Pig, Pigger, Piggest

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Walton, Rick. 1997. PIG, PIGGER, PIGGEST. Ill. by Jimmy Holder. Layton, UT: Gibbs Smith. ISBN 1-58685-318-X

AWARD(S) and STARS

• Center for Children’s Books Review Stars, 1997

PLOT SUMMARY

A silly fractured fairy tale, this rendition of “The Three Little Pigs,” includes witches instead wolves and castles instead of cottages. The king, the three pigs’ father, sends them out to build their own castles. The three pigs, Pig, Pigger, and Piggest build their big, bigger, and biggest castles out of mud, but along come greedy Witch, Witcher and Witchest demanding each castle. When the pigs use their versions of the “not by the hair on your chinny-chin-chin” phrases, the witches in turn send clouds with rain to huff and puff the castles away leaving mud puddles. In the end, the pigs are pleased with their puddles and ask the witches for their hands in marriage living “sloppily ever after.”

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Rick Walton, known for other entertaining books like Why the Banana Split and Once there Was a Bull . . . Frog, again plays on words to create a new version of the “Three Little Pigs.” Using the comparative and superlative forms of words, even nouns, with phrases such as “tallest-wallest, thickest-brickest castle” and “Huffer and Puffer,” Walton takes the reader through a plot that is similar to the original tale making it predictable. Children will know what will happen to each castle after the demise of the first, but the twist at the end will surely have the children groaning when the pigs and witches wed.

Using pen and ink, and watercolor media, Jimmy Holder creates humorous illustrations of plump pigs cavorting in mud and frighteningly cute witches. Each page illustrates the descriptive comparative and superlative interpretations of the text with small details. For example, there are signs saying, “For sale: cheaper sheeper” or a mouse labeled “squeakest.” Holder’s work supports the narrative text in a whimsically witty way.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

•  Children’s Literature (1997) – “It’s a little light on content and originality, yet heavy enough on silliness. The jaunty illustrations have a slick, artsy look and plenty of appeal.”
• Publishers Weekly (1997) – “While Walton's playful progressive comparisons are enjoyably goofy (e.g., Pigger builds a "taller-waller, thicker-bricker castle" than Pig's tall-wall, thick-brick castle"), they don't quite sustain a narrative and grow monotonous, as nearly all refer to size. Perhaps not the funniest, it's funnier than many; and definitely a funny book.”
• School Library Journal (1997) – “There have been some very clever take-offs on the classic "The Three Little Pigs." Unfortunately, this particular story leaves much to be desired. Although the pictures cleverly illustrate the action, the plot is wanting. For example, there is no satisfactory explanation given for why the witches want the castles. The fact that the pigs suddenly wish to marry them because they make beautiful mud is far-fetched. The pictures creatively portray the soft, round pigs and soft, even rounder witches, and there are some visual surprises that casual observers may miss, but the unfocused story line makes this an unnecessary purchase.”

CONNECTIONS

• Visit Rick Walton’s website http://www.rickwalton.com/curricul/curricul.htm for his excellent suggested curriculum connections. Some of the items included are descriptive, comparative and superlative word lists, discussion questions, nursery rhymes about pigs, instructions for writing superlative stories or three little pig stories, activities for comparing three things, and directions for playing Hink Pink and Half Hink Pink.

·         Read other versions of the Three Little Pigs and compare and contrast their elements. Books to include might be:

o   THE TRUE STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS by Jon Scieszka, ISBN 978-0140544510

o   THE THREE LITTLE WOLVES AND THE BIG BAD PIG by Eugene Trivizas, ISBN 978-0689815287

o   THE THREE PIGS by David Wiesner, ISBN 978-0618007011

o   TELL THE TRUTH, B.B. WOLF by Judy Sierra, ISBN 978-0375856204

·         Read other books that include comparative and superlative adjectives:

o   MANY LUSCIOUS LOLLIPOPS: A BOOK ABOUT ADJECTIVES by Ruth Heller, ISBN 978-0698116412

o   IF YOU WERE AN ADJECTIVE by Michael Dahl, ISBN 978-1404819825

o   BIGGEST, STRONGEST, FASTEST by Steve Jenkins, ISBN 978-0395861363

Dust Devil

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Isaacs, Anne. 2010. DUST DEVIL. Ill. by Paul O. Zelinsky. New York, NY: Schwartz & Wade Books. ISBN 978-0-375-86722-4

