1.BIBLIOGRAPHY
Taback, Simms. 1997. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. New York, Viking Juvenile. ISBN 0670869392
2.PLOT SUMMARY
There was an old lady who swallowed the fly. No one knew why the old lady swallowed the fly; however, she did not stop. After she swallowed the fly, she swallowed the spider to eat the fly. Then she swallowed a bird to eat the spider. After that, she swallowed a cat to eat the bird. When that was done, she swallowed a dog to get the cat, and then she swallowed a cow to get the dog. Finally, she swallowed a horse that was supposed to get the cow but it ended up taking the life of the lady who swallowed all those insects and animals because of her crazy food choices.
3.CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The book is an imaginary story which contains some characteristics of a traditional folktale, such as rhymes, simple humor, and repetition. The illustrations were well-designed, and they portrayed humor throughout each page of the book. The interaction between the main character and these small creatures were fun too. The three main strengths I found are the rhyming patterns, sentence structures, character interactions, as well as the colorful funny illustrations.
Rhymes and Sentence structure
The whole story is filled with rhymes and repeating patterns. For instance, in every paragraph, the main sentence is repeated six times, “I don’t know why she swallowed the fly”. The other sentence which appeared at the end of each verse was “perhaps she’ll die”, and it was repeated 5 times. Furthermore, young readers will easily notice the verses and rhymes in each paragraph, such as “That wiggled and jiggled and tickled inside her”, where three words in the verse have a similar sound. Examples of other clever rhymes the author used in the story included, fly and die, spider and inside her, cat and that, and how and cow. In addition, I also found there are a lot of comparison sentences with the same basic sentence structure in the story. For instance, she swallowed the cat to catch the bird; she swallowed the bird to catch the spider; and she swallowed the spider to catch the fly. Using these similar sentence structures, young readers should be able to easily follow and memorize the lines. It is like poetry, so children can read the book aloud and sing it as a song.
Interaction and humor
The second strength is the character interaction and humor. The dialogue between the animals and the speaker make the story more attractive and funny. For instance, the dog said “I hope it’s a lie”; the cow said “There’s a tear in my eye”. Young children will find this added dialogue funny and fascinating. The dialogue makes the book more active and alive. Even though I am not a child, I still found myself laughing out loud and thoroughly enjoying the book. Furthermore, the book had small holes over the woman’s stomach showing the insect or animal after the woman had swallowed them. Young children will enjoy looking through the holes to see what was inside the woman’s stomach. They could also guess what the old lady would swallow next. The book creates a lot of interaction among the writer, illustrator, and the audience. Sometime the author expressed other peoples’ thoughts about the old lady, such as why the old lady swallowed the fly; would she die, and would people miss her dearly? The dialogue is based on a folktale first old in the 1940’s and the story made for a good picture book for both adults and children.
Illustrations
Though looking at the illustrations, I found more humor and magic on this book. First of all, I am impressed by the colorful illustrations. I felt so excited by looking at the many different colors the illustrator used in the book. I strongly believe the illustrator designed the art in the book based on children’s perspective because of clothes the old lady wears, the actions she took, and the personification of the animals. Even though these animals were swallowed by the old lady, readers will not be frightened or sad since these animals stayed calm and peaceful with a little confusion showing in their eyes why the old lady want to swallowed them in the first place. The whole book and the illustrations are filled with humorous actions and gestures. For example, on page 4 to 5, the old lady with big starry eyes covered her mouth with one hand and held an umbrella. Later, she unexpectedly wiggled and juggled her body with exaggerated expressions on page 7. All of animals had starry eyes expressing their surprising. Furthermore, the illustrations were well-designed and logically organized. For instance, in the beginning, the old lady looked normal as she swallowed the smaller creatures; however, she became bigger and bigger as she swallowed the larger animals like the cow and the horse. The other thing I noticed was the clues given by the illustrations. As an active storyteller, I would ask children to guess which animal the old lady would swallow next. The illustrator gave audiences a good clue as to what would be swallowed next. For example, on page 16, at the bottom of page, the dog stuck out its tongue and said “I hope it’s a lie”. On the next page, the old lady swallowed the dog. On page 20, the cow was placed in the right bottom corner like the dog had been placed earlier, so naturally, the old lady swallowed the cow on the very next page. The cow on the previous page said “There’s a tear in my eye”, and then on the next page, the cow was swallowed by the old lady. All of the illustrations in the book are funny and colorful.
In summary, both the dialogue and the illustrations in the book are well-designed with children in mind. These strengths were well-represented by the careful and refined creations done by the illustrator. I wish I had more space to write all of strengths I have found in this book. After I read it again and again, I found even more strengths in this book. It is one of the most amazing children’s books I have ever read. Parents and teachers could use this book for play, learning the names of different animal and insects, and language learning.
4.REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
“Here was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly” is a Caldecott Honor Book; an ALA Notable Children’s Book, and A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year (Amazon, 2011).
On Amazon.com, the library journal indicated that each page in the book was full of details and humorous asides. According to Kirkus Reviews, it is good fun to watch the old lady bulge and bloat, and the sheer corniness of the verse continues to be deeply gratifying (Amazon, 2011).
When I read this book to my neighbor’s 7 year-old daughter, she loved it! She even told me what the old lady would eat next. She laughed out loud when she heard and saw that a spider was inside the old lady’s and felt it as it wiggled and jiggled and tickled inside her. After I read the book to her, she looked at the book over and over again.
5.CONNECTIONS
Last year, I visited a friend who was a retired librarian. She lent her teaching supplies for me to use in my other children’s literacy curriculum course. I saw a toy figurine woman who had a hole in the center of her stomach. Inside of her stomach, she used a transparent plastic bag glued together under the hole. Inside of the plastic bag, there were several creatures, such as a spider, a fly, and a cat. I had not read the famous folktale last year, so I thought it was just like The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. I used it to create the story for her grandchildren. Now, I get a chance to read this interesting book which made a connection with my previous experience. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is not a traditional tale, but the framework of the story is similar to Simms Taback’s There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. The difference is the main character is an old lady instead of a caterpillar. The little caterpillar was so hungry, so it kept eating a lot of food each day.
