Beautiful Blackbird – Ashley Bryan

 

 

The birds of Africa were once solid colors, bright and bold, pale and delicate. The only bird that was a rainbow of colors was Blackbird, a black so deep light scintillated off his feathers in a dazzling array. At a gathering of birds, a dance where they greet the sun and the night, Ringdove, a lovely white bird, begs Blackbird to share his black coloring with him. Though he agrees, Blackbird tells him, “Color on the outside is not what’s on the inside. You don’t act like me. You don’t eat like me.  You don’t get down in the groove like me” (Bryan, 2003). Blackbird brews black in a gourd and then paints it on Ringdove’s neck with a single feather. The other birds beg to be painted as well.

Though the story is presented to describe how all the birds became patterned with a variety of colors, the true heart of the tale is accepting who you are. Just as Blackbird says, only Blackbird is Blackbird no matter what markings he gives the others birds. This message is one that resonates with everyone, not just children.

The prose style is simple, and yet has a complex layering of textures with the birds that make this book a wonderful repeat-after-me as Ashley Bryan show in this video of him performing his book with an audience.

 

 

Not only does this telling reveal the nuances of language, it helps reveal the groove and sway of the birds in their speech and dance patterns. Kirkus reviews says, “This telling, by the master storyteller, just aches to be read aloud; the lively rhythms keep the simple folktale rollicking along” (Kirkus).

The bright, bold colors and the simple lines of the illustrations awaken a tribal feel. It is not hard to picture the birds of Africa gathering to share dances and songs with one another. They strut across the page in their dances with their bright colors flashing like the plumage of a peacock. The black lines Blackbird paints on the other birds are simple, yet bold patterns that become very eye-catching against the bright backdrops.

This book won a Coretta Scott King Award in 2004 for the illustrations.

Bryan, Ashley. Beautiful Blackbird. New York: Atheneum Book, 2003.

Kane, Richard. “Ashley Bryan’s ‘Beautiful Blackbird'”. https://vimeo.com/199083563. Accessed 23 September 2017.

Bryan, Ashley. “BEAUTIFUL BLACKBIRD by Ashley Bryan , Ashley Bryan.” Kirkus Reviews, http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/ashley-bryan/beautiful-blackbird/. Accessed 24 Sept. 2017.

 

 

 

Three Little Pigs – Barry Moser

Barry Moser’s version of the Three Little Pigs is much like the traditional tale. Three pigs build their homes – straw, wood, and brick. The big, bad wolf wants each pig to let him in, but they refuse so he blows their house down. Or at least he tries. Some of the big differences include the kindness of strangers giving them the needed materials to build their homes and instead of fleeing to the home of the nearest brother, the wolf eats the defeated pigs. At least until he meets up with the pig in the brick house.

Is this too gruesome, too violent for today‘s children? Perhaps, but it clings to the dark roots of its fairy tale beginnings, cementing its place among the traditional tales. I wouldn’t use this book for a public story time, but parents can choose to read this version to their kids at bedtime or allow them to check it out. According to Kirkus, they feel Moser “relates it in formal language, toning down the traditional story line’s violence but adding plenty of biting (so to speak) humor” (Kirkus).

 

The illustrations in the book are eye-catching and somewhat humorous. The wolf is long and lean with ribs showing through his matte gray pelt. The pigs are fat and pink and what starving wolf wouldn’t want to take a bite out of their hides? The best illustrations come later in the book when the last pig is squaring off in a battle of wits against the wolf, very Coyote and the Road Runner style without ACME’s interference. These and the story they illustrate are part of what makes this book stand out among so many retellings of the same old story.  The images chosen help downplay the violence as the first two pigs are killed off stage and all the readers gets is a glimpse of a swollen belly and the wolf lounging among clean bones with a jar of barbeque sauce. The last image of the final pig is just as humorous and leaves no question as to the wolf’s fate – wolf slippers, a recipe book, a paper that says “My Mama’s Wolf Stew with Garlic.”

This version didn’t win any awards that I could track down, but maybe it should have. Those illustrations and the simple, straightforward language help paint a vivid, entertaining, and memorable retelling,

 

Moser, Barry. The Three Little Pigs. Scholastic, 2001.

Moser, Barry. “THE THREE LITTLE PIGS by Barry Moser , Barry Moser.” Kirkus Reviews, http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/barry-moser/the-three-little-pigs-4/. Accessed 24 Sept. 2017.

Dust Devil by Anne Isaccs and Paul O. Zelinsky

Tall tales are a distinctly American traditional tale. These stories include Pecos Bill and his lassoing a tornado. Paul Bunyun and his blue ox, Babe. Dust Devil by Anne Issacs fits this genre with a series of very tall tales from Swamp Angel’s giant size to her taming the giant horse, Dust Devil, to her besting Backward Bart and his band of bank robbers in a big way.

