The Tale of Despereaux

I am really glad I read this book. I've read other books by Kate DiCamillo such as The Tiger Rising, but I'd always held off a little bit on The Tale of Despereaux, foolishly thinking maybe it wasn't as good as all the hype. Fortunately, it is.

The story itself is such a fast read. DiCamillo's use of the language just pushes the reader forward, especially when she talks to the reader. She has built a bridge between the author and the reader to get the reader a little more involved. To do this, she often switches tenses, first talking about Despereaux or Roscura or Mig Sow, then suddenly referring to herself as the author! As the reader, it made me feel like there was someone with me, making humorous comments or remarks. I read silently, but it felt like a read aloud. The questions she poses would be especially interesting for a class to answer. For example, what would kids say to "Reader, do you believe that there is such a thing as happily ever after? Or, like Despereaux, have you, too, begun to question the possibility of happy endings?" p. 58. At that point I thought, this book better have a happy ending...

DiCamillo also abbreviates her language to emphasize their importance by putting one or two words on a line, i.e. 'goose eggs', or just 'nothing'. The extra space around the word forces the reader to stop and take stock in what was said. How powerful and important must that word 'nothing' be, such as in chapter 50 - in which the princess says his name.

Though a children's story, The Tale of Despereaux has some very insightful moments. There were a few times when I got caught up in the idea of hope and faith and love, completely taken with these characters I'd only known for a few short minutes. At the end I had to take a step back and remember that the princess was only 12, and yet she "was aware suddenly of how fragile her heart was, how much darkness was inside it, fighting, always, with the light. She did not like the rat. She would never like the rat, but she knew what she must do to save her own heart." p. 264 Incredible! Such wisdom, such heart - hers will heal correctly, unlike Roscuro who was destined to belong nowhere.

I also enjoyed the pictures/illustrations. Every once in a while it's nice to have a visual representation to keep my mind on track. For some reason (probably leftover from Bridge), I kept imagining this as a movie - I bet it would be great! Michael J. Fox would be a great mouse voice. Oh wait, he was Stuart Little. No wonder I thought he'd be great, he's already done it before. Maybe Haley Joel Osment? What's he doing these days?

I wish I could talk to animals.

PS - AHH. I just looked it up. It IS going to be a movie! With Justin Long! Ahh! http://imdb.com/title/tt0420238/

Caps for Sale! Fifty Cents a Cap!

"By this time the peddler was really very, very angry. He stamped both his feet and shouted, 'You monkeys, you! You must give me back my caps!'
But the monkeys only stamped both their feet back at him and said, 'Tsz, tsz, tsz.'"

At some point in their life, I think everyone has had some experience with LeVar Burton's Reading Rainbow. A cornerstone of my childhood television-watching career (not including the disney channel which pretty much took over everything by the time I was 8), LeVar Burton introduced me to a book which has recently come back into my life: Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina. In this book, the peddler's caps are taken by a band of monkeys and must learn to cope and overcome their monkey business (monkey see, monkey do!). This book was first published in 1940, and like Cleary's Henry Huggins, this is a timeless classic. I'm taken with the fact that Esphyr Slobodkina "Told & Illustrated" this story, instead of just wrote and illustrated. Writing is telling, it's weaving a story that can be passed down from generation to generation.

The repetitive text is great for getting kids involved, especially young audiences who are learning about books and excited to be part of the reading experience. Echo reading and choral reading as well as some dramatization is so much fun for beginning readers. There are opportunities for predictions and prior knowledge as well as big surprises for first-time readers. As a side note, I always thought it was a little strange that the peddler walks through the town peddling his caps, but the entire town is empty - not a single person in sight. No wonder he can't sell any caps to buy his lunch! The countryside is inhabited with monkeys, not people! While seemingly random, it's a light-hearted story that has certainly stayed with me over the years. Of course there are other lovers of Caps for Sale as well. Here is the link to a webquest created just for this book! Caps for Sale?