Carle, Eric. 1994. The Very Hungry Caterpillar. New York, Philomel. ISBN 0399226907
I found another Caldecott Medal Book by the same author entitled, Joseph Had a Little Overcoat. The book is filled with rhymes and attractive colors similar to the book, There was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.
Taback, Simms. 1999. Joseph Had a Little Overcoat. New York, Viking Juvenile. ISBN 0670878553
The other connection book I have found is entitled, Peek-a-boo Who? The book is also created by Taback; however, the book is for earlier readers. It also contained rhymes and repetitive text that made this book interesting for young children to read and play.
Taback, Simms. 2006. Peek-a-Boo Who? New Jersey, Blue Apple Books. ISBN 1593541805
Reference
Amazon. com., accessed Feb 21, 2011, http://www.amazon.com/Very-Hungry-Caterpillar-Eric-Carle/dp/0399226907
Amazon. com., accessed Feb 20, 2011, http://www.amazon.com/There-Lady-Swallowed-Caldecott-Honor/dp/B0009HARWA/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1298514803&sr=1-2
Bussongs.com, accessed Feb 22, 2011,
http://bussongs.com/songs/there_was_an_old_lady_who_swallowed_a_fly.php
Nursery Rhymes, assessed Feb 22, 2011,
http://www.rhymes.org.uk/there_was_an_old_lady.htm
The article is created on Feb. 23, 2011
2011年2月23日 星期三
The Greatest of All
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kimmel, Eric. A. 1991. The Greatest Of All: A Japanese Folktale. Ill. by Carmi, Giora. New York, Holiday House. ISBN 0823412032
2. PLOT SUMMARY
One day Chuko Mouse told her father that she wished to marry a handsome mouse, Ko Nezumi. However, her father was so proud of his daughter and wanted his daughter to find the best husband in the world. He went on a journey seeking the greatest husband he could find for his daughter. He asked the Emperor, Sun, Cloud, Wind, and Wall to marry his daughter; however, none of them thought they were the greatest of all. In the end, he found the greatest husband for his daughter; a humble field mouse, Ko Nezumi.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
After reading this Japanese folktale picture book, I found that this book represented Japanese culture in the way the animals dressed, the characters the author created, and the names he used, as well as the words the Emperor wrote in his haiku poem for the wedding. I believe that children would enjoy this book very much because children are always interested in animals, especially animals depicted with human features. The picture book contains some characteristics that make it fun for children, such as repetition, simple and direct words, as well as some educational moments inside the story. I found that the picture book has several strengths, including culture representations, illustrations, and personifications.
Culture representation
The first strength I found was that the story matched Asian and Japanese culture. In Asian, especially in Japan, the father is always the one that makes decisions. Wives and children follow what the father says even if they might not agree. Could you imagine how you would react if your parents asked you to marry someone you did not like in the U.S.? On page 5 and 6, the illustrations also showed the comparison of power between the father mouse and his daughter. The father sat on the chair with big wide open eyes, but the daughter mouse bent her head down as she stood in front of the father mouse to show her respect and concern towards the father mouse as she was talking about the field mouse and marriage with her father. As what I mentioned earlier, the story represented Japanese culture based on the characters the author created, the clothing they wore, their behavior, as well as the names they used.
Personification
This is a traditional folktale and all of characters that were introduced personified human traits and acted like human beings. I was so impressed with the setting and the main protagonist, father mouse, because he was created with an obviously strong pretentious personality. He is very proud of himself in the way he dressed and spoke, as well as the place he stayed. For instance, the father mouse was a sleek creature with shiny fur and stunning whiskers. He said “A humble field mouse! That will never be! My daughter deserves the best and must be the greatest of all.” Also, the mouse family lived in a corner of the Emperor’s palace. All of these sentences and settings helped to convey the father's strong personality.
Furthermore, the other characters, such as Sun, Cloud, Wind, and Wall, also acted as people with human feelings and behaviors.
Illustrations
The last strength I have found was the illustrations. The illustrator created these potential husbands showing their strength, so the father mouse thought they were the greatest candidates to marry his daughter. For example, the Emperor was so big, the Sun was so shiny, and the cloud blew strongly at the father mouse. I really liked the detailed illustrations, especially on page 19 and 20, where the wind blew the cloud and the father mouse. The father mouse had to hold on tightly to the tree and his power sticker just flew away from the strength of the wind. Furthermore, the illustrations also emphasized the comparisons between the big creatures and small creatures, such as the Emperor and the small mouse and the Sun and the small house. The illustrations in the book also represented the cultural setting and the main characters’ personalities.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
On the Amazon’s website, Kirkus Reviews that the illustrator, Giora Carmi, used tall frames and details of dress to suggest a Japanese setting; her style is lively and accessible but undistinguished. The illustrations' muted tomato-soup borders were more distracting than harmonious; however, it is still an acceptable setting for a good story (Amazon, 2011).
The Publisher’s Weekly review stated that the warm colors and distinctive texture marks made the illustrations and story more effective and represented renderings of anthropomorphic natural elements.
The Children’s Literature review indicated that superb details abound in the full-page sketches providing the particulars on ancient Japanese architecture, costume, and design.
5. CONNECTIONS
I found another Japanese folktale book entitled, Three Samurai Cats, that was also created by Kimmel. It is a relative book using the animals as the main characters to tell the story.
Kimmel, Eric. A. 2004. Three Samurai Cats: A Story From Japan. New York, Holiday House. ISBN: 0823418774
Another relative book entitled, Pippa Mouse, also used a mouse as the main character. After reading the reviews from different websites, I posted the book on my blog because it is a traditional folktale that people in the U.S. heard when they were young.
