Kimmel, Eric A. 1998. The Adventures of Herschel of Ostropol. Ill. by Trina Schart Hyman. New York: Holiday House (Reprint Edition). ISBN 978-0823414048.
The Adventures of Herschel of Ostropol is a collection of trickster stories featuring the character Herschel, a poor 19th-century Jewish man living in the Ukraine. Kimmel’s introduction draws a parallel between Hershel and other trickster figures such as Anansi and Coyote. Although I was not familiar with Herschel before I read these stories, now that I have, I think that he could hold his own against either of those other famous characters!
Herschel is a fundamentally kindhearted man who is willing to bilk misers and robbers but who refunds money he swindled from a friend. The tricks he plays are almost all based in the fact of his poverty and his need to provide for himself and his family. Even the rabbi agrees that Hershel is doing a good thing by tricking his miserly uncle into giving money to support the poor. (The uncle’s good deed, his only one, is enough to get him into heaven when he dies.)
The characters are archetypal, as is typical in folklore, from the kind Rabbi Israel to Herschel’s selfish uncle. The cast of recurring characters give some continuity to most of the stories, although one story of Herschel as a child doesn’t fit as well with the rest of the stories of Hershel as an adult.
The black-and-white illustrations by Hyman at the beginning of each story are small and don’t add tremendously to the book, but the facial expressions do offer extra insight into the characters’ emotions.
I think kids have a special affinity for stories in which an underdog succeeds; they feel themselves to be the underdog often enough. I can imagine this book being very popular as a read-aloud. I think it would be fun to use in an assignment in which students rewrite one of the stories, transplanting Herschel’s trick into a setting and characters they make up.
This book is recommended by the Anti-Defamation League’s A World of Difference Institute, which focuses on anti-bias education. In School Library Journal, reviewer Marcia Posner calls these “superbly retold Hershel of Ostropol tales, many of which are unavailable in popular collections.”
Kimmel has also written another book about Herschel, Herschel and the Hanukkah Goblins.
Anti-Defamation League. Recommended Multicultural and Anti-Bias Books for Children. http://www.adl.org/bibliography/book_detail.asp?bookdetail=343. (Accessed January 30, 2007).
Posner, Marcia. Hershel of Ostropol. School Library Journal. Qtd. in Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.ca/Adventures-Hershel-Ostropol-Kimmel/dp/0823412105 (Accessed January 30, 2007).
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Monday, January 29, 2007
Talking With Artists, Volume 1
Talking With Artists, Volume 1. (1992). Ed. Pat Cummings. New York: Bradbury. ISBN 978-0027242454
Volume 1 of this series contains interviews with Victoria Chess, Pat Cummings (who is also the editor), Leo and Diane Dillon, Richard Egielski, Lois Ehlert, Lisa Campbell Ernst, Tom Feelings, Steven Kellogg, Jerry Pinkney, Amy Schwartz, Lane Smth, Chris Van Allsburg, and David Wiesner.
Each interview (or, as the book calls it, “conversation”) has three parts: a short autobiography of the artist titled “My Story,” with photos of the artist now and as a child; answers to eight questions (the same for each artist) like, “What do you enjoy drawing the most?” and artwork by the artist – both current work and pictures that the artist drew as a child. At the end of the book is a glossary with definitions of some of the words used in the book and a bibliography in which the artists list their five favorites of all the books they’ve illustrated.
The format got slightly repetitive when I read the book from cover to cover. All of the artists were asked the same eight questions, and all of their answers were included, even when the answer wasn’t particularly interesting or when it repeated information the author had previously given. This gave the effect of an interviewer who wasn’t listening to the interviewee. For instance, Richard Egielski answers question 2, “What is a normal day like for you?” charmingly by talking about how his dog comes in to make him take a break and play Frisbee with her every three hours. But he still gets asked whether he has any pets two questions later, as if he hadn’t told the story about his dog at all!
For me, the most interesting part of each conversation quickly became the autobiography and the pictures. I saw myself in some of the artists’ stories, and in others, I got glimpses of the kinds of children they must have been. (Amy Schwartz made me grin when she described picking books by authors whose names stared with W, Y, and Z because they were at the end of the children’s section and she thought that must make them the most complicated!)
The hands-down favorite for me was Lane Smith’s section. Everything had a Lane Smith touch, from his pictures (he’s wearing the same kind of shirt, has the same hairstyle, and is making the same face in his picture as an adult as he was in his picture as a kid) to his interview answers. He even livened his autobiography up by illustrating it.