AWARD(S) and STARS

Irma S. Black and James H. Black Award, 2010

Booklist Book Review Stars, 2010

Kirkus Book Review Stars, 2010

Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, 2010

School Library Journal Book Review Stars, 2010

PLOT SUMMARY

Featuring the spunky folktale character, Angelica Longrider, known as Swamp Angel, Dust Devil takes its readers back to 1835. Set in the wilds of spacious Montana, Swamp Angel wrestles a raging dust storm which magically turns into a sidekick, her horse Dust Devil. Then enters the bandit Backward Bart and his gang on over-sized mosquitoes causing havoc throughout Montana. Riding her rollicking stead and hurling lightning bolts, Swamp Angel drives the Flying Desperados to halfway to Kansas. Here her Aunt Essie Bell helps by providing biscuits hard as rocks for Swamp Angel to throw at the greedy outlaws breaking their teeth and leading them to a “maximum security” jail. In the end, readers are left wondering if a new tale is in the making as the bandits’ gold teeth wash down the mountain streams to California perhaps inciting the gold rush.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

In true tall tale form, Anne Isaacs reintroduces the feisty and courageous character Swamp Angel originally from Tennessee. Throughout the tall tale, with hints of pour quoi tale aspects, Isaacs humorously “explains” the origins of the Buttes of Montana, the Grand Canyon, the Sawtooth Mountains and hot water geysers. Her antagonistic character Backwards Bart will have children trying to talk backwards like he does repeating phrases like, “Up hurry!” or “Best the who’s?” Isaacs uses the elements of exaggeration and playing on words to entertain readers of all ages.

Painting on cedar, aspen and maple veneers, Paul O. Zelinsky depicts the Old West through detailed illustrations. Each oil-painted illustration outlined in red on the wood grain is rustic and filled with minute details adding to the author’s tale. Most of the pages are large illustrations of the text, yet a few of the pages look like stained glass windows representing smaller elements in the plot.

Although lengthier than an average picture book, readers will be so enthralled with the harrowing tale of the heroine and antics of the outlaws they’ll still sit through the whole book. As Backward Bart would say, “Book good a what!”

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

• Kirkus (2010) – “Zelinsky's rustic oil illustrations offer a gallery of comic faces, frozen in exaggerated surprise, shock and frustration. Artfully crude, comedic artwork, friendly, understated narration and a wildly hyperbolic story combine to create a new classic.”
• Booklist (Sept. 2010) – “Once again, Isaacs’ story and Zelinsky’s oil-paint-on-wood artwork create a laugh-out-loud tall tale with folksy phrasing and slapstick exaggeration. There are really two adventures in one here, which makes for a lengthy read-aloud, but children will delight in the deadpan, Old West narration and every gleefully silly, expertly rendered visual detail, from Bart’s steed (a saloon-sized mosquito) to Angel’s full-branched pine-tree knitting needles. A few pourqoui elements wrap up this handsomely designed, thoroughly entertaining stand-alone sequel.”

CONNECTIONS

• Read the Caldecott Honor Book Swamp Angel, the prequel to Dust Devil.
• Compare and contrast other tall tales with similar elements such as extraordinary animal friends, landmark creations, and exaggeration:
• PAUL BUNYAN retold and illustrated by Steven Kellogg, ISBN 978-0688058005
• AMERICAN TALL TALES retold by Mary Pope Osborne, ISBN 978-0679800897
• SALLY AN THUNDER ANN WHIRLWIND CROCKETT retold by Steven Kellogg, ISBN 978-0688140427
• JOHN HENRY: AN AMERICAN LEGEND retold by Ezra Jack Keats, ISBN 978-0394890524
• In Dust Devil, Isaacs talks about a number of geographic areas of Montana. Students can connect to the text by researching the Rocky Mountains, the Sawtooth mountain range, Billings, Montana’s buttes and geysers.

