MOONBEAMS, DUMPLINGS & DRAGON BOATS: A TREASURY OF CHINESE HOLIDAY TALES, ACTIVITIES & RECIPES by Nina Simonds and Leslie Swartz

1. Bibliographic data

Simonds, Nina, Leslie Swartz, and The Children's Museum, Boston. 2002. Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats: A Treasury of Chinese Holiday Tales, Activities & Recipes. Ill. by Meilo. San Diego: Harcourt, Inc. 0-1520-1983-9.

2. Plot summary

Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats: A Treasury of Chinese Holiday Tales, Activities & Recipes focuses on five major Chinese holidays: Chinese New Year, the Lantern Festival, the Cold Foods Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, and the mid-Autumn Moon Festival. A chapter is devoted to each holiday and begins with a page of background information. This is followed by a Chinese story related to the holiday. Each chapter ends with fun activities, Chinese recipes, and additional information about Chinese traditions.

3. Critical Analysis

Moonbeams is a delightful collection that is informative, interesting, funny, and easy to read.

The authors provide essential background information for each holiday so those unfamiliar with Chinese tradition can learn something new. Each holiday is also accompanied with a story which details how the holiday came about. For example, in the "Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival" chapter, we read "The Story of the Kitchen God" and learn why the kitchen god is overfed by Chinese people. Like the other tales in the book, this story is very readable and intriguing -- filled with dialogue and descriptions. The authors make the stories fun and readers can acquire a good deal of insight into Chinese culture and tradition.

Moonbeams activities bring each holiday to life. Each activity is explained, a material list is provided, and easy instructions are detailed. Those who complete these activities will feel as if they are participating in the traditions of Chinese culture as they create "New Year Prints," "Paper Lanterns," and "Dragon Boats." Activities such as these bring a country that is across the globe directly to your doorstep.

As the stories delight your ears and the activities busy your hands, Moonbeam's recipes make your taste buds dance. These simple recipes provide children and adults alike with authentic Chinese cuisine related to each holiday in Moonbeams. Dishes such as "Fresh Spring Rolls," "Barbecued Chicken Drumsticks," and "Sweet Rice Packages" are easy to make and fun to eat.

The artwork is perfectly suited for Moonbeams. The illustrations are bright and colorful and painted in watercolors. Artistic style which is indicative of Chinese art -- simple, clean lines -- grace every page, leaving readers to experience not only stories and activities, but the art of China as well. Chinese characters are present on nearly every page and lively characters and landscapes emit a spirit of joy.

Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats: A Treasury of Chinese Holiday Tales, Activities & Recipes is a wonderful resource for adults and children who would like to learn something new about a culture together. This delightful collection of stories, recipes, and activities is family-friendly and a great way to learn about Chinese culture.

4. Review Excerpts

"In Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats: A Treasury of Chinese Holiday Tales, Activities & Recipes by Nina Simonds, Leslie Swartz and the Children's Museum, Boston, illus. by Meilo So, each of a quartet of holidays includes a brief background and introduces a bevy of crafts, recipes and legends. "The Story of the Kitchen God" kicks off the section on the Chinese New Year (and the reason behind serving the traditional tanggua, or candied melons); a recipe for Five-Treasure Moon Cakes stuffed with apricot preserves, pitted dates, sweet coconut and raisins helps youngsters celebrate the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. Step-by-step illustrations aid in food preparation or crafts such as New Year Prints or Good Luck Characters in this elegantly designed volume." - Publishers Weekly

"Moonbeams is a useful, visually appealing addition to any holiday collection." - School Library Journal

5. Connections

Activity: Have students read select stories and recipes in Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats: A Treasury of Chinese Holiday Tales, Activities & Recipes, and have them complete an activity. Afterwards, ask students what five American holidays they would focus on if they were compiling a U.S. version of Moonbeams. Ask them what recipes and activities they'd include.

Related Books:

Compestine, Ying Chang. 2006. D Is For Dragon Dance. Ill. by Yongsheng Xuan. New York: Holiday House. 0823418871 .

Holub, Joan. Dragon Dance: 2003. A Chinese New Year Lift-the-Flap Book. Ill. by Benrei Huang. New York: Puffin. 0142400009.

Katz, Katy. 2004. My First Chinese New Year. New York: Henry Holt & Co. 0805070761 .

