Review: Rapunzel

Bibliography:

Zelinsky, Paul O. 1997. Rapunzel. New York: Dutton. ISBN 0525456074

Plot Summary:

As payment for stealing from her garden, a sorceress takes a couple’s first child at birth – a girl the witch names Rapunzel. As Rapunzel begins to mature, the sorceress takes her away to a tall, isolated tower. She is visited only by the sorceress, who regularly gains entry to the tower via Rapunzel’s extraordinarily long hair. One day a prince discovers Rapunzel. The two fall in love, and continue to meet secretly. Rapunzel conceives, and the sorceress discovers her secret. She banishes Rapunzel to a “wild country” where Rapunzel gives birth to twins. The sorceress awaits the prince's return and causes him to fall from the tower, blinding him. Eventually the two reunite, Rapunzel’s tears curing the Prince’s blindness; the reunited lovers returning to the Prince’s kingdom.

Critical Review:

In his Caledcott-winning version of the folktale Rapunzel, author Paul Zelinsky details some of the changes and revisions that the original Rapunzel tale underwent on its journey to becoming the version commonly known today. Of particular interest are alterations made by the Grimm Brothers while “documenting” the tale. Paul Zelinsky states that he tried to draw the best elements from the various versions of the story to craft his own version. Although he may not have remained entirely faithful to any one version, he has undoubtedly crafted a unique and elegant vision for the story that is his own.

The artwork is immediately arresting. As the story appears to have originated in Italy, Zelinsky decided to emulate the work of the Italian Renaissance masters, to great success. The style suits the story perfectly. Zelinsky’s attention to detail is stunning. The language in this retelling has a formal feel, and the somewhat austere tone of the illustrations suits this perfectly. This is not a retelling that seeks to update or modernize. Zelinsky sets his tale firmly in the past.

As in other folk tales, most of the characters in Rapunzel are largely undeveloped. Rapunzel may be beautiful, but there is very little in her character to make the reader actually care about what happens to her. The same can be said of the prince. The sorceress, on the other hand, is intriguing, particularly in this retelling. One of the more compelling elements of the story is the sorceress’ obsession with protecting Rapunzel’s purity. In Zelinsky’s version the sorceress is not clearly evil. It is apparent from the illustrations that she cares for Rapunzel as a mother would. In this context, the isolation she forces on Rapunzel becomes less an abstract evil, and more the action of an irrationally overprotective parent.

Review Excerpts:

Caldecott Medal Winner 1998

"A breathtaking interpretation gives the fairy tale new art-historical roots, with illustrations that daringly-and effectively-mimic the masters of Italian Renaissance painting."- Publishers Weekly (September 9, 2002)

“Suffused with golden light, Zelinsky's landscapes and indoor scenes are grandly evocative, composed and executed with superb technical and emotional command.” – Kirkus (October 1, 1997)

“Readers will linger over the opulence and rich details of furnishings and fabrics, and admire the decorative patterns and architectural details of the tower and the rooms. Echoes of high Renaissance art can be seen in the costumes, the buildings, and the landscapes. In their postures and gestures, the richly dressed characters might have stepped out of the paintings of Botticelli and Mantegna and Verrocchio and Raphael.” – School Library Journal (November 1, 1997)

Connections:

Read other Zelinsky books, especially Caldecott Honor books Rumplestiltskin, Hansel and Gretel, and Swamp Angel. Compare his style of illustration in the different books.

Create a choral reading version of the story. (“Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!” is a great line for children to read chorally).

Let students peruse child-friendly picture books of the Italian Renaissance painters and compare the style of painting with Zelinsky’s illustrations. What elements of the paintings make them similar?

Compare other versions of the story, or perhaps even a video version.

Review: Turtle's Race with Beaver

Bibliography:

Bruchac, Joseph and James Bruchac. 2003. Turtle’s Race With Beaver. Ill. by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey. New York: Dial. ISBN 0803728522

Plot Summary:

Turtle lives a happy existence in his pond home, but while Turtle is asleep for the winter, Beaver attempts to make the pond his own. Upon awakening, Turtle amiably suggests that they cohabitate, but Beaver wants the pond for himself and challenges Turtle to a race. The winner can claim the pond as his own. Beaver clearly has the physical advantage, but Turtle’s cleverness helps him win the race. Although thoroughly humiliated, Beaver learns a valuable lesson about sharing.