Anansi and the Talking Melon

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kimmel, Eric A.1994. ANANSI AND THE TALKING MELON. Ill. by Janet Stevens. New York, NY: Holiday House, Inc. ISBN 0-8234-1104-4

AWARD(S) and STARS

• Children’s Choice, 1995
• Kirkus Book Review Stars, 1994

PLOT SUMMARY

Visiting Elephant’s garden, Anansi the Spider is enticed by the juicy melons. After Elephant leaves his garden, Anansi uses a thorn to bore a hole into a melon, climbs in and eats until he’s too big to squeeze out. He decides to wait until he’s smaller to leave, but in the meantime, Elephant returns. Bored waiting, Anansi decides to play a trick on Elephant. He talks from inside the melon making Elephant think he has grown a talking melon. Impressed with his accomplishment, Elephant takes the melon to the king. As he journeys to the king, he shares his “talking melon” with other animals. Anansi continues to amuse himself by tricking all the animals and even the king. In the end, after Anansi escapes the melon, he continues his tomfoolery by pretending to be talking bananas.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

One of the Anansi tales retold by Eric A. Kimmel, Anansi and the Talking Melon exemplifies the trickster tale. Through the simple text and plot, Kimmel draws the listener in. The repetitive text, well-timed rhythm and humorous animal characters make this story a great tale to be read aloud or reenacted.

In Janet Stevens’ line-and-wash drawings, she uses vibrant colors to bring to life the comical animal characters. Each character’s expressions and movements are well-defined in the illustrations. Most Anansi tales originate from West Africa or the Caribbean, yet it’s difficult to discern this in the illustrations. Viewing each page, the focus is purely on the animated animals rather than the setting in which the tale originated.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

•  Booklist (Feb. 15, 1994) – “With perfect pacing and repetition and with surprising reversals up to the very last page, this is a great choice for reading aloud and storytelling.”
• Kirkus Reviews (1994) – “Stevens's funny animals are delightfully expressive, while Anansi's spider-level perspectives provide generous close-ups of melons, a hippo, a warthog, et al. Good-spirited tomfoolery, with storytelling that reels along with the ease of a seasoned prankster.”

CONNECTIONS

• Students can read other Anansi tales comparing and contrasting the elements of each story (author, illustrator, Anansi characteristics, other animals, trick played, etc.):
• ANANSI  AND THE MOSS-COVERED ROCK retold by Eric Kimmel, ISBN 978-0823407989
• ANANSI GOES FISHING retold by Eric Kimmel, ISBN 978-1591126799
• ANANSI FINDS A FOOL retold by Verna Aardema, ISBN 978-0803711655
• ANANSI AND THE SKY KINGDOM retold by Bobby and Sherry Norfolk, ISBN 978-0874838817
• Discuss the elements of a trickster tale. Research and read other stories with tricksters identifying the trickster, where the story originated, tricks played and authentic characteristics of the characters within the tales.  Some possible tricksters to research are: coyote, raven, rabbit and fox.
• Due to the simple repetitive text, this story lends itself well to be recreated in a reader’s theater. Simple animal masks can be used to portray each animal and a crown for the king.

The Poky Little Puppy

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lowery, Janette Sebring. 1942, renewed in 1970. THE POKY LITTLE PUPPY. Ill. By Gustaf Tenggren. New York, NY: Random House, Inc. ISBN 978-307-02134-2

PLOT SUMMARY

Five little puppies adventure out beyond the fence, through a meadow, down a road, over a bridge, across green grass and up a hill, yet as they crest the hill they count and find out one puppy is missing – the poky little puppy. Looking around the four notice other creatures and find the dawdling puppy in the grass below. He’s got his nose to the ground sniffing out dessert at home. The puppies rush home to dinner, but they’re punished and don’t get dessert because they’ve dug under the fence. The poky puppy arrives after all are in bed and eats the rice pudding on his own. The five puppies escape two more times with similar results, yet the poky puppy doesn’t get dessert the last time because his faster siblings fill in the hole to please their mother and he’s so poky he misses out.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Janette Sebring Lowery’s classic story remains a favorite of children. She entertains all with five rambunctious puppies curiously searching beyond their fenced limits. The book includes some repetitive text which lends itself to good predicting, as well as, rich descriptions with phrases like, “roly-poly,” “tumble-bumble,” and “pell-mell.” Children can also help count the puppies to discover the missing puppy.

