Blog 18: Yoshiko Uchida

Book Selection: "The Best Bad Thing"
Author: Yoshiko Uchida
Jacket Painting: Kinuko Craft

(1) According to Rinko's mother, bad things come in three. Rinko is determined that the first bad thing that happened to her occurs when her mother and father request that she go help out a widowed woman, Mrs. Hata, and her two sons. Mrs. Hata has taken over growing cucumbers for a living after her husband passed away. Rinko is adamant about not wanting to go, but she eventually caves in and decides it is the Christian thing to do. Rinko promptly sprains her ankle once she is there when she attempts to jump from a moving freight train. The third bad thing occurs when Mrs. Hata's youngest son, Abu, jumps from a freight on a different day and his arm is run over. Mrs. Hata rushes him to the hospital and in her rush, she leaves the keys in her truck that transports the cucumbers. Sadly, someone steals the truck while they are in the hospital causing a fourth bad thing to happen. Rinko is saddened by these events, but is also determined to help Mrs. Hata as much as she can.

(2) I really enjoyed this book. I especially appreciated the Japanese culture that was injected into the story. I am particularly interested in the Japanese culture right now as I am tutoring an eight year old girl who just moved from Japan. It is interesting to me to learn as much as I can about this different style of living. I think this is an excellent read for middle school aged kids. It would likely even be appropriate as a read aloud for younger students.

(3) Although I have not read any other books by Yoshiko Uchida, it is evident that she typically adds in Japanese culture to each of her books. Below is a brief list of books that she has written.

"The Dancing Kettle"
"The Magic Listening Cap"
"Takao and Grandfather's Sword"
"The Promised Year"
"Mik and the Prowler"
"New Friends for Susan"
"The Full Circle"
"Makoto, the Smallest Boy"
"Rokubei and the Thousand Rice Bowls"
"The Forever Christmas Tree"
"Sumi's Prize"
"Sumi's Special Happening"
"Sumi and the Goat and the Tokyo Express"
"The Sea of Gold"
"A Jar of Dreams"

and many others!

Images courtesy of http://images.google.com.

Blog 17: Laurence Yep

Book Selection: "The Imp That Ate My Homework"
Author: Laurence Yep
Illustrator: Benrei Huang


(1) Laurence Yep brings a multicultural aspect to the children's literature world. Although Yep was born in California, his father was born in China. Yep has always been interested in the Chinese culture and typically adds this heritage into his writing. In Yep's "The Imp That Ate My Homework", we are introduced to Jim and his family. Jim's mother works in a factory sewing clothing and his father works in a butcher shop. When Jim is assigned to write about one of his grandparents, he is sad to realize that the only one he can write about is Grandpop, the meanest man in all of Chinatown. When as imp shows up and eats his homework, Jim begins to have one of the worst days of his life. When his teachers request conferences with his parents, Jim goes to seek understanding from his mom. Unfortunately, Jim only manages to get his parents in trouble when he visits them and is sent to speak with his grandfather. What Jim does not anticipate is that his grandfather believes him about the imp and works with him to rid their family from the imp's mischief.


(2) This book would definitely be targeted for a younger audience. The depth and detail that Yep goes into is minimal. This being said, I am fairly certain that this is uncharacteristic of Yep's usual work. As I did research on Laurence Yep, I've noticed that most of his titles take on a more serious tone and are likely targeted for young adults.

(3) I did learn a bit about Chinese culture when reading this book. I had no idea that imps were to the Chinese historically like ghosts or goblins are to Americans. It was also interesting to read the history of Chung Kuei, a demon chaser from China. Laurence Yep has written many books since he began in 1968. Some of his works are listed below.

"Dragon's Gate"
"Dragonwings"
"Ribbons"
"Child of the Owl"
"Hiroshima"
"Dream Soul"
"The Magic Paintbrush"
"Shadow Lord"
"Thief of Hearts"
"Tree of Dreams"
"Case of the Goblin Pearls"
"Sea Glass"

Images courtesy of http://images.google.com.