Critical Review:

Variations of the great fables exist within many different cultures. Such is the case with this traditional Seneca fable, a variant of the story told by Aesop as “The Tortoise and the Hare”. Bruchac and his son draw on forty years of experience in the Native American oral tradition to bring this tale to life.

The Bruchacs’ writing style is simple and lends itself well to reading aloud. The text is full of lively language and onomatopoeaia. In the introduction, James Bruchac states that he wanted to “bring the audience into the action.” Young readers will indeed enjoy participating in the forest animals’ cheer as they chant “TURTLE! TURTLE! TURTLE!” The illustrations by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey are colorful and give the forest creatures (especially the title characters) a big dose of personality. The animals are painted in a clear, vibrant, child-like style over hazy, almost impressionistic, pastel backgrounds.

In this fable, as in so many others, the central conflict matches physical prowess against cleverness. As in the more widely known “Tortoise and the Hare”, cleverness wins out. The “moral”, however, is slightly different here. Whereas Aesop’s theme was “slow and steady wins the race”, the lesson Beaver learns in the Seneca version is to share with others. At the story’s close, he meets a different turtle in a different pond. This time he has learned his lesson, and the two live “happily through all the seasons to come.”

Review Excerpts:

“This appealing variant of the time-honored, cross-cultural tale conveys the need for cooperation, perseverance, and humility within group settings. Children will be so involved in the storytelling that they'll absorb these lessons effortlessly.” - School Library Journal (October 1, 2003)

“A clever twist and a final bit of psychological realism give this variant on a Seneca Indian Tortoise and Hare tale unusually broad audience appeal.” – Booklist (September 15, 2003)

Connections:

Read other versions of the story (such as Aesop’s “The Tortoise and the Hare” or the Grimm Brothers’ “The Hare and the Hedgehog”). In what way are the stories alike – what themes or lessons do they share? In what ways are they different?

Read a nonfiction picture book about Native American culture.

Read picture books of Native American stories by another author (such as Paul Goble) and compare.

Read other books by Joseph Bruchac (such as How Chipmunk Got His Stripes and The Boy Who Lived with the Bears).

Review: The Three Pigs

Bibliography:

Wiesner, David. 2001. The Three Pigs. New York: Clarion. ISBN 0618007016

Plot Summary:

What starts as a traditional retelling of the story of the three little pigs takes an unexpected turn when the wolf blows the pigs right out of the frame and thus out of the story. The pigs wander through the white space between story frames, jumping in and out of other traditional tales. After joining up with the feline fiddler from “Hey Diddle Diddle” and a dragon about to be slain by a prince, the fairy tale outcasts make their way back to the brick house to give the wolf an unexpected surprise.

Critical Review:

The story may begin “Once upon a time there were three pigs,” but similarities between the original fairy tale and David Wiesner’s retelling pretty much end there. Once Wiesner’s pigs are “free” from the confines of the traditional tale, Wiesner creates an amusing counterpoint between the frames of the story, which contain the original text, and the white areas around the frames, where the words and actions of the pigs are very much out-of-sync with what should be happening in the story.

At the beginning of the book, Wiesner’s illustrations mirror the text by looking very “generic”. This version of the three little pigs could be any of the million versions you’ve read before. When the pigs are freed from the story frame, however, they take on a more detailed and realistic look. As they invade other stories, the style of the artwork also changes to reflect that story type. The Mother Goose sequence is done in a colorful, simple style that looks appropriate for very young children. The dragon and knight segment is black and white, sketched in pencil.

Although some of the plot points of the original tale are present (the persistence of the wolf, the triumph of good over evil, the lessons regarding home construction materials), if you are looking for a conventional telling of the story, this isn't it. Young children will likely respond to the lively illustrations and the humorous behavior of the pigs, but older children will be more likely to understand the author's play on the conventions of the original stories alluded to in this version.

