FLESH & BLOOD SO CHEAP: THE TRIANGLE FIRE AND ITS LEGACY

Marrin, Albert.  Flesh & Blood So Cheap:  The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy.  New York:  Alfred A. Knopf, 2011.  ISBN 978-0-375-86889-4.

 

Plot Summary

Flesh & Blood So Cheap:  The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy relates the tragic events on March 25, 1911, when a fire ripped through the factory filled with workers who were trapped inside.  It remained the most horrific workplace catastrophe in New York's history until September 11, 2001.  Flesh & Blood So Cheap also describes the uphill battle immigrants face and the inhuman working conditions they were, and still are, forced to endure.

 

Critical Analysis

Much could be said about the respect given to the writings of Albert Marrin.  The National Humanities Medal Award was given to Marrin in 2008 by the President of the United States.   Marrin was credited by the President "for opening young minds to the glorious pageant of history."  He has received many awards and honors including the James Madison Book Award for Lifetime Achievement and the Washington Post Non-Fiction Award for an outstanding lifetime contribution that has enriched the field of children's literature. 

In writing Flesh & Blood So Cheap:  The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy, Marrin draws from several valuable resources which are too numerous to list.  He utilizes multiple endnotes in each chapter to further solidify the accuracy of his research for this book. 

Flesh & Blood So Cheap contains a table of contents with the following:

• Prelude  From the Ashes

1. Huddled Masses
2. Into the Magic Cauldron
3. Flesh and Blood So Cheap
4. An Overflow of Suffering:  The Uprising of the Twenty Thousand
5. The Third Gate:  Fire at the Triangle
6. A Stricken Conscience
7. The Price of Liberty

• Bibliography
• Notes
• Picture Credits
• Index

The index is quite extensive with a multiple-page listing for various terms which would be of interest to the reader.  The book is designed in a way that the reader could start on any chapter and read the chapters in virtually any order.

The photographs, which were on at least half of the pages in the book, were the most impressive thing about Flesh & Blood So Cheap.  All of the photographs were black and white; however, considering the time period recorded in this book, the non-colored pictures were to be expected.  The captions and historical tidbits given with each photograph allowed the reader to glean a tremendous amount of knowledge without even glancing at the text.

Marrin gives many historical facts in the book.  The life of a sweatshop worker was constantly in danger.  "In 1911, for example, over 50,000 people died on the job -- that is, about 1,000 each week, or 140 a day, every day."  The conditions were so poor, even the consumers suffered the consequences.  "Infected workers coughed constantly, spewing the disease-causing bacteria onto the garments they were making.  In that way, tuberculosis spread from the worker to the consumer."  If the working conditions weren't bad enough, those who fought for better pay and conditions faced even worse repercussions.  Sweatshop owners, who were immigrants themselves, hired gangsters to control their workers and strike fear into their hearts.  "For example, they charged four dollars to blacken a person's eyes, ten dollars for breaking a nose, twenty-five dollars for a stabbing, and one hundred dollars and up for murder."  It is facts like these which cause the reader to understand the pitiful plight of the immigrant sweatshop workers.

The climax of Flesh & Blood So Cheap is the graphic description of the events of The Triangle Fire where 146 workers, mostly young Italian and Jewish women, perished on March 25, 1911.  Marrin concludes his book with a comparison of The Triangle Fire to the KTS Textile Mill Fire in Bangladesh.  On February 23, 2006, fire engulfed the three-story structure killing 91 people.  This same story is unfortunately repeated in the history of many developing countries today.  Better working conditions are needed to insure the safety of so many young, innocent lives. 

Every year a chalk brigade walks around New York writing the names of those who lost their lives in The Triangle Fire.  It is important to remember the mistakes of the past; otherwise, we will be doomed to repeat them in the future.  Marrin does a remarkable job in helping us all to remember the tragic story of The Triangle Fire in Flesh & Blood So Cheap:  The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy.

