A Review of Diamond Willow

By Helen Frost

* Note: This blog fulfills a course requirement at TWU.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Frost, Helen. Diamond Willow. Canada: Douglas & McIntyre Ltd. 2008. ISBN: 0374317768

PLOT SUMMARY

Diamond Willow is a young Alaskan girl of Athabascan (on her mother’s side) and European (her father) descent. Diamond does not have many friends and is most comfortable and fulfilled when she is sledding using her father’s dogs or going to her grandparent’s house to visit. Printz Honor Book author Helen Frost crafts a story using a free-verse poetry style printed in the shape of diamonds that tells the tale of this 12 year-old girl that wants to be accepted by others and also wants her parents to notice that she is growing up. She takes out sledding on her own and suffers a terrible crash that results in blinding her dad’s favorite dog, Roxy. After her mishap, Diamond wants to ensure that the dog lives out her life cared for and not euthanized.  Frost speaks to readers through Diamond’s voice and uses the diamond-shaped prose that was inspired by marks Frost saw on a diamond willow stick, where no two diamond of poetry are shaped the same. Each shape provides a hidden message marked by bold letters in each poem. For example, in one poem, the hidden message is “Maybe, being happy, makes you happy.” The emotional poetry ends with the words “Me, these dogs, this snow, the spruce hen flying just ahead of us. This is happiness. I see.” This is a beautifully written book.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Award-winning children’s author and poet, Helen Frost weaves another enthralling tale of a young 12 year-old Alaskan girl coming of age. Her poetry is free-verse and is presented to the reader in different diamond shaped verse inspired from marks Frost saw on a diamond willow stick. The story is immaculately weaved together to reveal an emotional tale of a young girl filled with passion. This story teaches compassion, particularly for animals. The poetry is not rhythmic, but it does evoke emotion and imagery. There are no illustrations, but it is not necessary because of the author’s use of language to evoke imagery. Each poem has bold letters that have a message for the reader. Diamond is growing up. She likes a boy. Her friends come to her aid as she endures the feel of failure in the accident that left her dad’s favorite dog, Roxy. This book of poetry is inspiring and compassionate. Rated appropriate for 5^th – 8^th grade readers.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Willow relates her story in one-page poems, each of which contains a hidden message printed in darker type. At key intervals, the narrative is continued in the voices of her ancestors, who take the form of animal spirits—Red Fox, Spruce Hen, Mouse, Chickadee, Lynx—and her sled dogs. School Library Journal – “Frost casts a subtle spell through innovative storytelling. Her poems offer pensive imagery and glimpses of character, and strong emotion.” 

Booklist – “Set in a remote part of Alaska, this story in easy-to-read verse blends exciting survival adventure with a contemporary girl’s discovery of family roots and secrets. Frost, who spent years teaching in Alaska, blends the young teen’s viewpoint with a strong sense of place and culture. The casual diamond shape of the poems reflects how precious jewels of wisdom can grow around painful scars. Willow’s bond with Roxy is the heart of the tale.”

CONNECTIONS

Read other Helen Frost works:

·         Frost, Helen. Hidden. ISBN: 0374382212 

·         Frost, Helen. Salt: A Story of Friendship in a Time of War. ISBN: 0374363870

·         Frost, Helen. Crossing Stones. ISBN: 0374316538

And others

Ø  The book is wonderful for teaching compassion and a love for animals.

