Preschool STEM Storytimes

are so much fun! You can catch me blogging about a recent STEM storytime on wind today over on the Westerville Public Library Kids Blog: Feel the Wind http://blog.westervillelibrary.org/kids/?p=2957

You can also find out about some of other preschool STEM themes on the kids blog. They include:

Trees (Trees in the Library! http://blog.westervillelibrary.org/kids/?p=2917)

Bones (The Foot Bones Connected to the Ankle Bone: http://blog.westervillelibrary.org/kids/?p=2866)

Building/Construction: http://blog.westervillelibrary.org/kids/?p=2777

Birdwatching (This one’s for the birds! http://blog.westervillelibrary.org/kids/?p=2743)

Bridges (Marshmallow Bridges & Building Fun: http://blog.westervillelibrary.org/kids/?p=2484)

Shapes: Circles (Round in a Circle: http://blog.westervillelibrary.org/kids/?p=2317)

Review: The Last Dragon

The Last Dragon by Silvana De Mari
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Translated from the Italian. The prose is beautifully done; I’d love to be able to read the original Italian. A story in two parts. Yorsh (short for Yorshkrunsquarkljolnerstrink) is a little elf – “one born lately”- alone in a world where elves are persecuted. Indeed, he is the last elf. A young woman and a hunter gradually befriend him, helping him follow his father’s last instructions and make his way to the last dragon. They find him in a cave filled with books — the accumulation of the world’s knowledge. Turns out it was the “great library of the Second Runic Dynasty. It was a time of knowledge, and people treated this place as though it were a temple: in silence, and no spitting, with clean hands, and the dust wiped from their shoes. And to be quite certain that nobody misbehaved, dragons have always been here, and that’s why there are signs that say ‘Here Be Dragons.’ This was the biggest collection of knowledge that had ever existed. Then men lost writing. They forgot how to read. Barbarism flooded the world. the very memory of this place faded away. Many people never believed in its existence, but with my wings, I finally found it. And when I reached this place, great was my joy. All the books in the world were for me.” (103)

The second part of the story begins about thirteen years later. Yorsh has read all the books and kept the last dragon company all these years, though the dragon grows more irascible and grumpy. Turns out he/she was brooding. When the young dragon hatches, Yorsh cares for it, even teaching it to fly. But he also longs for companionship and needs new clothes, so he sets out to find Sajra and Moser, the humans who had helped him before. In their village he finds desolation, but evidence they had a child. Robi’s story is told in parallel, and eventually they come together. There is a fair amount of adventure and danger set in both tales, but the overall mood is more introspective. The varying perspectives of the elf, humans and dragon are convincingly portrayed. Elves do have some magic, but they are capable of great empathy — they literally feel other’s pain, so they don’t make great warriors. The writing is beautiful, often infused with humor as characters misunderstand then get to know one another. It’s lovely to watch characters that grow and change — even when they were already perfect, as in the case of the dragon.

For readers who enjoy fantasy and stories about dragons. Fans of Cornelia Funke (Thief Lord, Dragon Rider), Anne McCaffrey’s Pern books, will enjoy this book.

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Review: A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin

A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin by Jen Bryant
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A completely wonderful book. Interestingly written, rhythmic text, detailed collage illustrations with vivid quotes from Pippin himself incorporated into the drawings, and meticulously documented research (hurrah!).

Examples of the rhythm of the narrative:
“Horace put his big hands to work. He fetched . . . He sorted . . . He played . .. He piled . . . and arranged. . . he drew . . .”

“Horace loved to draw. He loved the feel of the charcoal as it slid across the floor. He loved looking at something in the room and making it come alive in front of him.”

And Pippin’s story is so compelling. A self-taught artist from a strong family but not a privileged background (his father leaves and Horace quits school after 8th grade to help support his family.) The transformative, harrowing experience of WWI in the trenches . . . he survives, but is changed forever and an injury to his right shoulder leaves his arm so weak that he cannot draw. Or work. But he marries and keeps busy, organizing a scout troop, taking kids fishing, delivering laundry for his wife’s business. He misses painting and finally tries again, using his left hand to support his right. And painting helps him to heal.

Sweet’s illustrations depict Horace’s tools as a child (the art supplies he won in a contest) and as an adult. Like Pippin’s own paintings, she uses muted colors . . . with a splash of red. The have a folk art quality well suited to the subject matter. The two page spread of the WWI injury is appropriately dramatically dark, just one example of the very effective use of color. And the hand lettered quotations clearly sets these words off as quotes and allows Horace to tell his own story. And what a story it is!

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12 Rules on Reading by John Cotton Dana

1. Read

2. Read

3. Read some more.

4. Read anything.

5. Read about everything.

6. Read enjoyable things.

7. Read things you yourself enjoy.

8. Read, and talk about it.

9. Read very carefully, some things.

10. Read on the run, most things.

11. Don’t think about reading, but

12. Just read.

Happy National Library Week everyone!

