Book Review on Let it Shine by Ashley Bryan

Please note that this blog has been created as an assignment for a TWU course.

1.  BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bryan, Ashley. 2007. LET IT SHINE. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. ISBN 0689847327

2. PLOT SUMMARY

In this picture book, Ashley Bryan celebrates three favorite spirituals: “This Little Light of Mine,” “Oh, When the Saints Go Marching In,” and “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.”  These songs have been cherished and passed down from generation to generation.  Although the songs seem lighthearted, their true meanings are profound.   

3.  CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Ashley Bryan’s illustrations fit very well with the songs.  The pictures reflect the true meanings of the songs.  Younger children can gather what is happening through looking at the pictures only and older children can both look at the pictures and sing along.  The drawings are absolutely beautiful and full of bright colors.  There are pictures within pictures.  When looking at a whole page, one sees the overall message of that particular part of the song.  However, when looking at the many different details on the page, one sees specific entities.  In “This Little Light of Mine,” there are many children dancing.  But, upon further exploration, one sees that each child is different and unique.  There are also many different kinds of lights such as a candle, string of lights, flash light, and a star.  There are also many different modes of transportation such as a boat, truck, bicycle, and an airplane.  In “Oh, When the Saints Go Marching In,” many different people join together, hold hands, and look up at the sky.  There are also different kinds of places to worship such as different churches, mosques, pyramids, igloos, teepees, homes, and a regular building.  In “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands,” there are many different people all held in someone’s hands.  The hands have many different colors flowing through them. 

All of these observations indicate that the theme of these songs and drawings is that we all share culture and are all connected to one another in some way.  We may not do things exactly like someone else, but the basic foundations in which we live, communicate, worship, and so forth are very similar.  We are more alike that different.  Therefore, we should embrace one another and appreciate the unique qualities we each bring to the table.

This will be an excellent book to share because it helps readers to understand the meanings of the songs they grew up listening to.  Although the songs are lighthearted and catchy, their meanings are deep and thoughtful.  The combination of a beautiful color scheme and pictures draw the reader in and keeps them engaged.

4.  REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY review: “   Bryan (Beautiful Blackbird) again proves himself a maestro with scissors (depicted on the endpages) in a series of arresting, kaleidoscopic cut-construction-paper collages that interprets three beloved spirituals: "This Little Light of Mine," "When the Saints Go Marching In" and "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands." Each page contains two lines of lyrics alongside images of nature or of children and adults with diverse skin tones frolicking harmoniously in settings both urban and pastoral. This wide spectrum of experiences suggests the songs' themes of utopian peace, tolerance and beauty. The hands appearing on the pages of "He's Got the Whole World..." convey a sense of power, reassurance and awe that evoke the wonders of God. An author's note describes a bit of the origin and history of Negro spirituals.”

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE review: “A beautiful book for all ages.”

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: “Energy and movement course through many of the full-bleed illustrations, as when children-depicted in rainbow-colored silhouettes-use a boat, an airplane, a bicycle, and other means to carry their lights "Ev'ry where I go." At other times, the images offer comfort and security, as large multicolored hands embrace the world's wonders and "the little bitty baby" is cradled in an adult's protective arms. Simple melody lines and an explanation of the origin and importance of spirituals are appended. Yet, Bryan's illustrations demonstrate more than words the dynamic inspiration that these songs still provide. Readers will find themselves humming as they turn the pages.”   

5.  CONNECTIONS

*If you feel comfortable leading a discussion about songs that have been passed down for generations and culture, this is a book that encourages unity and acceptance.

*Gather other books written and illustrated by Ashley Bryan:

Bryan, Ashley. BEAUTIFUL BLACKBIRD. ISBN 0689847319

Bryan, Ashley. SING TO THE SUN. ISBN 0064434370

Book Review on The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka

Please note that this blog has been created as an assignment for a TWU course.