Swedish artist, Gustaf Tenggren, crafts simple drawings that enhance the telling of the story by emphasizing the sequence within the plot. The soft tones and rounded lines of the illustrations, like those in his illustrations in Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, sweeten the look of the puppies and other creatures, thus making children “fall in love” with the book’s “pets.”

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

·         PUBLISHERS WEEKLY best-selling children’s book of all time, 1996

·         One-Minute Book Reviews by Janice Harayda, 2009 – “…the puppy radiates such sweetness that no one could think him intentionally wayward ...”

·         CHILDREN’S LITERATURE by Kathleen Karr – “Toddlers may learn a lesson from the pup’s experience. They will also enjoy counting up to almost five, not to mention Tenggren’s enticing clouds and toads and other poky-causing creatures.”

CONNECTIONS

·         Prepare one of the desserts mentioned in the story (rice pudding, chocolate custard, strawberry shortcake) that the poky little puppy and his family eat.

·         Some public libraries offer visits with library dogs allowing children to read with or to the dogs.

·         Read books about dogs getting out and their behavior:

o   PLEASE TAKE ME FOR A WALK by Susan Gal, ISBN 978-0375858635

o   LYLE WALKS THE DOGS: A COUNTING BOOK by Bernard Waber, ISBN 978-0547223230

o   GOOD DOG, AGGIE by Lori Ries, ISBN 978-1570916458

o   WHEN LUCY GOES OUT WALKING: A PUPPY’S FIRST YEAR by Ashley Wolff, ISBN 978-0805081688

Book Fiesta! Celebrate Children’s Day/ Book Day – Celebremos ¡El día de los niños/El día de los libros!

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Mora, Pat. 2009. BOOK FIESTA! CELEBRATE CHILDREN’S DAY/ BOOK DAY – CELEBREMOS EL DIA DE LOS NINOS/ EL DIA DE LOS LIBROS. Ill. by Rafael Lopez. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 978-0-06-128877-7

AWARD(S)

• ALA Notable Children’s Book, 2010
• CCBC Choices, 2010
• Américas Commended List, 2010
• Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts, 2010
• Belpré Illustrator Medal Book, 2010

PLOT SUMMARY

Celebrating Children’s Day and Book Day, the text is excitedly written in both English and Spanish. The children within the book relate how they read in different places, in different languages, to various animals, and while riding in planes, cars, trains, hot-air balloons, and submarines. Each page depicts an adventure with books. The book ends with children reading in bed, yet flying off to faraway places while reading books.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Pat Mora uses simple language to share the excitement of reading books in correlation to April 30^th’s Children’s Day and Book Day. She engages both English and Spanish readers with the text written in both languages. In her English text, she intertwines some Spanish phrases to lend authenticity to the original beginning of Children’s Day/ Book Day. In the back of the book, Mora includes a letter explaining the origin of Children’s Day/ Book Day and offers suggestions for celebrating Children’s Day/ Book Day.

Using vibrantly colored acrylic illustrations, Rafael Lopez engages multicultural children in the celebration of reading. His style shows wide-eyed children, adults, animals, and even the moon, absorbed in reading in various places. The children’s cherub faces beam with smiles showing the enjoyment of celebrating books and their day. According to Lopez’s blog ( http://rafaellopezbooks.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2010-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2011-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=12 ) he states, “The texture of the whale's skin, the moon and the clouds is inspired by the well worn walls in the Mexican town where I live.” He utilizes vibrant full-page illustrations to tell the story and even adds a twist by having the reader turn the book 90 degrees to view one page. His powerful paintings pull children into the joy of the book and reading.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

• SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL – “This lively selection will motivate and excite children about the adventures they can go on through reading.”
• COOPERATIVE CHILDREN’S BOOK CENTER CHOICES – “The power of books to transport readers on marvelous journeys is also undeniable.”
• KIRKUS REVIEWS – “The cheery and effortless dual English/Spanish text instills a festival atmosphere brilliantly expressed in Lopez's luminous full-page montages of a world of reading opportunities.”

