Tag Archives: Fiction

The Turnip

Posted on by

Author & Illustrator: Jan Brett (author and illustrator)

Publisher and Year: Penguin Random House LLC, 2015

Number of Pages: 30 Pages

Genre: Fantasy

Badger Girl comes across the biggest turnip she has ever seen in her vegetable garden. She asks for the help of family and friends to help her get the turnip out of the ground so the community can enjoy and eat the turnip.

The story serves as a window into how teamwork can accomplish many things. Even though it is unrealistic that animals perform these tasks, they represent how a community with a diverse group of individuals brings strength to the group. In the beginning, the turnip has the power because it will not come out of the ground. Badger Girl continues to fail because she is trying to pull the turnip out of the ground by herself. As the story continues on, other characters in the story attempt to help Badger Girl get the turnip out of the ground. Finally, the turnip finally comes out the ground when the power to help is distributed among all members of the community.

All the animals represent a different type of culture in society (not explicitly stated but they represent diverse groups of people in communities). The story shows that when all kinds of cultures come together to collaborate, things can be successfully accomplished. This theme can be applied to my understanding of culture as a whole because the more diverse cultures involved in a community, the better tasks can be completed. In addition, all animals had respect for one another’s differences. This is an important contribution to my understanding of culture because getting to know other cultures allows for barriers to be broken, which benefits the community as a whole. The pictures are very detailed, colorful, and large, which engages the reader into the artwork of the story. Also, all the animals have elaborate outfits, making them relatable to a human being. The borders include foreshadowing of the next images, which allow the reader to be creative and make predictions as to what will happen next in the story. The images are framed which make reader an observer of this fantasy world in the middle of the forest. The wide range of forest animals symbolizes different cultures among all kinds of people. The images and text once again mirror one other to allow the reader to follow along with the story visually and textually. The turnip symbolizes problems in a community that need teamwork of all members to be solved. Important ideologies from this story are teamwork, using differences to help one another, everyone offers a unique talent to help the group, and problems are not difficult to solve if everyone is involved to help.IMG_2821IMG_2822

 

A Dog Day for Susan

Posted on by

Author: Maureen Fergus

Illustrator/ Photographer: Monica Arnaldo

Publisher and Year: Owlkids Books, 2016

Number of Pages: 31 Pages

Genre: Realistic Fiction

This book tells of Susan, Spencer’s Great Aunt Alice’s dog. Great Aunt Alice comes to visit Spencer’s family and treats Susan as one of the humans. Finding this odd, Spencer and his dog Barney are on a mission to teach Susan how to be a real dog.

The story serves as a window and mirror into how humans see animals and the idea of individuality. Alice views Susan as an equal and even shares how she refuses to go anywhere that treats dogs as “second class citizens” (Arnaldo, 2016). At the same time, Spencer wants to show Susan what a “real” dog is supposed to act like because he feels that Susan did not sound like him and Barney’s “kind” of dog (Arnaldo, 2016). The moment that Great Aunt Alice arrives, Susan is treated as one of the humans. So, Susan and Alice hold the power over Spencer and Barney. In response, Spencer goes on a mission to show Susan how to be a real dog so that by the end of the story, Spencer has gained power by showing her how to be a real dog at the park.

The illustrator depicted the family in the story as Caucasian so not much diversity is involved in the story. Instead, the culture represented in this book is the relationship of humans and their pets. Alice cares for her dog Susan and wants to make sure she is treated with kindness and respect. Great Aunt Alice’s attitude reflects as a mirror that shows how people in society now see pets as more than just an animal, but as a friend. In addition, another theme comes into play as to who Susan really is. She acts one way with Alice but another with Spencer and Barney. This can symbolize the attempt to influence who an individual is supposed to be. This story has shown me that it is acceptable to be more than just one type of person; an individual can have many personality traits that make him or her unique. The text is clear to find on the page which shows that what is being said is important. At the same time, there are more images than text showing that the artwork is very important to the story and should be paid attention to. Also, communication between two characters is a closer-up image meaning the dialogue is significant to the plot. The text correlates with the image on each page, allowing the reader to hear and see the story. Flashbacks are represented in a dark blue color, which can stand for times that were not good for Great Aunt Alice. This storybook portrays core themes such as the bond between animals and humans, and the importance of self-discovery and individuality.

