Morales, Yuyi. 2003. Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books. ISBN 0811837580.
Grandma Beetle outfoxes Death when he comes knocking at her door. She delays going with Death by continually saying, “Just a minute, Senor Calavera,” and prepares for her birthday party, counting in Spanish and English as she goes. The vivid illustrations, rendered in acrylic and mixed media on paper, use flamboyant colors throughout, and provide details from the Mexican culture, like chiles and papel picado (cut-paper decorative flags). The outrageous colors contrast Grandma Beetle’s understated trickery, a technique that exemplifies the cooperation between the text and pictures. Senor Calavera, illustrated as a skeleton with Day of the Dead-inspired tattoos, eventually has so much fun at her birthday party that he decides to give her another year of life. This book is a great introduction to counting in Spanish and provides readers with a good-humored portrait of people –and even Death- loving life.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Ayat Jamilah = Beautiful Signs
Conover, Sarah and Freda Crane, collectors and adaptors. 2004. Ayat Jamilah= Beautiful Signs: A Treasury of Islamic Wisdom for Children and Parents. Illustrated by Valerie Wahl. Spokane, WA: Eastern Washington University Press.
In this collection of thirty-nine Islamic folktales and religious stories, thoughtfulness, hard work and kindness are rewarded. Some are funny, like “The Honorable Joha, Mulla Nasruddin Hodja and the Pumpkin Tree,” in which Mulla Nasruddin (a recurring character in many stories) is sitting under a walnut tree and near a pumpkin vine. He thinks he could have designed the plants better than Allah, putting pumpkins on the strong tree and walnuts on the weak vine on the ground, until a walnut falls from the tree and taps Mullah Nasruddin on the head. He realizes his error and exclaims, “Oh Allah, with what wisdom did You put walnuts on that tree. If it had been pumpkins, I would be sitting here with a huge lump on my head!” The moral of the story is “And God knows what is on the land and in the sea; and not a single leaf falls but God knows it.” The explicit morals that accompany each story are surrounded by geometrically pattered frames, giving the impression that these wise words are mounted on a wall-hanging. Also, the illustrations that accompany several stories extend the text further by showing the characters wearing culture-appropriate garb and eating ethnic foods. The palette of the illustrations is varied, though all the colors presented are muted, as if each picture appeared on a fine ceramic plate. Overall, this collection is a treasury that will widen the reader’s perspective, and enable all of us to benefit from generations of Islamic wisdom.
In this collection of thirty-nine Islamic folktales and religious stories, thoughtfulness, hard work and kindness are rewarded. Some are funny, like “The Honorable Joha, Mulla Nasruddin Hodja and the Pumpkin Tree,” in which Mulla Nasruddin (a recurring character in many stories) is sitting under a walnut tree and near a pumpkin vine. He thinks he could have designed the plants better than Allah, putting pumpkins on the strong tree and walnuts on the weak vine on the ground, until a walnut falls from the tree and taps Mullah Nasruddin on the head. He realizes his error and exclaims, “Oh Allah, with what wisdom did You put walnuts on that tree. If it had been pumpkins, I would be sitting here with a huge lump on my head!” The moral of the story is “And God knows what is on the land and in the sea; and not a single leaf falls but God knows it.” The explicit morals that accompany each story are surrounded by geometrically pattered frames, giving the impression that these wise words are mounted on a wall-hanging. Also, the illustrations that accompany several stories extend the text further by showing the characters wearing culture-appropriate garb and eating ethnic foods. The palette of the illustrations is varied, though all the colors presented are muted, as if each picture appeared on a fine ceramic plate. Overall, this collection is a treasury that will widen the reader’s perspective, and enable all of us to benefit from generations of Islamic wisdom.
Dona Flor
Mora, Pat. 2005. Dona Flor: A Tall Tale about a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart. Illustrated by Raul Colon. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0375823379.
Dona Flor has many gifts, including encouraging her crops to grow as tall as she is and giving the loud Wind a hug to quiet him down. When the giant growl coming from nearby hills frightens the townsfolk, Dona Flor decides that she is the only one who can help, the only one big enough to catch the animal and is the only one who speaks all the animals’ languages, “even rattler.” One major strength of this tall tale story is Dona Flor herself, whose characterization is fresh, humorous, and could be the subject of many more tall tales to come. The other major strength is the body of illustrations. Colon’s distinctive style that combines watercolors, etching and colored pencils brings out the softness of Dona Flor’s manner, as well as southwestern details that go beyond the text. This book successfully combines beauty, culture, imagination and a beloved tall-tale character. I hope this won’t be the last we hear of Dona Flor.
Dona Flor has many gifts, including encouraging her crops to grow as tall as she is and giving the loud Wind a hug to quiet him down. When the giant growl coming from nearby hills frightens the townsfolk, Dona Flor decides that she is the only one who can help, the only one big enough to catch the animal and is the only one who speaks all the animals’ languages, “even rattler.” One major strength of this tall tale story is Dona Flor herself, whose characterization is fresh, humorous, and could be the subject of many more tall tales to come. The other major strength is the body of illustrations. Colon’s distinctive style that combines watercolors, etching and colored pencils brings out the softness of Dona Flor’s manner, as well as southwestern details that go beyond the text. This book successfully combines beauty, culture, imagination and a beloved tall-tale character. I hope this won’t be the last we hear of Dona Flor.
