The Real Boy

The Real Boy
Anne Ursu
Walden Pond Press, 2013

I haven't had the privilege of reading Ursu's highly regarded Breadcrumbs, but I'm going to make sure I track that one down soon! The Real Boy was a delight to read, pure and simple. I went into it one idea and one only: a particular legendary children's story, the title of which shouldn't be hard to figure out if you ponder the title of this book long. I also knew folks liked this book; in addition to appearing on mock Newberys (like that on Heavy Medal), it also made the National Book Award long list.

Ursu's writing itself is sheer pleasure to read. I'm a words girl, and I love to read well crafted sentences and the like. Nerdy, huh? I enjoy a well plotted novel, good characters endear themselves to me like real life friends, and musing over a deep theme with a good (real life) friend--lovely. But the words themselves are first and foremost what I notice. I'd wager that it's folks like me who enjoy the likes of Hokey Pokey and other titles that play with language. One of my favorite lines in The Real Boy reads, "And the people were the same way: gilded with plenty, unsullied by suffering." Ursu packs a punch with a succinct prose that will be just as easily read and relished by her target audience (middle grades) as it is by the likes of me. It's not perfect throughout, but there are moments of brilliance.

Thankfully, though, Ursu's prose isn't the only great thing about this novel. I hesitate to write too much about the characters and the plot because so much of the pleasure of reading this book is in the discovery of all that lies beneath the surface. Ursu gives us a wonderful character in Oscar, the real boy, and his friend Callie. I love their growing relationship, the ways they learn to read each other like any two people who are growing closer. Ursu does a great job of showing us this process, not telling. And she does a great job of showing us, not telling us, some of the quirks that any person has--but which Oscar seems to possess in greater abundance. There's no need to label him (finally!) because so many of us have strange little quirks. I'd bet there are lots of (unlabeled) kids who find elements of Oscar's character resonate within their own selves, even if they aren't as extreme in any given area. Callie is a born nurturer, but she's never saccharine about it. I love that. One important note: because the book is told from Oscar's perspective (although in 3rd person), there is lots that the reader must infer. I think this worked well although not everyone agrees with me.

The plot: it's well paced for the most part. Solid world building in the background informs lots of key decisions and moments, and it all hangs together. But the best part: the open ending! Enough is resolved for readers to close the book happily, but there are enough what ifs that we will spend the rest of the day (week) thinking on and musing over them.

Go get a copy and read it for yourself! Do NOT read my questions below unless you have read the book or don't care if you find out "stuff" before reading....

[SPOILER ALERT]
This book brings up great thematic material which would be worth discussing. The biggest issue is greed--and not just greed for more money or material goods. The parents in the Shining City want perfect children because they don't want to see their children suffer. Interesting, isn't it? Sort of a twisted desire to make everything in life perfect--so perfect for your children that, though they look and feel and sound real, they're actually artificial in an attempt to protect them. And don't we want that, too? Don't we go to great lengths to avoid suffering? Aren't we greedy for an easy life, an untroubled one, one that's "unsullied by suffering"?

My biggest question from this book, though: I totally thought the trees being cut down were the reason the children made from them were suddenly failing. I guess I get the idea of a "hole" in the world where Magic used to bind it together, but to me it made more sense to directly connect each particular tree with the children who were made from its wood. Anyone else?


Book from local library; cover image from publisher's site

The Tortois and the Hare (PBOW)

A Picture Book of the Week (PBOW) Feature

The Tortoise and the Hare
Jerry Pinkney
Little, Brown, and Co., 2013

I adored Pinkney's 2010 Caldecott winning The Lion and the Mouse. I'm also a big fan of his Noah's Ark, The Ugly Duckling, and others. So I could hardly wait to get my hands on this latest Pinkney treasure. And I wasn't disappointed!

Cover: WOW. Pinkney fills his covers and spreads with images--we are there with the characters, in this case, the tortoise and the hare (fitting!). To get the full effect, though, you should open the book and look at the cover along with the back of the book all at the same time. It's one big double spread.

