THE SECRET RIVER by Marjorie Kinnan

Rawlings, Marjorie Kinnan. The Secret River. Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. New York: Atheneum Books, 2011. $19.99. ISBN# 9781416911791. Grades 3-5. Picture book—fiction.

Originally published in 1955, The Secret River won a Newbery Honor award in 1956; author Rawlings also won the Pulitzer Prize in 1939 for The Yearling. In addition to many other awards, illustrators Leo and Diane Dillon received Caldecott Medals for Why Mosquitos Buzz in People’s Ears and Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions.

The Secret River addresses the significant issues of hunger and poverty in a gentle and optimistic manner. Young Calpurnia wants to help change “hard” times to “soft” times for her family and village. She decides she will catch fish to feed the townspeople and seeks the guidance of Mother Albirtha, “the wisest woman in the forest,” who tells her how to find a secret river. Calpurnia is successful in her quest, catching plenty of fish to feed the village, although she struggles to make her way home. She encounters several beasts (an owl, a black bear, and a panther) on her journey home and pacifies them with fish. At this point, readers may wonder if Calpurnia will return empty-handed, but she returns with enough food for everyone.

The illustrations aptly convey the scariness of the forest, which is dark with faces embedded in the trees, although the acrylic paintings are somewhat muted to suggest softness. The Secret River contains various messages, such as the importance of helping others and to trust one’s self. However, the book may be trying to do too much by interspersing poetry (created by Calpurnia), regional dialect, and grammar corrections. For instance, when Calpurnia says, “everybody be’s my friend,” her mother corrects the error. Additionally, when Calpurnia goes back to find the secret river, but it is gone, Mother Albirtha tells her,“The secret river is in your mind.” Such a concept may be confusing for readers. Overall, this is an engaging picture book for older readers and it would be best to share with an adult who can help explain some unfamiliar ideas.

--Cynthia McDaniel

THE SPIDER AND THE FLY by Tony Diterlizzi

Diterlizzi, Tony. The Spider and the Fly. Based on the tale by Mary Howitt. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2002. ISBN: 978-0-689-85289-3.

The Spider and the Fly revamps Mary Howitt’s cautionary tale about a soothsaying spider and a sweet, naïve fly by pairing the verse with Tony Diterlizzi’s Caldecott-honored illustrations. At first glance, contemporary book browsers might wonder how a poem written in 1829 (complete with Victorian vernacular) could hold the attention of today’s child reader. However, all dusted off and with a fresh coat of paint, this story proves that some scares are timeless. Diterlizzi’s drawings toe the line between charming and creepy, with an aesthetic nod to old film noir and Edward Gorey. The story itself plays out the melodrama of an unsuspecting damselfly who meets an unfortunate end at the many hands of a scheming spider.

The text rings with the moralizing overtones common to the children’s literature of its era. This is a story with a lesson, particularly for little girls, about the big bad world. Some parents may bristle at the basic plot trajectory – a wide-eyed babe in the woods is taken in, seduced, and murdered by an unctuous older man – but hey, they’re only insects! And as the afterword reminds any disgruntled readers, “What did you expect from a story about a spider and a fly? Happily ever after?” That being said, this book would best be reserved for an elementary school aged reader (the jacket advises 6 and up).

Diterlizzi’s illustrations really do balance out the spookiness and slime with sophisticated fun. The little Fly is all rouged up like a flapper while the Spider smolders like a portly Gomez Addams. The backgrounds of each scene are not to be missed; these pages were designed for lingering. The Spider’s lair is dripping with beautifully gory detail, decorated by a dead ladybug footrest and a coffee table copy of The Joy of Cooking Bugs. Diterlizzi also accomplishes a haunting range of light and shadow using only black, white, and shades of gray.

All in all, this is a lovely book with some serious style. There’s an applicable message about the dangers of sweet-talking strangers, but the illustrations are worth the price of admission alone.