Publisher’s Weekly says, “Unfortunately, the often poignant reminiscences and outstanding talent on display cannot overcome the book's unimaginative layout and distractingly pragmatic text. Some interview topics--how to get that first book contract, for example--seem less suited to children than to parents, who might be reassured to learn that making art can be financially as well as personally rewarding.” On the other hand, reviewer Shirley Wilton writes in School Library Journal, “Well designed and well conceived, this book will be welcomed in all those classrooms in which children's literature has become central to the curriculum.”
If I were to use this book with kids, I would do it by using each artist’s interview as a supplement to books by that artist. I think being intrigued by the artwork itself is most likely to get kids interested in finding out more about the artist.
“Talking With Artists.” Publisher’s Weekly. Qtd. in Amazon.com.
Wilton, Shirley. “Talking With Artists.” School Library Journal. Qtd. in Amazon.com.
Volume 1 of this series contains interviews with Victoria Chess, Pat Cummings (who is also the editor), Leo and Diane Dillon, Richard Egielski, Lois Ehlert, Lisa Campbell Ernst, Tom Feelings, Steven Kellogg, Jerry Pinkney, Amy Schwartz, Lane Smth, Chris Van Allsburg, and David Wiesner.
Each interview (or, as the book calls it, “conversation”) has three parts: a short autobiography of the artist titled “My Story,” with photos of the artist now and as a child; answers to eight questions (the same for each artist) like, “What do you enjoy drawing the most?” and artwork by the artist – both current work and pictures that the artist drew as a child. At the end of the book is a glossary with definitions of some of the words used in the book and a bibliography in which the artists list their five favorites of all the books they’ve illustrated.
The format got slightly repetitive when I read the book from cover to cover. All of the artists were asked the same eight questions, and all of their answers were included, even when the answer wasn’t particularly interesting or when it repeated information the author had previously given. This gave the effect of an interviewer who wasn’t listening to the interviewee. For instance, Richard Egielski answers question 2, “What is a normal day like for you?” charmingly by talking about how his dog comes in to make him take a break and play Frisbee with her every three hours. But he still gets asked whether he has any pets two questions later, as if he hadn’t told the story about his dog at all!
For me, the most interesting part of each conversation quickly became the autobiography and the pictures. I saw myself in some of the artists’ stories, and in others, I got glimpses of the kinds of children they must have been. (Amy Schwartz made me grin when she described picking books by authors whose names stared with W, Y, and Z because they were at the end of the children’s section and she thought that must make them the most complicated!)
The hands-down favorite for me was Lane Smith’s section. Everything had a Lane Smith touch, from his pictures (he’s wearing the same kind of shirt, has the same hairstyle, and is making the same face in his picture as an adult as he was in his picture as a kid) to his interview answers. He even livened his autobiography up by illustrating it.
Publisher’s Weekly says, “Unfortunately, the often poignant reminiscences and outstanding talent on display cannot overcome the book's unimaginative layout and distractingly pragmatic text. Some interview topics--how to get that first book contract, for example--seem less suited to children than to parents, who might be reassured to learn that making art can be financially as well as personally rewarding.” On the other hand, reviewer Shirley Wilton writes in School Library Journal, “Well designed and well conceived, this book will be welcomed in all those classrooms in which children's literature has become central to the curriculum.”
If I were to use this book with kids, I would do it by using each artist’s interview as a supplement to books by that artist. I think being intrigued by the artwork itself is most likely to get kids interested in finding out more about the artist.
“Talking With Artists.” Publisher’s Weekly. Qtd. in Amazon.com.
Wilton, Shirley. “Talking With Artists.” School Library Journal. Qtd. in Amazon.com.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
The Hello, Goodbye Window
On the surface, The Hello, Goodbye Window, by Norton Juster, illustrated by Chris Raschka, is a story about a little girl visiting her grandparents' house, spending the night, and being picked up by her parents the next day. But it's also a window into the world of childhood. The ordinary events of the day - oatmeal for breakfast, working in the garden, a harmonica concert - are both pictured and narrated from a very believable child's-eye perspective.
Raschka's colorful cartoonlike illustrations have features common to children's drawings - energetic scribbles for hair, heads disproportionately large compared to bodies, arms that curve like noodles, and outlines that don't always connect around the object they're outlining. There's even a childlike preference for low-to-the ground details: in a scene where the girl is listening to her grandfather play the harmonica, an electrical outlet is drawn prominently near the floor, while the top of the wall fades into the white page.
The illustrations are faithful to the little girl's narration. When she reports that a tiger lives behind a bush in the garden, or a dinosaur might come to visit, both tiger and t-rex appear in the illustrations.
