5360 Children’s Literature

Assignment #1

Sandra C. Rios

It’s a Book by: Lane SmithShape

Smith uses different 2-D geometric flat shapes for each character. The monkey has a large round head, while the donkey (jackass) has more sharp edges: pointy ears . The donkey decides to read the book, and as the hours pass we’re able to see his reaction by the “movement” and shape of his ears. The author also uses rectangular and straight edges on the couch and book. The frames on the wall also have geometric shapes.

Mirror, Mirror : A Book of Reversible Verse

by: Marilyn SingerIllustrated by: Josėe Masse

This book has a fantastic twist to the classic fairytales we know. These reverse poems are a cleverly written as they share the perspectives of two different characters. Two sides to the story. Each reverse poem has its own illustration on the opposite page. The illustrations’ color, lines, and shapes are added with great detail, thus “mirroring” its poem. The overall composition of the book , grabs our attention as we turn the pages anticipating the next fairytale adventure.

Composition

The Three Pigs by: David Wiesner

Texture

The three pigs has been retold countless times with the same plot. Wiesner adds his own personal twist to this classic tale. After being “blown away” by the wolf the pigs set off on their own adventures into various stories. The author begins the story with 2-D cartoon characters and then adds 3-D qualities to the story as the pigs travel through the stories, they become more realistic than the wolf and other characters in the story. The pigs fly on a paper airplane into other classic stories we know. The pigs encounter “floating page frames” of stories and land into other stories. Eventually bringing a dragon with them to intimidate the wolf, thus changing their destiny.

This story about a small fish

who steals a hat from a very

big fish, and thinks he’s

gotten away with it. The

author uses a dark

background to show the

bottom of the ocean. The

illustrations give that collage

feel of cut and paste. The

seaweed are big, tall and

close together. Which makes

it a good hiding spot for the

little fish.

This is Not My Hat by: Jon Klassen

Lines

OLIVIA by: Ian Falconer

This story is mostly black and white, highlights the main character, Olivia in pops of red which is seen on every page. Like the color , Olivia is an energetic little pig. The author takes you through Olivia’s busy day: playing, jumping, and dressing up. She goes to the beach and museum where she sees her favorite painting, a ballerina. Unlike the rest of the story, this painting is realistic. Perhaps, highlighting what Olivia loves.

Color

Where the Wild Things Areby: Maurice Sendak

Children can relate to this story’s plot. It is about a boy named Max, who mischievous and is sent to his room without supper. To deal with his anger, Max ‘s mind takes him into another world, the jungle. He goes through many adventures with “wild things.” Although they are “wild,” Max is able to control the creatures. They even made him king. He too sends them to bed without supper. He realizes he misses home and tells them it’s time to go. The wild things want him to stay. Upon his return, there waiting for him was his supper. Many children can connect to Max’s feelings throughout the story.

PLOT

The Legend of the Bluebonnet retold and illustrated

by: Tomie De Paola

This tale is about an orphaned Native American girl named She-Who-Is-Alone, only has a doll to remember her family by. The author’s illustrations portray the Native American culture through the characters ‘ hair: long and pulled back in braids, their clothing: fringe and use of earth tone colors, their skin tone, and the teepees. It tells of the origin of the bluebonnet, the Texas state flower. The author describes what She-Who-Is-Alone sacrifices to the Great Spirits to end the drought. The people gather and sing to the Great Spirits. Through his illustrations and story, De Paola maintains the traditions and customs of the Native American people.

Culture

My Teacher is a Monster! by: Peter Brown

CharacterThis story is about a boy named Bobby who thinks he has the worst teacher ever. In his eyes, she is a monster literally. Ms. Kirby gets upset with Bobby’s paper airplanes in class. Brown illustrates what Bobby sees: a dragon, with green skin, big teeth, and long claws. She yells, stomps and roars. Just proving to Bobby that she is a monster. Bobby sees her at the park and feels awkward. The ice-breaker, the wind blows, and Bobby catches her hat. As Bobby and Ms. Kirby talk, she seems different and “transforms” becoming more human-like. However when at school Ms. Kirby still corrects behavior and the monster comes out.

Mirror, Mirror : A Book of Reversible Verse

by: Marilyn SingerIllustrated by: Josėe Masse

Masse uses painterly techniques to bring each illustration to life with the use of vivid colors and detail. The readers’ find themselves closely examining each picture with the turn of every page. The characters are close to the classic characters we know. Since the illustrations are a reflection of the text , it makes it obvious to the reader which character is telling their side.

Illustration

The Paper Bag Princess by: Robert Munsch Illustrated by: Michael Martchenko

When we read fairy tales with a

Prince and Princess, the hero is

usually your Prince who rescues the

princess, and ends happily ever

after. In this story, Munsch reverses

the roles. The Prince is carried away

by a dragon. Despite his smug

attitude on the first page, the

Princess becomes the heroin and

sets off to get her Prince back.   She

confronts the dragon and rescues

her Prince, but is rejected by him

because she is dirty. His opinion of

her didn’t matter to her, and as we

see at the end she decides to live

happily ever after on her own and

that’s ok. Theme: “Beauty is in the

eye of the beholder.”

Theme

The Three Pigs by: David Wiesner

Setting

The setting begins where it typically does, at the three little pigs’ houses: straw, sticks, and brick. When the wolf is ready to blow the brick house, the three Little Pigs escape the story. They fold up the page into a paper airplane, and land into other fairytale pages. These pages depict the different “settings” they will be landing in. As characters join them, the dialogue changes to thought bubbles. In the end they rescue a dragon and take him and his rose to live in the brick house. The dragon protects them from the bad wolf and the live happily ever after.

Martina the Beautiful Cockroach A Cuban Folktale

by: David Wiesner Style

Wiesner uses the Cuban setting to bring in his own style. The story opens with her name, Martina Josefina Catalina Cucaracha, setting the stage for what’s to come. Martina is ready to be married and her Abuela offers her some advice, “un consejo.” Throughout the story, the author uses Spanish words and pairs them with English translations. “Martina Josefina Catalina Cucaracha” repeated as each suitor comes to ask for her hand. The detailed and colorful illustrations on each page keeps the reader entertained and engaged.

Brown, Peter. My Teacher Is a Monster!: No, I Am Not. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Deedy, Carmen Agra., and Michael Austin. Martina, the Beautiful

Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree, 2007. DePaola, Tomie. The Legend of the Bluebonnet: An Old Tale of Texas.

New York: Putnam, 1983. Falconer, Ian. Olivia. New York: Atheneum for Young Readers, 2000. Klassen, Jon. This Is Not My Hat. Somerville, MA: Candlewick, 2012. Munsch, Robert N., and Michael Martchenko. The Paper Bag Princess.

Toronto: Annick, 1980. Sendak, Maurice. Where the Wild Things Are. New York: Harper &

Row, 1963. Singer, Marilyn, and Josee Masse. Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible

Verse. New York, NY: Dutton Children's, 2010. Smith, Lane. It's a Book. New York: Roaring Brook, 2010. Wiesner, David. The Three Pigs. New York: Clarion, 2001.

Bibliography