Fantasy: Serafina and the Black Cloak

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Evaluation of the book:
Robert Beatty, author of Serafina and the Black Cloak, experiments with different uses of language in this book. For example, Beatty attempts to use understatement to hint at Serafina’s cat-like tendencies. Words like “scurrying” (p.49) and “scampered” (p. 67) that Beatty uses to describe Serafina’s movements are not natural for humans; the reader picks up pretty quickly on the fact that Serafina isn’t a normal human. By the time the revelation of her catamount origins happens at the end of the book, the reader has (most likely) already guessed at the truth. The understatement and little hints throughout keep the reader engaged and guessing until the very end.

Unfortunately, Beatty’s forays into experimental language have a more generally awkward outcome. He tries to express the different personalities of his characters through their dialogue, but what results is his characters being so different that they don’t seem to belong in the same house. Serafina’s pa’s harsh brogue is hard to read and makes him difficult to relate to. Serafina’s dialogue changes depending on who she’s talking to; with her pa she’s rough and brogue-ish but with young master Braedan she talks perfectly normally. These inconsistencies and oversights in dialogue make the language of the novel a little discombobulating.

Finally, the vocabulary of the novel itself is inconsistent. Beatty uses words like “apocalyptic” (p. 139) when Serafina is describing a scene internally, but later in the novel Serafina doesn’t understand the word “asunder” (p. 273). The intended audience of this novel are children around the same age as Serafina. If she doesn’t understand the vocabulary used, how are they supposed to understand?

Response:
I personally was not a huge fan of this novel. I tried to imagine myself as a child reading it and, from that perspective, I can see how the thrill of the mystery of the black cloak would be enough to keep me reading. However, the inconsistencies in language, shallowness of characters, and somewhat random fantastic folklore would have frustrated me even as a young reader. A book should go beyond a thrill; there should be just a little more substance than in this one.

Conclusion:
While I don’t think Serafina and the Black Cloak is at a level of being potentially dangerous for early childhood literacy development, I also don’t see it as being a particularly useful novel when trying to help children on their reading journey. That being said, reading is important, no matter the source. If a child is attracted to the story of cat-like Serafina saving the day, by all means, let them read!

APA Style Reference:
Beatty, R. (2015). Serafina and the black cloak. New York, NY: Disney-Hyperion.

Fantasy: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

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Evaluation of the book:
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is the famous story of siblings Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy who discover the land of Narnia in the back of a wardrobe. The book is written in simple, clear prose that clearly points to children as its intended readers. The simplicity and elegance of the prose compliment the exciting and adventurous story, letting young readers enjoy the experience of reading this book without being bogged down by overly complicated writing.

In addition to the simple prose, the book is filled with little, simple illustrations. These small, black and white sketches of creatures in Narnia remind the reader that the beings described in the book are not human - they’re beavers, fauns, lions, etc. The book contains a lot of dialogue; it’s easy to forget who’s - or what’s - talking. The illustrations are a little reminder to the reader that they have entered a fantastical world, Narnia.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe contains many exemplary, virtuous characters (Mr. Tumnus, Aslan, the Beavers, Lucy, etc.) for young readers to imitate. The distinction between good and evil is clearly drawn; the witches, wolves, and ogres are the bad guys while the humans, lions, and beavers are the good guys. That being said, the book is not overly didactic in tone, it simply illustrates good vs. evil in a way that children can observe and learn from, if they choose.

Response:
As a Christian, I see (and agree with/believe in!) all the parallels C.S. Lewis draws to salvation history in this book. Aslan as a Christ figure coming to save the world from the White Witch (sin), Lucy and Susan (the women on the road to calvary) accompanying Aslan to his death, etc. The Christian overtones are hardly veiled (sacrificial death of the main character is a bit too dramatic to hide completely), but the book can also be enjoyed by non-Christians because of its engaging, fast-paced plot and its virtuous characters. Well-written and fun, even if simple, the Chronicles of Narnia is an excellent, wholesome series of books. I loved the stories as a kid; I enjoyed revisiting as an adult.

