2

PLOT SUMMARY

The Three Little Pigs is the classic tale, but with a few twists and turns to bring back some life to an old story.  Readers are introduced to Pigwood (the lumber pig), Hamstraw (the straw and grass porker), and Porkstone (the stonework swine) and we learn that they are all architects with very different building styles.  When the wolf decides to make short-work of the three little houses to get to the pigs inside, we know that Pigwood and Hamstraw’s houses don’t stand a chance.  Suddenly, the wolf has three little pigs in Porkstone’s solid home and the wolf is engaging in modern warfare tactics to bring down the abode.  Unlike the classic tale, in which the wolf is eaten by the surviving pig, this rendition has a slight more vegetarian ending.

 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This modern twist on the classic The Three Little Pigs adds in elements of humor that was certainly lacking from the older tale.  Wolf appears in the story wearing rapper-style sweatpants and a large gold chain around his neck.  The reader also learns that Porkstone is interrupted by the other two pigs while he was working on his taxes. The illustrations are dynamic in the sense that each page has different picture positioning.  The thick border outlines on each page begin as straw, move to wood planks, and end with stone and metal.  Each picture page has subtle details that enhance the story.  The wolf uses his traditional words, like “huff” and “puff,” but his new phrases are all done in rhyme.  This story would make a very dynamic read aloud because of the opportunities for changes in voice and moments of suspense. Above all else, the ending will leave readers chuckling.

 

REVIEW EXCERPTS
 

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY review: “Still, when it comes to reassuring or even gently tickling her readers, Gliori has few equals.”

BOOKLIST: “Kids will giggle with pleasure when they read these spiced-up tales.”

CONNECTIONS

A strong storyteller could make this story come to life through voice changes and volume.  In addition, the audience could participate as the wolf does his tradition huffs and puffs. 

 

There are many books with pigs shining in the spotlight. Here are a few:

 

Falconer, Ian. OLIVIA. ISBN 0689829531

McPhail, David. PIGS APLENTY, PIGS GALORE! ISBN 0140553134

Numeroff, Laura Joffee. IF YOU GIVE  A PIG A PANCAKE. ISBN 0060266864

 

And there are also many versions of The Three Little Pigs. Here are a few titles:

 

Scieszka, Jon. THE TRUE STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS. Ill. by Lane Smith. ISBN 0140544518

Trivizas, Eugene. THE THREE LITTLE WOLVES AND THE BIG BAD PIG. ISBN 068981528

Wiesner, David. THE THREE PIGS. ISBN 0618007016

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Steig, William. 1969. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. Ill. by William Steig. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0-671-66154-X

PLOT SUMMARY

Sylvester Duncan, a young donkey, finds a red pebble when he is playing outside.  Sylvester collects pretty pebbles and this red one is truly special.  When he picks up the pebble, Sylvester wishes that it would stop raining and :poof: the rain stopped. After a few experiments, Sylvester realizes that whilst holding his magic pebble, any wish he dreams up comes true.  Unfortunately, an unwise wish is made and Sylvester finds himself in quite a situation.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

William Steig's writing creates a great read-aloud book that allows an opportunity to talk with a child about the power of wishes and the love of a family.  The story outlines the danger of wishing wishes and the possibility of negative outcomes.  The writing is descriptive and allows the reader an inside view of the emotions that the characters feel.  However, I'm surprised that this book has such a large following. As an adult, I can't get around the anguished feelings that the parents experienced, despite the happy ending.  From a child's eyes, I can understand the feeling of security in the book's message that a family's love is all that is needed.   Sylvester and the Magic Pebble continues to be a favorite for children throughout the years, so perhaps I need to get in touch with my childhood-roots once more!

The illustrations in the book are painted and then outlined in bold lines.  Most pages have one larger picture, with the text underneath. Occasionally Steig puts a smaller picture and moves the text to a spot other than the bottom of the page. This adds to the flow of the story as these illustrations are usually done to signify the passage of time or sequence of events.  The illustrations are done with mostly muted colors, save for the pebble which is bright red and easily spotted within the picture.  Despite the cartoon-like paintings, Steig does an excellent job of using body language and facial expressions to show the emotions of the characters throughout the book.

 

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Winner of Caldecott Medal
100 Best Books of the Century by the National Education Association.