A Review of Planet Middle School

By Nikki Grimes

*Note: This blog fulfills a course requirement at TWU

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Grimes, Nikki. Planet Middle School. New York: Bloomsbury Books for Young Readers: 2011. ISBN: 1599902842

PLOT SUMMARY

This novel, written in free-verse poetry form, covers the young life of Joylin Johnson as a 12 year-old girl. Joylin is a happy child who always dresses in blue jeans and a T-shirt and keeps her hair in a ponytail. One of the early poems in the book describes the way Joylin viewed herself as a “Tom Boy” as she wonders why there is no “Jane Girl.” She enjoys sports and plays basketball regularly against a boy named Jake who she considers one of her two best friends. Her other best friend is a girl named Keelee, a preachers daughter who come to her rescue when Joylin was being picked on by another group of girls. The book’s first poem has Joylin in the emergency room wondering whether she will have the opportunity to apologize to someone in the hospital who is not named. We find out later that it was Jake who had been hit by a car. Overnight, Joylin’s body starts to change without her permission. Keelee has become interested in Jake; and a boy named Santiago has become interested in Joylin. She finds out that “he’s not new to the neighborhood. So how come I never noticed him before,” She forsakes her ponytail for braids and begins experimenting with make-up. The short poems lead the reader through the trials and tribulations of adolescence, from her first pimple, getting her ears pierced, trying nail polish for the first time, wearing high heels, a breakup with Santiago and small disagreements with her friends. The story culminates with Jake in the hospital. Unsure whether Jake will live or die, Joylin asks Keelee to pray for him since she is a preacher’s daughter and “put in a good word.” Jake survives and when Jake opens his eyes for the first time, Joylin excitedly exclaims, “It feels like Christmas.” Finally, Joylin goes through her closet, packs a dress away and puts on her jeans remembering the things that made her who she has become.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Award-winning author and poet Nikki Grimes adds another gem to her body of work with her book, Planet Middle School. She delivers a free-verse poetry book that tells a heart-warming, often humorous, tale of a young girl coming of age. This poetry tale creates emotion and wonderful imagery that many can easily relate to young female readers (boys are not excluded). Joylin looks at herself as an “alien” entering “Planet Middle School.” As the feelings of awkwardness and teen angst is explored and magnified, the reader easily can relate to those times that they experienced or are currently living. There is some rhythm to this work, but mostly, it is the language of the poetry and the imagery that the language creates that makes this another gem.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, Guide Book to Gift Books 2012
Garden State Teen Book Awards List 2014
Junior Library Guild selection

Scholastic Book Club selection

School Library Journal – “The story is by turns touching and laugh-out-loud funny, and readers will appreciate the time they spend with Joylin, her family, and her friends as they live, grow, and learn as individuals and together.”

Booklist – “The title of this slim novel (written in free-verse poems) could have been Planet Puberty. Each entry captures universal moments of confusion, anger, guilt, and fun through the viewpoint of 12-year-old African American Joy as things change with her friends, family, and body.”

Kirkus Reviews – “[Nikki Grimes] accessible verse and clear themes of self-acceptance and open-mindedness ring true. ... A work that should help adolescent readers find the courage and humor to grow into the individuals they already are.”

CONNECTIONS

Read other works by Nikki Grimes:

·      Grimes, Nikki. Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope. ISBN: 1442440929

·      Grimes, Nikki. Words with Wings. ISBN: 1590789857

·      Grimes, Nikki. Bronx Masquerade. ISBN: 0142501891 - A Coretta Scott King Award winner!

And many more

A Review of Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night

By Joyce Sidman

*Note: This blog fulfills a course requirement at TWU.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Sidman, Joyce. Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night. Ill. by Rick Allen. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company: 2010. ISBN: 0547152280

PLOT SUMMARY

This Newberry Award Winner is a thematic collection of Joyce Sidman poems that focuses on various creatures of the night, including plants, trees, and the moon. The author presents twelve poems that Rick Allen’s detailed illustrations bring to life. Readers will lose any fear of the night and enter a world where “porcupette’s pirouette,” “crickets sing,” “spiders offer advice” and an “oak tree” that hears “beetles whisper in [his] bark”, plus poems that feature an owl, snail, night spider, primrose moth, mushrooms, efts, bats, and the moon that watches over them.  There is a natural cadence in Sidman’s style that is lyrical and rhythmic in nature. Some poems do not rhyme and they are written in different cadences, but the common thread that ties them together is the rhythmic delivery that is enhanced by reading them aloud.  On the page opposite of the poem, scientific facts are presented regarding each creature, plant, tree, and the moon featured in the collection. These are informative and are a good teaching tool. Sidman’s creative poetry, along with the Allen’s wonderful artwork, creates a mental picture or imagery for the reader that is certainly worthy of the honors the book has received.  

