LITTLE NIGHT written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales

Morales, Yuyi, 2007. LITTLE NIGHT. New York: Roaring Brook Press. ISBN 9781596430885.

Plot Summary:
LITTLE NIGHT is a wonderful bedtime story and folktale of mother Sky and her daughter little Night. As mother Sky attempts to get her daughter to bathe in falling stars, little Night wants to play hide and seek. Mother sky continues to prepare her daughter for the end of the day by dressing her, preparing a snack and a drink of the Milky Way, and brushing the planets into her hair, all little Night wishes to do is play and hide. In the end little Night takes her moon ball and overcomes the day. The illustrations are drawn using bright colors of yellow, pink, red, and green in the dusk hours of the story that transform into darker hues of purple, brown and black tones as the night comes and the story ends. 

Critical Analysis:
The main characters of mother Sky and daughter Night are personifications of the day changing to the night sky. The story is beautifully illustrated throughout the story on two page spreads showing the reader a view of the earth and sky during its transition from day to night. The setting is not specific but does show elements of the earth and sky during the duration between dusk and night. The time frame of the story encompasses this transition from dusk to nightfall by showing how mother Sky prepares little Night to fill the sky.

This folktale has a celestial theme that is intended to tell the story of how the sky changes from light to dark. The story is delightful, playful and carefree with calming words and illustrations. The mother’s love for her daughter and the daughter's playful interaction with her mother is reveled throughout the tale. Even though the text of the story uses simple words and phrases and is minimal in its length, the story unfolds similar to stanzas in a poem. While not in a rhyming pattern, there is a sense of a beat or pulse in the arrangements of the lines of text.

The illustrations are done using the bright colors of red, orange, yellow, blue and green during the day portion of the story, but transform into purples, dark blues, browns and blacks as the night approaches helps the reader visually move into the night. This is well represented in a great close up scene near the end of the story where mother Sky has little Night sitting on her lab and is brushing the planets of Venus, Mercury, and Jupiter into her daughter's hair.  

Review Excerpt:
Yuyi Morales is a the 2004, 2008, and 2009 Pure Belpre Medal Winner for her books JUST A MINUTE: A TRICKSTER TALE AND COUNTING BOOK, LOS GATOS BLACK ON HALLOWEEN, and JUST IN CASE, respectively.  The Booklist stated in their review, “The blues of the evening sky and the reds of the sunset blanket the double-page spreads, enveloping Little Night and her mother and making the metaphor entirely believable. Children will delight in Little Night's dreamy world and will want to read about her unique, yet still familiar, nighttime ritual again and again.” (February, 2007)

Connections:
LITTLE NIGHT has the feel of tranquility that one gets from the story GOODNIGHT MOON by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd. Both have just enough adventure to keep children interested but each has a winding down element that is intended to lull children to sleep. Both these books are excellent bedtime stories for parents to read to their children. Each story has its beat or pulse in the text that have a non-rhyming but rhythmical feel and sound when read aloud. 

Personal Response:
Yuyi Morales is a talented weaver of words, but an even more extraordinary artist. Her use of light and dark pastel colors that splash across each two page spreads throughout the story heightens the readers experience and awe. I will be sure to use this story to tell my grand sons when they are having trouble falling asleep. I intend to practice reading the story out loud in my most soothing, slow, and deliberate voice to help facilitate the feel of love, tranquility and slumber. 

References:

BookListOnline.com, 2007, February. Little Night Review. Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com/Little-Night-Yuyi-Morales/pid=1869782 accessed September 22, 2013.

Little Night book Cover. little_night_cover.300x300.jpg. Retrieved from http://redroom.com/member/yuyi-morales/books/little-night accessed September 22, 2013.

SWAMP ANGEL by Anne Isaacs and Ill. by Paul O. Zelinsky

Isaacs, Anne, Ill. Paul O. Zelinsky. 1994. SWAMP ANGEL. New York: Dutton Children's Books. ISBN 052545271.

Plot Summary:

SWAMP ANGEL is a tall tale about an unusually large, young Tennessee girl named Angelica Longrider who was born to a pioneering family in 1815. Angelica, also known as Swamp Angel, helps her community rid themselves of a huge pesky bear named Thundering Tarnation who ate up all of their winter rations. The heroine of the story confronts her four-legged foe and wrestles with him for nearly a week. At one point she flings the bear so high into the sky he bumps the stars to form the Great Bear constellation. In another instance, the battle stirs up so much dust that even today people call these mountains the Great Smoky Mountains. Swamp Angel is victorious and uses the bear meat to have a great feast and refill the communities winter rations. Being too large to leave in Tennessee, Swamp Angel drags the bear pelt to Montana where it becomes the Shortgrass Prarie.