BABA YAGA: A RUSSIAN FOLKTALE retold by Eric A. Kimmel; Illustrated by Megan Lloyd

1. Bibliographic data

Kimmel, Eric A. 1991. Baba Yaga: A Russian Folktale. Ill. by Megan Lloyd. New York: Holiday House. 0-8234-1060-9.

2. Plot summary

Kimmel's retelling of the Russian folktale of Baba Yaga begins with a loving family of two children. One daughter, Marina, is the father's -- the child of his late wife -- and is beautiful inside and out except for a ugly horn which grows from her forehead. Marusia, the other daughter, belongs to his new wife, and is a very hateful, spoiled child. When the father is absent for a year, his wife is very cruel to Marina and makes her a servant for herself and her spoiled brat of a daughter. When Marusia complains about Marina's ugly horn, her mother sends Marina to Baba Yaga, a crazy witch who will surely kill her. Because Marina heeds the advice of a friendly frog, she escapes the witch and becomes free of her horn. Her father returns and throws out his wife and Marusia for mistreating Marina. When Marina approaches Baba Yaga, she behaves very badly and leaves with Marina's horn on her head.

3. Critical Analysis

The element of Baba Yaga that stands out most to me are the illustrations. In my opinion, Megan Lloyd does a phenomenal job with her artwork. The illustrations are colorful, fluid, detailed, and, most importantly, humorous. She shows the characters in action -- moving their arms and speaking to one another. The story could be a very frightening one for a child to read, but Lloyd's pictures make the tale comical and easy to stomach. I would much rather laugh at funny pictures than be scared by a haunting tale and gory illustrations, so I really enjoyed Baba Yaga's illustrations.

I have never read the original story of Baba Yaga, but I certainly enjoyed Kimmel's version of the tale. His words are very easy to read and mesh perfectly with the accompanying illustrations. I enjoy his descriptions: "Her face looked like a bowl of gray pudding." His language is simple and direct, which makes the story funny. This story was very similar to Cinderella: the evil stepmother, spoiled sister, and the absent father. The horn and the evil witch add a new element to the tale, which I found very funny.

Since this tale is Russian, I expected to learn more about the Russian culture from readig the book. Other than the characters' appearance in the illustrations and their Russian names, I really didn't see any other aspects of the Russian culture in the story. The only unusual element of the illustrations is Baba Yaga's house, which sits on chicken feet.

Kimmel's Baba Yaga is engaging and funny, and the comical illustrations make the folktale a good read. However, if one wants to learn more about the Russian culture, this wouldn't be the book to read.

4. Review Excerpts

"This engrossing story is both fanciful and suspenseful. Lloyd's ( How We Learned the Earth Is Round ) burnished, somewhat cartoon illustrations of the rural scene--with such enticing details as a witch's cabin resting on chicken feet--are just right." - Publishers Weekly

"The elements new to this version--the horn, the frog, and a pot with a hole--seem to be drawn from Germanic and Gaelic folklore, but often have a jarring effect upon the story. Thus, Kimmel's version ultimately lacks the elemental power of other Baba Yaga stories. Nowhere is this more evident than in Lloyd's pen-and-ink and watercolor cartoons. Rather than a menacing force, Lloyd dilutes her witch until she becomes merely a nasty old woman. Even Baba Yaga's house and gruesome fence of skeleton bones have been trivialized to the point of ineffectiveness. The proportions of the human characters are awkward, and the illustrations lack an animate quality. Although the use of color is pleasing, only the barest sense of place is suggested. This offering may have use in comparative folklore but, taken as a whole, it does not do justice to Baba Yaga." - School Library Journal

5. Connections

Related books:

Arnold, Katya. 1994. Baba Yaga & the Little Girl: A Russian Folktale. New York: North-South Books. 1-5585-8288-6.

Oram, Hiawyn. 1998. Baba Yaga & the Wise Doll: A Traditional Russian Folktale. Ill. by Ruth Brown. New York: Dutton Children’s Books. 0-5254-5947-2.

Phinney, Margaret Yatsevitch. 1995. Baba Yaga: A Russian Folk Tale. Ill. by Lydian Green. Greenvale, N.Y.: Mondo Pub. 1-5725-5004-X.