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The book combines wonderfully-written poetry with scientific facts about the creatures, plants, an oak tree, and the moon, along with intricate illustrations that are both inviting and serve as a fun teaching tool. Sidman’s work is recommended for children, ages 6-9 years-old. The poetry and artwork helps alleviate any aspect of the night that a child might fear. The author presents 12 separate poems focusing on night life in the forest. Each poem has its own cadence and shows a child the various types of poetry and that poetry does not have to rhyme to create the imagery that emerges through Sidman’s carefully chosen words. A glossary is included in the back of the book that defines unfamiliar terms, like porcupette which refers to a baby porcupine. Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night are best enjoyed when read aloud. Highly recommended!

REVIEW EXCERPTS

A 2011 Newbery Honor Book

School Library Journal – “Sidman continues her explorations of natural history in this set of poems about nocturnal life in the forest. As in her other collections, each selection is set in an expansive spread that includes a factual discussion of the featured subject. The illustrations are bold, richly detailed linoleum prints colored in gouache. The 12 poems are led by a scene setting “Welcome to the Night” and go on to feature 9 different creatures and some mushrooms with a concluding lament by the moon as night fades into morning.” 

Booklist – “Here, poems about the woods at night reveal exciting biology facts that are explained in long notes on each double-page spread. The facts are further reinforced in the accompanying picture, which shows the small file on a cricket's wing.”

Publisher’s Weekly – “In Sidman's delicious poems, darkness is the norm, and there's nothing to fear but the rising sun. Allen's detailed yet moody prints … encapsulate the mysteries and magic of the midnight hours.” 

CONNECTIONS

Read other works by Joyce Sidman:

·         Sidman, Joyce. Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems. ISBN:  0618135472

2005 Caldecott Honor Book

·         Sidman, Joyce. Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow. ISBN: 061856313X

·         Sidman, Joyce. Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors. ISBN: 0547014945

And others …

Ø  Sidman’s nature-driven books and poetry complete with scientific-related facts and a glossary can serve as a great teaching tool for parents and teachers.

A Review of There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a fly

By Simms Taback

Note: This blog fulfills a requirement for a course at TWU.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Taback, Simms. There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. Illustrated by Pam Adams. Child's Play International (June 2003). ISBN: 0859531341

PLOT SUMMARY

This book is a humorous tale about an old lady who swallows a fly, a spider, a bird, a cat, a dog, and a cow based on an anonymous folk song. There is a die-cut hole where the old lady’s stomach should be that allows the reader to see each animal or insect inside the ever-expanding stomach. Every time the old lady appears, if the book is tilted one way, the reader sees the most recent animal or insect she swallows, if the book is tilted the other way; the reader can see the accumulation of all that she has swallowed. The animals/insects float in a space that matches the old lady’s dress. There are humorous newspaper headlines that read things like, “Lady Wolfs Down Dog” and offers a recipe for “Spider’s Soup”. Her reasoning behind swallowing all of the animals/insects is that once she had swallowed the fly, she swallowed the spider to get the fly, the bird to get the spider, the cat to get the bird, the dog to get the cat and the cow to get the dog. Her demise finally comes when she attempts to swallow the horse.