IMG_2818IMG_2820

The Bracelet

Posted on by

Author(s): Yoshiko Uchida

Illustrator/Photographer: Joanna Yardley

Publisher and Year: The Putnam & Grosset Group in 1996

Number of Pages: 29

IMG_4253

This book is about the journey of a Japanese-American girl, Emi, who is sent to a prison camp with her mother and older sister. Before she leaves her home, her friend Laurie stops by to give her a bracelet, which Emi swears she will never take off. At the racetrack, or prison camp, Emi loses her bracelet but soon realizes that she does not need her bracelet to remember Laurie, because she will always carry her memories in her heart.

I believe that this story is a great way to teach children about a less talked about tragedy in U.S. history, the imprisonment of Japanese-Americans during WWII. This also gives the audience the chance to not only learn about and discuss this historical event, but also to discuss and learn about racism throughout history. This book clearly represents white people as having power over the Japanese-Americans and how the rest of the country no longer views them as American citizens but people who are a threat to the country. However, I believe that this story is an accurate depiction of the event and the Japanese culture. This is because it does not stereotype the Japanese people, but rather explains the way they were treated, good and bad, by the rest of the U.S. population. The illustrations throughout the story help the reader to feel the emotions of Emi. For example, at the beginning of the story while Emi is still at home, the images are all brightly colored which is a symbol of her freedom and her happy memories with friends and family. But after she leaves home the colors in the images begin to get darker, especially after realizing she lost her bracelet, which symbolizes how she is losing her freedom and beginning to find it difficult to remember happy memories. After she realizes that she does not need her bracelet to remember happy memories, the images begin to brighten up again.

This story has a number of themes and ideological features some themes that one might originally notice are that it is important to stay positive and hopeful even in the toughest of times and material items are not as valuable as friendship and memories. However, I think the deeper meaning of the book is to recognize the injustice that has occurred to many minority groups, specifically the Japanese Americans.

 

Back-to-School Rules

Posted on by

IMG_5985Title: Back-to-School Rules

Author: Laurie Friedman

Illustrator: Teresa Murfin

Publisher: Carolrhoda Books, 2011

Number of pages: 32 pages

Tags: Fiction, Picture Book, K-5, Stephanie Prentice

Genre: Fiction

Analysis

During this story, Percy offers his rules for going back to school for the year. He explains what not to do during class in order to be successful. Percy claims that if someone follows his ten rules that they will have a lot of fun during school.

This book can act as a window for children to see themselves in the story. For example, children can imagine themselves in their own classroom and reflect on their behavior. However, the lack of diversity does not allow for children to see cultures that are different from their own. The images create a humorous depiction of school, showing students doing very silly things such as swimming in the fish tank. In some cases, the images contradict the text.

The images are very colorful and vibrant, grabbing the reader’s attention. The beginning of the book begins with Percy walking to school through his town. The images often mirror the text, IMG_5986depicting the behaviors that Percy claims you should not do . Percy’s rules are often a different color in the text. The illustrator uses different techniques to display the information. For example, on one page, she uses arrows to display the order of which it appears in the text. On the next page, she uses a thought cloud to display the rules. The illustrator also uses a chalkboard to display the rules of Percy. Structurally, the text has a slight rhyming scheme. However, it is sometimes forced, making it difficult to hear the rhyming.

This book is a funny way of discussing class rules; however, it is displayed in a very negative way. This book lists many things that students should not do, rather than stating what the students can do in a positive manner. For example, Percy claims that a student should not arrive late because teachers do not like to wait. Sometimes when a student is late it is out of their control. This list of behaviors to avoid can make children afraid for what can happen if they were to break one of these rules. This book does a good job of opening the discussion for classroom rules, but should not be used to tell children how to act in school. Many of the rules limit the children’s creativity and abilities because of the harsh negativity.

 

Not Afraid of Dogs

Posted on by

IMG_5979Title: Not Afraid of Dogs

Author: Susanna Pitzer

 Illustrator: Larry Day

Publisher: Walker Publisher Company, Inc. 2006

Number of pages: 32 Pages

Tags: Animals, Family, Fiction, K-1, Stephanie Prentice

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Analysis

In this story, Daniel explains that he is a very brave boy and is not afraid of many things such as spiders and thunderstorms. He even claims that he is not afraid of dogs, rather he just simply does not like them. When he realizes that his family has to watch their aunt’s dog, he goes to extreme measures to avoid interacting with the dog. After he finds the dog is scared of thunderstorms in the middle of the night, Daniel comforts the dog and realizes that he is not afraid of dogs after all.