Endpapers: Pinkney wastes no space, and his endpapers are some of the best there are. One of the reasons I was hooked on his Noah's Ark were the gorgeous endpapers; the back set show rainbows all around the globe. So. cool. In similar fashion here, we have two totally different scenes. The first is a pre-story image; the back is a post-story image. The bookends, if you will.

Palette: I love noticing what colors an illustrator uses and trying to ascertain why, or what their signature style is, or what their favorite color combinations might be. In Pinkney's books, (The Lion and the Mouse being a possible exception), there are little bursts of red and blue against a predominantly earth-toned palette. But his earth tones still manage to be bright and colorful even as they blend together. Our hero--the tortoise--carries the spots of red and blue in this story.

Text: There is very little text in this story; I think of it as a wordless book. However, notice the letters themselves: on the title page, in particular, the words "The Tortoise" and "The Hare" are colored like the animals they mention. Throughout the book, the words "Slow and steady" that appear over time are colored with the same blues and reds that the Tortoise is wearing. Coincidence? I think not!

Movement: Pinkney is one of those artists who captures such movement in his watercolors. These animals are frozen in time, but we get the sense that it's merely a snapshot--they've long since hopped or crawled out of the frame. Somehow, he manages to capture the Tortoise's laborious climb in and out of the water while simultaneously showing the Hare frolicking onward.

All in all, this is one of my favorite picture books of the year--lots of details to look at in these pages!

If you've read this book, what did you think? 

What have I missed? 

Next Picture Book of the Week is:

Cover image from publisher's website; book from local library

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
Grace Lin
Little, Brown
2009
Newbery Honor (+lots more!)

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon marries a fantastic journey, reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz and other similar tales, with Chinese culture and folklore, and comes up with a unique and wonderful story all its own.* Short chapters, narrative interrupted frequently by stories, beautiful artwork, and charming characters conspire to make this one of the best books I've read this year! I cannot wait to read it to my children. *My children and I are reading Wizard, so that is fresh on my mind!


Minli is the only daughter of two struggling farmers who live at the base of Fruitless Mountain. They are rich in stories, though, as her father tells her stories night after night. One day, Minli decides to seek the Old Man of the Moon and ask how she can change her family's fortune. Many days and adventures later, she finally succeeds in her quest, but she finds the answer to her question in a way she didn't expect. Along the way, she meets countless interesting other characters, learns new stories, and befriends a dragon. In addition, her parents also learn a valuable life lesson. In the end, Minli and her parents have learned thankfulness and contentment. Do their fortunes change as well? You'll have to read it to find out!

Recommended read aloud for elementary students; read independently for upper elementary-middle school. Grace Lin has written a delightful easy reader book, too!

Book from my local library; cover image from goodreads.

Weekly Round-Up: Fairy/Folk Tale Picture Books

Don't forget about our give away ending Thursday night!

There are seemingly infinite numbers of fairy and folk tales retold in picture book form. Rather than list all of the great ones, we'd like to highlight a few authors/illustrators that stand out to us as well as tell you how to find these gems in your local library.

If you have preschoolers at home, no doubt you are well acquainted with the picture book section of your local library (if not, you should be!). But there is another treasure trove of picture books lurking in the 398.2 section of the juvenile nonfiction/Dewey section: the "traditional literature" we usually call "fairy tales." Yes! And, it's filled with picture books that are often geared to school age children. Take some time on your next library visit to check out this section of books. You might look for something done by one of the following author/illustrators (many of these appear on our book lists!). (And, please read different versions to your children! It's a great way to showcase different illustrative styles and to demonstrate how different people tell the same story in different ways.)

Trina Schart Hyman (illustrator): books such as Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, Saint George and the Dragon, and others. Hyman's style is distinctive, complex, and heavy (not quite the right word, but I can't think of another right now!). Her books will no doubt appeal to school age children--perhaps even more than preschoolers.

Paul O. Zelinsky (illustrator/sometimes author): many books such as Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin, Hansel and Gretel. Zelinsky paints lavish illustrations in many of his books, although he also does line drawings and other styles (particularly for early chapter books).

