'The Llama Who Had No Pajama' by Mary Ann Hoberman, Illustrated by Betty Fraser

Hoberman, Mary Ann. (1998). The Llama Who Had No Pajama -- 100 Favorite Poems. Ill. by Betty Fraser. Boston: Sandpiper. ISBN: 9780152055714

Photo by: L. Propes

The Llama Who Had No Pajama.  That's just fun to say.  It's also happens to be a fun collection of one hundred poems to read.  While there is not an established order or organization to the poems, works of a similar subject are often grouped together.  This is used to good effect with a trio of poems ruminating about growing  up and the passage of time.  The eponymous llama without a pajama makes his debut about halfway through the book, in one of the longer poems of the collection.   The collection covers a wide array of topics: from dress up and pesky baby brothers to worms and frogs to tigers and bears (but sadly, no lions).  The poems are also of varying lengths from three lines up to a page long or more.  An index of the poems organized by their first line is helpfully provided in the back of the book.

Photo by: L. Propes

Hoberman makes effective use of alliteration, rhyme, and language (including a few made-up words and onomatopoeia) contributes to the imagery she creates in the poems.  It's not hard to imagine the wriggles and squiggles of a worm in the aptly titled "Worm".  "Frog" is a series of short lines, written in a pattern of a three or four syllable line, followed by a several two syllable lines.  It's a punchy, staccato rhythm that would lend itself well to choral reading by students.  It also happens to describe the life cycle of a frog, making it well-suited to use in a science class.  "Permutations" takes the same lines, with a slight rearrangement of the words.  It makes a really nice tongue-twister.  It's also a really good demonstration of homophones, as well as the mathematical concept of permutations.  The last several pages of the book are full of poems about animals and insects that are sure to attract boys.  The repetitive nature of many of Hoberman's poems make them suitable for choral reading or performance.

"The Llama Who Had No Pajama" is practically a story on its own.  It follows the travails of a young llama who has outgrown his pajamas, and feels he can't sleep without them.  The absurdity of a llamas wearing pajamas is addressed in the last stanza with a gentle humor that permeates the rest of the Hoberman's poems.  The rhythm of the lines in this poem, and the alternating line rhyme scheme give it a sing-song quality that makes a reader want to chant it aloud, even if they're in a room without an audience.

Overall, Hoberman's poems are reminiscent of Shel Silverstein, but without the cheeky edge.  This isn't meant as a criticism of Hoberman.  The poems have an introspective, gentle tone -- even in the poem asking for sympathy for the cockroach.  Hoberman often asks the reader to examine the world from the perspective of her poem's subject, eliciting a sigh of compassion for oft-misunderstood animals and insects.

Photo by: L. Propes

Photo by: L. Propes

Fraser's illustrations are rendered in a combination of watercolor and gouache.  The illustrations are used in a variety of ways throughout the book.  They frame a single poem on a page, or a series of poems on a single page.  Some of the illustrations encompass more than one subject, like the lake Fraser drew for the two-page, two-poem grouping of "A Catch" and "Ducks".  The ducks swim upon the lake where the narrator of "A Catch" has gone fishing.  The detail can be quite incredible, as in the canopy for the bed in "Both My Slippers" or more impressionistic in "Meg's Egg".  Fraser's attention to detail, especially in the patterns is exquisite.  The insects are done in close-up, which again, makes this book an excellent addition to a general science or biology classroom.  Most of the poems could be read without Fraser's illustrations, but they are rendered so well, it would be a shame not to see them.  "When I Need a Real Baby" is punctuated with small thumbnail paintings of a little girl dressing up her puppy like a baby during their play.  It really does add so much to the reading of the poem to see a puppy patiently enduring the donning of a diaper and baby bonnet.  This particular puppy and little girl also appear in two other poems, which I think is a lovely bit of continuity that Fraser displays through out the book, where figures are used for multiple poems.

There are very few instances where a poem doesn't work.  Out of one hundred poems, only one really stood out: "B".  It's a little hard to follow.

Photo by: L. Propes

Most of these poems will appeal to a large audience.  Some are much more introspective than others, which a group of older students (high school, and perhaps select junior high classes) will appreciate.  Science teachers can find several poems to use to introduce lessons on insects and animals (one poem's title -- "Procyonidae" --  is the family name for several genera of animals that are related: raccoon, coati, lingo).  A science teacher could have the students find and document the classification for each animal listed in the poem.  Other poems could be used to demonstrate and illustrate different literary devices, like rhyme scheme and alliteration.  Music classes could set the poems to music or make up their own songs with the poems.  That's the beauty of poetry...  The possibilities really are endless.