Emily Lohorn

FALLING DOWN THE PAGE: A BOOK OF LIST POEMS by Georgia Heard

Heard, Georgia. Falling Down The Page: A Book of List Poems. New York: Square Fish, 2011. ISBN 978-1-59643-666-4. $8.99

Edited by Georgia Heard, Falling Down the Page: A Book of List Poems is a refreshingly unique poetry anthology for young readers. Heard unites these poems by form allowing the book to explore a variety of subjects while simultaneously highlighting the range and depth of the list form of poetry. Falling Down the Page highlights themes young readers can relate to, touching on everything from test anxiety to the beauty of nature. While the overall arc of the book follows a school day and a school year, the poems themselves grapple with issues and ideas far more diverse.

The best poems in Falling Down the Page come to life in the specificity of the objects or observations being catalogued. In “In My Desk” Jane Yolen’s list of absurd objects “one/ holey/ sock, […]a pair of moldy/ old pincecones, […] my braces that were much too tight,/ a lunch box/ with a great big/ hunk/ of rotting cheese” drives the voice of this loveably eccentric speaker (16). The details draw the reader in heightening the emotional impact. Similarly, Kathy Applet’s “Test Day” uses specific details to enliven the voice of the poem. The poem opens, “It is never about the things I know:”(30). Then it continues with a list of weighty points of knowledge, “That my great-great-aunt learned to drive when she was 68 […] How the thunder scares my ginger-striped cat” each item enriches the speaker’s voice (30). Applet’s “Test Day” is one of the many skillful voice driven poems that run through Falling Down the Page.

Moreover, the poems in Falling Down the Page are richly musical in a variety of ways. Many of the poems, such as the opening poem, “Good-byes,” use a short meter and overt rhyme scheme to create a whimsical music. Lines such as, “It’s really hard/ to say good-bye/ to twinkling beach,/ and golden sky,/ to castles rising/ from the sand, to Annie’s caramel/ popcorn stand,” evoke nursery rhymes establishing a familiar poetic music. In “Things to Do if You are the Sun” Bobbi Katz employs a more subtle soft tone of music. Relying on assonance and internal rhyme, allow the stark images of the poem to not be overpowered by a heavy rhyme scheme. Katz writes, “Keep things cool enough for penguins./ Slip away to end the day./ Light the moon at night./ Let people and animals sleep./ And at the crack of dawn,/ wake up the world!” foregrounding the speaker’s views of the sun thereby letting the music work as a soft underscore (33). On the opposite end of the musical spectrum, David Harrison’s “Chorus of Four Frogs” is one-hundred percent music. The poem is made up of four voices repeating onomatopoeic words in a variety of sequences. The words “Greedeep,” “Ribbet?” “Peep-peep” and “Ker-plum!” are repeated to create, as the title suggests, a frog chorus crescendo. “Chorus of Four Frogs” provides a unique perspective of the list poem (39). Young readers will love reading this poem aloud.

While one might worry an entire book of list poems may grow tedious, each poem in Falling Down The Page is unique and engaging. Readers will be captivated by the diverse voices and music singing from the page and inspired to try to create a list poem of their own.

Francine Rockey

EMILY AND CARLO by Marty Rhodes Figley

Figley, Marty Rhodes. Emily and Carlo. Illus. Catherine Stock. Watertown: Charlesbridge, 2012. ISBN: 978-1-58089-274-2. $15.95

Emily and Carlo is the story of a shy, smart young woman and her closest companion. It begins in 1849 in Amherst, Massachusetts, where sad Emily is given a large, black Newfoundland puppy. Emily names the dog Carlo, and with him "by her side, Emily [has] the confidence to explore the world around them." In fact, Emily takes Carlo everywhere and, during the sixteen years she is accompanied by her "shaggy ally," they are only apart for a few months when Emily has to go to the city for health reasons. The time does come, though, when Carlo can no longer be there. Following his death, Emily writes a heartbreakingly short letter:

Carlo died.
E. Dickinson
Would you instruct me now?