Boegehold, Betty D. 1973. Pippa Mouse. Ill. by Szekeres, Cyndy. New York, Knopf Books. ISBN: 0394926714
References
Amazon. com., accessed Feb 20, 2011, http://www.amazon.com/Pippa-Mouse-Read-Aloud-Read-Alone-Stories/dp/0394926714
Amazon. com., accessed Feb 21, 2011, http://www.amazon.com/Greatest-All-Japanese-Folktale/dp/082340885X
The article was created on Feb. 22, 2011
Kimmel, Eric. A. 1991. The Greatest Of All: A Japanese Folktale. Ill. by Carmi, Giora. New York, Holiday House. ISBN 0823412032
2. PLOT SUMMARY
One day Chuko Mouse told her father that she wished to marry a handsome mouse, Ko Nezumi. However, her father was so proud of his daughter and wanted his daughter to find the best husband in the world. He went on a journey seeking the greatest husband he could find for his daughter. He asked the Emperor, Sun, Cloud, Wind, and Wall to marry his daughter; however, none of them thought they were the greatest of all. In the end, he found the greatest husband for his daughter; a humble field mouse, Ko Nezumi.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
After reading this Japanese folktale picture book, I found that this book represented Japanese culture in the way the animals dressed, the characters the author created, and the names he used, as well as the words the Emperor wrote in his haiku poem for the wedding. I believe that children would enjoy this book very much because children are always interested in animals, especially animals depicted with human features. The picture book contains some characteristics that make it fun for children, such as repetition, simple and direct words, as well as some educational moments inside the story. I found that the picture book has several strengths, including culture representations, illustrations, and personifications.
Culture representation
The first strength I found was that the story matched Asian and Japanese culture. In Asian, especially in Japan, the father is always the one that makes decisions. Wives and children follow what the father says even if they might not agree. Could you imagine how you would react if your parents asked you to marry someone you did not like in the U.S.? On page 5 and 6, the illustrations also showed the comparison of power between the father mouse and his daughter. The father sat on the chair with big wide open eyes, but the daughter mouse bent her head down as she stood in front of the father mouse to show her respect and concern towards the father mouse as she was talking about the field mouse and marriage with her father. As what I mentioned earlier, the story represented Japanese culture based on the characters the author created, the clothing they wore, their behavior, as well as the names they used.
Personification
This is a traditional folktale and all of characters that were introduced personified human traits and acted like human beings. I was so impressed with the setting and the main protagonist, father mouse, because he was created with an obviously strong pretentious personality. He is very proud of himself in the way he dressed and spoke, as well as the place he stayed. For instance, the father mouse was a sleek creature with shiny fur and stunning whiskers. He said “A humble field mouse! That will never be! My daughter deserves the best and must be the greatest of all.” Also, the mouse family lived in a corner of the Emperor’s palace. All of these sentences and settings helped to convey the father's strong personality.
Furthermore, the other characters, such as Sun, Cloud, Wind, and Wall, also acted as people with human feelings and behaviors.
Illustrations
The last strength I have found was the illustrations. The illustrator created these potential husbands showing their strength, so the father mouse thought they were the greatest candidates to marry his daughter. For example, the Emperor was so big, the Sun was so shiny, and the cloud blew strongly at the father mouse. I really liked the detailed illustrations, especially on page 19 and 20, where the wind blew the cloud and the father mouse. The father mouse had to hold on tightly to the tree and his power sticker just flew away from the strength of the wind. Furthermore, the illustrations also emphasized the comparisons between the big creatures and small creatures, such as the Emperor and the small mouse and the Sun and the small house. The illustrations in the book also represented the cultural setting and the main characters’ personalities.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
On the Amazon’s website, Kirkus Reviews that the illustrator, Giora Carmi, used tall frames and details of dress to suggest a Japanese setting; her style is lively and accessible but undistinguished. The illustrations' muted tomato-soup borders were more distracting than harmonious; however, it is still an acceptable setting for a good story (Amazon, 2011).
The Publisher’s Weekly review stated that the warm colors and distinctive texture marks made the illustrations and story more effective and represented renderings of anthropomorphic natural elements.
The Children’s Literature review indicated that superb details abound in the full-page sketches providing the particulars on ancient Japanese architecture, costume, and design.
5. CONNECTIONS
I found another Japanese folktale book entitled, Three Samurai Cats, that was also created by Kimmel. It is a relative book using the animals as the main characters to tell the story.
Kimmel, Eric. A. 2004. Three Samurai Cats: A Story From Japan. New York, Holiday House. ISBN: 0823418774
Another relative book entitled, Pippa Mouse, also used a mouse as the main character. After reading the reviews from different websites, I posted the book on my blog because it is a traditional folktale that people in the U.S. heard when they were young.
Boegehold, Betty D. 1973. Pippa Mouse. Ill. by Szekeres, Cyndy. New York, Knopf Books. ISBN: 0394926714
References
Amazon. com., accessed Feb 20, 2011, http://www.amazon.com/Pippa-Mouse-Read-Aloud-Read-Alone-Stories/dp/0394926714
Amazon. com., accessed Feb 21, 2011, http://www.amazon.com/Greatest-All-Japanese-Folktale/dp/082340885X
The article was created on Feb. 22, 2011
The Three Pigs
1.BIBLIOGRAPHY
Wiesner, David. 2001. THE THREE PIGS. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0618007016
2.PLOT SUMMARY
This story is about three little pigs that went out to seek their own fortune. All three of them started to build their own houses using different materials, including straw, sticks, and bricks. However, a bad wolf came after them trying to destroy their house and eat them. After the wolf blew the straw house down, the first pig was blown out of the story and into another world. Later, the second pig also entered the other world with the first pig when the wolf huffed and puffed and blew down his house made of sticks. When the wolf went to the third house, the little pig was out of the story with the other two. They all flew on paper airplanes to another imaginary world to take part in two different stories and found happiness in a strange new world. One of the stories they landed in, they saved their new dragon friend. The new friend went home with them and when the wolf tried to blow down the house made of bricks, the dragon stuck his head out of the window and scared the wolf away.