Henry Huggins

Henry Huggins. What can I say about Henry Huggins? It is clearly one of the most adorable stories ever and perfect for getting young readers hooked on a series. Beverly Cleary, infamous children's author that she is, introduces Ribsy to the Henry Huggins series in this first book. It is so popular because it's about a regular boy who does regular kid-things; he goes to school (which isn't always fun), goes home, swims at the local YMCA on wednesday afternoons, eats ice cream...and has a dog! Dogs are such lovable characters that readers can easily identify with Henry and Ribsy's adventures.

The version I read is the 50th Anniversary Edition with a special introduction by Beverly Cleary. In all the time I've had this book, not once did I read the introduction until I sat down to write about it. This was the first sentence of Cleary intro: "When I was the age of readers of my books I always skipped the introduction because I was so eager to get at the story." Ha - whoops! Guess I never grew up much past the age of 12! So now I've read the introduction, and I was surprised to read that this was Cleary's first book ever! I am almost embarrassed that I never knew this, being such a fan of Beverly Cleary. Having been inspired by a group of young boys who couldn't find anything interesting to read "for boys like them", Cleary decided to write about "a city mutt" instead of a "noble country dog" like many stories already in existence.

When reading it, I didn't feel like the story was dated at all. Kids today still understand issues of public transportation, being helped by the police, getting in trouble at school or annoyed by bullies, as well as hard work to get what you want. For example, Henry accidentally throws a football into a moving car, and then must catch night crawlers in his neighbor's yard for a penny each. A penny each! (Yikes, this may be one of the only 'dated' elements in the whole story, but I still know some pretty stingy people to whom this would sound reasonable.) I'm just amazed at what a timeless author Cleary has become after debuting her first work, Henry Huggins, in 1949. What an achievement! All her characters are connected - Beezus and Ramona are in this first book, introduced as friends/classmates of Henry's. Through Henry Huggins, Cleary is able to reach an audience of boys; through Ramona and Beezus, Cleary can reach an audience of girls. She's got it all covered!

P.S. - I was just looking for pictures of the book online, and found that there's a Beverly Cleary Statue Garden near Portland where her books supposedly took place. Here's a picture of Henry and Ribsy, all statuesque...

Ender's Game

Instead of short picture books, I decided to start reading some longer books for young adults. I picked up Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (a Hugo and Nebula winner) since it's always been on my list of books-to-read-someday. I found it in the library with a young adult label and thought, "now's the time!" Turns out, it's the best book I've read in a long while. Beyond Bridge to Terabithia, beyond other cute children's books, I had an interesting experience reading this book. I couldn't put it down, but I couldn't let myself finish because I didn't want it to be over! I stayed up late one night reading about 100 pages, and then took the next 5 days to read 20 pages, subconsciously not wanting the story to end. I've found myself doing this with books I become really attached to - I just want to be part of them forever and know that I can always come back and jump in where I was. The last great book I felt this way about was The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver when I read it last summer. Alas, both Ender's Game and The Poisonwood Bible came to an end.

I had no preconceived notions of Ender's Game's plot before I started reading it. I knew it was science fiction and I knew it was well-liked, but I had no idea what I had committed myself to read. I almost don't want to write about it because I want other people to read it without knowing either! In an effort to reconcile with myself, I will talk about major themes and issues in the story, but not the end! I will not tell the end!

Ender Wiggin is only 6 years old when this story begins. He is a "third" (This futuristic government regulates how many kids a family should have. Unless the government approves, only two children are allowed) and like many children, has an implanted chip in the back of his head/neck that lets government officials watch and monitor his actions. The whole point is that they are searching for the next "genius commander" that can defeat the Buggers in space warfare...sometime in the future. Luckily for him, Ender is chosen (over older brother Peter and older sister Valentine) and is taken to Battle School to begin his training. There he is isolated, beat down, confused, pushed to his limits and strengthened. He is thrown into simulated battles with flash suits in zero gravity, bullied by peer trainees (who were pitted against each other on purpose), deceived by his supposed teachers - all while trying to grow up. Even though the story is about kids, some of these kids are so intelligent that they speak and think like adults.

