Book Review: Are You My Mother? Written and Illustrated by P.D. Eastman
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Eastman, P.D. 1960 Are You My Mother? New York: Random
House. ISBN 394900189
2. PLOT
SUMMARY
The story begins with mother bird
sitting on her egg. She flies off to
find food for her soon to hatch egg.
While mother is away, the baby wonders where mother is and embarks on an
adventurous search asking the echoed question “Are you my mother? On his quest he encounters a kitten, hen,
dog, cow, car, boat, plane, and snort, before finally circling home again to
ultimately find his real mother.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The beginner series classic picture book
captures the imagination and simplicity of P. D Eastman in his first book for
children. Decades of children have read
and reread this timeless story dictated in narrative order. Each character is echoed throughout the book
to help young readers gain fluency in their reading delivery. Eastman uses anthropomorphism as he
personifies the mother bird and snort by adding a bright red bandana and
teeth-like spikes to the snort’s shovel.
The illustrations in the book are simple in
their design composition and color.
Eastman combines the use of black and brown drawings, text and bright
red and yellow colorings. The bright
yellow and red emphasize the focus to the characters in the story. The drawing of the boat and the snort add
depth and perspective to the scenery pulling the reader into the picture. You can definitely see the influences of Walt
Disney and Dr. Seuss, Eastman depicts in the illustrations.
The
setting takes place in a town as it depicts scenes that small children are
familiar with. These scenes include; a
nest in a tree, natural formations, an old car, boat on a river, farm animals, airplane,
and finally a backhoe (otherwise known as snort).
The baby bird’s dilemma is resolved when
the snort places him back home safely in his nest. The bird’s situation provides a theme of the
human condition of fearing being separated from one’s mother. This theme provides an avenue of sentiment
for the bird as he journeys to locate his mother.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT (S)
School Library Journal: Top 100 Picture Books: “I am such a big fan of the truly excellent
easy reader…that blows you away with its perfect simplicity.”
5. CONNECTIONS
*This book can be used with
kindergarten and first graders to introduce discussion about birds, or feelings
associated with being separated from a parent.
Eastman’s books are written in a simple yet profound manner that young
children can relate to.
* Other books by Eastman:
Go Dog Go! Beginner
Books Edition
ISBN 9780394800202
Robert the Rose
Horse Beginner Books Edition
ISBN 9780394800257
Snow Beginner
Books Edition
ISBN 9780394800271
The Best Nest
Beginner Books Edition
ISBN 9780394800516
I’ll Teach My
Dog 100 Words Bright and Early Books or
Beginning Beginners
ISBN
9780394800271
Flap your wings Beginner
Books Edition
ISBN 978075802430
The Alphabet
Book Pictureback Series
ISBN 9780394828183
Big Dog…Little
Dog Beginner Books Edition
ISBN 9780375822971
Book Review: Tomás and the Library Lady by Pat
Mora. Illustrated by Raul Colon
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Mora, Pat. 1997. Tomás and the Library
Lady. Ill. by Raul Colon. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 679804013
2. PLOT
SUMMARY
Based on the true story of Tomás Rivera, Tomás and the Library Lady is about the
young life of Tomás and his migrant worker family. They travel from their Texas home in the
winter to Iowa in the summer, picking fruits and vegetables for a living. As they travel, the family enjoys listening
to Papa Grande tell stories to pass time.
Tomás loves the mind pictures he creates while listening to
Papa Grande’s stories. His grandfather
tells him he too will be a great storyteller one day. Tomás discovers a library in one of the cities they are
working in. Intimidated at first by the
buildings massive structure, Tomás befriends the librarian who helps Tomás
discover the joys of reading. The
librarian is thrilled to learn Spanish from Tomás . Tomás
shares the library books with his family and is given a book as a gift from his
new friend when the family leaves to go back to their Texas home.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Pat Mora’s book Tomás and the Library
Lady is a sentimental story of a child facing the difficulties of poverty
as a migrant farm worker. The theme of
cultural contrast of Spanish and English are brought together by using the
characters of Tomás and the librarian.