Awards and Honors

• Flora Stieglitz Straus Award from the Bank Street College of Education for a distinguished work of nonfiction which serves as an inspiration to young people, 2012
• Amelia Bloomer Project annual list recognizing Flesh & Blood So Cheap as a well-written book with significant feminine content, 2012
• Sydney Taylor Notable Book by the Association of Jewish Libraries, 2012
• Booklist Editor's Choice:  Books for Youth, 2011
• National Book Award Finalist, 2011

Review Excerpts

"The writing is compelling and detailed, and the author effectively manages to bridge the gap between detached expository writing and emotionally charged content. For those looking for an intriguing, readable account of a turning point in history, or doing research on immigration, this is a useful and thoughtful addition to any American history collection."  Jody Kopple, School Library Journal 5/1/11

"The highly readable book design features black-and-white photos on every double-page spread as well as newspaper accounts and biographical profiles.  Sure to spark discussion, this standout title concludes with source notes and suggested-reading lists that will lead students to further resources for research and debate ."  Hazel Rochman, Booklist 4/1/11

"Marrin's message that protecting human dignity is our shared responsibility is vitally resonant."  Publisher's Weekly 1/17/11

Other Books by Albert Marrin

Years of Dust:  The Story of the Dust Bowl

The Great Adventure: Theodore Roosevelt and the Rise of Modern America

Sitting Bull and His World

Visit his website for more information:  http://www.albertmarrin.com/

Book Connections

Worlds Afire:  The Hartfield Circus Fire of 1944 by Paul B. Janeczko

Bread and Roses, Too by Katherine Paterson

The Bobbin Girl by Emily Arnold McCully

Connection Activities

•  Collect books such as The Triangle Fire by Leon Stein, The Triangle Fire:  A Brief History with Documents by Jo Ann E. Argersinger, or Through Women's Eyes/The American Women's Movement 1945-2000/The Triangle Fire by Ellen Carol Dubois.  Have students create a poster of all the information they learned from these books.
• Listen to the sound recording of Flesh & Blood So Cheap:  The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy (ISBN 978-0-385-36152-1).  Allow time for the students to reflect on what they have heard and how that makes them feel.

KAKAPO RESCUE: SAVING THE WORLD'S STRANGEST PARROT

Montgomery, Sy.  Kakapo Rescue:  Saving the World's Strangest Parrot.  Ill. by Nic Bishop.  Boston [Mass.]:  Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2010.  ISBN 978-0-618-49417-0.

Plot Summary

On the brink of extinction, the last 91 kakapo parrots on earth are given protected sanctuary on Codfish Island off the coast of New Zealand.  Scientists, researchers, and volunteers converge to spur the population growth of the largest and most vulnerable parrots in the world.

Critical Analysis

What do you call an eight-pound giant bird that can't fly and walks everywhere foraging for food at night?  Sounds like an opening for a joke, but the fact that there are fewer than 100 of these birds in existence today is no laughing matter.  The mating season of the kakapo parrot is almost as rare as the bird itself.  At one time, there were millions of these gigantic parrots roaming the earth.  Now, only by the selfless efforts of a few men and women, the kakapo are struggling to remain in existence.

Sy Montgomery gives us a bird's eye view of these vulnerable birds.  She is an expert in her field and has written many award-winning books.  Kakapo Rescue is the fifth book Montgomery and Bishop have developed for Houghton Mifflin's Scientists in the Field series.  The other four books can be seen in the list of other books below.  In addition to on-site observation and research for Kakapo Rescue, Montgomery gleaned background information from the following sources:  Hoki:  The Story of a Kakapo by Alison Balance and Gideon Climo; A History of the Birds of New Zealand by Sir. Walter Buller; Back from the Brink:  The Fight to Save Our Endemic Birds by Gerard Hutching; and The Kakapo by Jenny Jones with photographs by Rod Morris.  Emma O'Neil, the team leader for the National Kakapo Recovery Team, read the manuscript for Kakapo Rescue to ensure its accuracy.

Kakapo Rescue:  Saving the World's Strangest Parrot is organized into the following chapters:

     1.  The Strangest Parrot in the World

     2.  The Extinction that Almost Happened

     3.  An Island a World Apart

     4.  Secrets of the Nest

     5.  Life at "Sealer's Bay Resort & Spa"

     6.  Triangulation and Tragedy

     7.  Flossie's Wardrobe Change

     8.  Feedout Vollies

     9.  Hatch Watch

     Final Glimpse.  Blessing at Cyndy's Lookout

A table of contents would have been helpful; unfortunately, this book did not contain one.  It did, however, have a detailed index in which one could search for a specific term with ease.  Although informational books are not necessarily meant to be read from cover to cover, the reader may have a difficult time following the guided saga of the kakapo's plight without first reading it in the order it is written.  For example, in chapter 6, tragedy strikes the camp.  If the reader has not journeyed through the sleepless nights of the volunteers and researchers in their ever vigilant efforts, the weighted significance of this tragedy is lost.  Once the reader has read the entire book, it is possible to skip from chapter to chapter in no particular order.

