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December 2008
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Upcoming Events for Children's Librarians
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December 2008MARK YOUR CALENDAR Upcoming Events for Children's Librarians |
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TIME TO RENEW!
It's that time again - time to renew ACL memberships. All renewals are due January 1, 2009. The grace period lasts until the end of March. The best way to renew is to print out the application from www.bayviews.org/membership.html , or use a membership brochure. Please submit it at a meeting or mail it with your check to ACL, PO Box 12471, Berkeley 94712. Though it may seem redundant to fill in the same information every year, it helps us to keep our member database accurate.
Performers' Showcase:
Mark your calendars for the next ACL Performers' Showcase. It is scheduled for Sat., Feb. 7, 2009 at the Fremont Main Library: www.bayviews.org/showcase.html
Reading the World XI -a conference celebrating multicultural literature for children and young adults, March 28, 29, 2009 - University of San Francisco, School of Education.
Keynote speakers are :
The Nye Memorial Children's Literature Tour of the Ukraine.
June 23-July 5, 2009 with add on to Odessa June 23-July 10, 2009. Travel with a group of children's literature enthusiasts to study the culture, the literature, and meet with local authors and illustrators.
This tour has been successfully traveling the globe for over twenty years. For more information: Susan Fox [email protected] or Beverly Vaughn Hock [email protected]
National Book Awards:
The National Book Awards were announced in November.
The prize for young people's literature was awarded to Judy Blundell for What I Saw and How I Lied, a noirish novel published by Scholastic Press about a teenage girl who enters into a complex relationship with a soldier who served with her father during World War II. Ms. Blundell, who has spent most of her career as a writer for hire, said this was the "first book I put my name on."
The other nominees in this category were:
Have you been waiting for the "movie cover" paperback of The Tale of Despereaux? Well, wait no longer. It's not coming.
There are several movie tie-ins available this season for The Tale of Despereaux (movie opening December 25th). But if readers want a "chapter book" with the movie cover, they are offered not The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo, but the "Junior Novelization" written by Jamie Michalak.
This version of the story departs in several ways from the original. It opens not at Despereaux's birth, but on Roscuro's arrival aboard a ship. There are new characters in this version (most notably, Boldo the "soup genie"� capilitalizing on the "Ratatouille" factor?), while others are conflated (here, Mig's father is also the jailor.) These changes seem suited to craft a more familiar story arc, with a little more action, a little less darkness and complexity, and a few more predictable family-movie moments.
All of this is fine, for a movie adaptation, and produces kid-pleasing elements in both The Deluxe Movie Storybook (of seven spreads with flaps and a final pop-up), and The Graphic Novel, as both of these are visually and action oriented, referring explicitly to the movie.
The Junior Novelization offers�well, a very decently written novelization of the movie plot, with clearly derivative elements from the original book. It is not a bad book in itself, but it is utterly forgettable, and it pales in comparison to the Newbery Medal winning title by Kate DiCamillo that inspired the movie.
DiCamillo's story begins with a sort of epigraph: "The world is dark, and light is precious. / Come closer, dear reader. / You must trust me. / I am telling you a story." This sets an ominous tone, with promises of something "precious" if the reader is brave enough to "come closer" and "trust."
Michalak's novelization begins: "Come a little closer. Get comfortable. You know what I mean: settle in, take off your coat, have a seat. You are about to hear a story. It begins like this: Once upon a time, there / was a brave little mouse who / loved honor and justice and / always told the truth�" The voice and the tone mimic DiCamillo's, as well as the concepts of "come closer" and "this is a story." But where is the darkness and the light? Where is the reader asked to risk anything? And where on earth is the economy of words?
Throughout the novelization one can mark the diminishment of DiCamillo's fine work. Gone is Despereaux's mother's French accent and callousness, gone Miggery Sow's utter distastefulness that made the reader's ultimate sympathy for her so truly remarkable. Etc.
While Junior Novelizations are not bad things in themselves�one has to ask "why?" in this case. Charlotte's Web got its Dakota Fanning photo homage to Williams' original, Holes its "Now a Major Motion Picture," Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and The Giant Peach their Tim Burtonized covers. Each with their center inserts of movie stills, and-even though each movie took liberties in adapting the story-each with the original story between the covers.
It is such an opportunity when a child comes to the library to ask for a book that they first saw as a movie. And because children-especially ones who are not strong readers-tend to judge a book by its cover, it is so helpful to have the movie stills printed on the cover of the book. That's what sells the book�and once it goes home, the words do their magic. So one wonders what drove Candlewick to pay Michalak for this paltry text when they had the treasure in their hands already.
