One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies by Sonya Sones

1.  BIBLIOGRAPHY

Sones, Sonya.  2004.  ONE OF THOSE HIDEOUS BOOKS WHERE THE MOTHER DIES.  New York: Simon & Schuster.  ISBN  0689858205

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

After her mother dies, fifteen year old Ruby Milliken is sent to live with her estranged mega-movie star father, Whip Logan, in Los Angeles, California.  As Ruby navigates her way through the grief process, she must also find her way around a new city, a new school, and a new way of life.  Although her father tries to establish a relationship, she never allows him to explain his absence in her life, which causes anger and resentment towards him to grow.  It isn't until she experiences the betrayal of her best friend, suffers the loss of her first love, and the death of a fellow classmate that Ruby finally breaks down emotionally and allows her movie star father to step into the role of a loving dad.  As this new relationship is forged, the truth about her father's life as well as his attempts to be involved in hers are revealed and Ruby is finally able to establish a meaningful connection with him, as well as regain stability in her life.

3.  CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This free verse novel allows readers to delve into young Ruby's mind as she navigates through the feelings of anger, grief, insecurity, and depression.  The poems are short, usually one to two pages in length, which allow the plot to easily unfold from one page to the next.  Since there is no rhyme scheme, readers are able to gain insight from the first person narrative that is carried throughout the novel.  

Ruby's voice is first developed through the honest thoughts and natural dialogue found in the detailed language used to describe her new life in Los Angeles.  Sones effectively uses imagery and sensory words to describe what Ruby observes when she first walks into her father’s Hollywood mansion: “the floor twinkles/like something straight out of/an old Fred Astaire movie,” “a gurgling indoor fishpond,” “a fireplace big enough/to rotisserize an elephant,” and “Whip’s Oscar,/ shimmering,/ under the beam of a single spotlight.”  These descriptive words allow readers to create a vivid mental picture of the immense size and stature of her new home as well as the luxurious commodities found within.  

Sones also does a fantastic job of developing Ruby's personality and unveiling her witty sense of humor through the natural flow of free verse.  For example, readers will laugh as Ruby mocks the flight attendant's announcement to first-class passengers in her thoughts: "Would they mind returning/their empty champagne bottles/and caviar buckets/to their personal in-flight servants?" and please remove "your exclusive complimentary/American Airlines Armani bunny slippers."  Ruby's sarcastic edge is revealed in her biting remarks, as she consistently refers to her new city as "Loser Angeles," "Hell A," and "Hollyweird" throughout the novel.  This gives readers a true glimpse into the bitterness and anger Ruby feels about her life being uprooted.

Free verse is also used to show the emotional roller coaster Ruby is on as she works through her grief process.  The phrases and words chosen by Sones allow readers to experience the rich pool of feelings Ruby is wading through.  As Ruby deals with the loss of her mother, she begins writing her a series of emails.  Some readers may find the way she addresses her mother a bit strange when she writes "How are things in the casket? Not too damp, I hope" in one letter and "How are things in Decomposeville?" in another.  However, they should recognize this as Ruby's attempt to cope and make light of an otherwise tragic and devastating loss.  Although she tries to protect herself from confronting the true pain, she finally cracks from the emotional weight and, in an outpouring of her thoughts, writes "I've been thinking about how pissed I am at you.  Pissed at/ you for dying.  Pissed at you for leaving me.  Pissed at you/for wrecking my whole entire life."  These verses capture the honest and raw emotions Ruby feels, and readers will feel compassion for what this young, fifteen-year-old girl has had to endure.  The poem that best captures the complexity of Ruby’s sadness and depression is titled "Things I Am Grateful For," in which readers see nothing but a blank, empty page, symbolizing the emptiness she feels inside.

In addition to confronting the emotions of grief, Ruby must also endure the betrayal of her best friend Lizzie and beloved boyfriend Ray.  Sones uses powerful similes to allow readers to experience the emotional impact she feels after learning of the betrayal.  Ruby is crippled by the heart break as she describes “I hang up the phone,/ and shatter- / like a windshield in a head-on collision.”  This devastation is further emphasized as she says “The tears surge to my eyes,/ swelling and stinging like salty waves.” By comparing the heart break to the shattering of a windshield, readers understand how this awful and sudden devastation has broken young Ruby; the comparison to the the salty waves reveal the flood of emotions that have finally burst and now overflow.

