I have so much to catch up on this month after my 31 Days series last month!
We’ll start with pictures of my sister Holly’s family. I can’t believe her kids were so little when I started my blog (2, 9, and 10!). Ilex is now 19 and in college. Drake turns 18 this month and is in his senior year (senior photos coming up), and Ivy just turned 11. Many of you have watched them grow up over the years. Somehow everyone gets older but my sister. [grin]
“Art always emerges from constraint. Art comes out of the margins of your life.” ~Jeff Goins
Do you think the ideas in the above two quotes are related?
And a little bit of everything:
:: How much business is your profanity costing you? @ Michael Hyatt
If you can’t be interesting without profanity, then let’s face it: you’re not that interesting.
:: Prison vs. Harvard in an Unlikely Debate @ The Wall Street Journal [Incredible.]
On one side of the stage at a maximum-security prison here sat three men incarcerated for violent crimes.
On the other were three undergraduates from Harvard College.
…The debaters on both sides aimed to highlight the academic power of a program, part of Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y., that seeks to give a second chance to inmates hoping to build a better life.
…The Bard program’s leaders say that out of more than 300 alumni who earned degrees while in custody, less than 2% returned to prison within three years, the standard time frame for measuring recidivism.
:: Chesterton Casts a Spell on Tolkien @ The Imaginative Conservative
There is, however, a sense in which those who turn their back on fairy-stories are also turning their back on the very world in which we live because, as Chesterton insists, we don’t live in the best of all possible worlds but the best of all impossible worlds. If we have the eyes of humility, the eyes of wonder, we will realize that we are living in a fairy-story, and not only any old fairy-story but the best of all fairy-stories.
:: Making the World More Beautiful (with Miss Rumphius) by Laura Peterson @ Story Warren
She’s not suffering the type of vocational crisis that I think our well-meaning Christian culture can emphasize, worrying over what her “calling” is. She goes through her life, and when she sees an opportunity to bring beauty to a place that was short on it, she takes it. That’s all.
:: A Conversation with Marilynne Robinson @ Image Journal
If God makes the world, populates the world, infuses the world with every kind of ethical meaning, then the signature of God is the beauty of the world. Why even imagine a mystical experience when we’re born into one, submerged in one, day after day?
:: A Manifesto for Liberal Education by Eva Brann @ The Imaginative Conservative
"Let us offer to the young some (let it be four) clear years for becoming not a this or a that, but for learning to be a human being, whose powers of thought are well exercised, whose imagination is well stocked, whose will has conceived some large human purpose, and whose passions have found some fine object of love about which to crystallize."
:: Who Killed the Liberal Arts? @ PragerU (video)
:: Lecture me. Really. @ The New York Times
"A lecture is not the declamation of an encyclopedia article. In the humanities, a lecture “places a premium on the connections between individual facts,” Monessa Cummins, the chairwoman of the classics department and a popular lecturer at Grinnell College, told me. “It is not a recitation of facts, but the building of an argument.”
:: Classical Chats with Matt Bianco [The four levels of knowledge]
:: I love this story about an extraordinary man named Derek.
:: Forever a Novice @ Tresta Payne
[W]ho I really am comes out in the worst moments, not in the best, and I think sometimes that the words I write (which are the thoughts I think) are the truest forms of my soul - with all the commas missing and misplaced; the lack of degree, obvious; the semi-colons placed wherever I want them because that’s just how I think they go and I don’t have to be an expert to tell you what life is like, in so many words.
31 Days, oh my!
I’m slightly shocked that I made it to the end, since I’m not all that great at follow-through.
I hope that these Book Detectives posts have been helpful for a few of you. If nothing else, I hope it has taken a little of the intimidation out of analyzing picture books.
Remember, I don’t have the “right” answers. Literary analysis is not about right and wrong but about exploring the ideas in a book. You may come up with different conclusions about the conflict or the climax or the themes in a story, and that’s okay. I could be way off base on a few of these. [grin] The most important thing is that you go back to the text to support your ideas.
I tried to share a wide variety of styles and stories. In the coming year, I will try to share more chapter books as well as analysis using the 5 Common Topics and an ANI chart.
