Tag Archives: K-5

Buffalo Dreams

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Author(s): Kim DonerIMG_4387

Illustrator/Photographer: Kim Doner

Publisher and Year: WestWinds Press in 1999

Number of Pages: 38

Genre: Fiction

Analysis:

This story is about the Bearpaw family and how they decide to make a trip to visit the only white buffalo on earth which is a symbol in the Native American culture for a spirit named White Buffalo Calf Woman, and the children believe that touching the calf will bring them magic. The oldest child, Sarah, is given an eagle feather from her grandfather’s headdress which is supposed to represent strength to her dreams, and she decides she wants to give this feather to the calf so that “her dreams can grow, too” (Doner p.11). In the end, the two children accidently end up in the buffalos’ pen and have a close encounter with the white buffalo calf’s mother, but before they end up escaping from the mother buffalo, the calf comes over and puts her head into Sarah’s palm.

The illustrations are large and usually take up the whole two-page spread. The images are also unframed which makes the reader feel like they are also experiencing everything with the characters. The images are also very detailed and realistic which again add to the reader feeling like they, too, are a part of the scene. I also noticed that at the bottom of each two-page spread was a dreamcatcher, but it showed the progression of making a dreamcatcher from its beginning stages in the beginning of the story to the completed dreamcatcher at the end. The characters in this story are both described and illustrated as Native Americans which are accurately represented in relation to their culture, not just the stereotypical idea of how Native Americans look, act, or dress.

When first reading this story, I thought that it was just a story about a Native American family visiting a rare white buffalo because they thought it was magical. However, after reading the author’s note and the legend of the White Buffalo Calf Woman in the back of the book, I realized that this story was inspired by a Native American legend about a White Buffalo Calf Woman who helps answer the dreams of believers, and an actual white buffalo calf that was born in 1994 named Miracle. I believe this story is a great window for children to learn about the Native American culture because it includes Native American legends and traditions. I also think that this story works as a mirror for modern day Native American children because there are not many stories which talk about Native Americans in a modern day setting. Overall, this story is a great way to introduce Native American culture into children’s literature.

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I Have Heard of a Land

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Author(s): Joyce Carol ThomasIMG_4391

Illustrator/Photographer: Floyd Cooper

Publisher and Year: HarperCollins Publishers in 1998

Number of Pages: 26

Genre: Historical Fiction

Analysis:

This book is about an African American woman who is travelling westward to claim land in Oklahoma. It describes the challenges that African American pioneer women faced, like having to sleep in a sod hut with a saddle as a pillow, but it also illuminates the pride and freedom that they now have. The story is based on the westward movement in the 1880s, and more specifically, the author’s own family experiences while moving to Oklahoma.

The illustrations in this story both mirror and add to the text of the story. For example, the illustrations describe what the text is saying, but in more detail. Also, every illustration covers the entire page, there is no white space on any page, therefore, every image is unframed. This causes the reader to feel like they are there experiencing the westward movement with the characters. The colors of the images are all shades of brown which give an earthy and powerful mood to the story, but the darker shades of brown portrays a more serious and sorrowful mood. I also noticed that the main character is usually facing or looking to the right of the page which can symbolize her determination to keep moving until she finds her own piece of land.

This story can be used as a mirror to teach children about the Oklahoma Land Runs which allowed not only African Americans to settle and gain land, but also single women. I believe it could also be a window for children to begin to learn about the hardships that African Americans, especially females, were facing at this time in history. I also believe that it could be a mirror for African American females because not often are African American women depicted in literature as tough, hard-working, and independent. This story also touches on the idea of self-perseverance and personal journeys by the way that the main character never gives up on her westward journey even though she may face unexpected challenges along the way. Therefore, I believe this could function as a door to encourage children to always follow their dreams, but also realize that it will not be easy and it will take a lot of hard work and determination but it is worth it. All in all, this story is did a great job of retelling an often looked over event in history that gave African Americans and females the chance at freedom and opportunity.

A Dance Like Starlight: One Ballerina’s Dream

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Author(s): Kristy DempseyIMG_4365

Illustrator/Photographer: Floyd Cooper

Publisher and Year: Philomel Books in 2014

Number of Pages: 28

Genre: Historical Fiction

Analysis:

This story is set in New York in the 1950s, and is about a little African American girl who goes with her mother to work, which is at a ballet school, and she falls in love with ballet. The story continues with the young girl always wishing and dreaming of becoming a prima ballerina, and one day the Ballet Master sees her dancing backstage and allows her to join ballet lessons at the school. At the end of the story, the little girl’s mother takes her to see Janet Collins perform at the Metropolitan Opera House, as she debuts as the first African American prima ballerina, and the little girl then realizes that she can do anything she sets her mind to.