As a dog-lover and someone who has been closely accompanied by my own "shaggy ally" of nine years, Romeo, this story deeply resonated with me. The text itself is carefully thought out; Marty Figley has aptly integrated historical research, quotes from Emily Dickinson's own material (indicated by italics), and a bit of creative imagination to construct a memorable read. My enjoyment was only furthered by Catherine Stock's beautiful watercolor illustrations. There is a lovely combination and interplay of closely detailed work and broad, pastel, splashes of color. This book might seem light and whimsical, yet it adds substantive value to an aspect of Emily Dickinson that I was not aware of. This is an excellent early introduction that makes a complex and often mysterious author that much more identifiable for readers.

Stephanie Ashley

A MOVIE IN MY PILLOW by Jorge Argueta

Argueta, Jorge. A Movie in My Pillow. Illustrations by Elizabeth Gomez. San Franciso: Children’s Book Press, 2001. ISBN 0-89239-165-0. $16.95. 

More info:
www.elizabethgomezart.com

Awards:
2001 Americas Award for Latin American Literature
Skipping Stones Honor Award for Multicultural Literature
IPPY Award for Multicultural Fiction for Juveniles

A Movie in My Pillow is a picture book of children’s bilingual poetry. It describes the author’s memories of when he left El Salvador as a young boy with his father during its civil war and moved to San Francisco’s Mission District. Jorgito’s movie, or collection of dreams, is recalled in emotional poems about the people and places he left behind, as well the adventures he has discovered in his new city.

The languages included in this book are Spanish and English. It is a translation from Spanish into English. All of the poems are in both English and Spanish and are displayed either side by side or above and below each other on each page. English/Spanish biliterate readers will be able to tell that the book is very well translated and has accurate usage of words. It was translated by the author himself, which means he has the language, regional, and cultural background from his native El Salvador.

The text of each language seems to be equally present on every page and of equal importance in the telling of the story. The font style seems almost childlike and friendly as well as clear. Every word, line, and paragraph is visible among the various illustrations, and they are easy to read on the pages because they are spaced apart and positioned well.

While there is no slang or jargon in this book, but there is some non-standard vocabulary that language learners might not know or recognize. There is no formal glossary within the book, but there are small notes next to and beneath the poems to explain potentially unfamiliar words to readers.

The vibrant paintings on every page really help bring the author’s story to life with bold bright colors covering every inch of the book. Because the drawings are so detailed, they may help readers boost their comprehension of abstract concepts and better explain what it is like to live in two different countries. I did not find any obvious elements of rhyme or rhythm used in the poems, but the author does use repetition, which supports language acquisition.

The writing style of the author is very imaginative and full of emotion. His heartfelt confessions about the things he misses from El Salvador and the joyful confusion he feels in San Francisco will make any reader empathize with being homesick.

The artwork is vivid and makes you feel as though you’re watching Jorgito’s movie with him. Geography, world cuisines, and indigenous languages are just a few of the social studies themes that are present in this wonderful children’s book.

I would use this bilingual book to support language acquisition by reading it first in one language (the child’s primary language), and then in the second language. This gives the student the opportunity to hear both versions and transfer their skills in the second language. Having the dual language text side by side also helps them access the translations more easily.

Some other books by Jorge Argueta include Sopa de Frijoles, Alfredito Flies Home, Moony Luna, La Gallinita En La Cuidad, The Fiesta of the Tortillas, Talking with Mother Earth, Trees Are Hanging from the Sky, Zipitio, and Xochitl and the Flowers. I would without a doubt recommend this book. It would be a great resource to include in a bilingual library collection or for dual language learners. It would especially be of interest to immigrant students or young readers from El Salvador.

Reviewed by Caroline Rubio Jacobs


This review is part of the Special Section: Books in Spanish, featuring a collaboration with Policy and Language Studies students at San Diego State University. Read more about it here.

SHAKESPEARE MAKES THE PLAYOFFS by Ron Koertge

Koertge, Ron. Shakespeare Makes the Playoffs. Candlewick Press, 2012. ISBN-13: 9780763658526. $5.99.