Other books by Hoberman are: You Read to Me, I'll Read to You: Very Short Scary Tales to Read Together; Forget-Me-Nots: Poems to Learn by Heart; Miss Mary Mack (a collection of sing-along stories); One of Each; and My Song Is Beautiful: Poems and Pictures in Many Voices.

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"Poems drawn from Hoberman's previous works, published between 1957 and 1981, are packaged to delight a new generation of youngsters... Animals and bugs, as well as a variety of ordinary childhood experiences, are featured in poetry that is sometimes funny, and often playful in its rhythm and repetition of sounds.  Fraser's illustrations add a cheery, appealing look to the book without overwhelming the text." -- Susan Dove Lempke,  Booklist

"Hoberman's poems, accompanied by Fraser's illustrations, have been delighting children for 40 years.  Now, many poems front heir out-of-print books are available in this satisfying collection.  The selections are mostly humorous, sometimes contemplative, and deal with animals, family, play, and plain silliness.  Hoberman's rhythms are lively and agile, and her imagination and sense of humor are still in tune with young readers.  Fraser's simple but detailed gouache and watercolor illustrations exhibit the same qualities." -- Nina Lindsay, School Library Journal

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Works Cited:

Lempke, Susan Dove. 1998. Books for youth: Books for the young. Booklist 94 (16) (04/15): 1448,http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2048/login?url=http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2060/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=570059&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Lindsay, Nina. 1998. Preschool to grade 4: Nonfiction. School Library Journal 44 (4) (04): 118,http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2048/login?url=http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2060/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=475542&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

'Inside Out & Back Again' by Thanhha Lai

Lai, Thanhha. (2011). Inside Out & Back Again. New York: HarperCollins Children's Books. ISBN: 9780061962790

Photo by: L. Propes

To many of my generation, the Vietnam War looms over us as a ghostly spectre.  A decade after the fall of Saigon, the war itself came to life on movie screens (Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, Casualties of War) or on our televisions (China Beach, The Wonder Years) in an effort to make sense of what exactly happened in Vietnam.  Veterans of the war returned to a country divided by the United States' involvement, where their service went unappreciated for years.  It was this event that dictated United States foreign policy in the decades to come, and still overshadows it today.

But what of the refugees?  Vietnamese refugees' history and their stories have largely been untold in popular literature in the United States' collective effort to leave that period of time behind.  Thanhha Lai's novel-length poetry collection Inside Out & Back Again admirably fills this void.  This 2011 Newberry Honor book and 2012 National Book Award winner is written from the perspective of Ha, a 10 year-old girl, Lai draws upon her own experiences living in Saigon in the waning days of the Vietnam War, her family's subsequent escape, time in refugee camps, and eventual resettlement in Montgomery, Alabama.  The book is divided into three parts: "Saigon", "At Sea", and "Alabama", corresponding the the significant places Ha and her family live over the course of the year.  The aptly named "At Sea" not only covers the period of time Ha's family spent on the boat they boarded to escape Vietnam, but the time they spent adrift in two different refugee camps -- one in Guam and one in Florida.  Each poem is titled and given a corresponding date, so the reader can easily follow Ha and her family's journey from Saigon to Montgomery.  The book begins on Tet, the Vietnamese lunar New Year, in 1975 and ends on Tet in 1976.

The story is compelling, told in short, free-verse poems that mimic the cadence of the Vietnamese language (Lai 2011).  In an interview at the end of the book, Lai explains that since the character of Ha thinks in Vietnamese, the rhythm of the poem should echo the rhythm of the language, even though it's written in English (Lai 2011).  Lai's language is direct, descriptive, and packs an emotional impact in the spare, unvarnished words of loss, longing, and at the end, hope.  The shorter phrases indicate the family's struggles with the tide of emotions behind their words.  The poems flow freely as Ha's stream-of-consciousness thoughts rattle in her head, but the pauses between the tragic, thoughtful, or apprehensive moments, shown as a separate, shorter stanza, make their imprint on the reader in a stronger manner than if Lai had not set those thoughts apart from the others.

