Multicultural literature - Kunu's Basket

Francis, L. (2011). Kunu's basket. Gardiner: Tilbury House Publishers.

Kunu's Basket is a multicultural book written by Lee DeCora Francis, who is a Native American from the Penobscot Indian Nation in Maine. It is a tale about the tradition of basket weaving that is particular to that culture.

In this story, Kunu is trying to learn the family and tribe tradition of basket weaving but he is having a difficult time getting it right. In his frustration, Kunu runs outside. His grandfather observes his behavior and asks Kunu for his help with pounding the ash; the first step in the basket-making process. Grandfather, or Muhmum, gently walks Kunu through the procedures until finally Kunu finishes his first basket. All the while, Muhmum is explaining the basket-weaving process, he is also teaching Kunu the importance of this tribal/family tradition.

Kunu's Basket is a good book to introduce younger students to the importance of family traditions and a way to begin to recognize traditions within their own families. It could also be a starting point for students to begin researching traditions of other cultures especially forms of art, as are the baskets in the Penobscot culture.

Students could weave simple paper baskets to better understand the process and frustrations that Kunu experiences.

                                                                                  

Traditional - The Tales of Uncle Remus

                                                                                      

 

 

Lester, J. (1987). The tales of Uncle Remus: the adventures of Brer Rabbit. New York: Puffin Books.

 

This delightful book is an example of traditional literature. Julius Lester retells ancient stories that came from the oral stories of the African slaves. Brer Rabbit is the main character in these stories who is quite clever and quite the trickster. In these beast tales, the animals talk and have overstated action. For example, early on in the book Brer Rabbit tricks Brer Wolf and kills him by pouring hot water on him. However, a few stories later, Brer Wolf is back! Lester explains this by saying, "But you got to understand: Back before 'once upon a time,' dying was different. Just because you died in one story didn't mean you stayed dead for the rest of the stories. That wouldn't be no fun, would it? Of course not."

 

In retelling the stories of Brer Rabbit and his "friends," Lester is able to  preserve the flavor of the culture and language, while at the same time, writing it in such a way that the modern reader can understand and relate to it. In the tale "End of Brer Bear," Brer Bear is going to see his girlfriend even though he has a wife and family. As the storyteller, Lester adds this commentary: "Don't come asking me how they worked the thing out with each other. From what I hear, folks be doing the same thing now. The animals was doing it long before deodorant, that's all."

 

The Tales of Uncle Remus: The Adventures of Brer Rabbit is a very entertaining collection of stories that can be enjoyed by all ages. The mere enjoyment and humor of the stories is appealing. In reading the stories to younger students, lessons could  also be learned about being clever and honest. Older students could delve more into the actual African slave traditions and the importance of these oral stories. Comparisons could be made with other beast tales, including more modern tricksters such as Bugs Bunny.

 

 



 



Fantasy - The Giver

Lowry, L. (1993). The giver. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.

The Giver is a book that I have heard great things about for years but have never taken the opportunity to read it, given that I have primarily taught grades 3 and 4. This literature class has given me the "excuse" to read this Newberry Award winning book. I was NOT disappointed.

In this modern fantasy tale, author Lois Lowry writes about a community that is outside the realm of possibility and makes it believable. As the story begins, the main character, Jonas, could be described as any boy in any community. The setting is universal; it could be anywhere and possibly in multiple places. However, as the story unfolds, the reader quickly understands that this community is not like any that he/she has experienced. The community is well ordered to an extreme. EVERYTHING that happens and EVERYTHING that is said has a reason as to why it is allowed to happen and allowed to be said. If things are not said and done as the laws state, then citizens of the community are "released."

Lowry writes this incredible story in a third person-sympathetic point of view. The reader is aware of what is going on with all characters, but is especially privy to the thoughts of Jonas and his mentor, the Giver. As with all citizens in this community, Jonas is assigned what his job will be as an adult at the age of 12. It is at this age that he (and all "twelves") begin their training. Jonas has been assigned the job of being "the Receiver," the highest honored position in the community. As the Receiver, Jonas receives from the Giver all of the memories of not only the community, but of the world. In doing this, Jonas realizes that in this well-ordered community in which he lives, the people are not allowed to experience emotions, pain, love, choices, or even color. No one misses these things because they have never known them. Everyone is the same. It is necessary that one person (the Receiver) in the community has these memories so that previous mistakes cannot be made again. As Jonas receives these memories and begins to understand what they mean, he also understands what the people are missing. He realizes that things must change. Working together, Jonas and the Giver devise a plan to begin to make  their community, a community where all is fair and equal, into a better place.

