Module 6: Picture books

This picture book tells the story of a young hyena named Pinduli who is teased about her appearance by other East African savanna dwellers. As Pinduli makes her way across the desert, she encounters different animals and as each teases some aspect of her appearance, she tries her best to hide it. As Pinduli makes her way back home with her ears flattened and coat dusted in pale sand, the animals who previously made fun of her become terrified. At first Pinduli doesn't understand and then she realizes that the other animals think she is a spirit. After this realization, she plays a trick on the other animals and convinces them to confront the animals that teased them. By the end of the story, the animals have made peace with one another and Pinduli and her mother no longer have to scavenge for food.

Cannon, J. (2004). Pinduli. New York: Harcourt Inc.

Picture credit: http://questgarden.com/28/51/3/061104082445/

Impressions:

I fell in love with this book right away. The story is incredibly sweet and clever and the art is really entrancing. Even though Pinduli is a hyena, she has the same feelings and insecurities that a normal child would have. She is concerned with her appearance, especially after other animals tease her. What really added the human aspect to Pinduli, however, was the line about her mother always telling her she was the most beautiful hyena (something most mothers would tell their little girls). In addition, the art really captured the emotion and spirit of the story. Pinduli's expression of dismay is perfectly drawn on her sweet hyena face and the disappointment she feels is practically tangible. I really enjoyed the way she tricks the other animals but instead of being malicious, she finds a way to make the animals stop being mean to one another.

Reviews:

"After sleeping through the hot East African afternoon, it is time for Mama Hyena and her child to go hunting. Pinduli promises to stay close by, but then trots off. She comes across a pack of wild dogs, a lion, and a zebra, and all tease her about her looks. She rolls in the dirt until her striped coat is a pallid gray and her ears are pinned back. The animals think that she is a "ghost" that has come for them. All of the creatures then confess that they teased the young hyena because another animal had made fun of them. The "ghost" understands and advises them to "find your tormentors and make peace-. And always leave a bit of every meal as an offering." By story's end, the animals have reconciled, and with all the food offerings left, Pinduli and her mother never have to scrounge around looking for meals. The animals' expressions and antics are hilarious and endearing; Cannon has pulled off quite a feat in creating a cuddly hyena protagonist. This touching book about personal growth and self-acceptance gently demonstrates how the actions of one can have far-reaching effects on many others. An appealing and worthwhile purchase”—Oluonye, M.N. (2010). No title. [Review of the book Pinduli by J.Cannon]. Library Journals. Retrieved from Bowker’s Books in Print

“Cannon, best known as the author/illustrator of Stellaluna (1993), here introduces Pinduli, a little hyena who lives in East Africa. One afternoon, Pinduli encounters a pack of wild dogs that make fun of her ears, a bald lion that calls her fur a prickly fringe, and a zebra that criticizes the haziness of her stripes. After transforming her flaws as best she can, Pinduli inadvertently tricks these animals into thinking that she is the Great Spirit. They confess their misdeeds and agree to make amends. Children will find Pinduli's hurt feelings understandable and her quick thinking admirable. The artwork, executed in colored pencils and acrylics, uses a restrained palette in the large pictures depicting the main story on the right-hand pages. On the left, below the text, a series of small ink drawings create a visual counterpoint by showing what Pinduli's mother is doing while events unfold. A four-page endnote discusses the various species of hyenas and their characteristics. Though a bit purposeful, the story may give teachers and parents a starting point for discussing insults.” –Phelan, C. (2004). No title. [Review of the book Pinduli by J. Cannon]. Booklist. Retrieved from Bowker’s Books in Print.

Suggestions:

This book would be a really terrific story time book and would also work really well for a number of short lessons. Librarians can use this story as a jumping off point for younger children and older children about insecurities and peer pressure. In addition, this story also has a little bit of a African folk-story feel to it so other books about African folk-tales would work well in a unit. At the back of the book, Cannon also includes a small summary of each of the African animals she includes in the story. Librarians can use this book as an introduction to African wildlife and will also fit in with a display of other African wildlife.