Ha's vivid descriptions of her life in Saigon and beyond are evocative and skillfully paint an image for the reader.  In "American Address", Hai neatly contrasts Ha's life in Saigon to her life in Montgomery, detailing the wonder Ha feels at the conveniences of her new home in Montgomery (a gas stove, the shower, a washing machine), and the scorn Ha heaps upon the cast-offs her family's sponsor's friends have donated.  It's a subtle, yet sharply pointed, critique of American habits of donation to the less fortunate in that people often give the unwanted, mis-matched, and barely useable detritus of their lives.  The poems about Ha's struggles to learn the ins and outs of the English language will resonate with anyone who's ever tried to learn a foreign language.  It might especially resonate with children who are immigrants themselves, familiar with the feeling that others think they're unintelligent because their words and ideas aren't formed in the perfect verb tenses and adjectives of English (or the language of the country of immigration).  The poem where Ha finally finds equal footing with her classmates, "Smart Again" reinforces the idea that numbers know no language.  Ha is able to successfully solve a math problem that her nemesis could not.  Ha's feelings of pride, accomplishment, and joy shine from the page, giving Ha, an intelligent and observant child, a brief moment of normalcy.

Lai weaves a poignant thread throughout the story about Ha's father, who disappeared nine years before the beginning of the novel on a mission for the Navy. The unspoken thought is that he is dead, but the family has never received confirmation of the fact and marks a slow progression to acceptance  that he is dead, and probably has been since his capture.

Lai writes Ha as a typical child.  She deliberately buys slightly smaller amounts of the items her mother sends her to purchase at the market in Saigon.  Not so much that her mother will notice, but just enough so there is money left over to buy a treat for herself.  She privately detests her desk mate at school for being smarter than she is.  Ha is annoyed by her older brothers.  (She has three aged from 21 to 14.)  She hates being told she can't do things because she's a girl and she often does the opposite of what her mother tells her to do, because she's testing her limits and independence.  Ha's brothers and mother are given less-clear personalities, but it doesn't necessarily affect the overall tone of the book, considering it's written from the perspective of a 10 year-old.  Further, the focus of the story is Ha, and her mother and brothers are supporting characters in her narrative.

This book can be part of a unit in an English class about personal narrative, general poetry.  It could also be an excellent source for a history class studying the Vietnam War.  It can also be a good source for a unit about immigration.

Other books students might want to read with Inside Out & Back Again include: Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Meyers, Shooting the Moon by Frances O'Roark Dowell, The Lotus Seed by Sherry Garland, Weeping Under the Same Moon by Jana Laiz, A Piece of My Heart by Keith Walker, The Wall by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Ronald Himler, or What Should We Tell Our Children About Vietnam? by Bill McCloud.

Another book that isn't necessarily poetry, nor does it share the same topic, but could be used in a lesson with Inside Out & Back Again is Li Cunxin's memoir Mao's Last Dancer.  The parallels of  the former Houston Ballet and Australian Ballet dancer's story with Ha's would make a compelling class discussion.  They share many of the same struggles to learn English and fit in the often chaotic American culture.

You can find an interview of Thanhha Lai at the National Book Awards here.  A couple of videos of Lai reading an excerpt from Inside Out & Back Again here.

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"Based on Lai's personal experience, this first novel captures a child-refugees struggle with rare honesty.  Written in accessible, short free-verse poems, Ha's immediate narrative describes her mistakes -- both humorous and heartbreaking -- with grammar, customs, and dress... readers will be moved by Ha's sorrow as they recognize the anguish of being the outcast who spends lunchtime hiding in the bathroom... The elemental details of Ha's struggle dramatize a foreigner's experience of alienation.  And even as she begins to shape a new life, there is no easy comfort: her father is still gone." -- Hazel Rochman, Booklist

"Told in verse, each passage is given a date so readers can easily follow the progression of time.  Sensory language describing the rich smells and tastes of Vietnam draws readers in and contrasts with Ha's perceptions of bland American food, and the immediacy of the narrative will appeal to those who do not enjoy historical fiction.  Even through her frustration with her new life and the annoyances of her three older brothers, her voice is full of humor and hope." -- Jennifer Rothschild, School Library Journal

"Narrating in sparse free-verse poems, 10-year-old Ha brings a strong, memorable voice to the immigrant experience as her family moves from war-torn South Vietnam to Alabama in 1975... The taut portrayal  of Ha's emotional life is especially poignant as she cycles from feeling smart in Vietnam to struggling in the States, and finally regains academic and social confidence.  A series of poems about English grammar offer humro and a lens into the difficulties of adjusting to a new language and customs." -- Publishers Weekly 

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Works Cited:

Inside out and back again. 2011. Publishers Weekly 258 (5) (January 31): 49-50.

Lai, Thanhha. 2011. Inside out & back again. New York: HarperCollins Children's Books.

Rochman, Hazel. 2001. Inside out and back again. Booklist 107 (9/10) (January): 88.

Rothschild, Jennifer. 2011. Inside out & back again. School Library Journal 58 (3) (March): 164-5.