A somewhat obscure thing I really enjoyed about this book was the lack of a romantic couple that "falls in love". True, most of the main characters are children, but they have so much depth that romantic love seems trivial. Ender loves his sister with his whole heart that he would save the Earth for her, but his emotions are richer and more complex than a traditional story about a teenage boy growing up. By the time he is 11, Ender has killed other beings, but never is he concerned about girls. He is trained in warfare, not affairs of the heart.

Manipulation and deception run rampant through this book, but what goes around definitely comes around. I wish I could talk about the end, but I refuse to be a spoiler! Just know that this is a worthy read, for both kids and adults. The world created by Orson Scott Card is futuristic and fictitious, but closely correlated with the world today so it is easy to understand. I'm in awe of what these kids were capable of and will forever wonder about the potential of my students. I also know that there is a whole series of books that comes after this one, but I'm not sure I'll have time to read them this semester. The following are some passages that truly carry the heart of this story:

"For now that they could not be together, they must be infinitely apart, and what had been sure & unshakable was now fragile and insubstantial." p 122

"He was a soldier, and if anyone had asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, he wouldn't have know what they meant." p 158

"In the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment I also love him. I think it's impossible to really understand somebody, what they want, what they believe, and not love them the way they love themselves." p 168 - Such character of heart!

After all is said and done, this is officially one of my new favorite books. I'm even considering putting it on facebook as such. Now that's real committment.

Bridge to Terabithia - movie

It's difficult to watch someone else's visual interpretation of a book, but I think this one was okay. I laughed, I cried...I thought about it a lot. I was happy that the previews had been somewhat misleading, but I really haven't made up my mind about whether I liked them or not. What I do know is that the end reminded me of Big Fish, where all the imaginary characters came to say goodbye.

I understand that the movie was modernized, but I feel like I got more out of the movie because I had read the book. I recognized several lines straight from the text, which was great. However, without Jess's inner monologue, there wasn't much of an explanation for Miss Edmonds (even though I love Zooey Deschanel and think she did a fantastic job). I was also a little put off by the plot being twisted around...no Christmas, no Easter sunday, just a birthday and random free dog. And did Leslie's character look like a young Keira Knightley to anyone else? That's all I kept seeing. As for Jess...I think he was great. He wasn't exactly what I imagined, but he definitely held his own. Those poor kids who saw the movie without reading the book...I wonder what they thought.

Madeline's Rescue

I have actually spent much time in the past year teaching this book to classes of Kindergarteners. I remember enjoying Madeline as a little girl, and wondered how young children now would respond to this book. I can only say this: They LOVE it. A school full of girls, one of which almost dies but is rescued by a dog who eventually has puppies? Yeah, I can't see that going over badly. Even little boys love it. I mean, there's a cool dog. I can't wait until I can use it in a classroom again!

Though written in the 1950s (1954 Caldecott Winner), this story is relevant and enjoyable for children. The lines are written in verses that rhyme, but a reader has to be careful not to become too sing-songy when reading aloud. In the small experience I've had with this book, it is great for choral or echo reading (esp. madeline's lines) and acting out. When I was working with this book and Kindergarteners, I was working for an organization that promoted the enjoyment of reading for young learners. From their suggestions, I actually read this book twice in a row with my 5 year olds. The first time through, I paused a few times to ask brief questions, and make my own comments. The second time through, the students were better prepared to ask their own questions and answer some tougher ones from me. About 3/4 of the way through the book, I stopped reading aloud and we dramatized the end as a class. This is so much fun!

