Review of ZEN SHORTS

Muth, Jon J. 2005. ZEN SHORTS. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0-329-45474-9

ZEN SHORTS is stories within a story. The story begins with Karl, the youngest of three siblings, seeing a panda bear in the backyard. His name is Stillwater. Each of the children visit with Stillwater and, in turn, is told a story. Stillwater’s traditional Buddhist and Taoist stories reflect human desires, fears, and the struggle for inner peace. While these stories have centuries-old roots, their placement in western children’s literature is distinctive. Despite the stories’ esoteric nature, the audience’s interest is piqued through the use of a story-telling panda. Muth appropriately assigns a calm voice to Stillwater, thus increasing the likelihood the characters (and the audience) will hear his message. Other indications of Muth’s ability to use voice and characterization are the typical complaints about a bossy big brother and a child’s wonderings about flight. When the children talk with Stillwater, he tells them stories which address their concerns and clarify their personalities. Finally, Muth’s painterly techniques with watercolor and ink garnered this book a Caldecott Honor Medal. With the exception of the bright red umbrella; muted, calming colors fill the pages. Supporting the text, the illustrations show Stillwater’s giant, unobtrusive, and nonjudgmental presence. But for an occasional smile, he stands and listens, his expression relatively unchanging. Muth’s use of details such as the bamboo-adorned cake and flying paper airplanes add depth and breadth to the story’s text.

Highly recommended for readers ages 6-11+ years. Though the anecdotes may be a bit obscure for younger readers, they provide fantastic springboards for conversations.

Review of MOLLY AND THE MAGIC WISHBONE

McClintock, Barbara. 2001. MOLLY AND THE MAGIC WISHBONE. New York: Francis Foster Books. ISBN 0-374-34999-1

Molly is the eldest of five kittens. Because Mama is ill, she is given the task of buying the day’s fish. In this nearly didactic story, an unsuspecting Molly meets her Fairy Godmother and learns of a magic wishbone she will find. Molly must ultimately consider what is most important: her dreams or her family.

The plot reflects an unsurprising situation in which a child is warned to “use your wish wisely.” This standard save-your-wishes-for-what’s-really-important theme opens up opportunities for discussions of “…and what would you wish for?” during read alouds. When reading this story with my daughter, she immediately responded, “She’s going to wish for her mother to get better!” Imagine her surprise when the children began talking about toys, dresses, and candies. These egotistical wishes lend validity to the voice of the children. Though the speech is a bit formal for kittens—using proper syntax and vocabulary—it is both accessible and clear. With voice as but one of the elements, the characters are developed into believable children. Along with voice, McClintock provides situational authenticity. Many children are responsible for younger siblings and must be self-sufficient. Molly tends to a pet rabbit, glues a bowl together, and puts the little ones to bed. So as not to portray Molly on too high of a horse, she also loses her temper when interrupted. Each of these behaviors are both typical and believable. Finally, the illustrations demonstrate McClintock’s familiar painterly techniques. The Victorian setting is extremely detailed, though not much is gained from the pictures which is not already clear from the text. The requisite symbiotic relationship between text and pictures is not evident in MOLLY AND THE MAGIC WISHBONE. Recommended for readers ages 6-10 years in order to initiate a discussion of wants versus needs or to appreciate McClintock’s artistic abilities.

Review of DAHLIA

McClintock, Barbara. 2002. DAHLIA. New York: Francis Foster Books. ISBN 0-374-31678-3

DAHLIA is an intricately illustrated picture storybook about Charlotte, a young girl who is not afraid to get dirty. When Charlotte receives a doll from her aunt, she names her Dahlia and spends the day showing her the way they do things.