'Doodle Dandies: Poems That Take Shape" by J. Patrick Lewis, images by Lisa Desimini

Lewis, J. Patrick. (1998). Doodle Dandies: Poems That Take Shape.  Ill. by Lisa Desimini. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks.  ISBN: 9780689848896

Photo by: L. Propes

Don't let the cartoonish-collage cover of Doodle Dandies fool you.  True, it is a book of poetry for younger children, but children of all ages can find something to appreciate between its covers.  There are nineteen poems in Doodle Dandies.  Most of them are short, perhaps a line or two at the most, and they cover a wide range of topics from a lady walking her dachshund in a poem titled appropriately enough, "Dachshund" to a widow mourning under the branches of a willow tree in "Weeping Willow".  What really sets Doodle Dandies apart from other works of poetry is the shape of the poems.  Each poem is arranged in such a way that it becomes an illustration in its own right, apart from the collage-style illustrations provided by Desimini.

Photo by: L. Propes

Most of the poems in Doodle Dandies rhyme, but without a consistent rhyme scheme.  In some poems the combination of rhyme and rhythm could easily become a playground or classroom chant.  This is especially true of "Dachshund" and "First Bud of Spring".  Lewis sprinkles alliteration to great effect throughout the poems, most notably in "Weeping Willow".  The alliteration adds to the rhythm of the poem with shorter words paired with a longer one.  As a quilter, I appreciated the imagery in "Synchonized Swim Team".  Lewis' describes a pool as "wrinkled waves... like a quilt of blue" with the swimmers' legs compared to a set of needles, "poking through".  In "Oyster Family", Lewis uses a sly play on words as he works his way through an oyster father, son, and daughter before arriving at "mother-of-pearl".  (As far as I know, any pearl oyster can produce a pearl.)  In other poems, the title becomes a seamless part of the poem (see "The Butterfly Is...").  For the most part, Lewis succeeds in making poetry accessible to children and adults.  Most of the subjects are related to animals and nature, which makes this book a perfect addition to any elementary school classroom, and even middle and high school classrooms.

There are times where the poems don't work, for one reason or another.  In "Winter", a lovely poem to look at, is nonetheless a bit difficult to actually read.   It seems as if the effort to make each word look like falling snow took precedence over making it where a reader could focus on the actual word. It might be discouraging for some readers.  "Halley's Comet" is the one poem where the rhythm feels rocky and awkward.  It doesn't flow out of a reader's mouth like the others, nor does it have the same funky sense of pace.  "Lashondra Scores" is another poem that has a fantastic message for the girl athletes in a class (Lashondra wins the game), the illustration might make some teachers and parents hesitate, especially if they recall the furor that arose when a teacher in New York introduced Carolivia Herron's Nappy Hair to her class.  It's a small thing, I know, but social media has a way of turning small, innocent illustrations into a larger tempest.

Photo by: L. Propes

The illustrations are presented in collage form, with some of the images enlarged to show the texture.  The letters that make up the book's title on the cover are taken from the illustrations in the book, with one of the poems' character making a cameo appearance.  The combination of illustrations with the poems works very well, providing a background for the language.

Desimini's illustrations complement the images Lewis creates with his poetry, rarely overshadowing the poems, often adding a layer of additional information for the reader. Again, returning to "Weeping Willow"...  The poem is such a perfect mixture of illustration, poetry, and emotional impact.  It makes a reader ask questions.  Why is the widow hiding under the tree?  Is she the only mourner at her spouse's funeral?  Has she stopped under the tree to collect herself, perhaps because there might be small children with her?  Like I said, there is something in this book to appeal to all ages.

Photo by: L. Propes

Considering most of the poems have a nature theme, it isn't too far of a stretch to imagine a science teacher using the poems to introduce a lesson.  The poems aren't limited to biology.  "Skyscraper" would make an excellent physics warm-up.  "Halley's Comet" would also make a good introduction to astronomy or a transition from one part of the solar system to comets in general.  Some poems could be used in parallel with others, like "Casey At the Bat" or "The Tyger". In the current educational climate, differentiated education is the rage.  Image poems, like Lewis', could be a way to encourage a child of a more artistic bent to think about language.  Asking them to create an image poem would turn words into art, but at the same time, make them think about the specific word choice so that it not only paints a picture with images, but with sound.

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"The history of poems shaped on the page goes back at least to the seventeenth-century poet George Herbert, and certainly Lewis Carroll used it well in Alice.  Desimini and Lewis take that tradition to rowdy new heights... The very mixed-media art is full of textures and dark, rich colours that repay close examination.  A dandy way indeed to begin a journey to poetry." -- Booklist, July 1998

Photo by: L. Propes

"Lewis... has created an inventive collection of concrete poems.  In each selection, the essence of the subject is captured in the typeface used for the words, the shape in which the lines are arranged, and through Desimini's brilliant mixed-media collages...  Doodle Dandies captures the joy that wordplay can bring." -- School Library Journal, August 1998 

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Works Cited:

DeCandido, GraceAnne A. 1998. Books for youth: Books for middle readers. Booklist 94 (21/22) (July): 1876.

