Button Up! - Poetry

Bibliography:

Schertle, Alice. 2009. BUTTON UP!. Ill. By Petra Mathers. New York: Harcourt Children's Books. 978-0-15-205050-4

Plot Summary:

Button Up! is an adorable children's book compiled of fifteen short poems written from the perspective of various articles of clothing.  Some of the poems are heartwarming, such as Hand-me-down SWEATSHIRT, while others are just down right funny, such as Emily's UNDIES.  These poems are funny, smart and sometimes nostalgic!

Critical Analysis:

This is one of the most amusing children's poetry books.  The animal characters are cute and full of character, the illustrations are full of life, the topic of each poem is so original and each story is very relatable for children and adults.  The tone in Bertie's SHOELACES matches perfectly with the illustration of a cool, purple mohawk and sunglasses wearing character.  There is almost an attitude that is shared between Bertie's character and the phrasing of the poem.  The last line in the poem, "We're hang loose lances and we don't do bows!" is the exact attitude that you see in the illustrated character of Bertie.

The Song of Harvey's GALOSHES  is a fun story of a pig who splashes through puddles with galoshes on.  The way this poem is written is like a song with repetitious lines like "we're together when the sunny weather's gone, weather's gone" that adds such a great element to the story.  You can see the enjoyment of splashing through mud on Harvey's face but the way the poem is written with the repetitious, rhythmic lines and how it sounds as if you can sing the poem matches perfectly. 

Hand-me-down SWEATSHIRT is a poem that brings out a lot of emotion, it makes one think back to their favorite articles of clothing as a child and wonder where they are, who inherited them and were they loved as much as you loved it?  "I've been lost and recovered, been torn and been sewn, been dribbled on, tumbled in, rained on and blown."  This creates such a vivid image and almost gives the sweatshirt a human quality, you want happiness and enjoyment for the sweatshirt like you would a human or animal.  The illustration of a child wearing the sweatshirt standing by the ocean makes this poem almost cozy and warm and rather nostalgic for those who might be able to think back on their own favorite sweatshirt.

Review Excerpts and Awards:

2010 winner of the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award

"The whimsical illustrations pair perfectly with the wittiness of the text, and the whole is a clever and original poetic treat."--Booklist, starred review

"From delicately comical to downright funny, the art perfectly reflects the contagiously rhythmic, playful verse. Made for sharing, and worth learning by heart, too."--Horn Book, starred review

Connections:

• This is such a great book about different articles of clothing, all of which are their owners favorite!  A great school aged children project would be to have an open discussion about what their own favorite clothing item is after reading the book and then having each child write a poem about it would be and how they feel about that item would be so much fun!  The children would benefit from sharing their poems with the class too.  The children should draw an illustration to go along with their poem and then put together a bulletin board in the classroom, hallway or library showcasing their poetry and illustration skills. 

Boy Wonders - Poetry



Bibliography: 

Brown, Calef. 2011. BOY WONDERS. New York: Simon & Schuster. 978-1-4169-7877-0.

Plot Summary:

Boy Wonders is a wonderful rhyming picture book about a boy who is very inquisitive and asks a lot of questions, some of which are strangely obvious questions to ask.  His crazy inquires along with beautiful illustrations bring this book alive and make it so much fun to read aloud and explore the pictures. 

Critical Analysis: 

Boy Wonders is a beautiful rhyming picture book; it is what would be considered typical poetry because of its flow, rhythm and rhyme.  There are such lines in the book as, “Do bees get hives?  Do onions cry?  Is pepper apt to sneeze?  Do paper plates and two-by-fours remember being trees?”  Such great questions that can even stump an adult!  The flow of the book is fantastic, going from one crazy question to the next.  The rhyme of the story changes a little throughout and it is somewhat dependent on the type of question that is being asked by the boy.