Did you have a favorite book that I shared? Did you try to go through the story and come up with your own analysis? I’d love to hear about it, especially if we have different ideas about the book!
Be sure you caught the introduction in which I share my resources and inspiration. In the first analysis post I also gave more details about how we discuss each element in a book club setting.
Here is a list of all the posts in the series for reference.
We’ll be back to our regularly scheduled programing tomorrow, November 1st. [So glad to be gaining an hour tonight. Whew!]
[Click here to read other posts in the series.]
Our last book of the series! Tomorrow I’ll share a wrap-up post. I can’t believe the month is coming to an end.
Have you read The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency? It’s honestly one of the most delightful modern series for adults that I’ve ever read. Set in Botswana, the series chronicles the creation and continuation of Precious Ramotswe’s detective agency. Now, the author, Alexander McCall Smith, has given us a way to include our children in the fun. He’s created an early chapter book series for kids based on the childhood of his fictional heroine, Precious.
Not only are the stories charming and adventurous, but they are a fascinating look into the culture and geography of Botswana. Did you know that Botswana, located just above the country of South Africa, is roughly the size of Texas?! It is so easy to forget just how large and diverse the continent of Africa is! And did you know that the Okavango River flows backward—away from the sea—and eventually spreads out and disappears into the sands of the desert?
Three books in the series are available so far, beginning with The Great Cake Mystery: Precious Ramotswe’s Very First Case. I think my favorite of the three is The Mystery of Meerkat Hill, but today we will be discussing The Mystery of the Missing Lion. Our protagonist, Precious, is a strong female role model, but all three books include a boy character. If you are interested in a series with a boy protagonist, try McCall Smith’s early chapter book series Akimbo.
The illustrations by Iain McIntosh are bold and fun and each book contains additional geographical, cultural, and educational information at the end.
Crime Scene [Setting]
Where?
Botswana in southern Africa
The Kalahari Desert
The Okavango Delta in northern Botswana
Eagle Island Camp
When?
Modern Day
A few days
Precious’s childhood
Suspects [Characters]
Who?
Precious Ramotswe—a nine year old girl who lives in Botswana, wants to be a detective, pays attention to detail, smart, great problem solver, asks questions, very intuitive about people, kind, adventurous and brave
Aunty Bee—Precious’s aunt, creative, story teller, fun, generous, works at a safari camp
Obed Ramotswe—Precious’s father, kind
Khumo—boy, about 9 years old, friendly
Filmmakers [Tom]—Nice to children
Teddy—tame lion, actor, obedient, playful
[Click here to read other posts in the series.]
Ah, I’ve been waiting for this day. I hope my life never depends on my choosing a single most favorite children’s chapter book, but if it ever does, Dominic will be in the running for the prestigious position.
This is our second book by William Steig, and one of three fabulous simple chapter books by the author. I previously shared notes from The Real Thief. Don’t miss out on Abel’s Island, as well.
Dominic is adventurous. He is indomitable. He is cheerful. He is dashing. He is courageous. He is kind. He is curious. He is selfless. He is wise. He is high-spirited. He is philosophical. He is the personification of joie de vivre.
He is a Renaissance Man Dog.
Dominic—the story—is illustrated with quirky drawings and bursting at the seams with adventure, buried treasure, and brilliant vocabulary.
Charming.
He owned an assortment of hats which he liked to wear, not for warmth or for shade or to shield him from rain, but for their various effects—rakish, dashing, solemn, or martial.
Cheerful.
“What a wonderful world!” thought Dominic. “How perfect!” Had it been up to him when things were first made, he wouldn’t have made them a whit different. Every leaf was in its proper place. Pebbles, stones, flowers, all were just as they ought to be. Water ran where water should run. They sky was properly blue. All sounds were in tune. Everything had its appropriate smell. Dominic was master of himself and in accord with the world. He was perfectly happy.
Philosophical.