The colorful photographs have a life of their own.  Almost every page is adorned with pictures of the forest, dedicated workers in action, various wildlife, and, of course, kakapo parrots.  The pictures allow the reader to visualize what the text is describing.  It is one thing to say that the male kakapo inflates like a football during mating season, it is another thing entirely to see the actual picture of him in his bloated state.  The merging of Montgomery's text and Bishop's photographs allow the reader to transport themselves onto Codfish Island.  It is as if one was experiencing the kakapo parrots firsthand instead of just reading about them in a book.

Montgomery is able to blend the scientific facts of the kakapo's life into a compelling story that draws the reader in.  When writing about the males during mating season she writes, "He'll scream a gravelly skraaarrk---which probably means something like 'Can't you see?  I'm a gorgeous hunk of male kakapo!  Why won't you come out to admire me?'"  When faced with the tragic death of the baby kakapo she says, "I imagine the two human mothers, standing in the dark, the little chick limp in Becky's gloved hand.  I know they must be weeping.  I am weeping, too."  The reader feels the heavy loss for a bird that was unknown to them just moments before.  That is the power of Montgomery's writing.  She make you care about the subject matter.  She invites you to be a part of Kakapo Rescue:  Saving the World's Strangest Parrot.

Awards

Sibert Medal, 2011 

Review Excerpts
 

"As usual, Montgomery's delight in her subject is contagious, and throughout her enthusiastic text, she nimbly blends scientific and historical facts with immediate, sensory descriptions of fieldwork. Bishop's photos of the creatures and their habitat are stunning; an awe-inspiring, closing image of the world's eighty-seventh known Kakapo emerging from its shell captures the miracle of birth, for any species. Like many of the team's previous titles, this offers excellent support for units about animal conservation." Gillian Engberg, Booklist 2010

"Excellent photos and a readable, conversational text provide an intimate look at a concerted effort to save a drastically endangered species unfamiliar to most of the world outside Down Under. Readers who enjoyed this author/photographer team's The Tarantula Scientist (2007) or Quest for the Tree Kangaroo (2006, both Houghton) will gobble up this tribute to ecological science in action."  Patricia Manning, School Library Journal

Other Books by Sy Montgomery

Saving the Ghost of the Mountain:  An Expedition Among Snow Leopards in
        Mongolia
Quest for the Tree Kangaroo:  An Expedition to the Cloud Forest of New Guinea
The Tarantula Scientist
The Snake Scientist

Visit her website for more information:  http://symontgomery.com/

Other Books by Nic Bishop

Digging for Bird-Dinosaurs:  An Expedition to Madagascar

Backyard Detective:  Critters Up Close

The Secrets of Animal Flight

 

Visit his website for more information:  http://nicbishop.com/

 

Book Connections

New Zealand by Carol Ann Gillespie

A Bird in the Hand:  Keeping New Zealand Wildlife Safe by Janet Hunt

Atlas of Rare Birds by Dominic Couzens

Parrots by Casey Horton

Connection Activities

1. Montgomery has provided a plethora of activities that can be used with Kakapo Rescue located at  the following site:  http://symontgomery.com/?page_id=27.  Teachers have permission to copy the worksheets for classroom use.
2. Watch a video about the kakapo parrots such as "The Unnatural History of the Kakapo" or "Kakapo Night Parrot."

WHAT TO DO ABOUT ALICE?

Kerley, Barbara.  What to do About Alice?:  How Alice Roosevelt Broke the Rules, Charmed the World, and Drove Her Father Teddy Crazy!  Ill. by Edwin Fotheringham.  New York:  Scholastic Press, 2008.  ISBN 978-0-439-92231-9.


Plot Summary

What to do About Alice? chronicles the exuberant life and whirlwind lifestyle of Alice Roosevelt, the oldest child of Theodore Roosevelt.  Alice charmed the nation and the world while becoming one of her father's most-trusted advisors.  Perhaps understanding the fragility of life, after losing her own mother two days after Alice's birth, Alice lived every day to its fullest.


Critical Analysis

Barbara Kerley is an award-winning author who has devoted her life to educating children either through teaching or by writing informational books.  In writing What to do About Alice?,  Kerley drew her facts from several reputable resources including Princess Alice:  A Biography of Alice Roosevelt Longworth by James Brough; Princess Alice:  The Life and Times of Alice Roosevelt Longworth by Carol Felsenthal; Crowded Hours by Alice Roosevelt Longworth; and The Letters of Theodore Roosevelt edited by Elting E. Morison.  Carol Felsenthal is credited in Kerley's book for fact-checking the text and artwork for What to do About Alice?. 