Critical Analysis:

The main characters of the story are Angelica Longrider, also known as Swamp Angel and the protagonist of the story, Thundering Tarnation the giant troublesome black bear, and the pioneer community that lives within the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee. The story takes place the early 1800’s during the pioneering days within the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. The events take place over the young life of Swamp Angel, but with the climax of the story taking place over a one week span. The time span between a heroine’s birth and the main action happens within the first five pages of the story to give the read just enough background to the protagonist and quickly move into the action of the story.

The main theme is that the good, Swamp Angel, triumphs over evil, Thundering Tarnation in their epic week-long battle. The universal theme of good versus evil is done in such a way that children will have fun, be entertained and not feel preached to. Storytellers should use a Southern accent to make an impression. That is because the text is written to be read using a Southern accent by using flowery and abbreviated words and phrases. This narrative style creates a steady rhythm to the story that the ready can easily interpret.  Swamp Angel is a supernatural human that is much larger than the other characters in the story and is able to do inhuman acts like build a log cabin at two years old, lifting horse drawn wagons to higher ground, and lassoing a tornado to capture a bear. 

The cool pastel illustrations are done mostly on two-page spreads to enhance the immense size of Swamp Angel as compared to her surroundings. The illustrations are also placed over wood grain backgrounds which give them a picture frame look while including the element of wood panels to represent the wood cutting nature of a frontier woman. Once the action starts, the pace of the story is quick and adventurous.  

The story representatives include early Anglo-American frontier people with few references to other cultures. These other are represented more in the illustrations than in the text itself. However the majority of the story does focuses squarely on the protagonist and antagonist of the tale. 

Review Excerpt:

SWAMP ANGEL has had many positive reviews and honors. It received the 1994 ALA Notable Book, the 1994 School Library Journal Best Books, 1994 Booklist Children's Editors Choice, 1994 Time Magazine's 8 Best Children's Books, the 1994 New York Times Best Illustrated Books, the 1995 Caldecott Honor, the 1995 Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor and others (AnneIsaacs.com). Publishers Weekly wrote, “This valiant heroine is certain to leave youngsters chuckling-and perhaps even keeping a close watch on the night sky.” (August, 1994)

Connections:

Many children familiar with other giant human characters in tall tales such as those of Paul Bunyan and John Henry will instantly relate with Swamp Angel. This story is familiar tale with the enhancements of having a female hero and Southern flair. This is an excellent story to read-a-loud to children and may be paired together with those of Paul Bunyan and John Henry to discuss similarities and differences in the tall tales. 

Personal Response:

I particularly liked this story and I even read it aloud in a Southern accent to get the rhythm and cadence of the tale. I think that if I were to practice it a few times in this way, children would really like the story and pick up on the nuances of the story. Most of the illustrations, being across a two page spread, are excellent for story time also because they are large and full of action. I will definitely remember this book when I have to do an impromptu storytelling for children between the ages of 5 and 8. 

References:

AnneIsaacs.com. retrieved from http://anneisaacs.com/node/31 accessed September 22, 2013.

PaulOZelinsky.com. Book cover retrieved from http://www.paulozelinsky.com/images/books/med-res-jackets/swamp_angel_med_res.jpg accessed September 22, 2013.

Publishers Weekly, 1994. Swamp Angel Review. http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-525-45271-3 accessed September 22, 2013.

THE THREE LITTLE JAVELINAS by Susan Lowell and Ill. by Jim Harris

Lowel, Susan, Ill. Jim Harris. 1992. THE THREE LITTLE JAVELINAS. Flagstaff: Norhtland Publishing. ISBN 0873585429.

Plot Summary:
This unique adaptation of the classic tale of THE THREE LITTLE PIGS is based in the desert, similar to the North American Southwest, where three javelinas, instead of pigs, are the protagonists and a coyote which represents the big bad wolf. The story follows the theme of the original with adaptations made to the details, such as the homes being made from tumble weed, saguaro ribs, and adobe bricks rather than straw, sticks, and bricks, respectively. They each build their homes using these local materials and are harassed by a coyote who wants to eat them. After near escapes the first two javelinas end up at their sister’s house, which is made from adobe bricks that the coyote cannot blow down. Foiled by his attempts to eat the three javelinas he howls in the night to vent out his frustration.      