THE TURKEY GIRL: A ZUNI CINDERELLA STORY retold by Penny Pollock; Illustrated by Ed Young

1. Bibliographic data

Pollock, Penny. 1996. The Turkey Girl: A Zuni Cinderella Story. Ill. by Ed Young. Boston: Little, Brown & Co. 0-316-71314-7.

2. Plot summary

The Turkey Girl: A Zuni Cinderella Story tells the story of a young Indian girl who tends turkeys for a living. She is poor and badly dressed, and is made fun of by the other children in her village. On the night of the sacred dance, the turkey girl's flock speaks to her and offers to transform her so she can attend the dance. They will help her on one condition: She must return before the sun sets or they will be set free forever. The turkey agrees and attends the dance, but does not return in time to keep her flock. Because she did not keep her promise, her source of livelihood has left her.

3. Critical Analysis

The Turkey Girl is an intriguing tale that adds many twists to the Cinderella story. Pollock sets this story in the pueblo village of Matsaki, which sits in the shadow of Thunder Mountain. Cinderella is the "Turkey Girl" -- a poor child who must herd turkeys for a living. Pollock's use of the turkeys as the girl's fairy godmother is endearing and humorous, and her description of the girl's new robes give new life and depth to the Cinderella story: "...the Turkey Girl stood in a white doeskin dress belted with red-and-yellow cloth. Rare shells dangled from its hem. Colored twine and beads threaded her soft white moccasins." I really enjoyed all of Pollock's twists because they made the story was refreshing and new to me.

Pollock's incorporation of the Zuni culture gives the story a richness of culture and tradition that I haven't sensed before in the tale of Cinderella. The sacred dance, the manner in which the turkeys dress the Turkey Girl, the references to the Sun-Father, Old One, and Maiden Mother, and the language of the Zuni people provide an element of multiculturalism that leaves the reader feeling as if they've learned more about others in addition to reading a good story. Pollock's ending also sends a message to the readers: Keep your word.

Ed Young's illustrations add greatly to the Zuni story. The blurred images and bleak landscapes give the tale a lonely feel, but support the text's message that nature is integral to this story. Some pages are vivid in color while others are very light. This contrast gives richness to the story and gives life to the accompanying text. Young's use of chalk perfectly fits this particular landscape - it is rough but bright, and gives the image a tangible feel.

Turkey Girl is a wonderful alternative to the Cinderella story. It breathes new life into the tale and leaves the reader with a message. I think children would learn many new things from this Zuni tale.

4. Review Excerpts

"Pollock's retelling is steady and solid, and her source is clearly indicating in an author's note." - Booklist

"The colors evoke the Southwest desert; open spacing and broad forms suggest its isolation." - Horn Book

"... Pollock's thoughtful retelling, which itself gracefully captures the Zuni landscape." - School Library Journal

5. Connections

Activity: Have students research the Zuni culture and write their own versions of popular fairy tales using elements of the Zuni tribe culture.

HE'S GOT THE WHOLE WORLD IN HIS HANDS by Kadir Nelson

1. Bibliographic data

Nelson, Kadir. 2005. He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. 0-8037-2850-6.

2. Plot summary

He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands by Kadir Nelson illustrates the spiritual “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” on 30 pages of artwork. Nelson pairs each verse with glimpses of the world, San Francisco, and a multi-ethnic family enjoying life and each other.

3. Critical Analysis

Kadir Nelson’s He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands visually depicts the 13 verses of the well-known song. While this spiritual was created decades ago, Nelson manages to transform its lyrics into expressions of the modern world through his artwork. This is a great children’s book on many levels.

Nelson's art is beautiful and has great depth in meaning and significance. The first page catches the reader and draws them into the book. Nelson starts with the first lyric “He’s got the whole world in his hands” and shows the sun peaking out from the side of the earth, surrounded by blackness and specks of stars. As Nelson zooms in on a young San Franciscan family, the reader is given detailed snapshots of the time they spend together. One feels truly feels as if they are just a few feet away, behind a camera lens. Nelson’s use of crayons, pencils, oils, and watercolors is powerful and real – filled with joy and light. Each picture is matched beautiful to a line of verse, and evokes feelings of awe, contentment, celebration, family, acceptance, and compassion for people all over the world.

Another great element of picture book is the message it sends: the world is filled with all different kinds of people and places, and they are all in His hands. This message is one of equality, acceptance, and human compassion. It also shows the world on many levels: global, local, and within a family. This book depicts the world as a beautiful place that is to be enjoyed. I also think that He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands gives a sense of security to the world; after all, it is in His hands.