Paul Galdone (illustrator/reteller): many folk and fairy tales in this genius' arsenal, running the gamut from The Little Gingerbread Boy and The Three Billy Goats Gruff to The Monkey and the Crocodile. Thankfully, several of his books have been reprinted in recent years. Illustrations may seem a touch dated to your eyes, but they will delight your children! His retellings are wonderfully "traditional," too--no softening up.

Jerry Pinkney (illustrator/author): many, including his recent Caldecott The Lion and the Mouse and one of my favorite Little Red Riding Hood versions. I particularly like his use of color. Pinkney has also collaborated with Julius Lester on a couple of anthologies of Uncle Remus tales--they are very well done.

James Marshall (illustrator/author): several, including Hansel and Gretel, The Three Little Pigs, and Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Marshall (of George and Martha fame) offers us traditional retellings of these tales with hilarious, comic illustrations to accompany them. Very fun for school age children.

Cover images from goodreads

Weekly Round-Up: Fairy Tale Anthologies

Megan and I share a deep, abiding enjoyment of the classic folk and fairy tales. I recently asked her if I should get rid of some of my duplicate copies; she replied that she'd happily "help" me find a home for them... ahem. I thought I might share with you, the peanut gallery, some of my favorite fairy tale anthologies (we'll save folk tales for later). These happen to be ones I currently own--yes, yes, it's true. I do, indeed, own this many versions of the same thing. But all are terrific if you can find them. Some are more readily available than others. Any of these would make terrific gifts--even to a family as a whole. Fairy tales are meant to be read aloud and enjoyed in all their various forms. This summer, ditch the Disney versions and read the real deal. See my Pinterest board for some more--particularly picture book forms. It's a work in progress, as all Pinterest boards are!

(I should note that I personally have very little issue with my children reading/hearing the original tales; it's worth pointing out, though, that some of the originals are quite dark. Exercise discretion if you have a very sensitive child; all the more reason to read these together for a reassuring Mom/Dad presence.)

Hans Christian Andersen

Seven Tales by Hans Christian Andersen illustrated by Maurice Sendak

The Complete Tales of Hans Christian Andersen... nothing too glamorous about this one; multiple versions of this exist.


The Brothers Grimm

The Juniper Tree and Other Tales From Grimm translated by Lore Segal with four tales by Randal Jarrell; illustrated by Maurice Sendak. Sendak's illustrations are somewhat dark, in keeping with the "feel" of many of the Grimms' tales.

Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm illustrated by Walter Crane. Crane is a famous British illustrator from the 19th century. Delightful. (Reprinted/reissued in 1979 but you may be able to find these online somewhere, too--they might be in the public domain)

Tales of the Brothers Grimm edited by Clarissa Pinkola Estes and featuring illustrations by Arthur Rackham--another famous British illustrator. 

The Complete Tales of the Brothers Grimm --no illustrations on this one and there are LOTS of these around under various covers. This is just in case one of my other anthologies left out a particularly juicy tale ☺.

Rainbow Fairy Books

The Blue Fairy Book compiled and edited by Andrew Lang--older British compiler. You cannot go wrong with this book if you want a good fairy tale collection. Tales from around the world (including Perrault's, some Grimm, Arabian Nights, etc.) all retold in English. This is one of the standards for English fairy tale collections and is still a great read.
The Lilac Fairy Book (and Brown, Red, etc.)  More of the same, but not as familiar as the Blue Fairy Book.

The Rainbow Fairy Book illustrated by Michael Hague. No cover image, here, sorry! But it's a nicely illustrated version of some of the more famous of Lang's tales from the various Rainbow colored books.


Miscellaneous Fairy Tale Anthologies

The Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde--if you haven't read these yet, you're missing out! See "The Selfish Giant" in particular. It will make you tear up. These are forgotten gems in my opinion.

The Victorian Fairy Tale Book edited by Michael Patrick Hearn. This book is one of my all-time favorites. It contains many familiar tales (like Grahame's "Reluctant Dragon") plus some other wonderful discoveries (like Thackeray's "Rose and the Ring"). Hard to find, but worth it!