Critical Analysis:
The three javelinas are the protagonists of the story who represent the three little pigs and the coyote, the antagonist representing the big bad wolf of the traditional tale of THE THREE LITTLE PIGS. The three javelinas are two brothers and a sister, and the sister is the one that was smart enough to build her house out of adobe bricks. The story is set in the desert, seemingly that of the North American Southwest, but these surroundings may be found in Texas, New Mexico, California, and Northern Mexico. The scene is depicted vibrantly in the Jim Harris' illustrations which show saguaro cactus, desert sands, mountains and boulders, desert animals, and sun-beaten cow skulls.

The story is based on the classic European-American tale of THE THREE LITTLE PIGS with characters of three diverse cultures and a bit of Native American folklore in the mix. The story teaches how poor planning and laziness can lead to a disastrous end, while good planning and hard work may be the best course of action. It also shows illustrates to the reader that good prevails over evil, ending in a positive result for the three javelinas.
The illustrations of the story help the reader understand the setting and actions as they read along. The setting is shown using wide open desert scenes, saguaro cactus, desert sands, and indigenous desert animals like rattlesnakes. Several of the illustrations are done on two page spreads which allows for the reader to see a grand view of the desert backdrop. Nearly every illustration shows some action or movement which helps create a quickened pace to the story and the personifications of the javelinas and the coyote are done with humor by dressing them in western clothes.

The cultures depicted within the story are that of English speaker, reflected in the javelinas and the coyote characters, a Desert Person, and a Mexican or Mexican-American person. Each culture contributes to the flow of the story and adds an cultural element by the affirmation spoken and materials offer to build the javelina’s houses.

Review Excerpt:
THE THREE LITTLE JAVELINAS is a Reading Rainbow book which was reviewed by Publishers Weekly whose article stated that, “This clever and flavorful change of scene puts a diverting spin on an old favorite. Harris's lively, finely detailed illustrations, with the bristling, pink-nosed peccaries clad in cowboy outfits, amusingly contrast the villain's vigorous wiles with the title characters' cozy domesticity.” (January, 1992). 

Connections:
This story is an adaptation of the classic tale of THE THREE LITTLE PIGS, which has been told and retold over the centuries. It uses animals and elements of the desert southwest to retell a story that many children know, with differences in the characters, settings, and building materials used.

Personal Response:
I found the story to be a fresh version of the original with great wide open illustrations that show the grandeur of the setting. Even though I knew what was coming next, I was surprised by the use of difference cultures and elements that made the story new again. I would use this as a read-a-loud at my library for children between the ages of 5 to 8 years old in story times or during tours.

References:

Harris, Jim, 2009. 51wRWD8gVwL._SL500_.jpg http://www.jimharrisillustrator.com/ChildrensBooks/Books/Thethreelittlejavelinas.html   accessed September 22, 2013.

Publishers Weekly, 1992. The Three Little Javelinas Review, http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-87358-542-2 accessed September 22, 2013.

THAT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA! by Mo Willems

Williams, Mo. 2013. THAT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA! New York: Balzer + Bray.

ISBN 9780062203090. 

Plot Summary:

The story is narrated by six gosling chicks that appear to be watching the events unfold from the eyes of a silent movie audience member. The story begins when a well-dressed fox makes eye contact with a lovely goose and politely asks if she would like to take a stroll with him. The coy goose accepts and the goslings warn, “That is NOT a good idea!” As the tale progresses the sly fox leads the gullible goose to his kitchen where he is preparing a soup for his dinner. All through the story the goslings continue to overstate that the events are not a good idea. The conclusion of the tale reveals a plot twist showing young readers that things are not always as they seem. Children young and old will find the story humorous with a surprising ending.    

Critical Analysis:

The characters of the sly fox, the gullible goose and the excitable goslings are excellent to attract young children to the book itself. The use of limited text, large font and exceptional illustrations make the book easy to read and captivating. The setting of the story begins in a city, then moves to an isolated forest and finally ends in the foxes kitchen. The entire events transpire in a short period of time and within walking distance of the beginning of the tale. This movement of setting and the event that transpire help the story create a foreshadowing of bad things to come.  

The illustrations are done in a cartoony fashion with the protagonist, antagonist and narrators colored brighter than the background objects. This helps the read keep their focus on the characters and less on the surroundings. The use of black bordered pages in a silent movie style and the attire of the fox give the story a classic look and enhance the ominous mood.