Special Feature: Review by an elementary school student.


Ron Koertge writes the wonderful novel Shakespeare Makes the Playoffs with such style, personality, and humor that it is almost impossible to put this lovely realistic fiction down. When I look for a book, it must be unique, and this title really caught my eye. You may think it is all about sports, but as you read on, you realize there is much more to this story.

Kevin is a talented and funny 14 year old. He has pretty cool and supportive friends whom he plays baseball with, but he has a talent that they don't have. You see, Kevin's a real wiz at writing poetry, which earns him the nickname Shakespeare. When his Father gives him a red notebook called "Shakespeare's Secret Diary," he begins a new collection of poems with topics such as playoff practice or Ms. Baldwin, the creepy geography teacher.

A lot of people think that you can only either be a jock or a nerd, that you have to focus on sports or creativity; this book shows that you can be all of the above. You don't have to limit yourself. I believe many people would enjoy this fantastic book.

Review by MaeLin Janus, 5th grade

LEMONADE: AND OTHER POEMS SQUEEZED FROM A SINGLE WORD by Bob Raczka

Raczka, Bob. Lemonade: and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word. Illus. Nancy Doniger. New York: Roaring Book Press, 2011. ISBN: 978-1-59643-541-4. $16.99 US 

The inside front cover describe Raczka’s concept as “part anagram, part rebus, part riddle.” He takes one word, like “ran” and lines the letters up to form the poem

Rain 
i
ra n
in

It feels a bit like the board game MadGab, where you have to sound out the words to figure out the real meaning. Often, it’s difficult to find where the word breaks are supposed to be! Kids who enjoy puzzles will enjoy lining up his letters and trying to read the puzzle-poems. The “answers,” that is, the puzzle written in full word form, is printed on the back page. The illustrations are whimsical and simple, painted entirely in black, grey, and red.

I think the greater value of the book, more so than just solving Raczka’s puzzles, lies in inspiring kids to create their own anagram single word poems. A great gift for puzzle-loving elementary school children!

Marisa Behan

Review: MIRROR MIRROR by Marilyn Singer

Singer, Marilyn. Mirror Mirror. Illus. Josee Masse. NY: Dutton, 2010. ISBN 0-525-47901-7. $16.99.

These short reversible story poems are intellectual delights: each page’s left side poem is read top to bottom, then is reversed line for line in the right side poem, which, enjoyably, also makes perfect sense as well as a good poem. Word order isn’t changed, only occasional punctuation. Singer’s originals are a model for potential writing sessions in classrooms. Poetry can be fun!

The poems are versions of famous fairy tales, so content like “Rapunzel” and “Snow White” is readily recognizable. On the opposite page are illustrations rich in color and design, also mirroring the poems—the left side illustration matches the left side poem, and the right side painting encapsulates the poem, the story element, in its reverse. Masse juxtaposes the two paintings superbly so they play off each other, as in the Frog Prince and Beauty and the Beast. The sense of design is beautiful.

Alida Allison

Review: HUMPTY DUMPTY AND FRIENDS by Oleg Lipchenko

Lipchenko, Oleg. Humpty Dumpty and Friends. Toronto: Tundra Books, 2010. ISBN 1-77049-205-9. $17.95.

This version of Mother Goose is superb. Lipchenko’s remarkably fine illustrations accompany Tundra Books’ unusual selection of nursery rhymes. With full color, full page pastel wonders of detailed perspective on the right page and two smaller, soft black and white pictures, page decorations, and two poems on the left, Lipchenko’s ingenuity is everywhere evident. A color page such as the one illustrating “Robbin the Bobbin,The big-bellied Ben…” are full of angles and sub-scenes and surprises, enough on each page to last a long time. In addition, this collection features rhymes not in the typical canon. For example:

The captain was a duck
With a packet on his back;
When the ship began to move,
The captain said, “Quack, quack!”

The illustration of this poem is hilarious, as are they all.

Alida Allison