1.  BIBLIOGRAPHY

Scieszka, Jon. 1996. THE TRUE STORY OF THE 3 LITTLE PIGS! Ill. by Lane Smith. New York, NY: Puffin Books. ISBN 0140544518

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

In this picture book, Joh Scieszka gives a version of the Three Little Pigs through the eyes of the wolf.  The wolf had a cold and needed to borrow a cup of sugar from a neighbor in order to make a cake for his granny.  According to his account, he accidentally blew the First Little Pig’s house down when he sneezed.  Of course, he could not just leave a perfectly good dinner lying there, so he ate it.  The same thing happened at the Second Little Pig’s house.  However, he tried to beat the door down at the Third Little Pig’s house because the pig made a mean comment about his granny.  That was when the cops showed up and arrested him.  The media found out about it and portrayed the wolf in a bad light, thus framing him.

3.  CRITICAL ANALYSIS

John Scieszka’s writing is frank, convincing, and comical.  “Everybody knows the story of the Three Little Pigs.  Or at least they think they do.  But I’ll let you in on a little secret.  Nobody knows the real story, because nobody has ever heard my side of the story.”  This story helps children understand the concept of differing points of view in a simple way because it contains characters and a plot that children can relate to.  The author also presents the issue of minimizing one’s actions with the statements, “The whole darn house fell down.  And right in the middle of the pile of straw was the First Little Pig—dead as a doornail.  It seemed like a shame to leave a perfectly good ham dinner lying there in the straw.  So I ate it up.”  The issue of blaming others for one’s actions is also presented with the statements, “the news reporters found out about the two pigs I had for dinner.  And they made me the Big Bad Wolf.”

Lane Smiths illustrations fit very well with the text.  The pictures are simplistic and completely convey the actions of the characters.  The drawings are neatly framed with a white background and fuzzy because it symbolizes a memory.  The colors scheme consists of earthy tones.  In the memory, the wolf presents himself in a good light as the innocent wolf walking along to borrow a cup of sugar from the neighbor.  The illustrations depict him as innocent and walking happily while whistling to the neighbor’s house.  Since this is the wolf’s point of view and he is the prisoner, the pig is the guard and has a mean scowl on his face.  The newspaper that covered this story is called The Daily Pig.  The fun, comical pictures draw the reader in and keep them engaged.

This will be an excellent book to share because it helps readers understand that everyone has their own point of view that may be different from yours.  Different newspapers might cover the same story differently depending on who their readers are and what those people believe. 

4.  REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY review:  “Smith’s highly imaginative watercolors eschew realism, further updating the tale, though some may find their urbane stylization and intentionally static quality mystifyingly adult.  Designed with uncommon flair, this alternative fable is both fetching and glib.”

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE review:  “In this humorous story, Alexander T. Wolf tells his own outlandish version of what really happens during his encounter with the three pigs.  Smith’s simplistic and wacky illustrations add to the effectiveness of this fractured fairy tale.”

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: “Smith’s dark tones and sometimes shadowy, indistinct shapes recall the distinctive illustrations he did for Merriam’s Halloween ABC (Macmillan, 1987); the bespectacled wolf moves with a rather sinister bonelessness, and his juicy sneezes tear like thunderbolts through a dim, grainy world.  It’s the type of book that older kids (and adults) will find very funny.”

5.  CONNECTIONS

*IF you feel comfortable leading a discussion on differing points of view, this is a book that enables students to vicariously experience a situation in which one views the same occurrence of events differently than someone else.

*Other books for children about differing points of view:

Scieszka, Jon. THE TRUE STORY OF THE 3 LITTLE PIGS!: 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL: A. WOLF UPDATE.  ISBN 0670888443

Trivizas, Eugene. THREE LITTLE WOLVES AND THE BIG BAD PIG. Ill. by Helen Oxenbury. ISBN 068981528X

Book Review on The Ugly Duckling--Adapted and Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney

Please note that this blog has been created as an assignment for a TWU course.