Module 5: Other Award Winners

Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes is a Coretta Scott King award-winning book about Hurricane Katrina and the impact it had on the Ninth Ward of New Orleans. The story revolves around a young girl named Lanesha who is orphaned at birth and taken in by Mama YaYa--the local healer. Although this book is set in 2005 and is based on real historical events, Mama YaYa's premonitions and Lanesha's ability to see ghosts adds an element of the supernatural. Lanesha's character is resilient and her ability to see people and things beyond what is really there does not just include ghosts. The story begins a short time before Hurricane Katrina and includes a cast of realistic characters that make up the New Orlean's Ninth Ward. The hurricane hits, the fear is tangible, and somehow the characters survive.
Rhodes, J.P. (2010). Ninth ward. New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
Picture Credit: http://asunews.asu.edu/20100804_ninthward

Impressions: From the get-go, this book is attention grabbing. The cover art is beautiful and rich and depicts the steadfast spirit of a community no matter what comes its way. The story itself is also award-worthy; Lanesha's character is believable and lovable all at once and it is her narrative that connects the reader so deeply to the story. Rhodes captures the spirit of the community perfectly in her words by describing neighborly interactions with precision. The pages in which Hurricane Katrina makes landfall and passes through New Orleans is accurate in a way that only someone who has survived a hurricane can understand, and the description of life after the storm is rich enough in detail that any reader can understand. What struck me the most about this story, however, is that Rhodes writes towards a younger audience so her writing is simple and therefore storyline seems fairly straight-forward; as an adult though, the complexities of the characters is astounding and even some of the underlying themes made me stop and think.

Reviews:
"Communicating with ghosts, including the spirit of her mother who died giving birth to her, is a gift that Lanesha, 12, has had for as long as she can remember. The girl's beloved caretaker, Mama Ya-Ya, a midwife and healer, has a gift that allows her to predict the future. When she begins to sense that a big storm is coming to their much-loved New Orleans neighborhood, both she and Lanesha must trust in their senses and in one another to survive. Lanesha is a wonderful character who exudes resilience and fortitude in the face of a catastrophe as well as a personal vulnerability in terms of her status as an orphan and an outsider. Words, numbers, and colors as seen through her eyes show the magic and wonder that exist in everyday things. The unique writing style even allows the unlikely combination of elderly Mama Ya-Ya's heady scents of Vicks Vapor Rub and Evening in Paris perfume to seem wonderful and inviting. Although the outcome of Hurricane Katrina is known, the clever writing allows the unavoidable tragedy to unfold in such a haunting and suspenseful manner that the extreme sense of foreboding and ultimate destruction is personalized and unforgettable. Heartbreak and hope are reflected in Lanesha's story, which will capture even reluctant readers due to the inventive storytelling and the author's ability to bring history to life."--Aguste, M. (2010). No title. [Review of the book Ninth ward by J.P. Rhodes]. Library Journals. Retrieved from Bowker's Books in Print.

"New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina is the setting for this tense novel that blends the drama of the catastrophic storm with magic realism. Twelve-year-old Lanesha's teenage mother died while giving birth to her, and, because her mother's wealthy uptown family won't have anything to do with her, she is raised in the Ninth Ward by loving Mama Ya-Ya, 82, who feels like her mother and grandmother both. Born with a caul over her eyes, Lanesha is teased at school, but she is strengthened by her fierce caretaker's devotion and by a teacher who inspires Lanesha to become an engineer and build bridges. Lanesha also has second sight, which includes an ability to see her mother's ghost. As the storm nears and the call comes for mandatory evacuation, Mama Ya-Ya envisions that she will not survive, but Lanesha escapes the rising water in a small rowboat and even rescues others along the way. The dynamics of the diverse community enrich the survival story, and the contemporary struggle of one brave child humanizes the historic tragedy"--Rochman, H. (2010). No title. [Review for the book Ninth ward by J.P. Rhodes]. Booklist. Retrieved from Bowker's Books in Print.