The use of animals as the main characters in a story eliminates any cultural markers. This allows all children from varies cultures can read this story and enjoy it without feeling included or excluded from the characters.

Review Excerpt:

Mo Willems is a three-time Caldecott Honor winner and author of numerous popular children’s books. On April 1, 2013, Kirkus Reviews stated that this book was, “Exceptionally observant readers may anticipate the twist, but that won’t spoil the enjoyment of this fun-loving fractured fable. Minimal text makes this book ideal for read-a-louds and discussions of fable and fairy-tale motifs.” (Kirkus, 2013).

Connections:

I connected this book to that of MILLIONS OF CATS by Wanda Gág. The similarities that I found in the two stories were that of their endings. Both stories led readers down a path which had a twist at the end. In MILLIONS OF CATS the old man brings back too many cats to take care of so he asks the cats to decide which was the prettiest. In the end, the cat that prevailed was the homeliest of them all.

Personal Response:

I used FaceTime on my iPad in order to contact my three year old grandson to read-a-loud this story. I was able to show him the illustrations and add to the text by explaining more details that were shown in the pictures. As the goslings would repeat, “That is really, really, really NOT a good idea,” my grandson would laugh and repeat the “really, really” lines. As the story progressed, I would ask him what would happen next and we both laughed at the twist in the ending. I have read many Mo Willems books as a Childrens’ Assistant and know what impact he has on children. I would highly recommend this book and any of Mr. Willems’ numerous others to parents and children alike. They are all excellent beginner reader books and read-a-louds in person or virtual.    

References:

“THAT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA!” Kirkus Reviews last modified April 1, 2013, https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/mo-willems/not-good-idea/ (accessed September 8, 2013).

“THAT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA!” https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGodM7nb7fa7l8fJSSNGfN_Tl2PJWxncTfmrJUGf9XkWCUWcfPfMqaLwypL5TtYvXH72Tj3I-t4g16JLJiEdAsWDfqnQkD7xH42j0IE2j9vhR7N45G5PXp4tQjGpHbKgoE2GF00qxTfLg/s1600/NOT+A+GOOD+IDEA.JPG (accessed September 8, 2013).

A BALL FOR DAISY by Chris Raschka

Raschka, Chris. 2011. A BALL FOR DAISY. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books. ISBN 978037595861. 

Plot Summary:

The protagonist of the story is a little dog who loves her red ball. One day her owner takes Daisy to the park where another dog takes her ball and pops it. Daisy is saddened by the loss of her ball which is depicted by her facial expressions. Daisy returns home with her owner remains sad by the loss of her ball. Sometime later, Daisy’s owner takes Daisy to the park again where they meet the owner of the dog who popped her ball. The second dog’s owner hands Daisy a blue ball which makes Daisy very happy.  

Critical Analysis:

This emotional story of loss, sadness, gain, and happiness was told by using only watercolor drawings and no text. The story is for children below third grade level who would be able to easily understand the progression of the events in the story. The story spans a timeframe of two days because Daisy is shown sleeping near the beginning and the ending of the story. This drama is set within Daisy’s home and a park which are easily recognizable by the drawings. The illustrator of the book, Chris Raschka is able to portray Daisy’s emotions of happiness, excitement, surprise, confusion, and sadness using only his watercolor drawings.   

Since the protagonist of the story was a dog and the illustrations were done using watercolors, no cultural markers were evident in the story. This absence creates readability for all children of different cultures who will be able to understand the emotions that are revealed in the story.

Review Excerpt:

A  BALL FOR DAISY was the winner of the 2012 Randolph Caldecott Medal and was listed on the New York Times Bestseller and New York Times Best Illustrated book lists. Lolly Robinson of The Horn Book reviewed A BALL FOR DAISY on November 11, 2011 as stated that, “Because Rashcka’s style is so gestural (if I may use that term outside of human figure drawing) and his brush strokes so loose, it’s sometimes hard to see exactly where Daisy’s mouth or eyes are. But there is never any question of the emotion being depicted.”

Connections:

The connection I made with this book is with THE BOY AND THE AIRPLANE by Mark Pett, which is also a wordless book. In this story Mark Pett’s protagonist, a young boy, received an airplane as a gift and is filled with happiness. While playing with it outside it lands on the roof of his house and he becomes sad. The boy tries many ways to retrieve the plane, but all are unsuccessful. He decides to plant a tree close to the house and wait until the tree is large enough to climb and extract the plane, which happens when he is an old man and he is happy again. Once retrieved, he decides to gift the plane to another. These two stories depict similar emotions of happiness, loss, and sadness.  