“Do sleepwalking lumberjacks hunger for slumbersnacks?  Stacks of flapjacks perhaps?”  What a great tongue twisting line to say out loud that many children would get such a kick out of!  The words and sounds that Calef Brown uses are truly impressive and surprising, they are written in a way that really challenges a child’s vocabulary.  Brown uses such words as dickens, Argonaut, cantankerous and forage, all words that are not in the average vocabulary but are fun to say for children, they are meaningful addition to the overall impact of the story, as well as expand children's vocabulary.  Strangely enough Calef Brown has found the ability to write meaningful phrases and questions and illustrate the most perfect, fun pictures to go along with the crazy things the boy says. 

One of my favorite illustrations in this book is of a toucan dressed in a sweater, hat, boots and scarf.  Calef Brown personified this little character by giving the toucan the greatest expression of disbelief and annoyance on his face with this MASSIVE bill that takes up almost the whole page.  The wording in this poem is so odd but so fun to contemplate, “Would a HAPPY toucan from the Yucatan become cantankerous up in Anchorage or the Yukon?  How about Tucson?”  What an unusual thing to write and so much fun to say!

Review Excerpts and Awards:

2011 National Book Festival Author

Connections:

·         It would be so much fun to read through this book, have children answer the questions Calef Brown’s Boy asks and have them interpret what they don’t understand.  Illustrations can really enable a child to understand words or phrases they wouldn’t understand without the illustrations.  What a fun open discussion that would be to have children yelling out answers about whether they think all giraffes have a high pitched laugh and if gargoyles actually gargle with garlic oil!

What My Mother Doesn't Know - Poetry



Bibliography: 

Sones, Sonya. 2003. WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN’T KNOW. New York: Simon & Schuster. 978-0689855535

Plot Summary:

Sophie is a typical high school student dealing with typical high school issues; boyfriends, friends and where she fits into it all.  What My Mother Doesn’t Know is a lovely story about Sophie, her first love, wanting acceptance from her friends and finding love in the least likely place.      

Critical Analysis:

What My Mother Doesn’t Know is a unique novel written in verse, it is not what someone would consider traditional poetry.  The story is made up of a series of named poems, when you read them all together you have an amazing coming of age high school tale told from Sophie’s perspective.  Each poem is made of up of approximately 3-6 stanzas, each line of the stanza is like a short phrase but the stanza as a whole is a full thought or sentence.  There isn’t any particular rhythm or beat to each poem or the book as a whole, it’s a series of simple, meaningful, moving thoughts that come together to make a complete story. 

As stated previously What My Mother Doesn’t Know is not what someone would consider typical poetry.  The first element that most people think of when they hear the word poetry is that it rhymes and the vast majority of this book does not, for the most part it is written in prose.  There is an example of rhyming poetry within the book called More or Less where Sophie describes her boyfriend Dylan and had she not seen with her eyes everything she loves about him then she thinks she would have liked him less. This is an example of a typical teenage girl trying to understand why she has fallen for Dylan and why she is confused by those feelings.  Needless to say there is a nice flow to the lines and story but the author did not set out to make a rhyming novel written in verse.  This does not take away from the story or the feeling that you are reading something in verse.

There is a part of the story where Sophie begins to feel confused about how different she and Dylan are, the poem is called At the County Fair.  She starts each stanza with the words “If Only” and goes on to describe little things she likes but Dylan doesn’t or vice versa.  This is a turning point in the story that shows that Sophie is beginning to contemplate their differences and if it’s okay to be different.   

Culture Clash adds an element to this story that is completely unexpected; it addresses the idea that some people might not be comfortable with people who are Jewish.  “Dylan says when I meet his mother today I shouldn’t mention I’m Jewish.  I say okay, but can I tell her about the HIV positive thing?  He gives me a look.  I give him one back.”  It is such a simple poem but incredibly meaningful and shows how Sophie will not let someone push her around or make her feel bad for who she is and how she was raised.  This is such a great example to young people to always believe in who you are.

It’s a Beautiful Tree, “So tall and full, with all of its arms swooping up at the tips as if to say, “Ta da!”  This poem continues to describe the afternoon Sophie spent with her friend Murphy and his family, it felt like something out of a movie, you were there experiencing the decoration of a Christmas tree and Christmas songs for the first time with Sophie.  The imagery was so perfect in this poem it made you wish it was Christmas time.