Suggestions:
This book would go really well in a display about (recent) historical fiction or in a display with other fiction books about natural disasters. This book could also be used in a book club to discuss cultural differences as well as to understand what it is like on the other side of a natural disaster--to put faces and people to something only spoken about abstractly.


The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano, written by Margarita Engle, is a Pura Belpre award-winning book about the life of Cuban-born Juan Francisco Manzano. This story begins with Manzano's early life as a "pet" to his owner, Dona Beatriz. Because of his amazing ability to memorize verses and recite them at length, he become something of a prize or trophy and she shows him off as one. Once she dies, Manzano remains a slave and ownership is passed to the dangerous Marquesa de Prado Ameno. The Marquesa is a venomous women who does not allow Manzano to express himself through reading or writing and he is horrifically abused.

Engle, M. (2006). The poet slave of Cuba: A biography of Juan Francisco Manzano. New York: Henry Holt & Co.
Picture credit: http://www.sunprairiepubliclibrary.org/Memoirs.html

Impressions:
I found this book to be simultaneously wonderful and horrid. The subject matter is difficult and Engle is to be applauded for the way she handles it. Although she does not dance around the descriptions of violence, her prose written in verses helps to alleviate some of the heaviness while not distracting the reader from understanding what is going on. I think this book is important for young readers. The character of Manzano is so carefully constructed and the narrative allows the reader to understand the situation from a first-person perspective. Young readers should be made aware of slavery and I can think of no better book to do this.

Reviews:
"This is an absolutely lovely book about the unlovely subject of slavery. It is the biography of an extraordinary young man, with extraordinary intellectual powers, who was born into slavery in Cuba in 1797. Told in verse, it recounts the sufferings and trials of Manzano. As a boy, he was capable of memorizing and reciting poetic verses in many different languages. He could recount epic tales read to him, and in this way served as the entertainment for his mistress and her many guests. Later, when he became the property of a crueler mistress, his talents helped him endure numerous beatings and confinements. It is amazing that he was able to survive, and even more astonishing that he was able to maintain his humanity and his sensitive poetic nature. Manzano's sufferings are almost too painful to read about, but the experience is made bearable by Engle's skillful use of verse. Qualls's drawings are suitably stark and compelling, wonderfully complementing the text. This is an exceptional book on two levels. First, it introduces Manzano to an American public. Second, it introduces readers to slavery as it was practiced in a country other than the United States. Both are noteworthy. This is a book that should be read by young and old, black and white, Anglo and Latino.”—Collins, C.J. (2010). No title. [Review of the book The poet slave of Cuba: A biography of Juan Francisco Manznao]. Library Journals. Retrieved from Bowker’s Books in Print.

“This lyrical biography of a little-known African Cuban slave highlights a seldom scrutinized period in Cuban history and is told in seven voices: that of the poet himself, his white owner, his owner's son, the poet's biological parents, the poet's godmother, and the plantation overseer. The poet slave was born into the household of a wealthy plantation and slave owner in Cuba in 1797, and although he is denied an education, he is a bright and observant child who learns much by watching others. Early on, he demonstrates a remarkable talent for poetry. Juan's original owner is kind, indulges him, and calls him her own baby, but she often treats him more like a pampered pet. She eventually grants him his freedom, but upon her death, Juan's godmother, a cruel and capricious woman, takes arbitrary control and continues his enslavement, making the young man's life a hellish ordeal. Despite years of physical and mental abuse, Juan's ever hopeful spirit remains strong and focused on attaining his freedom. Eventually and against all odds, the courageous youth makes his getaway on horseback. Juan's literary genius is evident in the excerpts of his poems and although many of his autobiographical notes have been lost, it is known that he became an inspiring and influential writer much admired for the intrinsic beauty and sensitivity of his works and for his profound honesty and goodness. In impassioned and eloquent free verse, Engle captures not only the deep sensibilities of the various characters but also the enervating atmosphere of nineteenth-century Cuba. This captivating and bittersweet book is an exultant hymn to the resilience and strength of the human spirit, and it will make an wonderful addition to any young adult collection”—Culberson, D. (2006). No title. [Review of the book The poet slave of Cuba: A biography of Juan Francisco Manznao]. Voice of Youth Advocates. Retreived from Bowker’s Books in Print.