In this simple and believable plot, Charlotte is unwilling to change the way she plays simply because her new doll, Dahlia, has a fancy dress and hairdo. Dahlia’s constitution is challenged by mudpies, leaf boats, wagon races and tree climbing; all the while, the reader cheers her on. This story of a child’s individualism transcends its 19th century, country home setting. McClintock’s use of voice is true to that of a young child. When some boys tease Charlotte about having a doll she retorts, “She’s braver than all of you.” Despite the fact that Bruno is a teddy bear, his voice is no less audible. When asked to share his wagon, Charlotte notes, “Bruno didn’t mind at all.” Though Charlotte tells the reader how her friends feel, it is also evident through the illustrations. Muted tones and painterly techniques create the detailed world in which the story takes place. From bird nests to plants to a pet snake in Charlotte’s room, the illustrations provide information beyond the textual descriptions. Indeed, without the illustrations, readers would likely never know Bruno is a teddy bear. Finally, the pictures provide both Bruno and Dahlia with facial expressions to match the text—concern about a new situation, elation upon winning a race, and grumpiness at being brushed. The warm yet straightforward story may leave the reader wondering if Ms. McClintock, like Charlotte, is a tomboy at heart. Recommended for readers ages 6-10 years in small groups or one-on-one (and tomboys like my daughter!).

Review of BABY DANCED THE POLKA

Beaumont, Karen. Jennifer Plecas. (Ill.) 2004. BABY DANCED THE POLKA. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0-8037-2587-6

In this Texas 2 x 2 recommended book, Mama and Papa don’t give up on trying to put Baby down for a nap. Baby, however, has other plans! Karen Beaumont shares a lively story about this common event which is anything but mundane.

All children have had some experience with nap time and many children have at least begun to learn about farms and farm animals. The coupling of this plot and setting provides a sense of familiarity for readers. By using rhyme and repetition, Beaumont has written a story which encourages young children to make predictions and read along. Further, her use of alliteration in silly sentences such as, “Baby danced the cha-cha with the chocolate-colored…cow!” makes them more fun to listen to and to echo. Jennifer Plecas provides illustrations using a variety of painterly techniques. The combination of ink, paints and pencils gives the illustrations texture and depth. Not only are the illustrations pleasing to the eye, they are a critical piece of the story. For example, the pictures explain that Baby’s dance partners are stuffed animals, rather than real farm animals. They also provide snippets of things to come. Plecas incorporates visual clues of future dance partners, thus inviting children to look closely at the pictures and predict what will happen next. Finally, the engineering of BABY DANCED THE POLKA enhances the invitation of audience participation. Through the use of lift-the-flap pages, this book incorporates a kinesthetic aspect to reading which can make all the difference in holding a young child’s attention. From the literary elements, to style, to illustrations; this engineered picture storybook is perfectly suited for very young audiences. Highly recommended for 2-6 year olds.

Review of GREEN EGGS AND HAM

Seuss, Dr. 1960. GREEN EGGS AND HAM. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-394-80016-8

Summary
In this classic Dr. Seuss tale, a nameless naysayer is coaxed into trying something new. Sam, an omnipresent character, attempts to serve him green eggs and ham in varying venues and with different companions. Throughout the story, the object of Sam’s persistence insists he does not like green eggs and ham. Finally, the character relents and discovers that he does like green eggs and ham after all. Seuss’ one-of-a-kind use of rhyme, meter, and illustration have made this story of the value of open-mindedness a timeless classic. Highly recommended for 4 year olds with long attention spans through 9 year old readers.

Analysis
While many of Dr. Seuss’ masterpieces rely on nonsensical words and unpredictable phrases, Green Eggs and Ham takes advantage of predictable text to encourage and facilitate early readers’ success. The predictability stems not only from the flawless rhyme, but also from repetitive phrases. Few authors are able to employ predictability to this extent without compromising story quality. However, Dr. Seuss succeeds in spinning a tale in which the reader can hardly wait to find out the conclusion all the while using rhyme and repetition.

As with all well-constructed picture books, Green Eggs and Ham would not be a complete tale without the illustrations. The first three pages of the story are illustrations of a curious fellow riding Seussian beasts back and forth. It is not until page 4 that text becomes prevalent with the main character exploding, “That Sam-I-am! That Sam-I-am! I do not like that Sam-I-am!” Thus, the tone is set for the entire story. The perfect coupling of text with pictures also helps developing readers. Not sure what that word is? It starts with an “h” and that’s a picture of a house. And that word? Well it rhymes with house, starts with “m” and that’s a picture of a…mouse! This story is an emergent reader’s dream come true—and it’s a fun tale to boot!