The novel is wrapped up fairly quickly, and although the conclusion is a satisfying one, it leaves readers wishing Sones had spent more time developing the dynamics of Ruby and Whip’s newly established relationship.  By the novel's conclusion, however, readers can infer that Ruby's attitude towards her new life in California has changed significantly, as the trees, once described as "anorexic palm trees" are now seen as "graceful."  Young adult readers will enjoy many of the pop culture topics referenced throughout the novel, such as the MTV Cribs television show and various celebrities like Johnny Depp, Cameron Diaz, and Brad Pitt.   Because of the occasional use of profanity, this book is recommended for a young adult audience, ages thirteen and older.

4.  REVIEW EXCERPTS

KLIATT REVIEW: "Sones is a gifted writer of novels in poetry... YAs will love this book--for the emotional storms, for the details of life among the rich and famous, and for the basic character of Ruby--smart, responsible, resilient."

THE ALAN REVIEW: "Ruby Milliken shines as a saga unfolds from the mind of a teenager in this fast-paced novel of vibrant emotions and high drama... Sones writes with a poetic, plot-driven style magically connecting each new character to the next event. Having experienced the culture shock of Hollywood herself, Sones equates some of her experience through Ruby, causing the first-person narrative to come alive in a natural way. Young readers will be drawn to the journalistic feel, poetic set-up, and page-long chapters."

VOYA:  "It is true that the mother dies, but this hilarious and painfully real novel in verse and letters is anything but hideous... Whip Logan might be in the movies, but Sones's sparse, carefully chosen prose is the star here, conveying Ruby's conflicts of home, friendship, and family in a sympathetic, thoroughly believable manner."

5.  CONNECTIONS

* Lead a discussion with students about the phases of grief and how people cope with grief or loss.  

*Encourage young adults to read more free verse novels written by Sonya Sones

Sones, Sonya.  STOP PRETENDING.  ISBN 0060283874

Sones, Sonya.  WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN'T KNOW.   ISBN  9781442493858

* Have the class participate in "Questions for Discussion" created by the author, Sonya Sones.  These discussion questions may be found on her website at http://www.sonyasones.com/books/oneofthose/readguide.html

This Is Just To Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness by Joyce Sidman

1.  BIBLIOGRAPHY

Sidman, Joyce.  2007.  THIS IS JUST TO SAY: POEMS OF APOLOGY AND FORGIVENESS.  Ill. by Pamela Zagarenski.  New York: Houghton.  ISBN  0618616802

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

Inspired by William Carlos Williams' poem "This Is Just To Say," Mrs. Merz's class of sixth grade students decides to write their own letters of apology to those they have wronged and send it to them.  After some students receive responses, the class gathers the letters together to create a collection for a book.  With a total of eighteen apology poems and seventeen response letters, this collection consists of poems that mirror many of the topics and issues children face today in the areas of relationships, apologies, and forgiveness.  

3.  CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This specialized anthology of heart-warming and thought-provoking poems is centered on the topics of apology and forgiveness.  The majority of these poems are presented in free verse format which allows the emotion for each poem to flow freely without the constraints of a rhyme scheme or a forced ending.  This also serves to reinforce the belief Mrs. Merz continually shares with her sixth-grade students, which is that "rhymes are not as important as meaning."  Readers are also introduced to other poetic styles such as the haiku in "Haiku for Emily" and the pantoum in "Spelling Bomb."  All poetic styles contribute to the unifying themes of apology and forgiveness.

