Alvin Schwartz

I. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Schwartz, Alvin. 1984. IN A DARK, DARK ROOM AND OTHER SCARY STORIES. Ill. By Dirk Zimmer. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN: 0060252715

II. PLOT SUMMARY

IN A DARK, DARK ROOM is one of seven short, scary tales retold by Alvin Schwartz in this illustrated book. The first story is called “The Teeth,” and is about a boy who meets men with progressively longer teeth. Each new person he runs into scares him more and more. The next story is titled “In The Graveyard,” and tells the tale of an old woman sitting in a graveyard when three corpses are brought to be buried.

“The Green Ribbon” is another tale retold about a girl with a green ribbon tied around her neck, and at the conclusion of the story we find that the ribbon holds her head on. “The Night it Rained” is a spooky story about a ghost boy borrowing a sweater and returning it to the owner on his grave. “The Pirate” and “The Ghost of John” are also both ghost stories. The title story “In a Dark, Dark Room” is a cumulative story leading to a scary ending.

III.CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Each of the scary stories retold by Alvin Schwartz are excellent to be read aloud by children or to children. As the author recommends in his forward, these stories should be savored and read slowly so that the imagination of those listening is fully keyed in to the story. The stories are both fun and a little scary, though certainly not downright frightening.

The illustrations by Dirk Zimmer are colored drawings depicting the scary scenes of each story. Some illustrations are full page, but most are on half of the page, with text accompanying it in the white space, making reading easy for young children. The illustrations are not integral to the story line, and the stories can be enjoyed fully without viewing them. However, the illustrations do provide a visual of the characters involved, which may add to the “scary-ness” of the stories. Many times, the illustrations are scarier than the story.

At the conclusion of the book, Schwartz provides the sources for each of the folk tales he retells. He does an excellent job of making these stories fun and accessible to beginning readers, as the text is easy to read.

IV. REVIEW EXCERPTS

An ALA Notable Children’s Book

“The pacing makes at once for comfortable and dramatic reading; the pictures are a ghastly, gloomy, wickedly funny lot. And Schwartz doesn't spoil these stories for later, expanded acquaintance--there's gravity as well as, snap in the telling. Once again, a standout job.” --Kirkus

V. CONNECTIONS

• Make masks with longer and longer teeth, and act out the story of “The Teeth”
• Have children make their own cumulative tale similar to “In the Dark, Dark Room.” Decide on a description, for example: “In the loud, loud forest.”

Folktale

I. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kimmel, Eric A. 1992. THE OLD WOMAN AND HER PIG. Ill. by Giora Carmi. New York: Holiday House. ISBN: 0823409708

II. PLOT SUMMARY

In THE OLD WOMAN AND HER PIG, Kimmel presents a retelling of a British folktale about an old woman who finds a penny. She exclaims that it is her lucky day and quickly goes to market to buy a pig. Unfortunately, her luck begins to run out, and the pig refuses to step over a stile in the path to her home. She proceeds to ask for help from a dog, but is refused. So she sees a stick and asks it to poke the dog, but it refuses as well. The story continues in this way, including a cat, a cow and many other steps in between. They all refuse to help her until finally a sleeping haystack does not refuse her. After feeding the cow, the chain of events unfolds, leading finally to the dog nipping the pig, which gets it over the stile. The old woman is finally home.

III.CRITICAL ANALYSIS

THE OLD WOMAN AND HER PIG is a cumulative folk tale, retold by Kimmel from the original British form. This is a lighter version, and he does a good job of changing the story to make it less violent. The rhythm and repetition in the text makes it a good book to share aloud during story time.

The illustrations are colorful pastel drawings, and they capture the story in a unique way. As each character or thing refuses to help the old woman, they form a “No.” For example, when the rider refuses, his body and hat make the word “No.” Children will enjoy finding the words in the illustrations.

IV. REVIEW EXCERPTS

“Kimmel's books are always welcome for their potential story-hour use, and this rendition of a standard English folktale is no exception.” –School Library Journal

“Carmi's colorful illustrations are wild, crazy, and full of life…” –School Library Journal

V. CONNECTIONS

• Reread the story, having the children join in with the “No’s.”
• Create a readers theatre script and have children perform the story.