Suggestions:

This is a difficult book to make suggestions for because the content is so difficult. For the most part, I don’t think children under the age of 13 or 14 should read this book because of the violence and graphic nature of some parts. I think it would be best used in a program involving the creation of free verse and the way it works to convey messages/ stories that may be difficult to write about otherwise.

Module 4: Newbery Winners

The Witch of Blackbird Pond, by Elizabeth George Speare, is a great historical fiction novel for young adults. The story is set in the 1700s and centers around a young girl named Katherine (Kit) who is forced to leave her sunny and carefree life in Barbados for a significantly different one in the Puritan community of Wethersfield, Connecticut. As Kit realizes how different she is from those around her, she also begins to understand how dangerous being different can be in the small community. As Kit, time and time again, shocks those in her new life by doing everything from swimming to acting out scenes from the Bible she is seen as an outcast. Because of this judgment, Kit becomes friends with Hannah Tupper, a Quaker who is also believed to be a witch. This means trouble for both Kit and Hannah and the two eventually become the target of a type of witch-hunt.

Speare, E.G. (1958). The witch of blackbird pond. New York: Houghton Mifflin.
Picture credit: http://www.tower.com/witch-blackbird-pond-elizabeth-george-speare-hardcover/wapi/101806330

Impressions: My immediate impression of this book was: classic. I know a lot of people (both teachers and students) who are familiar with this book through required reading. I never read it, however, so I was eager to catch up on a book I missed. This story surpassed my expectations and I enjoyed it immensely. Although it is a historical fiction novel, the character of Kit is very easy to relate to and realistic. Because Kit is a stranger to the Puritan community of Wethersfield, it helps the reader become attached to her and we are able to explore Puritan life through a character who is also unaccustomed to it. This, of course, is what the Newbery award is about. Speare writes a story that is believable because the characters are so realistic, and at the same time she teaches her readers a little history. The story, as I expected, also wrapped up neatly by the end of the book. Everything seemed to work out in the end--Hannah gets away safely, Kit and Nat end up together as do John and Mercy. Although it was realistic for historical fiction, I felt that the ending was just a little too neat and polished.

Reviews:
"The setting is the Colony of Connecticut in 1687 amid the political and religious conflicts of that day. Sixteen-year-old Kit Tyler unexpectedly arrives at her aunt and uncle's doorstep and is unprepared for the new world which awaits her. Having been raised by her grandfather in Barbados, she doesn't understand the conflict between those loyal to the king and those who defend the Connecticut Charter. Unprepared for the religious intolerance and rigidity of the Puritan community, she is constantly astounding her aunt, uncle, and cousins with her dress, behavior, and ideas. She takes comfort in her secret friendship with the widow, Hannah Tupper, who has been expelled from Massachusetts because she is a Quaker and suspected of being a witch. When a deathly sickness strikes the village, first Hannah and then Kit are accused of being witches. Through these conflicts and experiences, Kit comes to know and accept herself. She learns not to make hasty judgments about people, and that there are always two sides to every conflict. There are several minor plots as well, including three romances, which help to bring this time and place to life." Moffet, M.C. (2003). No title. [Review of the book The witch of blackbird pond by E.G. Speare]. Retrieved from Bowker's Books in Print.