 

Review: The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau

The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau by Michelle Markel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This captivating picture book biography of Rousseau is illustrated in a style very reminiscent of Rosseau’s art work, with flat, bright colors and often lush, dreamlike settings. There was so much I did not know: that Rousseau did not start painting until around age 40 (it’s never too late to follow your dreams!), was self-taught as he could not afford art classes, and critics really did not like/appreciate his work. Around the critics Rousseau is a very small figure — they tower over him, and include two animal-like humans in their midst (a dog and a cat.) Happily, a younger group of artists DID recognize Rousseau’s talent later in his life.

I love how historical figures are included in the illustrations; in the notes the illustrator provides a diagram of “who’s who” — including Picasso, Gertrude & Leo Stein, Alice B. Tolkas, among others. I appreciated the carefully chosen, evocative language as well. For example, in answer to “why” Rousseau began painting:
“Because he loves nature. Because when he strolls through the parks of Paris, it’s like the flowers open their hearts, the trees spread their arms, and the sun is a blushing ruby, all for him.”

The facing page is filled with brilliant orange & red flowers, a round orange sun, and purple hued leaves . . . an interesting color combination. Amanda Hall’s illustrations are watercolor and acrylics. A great introduction to Rousseau for elementary age children.

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Magritte and the art of seeing

Magritte is one of my favorite artists. When I discovered D. B. Johnson’s new book on Magritte a few weeks ago, I was very excited. I remembered Johnson’s picture books about Henry David Thoreau — Henry Builds a Cabin and Henry Hikes to Fitchburg. Magritte’s Marvelous Hat (Houghton Mifflin, 2012) can be used in so many ways . . . to introduce children to Magritte and to get them to look closer at Magritte’s paintings, as Johnson’s illustrations are full of references to Magritte’s works. It would be great for Picture This! our library program that introduces art and illustration to children and has them create books in that style. But first up was a book talk for third graders, so I thought I’d try it. I always include a variety of books, as third graders read at such a wide variety of levels: picture books, non-fiction, short chapter books and longer chapter books. Poetry and informational books.

So I read part of this book aloud, and they loved the clear pages. There are several see-through type pages that are used extremely effectively here (not gimmicky!) The children gasped when the painting lands on Magritte’s face as the egg-shaped artwork “unpaints” itself. I showed them Mike Venezia’s biography of Magritte,

and gave a brief description of the Surrealist movement. We talked about how realistic the objects looked, yet something was wrong (size, location, etc.) One of my favorite comments was in regard to the painting of the man with the apple in place of his face, “It looks like he used Photoshop.” Then I showed them L’Empire des Lumieres (The Dominion of Lights), 1954 and asked them whether it was daytime or nighttime. More lively discussion followed.

I was thrilled that they were actually looking closely!

Later that afternoon I was walking through the library by the art prints — yes, we circulate art prints! And there on the wall was this image. Surely I have seen it before — I walk this way several times a day. But today, this afternoon, I saw. How many things in life are like this . . .  right there in front of you . . . you just have to be able to see them.

Review: Sleep Like a Tiger

Sleep Like a Tiger by Mary Logue
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Really fine text (and how do you make a bedtime book, a theme so common in children’s books, still seem fresh and new?) and imaginative, compelling illustrations make this picture a complete package. Zagarenski, illustrator of Red Sings from the Treetops, which was one of my favorites, has just the right touch here — a bit of magical realism, with the pictures becoming more dreamlike as the girl falls asleep. I love how the parents don’t argue about her not being sleepy, but just say okay, and give her a bedtime task (putting pj’s on, brushing teeth). I love the patterns of the illustrations (in the wallpaper, the clothing), the stuffed tiger among the animals she sleeps with, the allusions to familiar and not so familiar animals sleeping patterns; the dog is “curled up in a ball on the couch, where he’s not supposed to be” and later she “right where she was supposed to be.” Most of the illustrations have an angular quality, yet the dog and the tiger seem wonderfully soft and textured. Much to appreciate here!

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A Poem to Remember

Make the Earth Your Companion

Make the Earth your companion.

Walk lightly on it, as other creatures do.

Let the Sky paint her beauty- she is always

           watching over you.

Learn from the Sea how to face harsh forces.

Let the River remind you that everything will pass.

Let the Lake instruct you in stillness.

Let the Mountain teach you grandeur.

Make the Woodland your house of peace.

Make the Rainforest your house of hope.

Meet the Wetland on twilight ground.

Save some small piece of Grassland for a red kite

on a windy day.

Watch the Icecaps glisten with crystal majesty.

Hear the Desert whisper hush to eternity.

Let the Town weave a small basket of togetherness,.

Make the Earth your companion.

Walk lightly on it, as other creatures do.

-J. Patrick Lewis

from:

National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry: 200 poems with photographs that Squeak, Soar, and Roar! Edited by J. Patrick Lewis (National Geographic, 2012).

Today’s Weeding Gem

More weeding fun, with Herbert’s Space Trip, from 1965.

What is this mysterious planet Herbert travels to?? In the chapter entitled, “I’ll be Doggoned” Herbert lands on the dog planet.

Pretty quickly, the dogs put Herbert in the zoo:

Soon, however, Herbert is being instructed in the dog language

and teaching them to play baseball.

1965: post-Sputnik, pre-Apollo 11 — what a discovery Herbert has made!

The Joy of Weeding

Is finding treasures like these:

and

What discoveries have you made lately??