Post 16: Jerry Pinkney

Book Selection: "Tanya's Reunion"
Author: Valerie Flournoy
Illustrator: Jerry Pinkney

(1) "Tanya's Reunion" is a sequel to Flournoy's book "The Patchwork Quilt." In this story, we learn more about Tanya and her grandmother as they go ahead of the family to Virginia. In Virginia, they will be joining their extended family for a reunion. Tanya is at first very excited to be going with her grandmother, but once she arrives, she is disappointed at what she sees. The farm is not nearly as impressive as she thought it would be in her mind and her cousins are either too young, or not playful enough. Throughout this experience, Tanya learns to appreciate the things of the past and she learns from her grandmother in the process. Pinkney's illustrations in this book are very soft. The pictures are larger than life; they seem to work as a snapshot, capturing frames of the reunion. One of my favorite illustrations (shown below) is when Tanya finds the room with all of the memories of the past. Her expression is priceless and almost like a "kid in a candy shop."


(2) I have read one other book that was illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. This was "The Old African", which was written by Julius Lester. Surprisingly, I favor the artwork of "The Old African" to that of "Tanya's Reunion." Likely, it is because the story of "The Old African" is so emotional, that it is hard to not become attached to those illustrations.


(3) Jerry Pinkney (above) has illustrated many children's books since he began in 1964. Some of these books are listed below.

"John Henry"
"The Talking Eggs"
"Mirandy and Brother Wind"
"Little Red Riding Hood"
"Aesop's Fables"
"Noah's Ark"
"The Little Red Hen"
"The Ugly Duckling"
"The Sunday Outing"
"The Jungle Book"
"The Nightingale"
"Back Home"

and many more.

Images courtesy of http://images.google.com.

Blog 15: Julius Lester

Book Selection: "The Old African"
Author: Julius Lester
Illustrator: Jerry Pinkney

(1) "The Old African" is based on a legend about a man who could infuse feelings, thoughts, and emotions into people without speech. Initially, the Old African man was captured from his homeland and sent by boat across the Water-That-Stretched-Forever (ocean) to the land where he would become a slave. The Old African sees many horrific things in his time, but is also able to stifle pain and torture. When a young slave escapes and returns telling of Water-That-Stretched-Forever, the Old African knows it is time to lead his people to freedom. This is an incredible story that is made even better by the realistic illustrations within the pages.

(2) Stories of slave life interest me in the same way that some people cannot help but watch when disaster occurs. It is astounding to me to think about the way an entire nation of people were treated based solely on their skin color. It is actually quite disgusting. Furthermore, I likely enjoyed this book so much because the slaves had an opportunity to become free, and their freedom was a form of revenge on the people who brutally abused and mistreated them.



(3) While I have not yet read any other Julius Lester books, I do intend to in the future. After some research, I discovered that he tends to write about slavery and this topic is one that must never be forgotten.

Some of Julius Lester's other titles include:
"Day of Tears"
"To Be a Slave"
"Uncle Remus: The Complete Tales"
"Lovesong: Becoming a Jew"
"Dressed Like Freedom"
"John Henry"
"Cupid: A Tale of Love and Desire"
"From Slave Ship to Freedom"
"Ackamarackus"
"Othello"
"Sam and the Tigers"
"Why Heaven is Far Away"
"The Autobiography of God"

and many more.

Images courtesy of http://images.google.com.

Blog 14: Dr. Suess

Book Selection: "The Lorax"
Author: Dr. Suess

While Dr. Suess seemed to publish book after book to wild success, "The Lorax" (published in 1971) was not met with rave reviews. Suess himself prides "The Lorax" as his best, but many critiqued it for its controversial message. "The Lorax" is a tale about a Once-ler who took it upon himself to create a very successful business producing Thneeds from the once plentiful Truffula Tree. As the Once-ler's business grows with each sale, the cautious Lorax begins to warn him that he is is speaking for the trees and begs of the Once-ler to stop. The Once-ler, crazy with greed, does not stop, but manages to grow his business larger and larger until no Truffula Trees exist. Of course this is very detrimental to the environment and the poor creatures relying on the trees are forced to find a new home. While it does take on a very serious message, the Lorax is simply doing his best to teach the Once-ler an important lesson. In the end, the Once-ler has learned and attempts to pass on his wisdom to others.