The strength of this book comes from the language and word choice used to present a variety of topics which evoke a mixture of emotions, ranging from joy and amusement to sorrow and sympathy.  Readers will find themselves chuckling at the light-hearted poems which focus on some of the students' mischievous antics, such as stealing jelly doughnuts from the school's front office, rubbing a statue's nose for good luck, and flinging dodge balls at each others' heads with a little more force than necessary.  Similes are used to bring out the playfulness and spirit in which these light-hearted poems are written, with verses such as "all those red rubber balls/thumping like heartbeats" and "The principal's eyes are like hot sparks."  This allows readers to visualize the quick action of the dodge balls as well as the explosive energy found in the principal's reaction.  Sidman adds to the readers' experience by effectively using imagery and sensory words in the poem titled "Brownies-Oops!"  The readers' senses of sight, touch, and smell are appealed to as young Maria sneaks down the stairs to steal a piece of her mother's fresh batch of chocolate brownies.  Readers will savor the fresh use of this figurative language as they read "I smelled them from my room:/ a wafting wave of chocolate-ness."  As she makes her way towards the fresh batch, Maria describes "I felt the cold linoleum/ on my bare toes/ I saw the warm, thick/brick of brownies,"and "The gooey hunks of chocolate winked at me as I gobbled them."  The use of these descriptive sensory words will draw readers in and perhaps make them feel like an innocent bystander.

To balance the collection, Sidman contrasts these playful poems with others that take on heavier, more serious topics.  Poems that delve into the issues of abandonment, acceptance, and death will tug at readers' heart strings and may even make them shed a tear or two.  To convey the myriad of emotions these adolescent writers experience, word choice plays a critical factor in their respective poems.  In the poem "It Was Quiet," readers can sense the weight of guilt a young boy carries after he and his family make the agonizing decision to put the family dog to sleep: "all my cells and nerves/ were screaming/ I'm so sorry we had to do this/ We wanted to save you some pain/ I hope we did the right thing."   In another poem titled "Spelling Bomb," young Anthony expresses his sorrow as he writes an apology to his mother for failing to win the spelling be: "I saw you turn away from me/and in that moment would have given anything/ to be your champion."  This serves as a sober reminder of the many things children do to seek the approval and love of their family and friends, and the emotional scars they endure when they believe they have failed.  Readers will feel the emotional impact of the brutal honesty and raw emotional power found within these poems.

Also, personification is used to give readers some surprising and unexpected points-of-view from a pet hamster and a lucky statue.  In "Sorry Back, from the Hamster," Sidman ingeniously creates the hamster's persona in which he describes the glory of his new found freedom, but later realizes and appreciates the comfort and security found in his cage.  This will make readers laugh at the creativity and good humor found within.  In the poem "To the Girl Who Rubs My Nose," a statue tells a little girl "I think maybe spelling/ isn't important./ Friends are important./ Kindness is important./ A gentle touch."  Personification is used in this poem to make readers think about things differently, and perhaps give them a new perspective about what truly matters in life.  This not only keeps the readers' interest, but also allows them to make a meaningful connection with the poem.

The voice of each writer is developed through the type of language found in his or her poem.  For example, Lamar responds to an apology poem written by his younger brother, DaRon.  In it, Lamar uses slang vocabulary which emulates the way he speaks: "Why you got to hide?/ Look at me, man/ I am living large as I can."  The use of free verse allows for a conversational type poem to emerge, which reinforces the personal relationship that exists between the two brothers.  Although free verse allows for the true nature of the recipient's language to be captured, it may prove controversial in several instances.  Parents, teachers, and librarians should take note of the response poem in which the Lord's name is used in vain, and the poem in which a sister is "still really/pissed off" after being stabbed with a pencil.

To capture the essence and emotional experience many of these young writers endure, the illustrator Pamela Zabarenski uses a combination of graphic techniques, collage-type images, and cartoon drawn figures.  As readers turn the pages, they see thin-lined drawings of children, dogs, and cars placed over images of rulers, pencils, and torn out notebook and graphing paper.  Paper reinforcements are used to decorate the pages of the poem pertaining to the stolen powdered donuts, which mirror the type of evidence found that led to the culprit's capture.  This clever use of school supplies in the illustrations serves to reflect the age of the young poem writers as well as the environment they work in.  The warm color palette and use of soft pastel colors reflect the tender tone woven throughout this specialized anthology.