Dominic went out for a long walk and did a lot of thinking. He was still walking when the stars came out. Mournful, he lay down on the ground and looked at the stars. Life was mysterious…
He fell asleep under the vast dome of quivering stars, and just as he was falling asleep, passing over into the phase of dreams, he felt he understood the secret of life. But in the light of morning, when he woke up, his understanding of the secret had disappeared with the stars. The mystery was still there, inspiring his wonder…
Then he leaned on the shovel to rest, the wooden handle warm with his work. The moment he stopped being busy, he felt his heart quake. He had to cry. Life was suddenly too sad. And yet it was beautiful.The beauty was dimmed when the sadness welled up. And the beauty would be there again when the sadness went. So the beauty and the sadness belonged together somehow, though they were not the same at all.
If you don’t love life after reading this book, I don’t know what to do with you. [grin]
[FYI: There is a witch-alligator in this story just in case that is a deal-breaker for anyone. There is also a jackass.]
Steig uses many literary devices such as alliteration:
“But soon his legs began to weaken and wobble, and he wished that wealth didn’t weight so much.”
And the characters names are ironic: Bartholomew Badger the pig, Elijah Hogg the jackass, Lemuel Wallaby the turtle, Matilda Fox the goose, and Manfred Lyon the mouse.
Crime Scene [Setting]
Where?
Fantasy/fairytale world of talking animals
Forest, cottages, Crystal Ballroom, enchanted palace
When?
A timeless fantasy world
Suspects [Characters]
Who?
Dominic—dog, adventurous, indomitable, cheerful, dashing, courageous, kind, curious, selfless, wise, high-spirited, philosophical, joyful
Witch-alligator—friendly, tells fortunes
The Doomsday Gang—fox, ferret and weasel; they rob, ravage, cheat, and attack innocent creatures and travelers; full of damaging mischief; evil villains
Bartholomew Badger—pig, 100 years old, dying, kind, appreciative
Elijah Hogg—jackass, kind, lazy, likes a simple life
Lemuel Wallaby—turtle, 158 years old, likes to exaggerate, very slow
Barney Swain—wild boar, about to be married
Matilda Fox—goose, a widow with children to look after, great cook
Manfred Lyon—mouse, artist
Rabbits—incapable of inflicting harm, somewhat cowardly
Phineas Matterhorn—sleepwalking goat
Mwana Bhomba—magic pygmy elephant
Evelyn—sleeping beauty dog
[Click here to read other posts in the series.]
For our second simple chapter book of this series, we head back to Christmas with The Family Under the Bridge, written by Natalie Savage Carlson and published in 1958.
Christmas, Paris, homeless children, and a charming old hobo—what more could you ask for? [grin] This book is a quick, uplifting story with delightful pictures by Garth Williams. It is available inexpensively at Amazon and most libraries should have it, so it makes a great book club selection, particularly in December when the book takes place.
The Family Under the Bridge may be a good example of multiple protagonists in a story. Armand needs some self-respect and a family to love (man vs. self) and the Calcet family needs a home and a grandfather after their father died (man vs. fate). Madame Calcet also needs to overcome her prejudice (man vs. self).
Crime Scene [Setting]
Where?
Paris (all over as they walk through the city)—cold and gray, but not cheerless
Under a Parisian bridge
In a gypsy camp
Real world
When?
One late morning in December, cold day, gray sky
Through Christmas until New Year’s Eve
1900s (maybe 1950s according to the style of cars in illustrations and publication date)
Suspects [Characters]
Who?
Armand—old hobo with all his belongings in a baby buggy, ragged clothing, lives under bridge, cheerful, polite, ready for adventure, relishes freedom and lack of responsibilities, no pride, hides his heart under a gruff exterior
Children—fatherless, poor, homeless, redheads: Suzy, Paul (has a bit of a swagger), and Evelyne; Armand calls them “starlings”
(Dog—Jojo)
Madame Calcet—“Mama,” widow, proud, hard worker, prejudiced
Gypsies—kind, generous, free-spirited
[Click here to read other posts in the series.]
I promised we’d get back to James Thurber, and here we are with our first short, illustrated chapter book of this 31 Days series, The 13 Clocks.
The 13 Clocks is a Gothic-style fairytale with dark humor, so choose your audience wisely. Thurber writes, however, with an immense vocabulary, a wild imagination, and a brilliant, biting wit, and adults should find this story highly entertaining.