3.CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The picture book is a variant tale of The Three Pigs by David Wiesner based on the framework of the traditional tale, adding more characters and a funny experience for the three little pigs in an imaginary world. When children read this version of the Three Pigs, they will be very surprised and excited to explore the new elements of the story with a different and happy ending. Normally, readers would expect what would happen at the end of the traditional tale due to the familiarity of the story. The story shares features of the traditional tale, such as simple and direct wording, fast-moving action, repetitive patterns and a happy ending. The story started with a traditional tale, then takes an interesting and fun twist. I strongly believe the story is well-designed and fun for children because of the tone of the story, plot, setting, as well as the beautiful, realistic illustrations.
Tone of the story
The tone of the story expresses what the writers’ attitude is toward their subjects and readers (lecture note, 2011). Some writers use the third person narrative to tell the story with a broad and objective view. Some writers prefer to use the first person narrative giving more insight into the characters, expressing their emotions and feelings. The tone of voice would influence how readers feel about the protagonists. The traditional tale of The Three Pigs used the third person point of view to express the story. For instance, there were three pigs that went out into the world to seek their fortune; now the second pig built his house out of sticks on page one and four. Wiesner added the first person point of view to express their insightful feelings and actions through some dialogue, but he did not completely go away from the third person point of view in the story. The story contained both the third and first person point of views together to narrate the story with more insight, feeling, and emotional expression. For instance, when the three pigs were out of the story, the tone became the first person point of view expressing “Let’s explore this place; we got away from that wolf…for good; and I think we’re going to like it here” Through this first person narrative, the story became more alive and interesting.
Plot and Setting
This section will focus on the plot structure, setting, and characters. In the integrated structure, the story was well-designed with each time sequence well-defined. Readers can easily follow each event in the story. The story is based on the traditional tale; therefore, it has similar characteristics of traditional tale, including a fast moving plot, repetitive pattern, good versus evil, and a happy ending. Furthermore, the story still included the main protagonists and had a similar framework of the original story from the beginning to the end. However, the author added more characters and plots in the middle of story which added some funny and amazing experiences with interaction between different characters and the original three little pigs. Contrary to the traditional tale, the bad wolf did not die, but it was punished by his surprise and fear when he saw the giant dragon.
The author switched the setting in the middle of the story since the three pigs were out of the story on page 5. In the beginning, the setting is in the forest with the bad wolf and three little pigs building their houses. Then the setting jumped to the imaginary world with two different story settings, including a happy animal world; a friendly dragon and princes. Between the first traditional setting and the two different story settings, there is a transitional setting when the pigs are traveling via paper airplanes to their new imaginary worlds. At the end of the story, the setting shifted back to the original setting with the same protagonists and the new character, the friendly dragon.
Through the characters, Wiesner still kept the three pigs as the main protagonists and the wolf as the antagonist symbolizing the evil, bad character in the story. In the middle of the story, the author created more and more silent and flat characters to extend the complex setting and plots, such as the cow, the little dog, the dish, the spoon, and the prince. Through the involvement of the other main protagonist, the dragon, the story broadened the story theme and made it different and unique from other story.
Illustrations
The author was also the illustrator of the book and he used watercolors, colored inks, pencils, as well as color pencils to express the characters and settings. The illustrations helped to convey the feelings and emotions of the characters, such as on page 2, when the bad wolf approached the first pig’s house, the first pig was hiding inside of the house with alarmed eyes and shaking hair. Here Wiesner used pencil drawings to emphasize the feelings and expressions in contrast with the big mouth of the bad wolf. The illustrator also used different drawing styles to distinguish the three pigs in the original story and the imaginary world. Young readers will be able to see the obvious differences between the original three pigs from the three pigs in the different settings. Moreover, I was so surprised when I turned to mostly blank pages only showing the paper airplane in flight from page 12 to 17. My first thought was whether or not the story ended in an unexpected way or what would actually happen on the next page. This style design raised my curiosity and kept my interest to explore and read the story further. I really enjoyed looking at all of the different art through these uncertain and unexpected explorations. The other advantage of the illustration design is how the words appeared to explode at the moment in which the wolf saw the dragon on page 36. These dancing words coincided with the happiness expressed by the three main characters showing their complete joy at the end of the story.
In summary, the story gave me a good example of how to understand what variant tales are and how authors develop them to compare to the traditional tales. The variant tale of the Three Pigs introduces new characters who interact with the three protagonists. It also used different point of views to enrich the story structure. I believe that the interaction dialogue made the story more active and fun. I appreciate the art throughout the book; however, I was a little confused when I first read the story because of the complex setting and tone. It could be a pro and con debate because English is not my first language. I was confused on page 3 that the wolf ate the pig up and I wondered whether the wolf ate it or not. Later on, I figured out on page 5 that the wolf did not eat the second pig because of his confused expression in wondering, as I had done earlier, just what happened to the pigs. This book gave me a complete new experience to look at the picture book and compare it to the traditional tale. I really enjoyed reading and looking at the outstanding art in the book.
4.REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
David Wiesner was the Caldecott Medal Winner and the Caldecott Honor Winners for the book. The book was the Winner of the 2002 Caldecott Medal.
On Best-Childrens-books.com, , Steve Barancik (2011) indicated that Wiesner’s The Three Pigs opened him up to a broader way of looking at art and literature, as well as, to explore and go everywhere based on the traditional tale.
On the Powell’s Books.com, Publishers Weekly (2011) reviewed that the book used white space and perspective to evoke a feeling that the characters could navigate with unlimited possibilities.
5. CONNECTIONS
I found the other variant tales of The Three Pigs entitled, Three Little Pigs and the Fox by William Hooks (1972). The story changed the gender of the third pig and added three recommendations from their mother before they went out to seek their fortune.
Sierra, Judy. 2010. Tell the truth, B.B. Wolf. New York : Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN: 0375956204
The other connection book I have found is a book entitled, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. This version of book was opposite from most of other versions based on the wolf’s perspective expressing the story.