Cinderella Variation

I. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ketteman, Helen. 1997. BUBBA THE COWBOY PRINCE: A FRACTURED TEXAS TALE. Ill. By James Warhola. New York: Scholastic. ISBN: 0590255061

II. PLOT SUMMARY

In this retelling of the classic fairytale CINDERELLA, Ketteman places the story on a ranch in Texas. Bubba is this story’s Cinderella character, forced to do the work around the ranch that his “lazy stepbrothers” refuse to do. His stepbrothers spend their days bossing Bubba around.

Meanwhile, Miz Lurleen, a beautiful, rich neighbor decides to throw a ball to find herself a husband. As in the classic tale, Bubba is transformed by his fairy godmother that in this story is a cow. Bubba goes to the ball and captures Miz Lurleen’s heart, but at midnight he is changed back and runs off, leaving one of his boots. Miz Lurleen is determined to find the boot’s rightful owner. After trying Bubba’s stepbrothers, she finally finds the owner. Bubba and Miz Lurleen live happily every after

III.CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Kelleman’s retelling of CINDERELLA is just like the original tale, with a few minor adjustments. In this story, it is set in Texas with a boy as the “Cinderella” character. The writing style lends itself well to be read aloud. The reader can have fun with a Texas twang as they read the dialog of the characters. Though certainly not proper English, the language in this book adds a sense of place and humor to the story. When the “Godcow” transforms Bubba, he exclaims, “Why, I look downright purty.” This is one example of the Texas drawl written into the voices of the characters.

The illustrations in this book are both colorful and expressive. The faces of the people and animals are cartoon-like, adding humor to the story. In addition, the details in the illustrations make the reader want to savor each page, taking in all of the nuances of the illustrations.

IV. REVIEW EXCERPTS

“Ketteman wisely leaves the plot unchanged, but the story has a distinct western flair and a humorous tall-tale feel that is greatly enhanced by the exaggerated actions and facial expressions of the characters in Warhola's double-page-spread oil paintings. With a male in the starring role, this charming and funny retelling may hold more appeal for young boys than the traditional version may.” –Booklist

“Rustler lingo and illustrations chockablock with Texas kitsch make this ranch-spun Cinder-fella a knee-slappin' tale.” –Publishers Weekly

V. CONNECTIONS

• Share another Cinderella story and compare the differences and similarities between the two.
• Have the children create their own Cinderella story.

Creating a Children's Picture Book

I. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Marcus, Leonard S. 1998. A CALDECOTT CELEBRATION: SIX ARTISTS AND THEIR PATHS TO THE CALDECOTT MEDAL. New York: Walker and Co.

II. PLOT SUMMARY

In A CALDECOTT CELBRATION, Marcus highlights six children’s book illustrators who won the Caldecott Medal over six decades. In each chapter, Marcus tells the story of how each award winning book’s illustrations were created. He describes the interaction artists had with their editor. When available he provides early sketches of the artists work on their books. Illustrators also share their reaction to being awarded the prestigious Caldecott Medal.

III. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Marcus’s selection of six Caldecott Medal winners over six decades offers a true cross section of the evolution of illustrations in children’s literature. The stories of the six illustrators reveal the process of making a picture book. The book is illustrated with the early sketches of the artists, revealing the grueling rewrites and re-illustrating involved with creating an award winning children’s picture book. By showing the process, readers are able to visually see the evolution of the illustrations.

Another important aspect of Marcus’ writing are the anecdotes, both humorous and insightful, about each of the six illustrators. Marcus describes how Robert McCloskey adopted sixteen ducks to share his apartment. McCloskey used these ducks to act as his models in his book MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS. Marcus also describes how Marcia Brown drew her characters for CINDERELLA; OR, THE LITTLE GLASS SLIPPER, and cut them out to arrange them on the page. She describes the process as similar to playing with paper dolls. These descriptions aid in the understanding of the process of illustrating.

Marcus captures the process and inspirations of the art of illustration. He describes the failures and successes of the illustrators. In one example, Maurice Sendak, author of WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, continually re-wrote his story, even recommending to himself to abandon the story. Thankfully, he did not give up on the story, and he was able to solve his problems when he came up with the title of his story.