Review Excerpts:

Caldecott Medal Winner (2002)

“Witty dialogue and physical comedy abound in this inspired retelling of a familiar favorite” – School Library Journal (April 1, 2001)

“Wiesner's brilliant use of white space and perspective evokes a feeling that the characters can navigate endless possibilities and that the range of story itself is limitless.” – Publishers Weekly (February 26, 2001)

Connections:

Read other versions of “the three little pigs”, both traditional and fractured (such as John Scieszka’s The True Story of the Three Little Pigs).

Read other books by David Wiesner (including his other two Caldecott winners Tuesday and Flotsam).

Have children imagine if there had been a fourth little pig. What might he have built his house out of (and would it have held up to the wolf)?

What other stories might Wiesner’s three little pigs have entered? Children could create an illustration of the three little pigs within other famous tales.

Review: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Bibliography:

Viorst, Judith. 1972. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Ill. by Ray Cruz. New York: Aladdin. ISBN 0689711735

Plot Summary:

Alexander is having a bad day. Actually… it’s a little worse than that. It’s a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Everything that can go wrong, does; from getting gum in his hair and losing his best friend, to being forced to wear his hated railroad-train pajamas. As his mother explains, “some days are like that."

Critical Review:

How can you not love Alexander? His entire day has been a disaster since he got out of bed in the morning. Sure, the choice of an “invisible castle” as a subject in art class may have been ill-advised, and perhaps the presence of lima beans in the evening meal doesn’t truly qualify as catastrophic, but still...

Judith Viorst’s writing in Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day practically begs to be read aloud. Alexander’s “voice” is one of the book’s main treats. Viorst has constructed long rambling sentences that beautifully capture the cadence of a breathless child trying to explain just how bad his day has been.

Ray Cruz’s illustrations are also distinctive. The textures he creates through shading are appealing and unique. His “vision” of Alexander is one readers will remember for years to come. Although the clothes, hairstyles, and Mrs. Dickens’ glasses may mark this as a product of the seventies, the scenarios will resonate with children of any decade. Bad days are universal.

Review Excerpts:

Viorst “can enter imaginatively into a child's difficulties without being either tactless or disablingly sympathetic” – Times Literary Supplement (November 23, 1973)

Judith Viorst flawlessly and humorously captures a child's testy temperament, rendering Alexander sympathetic rather than whiny. Our hero's gum-styled hair and peevish countenance are artfully depicted by Ray Cruz's illustrations. – Amazon.com Official Review

Connections:

Read other books by Judith Viorst (I had never read Alexander, but I remember My Mama Says There Aren’t Any Zombies… vividly. Some of the illustrations in that book scared me as a child – I remember them to this day – but I loved it just the same.)

Pair this with a nonfiction high-interest picture book about Australia.

Children can brainstorm other horrible things that could happen on a terrible, horrible, very bad day. Adult scribe could assist in bringing these together to form a new version of the book. Children could illustrate the different scenes. Each child could get a color copy.

Review: What's the Matter, Habibi?

Bibliography:

Lewin, Betsy. 1997. What’s the Matter, Habibi? New York: Clarion. ISBN 039585816X

Plot Summary:

Ahmed uses his camel Habibi to give rides to the local children. One day Habibi sits down and refuses to get up. But what is wrong with Habibi? After giving the camel his shoes, Habibi runs off leaving a distraught Ahmed to search for him. Later Habibi and Ahmed are reunited, Habibi having obtained a red fez making him “the handsomest camel in all the land.” The author states that the book was inspired by a real-life camel driver she and her husband met in Egypt.

Critical Analysis:

What is the matter with the camel Habibi? Given the charming character Lewin creates in Habibi, children will want to find out. Lewin’s playful text is simple and contains rhythmic elements, alliteration (“Ahmed pushed and pulled and pleaded”), and a liberal dose of onomatopoeia (“Then he ran off, slappity-slap, slappity-slap”).

Although the text itself is enjoyable to read, Lewin’s watercolors are what truly create the humor and character in the book. Habibi, in particular, comes to life through the illustrations. Scenes such as Habibi making his getaway in his master’s babouches and the facial expressions he makes while stubbornly refusing to get up are priceless.