Daniel’s compassion for helping others allows him to overcome his fear of dogs. The story line allows children to see that being afraid of things, IMG_5980such as dogs, is normal and even common. The images, a Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators’ Golden Kite Award for Illustrations winner, capture the emotions a child might have while facing their fears for the first time. For example, the cover picture shows Daniel climbing up a lamp post in the city when a group of dogs walk past him. Taking a first glance, the reader can easily tell the child is nervous and unfamiliar with dogs. The boy is usually placed on the opposite side of the dog, most of the time looking back to make sure he was safe from the dog. This is an accurate depiction of many other children who are afraid of or unsure of many animals. The text placement is not important in the story, however the author’s decision to emphasize Bandit’s howls in a different text size and alignment allows the reader to imagine the sound in their mind.

Overall, the pictures and text work together to tell the story. This book is a great way to show children that fears are rational and common. Daniel’s courage in overcoming his fear can encourage others to overcome their own fears. Daniel’s interaction with Bandit can prove helpful in showing children how to interact with unfamiliar dogs as well. In addition, it shows the common dynamic in the relationship between siblings when Daniel’s sister is often seen taunting Daniel about his fear of dogs. The story line allows many children who have siblings and a fear of dogs or animals to relate to the story.

The New Girl… And Me

Posted on by

Title: The New Girl… And Me

Author: Jacqui RobbinsIMG_5971

Illustrations: Matt Phelan

Publisher: Anthenum Books for Young Readers, 2006

Number of pages: 32 pages

Tags: Diversity, Emotion, Fiction, Friendship, Picture Book, K-5, Stephanie Prentice

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Analysis

When a new girl, Shakeeta, comes to school most of the girls are excited to show her around except for Mia. Mia remains reserved and watches the interactions between Shakeeta and the rest of her classmates. When Shakeeta is deliberately excluded from the game of soccer by a boy named DJ, Mia strikes up a conversation with Shakeeta as they are sitting together on the bench. The girls soon become good friends.

While the message of the story is positive, some events in the story can be taken in a negative view. For example, when DJ bullies Shakeeta at recess, the rest of the class follows his lead, laughing at his mean comments. This can lead children to believe that it is okay to bully people. In addition, Mia is originally scared of Shakeeta when she first arrives. Lastly, Shakeeta threatens to punch DJ when he makes fun of her name. This can teach children to believe that violence is the answer if they are being bullied. Lastly, Mia is originally scared of Shakeeta when she arrives in the classroom. This can be seen as stereotyping and profiling.

The illustrator does a good job of capturing the true emotions of children with their facial expressions and body language. The pale colors of the pictures and white backgrounds allow for readers to focus on the facial expressions and body language in different situations. Before Mia and Shakeeta have their first interaction with each other, they are deliberately placed on the opposite sides of the double page picture. This deliberate placement symbolizes the idea that they are not yet friends. On the next page, Mia asks Shakeeta about her iguana and they begin a lively conversation. As the girls dive deeper into their conversation, they move closer to each other on the bench, symbolizing their growing friendship. Mia’s first attempts to start a conversation, asking about Shakeeta’s iguana, can give students who are shy like Mia ideas on how to start a conversation with a new classmate. In addition, the illustrations bring in anelement of multiculturism without it being the main focus. This allows a diverse population of students see themselves in the story. The interracial friendship also adds an example of tolerance and acceptance.

This book can be used if a teacher is expecting a new student. It can open discussions of how to make a new student feel welcomed, but it is important to remember how the book can be viewed in a negative way while having discussions about this book. IMG_5973

What James Said

Posted on by

Title: What James Said

Author: Liz RosenburgIMG_5967

Illustrators: Matt Myers

Publisher: Roaring Book Press, 2015

Number of pages: 32 Pages

Tags: Diversity, Emotion, Fiction, Friendship, Picture Book, K-5, Stephanie Prentice

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Analysis

A little girl believes that her best friend, James, is saying mean things behind her back. Therefore, she gives him the silent treatment during school to get her revenge. As the school day goes on, James comes up with ways that become more tempting for the little girl to talk to him. In the end, they realize their friendship is worth too much to fight.

The two main characters include a boy and a girl, which goes above the common belief that friendships should only be made within the same gender. In addition, the friendship between an African American boy and a Caucasian female shows tolerance and acceptance. The images of the other students of the class also include diversity, representing a wide array of ethnicities. This allows children to see themselves in the story, as well as see other ethnicities in addition to their own.