The illustrations in this book are large and drawn with detail. All the images have a pinkish-brown color scheme, which I believe adds warmth to the images and makes the reader feel comfortable with the main character. The illustrations are also unframed and take up the whole page, which helps the reader to feel as though they are also experiencing everything with the characters. Also, the way the text is placed on each page almost resembles movement and dancing, which can be related to the little girl’s never ending dream of becoming a dancer and how she is always moving towards her end goal.

When first reading through this story I thought it was a great story about a little girl who never gives up on her dreams of dancing, but after reading through the story again, and reading the author’s note, I realized that there was a deeper message within this story. The author was inspired to write this story based on the true event of Janet Collins becoming the first prima ballerina to be hired from the Metropolitan Opera, and the story briefly touches on segregation within the U.S. pre-Civil Rights Movement. I believe that this story could be used as a window for children to learn about segregation and how everyone was not allowed the same opportunities. However, this story does not explicitly state anything about segregation or the Civil Rights Movement, and the young girl is portrayed in a way that is very happy, which does not send the reader the correct message about the hardships that many African Americans may have faced during the 1950s. I also think this book can be used as a mirror for African American children who may feel like they have struggled with having the same opportunities as white children, and also for children who are living with a single parent who has to work a lot in order to provide support for their family. This book could also be used as a door to teach children to never give up on their dreams. Overall, I believe this story does a great job of encouraging children to follow their dreams, but I am not sure that this book accurately represents the way many African Americans felt during segregation.

The Scar

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Author(s): Charlotte MoundlicIMG_4357

Illustrator/Photographer: Olivier Tallec

Publisher and Year: Candlewick Press in 2011

Number of Pages: 31

Genre: Fiction

Analysis:

This story began with a little boy explaining that his mother had just died and left him with just his father. The boy goes through a series of emotions and feelings like being angry that his mother left him, sad that she won’t be there as he grows up, tired from trying to take care of his father, and fearful that he might forget his mother. In the end, his grandmother, his mom’s mom, reminds him that his mother is always with him in his heart.

The illustrations in the story were an important part of this text because they helped add to the overall tone of the story and they helped to depict the feelings of the characters. For example, the color red is the primary color on every page, which can represent a variety of intense emotions such as, anger, fear, love, and passion, which are all emotions felt by the main characters. In fact, the little boy is always a different shade of red depending on his current mood, the more upset or angry he is feeling, the darker the shade of red. I also noticed that the characters sometimes have a mouth on their face and at other times there is no mouth on their faces at all. I think the illustrator did this to show that sometimes the characters may seem fine on the outside, but the text explains that they are still struggling with the loss of the mother.

I believe that this story could work well as a window for children to be introduced to and help to teach the different stages of grief. This could be especially helpful for children who have not been exposed to death to help them to understand the feelings that their friends or family members may have experienced or are experiencing. This book could also function as a mirror for children who have lost a family member, because it can help them understand that having different emotions is completely normal. None of the characters in the story have names, which symbolizes that this little boy and his father can represent all people who feel these emotions, not just this one fictional family. I also believe that it is important to note that the mother is the one who dies in this story, which leaves the little boy with his father to show a different family dynamic where there is a widowed father and his son. Overall, I believe that this is a great story to read to children to help them understand that it is okay to grieve when someone important to you has died, and that there are many stages and emotions associated with grief.

The Wall

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Author(s): Eve BuntingIMG_4401

Illustrator/Photographer: Ronald Himler

Publisher and Year: Clarion Books in 1990

Number of Pages: 29

Genre: Fiction

Analysis:

This story is about a little boy and his father who go to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in order to find the name of the little boy’s grandfather, who is the father of the boy’s father. While the father is searching the wall for his father’s name, the little boy is looking around at the other visitors and describing the gifts left at the wall. In the end, the boy’s father traces over his father’s name that is on the wall and takes the paper home, and the little boy is proud that his grandfather’s name is on the wall but he wishes he were there.