Wickedly scheming, he would limp and cackle through the cold corridors of the castle, planning new impossible feats for the suitors of Saralinda to perform. He did not wish to give her hand in marriage, since her hand was the only warm hand in the castle. Even the hands of his watch and the hands of all the thirteen clocks were frozen…
The cold Duke was afraid of Now, for Now has warmth and urgency, and Then is dead and buried..The Duke was afraid of Now, but he tampered with the clocks to see if they would go, out of a strange perversity, praying that they wouldn’t.
Tinkers and tinkerers and a few wizards who happened by tried to start the clocks with tools or magic words, or by shaking them and cursing, but nothing whirred or ticked. The clocks were dead, and in the end, brooding on it, the Duke decided he had murdered time, slain it with his sword, and wiped his bloody blade upon its beard and left it lying there, bleeding hours and minutes, its springs uncoiled and sprawling, its pendulum disintegrating.
Thurber also invents words with a Seuss-like proficiency.
“Come on, you blob of glup,” the cold Duke roared. “You may frighten octopi to death, you gibbous spawn of hate and thunder, but not the Duke of Coffin Castle!” He sneered. “Now that my precious gems have turned to thlup, living on, alone and cold, is not my fondest wish! On guard, you musty sofa!” The Todal gleeped. There was a stifled shriek and silence.
Students should be able to point out many instances of alliteration and other literary devices, which Thurber employs liberally.
The brambles and the thorns grew thick and thicker in a ticking thicket of bickering crickets. Farther along and stronger, bonged the gongs of a throng of frogs, green and vivid on their lily pads. From the sky came the crying of flies, and the pilgrims leaped over a bleating sheep creeping knee-deep in a sleepy stream in which swift and slippery snakes slid and slithered silkily, whispering sinful secrets.
You may also want to draw the students’ attention to the end of the book where Thurber writes:
The Duke’s…eye moved glassily around and saw the Golux. “You mere Device!” he gnarled. “You platitude! You Golux ex machina!”
This is a great opportunity to teach the literary device Deus ex machina. Not many authors will blatantly identify their “Device” with such wit.
Crime Scene [Setting]
Where?
Coffin Castle—a cold, gloomy castle on a lonely hill
A fairytale world
When?
Once upon a time
Time frozen at 10 minutes to 5
Always Then, never Now
Suspects [Characters]
Who?
Duke—cold, aggressive, evil, wicked, cruel, limping, 6 foot 4 inches, 46 years old, wears a velvet patch on one eye and a monocle on the other, afraid of Now
Princess Saralinda—warm, nearly 21, “loveliest princess on all the 1,000 islands of the ocean seas”
Prince Zorn of Zorna—disguised as a minstrel named Xingu--a “thing of rags and tatters,” youngest son of a powerful king
Golux (“Listener”)—little man, hat, wide eyes, beard, magical, invisible
[Click here to read other posts in the series.]
I had to sneak in one more Barbara Cooney book before our series came to an end. In The Story of Holly & Ivy, a doll wishes for a girl, an orphan girl wishes for a doll and a grandmother, and a woman wishes for a girl. Fate brings them together on Christmas day. Cooney’s illustrations are a delight paired with the lengthy text.
“This is a story about wishing. It is also about a doll and a little girl. It begins with the doll.”
Crime Scene [Setting]
Where?
Mr. Blossom’s toy shop—window was lit and warm and decorated, in a little country town
St. Agnes’s—big house in the city, where 30 boys and girls had to live together
Mrs. Jones’s home
When?
Christmas Eve
1930s? (Judging by clothing)
Suspects [Characters]
Who?
Holly—doll, dressed for Christmas, 12 inches high, real gold hair, brown eyes that could open and shut, teeth like tiny china pearls, newest toy in toy shop, lonely
The other toys: Mallow and Wallow the baby hippopotamuses, Abracadabra the owl, Crumple the elephant, other dolls
Mr. Blossom—toy shop owner
Peter—shop boy, fifteen, red cheeks and a wide smile; he took good care of the toys; helpful
Ivy—little girl six years old with straight hair cut in a fringe, blue-gray eyes, and a turned-up nose; lonely, orphan
Mrs. Jones—woman, married, childless, sad
[Click here to read other posts in the series.]