"Forced to leave her sunny Caribbean home for the bleak Connecticut Colony, Kit Tyler is filled with trepidation. As they sail up the river to Kit's new home, the teasing and moodiness of a young sailor named Nat doesn't help. Still, her unsinkable spirit soon bobs back up. What this spirited teenager doesn't count on, however, is how her aunt and uncle's stern Puritan community will view her. In the colonies of 1687, a girl who swims, wears silk and satin gowns, and talks back to her elders is not only headstrong, she is in grave danger of being regarded as a witch. When Kit befriends an old Quaker woman known as the Witch of Blackbird Pond, it is more than the ascetics can take: soon Kit is defending her life. Who can she count on as she confronts these angry and suspicious townspeople?

A thoroughly exciting and rewarding Newbery Medal winner and ALA Notable Children's Book, Elizabeth George Speare's The Witch of Blackbird Pond brings this frightening period of witch hysteria to life. Readers will wonder at the power of the mob mentality, and the need for communities in desperate times--even current times--to find a scapegoat."--Coulter, E. [Review of the book The witch of blackbird pond by E.G. Speare]. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0395071143/ref=dp_proddesc_1?ie=UTF8&n=283155

Suggestions:
This book would work especially well in a unit about early American life, Puritan life, and the early American fear of witches/ witch hunts. This would also be a really good book for a display of Newbery Winners or historical fiction.

The Tale of Despereaux is a Newbery award winning book written by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by Timothy B. Ering. This four part book begins with the story of Despereaux Tilling, a small large-eared mouse who falls in love with the human Princess Pea and is sent to the dungeon because of how different he is from other mice. The second part of the book is the story of Roscuro, a rat that loves light and is forced back into a life of darkness in the dungeon when he falls into the Queen's soup which causes her to die of a heart-attack and all the rats to be hunted. The third part of the book revolves around a peasant girl named Miggery Sow who is sold into slavery and beaten by her owner. She is then taken to work at the castle where she desperately wants to wear Princess Pea's crown and is later manipulated by Roscuro to kidnap the princess. The fourth part of the book ties the story together in a way that weaves all the characters to each other and allows for a happy resolution for each.

DiCamillo, K. (2003). The tale of Despereaux. Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.
Picture credit: http://childrensbooksforparents.com/the-tale-of-despereaux/

Impressions:
I picked this book because I know many people who have read it but have never been able to read read it myself. I watched the movie with my niece and enjoyed it and was expecting something totally different from the book. When I started reading it I was a little apprehensive, however once I got further along I realized that I enjoyed it a great deal more than the movie. The characters were very intricate and well thought out and despite the fact that two of the four were rodents. DiCamillo's use of the underdog-as-hero formula worked really well with the traditional hero story nuances that laced the story. For me, this made the book all the more appealing. Even though the end of the story resolved happily for each main character, I think that DiCamillo avoided the saccharine happy ending by inserting other, darker elements earlier in the story.

Reviews:

"With allegorical elements such as quests for love and light, and dangerous encounters that lead to forgiveness and redemption, Kate DiCamillo's novel (Candlewick, 2003) is a multi-layered fantasy. The hero is Despereaux Tilling, a young mouse who is improbably, but deeply, in love with a very human Princess Pea. On the dark side, there's a misguided rat named Roscuro and a serving girl, Miggery Sow, who wishes to be a princess. The traumatic events that shape the lives of these four characters, and bring them all to the brink of disaster, are resolved with some gentle lessons on the power of kindness."--Wysocki, B. (2004). No title. [Review of the book The tale of Despereaux by K. DiCamillo]. School Library Journal. Retrieved from Bowker's Books in Print.