This book chronicles Alice Roosevelt's life from infancy to her role as the wife of a Congressman.  It is designed to be read from start to finish as there are no chapters or divided sections.  The design of the book is appealing and intriguing, although boys may not wish to read a book which features a girl.  The digital illustrations bring the text to life.  When Alice wanted to see how high her grandparent's sofa springs would send her, the accompanying illustration by Edwin Fotheringham shows a proper-looking little girl, complete with pink hair ribbon, flying high into the air, with added lines to emphasize the height to which she was jumping.  In describing Alice's plight of wearing leg braces and the consequent falls she had,  Fotheringham's use of dots show her fall down the stairs and her quick chase of the boy who dared to laugh at her for falling.  Edwin Fotheringham's dots are most apparent when Alice decides to educate herself in her father's library.  The maze of dots trace her search from shelf to shelf as "she taught herself astronomy, geology, even Greek grammar.  She read Twain, Dickens, Darwin, and the Bible, cover to cover." 

When Alice was seventeen, Theodore Roosevelt became the president of the United States.  Kerley mentions that Alice helped her step-mother by taking on more responsibility of watching her younger siblings.  Fotheringham gives the reader a clear view of Alice's "helpfulness" as the children, with Alice in the lead, are pictured sliding down the White House stairs on trays.  Alice's idea of being a proper hostess was greeting her father's guests when they arrived at the White House.  Alice is seen hiding behind a column on the White House porch holding "her pet snake, Emily Spinach -- which Alice named for its color and its resemblance to a very thin aunt."

Although What to do About Alice? is a children's book, readers young and old will find this book enthralling.  Once the book is started, the reader is mesmerized by the colorful and humorous way Kerley describes the highlights of Alice Roosevelt's life.  Kerley arrests the reader's attention on the first page:  "Theodore Roosevelt had a small problem."  The problem wasn't herding cattle, leading the Rough Riders, killing a grizzly bear, capturing outlaws, being New York's governor, or even serving as the vice president of the United States.  The problem was What to do About Alice?  Theodore Roosevelt summed it up by saying, "I can be president of the United States, or I can control Alice.  I cannot possibly DO BOTH."  Throughout Theodore Roosevelt's many successes in life, he never succeeded in the never-ending dilemma of deciding What to do About Alice?


Awards and Honors

Texas Bluebonnet nominee, 2009-2010


Review Excerpts

"It’s hard to imagine a picture book biography that could better suit its subject than this high-energy volume serves young Alice Roosevelt."  Publisher's Weekly, March 31, 2008

"This book provides a fascinating glimpse into both a bygone era and one of its more interesting denizens as well as a surefire antidote for any child who thinks that historical figures are boring."  Grace Oliff, School Library Journal, March 1, 2008

"Sprinkling her account with well-chosen quotations, she outlines Alice Roosevelt Longworth's childhood and its increasingly outrageous hijinks, as well as the loving (if sometimes exasperating) relationship she enjoyed with her renowned father. Fotheringham's digital illustrations perfectly evoke the retro styles of an earlier age, depicting a confident Alice sailing through life and tackling every challenge with delight and aplomb."  Kirkus Reviews, February 1, 2008


Other Books by Barbara Kerley

The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins :  An Illuminating History of Mr.
        Waterhouse Hawkins, Artist and Lecturer
Walt Whitman:  Words for America
A Cool Drink of Water
The World is Waiting for You

Visit her website for more information:  http://www.barbarakerley.com/


Other Books Illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham

The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy) by Barbara Kerley
Tony Baloney by Pam Munoz Ryan
Mermaid Queen:  The Spectacular True Story of Annette Kellerman, Who Swam
        Her Way to Fame, Fortune, & Swimsuit History!  by Shana Corey

Visit his website for more information:  http://www.edfotheringham.com/


Book Connections

Desk Drawer Anthology:  Poems for the American People by Alice Roosevelt
        Longworth
When Audrey Met Alice by Rebecca Behrens
The World's Fair by T. L. Tedrow


Connection Activities

• Have each student create a bookmark with a drawing from Alice Roosevelt's life on one side and an interesting fact he/she learned about her on the other side.
• Using a globe or world map, pinpoint the different countries Alice visited and brainstorm what is known about that country.