I cannot complete a series of picture books without including a book illustrated by Barbara Cooney. Not only is Barbara Cooney my favorite children’s book author-illustrator, but The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: An Appalachian Story is my favorite Christmas book. (And clearly I have a thing for books about Christmas trees!)
If Ruthie is the protagonist in this story, I think the conflict would be man vs. fate because she is praying and hoping her wishes come true (and Papa coming home is her biggest wish). Mama certainly is the one driving the action forward, though. Other than Papa’s homecoming, she works hard to meet everyone’s expectations. So is it man vs. self and Mama is the protagonist? I chose the moment they found the balsam tree on the ridge as the climax because the book is titled “The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree.”
Crime Scene [Setting]
Where?
Valley of Pine Grove, Appalachian Mountains—snowy
Ruthie’s home
Pine Grove Church
High on a rocky craig up near heaven
When?
From spring time to Christmas time
End of the Great War (WWI—1918)
Suspects [Characters]
Who?
Ruthie—young girl, poor
Mama—frugal, kind and loving, honors commitments
[Click here to read other posts in the series.]
Last year I added Christmas Farm to our gigantic Christmas book collection, and it is now one of my favorites. I want to hop right into the dreamy world the illustrator has created, and the friendship between Wilma and her five-year-old neighbor, Parker, is absolutely lovely. Using the comparison in age between Parker and the trees is a brilliant way to illustrate the passage of time, and I love watching the tree farm grow through the various seasons.
This is a wonderful Book Detectives selection for younger kids during the holiday season, and evergreen seedlings would make a fantastic Christmas gift!
Crime Scene [Setting]
Where?
Wilma’s back hill
Charming countryside in northern USA (somewhere with four seasons and fireflies, whip-poor-wills, deer, bobolinks, and moose)
Real world—dreamy, cheerful, idealistic
When?
Modern world
Five years, through each season
The childhood of Parker (adulthood of Wilma)
Suspects [Characters]
Who?
Wilma—adult woman, doesn’t seem to have a family but looks older with her hair and clothing, kind, loves to garden, entrepreneur, enjoys celebrating
Parker—five year old boy (to ten years old), hard worker, patient, enjoys being and working outside
[Click here to read other posts in the series.]
Yesterday I introduced author and illustrator Allen Say. Today we’ll explore his picture book Tree of Cranes as we segue into a few Christmas-themed picture books before ending this 31 Days series with a few simple chapter books.
This story is told in the 1st person, and we assume that the author is telling a story from his childhood. The scenery of a traditional Japanese home may fascinate children.
Origami cranes are an obvious craft to pair with this story, and children may be interested to know the 1000 Cranes Legend.
Is the protagonist the son or is it the mother? I think the mother needs to share her memories with her son.
Are traditions and memories important? Are they important to share with our children?
Is Christmas about more than trees and lights and gifts and love and peace?
Crime Scene [Setting]
Where?
Japan
The boy’s home
Real world (true story?)
When?
A single gray winter day, snowy and cold
Christmas
Suspects [Characters]
Who?
Young boy—mischievous
Mama—worried, quiet, sad
[Click here to read other posts in the series.]
Ah, Allen Say—yet another favorite picture book author and illustrator. He is best known and loved for his Caldecott Medal winner, Grandfather’s Journey. Say’s stories draw heavily from his own family background and childhood, which he shares in his mesmerizing illustrated autobiography, Drawing from Memory. As a child, he was shunned by his parents for following his dream of becoming an artist. This artistic tension is felt in each of his stories but perhaps most of all in The Sign Painter.
All of Allen Say’s picture books have a certain spare, quiet, mysterious, haunting, transient atmosphere, and The Sign Painter exhibits all of these qualities.
Who is the boy, where did he come from, and how old is he? Who is the sign painter? Where are they? Where are all the people? Who is the man who has hired them? Who is the woman? What is ArrowStar? Who will see the billboards? What is that strange construction in the desert? What is the mysterious man’s dream and will he succeed? Where is the boy going next?
We never know.
And we wonder, does an artist sacrifice his dream when he must answer to another man?
In Say’s books, characters often feel out of place, yearning for another home. In The Sign Painter we have the juxtaposition of two Japanese men in a remote Texas-like desert, billboards where no one will see them, a massive construction project (seemingly abandoned) where no one will travel, and a final scene from Edward Hopper’s famous painting Nighthawks (inspired by a diner in Manhattan).