Scieszka, Jon, 1999. The true story of the three little Pigs. New York : Viking. ISBN: 0670888443
Reference
Powell’s Books, assessed Feb 20, 2011, http://www.powells.com/biblio/0618007016
Best-Childrens-books. Com., accessed Feb 20, 2011, http://www.best-childrens-books.com/the-three-pigs.html
The article is created on Feb. 21, 2011
Wiesner, David. 2001. THE THREE PIGS. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0618007016
2.PLOT SUMMARY
This story is about three little pigs that went out to seek their own fortune. All three of them started to build their own houses using different materials, including straw, sticks, and bricks. However, a bad wolf came after them trying to destroy their house and eat them. After the wolf blew the straw house down, the first pig was blown out of the story and into another world. Later, the second pig also entered the other world with the first pig when the wolf huffed and puffed and blew down his house made of sticks. When the wolf went to the third house, the little pig was out of the story with the other two. They all flew on paper airplanes to another imaginary world to take part in two different stories and found happiness in a strange new world. One of the stories they landed in, they saved their new dragon friend. The new friend went home with them and when the wolf tried to blow down the house made of bricks, the dragon stuck his head out of the window and scared the wolf away.
3.CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The picture book is a variant tale of The Three Pigs by David Wiesner based on the framework of the traditional tale, adding more characters and a funny experience for the three little pigs in an imaginary world. When children read this version of the Three Pigs, they will be very surprised and excited to explore the new elements of the story with a different and happy ending. Normally, readers would expect what would happen at the end of the traditional tale due to the familiarity of the story. The story shares features of the traditional tale, such as simple and direct wording, fast-moving action, repetitive patterns and a happy ending. The story started with a traditional tale, then takes an interesting and fun twist. I strongly believe the story is well-designed and fun for children because of the tone of the story, plot, setting, as well as the beautiful, realistic illustrations.
Tone of the story
The tone of the story expresses what the writers’ attitude is toward their subjects and readers (lecture note, 2011). Some writers use the third person narrative to tell the story with a broad and objective view. Some writers prefer to use the first person narrative giving more insight into the characters, expressing their emotions and feelings. The tone of voice would influence how readers feel about the protagonists. The traditional tale of The Three Pigs used the third person point of view to express the story. For instance, there were three pigs that went out into the world to seek their fortune; now the second pig built his house out of sticks on page one and four. Wiesner added the first person point of view to express their insightful feelings and actions through some dialogue, but he did not completely go away from the third person point of view in the story. The story contained both the third and first person point of views together to narrate the story with more insight, feeling, and emotional expression. For instance, when the three pigs were out of the story, the tone became the first person point of view expressing “Let’s explore this place; we got away from that wolf…for good; and I think we’re going to like it here” Through this first person narrative, the story became more alive and interesting.
Plot and Setting
This section will focus on the plot structure, setting, and characters. In the integrated structure, the story was well-designed with each time sequence well-defined. Readers can easily follow each event in the story. The story is based on the traditional tale; therefore, it has similar characteristics of traditional tale, including a fast moving plot, repetitive pattern, good versus evil, and a happy ending. Furthermore, the story still included the main protagonists and had a similar framework of the original story from the beginning to the end. However, the author added more characters and plots in the middle of story which added some funny and amazing experiences with interaction between different characters and the original three little pigs. Contrary to the traditional tale, the bad wolf did not die, but it was punished by his surprise and fear when he saw the giant dragon.
The author switched the setting in the middle of the story since the three pigs were out of the story on page 5. In the beginning, the setting is in the forest with the bad wolf and three little pigs building their houses. Then the setting jumped to the imaginary world with two different story settings, including a happy animal world; a friendly dragon and princes. Between the first traditional setting and the two different story settings, there is a transitional setting when the pigs are traveling via paper airplanes to their new imaginary worlds. At the end of the story, the setting shifted back to the original setting with the same protagonists and the new character, the friendly dragon.
Through the characters, Wiesner still kept the three pigs as the main protagonists and the wolf as the antagonist symbolizing the evil, bad character in the story. In the middle of the story, the author created more and more silent and flat characters to extend the complex setting and plots, such as the cow, the little dog, the dish, the spoon, and the prince. Through the involvement of the other main protagonist, the dragon, the story broadened the story theme and made it different and unique from other story.
Illustrations
The author was also the illustrator of the book and he used watercolors, colored inks, pencils, as well as color pencils to express the characters and settings. The illustrations helped to convey the feelings and emotions of the characters, such as on page 2, when the bad wolf approached the first pig’s house, the first pig was hiding inside of the house with alarmed eyes and shaking hair. Here Wiesner used pencil drawings to emphasize the feelings and expressions in contrast with the big mouth of the bad wolf. The illustrator also used different drawing styles to distinguish the three pigs in the original story and the imaginary world. Young readers will be able to see the obvious differences between the original three pigs from the three pigs in the different settings. Moreover, I was so surprised when I turned to mostly blank pages only showing the paper airplane in flight from page 12 to 17. My first thought was whether or not the story ended in an unexpected way or what would actually happen on the next page. This style design raised my curiosity and kept my interest to explore and read the story further. I really enjoyed looking at all of the different art through these uncertain and unexpected explorations. The other advantage of the illustration design is how the words appeared to explode at the moment in which the wolf saw the dragon on page 36. These dancing words coincided with the happiness expressed by the three main characters showing their complete joy at the end of the story.
In summary, the story gave me a good example of how to understand what variant tales are and how authors develop them to compare to the traditional tales. The variant tale of the Three Pigs introduces new characters who interact with the three protagonists. It also used different point of views to enrich the story structure. I believe that the interaction dialogue made the story more active and fun. I appreciate the art throughout the book; however, I was a little confused when I first read the story because of the complex setting and tone. It could be a pro and con debate because English is not my first language. I was confused on page 3 that the wolf ate the pig up and I wondered whether the wolf ate it or not. Later on, I figured out on page 5 that the wolf did not eat the second pig because of his confused expression in wondering, as I had done earlier, just what happened to the pigs. This book gave me a complete new experience to look at the picture book and compare it to the traditional tale. I really enjoyed reading and looking at the outstanding art in the book.