The Giver is a thought provoking book. What if everyone in the world was the same? Would that not be better? No one would be better looking, wealthier, smarter. Everyone would be treated the same. Is that not what we want? Sameness? Everyone would be given what they need. Everyone would be given a job based on their own strengths. Everyone would contribute to the society and if a person does not, cannot, or is no longer needed, they would be  "released" and no longer be a burden on society. If we are all the same, then is anyone special? Or if we are all special, then is anyone special?

This book would be great for older students to read while studying governments. Is this what communism advocates? Was this the goal of the Nazi's?

The Giver definitely grabbed my attention and I believe would interest students who wrestle with the above questions.

picture book - The Three Ninja Pigs

Schwartz,C. (2012). The Three Ninja Pigs. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons


  In his book, The Three Ninja Pigs, author Corey Rosen Schwartz takes his readers to a place that the three little pigs have never gone before; to the dojo.  The wolf is up to usual huffing and puffing and blowing down houses around town when the three little pigs declare that they have had enough. So they decide to put an end to his terrible reign by learning to defend themselves at Ninja school. The first little pig, like the one in the traditional story takes the easy way out and quits his training early. The second little pig lasts a bit longer in his training, but not long enough. However, pig number three stays the course until she earns her last belt. Of course, when the wolf comes, the first two pigs are not prepared and have to run away. When the wolf approaches the third pig all she has to do is demonstrate her abilities on a pile of bricks to prove to the wolf that he is no match for her skills. Ultimately, the first two pigs as well as other animals devote themselves to ninja training and they live forever wolf-free.



Illustrator Dan Santat uses cartoon art to show the action in The Three Ninja Pigs. The illustrations are funny and exaggerated. The pictures show large motions and facial expressions are extreme. The background for these larger-than-life characters are simple, complementing the focus on the pigs and the wolf. Santat uses framing, speech bubbles as well as doublespread layout interspersed throughout the book. All of these features aid the reader in following the action of the story.

The Three Ninja Pigs could be used to help older students step outside of normal fairy tale thinking and then create their own twist to traditional fairy tales. For younger students, this would be a great book for them to read orally to practice reading with expression. It would also be easy and fun for them to act out what they are reading, thus giving more meaning to the text.

This book could be a conversation starter on being in too big of a hurry and not doing things right, finishing what you start, taking pride in yourself and what you do, and the importance of learning to defend yourself.
  
                                                                   

 

 





picture book - The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs

Scieszka, J. (1989). The True Story of The 3 Little Pigs! By A. Wolf. New York: Puffin Books

The humor of this books begins with the cover. The title indicates that this traditional fairy tale story is being told from the wolf's point of view. The wolf has told his story to Jon Scieszka who has written it down. As the story unfolds, the wolf  explains that the huffing and puffing were due to a terrible cold and that it was because of his sneezing that the houses were blown down. Of course he didn't want to waste food, so when the houses fell down on the pigs, he was merely doing the right thing by eating them. The wolf goes on to explain how he was framed and as a result given the name of "big bad wolf."

The colors chosen by illustrator Lane Smith help give the story a foreboding feeling. Although a humorous tale, the reader knows that something bad is and/or will be happening. The uses of lines in the pictures also helps create the mood of disarray and chaos. As straw or sticks are flying around, it gives the effect of a confusing scene. A couple of times in the book, Smith uses the artistic media style of collage for the text. For example, he uses bricks, twigs, straw and other items mentioned in  the story to form letters to emphasize the point that this is the REAL story of what happened to the pigs and the wolf.






The True Story of The 3 Little Pigs! By A. Wolf  could be used with younger readers by comparing and contrasting the facts with the traditional and other versions of this beloved tale. This would also be an excellent example to teach first person point of view;  with a twist! Older readers could be divided into groups, each taking the side of either the wolf or the pigs. The students could then debate the two sides or hold a mock trial.

The True Story of The 3 Little Pigs! By A. Wolf could be a great discussion starter in a government class about "innocent until proven guilty." Also, questions could be raised about the death penalty. Many students could relate to this because perhaps they have been falsely accused of something or have done something in which their intentions were misinterpreted.

picture book - The Three Pigs

 

Wiesner, D. (2001). The Three Pigs. New York: Clarion Books

The Caldecott Award winning book The Three Pigs by David Wiesner, takes the reader to a place one could never imagine. The book begins with the traditional story of the three little pigs with the first little pig building his house of straw and the big bad wolf then knocking on the door, asking to come in and the little pig responding, "Not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin." When the wolf then begins to huff and puff to blow the house in, the story takes an unexpected twist. Although the text reads that the wolf ate the pig up, the illustrations indicate that the wolf is confused because the pig is not there. Unbeknownst to the wolf, the pig has been blown out of the story! As the book continues, the first pig goes to the second and third pigs and gets them out of the story to where it is safe. The three pigs then go on an adventure where they discover and enter other famous fairy tales. They rescue a dragon from one of these tales who is about to be killed by a king. Eventually the three pigs, the cat and the fiddle, and the dragon return to the pigs' home where the story ends completely differently from the traditional story.