Whalin, Kathleen. 1998. Preschool to grade 4: Nonfiction. School Library Journal 44 (8) (August): 153.

"Raccoon's Last Race" as told by Joseph Bruchac & James Bruchac, Pictures by Jose Aruego & Ariane Dewey

Bruchac, Joseph and James Bruchac. (2004). Raccoon's Last Race. Ill. by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 0803729774

Raccoon's Last Race is a folktale of Abenaki (northeastern United States/southeastern Canada) origin that is a mixture of the pour quoi, trickster, and beast tale sub-genres of folktales (Vardell 2008).  It recounts the Abenaki tale of how raccoons came to look they way they do.

Photo by: L. Propes

A long time ago, Azban the Raccoon looked very different than his descendants do today.  He was lithe, long-legged runner who could outrun every other animal around.  Azban wins so often, he becomes cocky and teases the other animals as he zooms past them.  As you can probably guess, all the other animals eventually refuse to have anything to do with him.  Bored, Azban notices a large someone on top of a hill and zips off to challenge them to a race.  He finds a large boulder, who is quite happy to stay on his hilltop, thank you.  Not to be deterred, Azban pushes the rock down the hill.  Azban does manage to outrun the rock, until he lets his ego get the better of himself.  The rock flattens him.  None of the other animals respond to Azban's pleas for help except the ants, who agree to help reshape him back to his former glory.  Azban is less than grateful and brushes off the ants before they can finish without so much as a thank you.  It isn't until after he's unceremoniously ditched the ants that Azban realizes he's now short, squat, and can no longer run like he used to.

Photo by: L. Propes

The story flows smoothly, and the Bruchacs keep the story moving briskly, and doesn't linger unnecessarily over certain sections of the plot line; and as such, lends itself very well to a read-aloud. The moral of the story is handled gently with a touch of humor, never letting the audience forget that Azban is in a situation of his own making.  Children will appreciate that Azban finally receives a comeuppance in that he is never able to outrun the other animals, his favorite thing to do.  In an author's note before the story begins, Joseph Bruchac says, "Be careful what you do.  It may end up bringing trouble to you" (Bruchac and Bruchac 2004).

The text is sprinkled with onomatopoeia, verbally illustrating Azban's swift running, the sound of boulder rolling down the hill, and finally the sound of the boulder squishing Azban into a rather thinner version of himself.

Photo by: L. Propes

As good as the story is, the illustrations almost steal the show.  A combination of pen-and-ink, pastel, and gouache, Aruego and Dewey give the animals expression and movement.  A two-page spread at the beginning of the book displays Azban's running prowess over a bear, fox, and rabbit, literally leaving them in his dust.  Azban's facial expressions up until the moment the boulder flattens him are appropriately sly, giving more than a passing resemblance to Wile E. Coyote in the midst of a planning stage.  The look of utter dismay and dejection as Azban realizes he's stuck in his current form can almost make an audience think it's an entirely different character.  Anyone who can give a large, jagged boulder a look of utter glee and satisfaction as it comes down square onto Azban should win an award.  It is priceless.  A drawing in the latter part of the story parallels the beginning when Azban outruns other animals.  It has the same three animals -- the bear, fox, and rabbit -- leaving Azban in their dust.  Backgrounds are in soft focus, allowing the characters of the story to take a starring role.

This story is listed as appropriate for ages K-4.  While it's not terribly long, it might be just a smidge too long for some children.

Photo by: L. Propes

Students could find other pour quoi or trickster stories and compare and contrast the elements in them with Raccoon's Last Race.  They could look up other Native American/First Nations origin stories and try to find out if different tribes have other versions of the same story with different animals.  Teachers could use these stories as an entrance into studies of Native American/First Nations cultures or to introduce a unit involving animals with younger students.  Drama/theatre arts and speech classes could use this book in a unit about storytelling, as the text just begs to be read aloud.

Joseph Brachac has written/retold other origin stories: The First Strawberries and How Chipmunk Got His Stripes.  He also has written/compiled collections of Native American stories and poetry in Thirteen Moons on Turtle's Back, The Earth Under Sky Bear's Feet, Between Earth & Sky: Legends of Native American Sacred Places, and Keepers of the Night: Native American Stories and Nocturnal Activities for Children.