4.REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
David Wiesner was the Caldecott Medal Winner and the Caldecott Honor Winners for the book. The book was the Winner of the 2002 Caldecott Medal.
On Best-Childrens-books.com, , Steve Barancik (2011) indicated that Wiesner’s The Three Pigs opened him up to a broader way of looking at art and literature, as well as, to explore and go everywhere based on the traditional tale.
On the Powell’s Books.com, Publishers Weekly (2011) reviewed that the book used white space and perspective to evoke a feeling that the characters could navigate with unlimited possibilities.
5. CONNECTIONS
I found the other variant tales of The Three Pigs entitled, Three Little Pigs and the Fox by William Hooks (1972). The story changed the gender of the third pig and added three recommendations from their mother before they went out to seek their fortune.
Sierra, Judy. 2010. Tell the truth, B.B. Wolf. New York : Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN: 0375956204
The other connection book I have found is a book entitled, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. This version of book was opposite from most of other versions based on the wolf’s perspective expressing the story.
Scieszka, Jon, 1999. The true story of the three little Pigs. New York : Viking. ISBN: 0670888443
Reference
Powell’s Books, assessed Feb 20, 2011, http://www.powells.com/biblio/0618007016
Best-Childrens-books. Com., accessed Feb 20, 2011, http://www.best-childrens-books.com/the-three-pigs.html
The article is created on Feb. 21, 2011
2011年2月19日 星期六
Taiwanese Folktale and Rhyme: “TIGER AUNTY”
When I was young, I heard the story and songs from my parents and teachers. When I studied in earlier childhood education in college, I heard the story, too. It is quite common and popular story in Taiwan. It has been translated to English version. I want to introduce this Taiwanese Folktale to all of you. And I wonder whether the story could be told with little kids. In the Asian culture, adults want to use some scare stories to make children to de good and follow what they want to be. What do you think from your perspective in the U.S.?
This is the 12 minutes on-line movies
http://www.jodyanimator.com/tvseries/aunt_tiger.html
The story has different version based on who tell the story.
It also was been created to a Nursery rhyme.
I provide two links on you-tube, you could click them and listen to it in Chinese.
I would provide the simple translation based on word to word.
虎姑婆 (TIGER AUNTY)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt9hgM51jAw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ8ev70C6o4&feature=related
Long, Long time ago (好久好久的故事)
My mother told me; (是媽媽告訴我)
In a deep dark night (在好深好深的夜裡)
There is the “TIGER AUNTY.” (會有虎姑婆)
So, crying children, do not cry (爱哭的孩子不要哭)
For she will bite your little ears. (他會咬你的小耳朵)
Awoken kids, fall asleep quickly. (不睡的孩子趕快睡)
If you do not sleep, she will bite your little fingers. (他會咬你的小指頭)
Remember, Remember. (還記得,還記得)
He said with his squinted eyes, (眯著眼睛說)
Good kids fall asleep (乖乖的孩子睡著了)
The END (Repeat several times in the same paragraph)
This is the 12 minutes on-line movies
http://www.jodyanimator.com/tvseries/aunt_tiger.html
The story has different version based on who tell the story.
It also was been created to a Nursery rhyme.
I provide two links on you-tube, you could click them and listen to it in Chinese.
I would provide the simple translation based on word to word.
虎姑婆 (TIGER AUNTY)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt9hgM51jAw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ8ev70C6o4&feature=related
Long, Long time ago (好久好久的故事)
My mother told me; (是媽媽告訴我)
In a deep dark night (在好深好深的夜裡)
There is the “TIGER AUNTY.” (會有虎姑婆)
So, crying children, do not cry (爱哭的孩子不要哭)
For she will bite your little ears. (他會咬你的小耳朵)
Awoken kids, fall asleep quickly. (不睡的孩子趕快睡)
If you do not sleep, she will bite your little fingers. (他會咬你的小指頭)
Remember, Remember. (還記得,還記得)
He said with his squinted eyes, (眯著眼睛說)
Good kids fall asleep (乖乖的孩子睡著了)
The END (Repeat several times in the same paragraph)
2011年2月8日 星期二
Kitten's First Full Moon Book Review
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Henkes, Kevin. 2004. KITTEN’S FIRST FULL MOON. Ill. by Henkes, Kevin. New Year, Greenwillow. ISBN 0060588284
2. PLOT SUMMARY
A little kitten thought the full moon was a little bowl of milk in the sky, so she tried to get it to drink by chasing, climbing, and racing after the moon. However, all of her attempts failed because the little kitten did not realize how far away the moon really was. After several unsuccessful attempts at capturing the moon, she returned home sad and exhausted from her attempts to capture the moon. When the little kitten returned home, she discovered a real bowl of milk waiting for her on the porch.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
After reading this picture book, I was impressed by the illustrations and the simple to understand, yet kind words. First, the illustrations were well-designed, and it portrayed the little kitten’s actions and emotions without having to use real words. On page 3 and 4, the text described the little kitten’s actions, but the illustrations did a great job of showing the shock of ending up with a bug in her mouth by the kitten’s wide-eyed expression. I believe illustrations like this capture a child’s imagination and make the book funnier. Another instance is on page 24 the text only stated that “she (the kitten) went back home”, but the six successive illustrations not only showed the little kitten returning home, but also conveyed the tiredness and frustration the little kitten felt. By looking at the illustrations, the reader could see and understand the little kitten’s disappointment without understanding the words. In the book, the illustrations play an important role in expressing what author wants the reader to know even though the pictures are not colorful. I believe that the use of black and white color emphasizes the darkness of nigh and the whiteness of the moon.
The second strength is the pattern and structure which makes it simple for children to follow and predict the outcome. For instance, when the little kitten chased the full moon, she ran down the sidewalk, though the garden, past the field, and by the pond. The sentence structure was repeated, similar to each other, and easy to follow. Therefore, young children are able to predict what would happen next. Furthermore, I also saw some comparisons throughout the book, such as unlucky to lucky, white to black. Even though young readers may not find them immediately, the balance was designed to make the book more accessible.
