Book Review - Joseph Had a Little Overcoat
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Taback, Simms. 1999. Joseph Had a Little Overcoat. New York, NY: The Penguin Group. ISBN
0-670-87855-3
PLOT SUMMARY
Taback’s story of Joseph sets out to teach a stated moral, “you can always make something out of nothing”. Joseph starts with an overcoat that gets “old and worn” so he transitions it to a jacket. As the original overcoat takes on new forms and becomes worn out, Joseph transitions it to something else. A jacket becomes a vest, which becomes a scarf, a necktie, a handkerchief, a button, and finally a book about the entire evolution of the overcoat.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This Caldecott winning folktale is told in a very rhythmic style, following a song like tempo which makes sense since Taback includes in a letter to the reader at the end of the book that the book is an adaptation of his favorite song from his childhood. The first page starts with “Joseph had a little overcoat. It was old and worn.” and every other page introduces the new form that the overcoat has taken with the repetition of the words “It was old and worn”. The pages in between give the reader a closer glimpse into Joseph’s life, the places he goes, and the people he encounters.
The illustrations brilliantly bring into the book, the cultural aspects of the author. The endsheet states that “the artwork was done using watercolor, gouache, pencil, ink and collage. The pages are filled with deep, brilliant colors with fairly simple images. There are small details scattered throughout the pages, though that hint at the authors Jewish background. Newspapers appear with headlines such as “Rabbi from Chelm Visits Kazrilevke” and “Jewish Philosopher”. The pictures that adorn Joseph’s wall are images of real people, so with nameplates like “Moishe”. There is a letter on the table addressed to Joseph in Poland, and a Menorah close by. In addition to all of the culture collaged into the pages, Taback also includes a series of die cuts, similar to the holes in the overcoat, that lead one page to the next and can allow the reader to make guesses about what is to come, providing the perfect prompt for practicing inferences. I also found it interesting that the word “Joseph” was always displayed in yellow, like the rest of the text with the exception of the letter “J”, which was always red. Then in the small details, words or letters were highlighted in red. I found myself wondering if there was some sort of intentional pattern that would lead to a message at the end, but after studying the pages and doing a little research, I didn’t come up with anything. Still, I found this visual choice intriguing.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Common Sense Media - “Simms Taback is a master of collage:”
CONNECTIONS
~Have students read the book using the die cuts as prompts for making inferences about what will happen next.
~Have students read the book taking special note of all of the cultural references in the pages. Use these as a discussion about the Jewish culture to lead into a unit about the Holocaust.
Related books:
Taback, Simms. 2005. Kibitzers and Fools. New York, NY: Penguin Group. ISBN
0-670-05955-2
Book Review - The Lion and the Mouse
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Pinkney, Jerry. 2009. The lion and the mouse. New York, NY: Little Brown Books for Young Readers. ISBN 978-0-316-01356-7
PLOT SUMMARY
This picture book, told almost entirely through pictures, takes the reader through the experiences of a little mouse who barely escapes the danger of a hungry whoot owl only to land on the tail of a lion. Surprisingly, the lion is very gentle with the mouse, and after a brief examination, lets the mouse go. The mouse returns to her family, and the lion goes on about his business. The reader is warned that danger is near when a couple of hunters set a trap. The lion steps into the trap, and when the mouse discovers the lion’s predicament, she makes her way to him and chews the ropes to set him free. She returns to her babies with a piece of the rope as a token of her adventures.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Pinkney’s Caldecott award winning rendition of Aesop’s fable tells a beautiful story with multiple lessons to be learned although there are no words, only onomatopoeias to portray the sounds of the animals. The choice to tell the story without words forces the reader to pay close attention to the very detailed pictures, and using the animal sounds brings the reader that much closer to the characters in the story. The small mouse proves through her escape from the owl and her experience with the lion that the small and meek can triumph over the big and strong. She enforces the importance of never giving up as she painstakingly gnaws through the ropes of the poachers’ trap. Another lesson for the reader is that showing self control and caring for others can yield positive consequences as the little mouse pays forward the kindness that the lion showed her.
The illustrations in the book are created with pencils and watercolor. They are very detailed and use the colors of nature like browns, yellows, greens and blues, to put the reader into the scene. The reader can sense the tone of each scene through the eyes of the animals. The mouse goes from wide almost glassy eyes in the intense moments, to very calm and muted eyes when she is in the comfort of her own home with her babies. The lion’s eyes show definite curiosity as it discover the annoying mouse, examining it while holding it by the tail. His eyes soften as he lets the mouse rest on his paw, but become wild with fury when he is trapped in the net. His eyes show some cynicism as the little mouse begins to naw the ropes, but hold a grateful light when the mouse is successful at freeing him.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Starred Review in Kirkus - “A nearly wordless exploration of Aesop’s fable of symbiotic mercy that is nothing short of masterful.”
Starred Review in School Library Journal - “A must have, and a must purchase.”
CONNECTIONS
~Have students read the book and brainstorm their own morals of the story.
~Have students read and compare multiple versions of the story and analyze them for the choice to tell the story using words versus pictures.