Happily, the original is available in paperback, with the original cover by Timothy Basil Ering.
Virginia Lee Burton: a Sense of Place. DVD, Docudrama Films, 2008, 87 minutes, $26.95.
Intended for adults, librarians, teachers, and those interested in book history and publishing, this acclaimed documentary was seen on PBS. It celebrates the life and art of Virginia Lee Burton, author and illustrator of several children's books, including The Little House, Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel, Katy and the Big Snow, Maybelle the Cable Car, and several other books. Winning the Caldecott Medal for The Little House, she also received a Caldecott Honor for Song of Robin Hood, which was written by Anne Burnett Malcolmson.
One striking statement helps show the impact of her work: "More people have seen Virginia's artwork than the works of Jackson Pollock," describing how the art in popular children's books has more of an impact than creations by famous painters. Interviews with her two sons, several neighbors, and a few librarian scholars bring in a diversity of perspectives, but all concluding she was in the forefront of creating the format of the modern children's picture book.
Because she both wrote and illustrated her books, she incorporated several book design touches that would hold the attention of small children. These included maps on the endpapers, engaging jacket art, and swooping text areas that moved and curved around the illustrations. She also edited and refined her stories, using her two young sons as the test, so her stories would hold the attention of even a small child.
Currently, many librarians and teachers use her books, especially The Little House, because of environmental themes. The documentary was filmed where she lived and worked in Glouchester, Massachusetts, which had a significant influence on her work. The documentary also describes her youth, when she lived in Carmel and San Francisco. Highly recommended, this film is a must for those who review picture books, and for those just interested in the history of children's books.
Singing for Freedom: A Concert for the Child in Each of Us. DVD, Music for Little People, 2005, 45 minutes, $14.98.
A few years ago, the singing group Sweet Honey in the Rock recorded a concert at Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco. This DVD captures that performance - the viewer will feel as if he or she is really there, enjoying the show and engaging with the performers.
During the show, the singers often teach a song to the audience, and then perform the song. Children's librarians can use this DVD to learn some of these songs, which can be used for storytime or programs for school-age children. Because Sweet Honey in the Rock often performs songs with a Civil Rights theme, this will be very useful to teachers for Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday or for Black History Month.
The DVD contains nine songs, including We Shall Overcome, Juba, I Got Shoes, Freedom Now, and a freedom medley. Down in the Valley Two by Two is a great song for storytime since you partner up with a friend and do movements. Also perfect for a storytime or library program is So Glad I'm Here, which works as a welcome song.
The lighting and cinematography are first rate, and we see many shots of the audience as well as the performers. Look closely and you can see Rev. Cecil Williams and his wife Janice Mirikitani, from Glide.
GETTING BUZZ
Bataille, Marion. ABC 3D. Roaring Brook, 2008. [36p.] $19.95, ISBN 9781596434257.
From Paris graphic designer Bataille, this popup alphabet is more for older children and adults; it really doesn't teach the alphabet. Each opening features a letter or two, many cleverly designed. For example, E turns into F, and O and P become Q and R with the addition of an overlay. Although this was named one of the New York Times best books for children, it isn't really for libraries, more for those interested in toy books. It is about the size and shape of Gallop by Rufus Seder (Workman, 2007) , and it also has a 3-D plastic cover.
GOOD FOR STORYTIME
Cousin, Lucy. Maisy's ABC. Candlewick, 2008. [12p.] $11.99. ISBN 0763640941.
Maisy the little white mouse stars in this simple ABC book that contains everything you need to learn the alphabet. The upper and lower case letter is shown, alongside something representing the letter and the word; for example, "Dd dolphin" and a picture of a dolphin. The flaps and small pop-ups work easily, although the pull tabs may be a little difficult for a toddler to manipulate. Because the pop-ups are not elaborate, this should stand up to library circulation the way Eric Hill's Spot books do.
McNamara, Margaret. The Whistle on the Train: a rollicking railroad pop-up book! Illus. by Richard Egielski. Hyperion, 2008. [14p.] $18.99, ISBN 9780786848904.
Elaborate pop-ups depict a train station, the inside of the train, and the train going over a bridge, through a tunnel, and around the mountain, in colorful cartoon-like illustrations. In fact, the round-headed people look like dolls, but the buildings are relatively realistic. The text can be chanted to the tune of Wheels on the Bus, so this would be a worthwhile purchase to use just for storytime but not for lending.
BETTER AS GIFT BOOKS
Taback, Simms. Simms Taback's Safari Animals. Blue Apple/Chronicle Books, 2008. [12p.] $12.95, ISBN 9781934706190.