IMG_5968Perceptually, the images are very bright and enticing for the children. The use of faded watercolor pictures, such as in the picture below, allows the focus to remain on the narrator and James. The use of large text in certain areas allows the reader to recognize which points should be emphasized while reading the story aloud. Some of the illustrations resemble the ones that children would draw, making it very relatable for the readers. The layout of the text in relation to the pictures also allows the readers to follow the sequence very well, especially when the author is describing how each classmate heard the rumor about the narrator. Ideologically, this book shows the dangers of gossip and rumors and the effects they have on friendships. The misunderstanding during the “game of telephone” leads to the narrator’s feelings getting hurt by her best friend. Children who read this book are able to see the damage done by gossip and rumors. The ending of the book allows readers to see some things can be misunderstood and taken out of proportion. It also emphasizes the idea of friendship and its importance. The two sided story, the narrator and James’ actions, also show the different emotions when two friends are fighting. This book also gives an example of how children can solve problems with their friends. However, the way in which the narrator reacts is not recommended for children.

The Three Pigs

Posted on by

IMG_9614 [405971]

Author/Illustrator: David Wiesner

Publisher and Year: Clarion Books, 2001

Number of Pages: 38

Genre: Fantasy/Fiction

IMG_9615 [405972]

Analysis: “The Three Pigs” is a book where Wiesner puts a weird but interesting twist on the typical “The Three Little Pigs” story by not only allowing the pigs to stand strong, but to move on into a whole different story. From there, they escape the big bad wolf along with a new friend. This book could function as a door into the imaginative world of the three pigs. An old tale that many of us grew up on now has a huge twist on it, opening up our eyes to the many possibilities. In the typical beginning of the story, the wolf has all of the power. Then, the pigs become powerful and essentially “create their own ending” to the story. The images align with my understanding of culture by allowing the pigs to go in and out of reality. They are also allowed to dip into another story and experience something from that and (literally) take something from it.

Perceptually, the words in this book sometimes contradict the images, but it works. The words are typical “The Three Little Pigs,” and dialog is used often.

Structurally, the pigs “come out” of story and “go into” another. They look realistic when they’re not in their story, and the pictures are framed when their classic story is being told. The pigs move in the right direction into the new story.

Similar to the original story, “The Three Pigs” shows us that bullies never prevail.

 

Elmer

Posted on by

IMG_9616 [405973]

Author/Illustrator: David McKee

Publisher and Year: McGraw-Hill, 1968

Number of Pages: 30

Genre: Fable/Fiction

IMG_9617 [405974]

Analysis: Elmer the elephant is beautifully different, but he doesn’t see it that way. He goes through some extreme measures to be “normal” until he realizes that it’s good to be different. This book can work as a mirror for children who feel that they are different in some way. Often times in society, being outside of the “norm” is frowned upon, and it shouldn’t be. People should feel comfortable with their differences because those are what make them unique. The jungle life is prevalent in this book, and even the non-elephants accept Elmer for who he is. Rarely did the animals express a face of disgust for Elmer’s appearance. As long as he plays his part in society, he is okay in their eyes.

Perceptually, this book has very plain text, and it clearly explains pictures and stays off to the side.

Structurally, Elmer walks to the right until he is like the rest of the elephants, which is when he feels normal. All of the animals appear to be the same size as Elmer, even though elephants are clearly bigger than pigs. There appears to be many bright colors at the end when Elmer feels free.

“Elmer” teaches that people should accept who they are because it is not the outside that matters.

The Red Tree

Posted on by

IMG_9618 [405975]

Author/Illustrator: Shaun Tan

Publisher and Year: Simply Read Books, 2001

Number of Pages: 24

Genre: Fable/Dystopia

IMG_9619 [405976]Analysis: “The Red Tree” is about a young girl who feels trapped in a world of—what seems to be—never-ending sadness. It is not until she realizes that she has to take the good with the bad that her “red tree” grows. This book works well as a mirror for a lot of young girls who feel that they are trapped in a bubble of sadness or sorrow. In the beginning, the young girl feels helpless and almost like she has no power over her life. By the end of the book, she is rejuvenated and hopeful. The images of darkness and confusion seem to be an accurate representation of what sadness would look like if it was tangible.

Perceptually, this book has very few, spaced words. Some images are framed for a limited view, and the images are dark until the girl “reaches the light.” Her name is never given, perhaps because this could be anyone’s story.

Structurally, she walks to the right until she sees her tree-which is when she walks left, to her happy place. The word “wait” shrinks with each page to show a time lapse. She is trapped in a bottle because she feels isolated, and everyone around her is dark and gloomy.

Ideologically, this book teaches that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.