The settings of the story exemplify this difference through the
simplistic natural farmlands and the large city edifice of the library. Folktales told by Papa Grande fuel Tomás’
love for stories which leads him to befriend the library lady.
Pat Mora tells the story from the limited
omniscient point of view of Tomás, creating sentiment towards Tomás
as readers are drawn into the story. Her descriptive language coupled with the
beautiful warm and rich illustrations by Raul Colon capture the essence of the
integral settings of nature, the library and imaginations of the story. Colon uses his unique scratched board
technique in the drawings. The swirls
and lines of the etched markings combined with the colors of muted yellows,
blues and browns create the feeling of dreamy mindscapes for the reader.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT (S)
School Library Journal: “…uplifting, moving
tale…inspired by true events.”
Kirkus Reviews: “A charming story about the encounter between
the boy who would become chancellor at the University of California at
Riverside and a librarian in Iowa.”
Booklist: “Perhaps the most moving picture
is that of the child outside the library door, his face pressed against the
paine…inside he is free to imagine dinosaurs and wild adventure.”
5. CONNECTIONS
*This book would make a great
introduction example to biographies or cultural studies.
*Similar titles about immigrant
workers:
Bartone,
Elisa. Peppe: The Lamplighter. Illus. by Ted Lewin.
ISBN 0688102689.
Dorros,
Arthur. Abuela. Illus. by Elisa
Kleven. ISBN 0525447504.
Book Review: The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Illustrated and written by Brian Selznick
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Selznick, Brian. The
Invention of Hugo Cabret. New York: Scholastic
Press, 2007.
ISBN 9780439813785
2. PLOT
SUMMARY
Set in 1930s Paris, the orphaned
young Hugo Cabret keeps the clocks at the train station going after his
alcoholic, timekeeper Uncle Claude disappears. The hungry Hugo resorts to
stealing food and is drawn to the intricate mechanical parts at old man Georges
Melies shop. The old man gives Hugo a
job as pay back stolen items. While
working for the man, Hugo’s father’s book of mechanics is taken and presumably
burned by the old man. Hugo befriends
the old man’s granddaughter Isabelle.
Hugo faces the danger of being caught by the Station Inspector and taken
to an orphanage. Together the two
children unlock mysteries behind Hugo’s father’s notebook and Isabelle’s
grandfather ‘s past.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Brain Selzneck’s magnificently sketched
drawings lure the reader into the adventurous story oscillating from text
format to illustrations. This genius
technique captivates young readers leaving them thirsting for more of the
story. It is no wonder the book has won
so many awards and recreated in movie form.
Selzneck’s artistic style casts a dark mood
in the settings he portrays. He is
masterful in creating a story where readers can have the vicarious experience
of Paris during dark economic times. His
story connects cultural and historic elements through his depiction of the
promise of better times through the escape of early cinema. One is captivated by his startling renditions
of scenes from the early film making masterpieces by the legendary Georges
Melies.
3. REVIEW EXCERPT (S)
Criticas Reviews: “Here is a true
masterpiece- an artful blending of narrative, illustration, and cinematic
technique, for a story as tantalizing
as is it touching.”
School Library Journal: “With characteristic intelligence, exquisite
images, and a breathtaking design, Selznick shatters conventions related to the
art of bookmaking in this magical mystery set in 1930s Paris.”
International Reading Association Children’s Choice Award
New York Times #1 Bestseller
New York Times #1 Bestseller
National Book Award Finalist
Texas Bluebonnet Book Award Nominee
2008 Caldecott Medal Award
4. CONNECTIONS
*This book can be used for lessons
in movie making, historical fiction, booktalks on award winning books, and
movie/book comparisons.
*Other books by Brian Selzneck:
Wonderstruck ISBN 9780545027892
The Boy of a Thousand Faces ISBN 9780064410809
The Robot King ISBN 9780060244934
The Houdini Box ISBN 9780689844515
The Boy of a Thousand Faces ISBN 9780064410809
The Robot King ISBN 9780060244934
The Houdini Box ISBN 9780689844515
No comments:
Post a Comment