Sidman's book also includes an introduction by the student editor, Anthony K., in which he explains the book's conception as well as its format.  A table of contents page reveals the layout, with the first half of the book containing the eighteen apology poems the class has written, and the second half containing the seventeen responses. The table of contents page also allows readers to easily locate a specific apology poem and find its corresponding response.  While some readers may find the lack of not having the apology and response poems paired together bothersome, they will enjoy the overall ease and parallel organization in which these poems are presented.  As an added bonus, Sidman includes the poem that inspired Mrs. Merz's sixth grade class to write their own apology poems, William Carlos Williams' "This Is Just to Say."  This book is recommended for children ages nine through twelve. 

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Honor Book, 2008

COOPERATIVE CHILDREN'S  BOOK CENTER CHOICES: "Joyce Sidman's wonderfully imagined collection is full of humor and tenderness, expressed in poems that offer brief yet exacting portraits of the diverse children she's created, as well as glimpses into their lives.  Pamela Zagarenski's whimsical illustrations, presented as the work of one of the students and the art teacher, along with footnotes in the voice of the fictional student editor of the compilation, add further charm to this captivating volume."

BOOKLIST: "The result is a captivating anthology of short poems in various styles touching on different aspects of life...The quirky illustrations, created with a variety of media, collage, and computer graphics, give a lighthearted feel to the anthology... Children will find much to identify with in the situations presented in the apology poems, and they'll appreciate the resolutions given in the responses."

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "Sidman's ear is keen, capturing many voices.  Her skill as a poet to young people is unmatched...  This is an important book for its creativity and for its wisdom."

5.   CONNECTIONS

*Pair this book up with another book that was also inspired by William Carlos Williams' poem "This Is Just To Say."  

Levine, Gail Carson.   FORGIVE ME, I MEANT TO DO IT: FALSE APOLOGY POEMS.  ISBN  0061787256

Then have students compare and contrast the types of poems found in each of the collections.  Then have them discuss how many times have they apologized and were truly sorry.  What were the results?  How many times have they given a false apology?  How did it make them feel?

* Have students write their own apology poems.  Author Joyce Sidman offers a step-by-step guide for students on how to craft an apology poem.  This may be found on her website at www.joycesidman.com/teachers/poetry-ideas/pn_sorry_poem.pdf

Comets, Stars, the Moon and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings by Douglas Florian

1.  BIBLIOGRAPHY

Florian, Douglas.  2007. COMETS, STARS, THE MOON, AND MARS: SPACE POEMS AND PAINTINGS. Orlando: Harcourt.  ISBN 9780152053727

2. PLOT SUMMARY

Douglas Florian presents a specialized anthology of twenty poems that provide factual and detailed information relating to elements found in space.  Topics include the different types of galaxies that exist, the planets found in the solar system, and the array of star constellations found in the night sky.

3.  CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This book is a single collection that features poems authored by Douglas Florian.  To invite readers into the amazing world of astronomy, he uses space-related terminology that many young readers may have never heard of before.  While using terms such as planetoids and asteroids, he consistently uses end rhymes as well as rhyming couplets to present readers with factual information about the planets, the sun, the galaxies, and the stars.  The short lines used in each of the poems maintain the easy rhythm throughout the book and simultaneously keep young readers' minds engaged.  Florian masterfully mixes the rhythm to fit the space-related vocabulary without sacrificing word meaning or factual information.

Alliteration is used not only to draw attention to some of the planets' distinguishing characteristics, but to also add to the enjoyment of reading these poems out loud.  For example, readers will delight in the playful verse that describes "Jupiter's jumbo/Gigantic" size.  This shows careful consideration of word play on the author's part to ensure that readers will enjoy the words rolling off their tongues.  In addition to alliteration, Florian uses whimsical language to evoke the emotions of awe and wonder.  Young readers will be mesmerized as they "gaze upon the starry sky" to see "this zoo up in the sky."  This ignites readers' curiosity and draws them into the mystical world of astronomy.  This spirit of excitement is also found in the "Jupiter" poem with a verse that reads that the planet is "So super-dupiter/Jupiterrific!"  The excitement and energy captured in this word play makes children eager to discover more of the hidden treasures found among the planets.