I’d love to have a discussion with older students about the placement of the Edward Hopper painting at the end of the book.
Crime Scene [Setting]
Where?
Bus station, empty street, dark storefronts, sign shop
Remote desert (Texas? The sign painter wears a cowboy hat, belt buckle, denim jacket, and red scarf around his neck.)
A construction project in the middle of the desert—empty
Real world
When?
1900s (the truck and car are old-fashioned, Nighthawks was painted in 1942)
Suspects [Characters]
Who?
Young man/boy—Japanese, artist, painter, quiet
Sign painter—Japanese, quiet, minds his own business, kind
Mysterious man
ArrowStar woman
[Click here to read other posts in the series.]
The Boy Who Loved to Draw is a picture book biography of the very first world-famous American artist, Benjamin West. Children who enjoy this story may enjoy the longer entertaining biography Benjamin West and His Cat Grimalkin by Marguerite Henry, acclaimed author of Misty of Chincoteague.
Benjamin West has a talent and a deep desire for drawing and painting, but the Quaker family and society into which he is born is very practical and Benjamin’s drawing leads him into mischief! Will they come to understand and value his abilities?
[This picture book includes three small reproductions of Benjamin West’s art, including his first painting, painted at age ten!]
Crime Scene [Setting]
Where?
Pennsylvania
West household
Real world, true story
When?
Colonial America
Mid-1700s, before the Revolutionary War
Benjamin’s whole boyhood
Suspects [Characters]
Who?
Benjamin West—young boy, loved to draw and paint, very talented, a little mischievous
The West family (Mama, Papa, John, Thomas, Samuel, Joseph, Rachel, Sarah, Hannah, Mary, and Elizabeth)—Quakers, stern
Baby Sally
Gray Wolf—Lanape “Indian,” lived in wigwam, sold baskets, kind and helpful
Grimalkin the cat
[Click here to read other posts in the series.]
The Memory Coat by Elvira Woodruff tells the story of two young Jewish cousins, best friends and co-storytellers, who escape persecution in Russia by traveling to America with their family in the early 1900s.
I’m not at all certain I have the conflict correct. The family needs to pass inspection in America, and Grisha’s coat seems to be holding them back. But maybe I have it all backwards. Maybe Grisha is the protagonist and he needs to keep his coat (and with it, his memories to comfort him). However you look at it, Rachel propels the story forward and saves the day with her keen imagination. Her stories comfort friends, her stories solve conflicts, and her stories preserve memories. And yet, these stories seem to be made manifest in Grisha’s coat.
Crime Scene [Setting]
Where?
Russia, Jewish village (shtetl) with cobblestone streets and cold wooden houses
Ship
America, Ellis Island, NY—Inspection station
Real world
When?
1900ish
During reign of Nicholas I
Immigration to America
Months, winter?
On the ship for 14 days
Suspects [Characters]
Who?
Rachel—girl who loved to tell stories
Grisha—boy; cousin and friend to Rachel, adopted into her family; liked to draw pictures; quiet, sad; parents died
Family
Inspector
[Click here to read other posts in the series.]
In our third book by Uri Shulevitz, The Treasure, a man named Isaac travels far only to find his treasure close to home. This brief, simple picture book is accessible for young children but deep enough for discussion with older students and adults.
Not only are the greatest treasures found where we least expect them, but how do we respond? In faith? With perseverance? In gratitude? Even towards those who seemed to stand in the way of the treasure we thought we wanted?
The repetition of words for his journey to the city and back home is lovely.
I’m not sure of the antagonist in this story. Is it man vs. fate (the voice in the dream and the unexpected messenger)? Is it man vs. self (believing in the dream and persevering to find the treasure)? You read it and decide.
Crime Scene [Setting]
Where?
A European village?
Countryside, forests, mountains
The capital city
When?
Long ago
Over a period of weeks?
Suspects [Characters]
Who?
Isaac—a poor man, hungry; full of faith, perseverance, and gratitude
Captain of the Guard—disbelieving
[Click here to read other posts in the series.]
