Traditional Literature

Book Review: THE GIRL WHO LOVED WILD HORSES

1. Bibliography
Goble, Paul. 1978. THE GIRL WHO LOVED WILD HORSES. New York. Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0027365700

2. Plot Summary
THE GIRL WHO LOVED WILD HORSES is about a Native American girl’s love of her tribe’s horses. Every day the little girl helps tend to the horses and the people begin to see that she understands the horses in a special way. One day she decides to take a nap and wakes up to a terrible storm coming. She jumps on a horse’s back and is led far away to safety, but quickly gets lost. When she awakes, a beautiful stallion welcomes her to live with the horses and she accepts. After her tribe searches for her for several years, they find her and bring her back to the village. However, she is not happy and becomes very ill from missing the horses. Eventually her parents allow her to go live with the horses. Occasionally she comes back to visit her village, but she ultimately never returns because she becomes a beautiful stallion.

3. Critical Analysis
In this folktale, Paul Goble does a wonderful job of portraying the Native American culture through the eyes and experiences of a young girl. The character is a blank slate that the readers can identify with because of her caring nature and her love of animals. Readers are presented with the themes of choices and transformations through the actions of the young girl. The themes occur in the present lives of children and in the future as they too may leave their family and transform themselves. Paul Goble’s illustrations are traditional paintings that portray the Native American heritage. On each page he emphasis different themes of nature with bold colors.

4. Awards won:
1979 Winner of the Caldecott Medal
ALA Notable Children’s Book
NCSS/CBC Notable Children’s book in the Field of Social Studies
One of the Children’s Books of the year, chosen by the Library of Congress

Review Excerpt(s)
Publishers Weekly Review- “PW called this story a moving and many-faceted story about extremely well-created characters.''

School library Journal Review- “Paul Goble's beautifully-told, Caldecott Award-winning book (S&S, 1978) receives a fine treatment in this book and tape set.” “This would make a good listening center for units on Native Americans, art, or horses.-Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary School, Federal Way, WA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

5. Connections
Other award winning books by Paul Goble could be read to do an author study or to study more about different types of Indians of North America and their culture. This could include:
Buffalo Woman. ISBN 0027377202
The Gift of the Sacred Dog. ISBN 0020432801
The Great Race: of the Birds and Animals. ISBN 0027369501
Star Boy. ISBN 0027226603


Citations for Reviews:
Dallas Public Library. http://www.dallaslibrary2.org/. Accessed June 23, 2010.

Dallas Independent School District Online Public Access Catalog. http://www2.youseemore.com/dallasisd/Default.asp?. Accessed June 23, 2010.

Book Review: YEH-SHEN: A CINDERELLA STORY FROM CHINA

1. Bibliography
Louie, Ai-Ling. 1982. YEH-SHEN: A CINDERELLA STORY FROM CHINA. New York. Philomel Books. ISBN 039920900

2. Plot Summary
In this Cinderella story set in China, Yeh Shen is an orphan who is raised by her cruel and jealous stepmother and ugly stepsister. Yeh Shen has no friends other than a fish that she feeds daily. One day her stepmother finds out about her fish and sneakily catches and kills it for dinner. When Yeh-Shen discovers what has happened she becomes very upset, but an old man appears who tells her to retrieve the bones of her fish because they have magical powers. Soon it was time for the spring festival where young men and women would go to hopefully find their spouse. Yeh-Shen longed to go but was forbidden. She asked the bones of her fish if she could attend and away she went. Everyone was struck by her beauty but she became frightened and ran away when she heard her step mother and sister wonder if it was her. As she ran she lost one of her slippers and she returned to her original state. When the slipper was found, it was sold to the king who goes in search of the owner. When he discovers her they fall in love. In the end the stepmother and sister are not permitted to come to the King’s palace and they perish by being crushed by stones in their cave.