Teachers and students can visit his webpage to find clips of Joseph Brachac telling stories.

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"A solid retelling of an Abenaki legend...  The text reads aloud smoothly and keeps the action moving quickly...  A strong addition to picture-book collections." -- Catherine Threadgill, School Library Journal

"The Bruchacs' well-paced retelling is alive with sound... making the story well suited to reading aloud.  Aruego and Dewey's distinctive  illustrations humorously convey the animals' irritation and Azban's arrogance; even Big Rock manages to be expressive.  The authors' notes discuss sources and Azban's place in Abenaki folklore as well as the tale's clear lesson about the consequences of one's actions... this trickster tale packs a wallop." -- Kitty Flynn, Horn Book Magazine

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Works Cited:

Bruchac, Joseph, and James Bruchac. 2004. Raccoon's last race. Ills. by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.

Flynn, Kitty. 2005. Raccoon's last race: A traditional Abenaki story. Horn Book Magazine. 81(1): 102-3.

Threadgill, Catherine. 2004. Raccoon's last race. School Library Journal. 50(12). 

Vardell, Sylvia M. 2008. Children's literature in action: A librarian's guide. Westport: Libraries 
      Unlimited.

'The Three Horrid Little Pigs' written and illustrated by Liz Pichon

Pichon, Liz.  2008.  The Three Horrid Little Pigs.  Ill. by Liz Pichon.  Wilton, CT: Tiger Tales.  ISBN 9781589250772 (hardcover); 9781589254237 (paperback).

Photo by L. Propes

Stop me if you've heard this before: "Little pig, little pig, let me in!  Not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin.  Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll BLOW your house down!"  Perhaps the familiarity of the basic story of the Three Pigs lends itself to being the subject of so many variations.  Looney Tunes has no fewer than four animated versions of the Three Pigs.  Jon Scieszka's The True Story of the Three Little Pigs (illustrated by Lane Smith) is well-known to many an elementary classroom, giving the wolf's side of the story.  Liz Pichon's version of the Three Pigs falls neatly into an early elementary classroom that might not be ready to hear Scieszka's version of events.

The Three Horrid Little Pigs begin with three rough-and-tumble pigs who have plucked their poor mother's last nerve, and she throws them out.  The pigs are very lazy.  Instead of actually building houses, they take the path of least resistance: burrowing into a haystack, stacking up a pile of twigs, and moving into a hen house (to the dismay of the hens!).  In each instance, a kindly wolf, who just happens to be skilled in construction, offers to assist the pigs in building a sturdier shelter.  Each time, the wolf is rudely rebuffed by the pigs.  Eventually, the cows in the haystack's field eat the hay, birds take the twigs to build nests, and a rooster pecks and pesters the third pig into leaving the hen house.  The pigs storm to the wolf's house, intent on taking over his house.  But the wolf treats them with kindness, and as the saying goes, you catch more flies, er, pigs, with honey than vinegar.

Photo by: L. Propes

The story is full of parenthetical and aside comments that add to the overall humor of the text.  It starts on the front cover by noting that Pichon, while she wrote about three horrid pigs, is actually very nice.  The comments are small windows that reflect the mood or personality of the character.  The incident where the wolf makes the comment that one of the pigs' behavior is, "charming" (Pichon 14) might make a good moment to explain the concept of irony.  Obviously the pig's behavior is not charming at all.

Photo by: L. Propes

The text changes size and font with the rise and fall of the characters' emotions.  Visual cues are so important to emerging or struggling readers, and this book offers a wealth of them, either with the actual text itself or through the illustrations.

Photo by: L. Propes

The illustrations make this book special.  From beginning to end, the three pigs' evolution from lazy troublemakers to appreciative members of society unfolds in Pichon's drawings.  Each pig's appearance is distinctive: one wears a red, knit cap with matching boots, another has a teal Mohawk haircut, and the third wears a black bowler, striped scarf and black boots.  The cover displays their scowling faces, while one munches on a chocolate-frosted doughnut (with sprinkles!), smears of chocolate covering his face.  As the reader opens the book, the pigs leave a trail of destruction in their wake -- graffiti on trees, apple cores tossed carelessly behind, and doughnut crumbs.  The destruction continues with a photo of Mom that has had a moustache drawn on it and an attempt by the pigs to paint over the word "horrid" on the title page.  The three pigs' expressions are well done, gleeful in their mischief, and disgruntled as they're kicked out of the house.  The wolf is drawn to convey genuine concern and appropriately attired for a job building houses, complete with hardhat and matching tool belt.  Alarm is shown by rounding and enlarging the eyes, and Pichon uses the effect comically with the chickens when the third pig shoves himself into the hen house and as each pig's attempt at shelter falls about their ears.  Pichon keeps the backgrounds neutral, and chooses to focus the reader's attention on the stars of the scene.