The story itself follows a pattern at times, but at others is completely unpredictable. The first page is full of writing, but the second and third pages are only one drawn-out sentence. I have to admit, the beginning of the book is a little scary, and even I drew a deep breath at the words on the page. For six pages of illustrations, there is only one long sentence: "Poor Madeline would now be dead/But for a dog/That kept its head,/And dragged her safe from a watery grave." Ah! One page ended with 'dead', and another ended with 'grave'! I definitely had forgotten that from my readings as a child and how thought it to be almost morbid when rereading it as an adult. I soon realized that the kids didn't think much of it, except that it added to the suspense. Before discussing the illustrations, I would like to add that this book is as much about the French culture as anything else. Madeline's all-girl orphanage, run by Miss Clavel, is set in 1950s Paris, using words such as 'gendarmes', which I had to look up when rereading it (the French police). Bemelman writes in rhyme, but is not afraid to have larger words in his children's book, or larger issues - possible death by drowning and even heartbreak when the dog (named Miss Genevieve) is kicked out of the orphanage/school by the board of inspectors (one of whom is named Lord Cucuface - ha, how'd he come up with that?). At one point, the word 'vengeance' is even stretched out like "VEN-GE-ANCE", which I found hard to pronounce with those separations. Something else I noticed is that Bemelman is also fond of the hyphen in his writing.

As for the illustrations, this is definitely a Caldecott winner. The structure of the illustrations were somewhat foreign to me when I first looked through them. Some pages seem to be colorfully drawn with great detail, and others are simply yellow pages with outlines of people. I couldn't even figure out his pattern for switching his technique! And then I realized that Ludwig Bemelman has created a world based on one color: yellow! On the pages when the people are the most important focus, the background is all yellow and the characters are outlined in black for emphasis. On the other hand, when the background is equally important or the illustration has to span more distance, more care is taken in setting the scene, though yellow is almost always a predominant color. In these more detailed pictures, readers can probe into the illustrations, examining the whatever scene it happens to be in 1950s Paris. Pages 10-11 depict a scene of buildings and townhouses in the background, a pedestrian bridge off to the side, and the gendarmes/street artists in the foreground. What a wonderful place to be - I wish I was there! And still, the pattern I thought I had found to Bemelman's illustrations does not seem to be completely accurate. At one point, the girls set out looking for Miss Genevieve, looking high and low throughout the city. Most city illustrations would be very detailed, saving the basic pictures (people-centered) to be in yellow and black, but page 37 proves me wrong as the city is painted in yellow and black, reminding me of a page from Where's Waldo? These turned out to be great pages to have kids look for Genevieve themselves while listening to the story. The detailed cover is even great for predictions, and shows up again later in the story, connecting predictions to the actual story.

Overall this is a very smartly-illustrated children's book that also lends itself to great classroom discussions!

The Hello, Goodbye Window

I picked up this picture book for two reasons: it won the Caldecott Medal in 2006 and the author is Norton Juster (author of the The Phantom Tollbooth!). The story was a comforting tale of a young girl who spends most of her days and some nights at her Nanna and Poppy's house. In their kitchen, they have what is called a 'hello, goodbye window'; you can look out and say hello or look in and say goodbye - or even vice versa. It's a charming story of childhood, in which anything is possible and the world is only full of opportunities. The inside back cover of the book notes that Juster is a grandfather. I found that to be so evident with his descriptions of the young girl. Reading this one sentence had me convinced that Juster truly understood what it meant to be so small: "When I get tired I come in and take my nap and nothing happens until I get up." What a lovely idea that the world stops completely while you are asleep! With simple wording, Juster also explores the deep relationship between a girl and her grandparents and life in the heart of the house - the kitchen.

Though while the text is simple, the illustrations are anything but. Chris Raschka is the illustrator of this picture book and has such a unique style that I had never experienced before. I remember in my response to Weslandia I had commented on how the colors ran together, but clearly I had no idea what I was talking about. Raschka uses watercolors in an almost abstract way that let's the reader interact with the pictures as he/she decides what the colors represent. Any black or dark dark brown used in the illustrations is drawn in my hand sparingly. The dark lines help define the watercolor illustrations, and it is obvious that they have been added after all the color. This is an interesting concept to me. When I think of drawing, I imagine creating an outline first, or some sort of guide for my coloring so that I can "color inside the lines". Chris Raschka seems to have flipped that process inside out, starting with the heart of a picture and ending with the definitive edge. My limited artistic abilities were blown away - I would love to see these pictures without the black lines, without the hint of a 'line' to color within. How much would my perception of the picture change? Would I see the same things? Would I know that the smudge of orange on the kitchen table was really a crayon if the black line was not loosely drawn around it? Probably not! I believe this book to be so deserving of a Caldecott Medal. The technique is not something I ever would have thought of or be able to duplicate. The illustrations are art beyond a doubt.