CONNECTIONS

You can find other William Steig books similar to this one, such as:
 Doctor De Soto (Newbery Honor Book) 
Shrek! (Movie series based on this book)
Potch and Polly

Edwina the Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Willems, Mo. 2005. Edwina the Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct.. Ill. by Mo Willems. New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 078683748-9

PLOT SUMMARY
In this picture book, we are introduced to Edwina the Dinosaur who is a big star in town. She helps out the denizens and is known for her chocolate-chip cookie baking.  Alas, Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie is a know-it-all who makes it his mission to convince everyone that the dinosaur (and thus, their beloved Edwina) is extinct.  We follow Reginald and Edwina as Reginald struggles to convince the town folk that Edwina is extinct.  The ending of the story has a twist and leaves the reader smiling.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Mo Willems has created a simple story that speaks to the heart of its readers, both young and old. Despite the simple sentences used, Willems creates a heartwarming story detailing the Edwina's life in town. Although Reginald strikes out to change the town people's minds about their beloved dinosaur, the reader can't help but feel badly for poor, lonely Reginald.  The writing makes the characters seem sincere in their feelings and that helps to show their commitment to Edwina.  The humor is simple, but direct.  Throughout it all, Mo Willems creates a humorous, sweet tale about the importance of believing in yourself.

The illustrations in this book are iconicly Mo Willems, with the same pastel colors and sharp lines that are found in his other books.  Edwina the Dinosaur with her pink hat, painted nails, and pearl necklace is the epitome of friendly, neighborhood dinosaur. There is a combination of two-paged spreads and single paged pictures. This helps to create a flow within the story without letting it become predictable. In addition to the changes in picture layout, the text is also placed in different spots throughout the book, depending on aesthetics.

All in all, this story is a fun, sweet picture book that can easily become a childhood favorite.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Author of Caldecott award honor books, two Geisel medals, and two Carnegie medals

Starred review in The New York Times: "Mo Willems is the biggest talent to emerge in children's books in the '00s."

Kirkus review: "Willems’s cartoons in an imaginary world of childhood".


5. CONNECTIONS

If you enjoy this book, there are plenty more by Mo Willems that can be found.  A few titles are:

Pigeon series, Leonardo the Terrible Monster, Knuffle Bunny, and Elephant and Piggie series.

http://mowillemsdoodles.blogspot.com/
Mo Willems website detailing his day-to-day life, as well as a forum for fan mail.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Selznick, Brian. 2007. The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Ill. by Brian Selznick. New York, NY: Scholastic. ISBN 978-0-439-81378-5

PLOT SUMMARY

This picture book centers around Hugo Cabret, an orphan who spends his days maintaining the clocks in a bustling Paris train station in the early 1930s.  Hugo, essentially, lives a life hiding in the walls, scurrying to ensure the clocks are keeping time in an effort to maintain the pretense  that his uncle is still alive, and stealing food from establishments in the station. One missed step could land Hugo in an orphanage and away from his life's obsession- an automaton his father had been repairing.  But a fire snuffed out Hugo's father and left Hugo struggling to survive on his own .  Now Hugo believes that the automaton will relay a message from his father, if only Hugo can get it fixed.  Despite Hugo's desperate desire to maintain his secrets, a struggle develops between him and the station's cantankerous toy maker.  Soon, Hugo's life is turned upside down, and it all started with a notebook, continued with a key, and would never be the same with the touch of the automaton's pen.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Without a doubt, this book's drawings contain power and beauty that direct the story. While the story is well written, it is the book's illustrations that guide the story.  Done in simple black and white motif, Selznick creates movement, emotion, and intention through his illustrations. Many of the pictures are drawn with dark shading, which Selznick uses to draw the reader's eye to the lighter portion of the picture, undoubtedly the main focus of that scene. This technique is done throughout the book, and helps guide the reader into the chaotic world of Paris' busy train depot.  Not all drawings, Selznick includes photos from films created by Georges Méliès, and allows the reader a view from Hugo's eyes.

Despite the depth and beauty of the illustrations, it would be impossible for Selznick to deliver such a soulful story without the aid of written word. Selznick writes in a straightforward manner and does a nice job of allowing the reader an up close look at Hugo's inner workings.  The story tugged at the reader's heartstrings. For me, I just wanted to scoop Hugo up and make things good for him again. Powerful words make for long lasting stories.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

2008 Caldecott medal winner
National Book Award Finalist
A New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 2007
2007 Quill Award Winner

CONNECTIONS

Website dedicated to all the elements of Hugo Cabret, including detailed information about automata:
http://www.theinventionofhugocabret.com/index.htm

Scholastic website that includes interactive games and information about the novel:
http://www.theinventionofhugocabret.com/about_brian_books.htm

Brian Selznick has written or illustrated many other books, including:
Boy of a Thousand Faces, The Houdini Box, Wonderstruck, and Lunch Money.