Another interesting part I really liked was the humorous plots based on the perspective of children. Author Kevin Henkes added some humorous moments where the little kitten closed her eyes, stretched her neck, opened her mouth, but unintentionally ended up with a bug on her tongue. The little kitten wanted to catch the moon, but each time she tried, she failed in a funny way. These funny actions of the kitten represent young children’s common behaviors. When children see these things, they may have a similar feeling to the little kitten. It is a wonderfully charming picture book, and I would highly recommend this book to young readers.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Kitten's First Full Moon won the 2005 Caldecott Medal - The Caldecott Medal is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children published that year. Along with the Newbery Medal, it is the most prestigious American children's book award.
Vona Van Cleef, a librarian from El Paso, TX., wrote that she purchased the book because it was the 2005 Caldecott winner. She said that it has been one of her 18-month-old grandson's favorite books. She recommends the book for younger children and mentions that the book is on the Texas 2X2 list for children 2 years-old to the 2nd grade comprised by the Texas Library Association (Amazon, 2011).
When I read this book in Chinese for my friend’s 5 year-old, he loved it. He laughed out loud when he saw the illustrations on page 3 and 4, as the little kitten tried to lick the moon thinking it was milk and got a bug on her tongue. He was very curious about what was going to happen next. He said the little kitten is cute, funny, but not very smart.
5. CONNECTIONS
Another picture book, A Good Day, was also created by Kevin Henkes. The book employed a similar illustration style, using thick lines and uncluttered illustrations, as Kitten's First Full Moon. Four creatures have a bad day at the beginning of the story, but by the end of story, the bad day has turned out to be a good one after all (Amazon, 2011). The two pictures book both tell young readers that sometimes a bad day or making a mistake can end up with something good coming out of it, even though it might be frustrating initially.I found the children's book, Black and White, is a relative book using the black and white drawing style and also was a Caldecott Medal award winner.
Macaulay, David. 2005. BLACK AND WHITE. Sandpiper. ISBN 0618636870
Henkes, Kevin. 2007. A Good Day. New Year, Greenwillow. ISBN 006114018X
Reference
Amazon. com., accessed Feb 4, 2011, http://www.amazon.com/Good-Day-Kevin-Henkes/
Amazon. com., accessed Feb 4, 2011,http://www.amazon.com/Kittens-First-Full-Kevin-Henkes/dp/0060588284
The article is created on Feb. 7, 2011
Freedom River Book Review
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Rappaport, Doreen, 2000. FREEDOM RIVER. Illustrated by Bryan Collier. CH: Hyperion Book. ISBN 9780786803507
2. PLOT SUMMARY
The story started before the Civil War and is based on a true story about a heroic black man, John Parker, who helped other slaves gain their freedom. Before the Civil War, Kentucky was a slave state and Ohio a free state. If the slaves were able to cross the Ohio River into Kentucky, they could start a new life and gain their freedom. John Parker was a former slave who owned an iron factory in the free state of Ohio, yet risked his life to help slaves from Kentucky escape on the famous Underground Railroad. This story looks at how John Parker helped one slave family escape, but not without many problems that had to be overcome. Initially, the father of the slave family refused to escape with John Parker because his wife and their baby were in danger. The owner of the slave family knew that they would never leave their baby, so the owner had the baby sleep at the foot of his bed. After finally persuading the family to leave, Parker managed to steal the baby, trick the slave owner, and lead the family to safety. John Parker was a free man who risked his life and his freedom to save this family.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This is my first time to read the book illustrated by Bryan Collier. After reading this book, I found particular strengths in the illustration design, emotional portrayals, color choices, and organization, as well as the word arrangement. This book has no weaknesses that I found.
Illustration Design
Bryan Collier used collage and watercolor dominated by deep blues and browns that added to the emotion of the story. By using this multi-layered inspirational art technique, the illustrator was able to help tell the story of a dark and painful time in American history.
Portraying Deep Emotions
By looking at illustrations Bryan Collier created, readers are able to feel and sense the main characters’ profound inner emotions. These illustrations helped tell the story of the life of slaves, their sadness, and the desire for freedom. On the page 6, Bryan Collier depicted a black women holding her hands together to pray with a pair of closing eyes. This illustration expressed the pain of being a slave and the desire for freedom.
On page 7 and 9, the black couple are represented in the dilemma about whether or not they need to follow John Parker to save their lives. On page 14, Bryan Collier vividly portrayed the anger of the slave owner when he saw that the family had escaped. These illustrations helped young readers have a better understanding of American history and the deep emotion expressions in this story.
The color and time setting
All of the illustrations were painted using deep blues and dark colors which represented the sadness of the history of slavery. These color choices helped emphasize the emotions and feelings. Even though young readers might not know all of the vocabulary and words, they still can understand the risks involved and the sadness of slavery through the vivid illustrations.
The organization
The author utilized capital letters, bold print, and repetition to highlight the anxious moments in the plot. By using this writing style, the writer was able to emphasize the danger and risks of Parker's exploits.
In summary, the illustrations of this book through the design, color choices. and organization enhance the reader's understanding of the emotions of the slave era, the desire for freedom, and the bravery it took to pursue freedom. The writer used various word arrangements to emphasize some of the intense story plots.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
I found that the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Books have won two awards, as well as an Amazon Bestsellers Rank of 5 stars.
Based on the School Library Journal from the Amazon website, the book was reviewed as a strikingly beautiful picture book relating the true story of John Parker. The title of Freedom River was notable and thought-provoking (Amazon, 2011). Based on the booklist review on the Amazon website, the book was an inspiring story with stirring narrative pictures which expressed the spiritual message (Amazon, 2011).
5. CONNECTIONS
For teachers who would like to introduce the role slaves played in American history, I believe this book is a good start for Pre-K and first grade students. Another connection book to this book I found is entitled Friend on Freedom River. After introducing Freedom River, teachers could introduce this book to students because the story is based on the same time in history, only it is about a 12-year-old boy helping a female to escape slavery with her two children.