Olive's Ocean

I just finished Olive's Ocean, by Kevin Henkes - a 2003 Newbery Honor Book. I sat for a moment thinking of what to write, but all I feel is a need to be home, to be content. I'm not filled with sadness, but more of a "glad I'm not a teenager anymore" thought. This is the first chapter book/novel I've read since Bridge to Terabithia, and it has a similar yet different storyline. Unlike Bridge, this book starts with the death of a young girl who is not known well by anyone at school or in her community.

The girl's name was Olive; she loved the ocean and wanted to be a writer. The reader learns this within the first few pages, but then experiences what it means to really love the ocean and be passionate about writing as the story progresses with Martha, the twelve-year-old protagonist. Many life lessons are wrapped into this book of 217 pages, encompassing death, family, crushes and finally life. And though it is all those things, it is also a story of how similar people are without ever knowing. Martha and Olive weren't even friends, yet they were almost the same person. They shared the same dreams, goals, and even the neighborhood. With Olive's death haunting her, Martha quietly questions everything she had ever done or believed. While on vacation with her family visiting her beloved yet aging grandmother (nicknamed 'Godbee'), Martha transforms from a thoughtful young girl to a deeper, wiser old soul. It was quite a journey for one afternoon of reading.

Kevin Henkes wrote an impressive story from the perspective of a twelve-year-old girl. He was able to capture much of the emotion of a young girl, the ups and the downs, the fears and the uncertainties. On pages 22-23, Martha's teenage tendencies are brought to life eloquently: "Sometimes, Martha's feelings for her mother bounced between love and hate quickly and without warning, as if her feelings were illogical, willful, and completely out of control." I think I remember what that was like!

Remembering that Katherine Paterson wrote Bridge as therapy to deal with something that had happened to her and those near her, I'm wondering what Kevin Henkes' inspiration was to write this tale of a pre-adolescent girl, learning world truths the hard way. Does he have a daughter this age? Sister? Friend? Is he one of the characters? How much is true? There just isn't enough information in the 'About Author' section at the end of the book. Maybe I'll have to read something else he's written.

Weslandia

I was intrigued by this book. The cover alone caught my attention: a deep, almost brick red with a faded circle enclosing what looks like a tulip on a mountain with tulip arms. I didn't have the version with a background of sky surrounding Wesley amongst his flowers, looking out in the distance. This one felt unique because it just had the hardcover, not a paper slip with a plastic on it like many children's books at the library. The check-out librarian even commented on the cover as I handed her my card.

The illustrations were done in acrylic, but no matter how many colors are used, my eyes went directly to the red in each page. My eyes were drawn to that color almost uncontrollably, whether it was a central color or only used to accent something else. The color was a great choice for the unique "swists" inside, connecting the illustrations with the cover. As for the actual acrylic painting, I loved seeing edges fade away, and yet have visual confirmation that they had ended. For example, in the first few pages Wesley's father is sitting in a green chair covered with yellow flowers. Now, it is obvious that there are multiple flowers on this chair, but up close, the yellow edges fade into the green and then begin again. Much of the book felt this way - a visual experience to see where each brushstroke started and ended. I almost feel like I, too, could paint, knowing I just had to put multiple colors on top of each other until either I liked it, or a deadline decided I was finished.