Students can compare and contrast this version with other versions of the Three Pigs.  They can act it out as a skit or Readers Theatre.  A teacher or librarian can do close reading activities with classes or small groups.  Classes and review parts of speech or literary devices.  Some classes may also want to include this book in a discussion of appropriate behavior.  Other activities can be found here and here.

Readers might be interested in other books by Liz Pichon: Hot Dogs and Cool Cats, Bored Bill, or Penguins.  There are several versions of the Three Pigs by other authors, the most famous being the aforementioned tale by Scieszka.

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"The full-color cartoon illustrations capture the pigs' bad behavior and comeuppance with a goofy exuberance.  The font size shrinks and enlarges to mirror the action and the text works as a fun read-aloud as well as a read-alone." -- Marge Loch-Wouters, School Library Journal

"This fractured take on the Three Little Pigs is infused with humor and lessons about community and compassion... The lively narrative, printed in playfully arranged text of varying size, is well suited for spirited read-alouds, as are the colourful illustrations that add to the hilarity with expressive characters.  Children will enjoy the clever twist on a familiar story." -- Shelle Rosenfeld, Booklist

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Works Cited:

Loch-Wouters, Marge. 2008. The three horrid little pigs. School Library Journal 54 (10):118. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=34680142&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Pichon, Liz.  2008.  The Three Horrid Little Pigs.  Ill. by Liz Pichon.  Wilton, CT: Tiger Tales.

Rosenfield, Shelle. 2008. The three horrid little pigs. Booklist 105 (3). 

'Rapunzel' retold and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky

Zelinsky, Paul O.  1997.  Rapunzel.  Ill. by Paul O. Zelinsky.  New York: Puffin Books.  ISBN 9780142301937.

Photo by L. Propes

Rapunzel, as retold and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky from the European traditions of the tale of the young girl hidden in a tower, was the 1998 Caldecott Medal winner.  The Rapunzel tale has a long history, whose origins are shrouded in the mists of time.  In a long author's note, Zelinsky states it was published in France in the 1630s, but the tale itself is likely much, much older.

Rapunzel recounts the story of an infertile couple who finally conceive a much-wanted child.  Their house overlooks the garden of the neighboring garden, which just happens to be owned by a sorceress.  The wife is overcome with a desperate longing for the rapunzel growing in the garden (from the German word die Rapunzel -- "corn salad", a salad green that falls between arugula and watercress).  So desperate is the wife for the greens, that she proclaims she will die if she does not eat the rapunzel.  Naturally, the husband is quite concerned, but he loves his wife, so he scales the high wall surrounding the garden and steals an armful of the rapunzel.  The wife's cravings are only momentarily sated, and the husband is over the wall once more.  He is caught by the sorceress who allows the husband to take as much rapunzel as the wife desires in return for one thing: their child.  Once the child is born, the sorceress takes her away and raises her as her own.  When the girl -- Rapunzel -- is twelve years old, the sorceress locks her away in a tower.  Rapunzel sees no one aside from her adoptive mother until a prince hears her singing and finds out how to gain entrance to the tower.  Rapunzel and the prince fall in love.  He visits her each night, unbeknownst to the sorceress until Rapunzel slips and releases a tidbit of information that reveals her secret.  Enraged, the sorceress banishes Rapunzel, cutting off her long, long hair.  As for the prince, the sorceress uses Rapunzel's shorn braids to trick the prince into climbing into the tower where she informs him Rapunzel is lost to him forever.  The prince tumbles to the ground, blinding himself in the process.  He wanders around the forest for a year until he heard Rapunzel singing once more.  As he falls into her arms, two of her tears land on his eyes, healing his blindness.  He takes Rapunzel to his kingdom to be his wife and they, of course, live happily ever after.

Underneath the surface, Rapunzel is about the inevitability of growing up. It's no coincidence that the sorceress locks Rapunzel up at the age of twelve,"to preserve her from the effects of an awakening sexuality" (Publisher's Weekly, 1997).   Of course that isn't what happens.  Children still mature, no matter how high and isolated the tower.  In Zelinsky's version, Rapunzel and the prince perform an ersatz marriage ceremony and consummate the marriage.  It's not readily apparent to younger children, but older children and teenagers will pick up on the subtle hint that Rapunzel is pregnant when she mentions to the sorceress that her dress is too tight in the waist, a parallel to her biological mother's discovery that she, too, was pregnant.  School Library Journal's review commends Zelinsky for not, "sidestep[ing] the love between the maiden in the tower and the prince...  it is Rapunzel's signs of pregnancy that bring about her banishment from the tower and the prince's downfall" (Wilton 1997).  (On a side note, the only other place I've seen the sorceress actively admit to wanting to keep Rapunzel separate from the world is in the musical Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim.  If you can find a copy of the version filmed to air on television in 1991, give it a whirl.  Bernadette Peters plays the sorceress, and the scene where she finds out about the prince and confronts Rapunzel is absolutely heartbreaking.)  If there's a moral to the story, it might very well be that the more tightly one holds on to someone, the more likely they are to lose them anyway.