CRITICAL REVIEW

The book is wonderfully, albeit humorously, illustrated by Pam Adams and the illustrations allow children to see the inside of the old lady’s stomach as she devours each animal or insect, The rhymes add to the flavor of the story and the illustrations of the old lady make the reader believe that this old lady is crazy enough to actually swallow all of the creatures. The old lady’s dress combines with the inside of her stomach and the handwritten text add to the allure of this humorous story. “There was an old lady who swallowed a fly. I don’t know why she swallowed the fly. Perhaps she’ll die.” This book is a wonderful opportunity to help parents and teachers to develop a child’s imagination. It is also a teaching tool, which shows different species of birds, flies, dogs, etc. with factual information that are labeled correctly.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Caldecott Honor Award Medal 

School Library Journal – From cover to moral (never swallow a horse), this cleverly illustrated version of an old folk favorite will delight children. This illustrator provides an eye-catching, energy-filled interpretation that could easily become s classic in itself.”

Publishers Weekly – “Children of all ages will joyfully swallow this book whole. All ages. The gleefully dizzy mood is intensified by Taback’s use of black hand-lettered words set in blocks of bright colors laid atop orange or black backgrounds, and occasionally sprinkled with collage images.”

The New York Times – A towering masterwork in the field is the anonymous folk song and it is my happy duty to announce that it has just been reverently reverberated by the appearance of an excellent book which present the lyrics in their classic form’”

CONNECTIONS

Read other Simms Taback’s works:

Taback, Simms. This is the House that Jack Built. ISBN: 0142402001

Taback, Simms. Joseph Had a Little Overcoat. ISBN: 0670878553

Taback, Simms. I Miss You Every Day. ISBN: 0670061921

Taback, Simms. Farm Animals. ISBN: 1609050789

Ø  A great book for expanding a child’s imagination.

A Review of the Three Little Pigs

By Steven Kellogg

Note: This blog fulfills part of a course requirement at TWU.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kellogg, Steven. The Three Little Pigs. HarperCollins; Reprint edition (October 15, 2002). ISBN: 0064437795.

PLOT SUMMARY

Seraphina Sow was raising three young piglets named Percy, Pete and Prudence. She decided to make waffles for a living and bolted a waffle iron on wheels and installed a waffle-making system. She stocked it with waffle batter, butter, maple syrup, and powdered sugar. Every morning the family pushed Seraphina’s invention from village to village selling waffles with a long list of flavors including “baloney” and “bubblegum.” She made enough money to enroll her piglets at Hog Hollow Academy and the piglets did well “in the classroom, on the basketball court, and in the school plays.” When the piglets graduated, Seraphina decided to turn the business over to her family announcing, “I shall retire to the Gulf of Pasta.” Each of the pigs built houses near their business: Percy built a straw bungalow, Pete built a log cabin and Prudence built a brick house. Then Tempesto, the meanest wolf on the block, shows up and wants more than waffles, he wants to eat the three little pigs. Seraphina returns from her retirement to help the piglets defeat Tempesto. When the wolf comes down Prudence’s chimney, he falls on the waffle iron and is covered in maple syrup, smothered in butter, and turned into a “wolffle”. Finally, Tempesto is sent to the Gulf of Pasta in Seraphina’s place and spends his life as a beach bum.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This picture book is a modern retelling of the famous fairytale complete with Kellogg’s intricate, lively illustrations. Unlike the original fairytale, this story has a nonfatal ending for all the characters. This version features humorous dialogue in the text that is designed for 4 to 8 year-olds. For example, Tempesto wears a shirt that says “Say Yes to Thugs” and “Thugs Need Hugs Too.”Kellogg uses colored inks, watercolors, and acrylics to create his wonderful illustrations. I found it very appealing to young readers as Kellogg removes the fatalities and adds a humorous and positive ending, which is a refreshing change from the classic fairytale. He gives the pigs names, has them attend school and ultimately they run the family business. Nice wordplay is throughout the story.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Booklist – “Kellogg takes a favorite folk tale and adds his own inventive touches of character, plot twists, and humor. Much of the broad humor is carried in the lively, colorful illustrations, though there's wordplay aplenty in the text and pictures too.”

Publishers Weekly - “Buoyant pictures and a pun-riddled text add gusto to Kellogg's light hearted humor.”