Mightier than the Sword
Yolen, Jane, collector. 2003. Mightier Than the Sword: World Folktales for Strong Boys. Illustrated by Raul Colon. Orlando, FL: Silver Whistle, Harcourt. ISBN 0152163913.
Intended to show boys (and girls) that brains are mightier than brawn, these fourteen folktales from six continents reflect many of the same elements: bravery, the hero’s journey, good triumphing over evil, and the presence of magic and wisdom. Most tales consist of several pages of text and one black and white illustration. The ink cross-hatching technique highlights the interplay between dark and light, both in the illustrations and the stories. In the Finnish tale, “Mighty Mikko,” an orphaned boy, Mikko, befriends a cunning fox who devises plots to make Mikko become rich and famous. When Mikko expresses doubt, the fox counters, “Leave it to me. Be brave. Have faith. Do as I tell you and you will be a happy master.” After following the fox’s advice, Mikko finds himself the owner of a grand castle and riches as well as the husband of a beautiful princess. The moral of this story highlights the irresistibility of the combination of faith, courage, and a sly friend. The morals, however, may get background attention, since the stories and characters are so engaging. While they are accessible, the tales may be best used when read aloud or told with props, since the illustrations are few between. This reviewer would like and updated edition with lots of color illustrations.
Intended to show boys (and girls) that brains are mightier than brawn, these fourteen folktales from six continents reflect many of the same elements: bravery, the hero’s journey, good triumphing over evil, and the presence of magic and wisdom. Most tales consist of several pages of text and one black and white illustration. The ink cross-hatching technique highlights the interplay between dark and light, both in the illustrations and the stories. In the Finnish tale, “Mighty Mikko,” an orphaned boy, Mikko, befriends a cunning fox who devises plots to make Mikko become rich and famous. When Mikko expresses doubt, the fox counters, “Leave it to me. Be brave. Have faith. Do as I tell you and you will be a happy master.” After following the fox’s advice, Mikko finds himself the owner of a grand castle and riches as well as the husband of a beautiful princess. The moral of this story highlights the irresistibility of the combination of faith, courage, and a sly friend. The morals, however, may get background attention, since the stories and characters are so engaging. While they are accessible, the tales may be best used when read aloud or told with props, since the illustrations are few between. This reviewer would like and updated edition with lots of color illustrations.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
The Wall
Sis, Peter. 2007. The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0374347018.
In this provocative biography, Sis details his childhood and young-adulthood in Russian-occupied Prague, Czechoslovakia. Through and introductory history page, photographs, journal entries and pen drawings, Sis captures his own experience as an artist and musician in a state that exerted strict censorship and glorified mandated subordination. The mostly realistic illustrations (the one exception is the depiction of police officers as pigs) add to the oppressive theme through the limited use of color; the only consistently used color is red, symbolizing communist, “red” Russia. When the Prague Spring of 1968 brings the Beatles and art, Sis’ illustrations explode with color. Both informative and deeply personal, this account will resonate with readers interested in history, art and graphic novels.
In this provocative biography, Sis details his childhood and young-adulthood in Russian-occupied Prague, Czechoslovakia. Through and introductory history page, photographs, journal entries and pen drawings, Sis captures his own experience as an artist and musician in a state that exerted strict censorship and glorified mandated subordination. The mostly realistic illustrations (the one exception is the depiction of police officers as pigs) add to the oppressive theme through the limited use of color; the only consistently used color is red, symbolizing communist, “red” Russia. When the Prague Spring of 1968 brings the Beatles and art, Sis’ illustrations explode with color. Both informative and deeply personal, this account will resonate with readers interested in history, art and graphic novels.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Sweet, Sweet Memory
Woodson, Jacqueline. 2000. Sweet, Sweet Memory. Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. New York: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 0786802413.
The soft, rich pastel illustrations infuse cornhusk light into this tale of grieving Grandpa’s death and the stillness of memories. Sarah remembers the words Grandpa used to say when planting the vegetable garden and uses them to cope with his death: “The earth changes, like us it lives, it grows. Like us, a part of it never dies. Everything and everyone goes on and on.” Variations on these words are repeated throughout the story, like a reassuring refrain in a song. Short sentences enhance the rhythmic, introspective tone: “Soon there will be people here. And heads bowed in prayer, and arms around me, silent and sad.” The pastel illustrations are soft and carry a gentleness to the text that may be comforting to children going through a similar experience. Though this book honestly deals with sadness it avoids a heavy-handed melancholy by revealing how Grandpa “goes on and on” when Sarah and her Grandma harvest the fruits of Grandpa’s garden.