Zelinsky does not portray the sorceress as a monster, at least not in the beginning.  Her love and affection for Rapunzel are obvious, as is the hurt and disappointment when the sorceress feels Rapunzel has betrayed her.  True, she is quite fearsome when she enters the scene at the beginning of the story, but in the scene where she carries the baby Rapunzel out of her parents' house, her body language is anything but.  Of all the characters in the story, Zelinsky gives the sorceress the greatest character development.  It would be so easy to make her the villain of the story.  To make her the evil witch who locked a girl away in a tower.  I think most parents would relate to wanting to keep their child safe from harm, but perhaps not to the rather extreme level of the sorceress.

Photo by: L. Propes

The combination of Zelinsky's text and the oil paintings illustrating the book make it seem like a much older publication.  The language takes its cues from a more formal and structured manner of speech, lending itself to the antique feel of the story.  The paintings are reminiscent of the Italian Renaissance, and the story itself takes place in a sun-drenched location.  The paintings contain lovely bits of detail, like the filigree engravings on the scissors the sorceress uses to cut Rapunzel's hair, or the embroidery on the cuffs of a dress.  Characters' faces are expressive and Zelinsky perfectly captures the movement of a dress or cloak as it billows in the wake of someone's passing.  Most of the paintings are intimate glimpses into the life of Rapunzel, but at times, Zelinsky includes one that encompasses the scale of how high the tower was, and how long Rapunzel's hair must have been.  When Rapunzel is banished, he paints her so small, all you can see is a hint of the lavender of her dress against the barren mountains, giving a visual cue to just how alone Rapunzel must have been in the world.  He uses the same effect with the prince, painting him three times in one scene, each version of the prince smaller and further away in the perspective than the last to denote how far the prince wandered.

Photo by: L. Propes

The book is listed as appropriate for ages 5 and up, but at 48 pages, and some rather long sections of text, it might be a bit too long for a kindergarten classroom.  Older children would probably enjoy the story and appreciate the artwork involved.

Zelinksy has been selected for a Caldecott Honor book three times: Swamp Angel (text by Anne Isaacs), Rumpelstiltskin, and Hansel and Gretel (text retold by Rika Lesser).

There are many options for activities with Rapunzel.  Students could find other versions of the story and compare them to Zelinsky's retelling.  Older students might enjoy viewing the Broadway musical Into the Woods (where the second act examines what happens after "happily ever after") and using that as a springboard to fracture the fairy tale, or even write their own version of it.  They could even write a version of life after "happily ever after".  Younger children could do illustrations, study Renaissance art or grow rampion (die Rapunzel in English).  Several age groups could write selected scenes from a different point of view and present it Rashomon-style.  Other activities and interviews with Zelinsky can be found here.

Students may enjoy visiting Zelinsky's website at http://paulozelinsky.com.

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"...this story is as much about the fierce love of mother for child as it is about the romantic passion between the imprisoned Rapunzel and the prince... The rich oil paintings evoke the portraits of Renaissance art.  The costumes are lavish, the interiors intricate. Rapunzel is both gorgeous and maidenly.  The sorceress is terrifying: the pictures also reveal her motherliness and her vulnerability, especially in the two double page narrative paintings that frame the drama.  One shows the sorceress taking the baby -- and we see how she lovingly cradles it in her arms..." -- Hazel Rochman, Booklist, November 15, 1997

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Works Cited:

Rapunzel. in Publishers Weekly [database online]. New York, 1997 [cited January 30 2014]. Available from 
        http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-525-45607-0.

Rochman, Hazel. 1997. Rapunzel. 11/15; 2014/1, http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2216/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA20042283&v=2.1&u=txshracd2583&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w&asid=f608007c8c925b84279d5ceaa9290d46.

Wilton, Shirley. 1997. Preschool to grade 4: Nonfiction. School Library Journal 43 (11) (11): 113, 
       http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? 
       direct=true&db=a9h&AN=9712086828&site=ehost-live&scope=site.