  

Personal Response:

My experience with wordless books is recent, but I have found that I really enjoy them. Each time I examined A BALL FOR DAISY, I found something that I missed before in the background or I interpreted the drawing differently. The absence of text allows the reader to experience the book in a way the reader wants. The amazing thing that I have found is that this experience will change each time the book is opened, keeping the experience fresh and entertaining.

References:

“A Ball for Daisy.” The Horn Book last modified November 11, 2011, http://www.hbook.com/2011/11/blogs/calling-caldecott/a-ball-for-daisy/ (accessed September 8, 2013).

“A Ball for Daisy.” The Horn Book last modified November 11, 2011, http://www.hbook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/a-ball-for-daisy.jpg  (accessed September 8, 2013).

ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY by Judith Viorst and Ill. by Ray Cruz

Viorst, Judith. 1972. ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY. Ill. by Ray Cruz. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks. ISBN 0689711735. 

Plot Summary:

The protagonist of the story is a little boy by the name Alexander. His older brothers, Anthony and Nick are loosely used as the story’s antagonists to portray the positive or opposite emotions that Alexander is feeling. The story is written from the experience of a child between 6 and 9 years old from whom children readers of the same age can directly relate with. Alexander wakes up one morning and has unfortunate situations happen to him throughout the entire day. The reader follows him through his day from one unfortunate event to the next. Throughout the story, Alexander tells the reader that that he is having a very bad day. The setting of the story is within Alexander’s home, school and community and the story takes place from morning to bedtime. The story unfolds chronologically from the moment Alexander wakes to the time he goes to bed.

Critical Analysis:

This emotional story is about a child having many unfortunate events take place throughout a single day. It reveals to children that it is possible to have a very bad day, but to keep an optimistic outlook for the next day. The lesson is taught at the end of the book by Alexander’s revelation of a conversation he had with his mother before bedtime.

The entire story is told from the first person narrative by the protagonist. The repetition of him saying that he is having a very bad day reinforces the main theme of the story. Most of what happens to Alexander is out of his control and he is forced to experience the negative events creating a foreboding feeling within the reader. The black and white illustrations enhance this foreboding by focus on Alexander and his facial expressions of displeasure and frustration, while others around him are happy. These expressions could have been solely revealed by the illustrations and without having to rely on the text of the story, which is a testament to the illustrator.

The overall culture of the story centers on white children. Depictions of black children are in a few pages of the illustrations are present but not directly mentioned in the text. Even though, the universal message of the story is one that can be read and related to by all cultures of children.

Review Excerpt:

Kirkus Reviews issue September 1, 1972 stated, “In the spiky spirit of Sunday Morning (1969) but more truly attuned to a child's point of view, Viorst reviews a really aggravating (if not terrible, horrible, and very bad) day in the life of a properly disgruntled kid who wakes up with gum in his hair and goes to bed after enduring Lima beans for dinner and kissing on T.V."  (Kirkus, 2012).

Connections:

The book connection was with TIKKI TIKKI TEMBO by Arlene Mosel, where a Chinese boy has a series of unfortunate events with falling into the community’s water well. Both stories show that even when a situation in children’s lives appears, a positive outlook is encouraged in the stories.  

Personal Response:

I mentioned that I was reading this book for class while speaking with my Literacy Matters mentor and she said that that just happened to be her favorite book as a child. I had to honestly say that I had not read the story before but found it to be emotional and bleak at times. She stated that she would read and re-read the story nearly every time she went to the public library and found a unique personal connection with Alexander and his plight. I reread the story after our conversation and found the emotional elements of having situation run out of ones control that I feel many children can relate to. Overall I feel that the story portrays how even when negative situations happen, and the often do, a positive outlook on tomorrow must be maintained.   

References:

“Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.” Kirkus Reviews last modified March 12, 2012,  https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/judith-viorst/alexander-and-terrible-horrible-no-good-very-b/ (accessed September 8, 2013).

“Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.”  Wikipedia.org http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/25/ALEXANDER_TERRIBLE_HORRIBLE.jpg (accessed September 6, 2013).

This blog is intended to learn about blogging and review children's books for an online library science class 5603.21 - Literature for Children and Young Adults.