Picture Books

Three picture books are reviewed below:

• Classic picture book: Millions of Cats by Wanda Ga'g
• Caldecott Honor Book: Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave by Laban Carrick Hill
• Recently published: Leonardo, the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems

Classic Picture Book: Millions of Cats

  

Plot Summary

     Millions of Cats tells the story of an elderly couple whose loneliness has sent the "very old man" on a journey to find a feline companion. On his journey, the man finds a hill covered in cats and begins the difficult process of selecting the prettiest one. He finds that every time he thinks he has found the best one, he turns around and finds another he wishes to take home. Eventually he begins his return, followed by the "Hundreds of cats, Thousands of cats, Millions and billions and trillions of cats" (which becomes the repeated phrase of the book). On the way home, the cats drink an entire pond of water by each taking one sip and eat an entire field of grass by each eating one blade. When his wife sees the pets he has brought home, she argues that they cannot possibly feed them all. The couple decides to let the cats decide which is the prettiest, at which point a loud and long argument among the cats begins. The couple shuts themselves in their house only to reemerge when all is quiet. By this point all of the cats have eaten each other with the exception of one humble and scrawny kitten who is the only one who did not claim to be the prettiest. This kitten becomes the couple's new companion and grows plump and pretty under their care.

Critical Analysis

     In Millions of Cats Wanda Ga'g created a classic picture book that children enjoy reading because of the rhythmic repeated phrase and engaging dialogue. The overarching theme of beauty and how it is judged is developed sufficiently to allow for thought-provoking discussions among older readers.

     The classic black and white pen drawings which make up the illustrations are appealing to young readers and merit attention by older readers, as well. The characters' facial expressions and actions add emotional depth to the plot and clarify intended emotions throughout the book. Ga’g used hand-written text to further personalize the story.

    The events of the story itself present some surprising elements that are difficult to reconcile with a child's view of the world. Many questions emerge from the text; for example, why did the cats all eat each other? The complexities of the plot could lend themselves to further discussion of social welfare issues such as overpopulation, natural selection, the social importance of humility, and assistance for elderly experiencing loneliness. These levels of the plot can lead to discomfort by adult readers but are not as apparent to children.

Review Excerpts

• Newbery Honor book, 1929
• Review in School Library Journal: "characterized by innovative design and a strong storyteller's cadence"

Connections

• This text is a good choice for guiding younger students in prediction and for leading an interactive read aloud.
• This book can be used with older readers to initiate a philosophical discussion about beauty and its value (a sample viewpoint can be found here). This discussion might be an introduction to a character lesson or a component of a novel study (e.g. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison). It has also been suggested that Ga’g wrote the book as a response to World War I, and the book could be introduced after a historical study of the war (see “Wanda Gág: The Bite of the Picture Book” by Richard Cox, 1975, accessible here).
• A reader's theater script is available in Stories on Stage : Scripts for Reader's Theater, edited by Aaron Shepard (H.W. Wilson, 1993) available from Amazon or check your local library!
• The recently released picture book biography, Wanda Ga'g, The Girl Who Loved to Draw (Viking Juvenile, 2008), can be used to introduce students to this genre-defining author.

Bibliography

Ga'g, Wanda. 1928. Millions of Cats. Ill. by Wanda Ga'g. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 0399233156.

Caldecott Honor Book: Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave by Laban Carrick Hill

Plot Summary

     In Dave the Potter, Laban Carrick Hill shares a brief biography of the potter of African descent known today by only his first name. Dave was enslaved but allowed to create his influential works of art because of his unique skills in artistic beauty and also in creating pots of gigantic proportions. The story begins with Dave's preparation of the materials needed for his work, follows his creation of one piece of pottery, and ends with his inscription of his own poetry on the outside of his finished piece.
    A section titled "Dave: A life" at the end of the story includes additional examples of poetry found on Dave's pottery along with detailed biographical information about this man and his contributions to art.

Critical Analysis

     One of the greatest strengths of this book is its consistent accuracy in representing this little-known figure of American history. The book includes both author's and illustrator's notes at the end, which describe the author's research process as well as the illustrator's personal travels that allowed the setting of the story to be represented with such precision. The act of creating a piece of pottery is carefully illustrated, providing instruction as well as information. The illustrations themselves are watercolor and collage and merit their own analysis. Many include elements to remind the reader of the time period and cultural climate of Dave's work.
    The text of the book is written in non-rhyming poetry. The beautiful language emphasizes the personal connection of the artist with his handiwork. Figurative language adds literary complexity to the text which might require explanation to younger readers and is a natural introduction to figurative language and simile. The text flows gracefully from one page to the next, developing Dave's character as an artist and a person. By the end of the story, the reader has grown to respect and admire Dave and rejoices in his finished creation.
    On a personal note, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my five year old greatly enjoyed this book. He expressed an obvious interest in pottery and asked many questions about this art form as we read. He was fascinated by the illustrations and asked questions about many of them. He was interested in the historical character of Dave, and even wanted me to read him all the additional material at the back of the book.