The soft, rich pastel illustrations infuse cornhusk light into this tale of grieving Grandpa’s death and the stillness of memories. Sarah remembers the words Grandpa used to say when planting the vegetable garden and uses them to cope with his death: “The earth changes, like us it lives, it grows. Like us, a part of it never dies. Everything and everyone goes on and on.” Variations on these words are repeated throughout the story, like a reassuring refrain in a song. Short sentences enhance the rhythmic, introspective tone: “Soon there will be people here. And heads bowed in prayer, and arms around me, silent and sad.” The pastel illustrations are soft and carry a gentleness to the text that may be comforting to children going through a similar experience. Though this book honestly deals with sadness it avoids a heavy-handed melancholy by revealing how Grandpa “goes on and on” when Sarah and her Grandma harvest the fruits of Grandpa’s garden.
Oswald
Yaccarino, Dan. 2001. Oswald. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 068984252X.
Oswald, the piano-playing octopus, moves to a new city and meets friends who help him settle into his new place. While the plot and text show inventiveness, the illustrations are a detriment to the story. They depict somewhat generic characters in repeated, linear configurations amongst a setting of predominantly white space. The illustrations not only fail to provide interesting details or an extension of the plot, but at times, the illustrations are confusing. For instance, when the characters are pushing the piano up a flight of stairs, they are listed in the text one way, but are depicted in a different order in the illustrations. The author’s biographical blurb on the back jacket flap reveals that the author created Oswald for a television show on Nickelodeon. Perhaps in this medium Oswald and his friends are able to draw a viewer into the story in a way this book does not.
Oswald, the piano-playing octopus, moves to a new city and meets friends who help him settle into his new place. While the plot and text show inventiveness, the illustrations are a detriment to the story. They depict somewhat generic characters in repeated, linear configurations amongst a setting of predominantly white space. The illustrations not only fail to provide interesting details or an extension of the plot, but at times, the illustrations are confusing. For instance, when the characters are pushing the piano up a flight of stairs, they are listed in the text one way, but are depicted in a different order in the illustrations. The author’s biographical blurb on the back jacket flap reveals that the author created Oswald for a television show on Nickelodeon. Perhaps in this medium Oswald and his friends are able to draw a viewer into the story in a way this book does not.
Zen Shorts
Muth, Jon J. 2005. Zen Shorts. New York: Scholastic. ISBN: 0439339111.
Like a perfectly raked rock garden, three traditional Zen tales coexist beautifully in a modern context. When each of three siblings visits Stillwater, the Giant Panda, he tells a meditative story that relates to each child’s experience, including the themes of material possessions, luck and anger. Two styles of illustration, watercolor and calligraphy-inspired ink, are used to differentiate between the outer story of each of the three siblings and the smaller Zen stories. The dual-medium technique helps the reader distinguish between the stories, since the text is not embellished. The sparseness of the text reiterates the Zen theme. The watercolor illustrations extend beyond the text by providing most of the characterization and a delicately-wrought fullness to the reader’s experience. Winner of a Caldecott Honor Award, this book is an unboasting diamond.
Like a perfectly raked rock garden, three traditional Zen tales coexist beautifully in a modern context. When each of three siblings visits Stillwater, the Giant Panda, he tells a meditative story that relates to each child’s experience, including the themes of material possessions, luck and anger. Two styles of illustration, watercolor and calligraphy-inspired ink, are used to differentiate between the outer story of each of the three siblings and the smaller Zen stories. The dual-medium technique helps the reader distinguish between the stories, since the text is not embellished. The sparseness of the text reiterates the Zen theme. The watercolor illustrations extend beyond the text by providing most of the characterization and a delicately-wrought fullness to the reader’s experience. Winner of a Caldecott Honor Award, this book is an unboasting diamond.
Dim Sum for Everyone!
Lin, Grace. 2001. Dim Sum for Everyone! New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 037581082X.
On an outing to a bustling dim sum restaurant in an unknown city’s Chinatown, a girl and her family order many little dishes to share, from sweet pork buns and fried shrimp, to turnip cakes and egg tarts. The vibrant paintings fill each page to the edge and Lin uses them to add cultural details: each member of the family has a unique pattern to their clothes, and the waitresses wear patterned smocks and simple shoes with metal buckles. The tea is served in small handle-less cups. The visual feast tells much of the story and though each double-page spread contains only one short sentence, the overall effect is harmonious. The author includes a brief history lesson that explains the origin of dim sum and tea houses, and gives pointers for when the reader eats at a dim sum restaurant (“to thank the waiter, tap three fingers on the table”). This book is a great introduction to one aspect of Chinese culture.
On an outing to a bustling dim sum restaurant in an unknown city’s Chinatown, a girl and her family order many little dishes to share, from sweet pork buns and fried shrimp, to turnip cakes and egg tarts. The vibrant paintings fill each page to the edge and Lin uses them to add cultural details: each member of the family has a unique pattern to their clothes, and the waitresses wear patterned smocks and simple shoes with metal buckles. The tea is served in small handle-less cups. The visual feast tells much of the story and though each double-page spread contains only one short sentence, the overall effect is harmonious. The author includes a brief history lesson that explains the origin of dim sum and tea houses, and gives pointers for when the reader eats at a dim sum restaurant (“to thank the waiter, tap three fingers on the table”). This book is a great introduction to one aspect of Chinese culture.
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