"Forgiveness, light, love, and soup. These essential ingredients combine into a tale that is as soul stirring as it is delicious. Despereaux, a tiny mouse with huge ears, is the bane of his family's existence. He has fallen in love with the young princess who lives in the castle where he resides and, having read of knights and their ladies, vows to honor her. But his unmouselike behavior gets him banished to the dungeon, where a swarm of rats kill whoever falls into their clutches. Another story strand revolves around Miggery, traded into service by her father, who got a tablecloth in return. Mig's desire to be a princess, a rat's yen for soup (a food banished from the kingdom after a rat fell in a bowl and killed the queen), and Despereaux's quest to save his princess after she is kidnapped climax in a classic fairy tale, rich and satisfying. Part of the charm comes from DiCamillo's deceptively simple style and short chapters in which the author addresses the reader: Do you think rats do not have hearts? Wrong. All living things have a heart. And as with the best stories, there are important messages tucked in here and there, so subtly that children who are carried away by the words won't realize they have been uplifted until much later. Ering's soft pencil illustrations reflect the story's charm"--Cooper, I. (2003). No title. [Review for the book The tale of Despereaux by K. DiCamillo]. Booklist. Retrieved from Bowker's Books in Print.

Suggestions:

In my opinion, this book is a perfect mix of realistic elements, fantasy, with a heavy dose of traditional hero/epic elements. Because of this I think The Tale of Despereax would be a perfect fit in a display of heroic tales across the spectrum. The library could even have a hero night, where the kids could dress up as heroes--from superheroes, to firemen, to good old fashioned knights.

Module 3: Caldecott Winners

Golem is a Caldecott award-winning book written and illustrated by David Wisniewski and published in 1996. This beautifully illustrated book is based off of an old Jewish folk tale about a rabbi, out of desperation and fear for his people, creates a man out of clay and brings him to life. The man, Golem, protects the Jewish people of Prague from their enemies but after his job is complete he is reluctant to return to clay. After threats from the powers in Prague, the rabbi has no choice but to return Golem to nothing more than clay. The back page contains notes on the origins of the story of Golem as well as the influences it has had on other literature.

Wisniewski, D. (1996). Golem. New York: Clarion Books.
Picture Credit: http://kveller.com/activities/Books/classic-books-9.shtml


Impressions: This book caught my attention immediately for several reasons. The title, Golem, alluded to a kind of folklore that I had heard of before but did not have any real knowledge of. In addition, the art struck me as unique and even from the cover I could tell that the art would play an vital role in the story. As I read through the story, I was impressed with amount of detail in the illustrations. Not only are they unique, made of layered paper/cardstock, each one conveys a great deal of emotion and the dark drama that runs through the story. Although many of the pictures are forward facing illustrations, one takes an aerial perspective and the reader seems to be looking down at the scene rather than directly at it. The golem's face, although made out of clay, is one of the most emotional and fear-inspiring illustrations I've ever seen in a children's book and the constant imagery of flames and lightning that surround him have a definite sense of movement and only add to the reader's perspective of the golem. In addition, the story itself is filled with words from the Hebrew language and ripe with Jewish culture--a treat for those unfamiliar with it.

Reviews:

“Wisniewski's large picture-book version is stark and terrifying. His extraordinary cut-paper collages show and tell the shape-shifting and changing perspectives that are the essence of the story. Chanting spells from the holy books of the Cabala, the rabbi creates the giant, whose task is to protect the Jews and catch those planting false evidence of the Blood Lie. When the mob storms the gates of the ghetto, the golem is a huge Frankenstein monster who smashes the people and their weapons. But Wisniewski adds an element of melancholy to the creature (just as Mary Shelley did). This golem can talk, and when his work is done, he begs to be allowed to go on living. The pictures of the desperate giant trying to prevent his hands and face from dissolving are scenes of horror and sorrow. Wisniewski ends with a long, detailed background note about the religious roots and folklore and about the history of Jewish persecution through the ages.” Rochman, H. (1996). No title. [Review of the book Golem by D. Wisniewski] Booklist. Retrieved from Bowker's Books in Print.

