Saturday, February 9, 2008

Advanced Literature for Children

Sis, Peter. THE WALL: GROWING UP BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007.

Prolific juvenile author Peter Sis gives us a most strange but beautiful autobiographical account of being young and living under a totalitarian regime. Sis writes of his life in Czechoslovakia under the shadow of Soviet Communist rule. Overall the writing is more sparse than the pictures but the combination is powerful and moving. The majority of the illustrations appear to be gray and black graphite and pink and red ink, but there are a few pages that are wildly multicolored. In chronological order Sis tells us of the ever more oppressive life in Prague. Using the words COMPULSORY, PROHIBITED, DISCOURAGED in caps and bold lettering is an effective technique. He writes of being forced to wear a red scarf, the symbol of the Young Pioneers Communist Youth Movement, being forced to learn Russian in school and the danger of practicing religion. Pink-red ink drawings have Stalin, Lenin, Krushchev and Brezhnev taking up the majority of the page. He entitles that as the “Time of Brainwashing” Peter’s tale is to him the story of his art because that is the one constant in his life, that he was always drawing………lines, shapes, people, then tank, then war. Drawing whatever he likes at home is the polar opposite to his school work where he draws what he is told. Forced to choose a Russian pen pal the letters are read and graded to reflect allegiance to the party. Particularly moving are excerpts from his journals, 1954-1963. He talks vividly of bits of the West filtering down into society. He wants blue jeans. He secretly tapes recordings of The Beatles. Then more journal entries are included from 1965-1968 when Sis leaves for England. In the center page ones sees a wild utopian kaleidoscope. The work looks like Peter Max! Sis draws the Western influences he is so grateful for, The Beatles and their Yellow Submarine, The Harlem Globetrotters, Jerry Garcia, Allen Ginsburg’s poetry. The journals have small multicolored pictures around the perimeter of the pages. Moving and factual this is a picture book best suited for grades 4 through adult. Information yes, but still a picture book.

Advanced Children's Literature

Muth, Jon J. ZEN TIES. New York: Scholastic, 2008.

Muth’s second book of Zen ideas peopled by Stillwater the Panda and Michael, Addy, and Karl should come off better both to children and adults. There are bright colored balloons, more contrasting colors and this time Stillwater wears a red gentlemen’s tie. Much of the focus of the book is helping the children realize that the grumpy old woman on their street is really not just grumpy but a retired school teacher who lives alone, is in poor health and feels useless. We find out that “Miss Whitaker” is a retired English teacher and she is delighted to help Michael practice for the spelling bee that he has been very nervous about. The book is populated with many beautiful haiku that will be understood by young children. Muth is often full of word play. His nephew is named Koo. “Uncle Stillwater! summer! I have arrived! seeing you brings smiles.” “Hi, Koo!” says Stillwater. His Author’s Notes in the back are detailed but approachable. He fondly mentions that his father-in-law loved wordplay and he dedicated the “Hi, Koo.” idiom to him. This title would be a great read-aloud and a wonderful book that expresses both the wisdom, fun, and respect, that three generations can share. Much more whimsical and child centered than ZEN SHORTS, this books is a winner! This book tells a smooth and fluid story of finally breaking through Miss Whitaker’s crustiness to find a wonderful neighbor and encourager to the young children in the story.

Advanced Children's Literature

Muth, Jon J. ZEN SHORTS. New York: Scholastic, 2005.