Conclusion:
Even though this book is written in simple prose and contains simple illustrations, its story is far from a simple one, nor does it attract a simple audience. Children are drawn to exciting stories like those of Narnia; C. S. Lewis does a good job hiding a few lessons in virtue in his pages so that the book might contain more than a simple story. I’d recommend this book to any child, but especially those who might be more hesitant readers. I bet a story with talking beavers, an evil witch, and heroic children could draw in even the most solid anti-reader - and the simplicity of the prose won’t scare anyone away!

APA Style Reference:

Lewis, C. S. (1994). The lion, the witch, and the wardrobe. New York, NY: HarperTrophy.

Romance: Little House on the Prairie

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Evaluation of the book:

The story of Little House on the Prairie is a familiar one to most adult readers. Little Laura travels with her family of Ma, Pa, Mary, and baby Carrie to the wild west where they settle on the prairie to begin a new life. The book shares the trials of this journey and new life from the point of view of young Laura in a simple and childlike way. The writing is simple; the book is clearly meant to be read by young children. To further encourage its younger readers, the book is illustrated every couple pages with simple, black and white sketches of Laura’s adventures. The book’s simple language and simple illustrations are an interesting way to express the more complicated story of life on the prairie, making the story approachable to a young audience.

Little House on the Prairie teaches many lessons about history to its reader. Specifically, it relates what daily life on the prairie was like from the perspective of a very young child. The child reader can learn a lot about history from little Laura. The childlike simplicity of the story makes the history approachable and helps the child reader imagine what it would have been like to live back then, on the prairie with the Ingalls.

In addition to its historical lessons, Little House on the Prairie’s pages are filled with didactic lessons on how little girls ought to behave. A couple examples: “ ‘Oh, sing it again, Pa! Sing it again!’ she cried, before she remembered that children must be seen and not heard. Then she was quiet” (p. 66); “Laura didn’t want to say anything. She wanted to keep those pretty beads. Her chest felt all hot inside, and she wished with all her might that Mary wouldn’t always be such a good girl” (p. 179); “In a minute they would have remembered, but before they did, Ma said, gently, ‘Aren’t you going to thank Mr. Edwards?’” (p. 250). For better or for worse, this didacticism makes up the heart and soul of the book.

Response:

Although Little House on the Prairie is an adorably beloved classic story, it is a bit too didactic in its tone. It is easy to tell, even for a very young reader, that the story is told by an adult who is trying to reach down to the child’s level, rather than an adult who actually understands children. That being said, the historical significance of this book is not to be overlooked. It teaches lessons of America’s history at a level that children can grasp and understand. I enjoyed this book, and the others in its series, immensely when I was growing up and I enjoyed reading it again now as an adult, despite noticing its overly didactic tone and simplistic writing.

Conclusion:

A simple telling of a complicated history is never to be overestimated. Little House on the Prairie brings life on the prairie down to a level that today’s children can imagine and learn from. Its overly didactic tone (not to mention politically incorrect descriptions of Native Americans) aside, this book is an innocent and adorable story of little Laura and her family on the prairie. Whether for school or for pleasure, young children should be encouraged to read this book to see what their ancestors had to live through in order to fulfill the American dream.

APA Style Reference: 

Wilder, L. I. (1971). Little house on the prairie. New York, NY: HarperTrophy.

Multicultural & International: Islandborn

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Evaluation of the book:

There is so much to be said when evaluating Islandborn by Junot Diaz and illustrated by Leo Espinosa. First and foremost, it is important to note the beautiful illustrations that go above and beyond the story-line. The story is simple enough: an immigrant girl named Lola needs to draw a picture of her country of origin for a school assignment but she can’t remember it, so she goes around asking other people from the same island to describe it. The illustrations show this story while also adding to it by illustrating Lola’s interpretations of the other people’s words. Her cousin describes bats as big as blankets; Lola interprets them - and the illustrations show them - as blankets-turned-bats. These gorgeous illustrations celebrate the beauty of a child’s imagination.