INSIDE OUT & BACK AGAIN

Lai, Thanhha.  Inside Out & Back Again.  New York:  Harper Collins, 2011.  ISBN 978-0-06-196278-3.


Plot Summary

Ha, at the young age of 10, must flee Saigon with her mother and two brothers in 1975.  They escape war-torn Vietnam and encounter a different kind of cruelty in Alabama.  Based on the author's real-life experiences, Ha and her family must learn to adapt to a new way of life and overcome those who terrorize her.

 

 

Critical Analysis

 

Inside Out & Back Again is a novel in verse based on the author's escape from Vietnam at the end of the war.  The poem collection chronicles the main character's life in 1975.  Dates are included at the end of each diary-like verse to help the reader envision the passing of time.  Lai uses free-verse to weave a story which is at times sad but yet uplifting to see the tenaciousness to conquer a new language, culture, homeland, and personal obstacles along the way.   When faced with constant bullying Ha laments, "I understand/ and wish/ I could go back/ to not understanding."  Flowing lines allow the story to have a gentle, calming effect on the reader, much like the chanting of Ha to keep her from losing her temper.  "Chant, my daughter;/ your whispers will bloom/ and shelter you/ from words/ you need not hear."  Lai's word choice is precise and brings such vivid imagery.  "Her brows/ twist like laundry/ being wrung dry."  "Tears of an ugly fish./  I know that to mean/ fake tears of a crocodile."  Lai also brings a sense of humor to her character.  On learning a new language, "Whoever invented English/ should have learned/ to spell."  This novel in verse captures the reader's attention and leaves them wanting more after the last page has been turned.  Lai accomplished in her first publication what many fail to do in a multitude of volumes.  Inside Out & Back Again:  a tale of sorrow, a tale of strife, a tale of resolve, and a tale of new-found respect.  A masterful tale of a young girl's journey Inside Out & Back Again.

 

 

Awards

 

Newbery Honor Book, 2012

 

  

Review Excerpts

 

"*Starred Review* Based on Lai's personal experience, this first novel captures a child-refugee's struggle with rare honesty. Written in accessible, short free-verse poems, Hà's immediate narrative describes her mistakes both humorous and heartbreaking with grammar, customs, and dress (she wears a flannel nightgown to school, for example); and readers will be moved by Hà's sorrow as they recognize the anguish of being the outcast who spends lunchtime hiding in the bathroom.  And even as she begins to shape a new life, there is no easy comfort: her father is still gone." -- Hazel Rochman, Booklist 1/1/11

 

"Narrating in sparse free-verse poems, 10-year-old Ha brings a strong, memorable voice to the immigrant experience as her family moves from war-torn South Vietnam to Alabama in 1975. First-time author Lai, who made the same journey with her family, divides her novel into four sections set in Vietnam, "At Sea," and the last two in Alabama. Lai gives insight into cultural and physical landscapes, as well as a finely honed portrait of Ha's family as they await word about Ha's POW father and face difficult choices (awaiting a sponsor family, "...Mother learns/ sponsors prefer those/ whose applications say ¿Christians.'/ Just like that/ Mother amends our faith,/ saying all beliefs/ are pretty much the same"). The taut portrayal of Ha's emotional life is especially poignant as she cycles from feeling smart in Vietnam to struggling in the States, and finally regains academic and social confidence. A series of poems about English grammar offer humor and a lens into the difficulties of adjusting to a new language and customs ("Whoever invented English/ should be bitten/ by a snake"). An incisive portrait of human resilience." -- Publisher's Weekly 1/31/11

 

"Told in verse, each passage is given a date so readers can easily follow the progression of time. Sensory language describing the rich smells and tastes of Vietnam draws readers in and contrasts with Ha's perceptions of bland American food, and the immediacy of the narrative will appeal to those who do not usually enjoy historical fiction. Even through her frustration with her new life and the annoyances of her three older brothers, her voice is full of humor and hope." -- Jennifer Rothschild, School Library Journal 3/1/11

 

 

About the Author

 

For more information visit: http://www.harpercollins.com/author/microsite/about.aspx?authorid=36544

 

 

Book Connections

 

The Lotus Seed  -- Sherry Garland; Tatsuro Kiuchi, Ill.

Children of the Dragon:  Selected Tales from Vietnam -- Sherry Garland; Trina
        Schart Hyman, Ill.

