1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kimmel, Eric. 1992. THE OLD WOMAN AND HER PIG. Ill. By Giora Carmi. New York:Holiday House. ISBN 0823409708
2. PLOT SUMMARY
This tale is a retelling of the classic THE OLD WOMAN AND HER PIG. The author states in the beginning that this is a “lighter version.” In this version there is no hanging of the butcher or killing of the ox. These instances are replaced by lassoing of a cowboy and spurring of a horse. In this story the old woman’s pig refuses to climb a stile which keeps them from getting home. The old woman tries time and time again to get help. She is finally successful in persuading one animal to begin a chain of events which eventually enables her and her pig to get home at night.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This is a cumulative tale which is great fun to read out loud. The text is repetitious and very rhythmic. Children will chime right in with the reading of the dialogue. Each new scene builds upon the last. Children are likely to pay very close attention in order to enable them to recall the sequence of events in the correct order. In this story the old woman travels from character to character trying to get help to convince her pig to cooperate and get over a fence. The solutions which she seeks are humorous; “dog nip pig”, “stick poke dog”, “fire burn stick”, “water quench fire”, “horse drink water”, etc. The circumstances of the characters are quite interesting and promote reflection of their situations. The old woman is persistent and this pays off when she if finally able to use her cleverness (which is questionable) and convince the cat to help her. The cat begins physically persuading each character in turn to help the old woman with her predicament. This chain of events is quite a production but in the end the simple old woman triumphs and is able to get home at night.
The illustrations are extremely interesting in this selection. The animal and inanimate characters are all given personified characteristics. Most everything in this story has a face. The trees and bushes, the wall, vegetables, and the haystacks are only some of the objects which are portrayed with human faces. In first half of the story the word “no” appears in each page. The word is hidden in the animal or object that is telling the old woman “no” they are not willing to help her. Children will have great fun pointing out all the “faces” and the “no” words. The illustrations are not only great entertainment but they are also very bright and colorful.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
From School Library Journal - Kimmel's books are always welcome for their potential storyhour use, and this rendition of a standard English folktale is no exception. The familiar cumulative tale of the old woman and her pig has been done in an excellent version by Galdone (McGraw 1960; o.p.), and is the title story in Anne Rockwell's fine collection (Crowell, 1979). However, Kimmel offers a ``lighter alternative'' (his words) to the originally bloodthirsty text, making it a kinder, gentler story. Thus the dog doesn't bite the pig but ``nips'' him, the stick ``pokes'' the dog, the cat ``chases'' rather than eats rat, etc. It works very well, with no loss of rhythm. Carmi's colorful illustrations are wild, crazy, and full of life; they catch the spirit immediately. Almost everything pictured has a face (rocks, trees, clouds, flowers, even the initial caps on each page). Each successive person or thing forms the word ``no'' as an answer to the old woman's requests; children will have fun locating it on each page. Putting aside reservations about the necessity of watering down folktales, the volume is bursting with fun, and will certainly be well loved by children and storytellers alike.
5. CONNECTIONS
*This tale can be used to teach the sight word “no”.
* This tale can be used in a lesson on personification.
*This tale can illustrate that persistence pays off.
*This tale can definitely be used to teach cause/effect.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Review: BUBBA THE COWBOY PRINCE: A FRACTURED TEXAS TALE, Genre 2, Traditional Literature
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ketteman, Helen. 1997. BUBBA THE COWBOY PRINCE. Ill. By James Warhola. NewYork: Scholastic. ISBN 0590255061
2. PLOT SUMMARY
This book is a Southwestern take on the traditional Cinderella tale. The gender roles have been reversed, Bubba the Cowboy is mistreated by his stepbrothers and stepfather. Miz Lurleen is the rich ranch woman looking for a husband. A fairy god cow assists Bubba in getting to the ball and when the spell is broken at midnight Miz Lurleen is left with a cowboy boot. She searches for and finds the owner of the boot, her true love Bubba, and they ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This is a very funny take on the Cinderella tale. The setting is in the southwest and the great vocabulary (“downright disgraceful”) and dialogue (“You’re sorrier than a steer in a stockyard”) certainly supports this. When read aloud in a country twang, the story is very entertaining. The writing is fun and rhythmic. There are magical elements present. The fairy godcow swishes her tail and Bubba is magically dressed in a crisp, shiny, dazzling and a “whiter than a new salt lick” suit and an ordinary steer in transformed into a beautiful white stallion. The story ends with love conquering all and the happy couple “rode off into the sunset” and “lived happily ever after, roping, and cowpoking, and getting them doggies along.”