In addition, the illustrations show the layers of immigrant life in all its complexities. In the background of the illustrations is depicted a normal American life (buildings, houses, barber shops, schools, etc.) in normal colors. Layered on top of that life are the brightly colored images of Lola’s imaginations of the Island. The combination of the solid, steady background with the bright, exotic imaginings gives a beautiful illustration of the layers of an immigrant’s life. Both new home and old home should be celebrated together as one beautiful story-line, just as it is in this picture book.

Finally, although the illustrations are stunning and incredible, there is much to be said about the beautiful words of the story too. Most importantly, the words and descriptions are just vague and general enough that they could be applied to any child. Lola’s island is never named; it’s simply called the “Island.” Any child, whether immigrant or not, could put his own past life into that “Island” and thus relate to Lola’s story. Lola’s declaration, “The Island is me” is an important one for every child to understand. It’s a beautiful thing to embrace one’s culture, whether it’s learned through personal experience or learned through others’ experiences. We are all diverse; we come from somewhere. It’s important to celebrate that fact.

Response:

I personally don’t have any experience being an immigrant or not remembering where I come from, but living in Portland, ME and being surrounded by immigrants, this story helped me put myself in their shoes and see the beauty of the cultures I’m lucky enough to be surrounded by. I think it’s important for children to learn at a young age to celebrate diversity and to celebrate what makes them different. Islandborn is just that, a beautiful celebration of what it is to be unique and to come from somewhere special. I enjoyed every page of this book; the illustrations were stunning and the story was well written. I want to read it over and over, lingering on each page to soak it all in.

Conclusion:

Islandborn is filled with glorious illustrations of Lola’s imaginations that beautifully express cultural layers of immigrant life. The story is relevant to any child, immigrant or not, and is a celebration of diversity at its finest. All children should be introduced to this book in order to experience the beauty of diversity and the power of imagination.

APA Style Reference:

Diaz, J. & Espinosa, L. (2018). Islandborn. New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers.

Inspirational: The Rainbow Fish

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Evaluation of the book:

The Rainbow Fish is the story of a beautiful, sparkly fish who learns the importance of sharing in order to make friends and be happy. The message is simple: sharing is caring. The message is so simple, in fact, that the story could be told purely by the illustrations. In the beginning, there’s a fish with many shiny scales. Then all the fish swim away from him. Then he talks to an octopus. Then he gives a shiny scale to a little fish. Finally, all the fish in the sea each have one shiny scale. The end. This book is purely didactic.

The Rainbow Fish has an instant appeal for children because of the sparkly fish scales present on each page. The reader’s eyes are drawn to the Rainbow Fish and his beautiful, sparkly scales. The illustrations themselves are beautiful watercolors (appropriate for the underwater story!), but the shimmery scales let the child reader understand how desirable the Rainbow Fish and his shiny scales really are. The reader understands well the other fishes’ jealousy.

In contrast to the illustrations, the text itself is rather ugly. The font is basic and the bold text blocks do not fit in with the softer illustrations. Unfortunately, the ugliness of the text makes the book as a whole feel less sophisticated. Not only is the visual appeal of the text unpleasant, the writing is awkward and doesn’t flow very well.

Response:

My response to this book is very mixed. On the one hand, the message of “sharing is caring” is a good one. The Rainbow Fish learns (and teaches) an important lesson when, “His most prized possessions had been given away, yet he was very happy.” The world is filled with entitled people, especially the younger generations. This book is important because it addresses this issue and teaches children the dangers of entitlement. On the other hand, however, there are potentially dangerous traces of socialism - give everything away; be exactly like everyone else; don’t be unique - that I do not in any way agree with. In addition, the story itself seems a bit of a stretch. The wise octopus seems out of place; the annoying little blue fish comes back right at the perfect time; the other fishes immediately like the Rainbow Fish because he gives them his scales, even after he was nasty to them. These all seem a little too out of sync with reality for my adult brain. The translated language of the text is also a bit awkward, it doesn’t flow naturally. For example, the text is mostly written in third person until after the octopus incident when it too-suddenly shifts to first person: “Give away my scales? My beautiful shining scales? Never.”