Yesterday I shared a book illustrated by Uri Shulevitz. Today’s Book Detectives selection, How I Learned Geography, is illustrated and written by Shulevitz.
I love this one. I really do.
It’s brightly-colored. It’s short.
It’s profound and inspiring.
And it’s a true story of a little boy torn from his home by the devastation of war—a true story about a hunger that bread cannot satisfy.
The best part is the final page of the book where the author tells his history, of fleeing Poland in 1939 and moving all over the world. He tells us that the story takes place when he is four or five years old and living in Turkestan. He also shares a picture of himself in Turkestan at the age of seven, a beautiful map of Africa that he drew at the age of ten, and a drawing of the marketplace in Turkestan that he drew from memory at the age of thirteen (while living in Paris).
Readers discover that Uri knows, from personal experience, that knowledge feeds the imagination for a lifetime. He grew up to become an award-winning author and artist.
Few picture books are written in 1st person, so this may be a good book to use for a point of view discussion.
Crime Scene [Setting]
Where?
“Far, far east, where summers were hot and winters were cold, to a city of houses made of clay, straw, and camel dung, surrounded by dusty steppes, burned by the sun.”
(City of Turkestan, in what is now Kazakhstan)
Small room, dirt floor, with strangers and no toys or books.
Marketplace/Bazaar
Real world
Imagination—burning deserts, sandy beaches, snowy mountains, wondrous temples, fruit groves, cities)
When?
1939, after Hitler invaded Poland (the Warsaw blitz), at the beginning of WWII before the U.S. entered the war.
Suspects [Characters]
Who?
Father—Wise
Mother—Hungry, worried, bitter about the map
Uri—Hungry, curious, imaginative, artistic
[Click here to read other posts in the series.]
Arthur Ransome (author of the delightful Swallows and Amazons series) retells this outlandish Russian (tall) tale. The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship is illustrated by Uri Shulevitz and is the winner of the 1969 Caldecott Medal. [I’ll be sharing two more books written and illustrated by Shulevitz in the following days.]
Children may be interested to know that Arthur Ransome was an English author and journalist who travelled to Russia to study Russian folklore. He became a foreign correspondent during WWI and witnessed the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917.
If you have Amazon Prime, you can watch the Rabbit Ears production of The Fool and the Flying Ship (the version retold by Eric Metaxas) on Amazon streaming for free. It is read by Robin Williams and the voices are fantastic, as you can well imagine.
Older children could compare this folktale to other stories about “fools” who aren’t as foolish as others might think, such as Many Moons.
The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship tips its hand on the very first page:
“But however it was with his father and mother, this is a story that shows that God loves simple folk, and turns things to their advantage in the end.”
Much happens after the first page, however, and the long narrative of comical events may cause kids to forget the moral of the story by the time they reach the end.
Crime Scene [Setting]
Where?
Russia
Countryside—lots of fields full of crops
The Czar’s Palace—ornate, colorful
Clearly a fairy tale world where characters have supernatural abilities
When?
Long ago?
Summer? (the fields look ready to harvest)
Over a period of days?
Suspects [Characters]
Who?
Old peasant and his wife—showed favoritism to clever sons, ignored or were unkind to “foolish” simple son
Two clever brothers—obviously not so clever since they were never heard of again
The Fool of the World—simple, never did harm, cheerful, didn’t complain, followed instructions, merry, friendly
Czar—a bit foolish to offer his daughter for a flying ship, didn’t have integrity to honor his promise, prejudiced
Ancient man
Listener
Strider
Sharp-shooter
Eater
Drinker
Wood-gatherer
Straw-gatherer
[Click here to read other posts in the series.]
Past the half-way mark and on the downhill slope! Whew! Anyone still with me?
I fell in love with King Arthur legends while devouring The Squire’s Tales YA series by Gerald Morris. In one of my favorite books of the whole series, The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf, Morris puts his own spin on Sir Thomas Malory’s story of Sir Beaumains and Dame Lyonesse from Book VII of Le Morte D’Arthur.