Related books:
Burkert, Rand. 2011. Mouse and Lion. Ill: Nancy Ekholm Burkert. New York, NY: Scholatic. ISBN
978-0-545-10147-9
Book Review - The Three Little PIgs
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Watts, Bernadette. 2012. The Three Little Pigs. New York, NY: North-South Books Inc. ISBN
978-0-7358-4058-4
PLOT SUMMARY
This traditional Fairytale begins with a poor mother who has to send her three little pigs out into the world. Each pig comes across a kind man carrying building materials which are generously given to the pigs to build their homes. The first little pig builds a house of straw, but when a hungry wolf shows up, the little pig refuses the wolf entry and the wolf blows the pig’s house down. Fortunately, the pig is able to escape. The second little pig acquires stick to build his house. The same fate occurs for this pig as the wolf blows his house down and the pig runs away. The third, more fortunate, pig gains bricks to build his house. Although the very hungry wolf begs to be admitted into the home, and even tries to come through the chimney, the little pig is able to deter him by building a hot fire. The wolf eventually gives up on this little pig who invites his brothers and mother to move in with him where they live happily.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Watts’s interpretation of this age old story hits all of the traditional key points with phrases that most children who have heard them can recite from heart. In many variations of the story, the wolf says the same lines at each house: “little pig, little pig, let me come in.” Each pig denies the wolf, “by the hair on my chinny-chin-chin”. The wolf then claims, “ I will huff and puff and blow your house in.” These traditional lines make the story easy to retail, and lend themselves to an interactive reading with small children who have become familiar with the story. One thing that is different about this version of the story from others that I have read is then ending. In most versions that I have read, each little pig runs to the next little pig’s home until all three end up together in the brick house to outsmart the wolf. Often, the wolf ends up in a burning kettle as it tries to enter through the chimney. Watts’s version is much more peaceful, having the wolf scare off at the sign of smoke coming out of the chimney, and the mother rejoining her children in their new home.
Watts’s illustrations soft and sweet with subtle details. The colors are natural shades of brown, greens and blues, and the brush strokes are wispy, reflective of the rhythmic progression of the story and the “blowing down” of each home until the end. The pictures on each pages appear to be broken into scenes that show different perspectives. As the mother is sending her babies into the world, there are animals eating hay and looking on while in a very separate part of the page, the wolf is peeking around a tree in the woods at what is going on. Each spread, not only features what is going on with the pigs, but also contains other small stories of the lives of the animals around. Rabbits are gathering food. Mothers are caring for their young. Birds are flying above. The details of the illustrations add depth to the story and the setting.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Kirkus - “Devoid of energy, but greeting-card pretty. ”
CONNECTIONS
~Have students read and compare several versions of the book.
~Have students focus on several different endings to the story and discuss what is most effective.
~ Have students read this book followed by The True Story of the Three Little Pigs and discuss credibility and point of view.
Related books:
Scieszka, Jon. 1989. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. New York, NY: Penguin Group.
ISBN 0-670-82759-2
Book Review - The Three Samurai Cats
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kimmel, Eric. 2003. The Three Samurai Cats. New York, NY: Holiday House Inc. ISBN
0-8234-1742-5
PLOT SUMMARY
This Japanese Folktale features a daimyo, or lord, whose castle has been taken over by a terrible rat. The daimyo seeks the help of a senior monk who sends one of his Samurai Cats to try to get rid of the rat. The rat easily defeats the cat who is humiliated and leaves. The daimyo returns to the monk who agrees to send “a real champion” to take on the rat. Again, the rat easily defeats the Samurai.The daimyo returns to the monk who has one final “master of martial arts” to send. When this cat appears, old and decrepit, the daimyo has very little hope for success. The cat enters into a routine of eating and sleeping, and turns down all invitations from the rat to fight. Finally, on day the rat gets himself into a tough situation and has to ask the cat for help. The cat makes the rat agree that he must leave the castle if given assistance, and the rat does. The lesson in the story is that one should “Draw strength from stillness. Learn to act without acting.”
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The Japanese terminology in the story might be uncommon to most readers, but it does not get in the way of full understanding of the plot and lessons taught in this book. While there are stated lessons at the end of the story, there are also some underlying things to be learned. Readers are reminded that we should judge someone’s abilities on their appearance. There is also a great lesson on patience that unfolds as the story progresses. The book could be used as a foundation for many topics of research on Japanese culture and traditions.
The illustrations in the book combined with the story take the tone a very different direction than if there were no pictures. The illustrator created humorous images of the characters, which helps take the edge off of the fighting and frustration. While the rat is grotesque, the reader can’t help but find his mischievous activities funny along with the reactions of the patrons in the castle. The monk is cast as an old hound dog in a robe. The old cat who is finally successful at ridding the castle of the rat is appropriately irritated, but lazy, in true cat like fashion. The illustrations were drawn with pen and oil paint and at times, are almost organized like a comic strip or comic book.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Kirkus - “A sophisticated story designed to stimulate unconventional thinking.”
CONNECTIONS
~Have students read the story with a vocabulary list of the unfamiliar Japanese words. Have them write their own definitions for what they think the words mean. After reading, go over the actual definitions of the words.
Related books:
Yasuda, Yuri. 2010. A Treasury of Japanese Folktales. North Clarendon, TV: Tuttle Publishing
ISBN 978-4-8053-1079-3
No comments:
Post a Comment