The Random House Book of Fairy Tales illustrated by Diane Goode. This is a readily available and nicely illustrated anthology--particularly if you don't have anything else. Most of the famous tales are here!

Goldilocks and the Three Bears and Other Classic English Fairy Tales illustrated by Arthur Rackham and Jessie Wilcox Smith (Children's Classics edition). Another wonderful collection featuring thoroughly British tales (some familiar--but not as much). And you can't go wrong with these illustrators!

The Giant Golden Book of Fairies and Elves by Jane Werner and illustrated by Garth Williams. A delight, truly. Some famous and not-so-famous tales and poems featuring fairies, elves, pixies, brownies, and mermaids. Recently re-printed/re-issued--I've seen it at Barnes and Noble. Yea! For YEARS, it was out of print.


I also have a ridiculous collection of random other types:

• World's Best Folktales
• Scottish Fairy Tales (two versions)
• Yeats' Irish Fairy Tales
• British Folk and Fairy Tales
• Marvelous Tales of Japan
• etc. etc. etc.

Gyo Fujikawa: Four Books

A to Z Picture Book (2010)
Fairy Tales and Fables (2008)
Mother Goose (2007)
Oh, What a Busy Day (2010)
Gyo Fujikawa
Sterling


Hip, hip, hooray! Hip, hip, hooray! I love it when publishers re-release books like these. Fujikawa first published these books in the 1970s, and I grew up absorbing them and poring over the intricate illustrations just like many others kids of my day. Guess what?! Kids STILL enjoy poring over them and absorbing them. We saw two of these (nice, hardback) at Barnes and Noble the other night  and snatched them up for a very reasonable price.


Fujikawa mixes color spreads with black-and-white (very common back and then), but her illustrations are still appealing. Her strengths include filling her pages with cavorting young children with a nice multicultural representation (especially given the time period in which she was published). There is always a lot happening and much to take in, but these illustrations remain restful at the same time. Her Mother Goose book contains many rhymes; her fairy tales book contains the best loved and most familiar and well as a nice global sampling of ones not quite so familiar. Oh, What a Busy Day goes through the adventures of a group of children through a busy day, and the ABC book covers a host of activities and objects and events which correspond to the appropriate letter. (Concerned parents may wish to know that there is a big two page spread for Halloween in the ABC Book.)


I've found these at my public library recently (as well as finding them at Barnes and Noble). Look for them if you have young children in the house!

Cover images from goodreads

The Three Billy Goats Gruff (Retro Reads)

The Three Billy Goats Gruff
Paul Galdone
2005 (reprint)

We are HUGE fans of Galdone's folk tales around here; I've highlighted his Gingerbread Boy before. Thankfully, some of his best folk tales are being reissued with newer covers. Yea!!

The Three Billy Goats Gruff, Galdone style, is a wonderful telling of this classic folk tale. If you haven't read this to a small group of young children, you're missing out--they will reenact it over and over and over and over. You're liable to hear repeats whenever you go under (or over) a bridge while out and about.

Galdone tells this tale with all the gore you'd expect from a good, classic folk tale. The troll is fully planning to eat these billy goats and the last billy goat does some damage to that mean ol' troll. Kids need that kind of reconciling action at the end of a story like this. Let them enjoy it! Let good soundly trounce evil... even if that means the big billy goat defeating the troll.

New cover at top; old below.

The Lion and the Mouse

The Lion and the Mouse
Jerry Pinkney
2009
Caldecott Medal

How can you not pick up this book when you see that cover??? I remember first reading this book the month it came out in a bookstore with my kids while we were waiting on something. We just marveled at it. As I've mentioned before, I think Pinkney's illustrations are amazing. When it won the Caldecott, I was delighted--obviously others are recognizing its greatness, too!

In this retelling of the classic fable, the lion and the mouse are both expertly portrayed. The tenderness, the arrested motion , the way the illustrations carry the narrative from page to page--very few words are needed, and, thankfully, Pinkney doesn't use many words. This is a must see and must read. It's a book to savor and pour over.