Kirkus Reviews – “Kellogg puts a master's spin on another familiar tale. A talent-strewn retelling that only enhances the original.”

CONNECTIONS

Read other Steven Kellogg books, such as:

·         Jack and the Beanstalk. Retold and illustrated by Steven Kellogg. ISBN: 0688152813

·         Paul Bunyan. Retold and illustrated by Steven Kellogg. ISBN: 0688058000

·         Johnny Appleseed. Retold and illustrated by Steven Kellogg. ISBN: 0688064175

And many others

Ø  This book could be used in a classroom where students compare and contrast different versions of the book

Review of Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book

Retold by Yuyi Morales

Note: This blog fulfills a course requirement at TWU

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book. Retold by Yuyi Morales, San Francisco, California: Chronicle Books. 2003. ISBN: 0811837580

PLOT SUMMARY

The two central characters in this book are Grandma Beetle who plays the role of the trickster and Señor Calavera, the skeleton representing death. Grandma Beetle is doing her daily chores when she hears a knock on the door. She answers and there stands Señor Calavera who tells her that it was time to go with him. “Just a minute Señor Calavera. I will go with you right away” she responds, “I just have one (uno) more house to sweep.” Señor Calavera realized that he had extra time and decided to sit and wait. After she was done, Señor Calavera rose to leave, but again, Grandma Beetle said “Just a minute Señor Calavera … I have two (dos) pots of tea to boil.” Again, Señor Calavera decided to wait a little longer. She continues to put him off through three (tres) pounds of corn she needed to make into tortillas. Grandma Beetle always begins the conversation with “Just a minute…” as she continues to find things that she needs to do to delay her departure … “four (cuatro) fruits to slice, five (cinco) cheeses to melt, six (seis) pots of food to cook, seven (siete) piñatas to fill, eight (ocho) platters of food to set on the table”, nine (nueve) grandchildren came to visit, and 10 (diez) guests to Grandma Beetle’s birthday counting Señor Calavera. However, when she turned to invite Señor Calavera, he was gone and left her a note saying he had a great time and he could not wait to come to her birthday party next year.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The book is beautifully illustrated with brightly colored illustrations situated at different angles on each page. Morales does an excellent job of including elements of Hispanic culture in her illustrations with piñatas on display, hot peppers on the wall, and preparing corn tortillas. The illustrations show a party is being prepared, which is definitely a Mexican party. The idea of a trickster (Grandma Beetle) is the motif. The book is also a counting book and teaches the numbers one through ten in both Spanish and English. This would be a great book to read to a child to teach them how to count to ten in both languages and to teach the child about Spanish culture. The illustrations are bright and there is so much to look at on each page. The book is perfect for preschoolers through the second grade.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Awarded the 2004 Pura Belpré Medal for Best Illustration

2003 Americas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature

2004 Golden Kite Honor Book

2004 Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award

2004 Latino Literary Award for Best Children’s Book

Booklist – “The splendid paintings and spirited storytelling--along with useful math and multicultural elements--augur a long, full life for this original folktale.”

Kirkus Reviews – “Winking and nodding as she goes, a Latino grandmother will charm readers as she charms Death Himself in this original counting-cum-trickster tale. Morales' illustrations enhance the appeal of this winning story even further.”

CONNECTIONS

Read other books retold, illustrated, or written by Yuyi Morales:

·         Morales, Yuyi. Niño Wrestles the World. ISBN: 1596436042

·         Johnson, Tony and Yuyi Morales (Ill.). My Abuelita. ISBN: 0152163301

·         Soetoro-Ng, Maya and Yuyi Morales (Ill.). Ladder to the Moon. ISBN: 0763645702

·         Lacamara, Laura and Yuyi Morales (Ill.) Floating on Mama’s Song. ISBN: 0060843683

• This book is a great tool to teach young children how to count to ten in Spanish and English, as well as teaching about Hispanic culture.