Muth writes a most unusual story about a Panda named Stillwater who comes to visit a family of children named Michael, Addy, and Karl. Stillwater tells the children that the wind blew his umbrella all the way from his backyard to theirs and he wanted to “retrieve it before it became a nuisance.” Muth continues, “He spoke with a slight Panda accent.” ZEN is a charming picture storybook that is approachable if unconventional. Stillwater wears shorts and plays in the pool with the children, climbs to the top of the highest tree in the neighborhood and introduces two “Zen shorts” based on short traditional tales. The Zen shorts are a traditional tale about the moon and another about luck and a farmer. They break up the multicolored pages and are in a single shade with black and white primitive drawings. Stillwater receives a birthday present from his Uncle Ry because it was Ry’s birthday. Addy brings Stillwater a white cake with a bamboo shoot in the center rather than a candle and he inquires if Addy’s birthday is the occasion for her to present the gift of the cake to him. Stillwater drinks tea with the children and does traditional painting with Addy using a calligraphy brush. The Author’s Note at the end of the book is needed and very appropriate explaining that Zen is a word from the Japanese and means meditation. He mentions Buddha and explains that “Zen shorts” are short meditations to puzzle over that help develop intuition. He relates that of the two traditional tales incorporated in the story one is based on a Japanese artist and another on a famous poet. He mentions that the second story has roots in Taoism and he explains that means it is several thousand years old. I think it would be a better one on one read so the inevitable questions and perspective do not steal the natural pattern and rhythm of the base story. Whimsical drawings with muted colors appear throughout. The most beautiful artwork may well be on the inside book cover and end papers. A shaded purple umbrella and white cherry blossoms are in the front and become a graduated French blue design at the close of the book.

Advanced Children's Literature

Chodos-Irvine, Margaret. BEST BEST FRIENDS. New York: Harcourt, 2006.

Chodos-Irvine has done an equally splendid job on the flowing dialog and the bright, sophisticated colors that flood the pages. Rather than using primary colors deep, bright multi-colored hues are used. There is never just green, there is teal, emerald green, turquoise, and an almost lime green. There is never simply pink but fuchsia, light pink, rose and salmon and this helps give the book a feeling of 3-D texture, swirls and lines. Picking a true to life subject that any preschool child, preschool or kindergarten teacher, or parent of a young girl will recognize right away makes this book a hit, especially for reading aloud. Clare and Mary are best friends but Mary’s birthday is a bit tough for Clare as Mary is the line leader, the wearer of the golden birthday crown at snack time, and the first to get a pink cupcake with pink sprinkles. Clare angrily tells Mary that if it had been HER birthday the cupcakes and sprinkles would have been prettier because they would have been yellow. The most realistic and one of the most delightful pages is when Mary looks at her “pink dress, pink socks, pink shoes.” As we turn the page Mary is also looking at her pink underpants and we see her belly button and tummy exposed. After the outburst they play with other children during center time but have kissed and made up before the day is over. Cultural markers are gently and matter of factly portrayed. The Pre-K teacher is of Asian descent as are several students. We also see an African American and a Latino child. Chodos-Irvine has a special talent for drawing hair. Mary has wavy brown hair, Clare has dark brown curly hair, and as we look at the playroom floor we see an Asian American child with hair behind her right ear and an African American girl with a purple headband and gorgeous corkscrew curls. Young ones will laugh whether read at home with a family member or during circle/storytime. Who has not heard a pre-school girl yell to her best playmate, when things are not going her way, “Well you can’t come to my birthday party!”

Advanced Children's Literature

Beaumont, Karen. BABY DANCED THE POLKA. Illustrated by Jennifer Plecas. New York: Dial, 2004.

Baby Danced the Polka is an engineered book with flaps for little hands to open on every other right hand page. The book is not the typical 32 page picture story book but is substantially shorter. From the cover and throughout, the illustrations captivate with the illusion of motion. Baby dances the polka with the polka-dotted pig, the boogie woogie with the frisky little goat, the cha-cha with a brown cow. “Baby shooby-doobied with the shaggy little sheep!” Children will probably not care one iota but the book is set in Arkansas. “Papa shaved his whiskers, And Mama washed her wig.” “Papa hauled the water, And Mama fixed the chow.” Dad wears “long johns” and says he’s tuckered out by the end of the story. On more than half the pages the illusion of movement is assisted by an old fashioned “rag rug” that looks like a cinnamon roll of multi, repeating colors. It could have been homemade or ordered from Sears and Roebuck but it is a very important device in creating the illusion of circular dancing that populates the story. When Dad gets his fiddle and Mom her dancing shoes even their gray tabby cat spins around with a smile. A country cabin, a patchwork quilt palate for baby to lie on, lend authenticity to the setting. The colors are predominately lime green, purple, and blue. The story could have occurred anywhere but the Arkansas family is depicted without prejudice or stereotype, as happy, smiling, hardworking parents, who dote on their only child. Simply put, the book is delightful!