The illustrations really add to the text in this story. They are bright, vibrant, and full of action. The expressions on the character’s faces are full of emotion. They really help to show what Bubba and the other characters are going through and what they are feeling at the time. The illustrations are loud and colorful just like the language in this story.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS AND AWARDS
Nominated for Children's Book Award (North Carolina), 1999 Nominated for Washington Children's Choice Picture Book, 2000 Nominated for Arizona Young Reader's Award, 2000 Nominated for Children's Book Award (Colorado), 2000 Reciepient of Golden Sower Award, 2001 Kirkus Reviews - "Bubba and babe, hair as big as a Texas sun, ride off to al life of happy ranching, and readers will be proud to have been along for the courtship."
5. CONNECTIONS
*This book can be a fun addition to a unit on ranching or farming.
*This book can be used to illustrate interesting dialogue in a writer’s workshop.
*This book can be used in conjunction with other southwestern takes on Cinderella or other fairy tales. Some examples include:
Lowell, Susan. CINDY ELLEN: A WILD WESTERN CINDERELLA. ISBN 0064438643
Holub, Joan. CINDERDOG AND THE WICKED STEPCAT. ISBN 0807511781
Lowell, Susan. THE BOOTMAKER AND THE ELVES. ISBN 0531071383
Lowell, Susan. THE THREE LITTLE JAVELINAS. ISBN 0873585429.
Huling, Jan. PUSS IN COWBOY BOOTS. ISBN 0689831196
Johnston, Tony. THE COWBOY AND THE BLACK-EYED PEA. ISBN 069811356X
Hopkins, Jackie. THE HORNED TOAD PRINCE. ISBN 1561451959
Ketteman, Helen. 1997. BUBBA THE COWBOY PRINCE. Ill. By James Warhola. NewYork: Scholastic. ISBN 0590255061
2. PLOT SUMMARY
This book is a Southwestern take on the traditional Cinderella tale. The gender roles have been reversed, Bubba the Cowboy is mistreated by his stepbrothers and stepfather. Miz Lurleen is the rich ranch woman looking for a husband. A fairy god cow assists Bubba in getting to the ball and when the spell is broken at midnight Miz Lurleen is left with a cowboy boot. She searches for and finds the owner of the boot, her true love Bubba, and they ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This is a very funny take on the Cinderella tale. The setting is in the southwest and the great vocabulary (“downright disgraceful”) and dialogue (“You’re sorrier than a steer in a stockyard”) certainly supports this. When read aloud in a country twang, the story is very entertaining. The writing is fun and rhythmic. There are magical elements present. The fairy godcow swishes her tail and Bubba is magically dressed in a crisp, shiny, dazzling and a “whiter than a new salt lick” suit and an ordinary steer in transformed into a beautiful white stallion. The story ends with love conquering all and the happy couple “rode off into the sunset” and “lived happily ever after, roping, and cowpoking, and getting them doggies along.”
The illustrations really add to the text in this story. They are bright, vibrant, and full of action. The expressions on the character’s faces are full of emotion. They really help to show what Bubba and the other characters are going through and what they are feeling at the time. The illustrations are loud and colorful just like the language in this story.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS AND AWARDS
Nominated for Children's Book Award (North Carolina), 1999 Nominated for Washington Children's Choice Picture Book, 2000 Nominated for Arizona Young Reader's Award, 2000 Nominated for Children's Book Award (Colorado), 2000 Reciepient of Golden Sower Award, 2001 Kirkus Reviews - "Bubba and babe, hair as big as a Texas sun, ride off to al life of happy ranching, and readers will be proud to have been along for the courtship."
5. CONNECTIONS
*This book can be a fun addition to a unit on ranching or farming.
*This book can be used to illustrate interesting dialogue in a writer’s workshop.
*This book can be used in conjunction with other southwestern takes on Cinderella or other fairy tales. Some examples include:
Lowell, Susan. CINDY ELLEN: A WILD WESTERN CINDERELLA. ISBN 0064438643
Holub, Joan. CINDERDOG AND THE WICKED STEPCAT. ISBN 0807511781
Lowell, Susan. THE BOOTMAKER AND THE ELVES. ISBN 0531071383
Lowell, Susan. THE THREE LITTLE JAVELINAS. ISBN 0873585429.
Huling, Jan. PUSS IN COWBOY BOOTS. ISBN 0689831196
Johnston, Tony. THE COWBOY AND THE BLACK-EYED PEA. ISBN 069811356X
Hopkins, Jackie. THE HORNED TOAD PRINCE. ISBN 1561451959
Review: GHOSTS! GHOSTLY TALES FROM FOLKLORE, Genre 2, Traditional Literature
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Schwartz, Alvin. 1991. GHOSTS! GHOSTLY TALES FROM FOLKLORE. Ill. By Victoria Chess. USA: HarperTrophy.