1.  BIBLIOGRAPHY

Anderson, Hans Christian. 1999. THE UGLY DUCKLING. Ill. by Jerry Pinkney. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 068815932X

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

THE UGLY DUCKLING is an adaptation of the Hans Christian Anderson classic.  In this version, a mother duck notices that one of her eggs is different from the rest.  When the eggs hatch, the “different” one takes longer to crack open.  When it finally hatches, an ugly, gray duckling emerges.  Although this duckling is different from the other ducklings, the mother duck still loved him.  She tried to console and protect him.  “He may not be quite as handsome as the others,” she says, “but…I am sure he will make his way in the world as well as anybody.”  However, the duckling’s siblings and peers maliciously taunted him.  As matters grew worse, the duckling decided to leave the bad situation behind and begin a journey to find a peaceful existence.   This lonesome journey was not an easy one, as it was filled with scary situations such as a close encounter with a hunter, the hunter’s dog, hunger, and extreme weather conditions.  By the story’s end, the duckling evolves into what he is meant to be. 

3.  CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This is a very dramatic and emotional story.  The feelings of worthlessness and despair are communicated in a frank manner: “I am too ugly even for a dog to eat.”  This story helps children understand the complex elements of bullying and its effects on victims in a logical way because it contains characters and a plot that children can relate to.  The concept of perseverance is presented in a candid manner: “I will follow them (the swans), thought the duckling.  I would rather be killed by them than suffer any more cold and hunger and cruelty.”  This helps children understand that they must continue on and become who they are meant to be even when someone bullies them because they are different. This story provides a moral lesson to those who bully and those who are victims of bullying because of being different.

Jerry Pinkney’s illustrations are absolutely beautiful and fit very well with the text.  The illustrations are lushly detailed with watercolors.  The pictures span across the pages in a flowing way.  The visual representation of the story establishes the story line vividly.  However, the text is somewhat framed with a plain background in order to prevent distraction.   This is to accommodate the needs of all readers.  Younger children can gather what is happening through looking at the pictures only and older children can both look at the pictures and read the text.  This story honestly discusses violent and harsh events such as the duckling’s experience with the hunter and being frozen in the water.  The illustrations reflect the emotion of terror as the geese flee from the water when they are shot at and sadness when the duckling is frozen in the water.  In the scene where the duckling realizes that he has evolved into a swan, the sun gently beams down on him.  The warm glow around him reflects the triumph he is experiencing.

This will be an excellent book to share because it helps readers understand the concept of bullying and its effects on victims as well as perseverance.  The issues of violence and harsh conditions are presented in an age-appropriate way.  Also, the issue of being used is gently approached when the old woman said, “We will let it stay for a bit, for I am sure we will see some eggs from the creature soon enough.”  The obvious journey was the duckling’s transformation into a beautiful swan.  But, his physical appearance is not the only thing that underwent a transformation.  He as a whole, evolved into a stronger being and that made him very happy because he survived multiple horrible ordeals.   

4.  REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Starred review in BOOKLIST: “Dramatic in content, sensitive in line, and rich with color…Children who are not familiar with the story will be captivated; those who have had the story read to them before will find new things to shiver over.”                                                                                                        

Pointered review in KIRKUS: “Pinkney puts his heart into a story he loves, and makes it live again.”

PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY review: “Pinkney’s supple, exquisitely detailed watercolors provide a handsome foil to his graceful adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen classic.”

5.  CONNECTIONS

*If you feel comfortable leading a discussion on bullying, this is a book that enables students to vicariously experience bullying and its effects on victims.  You can ask open-ended questions during this discussion, talk about the difficulties of being different and the pain of being rejected by peers.  Have you ever been bullied by others for the way you look?  How did it make you feel?  Have you ever treated someone differently because they didn’t look and act like you?                                     

Gather other books illustrated by Jerry Pinkney:

Pinkney, Jerry. THE LION AND THE MOUSE. ISBN 0316013560

Kipling, Rudyard. RIKKI-TIKKI-TAVI. Ill. by Jerry Pinkney. ISBN 0060587857

Lester, Julius. JOHN HENRY. Ill. by Jerry Pinkney. ISBN 0140566228

Book Review on Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

Please note that this blog has been created as an assignment for a TWU course.