Connections
Other books by Dr. Seuss:
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
Horton Hears a Who
The Lorax

Review of LOS GATOS BLACK ON HALLOWEEN

Montes, Marisa. Yuyi Morales. (Ill.) 2007. LOS GATOS BLACK ON HALLOWEEN. New York: Henry Holt and Co. ISBN 0-8050-7429-5

Summary
Los Gatos Black on Halloween is a mingling of Mexican and US cultures through language, customs, and illustrations. In the course of this story, the reader meets a variety of ghoulish characters as they make their way to a late night soiree. (Three guesses which night it is!) This picture book poem intersperses Spanish terms throughout without impairing non-Spanish speakers’ understanding or enjoyment. Author Marisa Montes uses colorful adjectives and verbs which describe elements of both Halloween and the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead—Spanish translation: Día de los Muertos. Further evidence of this cultural coupling are the award-winning illustrations. Some are reminiscent of Día de los Muertos images portraying well-dressed skeletons with large, black eyes. Others include jack-o-lanterns and a glowing haunted house. This book, which is an odd combination of both whimsy and eeriness, is highly recommended for ages 4-9.

Analysis
Montes and illustrator, Yuyi Morales, collaborated to create a story which reflects both US as well as Mexican cultures. Through the use of interlingualism (code-switching), Montes introduces Spanish vocabulary within a predominantly English text. The mixture of the cultures goes beyond the mixing of languages. While the title of the story clearly states its topic as Halloween, the story includes hints of the Mexican holiday Día de los Muertos. This allusion is heightened through illustrations of skeletons wearing traditional Mexican dresses and sarapes.

As a poem picture book, this piece excels in its symbiotic relationship between text and illustrations. The text is rhyming and light. The lines wave across the pages adding to the playfulness of the poem. This is in contrast to the illustrations which use muted colors, sharp teeth and glowing eyes. Though phrases such as ‘shriek their pains’ and ‘loan loon mocks’ allude to the eeriness, it is the combination of illustrations and text which shapes the reader’s mood. For readers who love creepy pictures, this book, with its sing-song cadence, is an entertaining read any time of year.

Connections
Other books by Montes:
Juan Bobo Goes to Work
A Circle of Time

Other bilingual poem picture books:
Delicious Hullabaloo=Pachanga Deliciosa by Pat Mora
Iguanas in the Snow y Otros Poems de Invierno=Iguanas en la Nieve and Other Winter Poems by Francisco X. Alarcon

Review of LIBRARY LION

Knudsen, Michelle. Kevin Hawkes. (Ill.) 2006. LIBRARY LION. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 0-7636-2262-1

“One day, a lion came to the library.” So begins this tale of a creature who just can’t get enough of the library. Though he initially has trouble with the rules, Lion quickly becomes a model library patron as well as a favorite of the children who attend story hour. When the librarian has an accident, Lion must decide which is more important, following the rules or helping a friend.

This picture book is brought to life through understated illustrations. Hawkes uses acrylics and pencil to create a familiar and comfortable library environment. Additionally, illustrations of the characters give a life to the story not appreciated through the text alone. The progression of Lion’s acceptance in the library can be seen in the changing expressions of patrons’ faces. The story plainly states the situation, but it is the illustrations which lend depth to the emotion the characters feel. The author uses no fancy literary techniques to boost her story—no alliteration, nor rhyming, nor onomatopoeia. The text is divided into manageable chunks, thus facilitating read-alouds and forays into independent reading for children. Knudsen has created a simple, heartfelt story with realistic characters—the docile, envelope-licking lion not withstanding. Library Lion is highly recommended for ages 4-9.


Connections
Other books by Knudsen:
The Case of Vampire Vivian
A Slimy Story

Other picture books about the library:
Stella Louella and the Runaway Book by Lisa Campbell Ernst
Tomás and the Library Lady by Pat Mora
The Library Dragon by Carmen Agra Deedy