Though this book has received mixed reviews, I cannot help but love it. Likely I feel this way due to the fact that I am extremely aware of our need to conserve and recycle what we can to ensure that our planet maintains an inhabitable climate. I had not read this story from Dr. Suess until recently and have now determined that it is a story that must be shared and discussed with children of all ages. In fact, I know many adults who need to take about 10 minutes and read this "simple" children's book.



(1) What makes "The Lorax" didactic?
"The Lorax" has an underlying message that allows it to be teachable for moral reasoning. This message is conservation and appreciation for what is on our planet. We live in a society that takes and take and takes, but rarely takes time to appreciate what we have been given. If for one moment, we can help to instill in our children the importance of conservation and the importance of limiting yourself to needs, and not always wants, then we can help make our future just a tad bit brighter. It may sound unrealistic to think that one book can make a difference, but what is truly unrealistic is the fact that we expect our children to make the right decisions for our planet without taking time to teach them these ways of thinking.

(2) Are there any didactic children's books today? If not, why not?
There are of course didactic children's books being published today, however they are far and few between. Morality is something that writers seem to be straying away from as a topic in a very politically correct society. "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein teaches a parallel lesson to that of "The Lorax." In "The Giving Tree" a young boy develops a bond with a tree, but as the boy ages, he requires more and more of the tree to show that the relationship remains. In the end, the boy has taken so much from the tree that the tree is simply a stump in the ground. Teachers need to be talking about our environment and the importance of preserving it, because with each passing year, there becomes less and less to preserve.

Images courtesy of http://images.google.com.

Blog 13: Dr. Suess

Book Selection: "The Cat in the Hat"
Author: Dr. Suess

"The Cat in the Hat" is a classic for all time. On one wet day, when the sun would not shine, a cat in a hat drops by to entertain Sally and her brother. What the two do not realize is that the cat might bring more trouble than he is worth! When the cat nearly destroys the house, he decides to introduce two more characters to liven things up. Thing 1 and Thing 2 do not make the house any neater! Just when mother is about to arrive home, the cat comes through to help straighten up and save the day.

Although this is a basic, straight-forward story line, many have critiqued this book as being chaotic, yet others still find it enticing to the young reader. As mentioned in the prompt, there is a tension between "good sense and nonsense" in this book. Children cling to it because of the preposterous situation that the cat causes and teachers promote it due to the basic 225 vocabulary words that are repeated throughout.


(1) Is there a contemporary book that has the tension presented in "The Cat in the Hat?"

Of course it should be recognized that this is an opinion question and that it is very unlikely that most would agree in response. This being said, I have to say that there is not a modern book that could justifiably be compared to "The Cat in the Hat." The aforementioned tension between the problem and ease of solution can not be easily replicated as Dr. Suess has managed. Consequently, in my opinion, there are other books that I feel come close to captivating this element of drama that Dr. Suess presents.

"Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" by John Archambault and Bill Martin, Jr. is one of my favorite books of all time. This book has the same mesmerizing quality to it that I find present in "The Cat in the Hat." Not only is rhyme present in both stories, but they are both books that I see children memorizing and reciting word for word. Of course, "Chicka Chicka" fails to live up to the tension that is presented in Suess' book. While there is an underlying problem in "Chicka Chicka", it is solved simply and basically by the characters of the story without outside help or pressure.

Another book I considered in a relatively comparable league as "The Cat in the Hat" is "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day", which was written by Judith Viorst. While this story lacks rhyme and the mesmerizing qualities that both Suess and Martin's books had, it holds the element of "what is going to happen next?!" in a child's mind. Additionally, many children are able to relate to the things that happen to Alexander to their everyday lives. The illustrations in this book are black and white, which give the reader an opportunity to really focus in on what is being said. In fact, children take away a lesson from "Alexander" just as they could from "The Cat in the Hat."

(2) Does this book still appeal to children and why?
"The Cat in the Hat" will always hold appeal to children. Dr. Suess is legendary for the rhythmic beat of his books and the unfathomable things that happen in his stories. Younger readers also appreciate the element of rhyme in his books and love the fantastic illustrations that are provided in each tale. It would be very difficult for me to imagine a time when Dr. Suess did not hold a prominent place on a child's bookshelf. Many parents have also grown up with this story and are eager to share it with their own children first. It is evident that people are still intrigued by this story (even after 50+ years) as the 2003 movie featuring Mike Myers was relatively successful.