While the text is very repetitive, “He’s got the ___ in His Hands,” the story is far from dull. Words such as oceans, seas, whole world, my brothers, and my sisters (some of the things that are in His hands) are larger in size than the rest of the verse. This highlights their importance in relation to the picture surrounding them, and gives the verse an appearance similar to a mountain range with valleys and peaks.

The merits of this book are many and there is no doubt in my mind that it would be wonderful for any person to read. Filled with heartwarming images and message of hope, He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands is a great book for readers of all ages.

4. Review Excerpts

"The artist's mix of watercolor, oil and pencil creates often velvety-looking portraits and textured details in blades of grass or folds of clothing. A painting of the yellow-slickered boy in front of a wall of glistening green leaves, letting his face be splashed by raindrops is particularly engaging.” - Publishers Weekly

“The simple, repetitious flow of the words and the refrain make this an excellent read-aloud choice as well as a sing-along favorite. A moving, artistic celebration of our world and the people who share in its splendors.” – School Library Journal (starred)

“A series of double-page spreads show the boy with family (particularly his father) engaged in a variety of activities: flying kites, fishing, doing a jigsaw puzzle of the earth. In the end, the scenes move away from the immediate family, enlarging the child's vision to include a park full of people, a hillside of homes by the bay, and finally, a shuttle's-eye view of the earth's curve, with the moon and stars lying beyond. The last double-page spread carries the piano music and four verses of the song, followed by a historical note. Winner of the Coretta Scott King Award for illustration for Ellington Was Not a Street (2004), Nelson envisions the song in a highly personal and involving manner while embodying its strength and spirit.” - Booklist

5. Connections

Activity:

Using He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands as positive example, have students pick a song as a class and draw pictures for each verse. Encourage them to think outside of the box and visually express the language in a new or abstract way.

JOSEPH HAD A LITTLE OVERCOAT by Simms Taback

1. Bibliographic data

Taback, Simms. 1999. Joseph Had a Little Overcoat. New York : Viking. 0-6708-7855-3.

2. Plot summary

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat is a story about a Polish man named Joseph whose shabby overcoat is reconstructed into a jacket, then a vest, next a scarf, followed by a necktie, a handkerchief, and finally a button - which Joseph loses. He then writes a book about his experience, proving you can always make something out of nothing.

3. Critical Analysis

While the story of Joseph Had a Little Overcoat is very simple, there is a lot to be learned from its pages. Each page has no more than 15 words on it, but the artwork is so detailed that more words are not necessary. Taback’s illustrations are a feast for the eyes; he uses pen, ink, watercolor, fabric, and pieces of photographs to bring each page to life. Bright colors and slightly zany characters have wide appeal for young eyes.

As the story progresses and the overcoat changes, Taback uses die-cut holes to foreshadow what the coat will be next. This is a great method for young readers to think critically about the text. They can also use their hands to trace the shape of the coat’s next form, which is wonderful for readers who learn well by through touching. Young readers may also get a kick out of finding each die-cut shape, as they are camouflaged on each page.

Taback provides readers with little asides on each page. Many pages show scenes were newspapers with print clearly visible on the floor. There are drink labels, book pages, posters, pictures, photos, sheet music, letters, postcards, and many other things that can be read and that look real.

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat also gives readers a glimpse into the world of Polish culture. Many of the newspapers are written in a different language, characters wear Polish garb and participate in Polish customs, Polish food can be seen when Joseph dances at his nephew’s wedding, there are Polish letters on Joseph’s desk, and the choir sings a Polish song. This book gives readers a great opportunity to learn something new about another country and its people.

This is a fun, colorful, unusual, and touching book. I think that there is a lot to be learned from this book and that it would be a great pick for any young child to read.

4. Review Excerpts

“As in his Caldecott Honor book, There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, Taback's inventive use of die-cut pages shows off his signature artwork, here newly created for his 1977 adaptation of a Yiddish folk song. This diverting, sequential story unravels as swiftly as the threads of Joseph's well-loved, patch-covered plaid coat.” – Publishers Weekly

“Striking gouache, watercolor, and collage illustrations are chock-full of witty details-letters to read, proverbs on the walls, even a fiddler on the roof. Taback adapted this tale from a Yiddish folk song and the music and English lyrics are appended. The rhythm and repetition make it a perfect storytime read-aloud.” – School Library Journal

5. Connections

Related Books:

Taback, Simms. 1997. There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. New York: Viking. 0670869392.

