City Dog, Country Frog

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Willems, Mo. 2010. City Dog, Country Frog. Ill. by Jon J. Muth. New York: Hyperion Books. ISBN 9781423103004

PLOT SUMMARY

City Dog, Country Frog is a new take on the classic Town Mouse, Country Mouse theme. In this wonderfully simple version, Mo Willems takes us through the seasons of friendship. In the spring, Dog meets Frog for the first time, and through spring and summer, they teach each other about themselves. The fall is a time for remembering. Winter finds Dog dealing with change and loss. With the advent of a new spring, Dog discovers a new friendship that will blossom with the seasons.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This book is wonderful as both a read-aloud and as a silent read. Mo Willems’ simple, yet beautiful language speaks to all generations. The reader is taken through the seasons of friendship, which coincide with the seasons of the year. Each season brings a new level to the developing friendship between Dog and Frog.

Joy and sadness are expressed in Jon J. Muth’s delicate watercolors. The poignancy of the main characters expressions and body language are evident on each page. The seasons pass not only through the text, but also in the scenes depicting the new birth of spring, the verdant green of summer, the flaming colors of fall, the cold white of winter, and the return of spring flowers.

As the seasons change, so do Dog and Frog. The birth of a friendship gives way to the building of memories, memories that Frog encourages Dog to hold onto as they head into winter. Grownup readers will understand what Frog is preparing Dog for, while younger readers may not understand why Frog has disappeared from the story.

The concept of loss is done in such a subtle way that the young child is unlikely to truly grasp it. If she does question what is happening, the adult(s) around her can use this book as a starting point to talk about death and/or life cycles. The language is uncomplicated and reflected in Muth’s artwork. The illustrations are clean and crisp, with just the right amount of detail. The emphasis is on the expressions of the characters, not on filling the page with distractions.

All readers will be taken with the beauty of this story, which portrays, with simplicity and grace, friendship, love, and loss between two seemingly vastly different characters.

PERSONAL RESPONSE

I first read City Dog, Country Frog out loud at a faculty meeting four months ago as part of a presentation done by a fellow teacher. While the connection to her presentation is now lost to me, this book has stayed with me. I love everything about it.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Starred review: Booklist: “This wonderful collaboration makes a significant impact with subtlety and wit.”

School Library Journal: “ Making expert use of color and texture, Muth's expressive paintings clearly convey the tale's emotional nuances.”

ALA ALSC Notable Children's Books (2011)

Booklist Editors' Choice Books for Youth, 2010
Charlotte Zolotow Award, 2011 Honor Book United States
Choices, 2011; Cooperative Children's Book Center; United States
Kirkus Best Children's Books, 2010; United States
Kirkus Book Review Stars, May 15, 2010
Publishers Weekly Best Children's Books: Picture Books (2010)

CONNECTIONS

• Make this book part of an author/artist study.
• This book brings to mind the book Frederick by Leo Lionni. Frederick gathers memories to share in the dark of winter. Children could make simple memory books after reading both stories.
• This book could be part of a study about life/season cycles. Books to use in conjunction with City Dog, Country Frog could include:

·      Glaser, Linda. Dazzling Dragonflies: A Life Cycle Story. ISBN 978-0822567530

·      Royston, Angela. Looking at Life Cycles: How Do Plants and Animals Change. ISBN 978-0766030916

• Do a comparative study between City Dog, Country Frog and a more traditional version of the story, such as

·      Brett, Jan. Town Mouse, Country Mouse. ISBN 978-0698119864

·      or

·      Davidson, Susanna. Town Mouse and the Country Mouse.

ISBN 978-0794518776

Dave the Potter

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Hill, Laban Carrick. 2010. Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave. Ill. by Bryan Collier. New York: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 9780316107310

PLOT SUMMARY

In Dave the Potter, Laban Hill captures the essence of Dave, a slave whose work is that of a potter. Hill’s story is two-fold: it follows the making of a pot from dirt to finished product, while allowing the reader to see Dave’s journey as an artist, poet, and slave. The author’s essay at the end of the story provides background information about Dave, his pots, and his poetry.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This book is just as much author Hill’s journey, as it is Dave’s. Hill became entranced with Dave after attending a conference in 2003. His exploration into Dave and his art has allowed him to produce a masterful poetic work. The reader senses conflict on several levels throughout the story. Conflict is evident in the throwing of the pot - in the taking something from the earth and working it and shaping it into something new. Conflict is also evident in Dave’s apparent autonomy, which is not really his to have. He is a potter who reads and writes; yet he is still a slave.

This book is meant to be read aloud. It is in the spoken word that one can truly appreciate the flow and cadence of Hill’s words.

The author’s use of figurative language adds to the poetic nature of the story; however, some of the illusions may be too difficult for a young child to understand. For example, the author refers to the potter’s wheel spinning “as fast as a carnival’s wheel of fortune.”

This main body of the book leaves the reader with many questions and a desire to learn more. How did Dave learn his craft? How did he learn to read and write? Were there other slaves who were allowed to develop their artistry? Fortunately, the author has included an essay about Dave that provides some of the answers. The author also shares his journey from the time he first learned about Dave to the writing of the book.

Collier’s beautiful illustrations alone tell a story. Though the colors are almost monochromatic in some areas, they are deep and rich. Texture is evident throughout the book. It is through the illustrations that one gets a sense of time. One can see the pot as it grows beneath Dave’s hands. In many places throughout the book, the background depicts the slave’s life. In his dedication, Collier states, “…this story is really about the power of the human spirit, artistry, and truth, and that cannot be silenced by bondage of any kind.” It is this power of human spirit that Collier captures in his illustrations.

PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS

This book was not my first choice of book to read. However, it was the one I was able to find at my local library, and I feel fortunate that I was led to this book.

My initial reading of Dave the Potter was a silent read. While the text raised the questions mentioned above, it was the pictures that captured my imagination. I was struck by the beauty and strength of each one. As a person who loves texture, I loved the ‘feel’ of texture on each page.

I then took the book to school and read it to my second grade class. My preconceived notion was that this was not a book they would particularly like. I learned two things from this experience. The first is that it is in reading this book aloud that one truly experiences the beauty of the words. They are meant to be spoken. Whereas on my initial read I was taken with the illustrations, on my second, oral reading I was able to see how the words and pictures together create a balance between the spoken word and the graphics.

The second thing that I learned was to never underestimate a second-grader. You could have heard a pin drop as I was reading, in addition to the occasional “wow”. The kids loved it, and had many questions about Dave. As they examined each picture, they picked up on the texturing and the ‘layered’ look of the background. They were very observant of the details in the pictures.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Caldecott Honor Book 2011

Coretta Scott King Award 2011

School Library Journal: “Outstanding in every way.”

Booklist: “A beautiful introduction to a great lost artist.”

CONNECTIONS

Ø  This book would be an excellent choice to begin Black History Month.

Ø  For older students who are interested in learning more about Dave, Leonard Todd has written a biography of Dave entitled Carolina Clay: The Life and Legend of the Slave Potter Dave.

Ø  This book offers the opportunity to discuss couplets in poetry: using few words to say much. It could be an interesting exercise for students of all ages.

Ø  Dave the Potter could also be used to launch a unit on pottery and/or art.

Ø  Age-appropriate research skills could be taught in conjunction with this book.

Ø  This book might be a good springboard for a lesson on oral history.

Ø  Other books for Black History Month include:

Williams, Vera. A Chair for My Mother. ISBN 978-0688040741

Pinkney, Andrea & Pinkney, Brian. Bill Pickett: Rodeo Ridin Cowboy.

ISBN 978-0152021030

Ø  More books related to Black History Month can be found at http://www.readingrockets.org/articles/books/c384/

Eloise

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Thompson, Kay. 1955. Eloise. Ill. by Hilary Knight. New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 067122350X

PLOT

Kay Thompson’s Eloise is the classic story of the precocious six-year old Eloise who lives at the Plaza Hotel. Eloise’s sense of fun and adventure cause her to skibble and skitter all over the hotel, getting into and out of scrapes. Eloise experiences very little adult supervision; this appeals to the six-year old in each of us who longs to break free and break rules just as Eloise does on a regular basis.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Eloise has long been considered a classic in children’s literature. Through her writing, Thompson portrays Eloise as a rambunctious, spirited, mischievous, and curious six-year old who experiences the freedom of an absent mother. Eloise, as portrayed, has a strong sense of self.

Thompson’s text is without punctuation. By not using punctuation Thompson seems to capture the essence of Eloise as she dashes from one mishap to another. However, the lack of punctuation can make reading this story aloud somewhat of a challenge, as it is difficult to find the cadence. This might be yet another way that Thompson tries to depict just who Eloise is - just when you think you have figured something out about this little girl, she shows another side to herself.

Hilary Knight’s drawings are simple, yet profound. He accurately captures Eloise in all her moods. By using a narrow color palette consisting of black, red, white, and shades thereof, Knight focuses attention on Eloise and her surroundings; the busyness in the pictures is all Eloise; she is not lost in a plethora of vibrant and overwhelming colors.

While Eloise is a fun and amusing character, the book does have shortcomings. At 65 pages long, Eloise is twice the length of a standard picture book. More than a few pages have well over 100 words on them, in small, cramped text. The average small child would have difficulty in sitting and listening to such a lengthy story, or in reading it independently.

Another shortcoming of Eloise is that the cultural references, both in the text and the graphics, would be lost on most children. The concept of living in a high-end hotel is foreign to children, as are many of the images connected with such a place. Eloise imitates her English nanny’s accent, using words such as ‘rawther’ and ‘cawn’t’, which do not resonate with children. Both the Plaza and English nanny fall into the realm of elitism, though Eloise’s precociousness overpowers these issues.

PERSONAL RESPONSE

I am torn as to how I feel about this book. It is not one that I particularly remember from my own childhood, but Eloise is a character with whom I am long familiar. I like the fun and spontaneity of Eloise, though at times, as I read the story, I thought, “What a brat.” Mostly, I feel sorry for what is essentially
a motherless child.

I read this book to my second grade class. They thought it was really funny, and loved the interaction between Eloise and her tutor. They had fun joining in as Eloise imitates the tutor. Unfortunately, they ‘rawther’ behaved like Eloise for the rest of the day.

I think that kids get the surface humor of a young child being mischievous, but probably not the deeper meanings of a child whose mother is absent, who spends her days seeking attention; only to find the love she needs from her nanny. 

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Top 100 picture books SLJ 2009

CONNECTIONS

ü  Eloise could be grouped with other books about places in which people live. For example:

·      The Family Under the Bridge by Garth Williams and Natalie Savage Carlson

·      The House I Live In: at Home in America by Isadore Seltzer

ü  Arrange a study of books illustrated by Hilary Knight; examine how his illustrations have changed over time. Look for similarities to the Eloise books.

ü  Read all the Eloise books and hold a movie festival of Eloise movies.

ü  Study other strong girl figures in children’s picture books: Madeleine, Clementine, and Olivia, for example.

Hello Squirrels!

Hi, I am a mom, a grandma, and a grad student at TWU. I have started this blog to review books for my Children's Lit course.

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