CONNECTIONS

• Participate in community Children’s Day/ Book Day on April 30^th or initiate a celebration using suggestions from the ALA website for El día de los niños/El día de los libros - http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/initiatives/diadelosninos/index.cfm.
• Read other books about the love of books and reading:
• WILD ABOUT READING by Judy Sierra and Marc Brown, ISBN 978-0375825385
• BORN TO READ by Judy Sierra and Marc Brown, ISBN 0375846875
• THE BEST PLACE TO READ by Debbie Bertram and Susan Bloom, ISBN 978-0375837579
• READ ANYTHING GOOD LATELY? By Susan Allen and Jane Lindaman, ISBN 978-0822564706
• Listen to the tune that goes with Pat Mora’s song “Día” at her website: http://www.patmora.com/dia/dia_song.htm.
• Allow students to brainstorm different places they’ve read or could read. Then have them illustrate their own class book, adding text appropriate to the age of the students.

A Sick Day for Amos McGee

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Stead, Philip C. 2010. A SICK DAY FOR AMOS MCGEE. Ill. By Erin E. Stead. New York, NY: Roaring Brook Press. ISBN 978-1-59643-402-8

AWARD(S)

• 2011 Randolph Caldecott Medal Winner

 PLOT SUMMARY

In this subtly humorous story, Amos McGee, a friendly zookeeper, visits his animal friends daily. He spends time playing chess with an elephant, racing a tortoise, sitting quietly with a penguin, lending a handkerchief to a runny-nosed rhinoceros, and reading to an owl. The tables turn when one day Amos wakes up sick and his animal friends make a visit to his home to cheer him up.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Philip Stead develops the story in an easy-to-follow sequential way that young children can understand. Children will be drawn to the book by the animals and their relationship with the main character, Amos McGee. Through the words and illustrations, Amos is depicted as a friendly older gentleman dedicated to his job as a zookeeper. Amos shows compassion for the animals, and in turn, the animals show compassion to him when he’s sick – as friends often do.

Erin E. Stead uses simple yet elegant woodblock printing and pencil designs to add to the overall friendliness of the story. Even on pages without words, she conveys the message that needs to be told. The book starts with hints of understated color until the end of the book where each page is almost completely colored exemplifying the happiness of friendship.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

• BOOKLIST, May 1, 2010 (Vol. 106, No. 17) – “The extension of the familiar pet-bonding theme will have great appeal…”
• CHILDREN’S LITERATURE – “The story is told simply but in rich detail and with the sly humor of the imaginative premise.”
• COOPERATIVE CHILDREN’S BOOK CENTER CHOICES, 2011 – “…comforting story of friendship…”
• Starred review in PUBLISHERS WEEKLY - “Newcomer Erin Stead's elegant woodblock prints, breathtaking in their delicacy, contribute to the story's tranquility and draw subtle elements to viewers' attention.”
• Starred review in KIRKUS REVIEWS – “This gentle, ultimately warm story acknowledges the care and reciprocity behind all good friendships."

CONNECTIONS

• Have students retell the story using puppets, self-created costumes, or plastic zoo animals, videotape their story, and play other students.
• With other books by Philip C. Stead, compare and contrast the main characters personalities and how they interact with others.
• JONATHAN AND THE BIG BLUE BOAT – ISBN 978-1596435629
• CREAMED TUNA FISH AND PEAS ON TOAST – ISBN 978-1596434011
• Utilize the video at the http://us.macmillan.com/asickdayforamosmcgeeto share Erin Stead’s woodblock process and then allow students to try their skills using thick cardboard that they’ve cut shapes into.
• Allow students to research woodblock printing history and methods.