Juster writes in a completely believable child's voice. The little girl ascribes heroic stature to her grandparents: the Queen of England likes to visit Nana, while Poppy is an extremely talented musician who can play "Oh, Susannah" "a lot of different ways." She's also childishly self-centered: "nothing happens" in the busy house while she's taking a nap.
In a starred review in School Library Journal, Angela Reynolds wrote, "While the language is bouncy and fun, it is the visual interpretation of this sweet story that sings. Using a bright rainbow palette of saturated color, Raschka's impressionistic, mixed-media illustrations portray a loving, mixed-race family. The artwork is at once lively and energetic, without crowding the story or the words on the page; the simple lines and squiggles of color suggest a child's own drawings, but this is the art of a masterful hand. Perfect for lap-sharing, this book will find favor with children and adults alike."
Susan Straub and K.J. Dell'Antonia recommend The Hello, Goodbye Window in their book Reading With Babies, Toddlers, and Two's, in a section on multicultural books called "Books for Families of All Sizes and Stripes." I might pair this book with another of their recommendations, I Love Saturdays y Domingos by Alma Flor Ada, which is also about a girl visiting grandparents.
Juster, Norton. The Hello, Goodbye Window. 2005. Ill. by Chris Raschka. New York: Michael Di Capua Books. ISBN 978-0786809141
Reynolds, Angela. "The Hello, Goodbye Window." School Library Journal. Qtd. in Amazon.com.
Straub, Susan, and K.J. Dell'Antonia. Reading With Babies, Toddlers, and Two's. 2006. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks. p. 206.
Raschka's colorful cartoonlike illustrations have features common to children's drawings - energetic scribbles for hair, heads disproportionately large compared to bodies, arms that curve like noodles, and outlines that don't always connect around the object they're outlining. There's even a childlike preference for low-to-the ground details: in a scene where the girl is listening to her grandfather play the harmonica, an electrical outlet is drawn prominently near the floor, while the top of the wall fades into the white page.
The illustrations are faithful to the little girl's narration. When she reports that a tiger lives behind a bush in the garden, or a dinosaur might come to visit, both tiger and t-rex appear in the illustrations.
Juster writes in a completely believable child's voice. The little girl ascribes heroic stature to her grandparents: the Queen of England likes to visit Nana, while Poppy is an extremely talented musician who can play "Oh, Susannah" "a lot of different ways." She's also childishly self-centered: "nothing happens" in the busy house while she's taking a nap.
In a starred review in School Library Journal, Angela Reynolds wrote, "While the language is bouncy and fun, it is the visual interpretation of this sweet story that sings. Using a bright rainbow palette of saturated color, Raschka's impressionistic, mixed-media illustrations portray a loving, mixed-race family. The artwork is at once lively and energetic, without crowding the story or the words on the page; the simple lines and squiggles of color suggest a child's own drawings, but this is the art of a masterful hand. Perfect for lap-sharing, this book will find favor with children and adults alike."
Susan Straub and K.J. Dell'Antonia recommend The Hello, Goodbye Window in their book Reading With Babies, Toddlers, and Two's, in a section on multicultural books called "Books for Families of All Sizes and Stripes." I might pair this book with another of their recommendations, I Love Saturdays y Domingos by Alma Flor Ada, which is also about a girl visiting grandparents.
Juster, Norton. The Hello, Goodbye Window. 2005. Ill. by Chris Raschka. New York: Michael Di Capua Books. ISBN 978-0786809141
Reynolds, Angela. "The Hello, Goodbye Window." School Library Journal. Qtd. in Amazon.com.
Straub, Susan, and K.J. Dell'Antonia. Reading With Babies, Toddlers, and Two's. 2006. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks. p. 206.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Kitten's First Full Moon, by Kevin Henkes
This is a story of a kitten who, on seeing the moon for the first time, thinks that it’s a bowl of milk and tries to reach it – with unfortunate results. Luckily, someone is watching out for her, and when she heads home, she finds what she was looking for all along.
Henkes uses the black/white/gray color palette of this book to great effect. It’s unusual for a children’s book not to have brightly colored illustrations, but Henkes’ choice emphasizes how very different the world looks by moonlight – explaining the allure that a moonlit night might have for adventurous kittens (or kids). The endsheets, with rows and columns of moons, are a nice touch.
Kitten (who doesn’t have any other name) is less anthropomorphized than the animal characters in many of Henkes’ other books, like Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse. Kitten doesn’t talk or wear clothes, she walks on all fours, and she acts mostly like a real kitten. (Henkes accurately describes behavior like the butt-wiggle kittens do right before they pounce.)