Conclusion:

I loved this book as a child and definitely only remember the “sharing is caring” message and the beautiful illustrations. This book is a good tool for teachers and librarians to teach the importance of sharing and being generous with others. Children might notice the awkwardness of the language, but, as is true with me, the message and illustrations will stick with them even when the words have been forgotten.

APA Style Reference:

Pfister, M. (1992). The rainbow fish (J. A. James, Trans.) New York, NY: North-South Books.

Picture Book: The Giving Tree

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Evaluation of the book:

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein is a beloved picture book classic. Its pages are beautifully illustrated with simple line drawings drawn by the author himself. The simplicity of the black and white sketches sets the tone for the simplicity of the story and the beauty of the lesson(s) it contains.

The progression of drawings on each page pulls at the reader’s heartstrings. In the beginning, the little boy’s joy at playing with the tree is contagious; towards the end, the reader feels the old man’s exhaustion. Although simple, each page’s drawings tell a complete scene of the story; even if there were no words, the story would be understood simply by looking at the illustrations.

There are words, however, and they reflect the tone of the story line. For the happy childhood days of the boy, there are just a few words per page. The boy does something; the tree is happy. That’s all; all is simple. Then, when the boy grows up and things get more complicated for him, the pages begin to be filled with longer, more complicated blocks of text. However, whenever the boy does something, the tree is happy. The tree’s life is simpler than that of the man’s; Shel Silverstein reflects this by his simplicity of language when he states, “And the tree was happy” several times throughout the book.

Response:

This story’s meaning could be interpreted in so many different ways. Most often and possibly most obvious, it is interpreted as a message about taking one’s loved ones for granted and/or as an illustration of nature’s constant giving and man’s constant taking. However, I personally think it is also about the pains of growing up and how the very act of growing up changes relationships. I’ve learned that things aren’t as simple when you’re older; it’s easy to lose sight of how it used to be. I see this message clearly in The Giving Tree. The beautiful thing about The Giving Tree is that, no matter who the reader is, he or she will always find an important lesson or moral within its pages that reflect his or her own life. This book is absolutely stunning, both in words and illustrations. Each illustration and word just makes you want linger on each page and reflect on the beauty found therein.

Conclusion:

Even though the images and words are simple in The Giving Tree, the lessons found in its pages are many and eternal. Don’t take loved ones for granted. Nature gives; humans take. It’s the simple and little things that make us happiest. Growing up is hard. No matter who reads this book - child or adult - there is a simple lesson to be learned.


APA Style Reference:

Silverstein, S. (1964). The giving tree. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Easy Reader: Go, Dog. Go!

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Evaluation of the book:

The first page of Go, Dog. Go! might give the reader the impression that he or she is about to read a dull, instructional book that uses simple illustrations to teach simple words. In a sense, that’s exactly what this book is. However, Eastman goes about it in a way that is much more fun, poking fun at the typical instructional elements. This book has all the elements of more traditional instructional books, like simple words (colors, animals, sizes, directions) but the illustrations and words combined are not so traditional. Big dogs and little dogs don’t normally ride bicycles and push strollers; red dogs don’t normally sit on blue trees, nor do green dogs sit on yellow trees. Yet, simple words like “big,” “little,” “dog,” “red,” “blue,” “green,” and “yellow” are all usually found in instructional picture books.

The illustrations in Go, Dog. Go! are whimsical and delightful. The characters depicted- dogs of various sizes and colors - are animated and full of expression. The words taken by themselves would be senseless; the illustrations bring about meaning to words like “The green dog is up” by showing a green dog glaring at a yellow dog who has pulled him up using a pulley. These colorful, bright illustrations bring the otherwise nonsensical sentences to life… even if the resulting story is equally nonsensical!

The book seemingly contains no plot, nor even any guiding structure. The only consistency throughout the book is the four times a female dog asks a male dog, “Do you like my hat?” Each time, the female dog’s hat gets more elaborate, and each time (until the last time) the male dog says he does not like her hat. Just as the female dog’s hats get more elaborate as the book goes on, so too do the words in the book. Beginning with one or few simple words on each page, the book ends with longer exclamatory, interrogatory, and descriptive sentences. Finally, all the words learned throughout the book (think: colors, directions, and sizes) come together at a giant dog party on top of a tree. Its only at this party, when the female dog is wearing an elaborate hat made up of candy canes, fishing rods, cat toys, ribbons, a potted plant, a feather duster, and more that the male dog finally likes her hat. He likes her party hat just as the reader likes the dog party; an eccentric combination of random things makes for a thoroughly delightful hat or book!