Due to the content of this book and the length it is absolutely for a teen or young adult.  An adult would find pleasure in reading it’s unique style and the familiar story.  The story brings up emotions that many people could identify with and Sophie is a girl that many girls can admire and look to as a good example.  There are little life lessons within the story that are age appropriate for teens.  It’s a great novel written in a style not seen often but a very enjoyable read. 


Review Excerpts and Awards:

“Fast, funny, touching” – Booklist

Claudia Lewis Poetry Award

Winner of the Iowa Teen Book Award (2005-2006)

American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults (2002)

Booklist Editor’s choice (2001)

Connections:

·         Sonya Sones’ books are great books that encourage an open discussion.  Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy is another book by Sonya Sones that is autobiographical about her older sister having a nervous breakdown and being hospitalize.  Books such as Sonya Sones allow an open discussion for teenagers to identify with books and their own experiences.  Teenagers often feel they are alone in their feelings but Sonya Sones books put the teen years in perspective and allow teens to identify with the characters in her books.  Book clubs are a great way for people to identify with characters and share their own experiences, putting teens in small groups to host a book club would be a great lesson.  Having the teens dissect and interpret parts of the story and poem and share experiences is a great learning experience.

Crazy Horse’s Vision – Traditional Literature

Bibliography:

Bruchac, Joseph. 2006. CRAZY HORSE’S VISION. Ill. By S.D. Nelson. New York: Lee & Low Books Inc. 1584302828.

Plot Summary:   

Crazy’s Horse’s Vision is a beautiful folktale about a Lakota Indian boy who has a vision about helping his tribe deal with the white settlers who have settled on the Lakota land.  Curly, or Crazy Horse as he will be known as as a young man, was a quiet, thoughtful and brave young man.  An unfortunate incident occurs that ends in the loss of Curly’s tribe leader, Conquering Bear, Curly witnesses the horrible act and wonders how he can help and defend his people.  Curly decides he will sit and pray for a vision about how he can help, he sees his vision but his father does not help interpret that vision for three winters.  Curly’s father interprets the vision stating, “you will be the first to defend your people, though some will try to hold you back.  As long as you keep nothing for yourself, no arrow or bullet can hurt you.  Because of that vision you much have a new name, so I give you my own.  From now on, you will be Tashunka Witco.”  Tashunka Witco in English means Crazy Horse.  

To the Lakota people giving the name of an elder or father to a young man is an honor, it means a young man has performed a brave or important act.  The story of Crazy Horse was first spoken by one of Crazy Horse’s friends He-Dog some 50 years after the death of Crazy Horse.  Crazy Horse's vision turned out to be true, he would not die of an arrow or bullet but he did die by a bayonet wound from a white soldier.  Crazy Horse rode into Fort Robinson to talk peace but instead soldiers tried to throw him on the ground, when he resisted he was stabbed.  No one knows the last words spoken by Crazy Horse but amongst the Lakota his spirit does live on as well as his amazing story.

Critical Analysis:

The illustrations by S.D. Nelson are absolutely beautiful, there was a lot of research that went into making sure the illustrations, the colors and what he describes as the “traditional ledger book style of the Plains Indians, which include the Lakota people” maintained the integrity of the Lakota people and their story.  The story of Crazy Horse is a fascinating read but the illustrations make the story come alive.  The images and colors are so vivid and capture the special meanings that the Lakota people believe.  S.D. Nelson was able to capture hieroglyphic type images in his illustrations that many people are familiar with when studying and learning about the Native American culture.  The story can be a little lengthy for young children but the illustrations can really pull you through the story which may help keep children interested in the story itself. 

Strangely enough the only female character in this book was Crazy Horse's mother at the very beginning, woman are not represented in this tale.  Crazy Horse's mother is portrayed as a caring woman who in the illustration carries her son on her back as a baby which is very traditional of Native Americans.  The lack of female representation in the story probably not surprising since a traditional Native American tale is going to include the male tribal leaders and how they take care of the tribe which is what Crazy Horse's quest was, how to help his people. 