Vietnam:  The Boat People Search for a Home -- photos by John Isaac

  

 

Connection Activities

 

• Have each student consider having to leave their home and all they could carry with them was what would fit in a small bag.  What would they bring?  Where would they go?  How would they feel?  Write a poem in response to these questions.
• Invite a Vietnam vet or refugee to come share his/her insights into the people, culture, and war of Vietnam.

THIS IS JUST TO SAY: POEMS OF APOLOGY AND FORGIVENESS

Sidman, Joyce.  This is Just to Say:  Poems of Apology and Forgiveness.  Ill. by Pamela Zagarenski.  Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2007.  ISBN 978-0-618-61680-0.

Plot Summary
 

Sidman creates an imaginary class of six-graders who each write a poem, and deliver it to the offended party, apologizing for some wrong doing. In turn, many of the recipients write a poem in response.

 

 

Critical Analysis

 

Sidman has created an entertaining thematic collection of apologetic poems. Through the eyes of her fictitious sixth-graders, Sidman portrays the crisis events as perceived by these tweenagers. The book title and poems were inspired by the poem of William Carlos Williams. The first half of the book contains apologetic poems for a variety of offenses such as throwing the ball too hard in dodge ball or accidently getting a friend in trouble at school. The second half of the book contains poems in response to the apologies. Sidman uses different line lengths to create a poetry mixture of flowing versus staccato lines. She varies her poetic talents with the use of haiku, pantoums (the fictional editor's favorite poetry form), two-part poems, snippets, and rhymes. The language, imagery, and word choice are very dramatic: "the principal's eyes are like hot sparks", "the gooey hunks of chocolate winked at me as I gobbled them", and "those red rubber balls thumping like heartbeats against the walls and ceilings" are prime examples.  The reader is able to paint many colorful mental pictures merely through the reading of Sidman's verses.

 

Zagarenski uses classroom items in her illustrations throughout the book. Many characters are clothed in pages from a dictionary. Sheets of notebook and graph paper are used as the background in several illustrations. Ringed reinforcement labels are scattered haphazardly along some of the pages. The premise stated in the book is all the illustrations have been created by a student.  The reader will have to decide for themselves whether this approach is creative genius or has missed the mark in adding a new dimension to Sidman's topical poems.  All-in-all, this poetry collaboration would be a great addition to any collection.

 

 

Awards and Honors

 

Texas Bluebonnet Award Master list 2008-2009

Texas Bluebonnet nominee, 2008-2009

Claudia Lewis Poetry Award

Cybils Poetry Award

Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Honor Book

School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

IRA Teacher's Choice Award

New York Public Library's "100 Titles for Reading and Sharing"

Book Links Lasting Connection Book

 

  

Review Excerpts

 

"Children will find much to identify with in the situations presented in the apology poems, and they'll appreciate the resolutions given in the responses." -- Randall Enos, Booklist 5/15/07

 

"Sidman’s ear is keen, capturing many voices. Her skill as a poet accessible to young people is unmatched. Zagarenski’s delicately outlined collage drawings and paintings are created on mixed backgrounds–notebook paper, paper bags, newspaper, graph paper, school supplies. This is an important book both for its creativity and for its wisdom." -- Lee Bock, School Library Journal 5/1/07

 

"There's a range of topics and ability in the poems, from the "Roses are red / Violets are blue / I'm still really / pissed off at you" in the response section to the difficult form of a pantoum in "Spelling Bomb." Packed with the intensity of everyday pain and sorrow, kids and adults exchange the words that convey grief, delight, love and acceptance of themselves and others." -- Kirkus Reviews 3/15/07

 

 

Other Books by Joyce Sidman

 

Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature

Song of the Water Boatman: & Other Pond Poems

Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow

 

Visit her website for more information: http://www.joycesidman.com/

 

 

Other Books Illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski

 

Sleep Like a Tiger by Mary Logue

Mites to Mastodons by Maxine Kumin

Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors by Joyce Sidman

 

Visit her website for more information: http://www.pamelazagarenski.com/Home.html

 

 

Book Connections

 

Saying I'm Sorry -- Laura Alden; Dan Siculan, Ill.

What to do When Your Mom or Dad Says --"What Should You Say, Dear?" -- Joy
        Wilt Berry; Bartholomew, Ill.

Forgive Me, I Meant to do It: False Apology Poems -- Gail Carson Levine; Matthew
        Cordell, Ill.

  

 

Connection Activities

 

• Have each student think of a time that either they should have apologized to someone or someone should have apologized to them. Write a poem of apology or forgiveness relating to that event.
• Pair the students and have them exchange their poems. Have each student write a responsive poem to their partner's poem.
• Have student's think of something or someone in history that did something wrong and write a poem about that event (e.g. the iceberg that sank the Titanic, the cow who allegedly started the Great Chicago Fire, or John Wilkes Booth after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln).