Response:

Go, Dog. Go! is an excellent parody of more formal and traditional Dick and Jane books. By taking the traditional elements of the instructional books and mixing them together in goofy, nonsensical ways, this book ends up sticking with the reader much longer than the dull Dick and Jane stories. Developing readers want to see what happens on the next page; more challenging words are no problem when the story is so silly. The book’s language is rhythmic and the story a ton of fun; growing up, I didn’t realize how much actual information and instruction was hidden in those goofy pages!

Conclusion:

With its colorful illustrations, goofy sentences, rhythmic language, and instructional parody, Go, Dog. Go! is an important book for developing readers to feel confident in their reading abilities, and, most importantly, to have fun while doing it. Written close to 60 years ago, Go, Dog. Go! has an appeal to young readers (and a sense of nostalgia to older readers!) that has withstood - and will continue to withstand - the test of time.

APA Style Reference:

Eastman, P. D. (1961). Go, dog. Go! New York, NY: Random House.

Picture Book: The Book with No Pictures

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Evaluation of the book:

The Book with No Pictures is exactly what its name makes it out to be; a picture book with no pictures. Although words do usually play a prominent role in picture books, they usually have pictures to go with them to help tell the story. This book, however, uses only words to engage its readers. Specifically, it uses words to engage its listeners at the expense of its reader. Children normally have pictures to look at while being read to; this book flips things and engages the children in the words themselves because the words make the adult reader do and say funny things.

The bizarre words that the reader must read are distinguished from the normal narration by big, colorful fonts. This way, the children watching/listening can recognize the difference between the “normal” reading and the fun version going on in this book. The large, colorful, weird arrangements of words on a page let the observer know that something special is going on, that the words themselves are doing something different. Otherwise the listeners might think that words like “blork,” “bluurf,” and “BooBooButt” are real words.

From the perspective of the reader, the different colored and sized fonts help determine what voice/tone in which to read the words. Colorful words get special emphasis, and certain arrangements of words get special tones as is obvious by the page that announces that the listener is “THE BEST KID EVER.” The all-caps, double-paged, announcement-like arrangement guides the reader in shouting the words in an old-timey announcer’s voice.

Response:

The Book with No Pictures does a great job showing that words themselves, and the act of reading, can be more than just informational; it can be fun and entertaining. This is an incredibly important lesson for young readers to learn. However, this book’s one downside is that it has to be read out loud in order for it to have its full effect on the listener. A child looking at the book on his own won’t understand what’s going on. That being said, the book is very entertaining and I wish it had been around when I was little so I could have watched my parents read it to my siblings and me!

Conclusion:

An excellent way for children to learn the entertaining side of the written word, I heartily recommend The Book with No Pictures to anyone who reads aloud to children, whether their own or their students. By making adults “say silly things” and make “silly noises,” this book connects children to the written word in a very important way. And it’s vastly entertaining for both reader and listener alike!



APA Style Reference: 

Novak, B. J. (2014). The book with no pictures. New York, NY: Penguin Group.

Picture Book: Where the Wild Things Are

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Evaluation of the book:

Where the Wild Things Are, the story of a child named Max who is sent to his room with no supper and then goes on an imaginary journey to the land of the “Wild Things,” is a childhood classic. A whimsical story, Where the Wild Things Are contains simple written language; each page has only a few words to accompany the illustrations. However, the words that are used are melodic and help the illustrations truly sing the story. Several phrases throughout the book stick with the reader for a very long time. Specifically: “They roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws,” is repeated twice and has become the theme song of this beloved book because in its repetition of the word “terrible” it represents everything that the book depicts: a child’s anger can make anything seem terrible.