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Wise Brown, Margaret. 2005. GOODNIGHT MOON. Ill. by Clement Hurd. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 100060775858

2.      PLOT SUMMARY

In this picture book, Margaret Wise Brown writes about winding down before bedtime with a familiar routine of saying “goodnight” to all of the objects in a particular room.  She describes how following a nightly routine can be a calm way to drift off to sleep.

3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Margaret Wise Brown’s writes soft rhymes with a slow and calming rhythm.  “Goodnight bears.  Goodnight chairs.  Goodnight kittens.  And goodnight mittens.”  This story helps children understand the concept of a nightly routine and how it can calm them down for bedtime in a simple way because it contains characters and a plot that children can relate to.  Also, many children have similar objects in their rooms. 

Clement Hurd’s illustrations fit beautifully with the text.  The pictures are full of interesting details.  The colors are simple and vivid, gradually getting dimmer in the room as the night sky gets brighter outside the window.  The moon changes position in each scene, the mouse and cats move around in each scene, and the hands on the clock move to indicate time passing.  The colorful and detailed pages are alternated with simpler black and white illustrations that single out a detail of a room, like a picture or a mouse.

This will be an excellent book to share because it helps readers to understand nightly routines and how they can be calming.  Also, it is a great book for teaching children the names of specific objects that are in most bedrooms. 

4.      REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE: “After fifty years, this story is still going strong…”

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR: “A little rabbit bids goodnight to each familiar thing in his moonlit room. Rhythmic, gently lulling words combined with warm and equally lulling pictures make this beloved classic an ideal bedtime book.”

5.       CONNECTIONS

*For young children, this book would encourage establishing a nightly ritual.  Also, young children can learn the names of objects that are likely in their rooms.

*Gather other books written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd:

Wise Brown, Margaret. MY WORLD. Ill. by Clement Hurd. ISBN 0694016608

Wise Brown, Margaret. THE RUNAWAY BUNNY. Ill. by Clement Hurd. ISBN 0061074292

Book Review on Elephants Cannot Dance! by Mo Willems

Please note that this blog has been created as an assignment for a TWU course.

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Willems, Mo. 2009. ELEPHANTS CANNOT DANCE. New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 9781423114109

2.      PLOT SUMMARY

In this picture book, Mo Willems writes about feeling labeled and limited to only doing things that are expected of people with that particular label.  He describes the feeling of wanting to participate in an activity that is not meant for people like him.  With the support of a friend, he finds confidence within himself to attempt to participate in the activity he supposedly cannot do.  He soon finds that even though he dances differently from his friend, his moves are unique to him and people want to learn his moves.   

3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Willem’s writing is simple and direct.  “I would love to learn how to dance.  But elephants cannot dance.  No.  Look it up.  Page 11.”  His friend looks it up in the book and replies, “Gerald, it does not say that you cannot try!”  This story helps children understand the complexities of societal labels, limitations, confidence, perseverance, and individuality in a simple way because it contains characters and a plot that children can relate to. 

The text is written in a large font and is contained within text bubbles.  The text bubbles for Piggie are pink and the text bubbles for Gerald are gray.  This allows the reader to easily decipher which character is talking at any given point.  There are many sight words used in repetitive phrases such as, “I can try to dance.  I will try to dance.  We will try again.”  This may help with fluency.

Mo Willem’s illustrations fit well with the text.  Even though few words were used to describe what was occurring in each scene, the pictures completely conveyed the actions and emotions of the characters.  Soft colors of pink and gray were used on the characters and the background was plain white.  This simplicity enabled more focus to be on the actions of the characters.  Curved lines on the outside of the characters and objects show movement and emotion. 

This will be an excellent book to share because it helps readers understand that we do not have to conform to societal labels. It is perfectly fine to be a unique individual.  Besides, someone might like what we do and want to learn how to do it themselves.  We are only limited by ourselves.  We can achieve anything we put our minds to.  However, it will take self-confidence, determination, and perseverance.  

4.      REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Starred review in THE BULLETIN: “These books will easily take their place alongside Seuss and Eastman as classics in the beginning-reader genre.”

Starred review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “These masterful mini-dramas will delight and amuse easy-reader and picture-book audiences, alike.”