Activity:

Ask students to think of a piece of their own clothing. Using Joseph Had a Little Overcoat as a model, have them write a short story about how their clothing changed form over time. Students may draw their own pictures to accompany their stories.

SIDE BY SIDE: FIVE FAVORITE PICTURE-BOOK TEAMS GO TO WORK by Leonard S. Marcus

1. Bibliographic Information

Marcus, Leonard S. 2001. Side by Side: Five Favorite Picture-Book Teams Go to Work. New York: Walker & Company. 0-8027-8778-9.

2. Plot Summary

Side by Side: Five Favorite Picture-Book Teams Go to Work is a book about how five different teams: Arthur Yorinks and Richard Egielski (Louis the Fish, 1980), Alice Provensen and Martin Provensen (The Glorious Flight: Across the Channel with Louis Blériot, 1983), Julius Lester and Jerry Pinkney (Sam and the Tigers: A New Telling of Little Black Sambo, 1996), Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen (The Magic School Bus series), and the three-member team of Jon Scieszka, Lane Smith, and Molly Leach (The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, 1992). One chapter is devoted to each team and describes each member’s artistic background, how team members met, and how they worked together as a team to create picture books. Drafts, dummy sketches of artwork, and other interesting bits of information are included. Marcus also includes a bibliography of works for each team.

3. Critical Analysis

Side by Side: Five Favorite Picture-Book Teams Go to Work gives insight into the creative collaboration that takes place behind the scenes in the world of picture books. This text provides readers with the opportunity to learn more about the inspiration behind some of their favorite books.

Leonard S. Marcus provides great detail and interesting anecdotes about how each team met and worked together. The beginning of each chapter shows a picture of the team, one of their popular books, and the illustrator’s art medium. The chapters are easy and fun to read because the author breaks up his narrative by using a lot of dialogue. The visual aides (book covers, sample artwork, rough drafts) help the reader experience each team’s process in creating their picture book. At the end of each chapter, the reader gets a sense of how the team collaborated to tell stories through words and pictures. These chapters show how important the story and illustrations are in a picture book. Not only are they individually significant, but it is their collaboration – pictures and words – that creates the magic of the book.

While the text is simply written, I think that Side by Side: Five Favorite Picture-Book Teams Go to Work is appropriate only for middle school students or higher. The text is smaller and most of the pages are filled with words, not pictures. This is also more of an informational text, which will lose out to other books in the minds of young readers. For those who are interested in the world of picture books, Side by Side: Five Favorite Picture-Book Teams Go to Work gives a wonderful view.

4. Review Excerpts

"Marcus describes the creative collaborations of five author-artist teams whose processes prove as varied as their books. . . . Readers snared by their interest in the teams behind favorites such as the Magic School Bus series and The Stinky Cheese Man will appreciate the insights into the inner workings of bookmaking, and may well end up appreciating the books more for the energy and ingenuity it takes to create them." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Teachers and librarians who want to promote collaboration in the classroom or just share their enthusiasm for the creative process and those who practice it will find plenty of good material in this well-written and beautifully designed book." - Booklist (starred review)

"With his broad knowledge of the field and the imagination to communicate that knowledge to others, Leonard Marcus here provides unusual insight into the topic of artistic partnerships. . . . What raises this book to the level of art and literary criticism is Marcusís analysis of a pivotal work by each of the five teams, with clear explanations and plenty of visual material to further clarify those explanations. . . . A book that lives up to its subject." - The Horn Book

"If ever a book created an occasion to head to the library for more, this is the one. . . . Marcus opens up a world of creativity with this new offering." - Riverbank Review

5. Connections

Related Books:

Marcus, Leonard S. 1998. A Caldecott Celebration: Six Artists and Their Paths to the Caldecott Medal. New York: Walker & Co. 0802786561.

Marcus, Leonard S. 1997. The Making of Goodnight Moon: A 50th Anniversary Retrospective. Harper Collins. 0064461920.

Marcus, Leonard S. 1999. Margaret Wise Brown: Awakened by the Moon. Harper Collins. 0688171885.