A CALDECOTT CELEBRATION is presented in a chronological order, allowing the reader to visually see the evolution in children’s illustrations. The book provides thorough biographical information on each featured author as well as interesting anecdotes about the process of illustration. The large layout allows the reader to see the examples of illustrations easily, and the stories give the reader a vicarious experience in the art of illustrating a children’s picture book.


IV. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

“The large, attractive pages invite readers to savor the multitude of illustrations. Some of them show the various drafts leading up to the finished art so that readers can easily see the evolution of the artists' ideas.” –School Library Journal

“With Marcus's sure hand guiding this tour, readers will find cause for celebration.” –Publisher’s Weekly

V. CONNECTIONS

**Collect the other books written by the six featured authors, and compare the illustrations to the award winning book.

**Find other Caldecott winning books from other years.

Illustrated by Chris Raschka

I. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Creech, Sharon. 2000. FISHING IN THE AIR. Ill. By Chris Raschka. Harper Collins. ISBN: 0060281111

II. PLOT SUMMARY

In this lyrical book about a son fishing with his father, the father and son create special memories. The boy and his father set out in the blue-black morning with their fishing gear in tow. They arrive at the river, and the father teaches his son about fishing. The father reflects on his own childhood. Sharon Creech’s story is about far more than fishing. It is about the bond between a father and a son.

III. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

In FISHING IN THE AIR, Sharon Creech’s words are lyrical. She utilizes figurative language in the form of metaphors, adding both emotion and richness of meaning to the story. In her story, street lamps become moons, trees become soldiers and birds become angels. The book captures the curiosity of a young boy learning about his father and fishing and ultimately becomes a story about using your imagination.

The illustrations by Chris Raschka are rich with color and detail. They are whimsical and somewhat abstract, using swirls of color to frame the story. The illustrations visually represent the metaphors described in the text of the story.

This book is rich with imagination in both the text and illustrations. The poetic use of metaphors may be confusing to young children, but it could be a teaching tool for older children learning about figures of speech. The book is best read close up, to take in the detail of the illustrations as the story moves along.

IV. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

“While the text and images are evocative and memorable, this book is likely to have more appeal to adults than to concrete-minded youngsters. Fanciful conceits such as catching "a slice of yellow sun" and a "white white cloud" may be more confusing than meaningful to a young audience.”—School Library Journal

“Creech's narrative is more poetry than prose; her quicksilver description and quietly repetitive phrases serve to deepen the growing connection between father and son, and her images are made for Raschka's brush. Author and artist evoke an idyllic outing between parent and child and demonstrate that while they may return empty-handed, their hearts are full.”—Publisher’s Weekly

V. CONNECTIONS

**Have children write their own simile or metaphor and illustrate it.
**Collect other books illustrated by Raschka including THE HELLO GOODBYE WINDOW, TALK TO ME ABOUT THE ALPHABET, and LITTLE TREE. Compare and contrast the illustrations.

Caldecott Award Medal Book

I. BIBLIOGRAPHY

St. George, Judith. 2000. SO YOU WANT TO BE PRESIDENT. Ill. By David Small. Philomel Books. ISBN 0399234071

II. PLOT SUMMARY

In this very humorous picture book about the presidents of the United States, Judith St. George reveals interesting, unique facts about the presidents throughout history. From Washington to Clinton, the book reveals many details about the lives of the presidents. The book describes both the good and bad things about being president. Finally, the book concludes with the message that anyone can be president, no matter his or her background or what he or she look like.

III. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

St. George’s writing style is both factual and humorous. She presents the historical facts about the presidents with a fun, witty style. The anecdotes about the presidents include a horse in the White House and John Quincy Adams skinny-dipping. The history of the presidents is not told chronologically like other books might, making this a unique and interesting study of the presidents.

David Small’s illustrations are in the style of political cartoon caricatures. The illustrations humorously depict the descriptions in the book. Small pays particular attention to the expressions on the faces of his characters.

IV. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

“Curious tidbits of personal information and national history combine with humorously drawn caricatures to give this tongue-in-cheek picture book a quirky appeal.”—School Library Journal

“Portraits of the presidents can be generally described as staid, stodgy, and dull. Throw these adjectives out the window when describing this book's group portrayal of American presidents.”--Booklist

V. CONNECTIONS

**Create a caricature of a president in the style of David Small’s illustrations.
**Gather fact books about the presidents to look up further information.