Humor is interspersed evenly throughout the book to add to the fun and lively spirit of the poems.  For example, young readers may chuckle when they read that "Pluto was a planet/Pluto was admired/Till one day it got fired," which refers to its loss of planetary status back in 2006.   This not only relays factual information, but also keeps the readers' attention and interest as they read through the poems.  They may also find the explanation of Mercury's quick revolutions around the sun amusing.  Mercury is described as "Always racing, on the run.../You'd run, too, so near the sun."  Using humor in this manner keeps readers engaged as they turn each page in search of the collections' next witty poem.

The incredible world of astronomy is brought to life through Florian's particular use of descriptive words to paint the planets' environments in readers' minds.   Readers can vividly picture what the atmosphere of Mars is like as it is described as "red", "rusty/sandy, rocky,/Very dusty."  They can also sense the heat and imagine the solar flares that emanate from the "Scalding-hot surface" of planet Venus.  By using descriptive words with specific details about the planets' atmosphere and surface environments, Florian appeals to the readers' senses and makes the planets come alive.

In addition to imagery, Florian uses the graphic techniques of stamping, drawings, and cut and paste images in collage-type illustrations throughout the book.  These illustrations not only provide a visually rich experience, but also help readers understand the poems and information being presented.  Each of the twenty poems is presented in a two page format, with the poem located on one side of the page and the illustrations spanning both pages.  The vibrant colors of fuchsia pink, aqua green, and rustic orange add to the energy and liveliness conveyed in the poems while the die cut pages add to the physical appeal of the book.  Readers will want to physically touch the pages and let their fingers feel the smooth edges of the die cut patterns.  While the stamping and cut and paste images are meant to keep readers engaged, they at times overwhelm the poems and distract readers from the factual information being given.  Some of the pages are cluttered and are too busy as the illustrations and poems compete for the readers' attention.  This is notably evident in the  the poem titled "A Galaxy."  Readers are distracted from the poem as their eyes dart back and forth between the irregular shapes and different sizes of the spirals, ovals, and swirls that  represent the different types of galaxies that exist.  As an added challenge, the poem is oriented in a spiral, circular-shaped format.  While this is meant to be fun for young readers, they will have a hard time reading the poem as they turn the book round and round, and the printed words begin to crowd together and reduce in size.

Although some of the collage-type illustrations are distracting, this space-themed book does a wonderful job of introducing young readers to many of the mystical and mysterious elements found in the universe.  The book is well organized and includes a wide variety of astronomical topics, such as the universe, comets, constellations, and black holes.  The table of contents page reveals that the planetary poems are arranged according to the planets' distance from the sun, beginning with Mercury and ending with the demoted Pluto.  As an added bonus, Florian has also included a "Galactic Glossary" and "Selected Bibliography" to provide more insight for each of the twenty poems in the specialized anthology.  Readers in grades four through eight will enjoy reading the fun and exciting poems aloud because of the consistent rhyme scheme used throughout the entire book.  The spirit and wonder of each of the poems will inspire inquisitive minds to venture out and learn more.

4.  Review Excerpts

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: "With cut-outs, colors, and word play Florian goes on to describe celestial bodies and ideas--from planets to black holes--with perceptions sure to set a child to wondering and longing."

KIRKUS: "Stunning mixed-media illustrations accompany a series of poems that celebrate the wonder and mystery of space."

THE BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS: "Though they’re leavened with humor, the compact verses are genuinely informative rather than jocular, providing an enticing introduction to astronomy for kids fonder of language arts than science and offering the science-inclined some gems for recitation."

5.  Connections

* Introduce students to star gazing and the major constellations through the "Constellation Hunt" game found at the Kids Astronomy website.  In the game, children are asked to find and locate a specific constellation with the click of their mouse.  The game may be found at http://www.kidsastronomy.com/astroskymap/constellation_hunt.htm.  If they have their own telescopes, have them study the night sky for a month and map out the constellations they observe.

