A Spider and a Pig

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. 1952.

Similar in voice to Babbitt’s Tuck Everlasting, White’s is written in a pleasantly distant third person with an air of mystery, like the story that is unfolding is Very Important. Some things of note:

• It opens with dialogue, which pulls the reader in immediately. Uncommon for the times, I think?
• It confronts death quite realistically and without squeamishness. Yes, pigs become bacon and Christmas ham. Yet one pig will be spared.
• A strong sense of sentimentality runs throughout. Sort of like Charlotte’s character herself.

Total aside: I played Fern in my fourth grade production of Charlotte's Web. I had to sing to a stuffed pig, and during dress rehearsal I went missing for a few minutes, so the Green-Room-Nazi-Mom kept a strict eye on me. She made me miss an entrance during the performance because she didn't believe me when I said I needed to be on stage. Funny what odd details make an impression.

I also had to kiss Wilbur (John VanDop, who I loved desperately) on his sweet little head at the end. I'm so glad he wasn't turned into bacon!

Aesop Rewrites: So lovely and Gentle

Aesop’s Fables by Jerry Pinkney. 2000.

Compression and storytelling meld with just enough detail to set the stage and uphold the story. I found a mix of familiar and more obscure stories (i.e. “The cat, the Rooster and the Mouse”). All included small details that made the story more vivid, like garlands of flowers around the heifer’s neck. This is a compilation, so there's not much to say on the whole. A few notes on individual stories:

• “Shepherd Boy and the Wolf”: I think the story is more powerful when the boy gets eaten, but hey, it’s Pinkney’s book. 
• But there was a mixed meaning on p. 44. “Those who complain most often suffer least.” Maybe better would be: those who suffer least often complain the most. If it were a story of a squeaky wheel getting oiled, then the moral of “complain to get what you want” could come out of the current phrasing.
• Some are hysterically funny. Like a drowning boy being lectured—“there’s a time and a place for everything.” No kidding! It makes me wonder what Dahl or Edward Lear would do with these tales.

Strange Little Family

The Animal Family by Randall Jarrell. 1965.

What a strange book. Jarrell’s is the story of a hunter and mermaid who fall in love and make a family from a bear cub, a lynx, and an orphaned boy. The story is uncannily realistic for all the lack of realism (a mermaid!). Bears act like bears, lynxes like lynxes, yet they live together in harmony. This strange combination of realism and surrealism makes for an unpredictable, fascinating, slightly unnerving little story.

Little Black Sambo vs. Sam and the Tigers

Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman. 1925.

I have this story in a set of old blue storybooks from the 20s. My grandmother read it to me when I was a girl. It was my absolute favorite then, and I still enjoy it now. It’s considered to be absurdly racist, primarily the stereotyped illustrations, but it’s a great story! I would much rather have my children read The Story of Little Babaji, however, since the tale itself is Indian originally.




Sam and the Tigers by Julius Lester. 1996.

A brilliant rewrite of Little Black Sambo. What child can not laugh at Sam, Sam and Sam? With clever and lively illustrations, it’s a modern classic. Not to harp on The Story of Little Babaji, but I'm going to harp a bit. That little book captures the elegant simplicity of the Sambo story, but returns it to a more accurate context. So, if you're looking for a funny spin on Sambo, Sam and the Tigers will do fine. If you're looking for a culturally sensitive replacement for Sambo, I'd go with Babaji.

Oh, No! She's Missing!

Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry Allard. 1977.

Clever storyline, simple and fresh illustrations. I expect parents took issue with a story about naughty children and a teacher who is called a witch back in the day. It’s standard fare now, though. I mean I have Heckedy Peg on my bookshelf, along with books about farting dogs and dumb bunnies. Interesting write-up about this book and its origin in Anita Silvey’s 100 Best Books for Children. Far too lazy today to comment more. Fun book and Pie, Fish and I loved the CD/book combo in this particular release.

Little House by Any Other Name Might Smell Like: Birchbark House

The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich. Hyperion, 1999.

It’s Little House but from the Native American perspective! I love it.

Erdrich accomplishes a lovely coming of age story with many of the same devices Wilder uses. Incredibly specific detail, a gentle narrative that strays from close 3rd limited to omniscient when it needs to. Family stories scattered throughout.

But Erdrich does more—she allows her protagonist to suffer (she loses her baby brother), and she takes the spirituality of the culture very seriously. Despite the author having these contemporary sensibilities, the book still has the timeless feel that Wilder’s have. Lovely.

My Favorite Queen: Elizabeth

Behind the Mask: The Life of Queen Elizabeth by Jane Resh Thomas. 1998.

Dense, detailed, drenched in history. Jane’s passion comes through every intimate detail. I wonder if it shouldn’t have been YA. I could imagine my 9yr-old son asking, “What’s a lover, Mom?” And the sheer density of information: all the political intrigues, much pre-understanding about the times assumed ... it screams YA to me.

• As a former student of Jane's, I can see many of JRT’s writing habits: powerful verbs, clear sentences, no improper referents. These (hahahaa!) do make for a forward-moving style. The great complexities of Elizabeth’s story are communicated with stunning clarity and depth.
• Whine of the day: Not enough pictures, and if a publisher were going to do such a heavy book, why not do the whole thing in color? I used to do graphic design - color doesn't cost that much more. Not these days.
• Prodigious research both into Elizabeth’s person as well as the times during which she lived. All I can say is Wow.