Review Excerpts

• Caldecott Honor Book, 2011
• Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award, 2011
• Carter G. Woodson Elementary Honor book, 2011
• Review by Daniel Kraus published in Booklist (ALA):  "Collier’s gorgeous watercolor-and-collage illustrations recall the work of E. B. Lewis—earth-toned, infused with pride, and always catching his subjects in the most telling of poses. A beautiful introduction to a great lost artist."
• Review from Horn Books:  "In lyrical poetry, Hill writes a tribute to the man, Collier’s majestic watercolor collages reflect Dave’s artistry. The book’s pacing is especially well conceived, the illustrations shown in tempo with the text’s descriptions of making the pot."
• Kirkus' Review: "Collier’s rich watercolor collages adopt many angles of perspective to reveal the potter’s strength and artistry.... an accomplished, visually stunning homage to an important African-American artist."

Connections

• The subject of this book makes it ideal for inclusion in a cooperative lesson between the librarian and the art teacher when students are beginning a unit on pottery.
• As a biographical work, the book can be used to share a unique slave experience during a study of slavery in a social studies class. Dave's occupation can be contrasted with that of others experiencing slavery (e.g. Frederick Douglass, Dred Scott, or Harriety Tubman).
• Language arts teachers can find many examples of figurative language (e.g. flat wooden paddle / large enough to row / across the Atlantic") and simile (e.g. "as fast as / a carnival's wheel of fortune"). The lack of rhyme in the poetry of the book also provides a good example of free verse.

Bibliography

Hill, Laban Carrick. 2010. Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave. Ill. by Bryan Collier. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 9780316107310.



Recently published: Leonardo, the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems

Plot Summary

     Leonardo is a monster who is not able to scare anyone. Determined to become a "good" monster, he searches for the most easily-frightened child and chooses Sam. When Leonardo scares Sam, Sam begins to cry, but not for the reason Leonardo expected. Sam loudly lists his many reasons for being sad, ending with "I don't have any friends and my tummy hurts!" Leonardo makes the decision to give Sam a hug, and two become friends (although Leonardo does continue to practice his scaring skills on Sam).

Critical Analysis

     Leonardo the Terrible Monster is a delightful read-aloud. The character of Leonardo is developed through Willems' characteristic illustrations, full of action and varied facial expressions using only simple lines and limited colors. Sam's two page spread monologue, along with the personality developed through illustration creates anticipation in the reader as Leonardo's face (also shown on a two page spread) illustrates his "big decision." By the end of the story, the reader is overjoyed that these two characters have become friends.
    The large size of the hardcover edition of this book draws increased attention to the empty space characteristic of Mo Willems' artwork. On pages where only Leonardo or only Sam appear, the empty space draws attention to the loneliness each of the characters feels. These pages also stand in sharp contrast to Sam's monologue and Leonardo's big decision, which are the two events that lead to an end to the characters' loneliness.
   Also notable is the unique font. The writing is in all capital letters with emphasized words appearing in different colors. With the exception of Sam's monologue, very few words appear on each page and sentences are strung across multiple pages, setting a quick pace for reading.

Review Excerpts

• A 2006 ALA Notable Children's Book
• Review from Horn Book Magazine: "Willems’s story plays out like a theatrical performance on tall, uncluttered, muted-color pages. The ornamental circus-poster-like typeface, in all caps, reinforces this idea, and Willems’s sense of pacing helps convey mood.... This production is just the ticket for preschool story hour."
• Starred Review from School Library Journal: "Willems's familiar cartoon drawings work hand in glove with the brief text to tell this perfectly paced story.... A surefire hit."
• Review from Booklist: "...offers a simple message-driven story, elevated by a smart, striking design."
• Kirkus' Review:  "The highly predictable ending is made fresh by the superb control of pacing, just-zany-enough sense of humor and body language readers have come to expect from the creator of Pigeon and Knufflebunny."
• Review from Publisher's Weekly: "Leonardo's decision to be nice seems homiletic. Yet this is an appealing book.... Leonardo accurately mimics a child's frustration at not being taken seriously; Willems suggests trying kindness to get attention."
• Review from Library Media Connection: "Leonardo is a very unsuccessful monster in this gentle fable about friendship and kindness.... The oversized “monster” book format will make for a good read-aloud."
• Scholastic Parent & Child: Listed as a Teacher's Pick for Best New Books

Connections

• This book can be used in a discussion with younger children about making good decisions in how they treat others. By pausing and predicting what will happen next on the page where Leonardo makes his "big decision", a variety of outcomes can be suggested, and younger readers can later analyze why Leonardo made a good decision.
• Judy Freeman offers the following interactive read aloud idea in School Library Media Activities Monthly (March, 2006): "Act this out in pairs, with one child being the not-so-scary Leonardo and the other the tearful Sam. Talk it over: Other than scary monsters, what makes you cry? If you became friends with Leonardo, what would you do together?"
• A teacher's guide is available from Scholastic and can be accessed here.
• Other books for children about overcoming loneliness:
• Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus (ISBN:  0812453832)
• Oh, the Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss (ISBN:  0375852271)

Bibliography

Willems, Mo. 2005. Leonardo the Terrible Monster. Ill. by Mo Willems. New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 0786852941.