AT JERUSALEM’S GATE: POEMS OF EASTER

Grimes, Nikki.  At Jerusalem's Gate:  Poems of Easter.  Ill. by David Frampton.  Grand Rapids, Mich.:  Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2005.  ISBN 0-8028-5183-5.


Plot Summary

Grimes recounts the Easter story from Jesus riding through the palm frond-waving crowds through Christ's resurrection from the dead.  Throughout the tale, the author tries to imagine what various historical figures are feeling and allows the readers to follow along poetically.  The storyline is scripturally-based with references used primarily from the four gospels.


Critical Analysis

What a masterful collection of 22 poems Grimes has woven into the Easter story.  The storyline is intriguing on its own.  It is simple and to the point, yet it gives every reader, whether familiar with the Easter story or not, every significant detail of the impending death and triumphant resurrection of Jesus Christ.  The thematic poems are organized in correspondence to the chronological order of the Lord's last few days on earth.  Grimes uses short lines to create a staccato rhythm.  Her poetry varies in its rhyming pattern with free verse being the most common scheme throughout the book.   No specific sound reverberated detectably throughout the poems.  The language used is not designed to be symbolic or figurative.  The imagery the reader gets throughout this collection is more from the emotion of the story as a whole rather than particular word choice.  Sadness, anger, self-doubt, and unfailing love sweep through these emotional poems of Jesus' saving grace.

The topical collection of Easter poems could stand by themselves; however, the addition of Frampton's woodcuts put this book over the top.  The sharp angular figures depicted throughout showcase the raw emotion felt by the witnesses to their Savior's final acts.  The illustrations are so fitting in that one could envision someone carving illustrations, such as these, during the time of Christ Himself.  The combination of Grimes' poetic imaginations and Frampton's symbolic woodcuts work in perfect harmony to create a lasting and memorable reading experience.

  

Review Excerpts

"Grimes' clever wordplay (e.g., the scourging of Jesus is "the pastime of the Passion") will hold readers' attention, and her poems ask some important theological questions--whether, for example, Judas was a villain or just part of God's plan to save humanity. Frampton's woodcuts, which recall Byzantine artwork, especially in the wide-eyed, angular faces, are extraordinarily compelling. The bold colors and thoughtful, intricate patterning demand a second look." – John Green, Booklist 2/15/05

 

"Poetry is gentle yet thoughtful, alluding to the brutality of the execution while providing an almost prayer-like personal reflection. Multi-colored woodcuts suggest the emotion and mood of each scene in a parody of stained glass. A handsome, well-designed offering for middle readers and families." –  Kirkus Reviews 1/1/05

 

"Each poem is preceded by a brief synopsis of the event, often accompanied by the author's own musings and queries, which prompt readers to think and ask questions of their own.  Bold, handsome woodcuts reinforce the powerful drama depicted in poetry.  An outstanding effort worthy of inclusion in most collections." – Sally R. Dow, School Library Journal 3/1/05

 

Other Books by Nikki Grimes

 

Rich: A Dyamonde Daniel Book

Words with Wings

Meet Danitra Brown
Planet Middle School

Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel

Almost Zero
  

Visit her website for more information:   http://www.nikkigrimes.com/

 

Other Books Illustrated by David Frampton

Bull Run by Paul Fleischman
The Fairy Tales of Hermann Hesse translated by Jack Zipes
Riding the Tiger by Eve Bunting

Visit his website for more information:  http://www.jacketflap.com/david-frampton/34402

Book Connections

Who Was Born This Special Day? -- Eve Bunting; Leonid Gore, Ill.
The Christian Mother Goose Treasury -- by Marjorie Ainsborough Decker;
        Glenna Fae Hammond, Ill.

The Yellow Star : The Legend of King Christian X of Denmark -- Carmen Agra
        Deedy;  Henri Sørensen, Ill.

 

Connection Activities

• Have each student pick one of the 22 poems in At Jerusalem's Gate:  Poems of Easter and describe how the poem helped them understand how that person was feeling.
• Recall an event your students have studied (e.g. Christopher Columbus discovering America, Sir Isaac Newton and the law of gravity, Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel, etc.).  Have the students think about someone related to that event and write a poem which describes how they are feeling at that point in history.