            The images in this book do a great job of reinforcing the somber tone; for example, the color gray is used in every image, the details of the images look a bit blurry or smudged, and most of the images are not framed all the way which makes it seem like they are fading away. All the background characters drawn in this book are white but the main characters seem to be of Hispanic descent, however, they don’t look that different from the other white characters except for their dark brown hair. This instills the idea that many of the Vietnam veterans were white, which can give the impression that the white man is the hero in war and that other ethnicities were not as valuable in war. I also noticed that the two main characters were males and many of the other characters discussed in the book were males, and this also gives the wrong impression that men are to be associated with war which can also show that men are valued more than women in war and in society.

I originally thought that this book was intended as a way to teach young children about how to cope with the loss of a family member. But I realized that this book could also function as a window for children to learn about the effects of war on the more personal level, as well as, teaching them about the Vietnam War and how it impacted America as a whole. For children who have lost a family member, specifically to war, this story can be used to mirror their feelings to show that it is okay to grieve for a loved one. Overall, this story does a great job of explaining a deep message to young readers.

Smoky Night

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15

Author: Eve Bunting

Illustrator: David Diaz

Publishing Information: Voyager Books, 1994

Number of Pages: 28

Genre: Historical Fiction

Analysis:

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                        Smoky Night is the Caldecott Award-winning book that tells the story of a young boy and his mother witnessing the rioting in the streets below their apartment building. When a fire breaks out they must flee for safety all while taking in the wreckage the rioters have caused in their neighborhood. They find safety in a shelter, and the incident unifies the people of the neighborhood.

The book was published in 1994, which led me to wonder if there was a particular incident that could have inspired the story. Sure enough, the story was inspired by the rioting that took place in 1992 after an incident of alleged police brutality against Mr. Rodney King. I think this book does an exceptional job of providing children with a window to look at this piece of history, as it gives the perspective of a child living through that chaos without being too detailed or frightening for young readers. The story mainly focuses on the child’s search for his cat, who gets lost in the midst of tenants fleeing from the apartment, which can be both problematic and useful. I can see where readers may find this problematic as it shifts focus away from the riots and focuses more on the lost cat. However, this can be useful as it makes the story more accessible to a younger audience.

The illustrations of the book were certainly eye-catching and very additive to the text. The background of each page featured real-life objects (such as hangers, plastic bags, and wooden signs) that conveyed the point that this story is based off of real-world happenings. Furthermore, the illustrations are done in dark paint and are always featured on the right-hand page which demonstrates the mood of chaos and dreariness that surrounds the events in the story. The illustrations are framed with thick, black paint, so readers are looking in on this story from afar. In addition, although the text is always featured on the left-hand page, it is written on a crumpled paper which further demonstrates the mess of the situation playing out in the story.

This book provides children with an accessible window to examine a real-life event through the eyes of a child living through it. Furthermore, they are taught the value of coming together in a tough time, as the neighbors in the story demonstrate.

Families, Families, Families

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Author: Suzanne Lang

Illustrator: Max Lang

Publishing Information: Random House Children’s Books, 2015

Number of Pages: 24

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Analysis:

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This Monarch Award-winning children’s book provides a glimpse at the various kinds of families that people may belong to, as an alternative to the nuclear family dynamic. With explanations such as “Some families have two moms,” “Some families have one dad,” and “Some families are children living with the aunt,” children are able to see that families come in a multitude of sizes and have can be made up in all different kinds of ways. Furthermore, it ends by explaining that no matter who or how many people make up one’s family, they are all bonded by love.

This gives children a mirror that allows them to see their own family demonstrated in the text. It is helpful because it can, therefore, make them feel included and have their family composition validated to themselves and other readers. It also provides a window to show them a multitude of different ways a family can be structured, all while stressing the importance that no one family structure is better or worse than any of the others. I especially appreciated the book’s inclusion of same-sex parents, as that is a structure that society is still working toward accepting today. By including these types of families, children who belong to a family with same-sex parents can feel more accepted and appreciate that their family is recognized by the book. Additionally, by including all different kinds of families throughout the book, it provides children with a door to practice inclusion and acceptance for all types of family structures, even if they do not mirror the one they see at home.

The illustrations in the book are unframed, with the exception of a frame that surrounds each family in a way that is designed to give it the appearance of a family portrait. Although the text could exist alone, the illustrations mirror the text and are able to provide a visual representation of each family composition that is being described by the text. Additionally, the illustrations are done in bright watercolors to mirror the happiness and freedom within the story. Facial expressions on the characters are all smiles to reflect this theme as well.