In addition to its melodic language, Where the Wild Things Are is filled with stunning illustrations depicting Max’s odyssey into his own anger and imagination. By partnering Max’s story with such visually appealing and imaginative illustrations, the author, Maurice Sendak, celebrates Max’s imagination and encourages the book’s young readers to explore their own. Most importantly, the story is told from the perspective of its illustrations, rather than its words. The words guide the reader through the illustrations, but the illustrations do the storytelling.

Building off of this, Maurice Sendak uses the size of his images to illustrate the size of Max’s anger. In the beginning, while Max is still at home, the images are small and do not take up a whole page. As he gets closer and closer to the land of the Wild Things, however, the images grow in size until, when he has arrived in the Wild Things’ domain, the images take up a full two-page spread. At the climax, when Max declares it is time for the “wild rumpus” to begin, the images take over completely and there is no more white page left for words (p.44). When Max smells his supper and begins his journey home, the images shrink in size again. The last page, when Max is calmly eating his still-hot supper, contains no illustrations at all.

Response:

Reading this book again, as an adult, gave me a severe flashback to my childhood sitting on the couch with my siblings listening to my mother read to us. Where the Wild Things Are was a childhood favorite, but now, reading it again as an adult, I can clearly see that I enjoyed it so much because in Max I saw a kindred spirit. Every child, myself included, goes through what Max went through - the cycle of anger. Not only is it personally relevant to its readers, but Where the Wild Things Are is also simply a very entertaining and beautiful book. The combination of the melodic language and gorgeous illustrations makes it very enjoyable to read. I love everything about this book and will definitely be reading it to my future children someday.

Conclusion:

Stunning illustrations, melodic language, relatable childhood experiences make Where the Wild Things Are an enduring childhood classic. Although children’s literature is filled with excellent books, I believe that this one is one of the genre’s greatest. I recommend that adults re-read this book for themselves, that parents make sure it’s on their shelves, and that children feel the connection to Max, his anger, and his Wild Things.

APA Style Reference:

Sendak, M. (1963). Where the wild things are. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.

Informational Book: Actual Size

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Type: Informational Book

Evaluation of the book:  

As a nonfiction book, Actual Size does a good job of not bogging down the reader with too many written facts. The text is composed of precise and minimal language that allows the illustrations to be the focal point of each page. The text states as minimally as possible the facts about each animal then allows the illustrations to highlight those facts. For those more keen on textual descriptions, Actual Size fills its final pages with simple paragraph descriptions of each animal. These paragraphs are simple yet interesting additions to the main text. 

Actual Size is probably most well-known for the size of its illustrations. Each illustration is a life size representation of a real and amazing animal. The life-size illustrations reinforce the text of the book. It’s one thing to read that a great white shark’s teeth are 4 inches long; it’s completely another thing to turn the page and be faced with a 4 inch long picture of a shark’s tooth. The reader of this book cannot help but understand how truly amazing each animal depicted is. 

Finally, Actual Size is a nonfiction informational book. The illustrations in Actual Size are set against a plain, white background, making the size of each image the focal point of each page. These images set against a white background establish the informational mood of the book and reinforce the information provided in the book. The simple background ensures that the reader understands the information provided; the beautiful cut paper collage images ensure that the reader wants to read the book.

Response: 

I myself learned a lot reading Actual Size. The images brought home how incredible each animal is; the illustration of the shark’s teeth shocked me and made me hope never to meet a great white in real life! Overall, I found the marriage of the text and images to make reading the book both informative and enjoyable. The descriptions were clear and minimal; the illustrations were beautiful and informative. This book is perfect for any child who is interested in animals; it’s a good introduction to animals that go beyond the farmyard. I enjoyed reading Actual Size immensely and learned some interesting facts. I could easily see myself using it for animal-themed projects and lessons as a future teacher or librarian.

Conclusion: 

Actual Size is a beautiful life-size portrayal of some extraordinary animals. An excellent nonfiction book, Actual Size is perfect for any child interested in animals, or any classroom that is studying different types of animals. The beautiful pictures bring the text to life and help children (and adults!) realize just how incredible each animal is.  

APA Style Reference: 

Jenkins, S. (2004). Actual Size. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.