THE LION & THE MOUSE

Pinkney, Jerry.  The Lion & The Mouse.  New York:  Little, Brown, and Co., 2009.  ISBN 978-0-316-01356-7.

Plot Summary

The roar of a lion is sure to instill fear into the bravest of creatures!  All jungle inhabitants, great and small, are quick to give the monstrous cat a wide berth and stay out of his path.  Unfortunately for an unobservant mouse, the lion's restless slumber is disturbed by the rodent when she accidently, and quite literally, stumbled upon him.  She was quickly caught by the king of the jungle, and dangled helplessly, with her tail grasped firmly in the ferocious feline's big paw.  The mouse was set to face a quick, and hopefully painless, death.  However, overcome with compassion, the savage beast released the little mouse to scurry home to tend to her nest of baby mice.  Some time later, the lion is snared in the trap of some heartless hunters.  The lion's kindness is repaid in full when the rodent, hearing the strangled cries of the feline, came to his rescue.  She gnawed through the ropes of the poacher's debilitating net and set the big cat free.  The Lion & The Mouse is a tale of two creatures, both with extremely big hearts, filled with compassion and humble selflessness.


Critical Analysis

With the exception of a few animal sounds scattered throughout this wordless book, the reader is left on his own to discover the story of The Lion & The Mouse.   The reader is taken on a pictorial safari as glimpses of elephants, baboons, owls, and various other creatures fill in the African backdrop to this rendition of a classic tale of Aesop.  Pinkney uses pencil, water colors, and colored pencils to create his illustrations of rich earth tones contrasted against the green foliage of the jungle.  The drawings of the lion show a wide range of emotion:  annoyance, compassion, nonchalance, sheer terror, skepticism, relief, and unwavering gratitude.  Although the pictures are stationary, the movement of the mouse is almost palpable as the rodent scurries here and there in search of safety, and later, in search of her new-found friend.  The story of strength through kindness is heralded loud and clear in Mr. Pinkney's masterful and award-winning work.

 

Awards

Caldecott Medal (2010)

2 X 2 Reading List (2010)

 

 

Review Excerpts

"Pinkney's soft, multihued strokes make everything in the jungle seem alive, right down to the rocks, as he bleeds color to indicate movement, for instance, when the lion falls free from the net. His luxuriant use of close-ups humanizes his animal characters without idealizing them, and that's no mean feat." -- Daniel Kraus, Booklist 7/1/09

 

"Contrast this version with Pinkney's traditional treatment of the same story (complete with moral) in Aesop's Fables (North-South, 2000). The ambiguity that results from the lack of words in this version allows for a slower, subtle, and ultimately more satisfying read. Moments of humor and affection complement the drama. A classic tale from a consummate artist."  -- Wendy Lukehart, School Library Journal 9/1/09

 

"Pinkney enriches this classic tale of friendship with another universal theme—family—affectingly illustrated in several scenes. Pinkney's artist's note explains that he set the book in Africa's Serengeti, 'with its wide horizon and abundant wildlife so awesome yet fragile—not unlike the two sides of each of the heroes.' Pinkney has no need for words; his art speaks eloquently for itself." -- Publishers Weekly 7/27/09

 

Other Books by Jerry Pinkney

 

The Little Red Hen

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi

The Little Match Girl
Noah's Ark

Aesop's Fables (Illustrator)

The All-I'll-Ever-Want Christmas Doll (Illustrator)

The Moon Over Star (Illustrator)
 

Visit his website for more information:   http://www.jerrypinkneystudio.com/


Book Connections

City Mouse-Country Mouse and Two More Mouse Tales from Aesop -- Illustrated by John Waller

The Lion or the Mouse?:  The Lion or the Mouse -- Toni and Slade Morrison; Pascal Lemaitre, Ill.

The Lion Book of Five-Minute Animal Stories -- John Goodwin


Connection Activities

• Divide the students into pairs or groups of three and give each a wordless book (e.g. The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard by Gregory Rogers, Sea of Dreams by Dennis Nolan, or The Arrival by Shaun Tan).  Allow each group to "read" their book and then share their story with the class. 
• After discussing this Caldecott winner's artistic ability and showcasing his talent, read excerpts from That's Like Me!:  Stories About Amazing People With Learning Differences by Jill Lauren.  In this book, sixteen adults and young people, including artist Jerry Pinkney and Antarctic explorer Ann Bancroft, describe how they overcome learning disabilities by focusing on their other strengths.  Use this to expound on the fact that even though people are different, they all have strengths and talents to share with the world.