With the illustrations and the text, I found myself wanting to read everything on each page. I then realized I couldn't because it was Wesley's hierglyphic new language. I noticed how closely the pictures related to the text. Each could stand alone, but they complement each other so well! The first page of text offers insight into Wesley's relationship with his parents and indeed the outside world, and then the illustration humorously plays on that relationship: "He sticks out." "Like a nose" - Wesley's father has a big nose that sticks out and his mom has big hair! Ha, and his father even bribes him to shave half his head... hm, really? I think my parents would bribe me to keep my hair on.

I enjoyed Wesley's character, his bright-eyed enthusiasm for creating a world all his own. (As a side note, this story makes me wonder about broad generalizations or stereotypes we place on people as 'outcasts'. How much could the world change if everyone either believed in themselves or was believed in by someone else?) Wesley is eager to learn and believes in his talents and his knowledge to support himself. That is why in just 3 short months of summer vacation, he was able to grow and found his own little world, with bridges and hammocks, and ink and food and shelter for even the animals. In the middle of cookie-cutter suburbia, Wesley was able to make friends by providing joy and a sense of awe for the unusual. I was impressed with the way Wesley was able to go back to school. I have to admit, I expected some kind of remorse or regret for leaving his summer wonderland, but Fleischman only chose to write positively about the experience of return to school in September. Weslandia was not something only he had known - it was known by every child in the neighborhood as something they could share together, something they could look forward to and dream about for the future.

The story itself is definitely fantastical. There's a certain suspension of belief for a wind that can carry large numbers of the same kind of seed directly into a turned-over plot of land overnight. But hey, if I looked like Harry Potter and played quidditch on stilts in my new civilization, I would believe anything too.

Bridge to Terabithia

I read Bridge for Terabithia for the first time when I was in fifth grade. I don’t remember bawling like I did this time, though I do remember being sad. This story is truly a story of friendship, not only because the book centers on two kids who become friends, but because it brought me closer to my best friend in fifth grade. Her name was Katie also, and our teacher always used to joke that we did everything together. The only time I can ever remember any kind of reading groups in elementary school was when we read this book. Our teacher called us Katie squared, and we were inseparable from that point on through high school. It’s amazing how small moments and comments can shape your future.

To be honest, I held off reading the end for a long time. I knew what was coming and couldn’t bring myself to finish. When I finally did finish, I didn’t want to do anything except sit in my kitchen chair where I had been reading. Unfortunately, I had to go to work soon after and couldn’t sit as long as I wanted. I kept imagining what the movie would be like, knowing the previews were misleading. I was also thankful that David Paterson is part of this project and he approves of the movie. I had Narnia on the brain when I began this book, and was surprised to read all the references to Narnia and King Aslan made by Katherine Paterson. As a young reader, I doubt I made those connections. Over the years all I remembered was "they play in the woods, the girl dies". I had forgotten so much and yet still considered it to be one of my favorites! I had carved a place in my heart for a story I couldn't even remember. Strange how that happens.

I remember liking Leslie's character so much, but while rereading I was hit by the amount of wisdom she had at such a young age. On page 41, Leslie is discussing her family's decision to move, and says " You never know ahead of time what something's really going to be like." Well. isn't she just the most sensible pre-adolescent? That's a life lesson I definitely did not have a firm grasp on when I was 9/10 years old.

I have a soft spot for Jess too. He is a little awkward when he's trying to decide what the 'right' thing to do is, be it in school or with Miss Edmonds or as Terabithia's king. I find it humorus that he grew up surrounded by a house of girls, and then became best friends with another one. Throughout the book, Jess definitely grew the most as a character. By the end he was still a reserved person, perhaps even more so, but he was more confident in what the world had to offer and what he had to offer it: "It was up to him to pay back to the world in beauty and caring what Leslie had loaned him in vision and strength" (p. 161). Jess was more experienced with living, loving, and grieving.