Swamp Angel (Caldecott Honor Book) is actually introduced in a book bearing her name. Dust Devil is her second outing and her tale only got bigger. Moving from Montana to Tennessee, Swamp Angel uplifts mountains and uses them as her shade, forming the famous buttes.  The plants on her farm grew just as big and fast as she did. “Some seedlings shot up and rocketed to the sky, taking the cows along for the ride. They weren’t seen again until fall.  When the stalks withered and lowered the cows back to the earth.” A giant dust storm hit Montana, coating everything in dirt, and Swamp Angel decided to tame the storm. Inside she found a giant horse – just what she was looking for – and her attempts to break him made the Grand Canyon. They settle in to a life together with Swamp Angel handling Dust Devil’s wildness until Backward Bart, a man so ugly his mom made him walk backwards his entire life, and his band of thieves riding giant mosquitos terrorize Montana. Kirkus notes about Bart “He walked, spoke and robbed backward ever since. Bart’s garbled threats remain funny even after several readings. “Cash your gimme!” just doesn’t get old” (Kirkus). Swamp Angel knew she needed to take care of them and after a wild horse chase and battle, Angel gets them into the jail.

When one reads this book aloud, it isn’t hard to fall into a slow drawl speech pattern. The tale rolls slowly off the tongue, taking its time getting where it wants to go. This natural cadence adds a rich texture to the narrative, making it a wonderful story to share for a story or bed time.  The illustrations by Paul O. Zelinsky adds to the rich narrative with illustrations designed to make the “tall tale” seem even bigger. Swamp Angel, Dust Devil, and the plants on her farm tower over everyone. Backward Bart and his cronies are just as silly as they sound, going everywhere backward on flying giant mosquitos. The color pallet is a rich sepia with red highlights, pulling in the colors of the plains and the mountains but paints the sky a brilliant palette of blue, gray, and gold.

 

Issacs, Anne and Zelinsky, Paul O. Dust Devil. New York: Random House Children’s Books, 2010.

Isaacs, Anne, and Paul O. Zelinsky. “DUST DEVIL by Anne Isaacs , Paul O. Zelinsky.” Kirkus Reviews, http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/anne-isaacs/dust-devil-isaacs/. Accessed 24 Sept. 2017.

Edwina the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct – Mo Willems

Mo Willems likes to write books about people and creatures that crave attention. Leonardo the Terrible Monster is a fine example of such tomfoolery. Just look at this monster. Isn’t he amazing?

But, this post is not about Leonardo, but Edwina. She’s a matronly T-rex that loves helping her community by doing helpful things. The book opens with:

“Everyone in town knew Edwina. She was the dinosaur who played with the neighborhood kids. She was the dinosaur who did favors for anyone who asked.  Edwina helped little old ladies cross the street. And she baked chocolate chip cookies for everyone. Everyone in Edwina’s community loves her, everyone except for one little boy.” (Willems, 2006)

Enter Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie, an intelligent boy who can’t comprehend why no one in town is bothered by the fact that Edwina is a dinosaur.

And dinosaurs are what? Extinct – exactly!

Reginald prepares reports to give in class that talk about things that no longer exist, and he makes a point to highlight dinosaurs. But, as often happens, no one cares. The other students listen to the report and then leave to enjoy Edwina’s cookies. What is a boy who loves to debate do? He sulks a little, complaining that no one will listen, but Edwina wants to listen. And Reginald let’s her have it in a series of amazing illustrations showing just how over-the-top and passionate Reginald is about his report, but none of that really mattered. The entire point is that Reginald wanted someone to listen to him and he got the kindest, most rapt audience he could have hoped for.

And that is part of the lesson of this story. That sometimes we just need someone to listen. It might be us that needs to share something, something that bothers us or something that we’re passionate about like a favorite book or television show. And sometimes we might be the one that needs to listen to a friend or someone we barely know to be a compassionate ear. Listening puts us under no obligation to change our minds, but all children need to learn that listening is just as important as being heard. And I think that is what Williems is highlighting in this book.

This simple lesson is backed by simplistic art in catchy colors that remind me of pages from a coloring book. Edwina strikes quiet a picture with her sea-foam green skin, her stylized hat, and the lavender purse hanging from her clawed hands. The over dramatic reactions of Reginald when he’s delivering his speech spotlight how much this child needed to be heard and add little dashes of humor to the scene.

 

Awards:

Child Magazine Best Book 2006

NAPPA Gold Medal Award Winner

Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Book Platinum Award Winner

Book Sense 76 Pick

 

“Edwina The Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct”. Penguin Presents. http://www.pigeonpresents.com/book-info.aspx?bid=15. Accessed 7 Sept. 2017.