Images courtesy of http://images.google.com.

Blog 12: Book versus Movie

Book Selection: "Because of Winn Dixie"
Author: Kate DiCamillo
Jacket Illustration: Chris Sheban

Summary:

Ten year old India Opal Buloni (Opal) has just moved to Naomi, Florida with her father, "the preacher." While Opal is getting settled and trying to adapt to a life in a new town, her father is starting to preach in the old convenience store, which is now the residence of Open Arms Baptist Church of Naomi. When her father sends her to the local Winn Dixie to pick up macaroni and cheese, rice, and two tomatoes, Opal brings back more than her father bargained for. While in the store a rugged, evidently homeless, dog takes the store by storm as he knocks over nearly everything in the produce aisle. When the store owner screams to call the pound, Opal quickly steps up to say that he is her dog. Through quick thinking, she names him Winn Dixie and the dog follows her out of danger and to her home.

When Opal arrives home, her father is at first not enthused about a dog, however with very little convincing, he ends up telling Opal that she can keep him. Opal's father may be feeling guilt for making Opal move away from her friends, and in general he likely feels sorry for Opal because her mother left both of them when Opal was only three years old. As the summer progresses, Opal is thankful that she has Winn Dixie to keep her company. None of the children her age have any interest in becoming her friend. Two boys her age (Dunlap and Stevie Newberry) seem only interested in making rude comments to Opal and her interest in the elderly old lady, Gloria Dump, whom they believe to be a witch. Opal has also made friends with the librarian named Miss Franny, however she struggles to connect to Amanda Wilkinson, a girl about her age who frequents the library.

One day Opal and Winn Dixie see a bright red collar that would truly make Winn Dixie feel at home. When Opal goes into the pet shop, she meets Otis, the quiet shop attendant. In exchange for the collar, Opal agrees to work in the shop tidying up and sweeping floors. One day when Opal comes in to work, Otis seems to have all the animals in a trance as he plays his guitar. Otis admits that he was once jailed for playing in the public, but he claims that music is only good if it is listened to by people. As Opal schemes to help Otis make friends, Gloria Dump is also secretly working to help Opal become more accepting and open to friendship with children her own age. When Opal comes up with the idea of a summer party, Gloria insists that she invites the Newberrys and Amanda Wilkinson. When Winn Dixie goes missing, it is up to Opal and her father to bring him home. However, when they arrive back to the party, many surprises lay in store.



Compare/Contrast:
Wow. This book was quite incredible. I read it with a fervor and did not put it down until I was finished with it! I know that I am definitely going to read it to my third grade class next year as a read aloud. The story line is amazing and it seems to really capture the emotions of Opal. Additionally, it teaches some really valuable lessons about getting to know someone before you pass judgment upon them. The movie was also really good. Of course I am always partial to books as they provide more detail and background, but this movie was nearly as impressive as the book.

There were some glaring differences from the book to the movie. Some small details included Opal and Winn Dixie's appearance. In the book, Opal had red hair and freckles (just like her mom), but in the movie her hair was blond and the freckles were missing. Additionally, DiCamillo initially describes Winn Dixie as "big and ugly", while the Winn Dixie in the movie was big, he was not ugly and his coat of hair seemed decently maintained. Another difference I noticed was when Opal brought Winn Dixie home. In the book, the father was fairly open to the idea of a dog, however in the movie he told Opal "no" many times. In fact, the owner of the trailer park also demanded that the pound be called on poor Winn Dixie.



Positives also came from the movie that were not provided in the book. Usually this list is rather short (since I prefer books), however I think the director and screen writer did an excellent job adding in interesting parts to liven up the story. In the movie, Opal's father actually calls the pound on Winn Dixie. Winn Dixie is in the truck being ready to be sent away when Opal's father caves in and lets Opal keep Winn Dixie temporarily. In addition to this major difference, Annasophia Robb, the actress who played Opal, did a phenomenal job acting! Her expressions were genuine, yet remained child-like. My favorite part of the entire movie was when Miss Franny was telling Opal the story about the bear breaking into the library. Robb's expressions during this were priceless! Overall, on a scale of 1 to 10, the book would rank a 9 and the movie would rank an 8.

Images courtesy of http://images.google.com.