* Get students to sing along and dance to the "Constellation Jig", which gives a fun run through of the major constellations, such as Pegasus, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.  The website can be found at http://www.kidsknowit.com/educational-songs/play-educational-song.php?song=Constellation%20Jig

* For older students, have them investigate the circumstances that brought about Pluto's demotion.  They may also conduct a more in-depth investigation of each of the planets' environments.

Three Sacks of Truth: a Story from France by Eric Kimmel

1.  BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kimmel, Eric.  1993.  THREE SACKS OF TRUTH: A STORY FROM FRANCE. Ill. by Robert Rayevsky.  New York: Holiday House.  ISBN 082340921X

2.   PLOT SUMMARY

This story is an adaptation of  the French folktale entitled THE THREE MAY PEACHES.  In Kimmel's adaptation, a dishonest king who loves peaches has promised his daughter's hand in marriage to the man who brings him the perfect peach.  A poor widow has a peach tree that blossoms once every ten years.  This year, the peach tree has produced three perfect peaches, one for each of her sons. As the first and second sons, Pierre and Pascal, embark to present their peach to the king, respectively, they are met by a lowly stranger who asks what they have hidden in their baskets.  After each one lies to the old woman, the men are shocked to find the peach has transformed into the objects they lied to the old woman about.  When Petit Jean, the wisest and kindest of the three widow's sons, meets the old woman on his journey, he answers her truthfully and as a reward, she gives him a silver flute.  She instructs him to use the flute should the king prove devious.  After the king exclaims that Petite Jean has, in fact, brought him the perfect peach, the king adds a new condition to marrying his daughter: Petit Jean must keep the king's herd of 10,000 rabbits altogether for four days, without losing a single one.  To accomplish this, Petit Jean uses the silver flute to gather all the rabbits for the king's daily count.  The king is not amused and resorts to deception in trying to lure a rabbit from the herd.  However, the king's trickery is met by Petit Jean outwitting the disguises of the princess, the queen, and even the king, and having them each perform humiliating tasks.  After successfully keeping all 10,000 rabbits together, Petit Jean must present three sacks of truth to the royal court before he is given the princess' hand in marriage.  One by one, he reveals the princess and queen's embarrassing tasks, and as he is about to reveal the king's, the king quickly interrupts Petit Jean and finally gives him his daughter's hand in marriage.

3.  CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This folktale adaptation has many of the characteristics found in traditional tales.  To set up the good versus evil conflict, the antagonist, the king, is portrayed as conniving and dishonest.  Also, two of the poor widow's sons, Pierre and Pascal, are depicted as selfish, rude, and thoughtless.  The protagonist, Petit Jean, is shown as being polite and kind, and is described in the story as being the cleverest of the three sons.  The plot of the story moves along quickly, with the first part involving the three sons' journey to present the perfect peach to the king, and the latter part describing Petit Jean's efforts to try and outwit the king as he tries to keep all 10,000 rabbits together.  

The style in which this folktale adaptation begins follows the same format in which other European folktales are told, beginning with "Once upon a time."  Although Kimmel does include the ending line they "lived happily ever after", he adds his own style twist at the story's conclusion.  He describes how scholars, throughout the ages, have tried to determine the third sack of truth, and cleverly ends the story with "Perhaps they never will."  In addition to the traditional aspects, Kimmel uses the European folktale motif of the number three heavily throughout the story: the three perfect peaches for the widow's three sons; the three notes Petit Jean plays to call the rabbits to him; the three attempts by the king to steal away a rabbit; and the three sacks of truth Petit Jean must present to the king's court.  

Robert Rayevsky's illustrations bring much of the charm and humor described in the folktale to life.   He uses a mixture of pastel and oil paintings as well as pencil drawings to establish the different settings of the story.  The enormous kingdom is drawn in intricate detail, with special attention given to the clock towers,  the building spires, and the shading found in the brickwork.  When the three sons interact with the old woman, the stranger's house is drawn as a simple cottage on a desolate cliff, high above the kingdom.  Although the exact region or location in which this story occurs is vague, the illustrations play up the idea that these events occurred in a faraway land, many years ago.

