Bibliography
Potter, Beatrix. TALES OF PETER RABBIT AND HIS FRIENDS. Chatham River Press, 1984. ISBN 0-517-449013
Plot Summary
In this memorable tale that has spanned the years, Peter Rabbit’s mother warns Peter and his siblings they need to stay in the house. In her warning, she tells her children to watch out for their neighbor Mr. McGregor who turned their own father into a rabbit pie after he was caught. Peter, being the curious rabbit he is, disobeys his mother and leaves the rabbit hole. Along the way, he runs into Mr. McGregor and tries to get away from him. Peter loses his clothes, jumps in the lettuce patch, sees other animals and gets lost while trying to escape. By the end of the story, Peter finally finds his way home and is given tea by his mother while his siblings get a good supper because they obeyed her warnings.
Critical Analysis
This story is a moralistic tale where Peter receives consequences for not obeying his mother’s warnings. Telling a story that shows the dangers of disobeying a parent is a good story for young children. Not only does Peter have to face the consequences at home, but he is seen as alone and scared when he can’t find his way home. When Peter realizes the world outside of the rabbit hole is just as his mother described, he wants to go home even more – a task that seems near impossible.
A picture accompanies each short paragraph throughout the story: Peter’s mother warning her children not to leave, Mr. McGregor running after Peter, Peter coming up on the cat at the pond. All the illustrations are done by Potter herself who described by Anne Ficklen in her foreword as “her only pleasure centered on caring for her pets and her drawing”. This fact is apparent throughout the entire book as there is great detail put into each picture.
Review Excerpts
Publisher Review: “Young children will be enchanted by the simple text and beautiful illustrations, which bring a classic story vibrantly to life. The board book format is sturdy and accessible, perfect for young readers, but adults will enjoy it too for bed-time read-aloud. As a board book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit will captivate children and offer them an early introduction to the world of Peter Rabbit and all his friends.”
Connections
· Have students write stories about a time when they got in trouble. They can describe how their parents reacted to it and what they learned from it.
· Students can tell of a time they got lost and how they thought about getting home. How could they have prevented this?
· Read other tales by Beatrix Potter:
o The Tailor of Gloucester
o The Tale of Benjamin Bunny
o The Story of Miss Moppet
o The Tale of Jemima Puddle-duck
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Uptown by Bryan Collier
Bibliography
Collier, Bryan. UPTOWN. New York: Henry Holt and Company, LLC, 2000. ISBN 0-8050-5721-8
Plot Summary
A young boy describes Uptown, the area of Harlem he has lived in and obviously loves. He mentions places like the barbershop where the men get their hair cut, people like his grandfather, food found in his neighborhood like chicken and waffles and the girls in their yellow dresses going to church. As he describes his way through his area of New York, the boy shows the audience how much he knows about his neighborhood. By the end of the book, he tells the reader’s uptown his Harlem, his town.
Critical Analysis
Collier, who we are told in the book jacket has been painting since he was fifteen, uses colorful paintings and photographs that accurately depict great memories of Harlem. The paintings are like collages that jump off the page. For example, the newspaper being read by the men in the barbershop has lines in all directions like a collage that was laid out in the shape of a newspaper. The pictures are colorful and show the real world that is Harlem through the eyes of a young boy. Collier grew up in Maryland, but his pictures and words make it obvious he loves Harlem, the town where he now resides. The pictures simple sentences to a true story of love. The repetition on each page (“Uptown is…”) makes the book easy to read, but the paintings elevate the story.
Review Excerpts/Awards
Coretta Scott King Award winner
Kirkus Reviews: “Collier debuts with a set of dazzling paint-and-photo collages paired to a child's tribute to his Harlem neighborhood. From his window the young narrator sees "Uptown" in the Metro North commuter train crawling caterpillar-like over the river; sisters in matching dresses parading to church; weekend shoppers on 125th Street; jazz; Van Der Zee photographs; playground basketball; chicken and waffles served any time of day. ("At first it seems like a weird combination, but it works.") This complex, many-layered vibe is made almost tangible by the kaleidoscopic illustrations. For instance, the row of brownstones ".when you look at them down the block. They look like they're made of chocolate." Indeed, their bricks are photos of chocolate bars. Walter Dean Myers's poem Harlem (1997), illustrated in similar style by Christopher Myers, conveys a deeper sense of the African American community's history, but this makes an engagingly energetic once-over.”
Publisher’s Weekly: "Collier's watercolor and collage artwork effectively blends a boy's idealism with the telling details of the city streets in this picture-book tour of Harlem.”
Connections
Collier, Bryan. UPTOWN. New York: Henry Holt and Company, LLC, 2000. ISBN 0-8050-5721-8
Plot Summary
A young boy describes Uptown, the area of Harlem he has lived in and obviously loves. He mentions places like the barbershop where the men get their hair cut, people like his grandfather, food found in his neighborhood like chicken and waffles and the girls in their yellow dresses going to church. As he describes his way through his area of New York, the boy shows the audience how much he knows about his neighborhood. By the end of the book, he tells the reader’s uptown his Harlem, his town.
Critical Analysis
Collier, who we are told in the book jacket has been painting since he was fifteen, uses colorful paintings and photographs that accurately depict great memories of Harlem. The paintings are like collages that jump off the page. For example, the newspaper being read by the men in the barbershop has lines in all directions like a collage that was laid out in the shape of a newspaper. The pictures are colorful and show the real world that is Harlem through the eyes of a young boy. Collier grew up in Maryland, but his pictures and words make it obvious he loves Harlem, the town where he now resides. The pictures simple sentences to a true story of love. The repetition on each page (“Uptown is…”) makes the book easy to read, but the paintings elevate the story.
Review Excerpts/Awards
Coretta Scott King Award winner
Kirkus Reviews: “Collier debuts with a set of dazzling paint-and-photo collages paired to a child's tribute to his Harlem neighborhood. From his window the young narrator sees "Uptown" in the Metro North commuter train crawling caterpillar-like over the river; sisters in matching dresses parading to church; weekend shoppers on 125th Street; jazz; Van Der Zee photographs; playground basketball; chicken and waffles served any time of day. ("At first it seems like a weird combination, but it works.") This complex, many-layered vibe is made almost tangible by the kaleidoscopic illustrations. For instance, the row of brownstones ".when you look at them down the block. They look like they're made of chocolate." Indeed, their bricks are photos of chocolate bars. Walter Dean Myers's poem Harlem (1997), illustrated in similar style by Christopher Myers, conveys a deeper sense of the African American community's history, but this makes an engagingly energetic once-over.”
Publisher’s Weekly: "Collier's watercolor and collage artwork effectively blends a boy's idealism with the telling details of the city streets in this picture-book tour of Harlem.”
Connections
- Have students describe what they love most about their town. Use pictures to illustrate their favorite places in their hometown.
- Students can try to make their own collages like those used by Collier to describe the stories they are telling.
- Other books illustrated by Collier:
o Schotter, Roni. Doo-Wop Pop. ISBN 0060579684
o Rappaport, Doreen. John’s Secret Dreams: The Life of John Lennon. ISBN 0786808179 - o Collier, Bryan. Twelve Rounds to Glory: The Story of Muhammad Ali. ISBN 0763616923
Book Review Blog
Please note: All the book reviews placed on this blog are for TWU Library Science Class 5603.20.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)