But regular Henkes touches remain, like the “shocked” facial expression familiar to readers who’ve seen the cover of Wimberley Worried. That look is bound to make kids grin (especially when Kitten accidentally licks a bug). Kitten is also a courageous heroine in the vein of Lily and Chrysanthemum, willing to confront all obstacles to try to get her milk.
A minor quibble: a real kitten experiencing her first full moon (or even her first full moon with her eyes open) would be way too young to do most of the things Kitten does. But that’s not a big enough problem to harm the story – and “Kitten’s fifth full moon” doesn’t have nearly the same ring to it.
Wendy Lukehart, writing in School Library Journal, calls this “an irresistable offering from the multifaceted Henkes…. The rhythmic text and delightful artwork ensure storytime success. Kids will surely applaud this cat's irrepressible spirit. Pair this tale with Frank Asch's classic Moongame (S & S, 1987) and Nancy Elizabeth Wallace's The Sun, the Moon and the Stars (Houghton, 2003) for nocturnal celebrations.”
I might use this book in an activity of “all-one-color books,” along with Get Red! An Adventure in Color by Tony Porto and graphic-design firm 3CD, and Priscilla and the Pink Planet by Jocelyn and Nathanial Hobbie. I’d let the children choose a color and make their own all-one-color books to take home.
Henkes, Kevin. 2004. Kitten's First Full Moon. Ill. by Kevin Henkes. New
York: Greenwillow ISBN 978-0060588281.
Lukehart, Wendy, “Kitten’s First Full Moon,” School Library Journal, qtd. in
Amazon.com, http://www.amazon.com/Kittens-First-Full-Kevin
Henkes/dp/0060588284/sr=1-1/qid=1168989008/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103
0423122-5982232?ie=UTF8&s=books (January16,2007).
Henkes uses the black/white/gray color palette of this book to great effect. It’s unusual for a children’s book not to have brightly colored illustrations, but Henkes’ choice emphasizes how very different the world looks by moonlight – explaining the allure that a moonlit night might have for adventurous kittens (or kids). The endsheets, with rows and columns of moons, are a nice touch.
Kitten (who doesn’t have any other name) is less anthropomorphized than the animal characters in many of Henkes’ other books, like Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse. Kitten doesn’t talk or wear clothes, she walks on all fours, and she acts mostly like a real kitten. (Henkes accurately describes behavior like the butt-wiggle kittens do right before they pounce.)
But regular Henkes touches remain, like the “shocked” facial expression familiar to readers who’ve seen the cover of Wimberley Worried. That look is bound to make kids grin (especially when Kitten accidentally licks a bug). Kitten is also a courageous heroine in the vein of Lily and Chrysanthemum, willing to confront all obstacles to try to get her milk.
A minor quibble: a real kitten experiencing her first full moon (or even her first full moon with her eyes open) would be way too young to do most of the things Kitten does. But that’s not a big enough problem to harm the story – and “Kitten’s fifth full moon” doesn’t have nearly the same ring to it.
Wendy Lukehart, writing in School Library Journal, calls this “an irresistable offering from the multifaceted Henkes…. The rhythmic text and delightful artwork ensure storytime success. Kids will surely applaud this cat's irrepressible spirit. Pair this tale with Frank Asch's classic Moongame (S & S, 1987) and Nancy Elizabeth Wallace's The Sun, the Moon and the Stars (Houghton, 2003) for nocturnal celebrations.”
I might use this book in an activity of “all-one-color books,” along with Get Red! An Adventure in Color by Tony Porto and graphic-design firm 3CD, and Priscilla and the Pink Planet by Jocelyn and Nathanial Hobbie. I’d let the children choose a color and make their own all-one-color books to take home.
Henkes, Kevin. 2004. Kitten's First Full Moon. Ill. by Kevin Henkes. New
York: Greenwillow ISBN 978-0060588281.
Lukehart, Wendy, “Kitten’s First Full Moon,” School Library Journal, qtd. in
Amazon.com, http://www.amazon.com/Kittens-First-Full-Kevin
Henkes/dp/0060588284/sr=1-1/qid=1168989008/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103
0423122-5982232?ie=UTF8&s=books (January16,2007).
Welcome to the Blog
I created this blog to post the book reviews I'll be writing for Library Science 5603, Literature for Children and Young Adults. Anyone who wants to visit my regular blog, where I talk about life, the universe, and (often) cats can stop by Live Journal, where I'm Kit_the_Brave. (And mostly friends-only, so friend me and if we seem to have a lot in common, I'll friend you back!)
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