2. PLOT SUMMARY
This is an “I Can Read” level 2 book. This selection contains several short folktales and poems relating to ghosts. The cover advertises “Ghostly Tales from Folklore”. The stories involve death and ghosts but they are presented in a matter of fact way and not too scary. The back of the book includes a section which gives information about the origin of these folktales and rhymes.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book is fun for young children. It is not too detailed or complex, perfect for a beginning reader to read on his/her own. The subject matter is about dead people and ghosts, but this is presented in a way which is more fun than scary. In the story, “The Little Green Bottle,” the school bully dies quickly and without fuss. She attempts to continue to bully by haunting. The main character ends up outsmarting her and she lives forever trapped in a bottle. This is “just punishment” for a bully of her type. The rhymes are “cute” and fun to read such as “ghosts sitting on posts eating toast”. The book ends with a rhyme which will keep ghosts away, “Crisscross, double-cross, Ghost, get lost!” This ending will help to ensure that there are no nightmares. This “scary book” is fun and will give young readers confidence and a feeling of reading “older” subject matter.
The illustrations are colorful and simple. They are a nice compliment to the text. The faces are full of expression. The eyes and the mouths are a bit eerie and add to the text. The illustrations, like the text, are more interesting than scary, once again making this book appropriate for younger audiences.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
School Library Journal- Those familiar with Schwartz's ability to produce the best of scary tales for young readers will find this newest addition to be a hit. The sentences are short with a manageable vocabulary, even for those kindergarteners who can tackle the challenge of an early reader. The text is complemented with primitive watercolor illustrations executed in attractive pastels; while the facial expressions are given a semblance of ghoulishness, the total effect is one of enticement (and even humor) rather than of horror. While these stories are not as heart-thumping as those in Schwartz's In A Dark, Dark Room (HarperCollins, 1985), this will nevertheless provide a fun introduction to the "ghostly" genre, and give children a chance to check out a "scary" book. Appended is a page on the origins of the tales and legends.
Kirkus Reviews- From its foreword to its notes on ``Where the Stories Come From,'' this
“I Can Read” collection of seven appealing, mildly scary stories is a model of authenticity: the simplified but effective retellings honor both their sources and their intended audience. Chess's tongue-in-cheek illustrations add a perfect gruesome touch.
5. CONNECTIONS
* The simple stories can be used as models in writer’s workshop, possibly near Halloween. The students can write their own scary stories or rhymes.
* These stories can also be used to model (teach) rhyme, dialogue, and cumulative stories.
* These stories can be studied to distinguish what could be real and what is fantasy.
Schwartz, Alvin. 1991. GHOSTS! GHOSTLY TALES FROM FOLKLORE. Ill. By Victoria Chess. USA: HarperTrophy.
2. PLOT SUMMARY
This is an “I Can Read” level 2 book. This selection contains several short folktales and poems relating to ghosts. The cover advertises “Ghostly Tales from Folklore”. The stories involve death and ghosts but they are presented in a matter of fact way and not too scary. The back of the book includes a section which gives information about the origin of these folktales and rhymes.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book is fun for young children. It is not too detailed or complex, perfect for a beginning reader to read on his/her own. The subject matter is about dead people and ghosts, but this is presented in a way which is more fun than scary. In the story, “The Little Green Bottle,” the school bully dies quickly and without fuss. She attempts to continue to bully by haunting. The main character ends up outsmarting her and she lives forever trapped in a bottle. This is “just punishment” for a bully of her type. The rhymes are “cute” and fun to read such as “ghosts sitting on posts eating toast”. The book ends with a rhyme which will keep ghosts away, “Crisscross, double-cross, Ghost, get lost!” This ending will help to ensure that there are no nightmares. This “scary book” is fun and will give young readers confidence and a feeling of reading “older” subject matter.
The illustrations are colorful and simple. They are a nice compliment to the text. The faces are full of expression. The eyes and the mouths are a bit eerie and add to the text. The illustrations, like the text, are more interesting than scary, once again making this book appropriate for younger audiences.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
School Library Journal- Those familiar with Schwartz's ability to produce the best of scary tales for young readers will find this newest addition to be a hit. The sentences are short with a manageable vocabulary, even for those kindergarteners who can tackle the challenge of an early reader. The text is complemented with primitive watercolor illustrations executed in attractive pastels; while the facial expressions are given a semblance of ghoulishness, the total effect is one of enticement (and even humor) rather than of horror. While these stories are not as heart-thumping as those in Schwartz's In A Dark, Dark Room (HarperCollins, 1985), this will nevertheless provide a fun introduction to the "ghostly" genre, and give children a chance to check out a "scary" book. Appended is a page on the origins of the tales and legends.
Kirkus Reviews- From its foreword to its notes on ``Where the Stories Come From,'' this
“I Can Read” collection of seven appealing, mildly scary stories is a model of authenticity: the simplified but effective retellings honor both their sources and their intended audience. Chess's tongue-in-cheek illustrations add a perfect gruesome touch.
5. CONNECTIONS
* The simple stories can be used as models in writer’s workshop, possibly near Halloween. The students can write their own scary stories or rhymes.
* These stories can also be used to model (teach) rhyme, dialogue, and cumulative stories.
* These stories can be studied to distinguish what could be real and what is fantasy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)