Willems, Mo. Edwina the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct”. (2006). New York: Hyperion Books.

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble – William Steig

Be careful what you wish for.

How often have we heard this admonishment? It’s common in many fairy tales, and sometimes the path of wishes ends happily, such as with Disney’s version of Aladdin, and sometimes wishes can very wrong.

Such as with poor Sylvester.

He’s an ordinary child with a hobby he enjoys – collecting rocks. Imagine his joy at finding a beautiful red rock and then the wonder when the pebble grants wishes. As many kids, or let’s be honest, as most people would, Sylvester begins planning all the wonderful things that he can do for himself, for his parents, for the people in his village. So preoccupied with his wish-list making, Sylvester fails to see the hungry lion that finds Sylvester all alone. In a panic, Sylvester makes a wish to protect himself – and this is where things go very wrong. Sylvester turns himself into a rock.

When he doesn’t come home, his parents ask around the village. But no one has seen him. The police help them search, but months pass, and then the seasons, and still there is no sign of Sylvester. The parents grieve.

This grief, this sense of loss from Sylvester’s parents, and the sense of abandonment from Sylvester is where this story shines. The pain is palpable, made even more clear by Steig’s art style. Just look at that cover! The expressions of pain, of joy, of sorrow of fear shine as brightly as the vibrant colors each illustration uses. The story is a beautiful fairy tale, yes, but one that we have heard before. It is the clear, precise rendering of emotion is what makes this book so very beautiful.

Kevin McCraffrey from Common Sense Media said, “As a package, this book offers the same classic satisfaction of most of Steig’s works. So much feeling and nuance stuffed into the simple story and pictures of this little book will make children appreciate the power of books and convince their parents that books should be collected and read over and over.”

So eloquently put, and I cannot agree more.

Awards:

Caldecott – 1970

Steig, William. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. (1969). New York: Simon and Schuster Books for Yong Readers.

McCaffery, Kevin. “Sylvester and the Magic Pebble – Book Review.” Common Sense Media: Ratings, reviews, advice, Common Sense Media, 4 Sept.2003, www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/sylvester-and-the-magic-pebble. Accessed 6 Sept. 2017.

They All Saw a Cat – Brendan Wenzel

 

They All Saw a Cat by Brendan Wenzell is a simple, elegantly constructed book of contrasts as shown through the variety of art styles and the various topics covered. Though the repetition and easy flow of a few words might not lead one to see the contrasting, yet complimentary topics at first, on a deeper look, they are easy to pick out. The art on each page helps highlight these differences in a visual manner.

Let’s start with the topics that are so cleverly buried in the simple, repetitive lines; topics such as perception, empathy, the senses. The narrative, and the art, start off with what we might expect to see when looking at a cat. The human child sees the cat as a cute, cuddly creature, but the pictures change subtly as the dog and the fox catch a glimpse of the feline. First, the cat changes to look like easier prey: thin and lanky for the dog, fat and frightened for the fox. But, the size of the bell the cat wears changes as well. It grows much larger than what was seen with the child’s view. This is a beautiful way to show that dogs and foxes have a stronger sense of hearing than sight. Thus, the bell’s importance is greater for them than for the human child.

Brilliant, right? It gets better

Wenzel shows the reader how the cat looks to creature’s who see the world differently than they do. The bee sees a huge creature all made of multi-colored dots. When the fish peers at the cat up through the water, all we see is big eyes staring down at the tiny little goldfish.

 

And the skunk’s world is all rendered in subtle tones of black and gray, like an old black and white photograph. This is an early exploration of the senses with a hint of science thrown in, allowing for that early exposure to the STEM topics that grow more important the older a child grows. It also helps awaken the curiosity of the physical world that a child naturally possesses.

 

But one of the best things in this book, is the view of perception and empathy. The child, as noted sees a friendly companion, a creature to cuddle and hug and pet. However, when the mouse sees the cat, the background is angry red and the cat is all teeth and claws and blazing eyes. For the prey, such as the mouse, the cat is not a pleasant friend, but a threat.

 

 

 

The shifts in the art styles – so many I’m not sure I could name them all – helps show the cat as he walks through the world. These dramatic shifts are made more dynamic by the simple, flowing prose, a narrative style that feels like a cat – simple graceful, and lands on solid feet with each new picture. The opening lines, “The cat walked through the world, with its whiskers, ears, and paws . . .” awakens the sense of a cat stalking through room until it winds its way around the human’s leg on the next page for a pet. It’s effective, interesting, and set so simply and with such impact that kids will enjoy reading this book multiple times. It’s not hard to see why it won the Caldecott Medal in 2017.

 

 

Wenzel, Brendan. They All Saw a Cat. Chronicle Books, LLC, 2016. ISBN 9781452150130

https://brendanwenzel.info/