Review Excerpts and Awards:

ALA Notable Children’s Book Award

Parent’s Choice Gold Award

Reading Magic Award by Parents Magazine

“Crazy Horse’s Vision is an outstanding picture book and a welcome addition to personal school and community library collections.” - Midwest Book Review

Connections:

·         There is much to be learned about Crazy Horse and his tribe the Lakota, this story is one that can be further researched and explored.  Have school aged children research him and his culture further and share with the class or group.  http://www.leeandlow.com/p/vision_tg.mhtml

·         For younger children a teacher could hold a discussion about how Native American’s live, hunt, and the meaning of the colors all of which are depicted in Crazy Horse’s Vision.

The Three Little Pigs – Traditional Literature

Bibliography:
Galdone, Paul. 1970. THE THREE LITTLE PIGS. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 978-0-395-28813-9.

Plot Summary: 

In this traditional tale of The Three Little Pigs Paul Galdone maintains the original integrity of the storyline by following a mean wolf attempting to eat three little pigs.  Each of the three little pigs has built a home of straw, sticks and bricks and the mean wolf “huffs and he puffs and at last blows the house in.”  Or at least two of the houses, one of the little pigs is able to continually outsmart the mean wolf until the wolf gets exactly what he deserves!

Critical Analysis:

Paul Galdone did a fantastic job of retelling this classic tale of The Three Little Pigs, the illustrations he created bring the story together.  The illustrations of the pigs are adorable and it captures the meanness of the wolf perfectly.  The illustrations are colorful but in soft hues, nothing overpowering, just sweet, as a classic tale should be.  This version of The Three Little Pigs is what many would considered a very traditional tale since Galdone does allow the wolf to actually eat two of the pigs, which is a little disturbing for a children’s book, and some may find this a little harsh.  There are elements within the story that do not exist in other versions such as the third little pig picking turnips, picking apples and then going to the fair.  These are all ploys the wolf has come up with to get the third little pig to leave his house so the wolf can eat him; of course this third little pig is always one step ahead of the wolf.  This adds an additional element to the story that is nice; it makes the storyline much more substantial.  The illustrations are just as fun, colorful and engaging as the story!

Review Excerpts and Awards:

"All in all, a very appealing edition of a beloved story." School Library Journal

Connections:

·         Reading this story one time through and showing the pictures and then retelling the story in the form of a felt board story would be enjoyable for a younger crowd.  Because there are three major parts to this story, the building of each house, it would allow the children to further become familiar with the story and the predictability of the blow your house down part.

·         For older children reading the story one time through and then dividing the children into groups so they can each build a portion of the story would be interesting.  Then the whole group could come together and share their portion of the story and make it whole.  This would allow the children to delve deeper into the storyline.  http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/three_little_pigs.html

Swamp Angel - Traditional Literature

Bibliography:

Isaacs, Anne. 1994. SWAMP ANGEL. Ill by Paul O. Zewlinsky. New York, NY: Dutton Children’s Books. 0-525-452-45271-0.

Plot Summary: 

Swamp Angel by Anne Isaacs is a tale about the greatest woodswoman in Tennessee!  Angelica Longrider, who later in the story is known as Swamp Angel, as a newborn was slightly taller than her mother!  Because of her size she was able to do things that other children were not able to do, such as build a log cabin, show her skills in buckskin bravery and help people in need by rescuing them from Dejection Swamp.  When Angelica emerged from Dejection Swamp to lift wagons and stranded people out of harm’s way, she was wearing a homespun dress that made her look like an Angel and from then on she was referred to as Swamp Angel!

Unfortunately out in the Tennessee wilderness a fast and wily bear named Thundering Tarnation was eating all of the winter’s rations of the settlers in Tennessee!  Swamp Angel signed up for a competition to see who could kill Thundering Tarnation.  As Swamp Angel and Thundering Tarnation fight Swamp Angel grabs a hold of Thundering Tarnation and throws him into the sky so far that "he crashes into a pile of stars, making a lasting impression!” 