Many of you may be familiar with the gorgeous picture book Saint George and the Dragon, an adaptation of a story from Edward Spencer’s The Fairie Queen, retold by Margaret Hodges and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman, but you may not know that this author and illustrator pair also collaborated on an equally lovely version of Sir Beaumains and Dame Lyonesse, The Kitchen Knight: A Tale of King Arthur.
The illustrations are rich, detailed, and beautiful, as is the writing.
“Then the knight of the blue pavilions clad all in blue armor came against Gareth, and Gareth rode against him with such force that their spears broke in pieces and their horses fell to the earth. But the two knights sprang to their feet and drew their swords and gave many great strokes until their shields and their armor were hewn to bits. At last, Sir Gareth gave such a blow that the blue knight begged for mercy, saying, ‘I and my five hundred knights shall always be at your command.’”
King Arthur legends are full of adventure, action, and romance. This picture book is one of the few King Arthur retellings that is completely appropriate for all ages. It also contains a short historical note on the original tale.
Crime Scene [Setting]
Where?
Medieval England
King Arthur’s stately castle
Countryside
Castle Perilous
When?
When the Round Table was in its glory (Medieval times)
Begins in springtime
Young man works in kitchen for a year before setting off on his adventure (which seems to take place over a week or so, but it could be much longer)
Suspects [Characters]
Who?
King Arthur—Loves feasts and hearing about adventures, a good sport
Stranger/(Sir) Gareth of Orkney—Goodly young fellow, friendly, modest, mild, big, broad, handsome, humble, compliant, kitchen boy, strong and capable, nephew to King Arthur, brave
(Dwarf—Stranger’s squire?)
Sir Lancelot—Kind and helpful, gentle, courteous
Sir Kay—Rude, angry, ill-mannered, Knight of the Round Table
Lady Linette—Proud, rude
Lady Linesse—Beautiful
Black Knight, Blue Knight
Red Knight—Evil, as strong as seven men
[Click here to read other posts in the series.]
David Small and Sarah Stewart are a phenomenal husband-wife team. [You can learn more about them here, as well as see them on video.] Their collaborative picture books are treasures. The Gardener was my first introduction to the pair years ago, and I instantly fell in love. Who wouldn’t?
The Gardener has a theme similar to Miss Rumphius, another favorite, and they would be well-paired in a Book Detectives setting along with any flower or gardening activity that can be shared with others. Spread beauty and joy!
Written in the form of letters by Lydia Grace to loved ones, The Gardener shares life from the perspective of a cheerful young country girl living in the city with her solemn uncle.
In many children’s books, the protagonist achieves the thing that he needs or wants. The Gardener causes us to consider whether Lydia Grace failed her mission.
Crime Scene [Setting]
Where?
(Country, train station)
The City (USA)
Bakery—undecorated, a little dreary, but the sun shines on it
Roof of the bakery—empty, ugly space
Real world
When?
August 27, 1935-July 11, 1936 (almost a whole year, all four seasons)
During The Great Depression
Suspects [Characters]
Who?
Lydia Grace Finch—girl, cheerful, optimistic, kind, gardener, hard worker, thoughtful, smart, patient
Uncle Jim—man with a big nose and black mustache, somber, quiet, unsmiling, doesn’t seem to have a sense of humor, kind
Ed and Emma Beech—Uncle Jim’s friends, work at bakery, kind, helpful, supportive
(Grandma—Lydia Grace’s namesake and fellow gardener)
[Click here to read other posts in the series.]
The Yellow Star: The Legend of King Christian X of Denmark is only a legend, but it is a powerful one. Beautifully written and illustrated, this tale of courage and honor and ingenuity inspires any reader, child or adult, to ask what if? The author includes helpful notes at the back of the book regarding the veracity of the legend as well as historical information about the Nazi occupation of Denmark during World War II. The Yellow Star could serve as an introduction to the excellent middle grade fiction story Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. Children may be inspired to create their own yellow stars.
Crime Scene [Setting]
Where?
Copenhagen, Denmark, Europe
When?
During the reign of King Christian X
1940
During the Nazi occupation of Denmark during World War II
(Before the U.S. entered WWII)
Suspects [Characters]
Who?
King Christian X—honored and beloved by the people of Denmark, courageous, honorable, kind, wise
Danes—loyal to their king and to their fellow countrymen, united
Nazis—full of war and hate