Subtitled "A Giant Fold-out Book," each opening folds out, then up, to reveal an animal. At each fold, we get more clues and can guess the animal. For example, we just see the animal's feet but the text says "I have big teeth." On the next fold, it continues "I cool off in the mud." Unfold again and a hippo is revealed. All the animals can be identified by preschoolers but the folds may not stand up to library circulation.
Carter, David A. Beach Bugs. Little Simon, 2008/ [12p.] $11.99, ISBN 9781416950554.
Because this is the size of a greeting card, it is too small to work for storytime. Carter's signature pop-up bugs are too delicate to stand up to library circulation, but this will make a fun gift book. The Beach Bugs include fireflies that light up.
Staake, Bob. Trucks Go Pop! Little Brown, 2008. [[10p.] $17.99, ISBN 9781416950554.
Dramatic full color elaborate pop-ups of vehicles will make this a favorite of preschoolers fascinated by transportation. The cartoon-like people are seen with realistic trucks. The text is just the name for the truck, so there isn't enough to use at storytime. For example, the fire truck is labeled "Fast Truck," the recycler is labeled "Green Truck," and a few more are shown.
MOVIE SPINOFFS
The Tale of Despereaux: the Deluxe Movie Storybook. Candlewick, 2008. [12p.] $18.99, ISBN 9780763640743.
Universal Studios holiday release The Tale of Despereaux, based on Kate DiCamillo's Newbery-winning novel, has been adapted into a pop-up picture book. Each spread is dominated by illustrations from this computer animated feature film, and has a flap on the side that contains a few paragraphs of text, summarizing the story. Only the final page has a pop-up, of a castle, but the rest of the book has small booklets, letters, and other pieces that will get lost at a library. Stick with the original book.
HALLOWEEN POP-UPS
Vaughn, Marcia. Five Pesky Pumpkins. Illus. by Viviana Garofoli. Little Simon, 2008. [8p.] $9.99, ISBN 9781416939054.
Another pop-up book the size of a greeting card, the book is too small for storytime but the rhyming text would make a great fingerplay. Similar in pattern to Five Little Monkeys, here the pumpkins disappear one by one until we see them all in the graveyard at the end.
Young, Timothy. I'm Looking for a Monster! Random House, 2008. [12p.] $9.99, ISBN 9780375844164.
A boy is looking for a monster to play with in this simple but amusing book. The illustrations are really distinctive - black silhouettes with a few white eyes or teeth are shown against deeply saturated colored backgrounds. The pop-ups are relatively sturdy so this may be suitable for libraries that carry pop-up books.
POP-UP BOOKS FOR OLDER CHILDREN
Steele, Philip. A Knight's City. Little Simon, 2008. [28p.] $18.99, ISBN 9781416961246.
Containing only three pop-ups, this nonfiction book on the Middle Ages will fit into your 940.1 sections and be popular with 7th graders doing reports. The pop-ups are elaborate but sturdy: a bridge, a castle, and a cathedral. The rest of the book is text and small illustrations depicting a Medieval city. Topics discussed include farming, crafts and tradesmen, knights, weapons and war, castle life, religion, and entertainment, although no subject gets more than a few paragraphs. A great way to excite reluctant readers about the subject.
Bolton, Anne. Pyramids and Mummies. S&S, 2008. [14]. $21.99, ISBN 9781416958734.
Another great nonfiction presentation, this should appeal to 6th graders who study Ancient Egypt. This triangle-shaped book looks like a pyramid, and the gold cover accents make this book stand out. Inside, the book design and information text paragraphs are similar to Eyewitness books, with small photos of museum items, maps, flaps, and small envelopes containing collectable cards. Like A Knight's City, this would be great for a school library.
Gifford, Clive. Robots. Illus. by Frank Picini. Atheneum, 2008. [28p.] $21.99, ISBN 9781416964148.
A life-size robot head, resembling Star Trek's "The Borg", graces the cover of this enthralling book on robots. Because the subject matter, involved text, and small pop-ups will appeal to Tweens and not preschoolers, this should stand up to library circulation. Each spread covers a subject, with small boxes of text, photos, and embedded booklets and moveable elements, all combining to give the reader enough information for a report. Topics discussed include robots through history, working robots like the Roomba floor cleaner, spy robots, robots in space, artificial intelligence, robots in the future, and how to make a robot.
BayNews needs you! BayNews welcomes any articles, news, ideas on storytime or programs, etc. Just send any articles as a Word attachment via email, to Penny Peck at [email protected]. Thanks!
Submitted by : Penny Peck, San Leandro Public Library
Copyright � 1999-2008 Association of Children's Librarians of Northern California. All rights reserved.