 The page layout in the illustrations of The Three Little Pigs, is vital to understanding the text. Wiesner utilizes the doublespread format. The pictures extend across the two facing pages, thus giving the effect of motion. One example of this is when the dragon enters the story. He is so enormous that his body extends the length of two adjoining pages. Additionally, as the pigs are going from one fairy tale to another, half of a pig's body may be on one page and the other half on the next.

Wiesner also uses framing for his illustrations in The Three Little Pigs. Each of the fairy tales are told within frames of thick black lines. As the characters leave their respective tales, they are outside of these frames and their appearance is more realistic and less cartoonish. This allows the reader to better understand what is going on both inside and outside the story. The reader realizes that the actual fairy tale is secondary to the real plot of the book.

Another distinguishing characteristic of the book's illustrations is that once the characters have left their tales, their conversations are within speech bubbles and with a typeface different that the text within the fairy tale. Both styles of print are easily read and guides the reader to become a part of the story.

Once again, Wiesner has created a work that can be used with all ages. The youngest student can enjoy the simple humor that this book creates. Upper level readers can better appreciate not only the irony of the book but the way Wiesner uses his illustrations to tell the story. Different versions of the classic tale of the three little pigs can be compared and contrasted by all age groups.

 

                       

Picture books - Flotsam

Wiesner, David. (2006). Flotsam. New York: Clarion Books.

SUMMARY
The expression "A picture is worth a thousad words" is a perfect description for Flotsam. Author David Wiesner uses no words, yet this tale, told only in pictures, is an incredible, thought provoking story.

A boy, who is vacationing at the beach with his family finds an antique camera that has washed ashore and begins an amazing adventure. After having the film developed, the boy has a peek into what ocean life is really like. Through his detailed illustrations, Wiesner takes the boy and the reader on a journey of great imagination: mechanical fish, starfish islands, and aliens. However, they boy's biggest suprise comes when he closely examines a photo of a girl from another continent.

IDEAS
Once again, David Wiesner creates a masterpiece that can be appreciated by all ages. The premise behind this book is both exciting and thought provoking. Although the photos of the happenings under the ocean are clearly imaginary, the deeper meanings behind the photo of the girl give the reader pause and perhaps ideas to perform a similar task such as a balloon release. The story could also spur ideas for students to write their own underwater adventures or any other unlikely place.

I chose Flotsam to compare to Wiesner's other works. I enjoy using books by the same author in my classroom so that students can compare and contrast characters, settings and plots.

Picture books - Tuesday

Wiesner, David. (1991). Tuesday. New York: Clarion Books.

SUMMARY
Tuesday, A Caldecott Medal Award winning book, is a book that peaks the reader's imagination through its vivid illustrations and few words. The events in the story take place in an unspecified community in the United States of America on a Tuesday. It could be your community on any given Tuesday.

As the sun sets on Tuesday evening, the reader can see by the expression on a turtle's face that something is diffferent about this Tuesday evening. As the reader turns the page it becomes obvious what is troubling the turtle; frogs sitting upon flying lilypads.

Words are not necessary in order for the reader to understand the adventures or the feelings that the frogs are experiencing. The expressions on the frogs' faces tell the story as they chase birds,  become superheros, change the TV channels using their tongues, and more--all while the town is sleeping.

As dawn breaks the frogs return to their pond and life continues...until next Tuesday!

IDEAS
This book could be used with any age level in many capacities. Because it is mostly illustrations, teaching the importance of illustrations is the most obvious use. It could be used witih younger or struggling readers. These students could dictate in their own words the story. Then they could read their own words,thus increasing their reading abilities using their own language and word usage. Tuesday could be usedwith older students to prompt their own creative writing ideas.

I chose this book because I wanted to compare several works by David Wiesner who has several award winning books.

introduction

Hi, my name is Ann and I am a third grade teacher at Whitley East Elementary School in Whitley County, KY. I am originally from Ohio but since college have lived in a lot of places. I have taught primarily 3rd and 4th grades for 16 years. I have taught in West Virginia, Louisiana, Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Brazil. I LOVE teaching and the varying experiences I have had in each of these places. I have three children who keep me VERY busy. Daniel is in the 8th grade. He plays football, wrestles and is trying soccer for the first time this year. Luke is in the 6th grade. He plays football, basketball, baseball and wants to try soccer this spring for the first time also. (Should be interesting playing 2 sports at once. I may very well go crazy!) Tori is in the 4th grade. She plays the piano, loves the theater and has been in several plays including University of the Cumberland's "Seussical" this past fall. She cheers for Upward basketball and will play tennis this spring. I love to garden and read in all the "free time" that I have. :) I am looking forward to the exposure I will have to children's literature in this class. I am nervous about all of the technology involved!