The much honored cut-paper master (Sundiata, 1992, etc.) turns his attention to a retelling of the story of the Golem, created by a chief rabbi, Judah Loew, to defend the Jews against the ‘Blood Lie’ (that Jews were mixing the blood of Christian children with the flour and water of matzoh) of 16th-century Prague. Like Rogasky's book, Wisniewski's exposes the slander that was embraced and widely promulgated during the Holocaust years. Loew's Golem--a sort of simple yet powerful giant made of clay with the Hebrew word emet (truth) on his forehead--is named Joseph and charged to ‘guard the ghetto at night and catch those planting false evidence of the Blood Lie . . . and bring them unharmed to the authorities.’ In Wisniewski's story, the Golem turns back the rampaging masses who want to destroy the Jews of Prague and is eventually returned to the clay from which he sprang. The cut-paper collages are exquisitely produced and exceedingly dramatic. There is menace and majesty in Wisniewski's use of color, and he finds atmosphere and terror in a scissor's stroke. A fact- filled final note concludes this mesmerizing book” (1996). No title. [Review of the book Golem by D. Wisniewski] Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved from Bowker's Books in Print.

Suggestions: The pictures in this book can be a little frightening and the story too laden with adult-themes at times, so I would caution against using it with younger children in a story time. I think it would be wise to use your judgment as to the readiness level of kids to hear this story. Once that has been established, this story can be used several ways: the illustrations can be used to inspire kids to make their own cut-paper illustrated stories or it can be a discussion starter concerning the themes running through this particular story and how they compare to other folk-tales (or even Mary Shelley's Frankenstein)

Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions, written by Margaret Musgrove and illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon, is a beautiful book with a different take on the ABCs. Each page includes a letter of the alphabet (in order, of course) with an African tribe that begins with that letter and is accompanied by a wonderfully intricate illustration that emphasizes the traditions of that particular tribe. Also included are a few short sentences that describes tribal traditions that range from family, to clothes, to singing.

Musgrove, M. (1992). Ashanti to Zulu: African traditions. New York: Dial Books.

Picture Credit: http://www.eighthdaybooks.com/products/Ashanti_to_Zulu_African_Traditions_Picture_Puffin_Books-27102-123.html

Impressions: The cover of this book, much like Golem, caught my eye right away. The cover alone is award-winning; the colors are rich and vibrant and the individuals immediately bring to mind old tribal masks and costumes. Musgrove does a terrific job with the ABCs, describing African people and traditions that are both familiar and unfamiliar. Her words weave together a kind of story of nation rich with traditions and culture and allow the reader to experience a way of life that he or she may not have known about before. Once I started flipping through the pages, however, it became apparent that this book deserved the Caldecott award--the nearly full-page illustrations by Leo and Diane Dillion are beautiful but not just in an innovative or pretty way. Each drawing is carefully detailed and done with such precision that the individuals (even though they're just illustrations) have an air of stateliness that you can't help but respect. The colors and shapes are reminiscent of older, authentic tribal drawings, masks, and costumes, meaning that the Dillons' have done their homework and the art is true to African tradition and culture. If Musgrove's words take you to Africa, the Dillons' drawings cement the journey and trust me, it's one that is worth taking.

Reviews:
"From A to Z, an authentic portrait of 26 African tribes, stunningly illustrated by winners of the 1976 and 1977 Caldecott Medal. The magnificently composed pictures are warm with the tones of the earth and rich with authentic details of African life. Their stylized elegance manages to capture both the variety and vitality of African tribal life. The research done by both author and illustrators is obvious throughout." --Retrieved from Bowker's Books in Print

"Another virtuoso performance...Such an astute blend of aesthetics and information is admirable, the child's eye will be rewarded many times over." --Booklist as retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Ashanti-Zulu-African-Traditions-Picture/dp/0140546049/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298433368&sr=8-1

Suggestions:
I think this book would make a terrific story time book for older kids, and it would work especially well for an art project. It would be good inspiration for children to make their own ABC books about a subject they really like and then create illustrations to go with each letter. This project could last over a span of several weeks, perhaps by doing only 5 letters at a time. The end results could be displayed around the library for other patrons to see.