To add humor to this folktale adaptation, many of the characters are drawn as caricatures, with elongated noses and exaggerated facial features.  These illustrations help to reinforce the characteristics of the three brothers.  To reveal Pierre and Pascal's rude and selfish demeanors, Rayevsky has drawn them as scruffy faced, angry characters, with Pierre even scowling at the old woman.  Petit Jean, on the other hand, is portrayed as lanky and clean shaven, and is often shown smiling as he interacts with the old woman and king.  The colors used throughout the story alternate heavily between the white-colored, airy fields to the grey, dark brown colored walls of the kingdom.  This serves to further emphasize the conflict of good versus evil found throughout the story.

The theme of THREE SACKS OF TRUTH: A STORY FROM FRANCE stresses the importance of being kind and generous to everyone, even strangers.  It also serves to remind readers about the importance of keeping one's word.  Older children will enjoy the ease Kimmel brings to this folktale adaptation as well as the caricature drawings Rayevsky adds to bring a humorous touch to the story.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

BOOKLIST: "Kimmel's lively version of a French folktale has many of the age-old satisfying patterns...Kimmel's retelling retains the old-fashioned tone with just a touch of the colloquial ("The king could not break his promise, but he could tie it in knots"). Rayevsky's lavishly detailed paintings, rendered in warm shades of brown, express the king's ridiculous affectation and also the French peasant boy's cheerful insouciance in confronting the trappings of power."

THE BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS: "Kimmel's adaptation retains the tale's enigmatic aspect... Rayevsky's satirical art combines chalk drawings on dark backgrounds with paintings on light backgrounds for a varied sequence of double spreads. His characters are thin and angular, their postures as slyly exaggerated as their expressions. Although this story makes for a long picture book, it will satisfy both older readers and young listeners with its classic theme: underdog as hero."

PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY:  "In this crisp and sprightly interpretation, storyteller Kimmel takes full advantage of the plot's sly humor... The result is a tale that is at once traditional and fresh. Employing his typically lank figures, Rayevsky adds rich, predominantly earth-toned illustrations that emphasize character and expression with a slight ironic bite."

5.  CONNECTIONS

*Pair this up with picture books that also address the importance of honesty:

Kimmel, Eric.  ANANSI AND THE MOSS-COVERED ROCK.  ISBN 0823407985

McKissack, Patricia.  THE HONEST-TO- GOODNESS TRUTH.  ISBN  0689853955

Wood, Douglas.  OLD TURTLE AND THE BROKEN TRUTH.   ISBN  0439321093

*Have students look up the different types of regalia used by the French monarchy as well as the king's court.  What purpose did it serve?  How did it change throughout the different monarchies?  Are there any kings that should be noted for good or evil works?

*Have students describe a time they were nice to a stranger.  What were the results?  How did it make them feel?

The Three Pigs by David Wiesner

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Wiesner, David.  2001. THE THREE PIGS.  Ill. by David Wiesner.  New York, NY: Clarion.  ISBN  0618007016

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

In this fractured fairy tale, the three little pigs are able to escape the clutches of the dastardly wolf by literally escaping the pages of their traditional folktale.  As they discover their new world, they meet the cat with the fiddle from the "Hey Diddle Diddle" nursery rhyme and save a dragon from being slain in a medieval story.  After the three pigs and company wander the pages of other stories, they reinsert themselves back into the traditional telling of THE THREE LITTLE PIGS.  However, this time, when the wolf appears for his turn to blow down the brick house, he is met by the pigs' entourage and scared away.  The three pigs take matters into their own hands and rewrite the ending to their story.

3.  CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The action of the story unfolds in four locations: the traditional tale's open fields; the new, unscripted literary world; the prairie setting of the nursery rhyme, and the dragon's medieval grounds.  Wiesner invites his readers to join the humorous journey the three pigs embark on by creatively using different types of line drawings and sketches as well as watercolors and gouache to depict the various  settings in which this story occurs.  As the pigs transcend the pages of each location, the illustrator also uses distinct dimensional space features while skillfully changing the colors and textures of the characters to bring this story to life.

