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...
2 comments:
Your posting on the Lane Smith book Pinnochio immediately made me want to read this story. I absolutely love picturebook illustrations that are multi-faceted. When illustrators have multiple scenes incorporated throughout each illustration, it provides an excellent opportunity during read-alouds for discussion about the illustrations. Students always seem to notice these details and they get excited about their discoveries, especially when they are humorous. I am a huge fan of Eric Carle also for the same reasons you suggest. I have always loved art that incorporates various media to give a textured quality to the image portrayed. These illustrations draw the viewer in by adding a dynamic quality to the story. This would be a great story to read when comparing traditional fairytale stories with the different renditions put forth by various authors. Oftentimes, I enjoy the renditions more because of their humor!
I have not checked out this new selection Pinocchio the Boy written by Lane Smith as a "soloist." The partnership of Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith has always been a fantastic combination of an author and illustrator who really get each other's visions. I will definitely look this title up at the library or bookstore. Lane Smith's quirky illustrations always have an unusual and engaging edge to them. Smith is an excellent example of how the illustrations can curl around you and pull your curiosity in to read the story. Thanks for bringing this one to my attention!
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