The Broken Cat

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Author/Illustrator: Lynne Rae Perkins

Publisher and Year: Greenwillow Books, 2002

Number of Pages: 30

Genre: Realistic Fiction

A young girl breaks her arm and it isn’t until she sees that it gets better, that she starts to feel better. As time passes, the young girl gets older and has a son. When her son’s cat breaks his leg, she reassures them both that it’ll get better.

This text could work well as a mirror for children who can identify with Frank. At a young age, a child’s best friend is typically their pet. There may be children who feel for Frank and his cat because they love their pet in the same way. Some children also look to pets for direction as to how to react to a situation. For example, when Frank sees that his cat is depressed about breaking his leg, he also gets depressed. When the cat starts to feel better emotionally about the situation, Frank follows. The only characters who appear in the story are Frank’s family, who are White. However, when Frank’s mom breaks her arm and the town welcomes her home, there don’t appear to be any non-White neighbors. There could be more diversity in this book. Also, typical of gender roles, the woman is a nurse and the male is the doctor.

Perceptually, the text adds to the images. The images are dependent on the text, as the illustrations are very basic so a reader could not take much from them alone. Structurally, many of the images in the beginning are in, what appear to be, faded bubbles. The beginning of the story is filled with memories of when Frank’s mom was a child and broke her arm, so the faded pictures may just be her faded memories. When the story comes back into the present, the images are no longer in bubbles. One picture of the cat is a real picture, as parts of the story are based on true events. Ideologically, this story brings to life the true relationship of a child and their pet. The book never mentions that Frank’s mother felt bad for having the cast because she was made fun of, she just felt that it inconvenienced her. In a way, that sheds light on the situation.

Have I got a book for you!

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Author/Illustrator: Melanie Watt

Publisher and Year: Kids Can Press, 2009

Number of Pages: 30

Genre: Fiction
hqdefault Salesman Mr. Al Foxword claims that he can sell anyone anything, even the book that is being read. Al isn’t very convincing, but by the end of the book, the reader still feels like they have to buy the book.

This book couldn’t really work as a window, mirror, or door. It teaches no lesson and has no real point, other than amusement. In this story, all of the power is in the salesman’s hands. He forces the reader to continue along in the book and at the end of the book, the reader sees that a page is ripped so they are forced to buy it. The “you break it, you buy it” idea is so common in society, mainly because sellers know that no one else will want a broken item, so it would be in the seller’s best interest to make the person who broke it, buy it.

Perceptually, the words add to images and vice versa. There’s lots of dialogue, which makes it an easier read and more entertaining. The main character is speaking to us the entire time. He uses sarcasm and generic compliments to convince us to buy the book. Structurally, the words and images are set up in a way that it looks like an advertisement. Al, the salesman, appears multiple times on one page near the end. He is starting to lose control, as he cannot seem to convince us to buy the book. He also appears much bigger on pages where he is offering something that he feels is irresistible (but is actually really dumb)—almost like he’s in our face telling us to buy it.

The Only Child

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Author/Illustrator: Guojing

Publisher and Year: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2015

Number of Pages: 100

Genre: Fantasy/Fiction

A lonely, only child runs away from home and finds a mysterious stag that takes her to a magical world. In this world, she feels loved and eventually misses home. Guojing takes us through the young girl’s journey back home to her family.

This book could serve as a mirror for those who can identify with the young girl. Some children may feel lonely and are only children, or at least feel as such. Children often use their imagination to “run away” to a place where they feel wanted and empowered. This story could also work as a window into the Chinese culture. The author has stated that this book “…reflects very real feelings of isolation and loneliness I experienced growing up in the 1980’s under the one-child policy in China” (P. 1). The longing for attention and love that a child feels is something that a multitude of readers can relate to.

There are no words in this book, as it is a picture narrative. Structurally, the entire story is told with pictures. For majority of the pages, the images are framed. There is no apparent pattern to the unframed images, but the reader feels more connected to those pages. The images are dark, which emphasizes the sadness the girl feels. The background to the images is more of a sepia when she is home and unhappy, but it is white when she runs away. This change in background emphasizes which images are happier than others. However, this story could just be a huge fantasy. When the child goes to bed, we see that she is holding what appears to be the stag that she rode to this mysterious land. Ideologically, this story shows readers that although it is very easy to become lost, there is always a path guiding the way back home. This story also conveys the idea that running away is an acceptable solution to feeling alone or abandoned. The parents of the child search helplessly for their lost child, but the child moseys on home like nothing happened.