Whelan, Gloria. 2005. Friend on Freedom River. Ill. by Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen. Sleeping Bear Press. ISBN 1585362220
Another book teachers could use in connection to these two books is Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. illustrated by Bryan Collier, the same illustrator as Freedom River. These books help tell the story of slavery and the civil rights movement that are deeply embedded in American history.
Rappaport, Doreen. 2001. MARTIN'S BIG WORDS: THE LIFE OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. CH: Hyperion Book. ISBN 0786807148
Reference
Amazon. com., accessed Feb 4, 2011, http://www.amazon.com/Freedom-River-Coretta-Scott-Illustrator/dp/0786803509
Amazon.com, assessed Feb 4, 2011, http://www.amazon.com/Martins-Big-Words-Martin-Luther/dp/0786807148
2011年2月3日 星期四
GENRE 1- First picture Book Review: The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
Book Review: The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss (2011/2/3)
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Seuss, Dr. The Cat in the Hat. Boston: Random House, 1957. ISBN: 0394900014
2. PLOT SUMMARY
On a frigid, rainy day, a little boy and his sister were home alone watching the bad weather outside through the window. Suddenly, a stranger, a happy, mischievous cat wearing a hat, got into their house and showed them some fun games. No matter what the two children and their pet fish said, the strange cat still insisted that they do things his way. First of all, the cat performed different types of wacky tricks, but they failed to amuse the children. Later on, he brought in a wooden box from outside. Inside the box were two creatures, named Thing One and Thing Two who begin to fly kites inside the house. The two little creatures were completely out of control and tore the house apart. The family pet fish protested the Cat's actions, but it proved to be in vain. In the end, the little boy used a net to catch the two Things and bring the Cat under control. To make up for all the trouble he has caused, the Cat in the Hat cleans up the house entirely and leaves one second before the mother got home.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In this picture book, Dr. Seuss created the main character, a cat in the hat, to express a little child's imagination when they are stranded inside the house on a raining cold day. I believe the story is well-designed and fun for children because of the tone of story, the characters, and the plot structure.
Using the little boy’s point of view, Dr. Seuss conveys the feelings of the children who feel a little bored and desired to do something out of the ordinary while stuck inside in the cold rainy weather. Based on the first person point of view, young readers could share similar feelings as the boy.
Through the characters, Dr. Seuss created diverse vivid main characters, including the protagonist (the cat in the hat), the antagonist (fish), and silent characters (Sally and mother). The opposing characters, the cat and fish, made the story more fun and mischievous, especially when the author created a lot of humorous dialogue between the two characters.
For example, when the cat insisted on performing his new tricks, the fish kept saying "No, No, make that cat go away". When the cat put the fish up to his hat, the fish said put me down. When I read the dialogue, I laughed loudly. The interaction between the unique characters makes me love the story more and more.
In the plot structure, the author put several conflicts in the story making readers want to know the result quickly. The first conflict is whether or not the two little children should allow the cat inside the house while their parents were gone. The other conflict is how to deal with the problem created by the two small creatures, Thing One and Thing Two. After the boy asked the cat to leave, the two children showed their surprise and hopelessness for all of mess and disorder that the cat had created in their house. At the last second, the cat returned and solved all of the problems he left for them. There is no gap between the plot and the story was followed by an opening (two children sitting inside the house looking out the window with the bad, cold, and rainy weather), development (the cat showing his own fun games and tricks), conflict (how to deal with the mess in the last second before mother got home), and a closed ending (problem solved). I especially liked the end of the story, when the author asked readers what they would do if they were the two children.
I also found more interesting advantages of this book after I read it again and again. Dr. Seuss used rhymes and echoes to make it easy for young readers to follow and read.
Rhymes
Rhymes were designed in the book using simple words. For example, the obvious rhymes are cat and hat, play and day. On pages one, two, seven, eight, thirteen, and so on, Dr. Seuss used four sentences in each paragraph. At the end of each sentence, there is a rhyming word that ends every line of verse, such as play and day, two and do, ball and all, sunny and funny, as well as all and fall.
Repeating pattern- Echo
The author utilized some repeating patterns throughout the book. A good children's picture book should present some repeating patterns for young readers because it would help them to memorize and easily follow the pattern and story. For example, every time that the cat put something new on his hat for the performance, he would say “that is not all.” Therefore, readers could predict what the cat would say next when he put more stuff on his hat or hand.
In summary, this book is well-designed with rhymes, simple words, repeating patterns, and active characters. By reading this book, children also could reflect on whether or not they should allow a stranger inside their home or what they would do if they were the two children in a similar situation. In addition, the actions and results are all represented by colorful illustrations, so children can see the funny moments while reading the book.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Dr. Seuss created forty-four children's books.
The Cat in the Hat is his first children's book.
He earned Emmy awards, a Peabody award and the Pulitzer Prize (Dr. Seuss Enterprises, 2011; Wikipedia, 2011)
5. CONNECTIONS
Dr. Seuss created many rhymed children's books. One of the most famous books in the Cat in the Hat series is The Cat in the Hat Comes Back (Wikipedia, 2011). It was published by Random House and has the same main characters in the book as the original, but he brings other cats in the hat instead of Thing One and Thing Two. The book is an alphabet book with rhymes using the same main characters with story development (Wikipedia, 2011). Young readers can learn the alphabet in a fun way from this book. Other books are not from the same publisher, but they also used some of the same main characters and designed rhymes in the books, such as The Cat in the Hat Song Book and The Cat’s Quizzer (Dr. Seuss Enterprises, 2011; Wikipedia, 2011).
Seuss, Dr. The Cat in the Hat Comes Back. CA: Random House, 1958. ISBN: 9780394800028
Reference
“The Cat in the Hat,” Wikipedia, accessed Jan 1st, 2011, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cat_in_the_Hat
“Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden at the Springfield Museums,” . http://www.catinthehat.org/history.htm
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