Critical Analysis: 

The illustrations by Paul Zelinsky bring so much value to this story which could easily be boring and uninteresting to a child.  The illustrations are incredibly vivid and full of detail, bright colors and a lot of detail.  The illustrations showing how large Swamp Angel and Thundering Tarnation are fantastic.  The illustrations also give children a clear and real idea of what the Tennessee countryside looks like.  Swamp Angel gives a mystical idea of how the Great Smokey Mountains were created and named.  The Swamp Angel storyline reminds some of a female version of Paul Bunyan, which stays in line with carrying on the story of a folktale.  There are not many folktales where there is a heroine so this is a very special story!  

Swamp Angel is a very strong female character that basically does what none of the male hunters were able to do and that was kill Thundering Tarnation. She was viewed as a hero for saving Tennessee from this mean bear. There is also a feminine quality to Swamp Angel since people did view her as an Angel.  When she emerged from the swamp with her white dress and bonnet the illustration really shows how she could be seen as an actual angel.

Review Excerpts and Awards:

Caldecott Honor 1995

Boston Globe-Horn Honor Book Award

ALA Notable Book Award

New York Times Best Illustrated Books of 1994

Time Magazine’s 8 Best Children’s Book Award

Featured on Storytime, PBS

Connections:

·         Swamp Angel would be a fabulous story for school aged children to act out as a small play.  Children could learn about coonskin hat settlers, The Smokey Mountains and the fun of watching a woman fight a giant bear!

·         Another school aged project could be to take a folktale with a man as the main character and have the children write their own version with a female heroine.  It is good for children to see woman as the hero!  http://eduscapes.com/library/s/swamp_angel.htm

Millions of Cats - Picture Book

Bibliography:

Ga'G, Wanda.  1928.  MILLIONS OF CATS.  New York: A Paperstar Book.  ISBN 0-698-11363-2.

Plot Summary:

     Millions of Cats is a fun children’s book about an old lady who decides she would like a cat.  The old ladies husband leaves their house in search of a cat for his wife.  After walking for a long time he comes across “cats here, cats there, cats and kittens everywhere, hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats.”  Each cat the old man sees he decides to take home with him until he decides to take all of the cats!  The old lady is shocked by all of the cats and she and her husband ask the cats to decide who is the prettiest cat and that one cat will be allowed to stay.  The cats scratch and claw at one another and presumably eat one another except for one little kitten which the old lady and her husband take into their home to love and care for.

Critical Analysis:

     This is a simple tale with beautiful, intricate black and white illustrations.  This book unfortunately would not be a good book for a large young story time audience or classroom due to the detail of the illustrations.  There are many details within the illustrations of the millions of cats that is quite impressive to look at but you have to be close-up to really see everything.  Some of the pictures are small which also makes it important to read to a smaller group. 

With the repetition of lines within the story it adds a lovely musical element which would be appealing to children and young readers.  The story is written beautifully with a great vocabulary that would not be too challenging for a child but would add to a child's vocabulary.

This book was written back in 1923 so this might not be a book that a lot of children pick up on their own, books tend to be much flashier now but it is still a great book to share with children.  There is a fantastic message about vanity and how destructive it can be hidden within Millions of Cats.  This is a message that older children will understand and that is what is so great about this book, it's interesting to younger children but it has a great message for older children too.

Review Excerpts and Awards:

     Newbery Honor Award Winner 1929

     A Lewis Carroll Shelf Award Book

     The New York Times - "A perennial favorite."

     Parent's Choice - "A favorite for so many years."

Connections:

• This is a good story to read to an older group of kids to see if they figure out the message within the book about vanity.   As stated all but one of the cats thought they were the prettiest of all the cats which in turn caused them to fight and presumably eat each other, this destructive behavior was brought on by each of their on vanity.  The topic of vanity and how destructive it can be could open up a good talk about how vanity can affect each person individually and how it makes you look to others.