The setting is never explicitly stated, but it is obviously Middle Eastern. The author creates a strange blend of old and new through the illustrations. Most of the Middle Eastern offerings are traditional – the babouches, the fez, the hookah pipes, robes, and turbans. These certainly offer opportunities to introduce children to cultural elements that might be unfamiliar. More modern depictions of Middle Eastern life are not present here. Also, while the setting is Middle Eastern, the children in the book are not uniformly so. Lewin’s simple watercolors create a similar “flesh” tone for all of the children in the book that is light-colored, but does not necessarily denote a particular race. In contrast to the traditional attire of Ahmed, the children in the book are dressed in a modern style that looks more Western than Middle Eastern.

Ahmed learns that the needs of Habibi are important, even if Habibi cannot easily express them. Young readers will also understand Habibi’s desire to grow and be appreciated as an individual (in a red fez) in this enjoyable book.

Review Excerpts:

“Lewin's expressive, playful line-and-watercolor illustrations bring to life this funny tale” - School Library Journal (September 1, 1997)

“Lewin's (Chubbo's Pool) agile, spontaneous-looking watercolors combine graceful scrawls and squiggles with watercolor washes, humorously depicting the owner's struggle with his stubborn charge and Habibi's frisky stride through the purple-shadowed crowds of the bazaar” - Publishers Weekly (June 2, 1997)

Connections:

Read other books by Betsy Lewin (i.e. Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type) and compare.

Secure a guest speaker or find video to discuss the traditional objects in the book and how they may or may not still play a role in modern Arab culture.

Take a field trip to the zoo and see real camels!

Discuss how animals are able to communicate their needs without speaking. Do people do the same thing?

Review: Kitten's First Full Moon

Bibliography:

Henkes, Kevin. 2004. Kitten’s First Full Moon. New York: Greenwillow. ISBN 0060588292

Plot Summary:

It is night and Kitten is hungry and out on the prowl. She spies the full moon for the first time, and mistakes it for a bowl of milk. After several failed attempts to reach it, Kitten returns home and discovers a nice bowl of milk left out just for her.

Critical Analysis:

The illustrations in Kitten’s Full Moon are striking and create a strong sense of atmosphere. Drawings appear black and white upon first glance, but actually have subtle sepia tones blended in. Objects are boldly outlined. This essentially black-and-white look creates a bit of a spooky mood – we get the sense that this kitten is out for an adventure, one that the reader will be taking along with her. Henkes does a fantastic job of capturing the way things look slightly different at night, without ever making it seem too frightening or threatening.

The writing is simple, but often highly sensory. When Kitten first jumps for the moon, Henkes writes: “But Kitten only tumbled – bumping her nose and banging her ear and pinching her tail. Poor Kitten!” The reader is made to feel the bumps and bruises right along with naïve Kitten. The “Poor Kitten” refrain is also repeated, lending itself well to child participation in read alouds.

Kitten takes us with her on an adventure into the outside world. Sometimes dealing with new situations can be tough and even a little bit scary. Although Kitten repeatedly fails, she has the courage to pick herself up, dust herself off, and continue trying. Her efforts leave her bruised and soaking wet, but she ultimately finds her reward, new knowledge, and a safe haven at home.

Review Excerpts:

Awards and honors include: Caldecott Medal, Bulletin Blue Ribbom (BCCB), Charlotte Zolotow Award, ALA Notable Children’s Book, Texas 2X2 Reading List, Book Sense Pick, School Library Journal Best Book, Publisher’s Weekly Best Book, New York Times Best Book

“An irresistible offering from the multifaceted Henkes” - School Library Journal (April 1, 2004)

“Wise preschoolers may chuckle at the kitten's folly, but they'll also recognize the mysterious power of moonlight to transform the familiar world of daytime into something altogether new” - Booklist (starred review - February 15, 2004)

Connections:

Read other books by Kevin Henkes (such as Wembley Worried)

Have students think of common objects that Kitten might mistake for something else. What kind of adventures might these new objects lead Kitten on?

Have students make Kitten sack puppets and retell the story.