3. Critical Analysis
In this Cinderella variant, readers who are familiar with the story of Cinderella can see the similarities and differences of the character and of the plot. The character’s roles are the same in that there is still a beautiful and kind orphan who is treated unkindly by her evil stepmother and sister. In addition, the plot and outcome remain the same, that the protagonist falls in love, and the antagonists are shamed or foiled. The elements of Chinese culture found in the story make it an interesting contrast to the familiar western version. Yeh-Shen’s friend is a fish, versus the original Cinderella story where her friends are mice and other animals. In addition, an old man reveals knowledge (he tells her about the powers of her dead fish bones) instead of a fairy godmother granting her wishes. The story ends with a somewhat violent ending for the evil characters, which may need to be addressed depending on the audience’s age.

Ed Young’s illustrations are truly breathtaking and do an excellent job of showing the Chinese culture. Using soft watercolor like paintings and soft lines Ed Young paints his illustrations set in panels like that of a folding screen. This unfolds the story for the reader likes the scenes of a movie. A constant theme that is seen is a fish motif on almost every page. When the old man rises into the sky his tail looks like a fish and Yeh-Shen is transformed into the feathered cloak and beautiful azure gown it too looks like a fish swimming on the page.

Awards:
Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Award Winner.
An ALA Notable Children's Book.
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year.
An IRA Children's Choice.
An IRA Teachers' Choice.

4. Review Excerpt(s)
Publishers Weekly- Misty, jewel-like illustrations evoke the mythic past in this Chinese Cinderella story.

5. Connections
This story would be an excellent addition to a study different Cinderella stories from different cultures. Students could start by making a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the characters or different elements of the story to the original story. In addition, other variants can be read and overtime a literacy chart can be created to show all of the similarities and differences between each of the stories.

Citations for Reviews:
Dallas Independent School District Online Public Access Catalog. http://www2.youseemore.com/dallasisd/Default.asp?. Accessed June 23, 2010.

Barnes and Noble. www.bn.com. Accessed June 23, 2010.


Book Review: YUMMY: EIGHT FAVORITE FAIRY TALES


1. Bibliography
Cousins, Lucy. 2009. YUMMY: EIGHT FAVORITE FAIRY TALES. Somerville, Mass. Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763644741




2. Plot Summary
In YUMMY: EIGHT FAVORITE FAIRY TALES Lucy Cousins retells eight of her favorite tales but puts a modern twist on it. The tales include, Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, The Enormous Turnip, Henny Penny, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Little Red Hen, The Three Little Pigs, and The Musicians of Bremen.

3. Critical Analysis
Lucy Cousins does a great job of choosing eight of her favorite tales and sharing them in a fun, modern, and colorful way. Each story is similar to the original, but the wording is closer to how authors would tell the story today. Just as these traditional tales have taken many forms in oral tradition over the years, Cousins updates the wording and style to fit contemporary storytelling. The illustrations are big, bright, and colorful and Lucy does not hold back when showing Grandma being eaten by the wicked wolf, or the wicked wolf’s head being chopped off in “Little Red Riding Hood.” Children will be able to relate to the pictures because they look like a child drew them, and they will enjoy the bright and colorful clothes.

4. Awards won:
2010 ALSC Notable Children’s book
The New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book Award

Review Excerpt(s)
Publishers Weekly-“Anyone expecting the gentleness of the Maisy books in Cousins's retellings of eight fairy tales is in for a whopper of a surprise-although the cheeky title does provide a tip-off.”
“Cousins embraces all the primitive, enduring fears and desires that drive these stories, and then beckons readers to hop on a rollicking narrative roller coaster.”-(Aug.) Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal Review- “Large, arresting gouache spreads in Cousins's signature style utilize saturated colors and thick, dark outlines against solid backgrounds. Expressive characters enhance the stories' shifting moods. Large type accentuates the dynamic texts, building each spare entry to its powerful climax.” -Meg Smith, Cumberland County Public Library, Fayetteville, NC Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.


5. Connections
This would be a great book to read aloud to children after doing a study on each of these fairytales original versions. Children will then be able to compare the original to a more modern version. In addition, after reading these tales as well as others, children can make their own favorite fairy tale books and illustrate them, similar to how Lucy Cousins did.



Citations for Reviews:
Dallas Public Library. http://www.dallaslibrary2.org/. Accessed June 23, 2010.

Dallas Independent School District Online Public Access Catalog. http://www2.youseemore.com/dallasisd/Default.asp?. Accessed June 23, 2010.