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY review: “Willems's characteristically sparse cartoon images and the use of speech balloons portray the comical dilemma with clarity, making it an ideal pick for early readers.”

5.      CONNECTIONS

*During a class discussion about bullying, this is a book that encourages self-confidence, perseverance, and individuality.  You could ask open-ended questions during this discussion.  Do you think that elephants shouldn’t dance just because a book said they can’t?  Why or why not?  Do you think elephants should try to dance even if it is difficult and different from another person’s type of dance?  Why or why not?  How do you think Gerald felt when he thought he couldn’t dance because he was an elephant?  How do you think Piggie felt when Gerald was sad?

*Gather other books written and illustrated by Mo Willems:

Willems, Mo. DON’T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS! ISBN 1423114108

Willems, Mo. LEONARDO, THE TERRIBLE MONSTER. ISBN 0786852941

Book Review on My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann

Please note that this blog has been created as an assignment for a TWU course.

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Rohman, Eric. 2002. MY FRIEND RABBIT. New York, NY: Roaring Brook Press. ISBN 9780312367527

2.      PLOT SUMMARY

In this picture book, Eric Rohmann writes about having a friend that tries really hard to solve a problem, but unwittingly gets into more trouble.  Even though this friend has a mischievous quality, he still chooses to share his toy with him because they are friends.  He also describes the feelings of loyalty and acceptance friends have with one another.

3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Eric Rohmann’s writing is simple and direct.  “My friend Rabbit means well.  But whatever he does, wherever he goes, trouble follows.”  This story helps children understand the complex elements of friendship in a simple way because it contains characters and a plot that children can relate to.  The concepts of sharing and problem solving are presented in a lighthearted manner.  The author also promotes determination with the phrase, “Not to worry, Mouse.  I’ve got an idea,” and creativity in problem solving with the use of building an animal tower in order to reach the plane and get it out of the tree. 

Eric Rohmann’s illustrations fit very well with the text.  Even though few words were used to describe what was occurring in each scene, the pictures completely conveyed the actions and emotions of the characters.  This is to accommodate the needs of all readers.  Younger children can gather what is happening through looking at the pictures only and older children can both look at the pictures and read the text.  The drawings are darkly outlined and the colors are rich.  There are circular lines on the outside of characters and objects that show movement and emotion.  The facial expressions of the characters are quite humorous.  The combination of a beautiful color scheme and pictures draw the reader in and keeps them engaged.

This will be an excellent book to share because it helps readers to understand what constitutes friendship.  Friends must accept and be loyal to one another.  Friends also share their toys and work together to solve a problem.

4.      REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

BOOKLIST review: "[A] smart, sassy object lesson....The fun of this is in the spacing and sequencing of the heavily ink-outlined drawings....Tremendous physical humor delivers a gentle lesson about accepting friends as they are."

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: "The double-page, hand-colored relief prints with heavy black outlines are magnificent, and children will enjoy the comically expressive pictures of the animals before and after their attempt to extract the plane. The text is minimal; it's the illustrations that are the draw here."

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY review: "Rohmann tells most of the story through bold, expressive relief prints....This gentle lesson in patience and loyalty, balanced on the back of a hilarious set of illustrations, will leave young readers clamoring for repeat readings."

5.      CONNECTIONS

*If you feel comfortable leading a discussion on the elements of friendship, this is a book that encourages sharing, acceptance, determination, problem solving, and creativity.  You could ask open-ended questions during this discussion.  Do you think Rabbit was a good friend?  Why or why not?  Do you think Mouse was a good friend?  Why or why not?  How do you feel about sharing toys with your friends?  If you accidentally got a friend’s toy stuck in a tree, how would you try to get it down?

*Gather other books written and illustrated by Eric Rohmann, winner of the 2003 Caldecott award:

Rohmann, Eric. TIME FLIES. ISBN 0517885550

Rohmann, Eric. THE CINDER-EYED CATS. ISBN 0517708965

*Other books for children about mischievous characters:

Rey, H. A. CURIOUS GEORGE. ISBN 039515023X

Dr. Seuss. THE CAT IN THE HAT. ISBN 039480001X