Although the story begins with "Once upon a time", Wiesner is able to move the traditional telling of this folktale very quickly by using a clutter of split, action frames.  He uses bold, two-dimensional lined drawings to show readers the environment in which this traditional tale occurs.  As the wolf blows down the  house made of straw, readers see the first pig flying out of a rectangular story frame, as he exclaims "Hey! He blew me right out of the story!" 

When the pig enters this new, uncharted world, readers are able to detect noticeable differences in the way he is drawn.  The fine lines and intricate details shown in his coat and facial features reveal to readers that the story has now shifted into a three-dimensional setting.  Gone are the confining story frames, and the pig finally steps into this new, empty space.  As the other characters  enter this new world, Wiesner allows them to communicate with one another by using speech balloons, a sharp contrast to the straight-forward, simple typed sentences found in the original folktale's pages.   Readers then see the pigs explore this new world among the fallen, and scattered, twisted pages of their own story.  At one point, the pigs make a paper airplane and playfully fly through several empty white pages of the book.  This continues the momentum of the story as readers must flip through the barren pages to find out what happens next.

Wiesner gives the pigs the ability to join other stories, and as they do, they take on the characteristics found in the stories' format.  For example, when the pigs join the nursery rhyme setting, they transition back into the two-dimensional environment, and are drawn with smooth lines and soft, pastel watercolors.  In the dragon's medieval setting, they are depicted in bold, black-and-white charcoal sketches.  When the dragon enters the pigs' new literary world, Wiesner brings him to life using the gouche technique, and readers are able to observe the skin texture and brilliant mixture of colors found in his scales.  As an added bonus, the dragon maintains the Old English vernacular used in his story as his speech balloon reads "Many thanks for rescuing me, O brave and noble swine."

At the story's conclusion, the three pigs, along with their new friends, re-enter the book's original folktale so they can have soup in the pig's brick home.  As the traditional tale dictates, the wolf tries to blow down the sturdy home, but to his surprise, is greeted and scared away by the gigantic dragon.  When this occurs, the dragon's head interrupts the sentences within the story frame, and the letters scatter and fall to the ground.  The pigs collect specific letters in a basket so that when readers finally turn to the last page of the book, the pigs are putting the finishing touches to their own story with "And they all lived happily ever after."

The major theme of this witty, fractured fairy tale is to remind readers that they have the power within themselves to write their own story and create their happily ever after.  This gets young readers excited about many new and wonderful possibilities.  As the saying goes "Be the captain of your own ship."  Older children will delight in the charming characters and picturesque illustrations Wiesner brings to this amusing and stimulating version of THE THREE LITTLE PIGS.  

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

2002 Caldecott Medal Award

BOOKLIST: "Wiesner's latest is a post-modern fantasy for young readers that takes Scieszka's fragmentation a step further: it not only breaks apart and deliciously reinvents the pigs' tale, it invites readers to step beyond the boundaries of story and picture book altogether."

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: " Wiesner delights in deconstructing pages of illustrations and treating them as building materials. His porkers have real personalities! They also are performers, delivering their lines in speech balloons. Their glide along the empty pages is almost brazen. Their adventure is surreal for sure, but done with joy and bravado that demand repeated visits to experience it all."

GOODREADS: "Satisfying both as a story and as an exploration of the nature of story, The Three Pigs takes visual narrative to a new level."

5. CONNECTIONS

*Show older children a "Meet the Author" video in which the author and illustrator, David Wiesner, discusses the creative process he used in making this story.  Found at www.teachingbooks.net/author_collection.cgi?id=47&a=1

*Have students read several examples of other fractured fairy tales, and have them compare and contrast them to the original folktale:

Hartman, Bob.  THE WOLF WHO CRIED BOY.  ISBN  0142401595

Shaskan, Trisha Speed. HONESTLY, RED RIDING HOOD WAS ROTTEN!  THE STORY OF LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD AS TOLD BY THE WOLF.  ISBN  1404870466

Trivizas, Eugene.  THE THREE LITTLE WOLVES AND THE BIG BAD PIG.  ISBN  068981528X

*Afterwards, invite students to write their own fractured fairy tales.  Use the International Reading Association's Read, Write, and Think website to help them start and then develop their story.  The website may be found at www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/fairytales/