The language Katherine Paterson uses seems so simple and yet chosen carefully. These were some phrases/words/ideas I chose to keep:

"But as a regular thing, as a permanent place, this was where he would choose to be - here where the dogwood and rudbud played hide and seek between the oaks and evergreens, and the sun flung itself in golden streams through the trees to splash warmly at their feet." pgs 50-51 (Please take me with you, Katherine Paterson, I would love to be in this place.)

"He believed her because there in the shadowy light of the stronghold everything seemed possible." pg 52

"They stood there, not moving, not wanting the swish of dry needles beneath their feet to break the spell. Far away from their former world came the cry of geese heading southward." pg 60

"dadgum Twinkies" pg 62 - I just love the word dadgum. I imagine the emphasis on 'gum' to be much heavier.

"He was drunk with color and form and hugeness" pg 127 - Spinning in circles and then suddenly stopping is the only thing I can imagine would come close to this feeling.

"Sometimes like the Barbie doll you need to give people something that's for them, not just something that makes you feel good giving it." pg 160 - Again, an incredible amount of wisdom from someone so young.

This story is so popular because it is real and true - a story of life without a fairy-tale ending. Unfortunately, this scenario is possible. Every day friends are constantly being made and lost. Jess's loss is not sugar coated, but he does find redemption in his little sister, May Belle, someone who loves him no matter what.

I'm bringing tissues to this movie.

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat

I picked up this book with no knowledge of it, but knowing that Simms Taback had written There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, and I remember that book from when I was much younger. Joseph Had a Little Overcoat, by Simms Taback, won the Caldecott medal in 2000. I have to say, this is definitely a visual experience. On the same page as the dedication and the credits is a note that says "the artwork was done using watercolor, Gouache, pencil, ink and collage". As if this isn't enough, there are also die-cuts throughout the entire book! I have to admit, the title page made me laugh. Of course there was the title, but then in small print it said "He wore the coat for a long time and then something happened to it. (and there's a moral too!)". It read like something a student would say when trying to summarize this book, and it hadn't even started yet! Too bad "something happened to it" doesn't cut it for a complete summary.

In the pictures there are drawings and watercolor drawings and photographs of real objects and people. So many different mediums have been combined flawlessly into one story. Often illustrators have their preferred mediums that expresses something further about the story or the characters, but this is almost like Taback couldn't decide which would be best. In the end, this book's uniqueness could never be duplicated or equaled. And as if that wasn't enough, as Joseph's coat progressively gets smaller and smaller from the time and wear, there are die-cut patterns in adjoining pages that only demonstrate their use and function when you turn the page.

I found myself staring at each picture trying to identify the different patterns and fabrics, looking at each face and object, noting the similarities and difference of each medium. Beyond how they are made, however, the pictures really tell the story of an entire culture, not just Joseph. The Yiddish and Jewish way of life is given breath as the story moves across the pages. There are photographs and food and newspapers and ... a moral! Ta-da! As Joseph did, kids can see that "You can always make something out of nothing."

BUZ, by Richard Egielski

I found an online booklist with "Must-Read" picture books while doing a google search. I can't seem to get back to that website, but this is one of the books listed as one that everyone should know. The back cover of this book says "This is a Junior Library Guild selection, chosen as an outstanding book for boys and girls". Hmm, ok then!

I was excited to read Buz, by Richard Egielski and it ended up in my bookbag when I went babysitting one night last week. The boy I babysit for is 3 years old (almost 4) and loves books. Now Max usually chooses books about trucks and tractors and dinosaurs, meaning he was not terribly interested in Buz. I was determined though...I had to read this book and I figured he was better off reading it with me than wandering around upstairs. Not that I would have let him, but I just wanted to sit and read! So I opened the book and immediately said "oh my gosh! you won't believe this!" Of course Max couldn't help himself so he ran over yelling "what?? what??"...that's when I told him that this story takes place inside someone's body! Needless to say, Max was hooked.