Recommended for all! Especially the preschool-early elementary crowd.

Aesop's Fables

Aesop's Fables
Jerry Pinkney

2000

There are many collections of Aesop's Fables out there--some of them truly marvelously illustrated. I happen to really enjoy Jerry Pinkney's illustrations, so I was delighted to find this collection at our local library. If you're looking for a good Aesop's Fables collection to add to your personal home library, check this out!!

Pinkney has retold and illustrated 60 of Aesop's Fables for this one volume; many fables are a few paragraphs long with a facing page of illustrations. Some are shorter with smaller illustrations. Pinkney has a gift for capturing movement in one still shot. I also think his use of color is second to none. In this collection, one of my favorite illustrations is that for "King Log and King Stork." The frogs leaping off the log, the stork with its golden crown sucking a frog down, and the contrast of the green frogs with the stork's orange legs--breathtaking. You can see strong hints of his Caldecott winning Lion and the Mouse in his short version of that fable here. There is a nice spectrum of ethnicities present as well: an African American (or African) milkmaid, an Asian fisherman, a Caucasian shepherd boy. Engagingly retold and stunningly illustrated--this blows most other Aesop's Fables collections away.

There's a Princess in the Palace

There's a Princess in the Palace
retold by Zoe B. Alley
R. W. Alley, ill.
2010



There's a Princess in the Palace is a funny graphic novel-style reinterpretation of five classic princess tales (Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Frog Prince, Princess and the Pea, and Snow White). The clever narrative in this oversized book is broken up into the five distinct tales, but each story is connected (hilariously) to the next so that the book forms a complete narrative. Two little mice keep the narrative moving and help connect the details--as well as provide extra humor.

This book is best for (newly) independent readers who have some familiarity with the original tales; readers should have enough maturity to pick up on occasional word plays, twists on the original tales, and general wit. This would also be a great choice for slightly older reluctant readers.

Recommended for first grade and up.

The Three Trees

The Tale of Three Trees: A Traditional Folktale
Angela Ewell Hunt (retold by)
Tim Jonke, ill.
1989

This is a familiar story to many: three trees wishing for certain things are all used in the life of Christ. Along the way, their wishes get fulfilled in unexpected ways. The illustrations are wonderful. This folktale does a terrific job of covering the life of Christ from birth to death--it should be read year round, not just at Easter or Christmas.

Rapunzel

Isn't every little girl fascinated by Rapunzel and her glorious hair? My 5-year-old daughter hasn't even seen Tangled but she totally knows that it exists and what story it tells. I think she has Rapunzel Radar. She's even got a Tangled nightgown (gift from a friend) and uses any excuse to make Rapunzels:

• drawing them
• making a Rapunzel salad person (a lunch time favorite in which we make "people" with our food; Rapunzel always gets LOTS of Ramen noodle hair...which then gets eaten)
• various crafts

And so forth.

If you aren't a Disney fan (or even if you are), seek out some traditional tellings of Rapunzel's story to read to your kids. Zelinsky's Rapunzel is a nice retelling, complete with a scary-but-not-too-scary witch and the ending in which Rapunzel and the prince are reunited and her tears heal his blindness. In this version, Rapunzel gives birth to twins! The illustrations are rather classical looking; in fact, this book is the Caldecott winner from 1998.

Rapunzel stories also appear in most fairy tale collections, like The Random House Book of Fairy Tales and others. Don't let Tangled be your child's only interpretation of this great story! Didn't we all want Rapunzel hair when we were little?!

The Gingerbread Boy (Paul Galdone)

My kids and I thoroughly enjoy Paul Galdone's fairy and folk tale retellings. One of our favorites of his is The Gingerbread Boy. Our infatuation with this experience *might* have had something to do with the fact that the library let me check out a big book!*

At any rate, I read this aloud hundreds of times during our 6-week relationship (of course, I renewed it). My children played games using the story concept and still talk about it months later. Highly recommended.

*a "big book" is just what it sounds like: a really big version of the book that librarians often use for story time. I think this one measured roughly 2 feet by 1 foot or so.