I watched Max's face closely as we read the story the first time - it was one of disbelief. He didn't have questions or comments, he just stared with his jaw falling to the floor, amazed at this bug who had gotten himself stuck (accidently, of course) inside a boy's body! When the story was finished, he wouldn't move. I think we ended up reading this story twice more in that sitting, and then a couple times before bed. It was such a great experience to actually read this picture book with a child. Don't get me wrong, I love reading them by myself, but Max's enjoyment more than doubled my own. I came away from this book with a new appreciation for the power of pictures and a simple story.

Buz, a strange mosquito/dragonfly combination of which I'm not aware, was a very expressive insect. Though he only ever said one thing, "Buzzz?", his face conveyed all the emotion necessary to carry the story to the next page. The pictures themselves are large. There isn't always a lot of activity on the page, but the space is filled in bold, solid colors that definitely captured a 3-year-olds attention. The illustrations weren't flooded with details and we didn't have to spend forever on each page because we were afraid of missing something. On the other hand, we did indeed keep coming back for the pure joy of a fun/silly story. This is most certainly a book for a younger audience and even introduces the concept of word play. Eventually the boy goes to the doctor, who says "you caught a bug alright. I'm going to give you some pills. They'll get rid of that bug." Ha! We don't literally catch bugs! and we certainly don't send pills marching in after them acting like the police! Oh Buz, what a mess you've gotten yourself into. Unfortunately for Buz, what goes around comes around.

Pinocchio the Boy

I have become fairly obsessed with Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith and received several of their books for Christmas. My wonderful roommate also got Pinocchio the Boy, a solo picture book by Lane Smith. I love hearing/reading about what happens after "happily ever after", and this is one such extension for the classic tale of Pinocchio, the wooden boy. To be honest, I wasn't always crazy about Disney's Pinocchio movie, but I have tremendous faith in Lane Smith and was therefore excited once again for this story. The first few pages are titled "last week in a nutshell", laying out the traditional story of the wooden boy who saves his human father, Geppetto from the belly of a whale, or big fish. Pinocchio's good deed is then rewarded with a granted wish (to become a real boy), only he has no idea. The story follows Pinocchio the boy as he wanders through the town of Collodi searching for a way to earn money to buy soup for his sick father. Interesting twist of fate at the end that binds a seemingly random girl to Geppetto and the wish-granting fairy. Fairy-tale-ish as it is, we truly do live in a small world. I find myself expecting the unexpected more often than not, and I believe I have the Brother's Grimm and Walt Disney to thank for that.

Aside from the actual story, Smith's illustrations were fascinating, as usual. Every piece of every picture seems to be made of varying materials. This reminds me of another favorite author, Eric Carle, and leads me to wonder what would happen if Eric Carle and Lane Smith illustrated a book together. Hm, maybe some day. Going back to the illustrations, I love that Smith incorporates silly things in the backgrounds of almost each page. In this story, for example, there's a page filled with snow...there's a hot cocoa vendor making lots of money in the cold weather, and then there's the snow cone vendor a few steps behind taking a nap at his stand because no one will come. The price has even been marked down to 2 for 5 cents! Heck, I'd eat a snow cone...I'd eat two snow cones in the dead of winter if it was only a nickel. In the foreground there's a stand with a sign that says "We BUY anything," with random flamingoes on top of the kiosk. I get caught in these pictures, captured long after the words have been read, constructing this world in my mind's eye. Several of the pages also have specific color schemes that pull the illustrations together nicely. Many are even framed by snow or curtains of snow, and I can only assume that this was played up from the dedication which read "To my mother, who loves the snow." Perhaps if his mother loved summer, this story would have been at the beach. Snow cones would be in season and the hot cocoa stand girl would be sleeping...

Ohhh, I love reading the blogs of other people...and now you can all read my inarticulate posts as well...soon to come posts, that is. I went to the library today and am quite excited about what I checked out. There's this book I just read called A Barrel of Laughs, A Vale of Tears, by Jules Feiffer. It is a children's book with pictures, but cannot be labeled as a picture book. Although it's a fantastic book, I'm more interested in the picture books that I did find by Jules Feiffer. We'll see how they are! Tomorrow I'll start posting about my reading...