The Legend of the Bluebonnet by Tomie DePaola

Summary:

        The Legend of the Bluebonnet comes from a folktale about the Comanche tribe. It begins with a drought that has caused much suffering throughout the region. She-Who-Is-Alone has lost her family because of the famine, and she saw her tribe suffering. Once the Great Spirits gave a solution, She-Who-Is-Alone bravely sacrifices her most prized possession, a doll made by her family members, in order to bring rain to her people. Through her selflessness, the Comanche once again saw rain, and their lands became filled with bluebonnets in honor of the little girl.

Visual Element and Evaluative Criteria: Color and Plot

         In DePaola's tale we see how color adds to the legend he is telling. It illuminates the hills of the land that was once cursed to experience drought as well as the feather of a special doll. Without the color, we would not be able to understand the importance of the resolution to this drought. The plot is linear in the legend, so it is an example that can be used in classrooms.

 DePaola, T. (1983). The legend of the bluebonnet: An old tale of Texas. New York: Putnam.  

The Three Pigs by David Wiesner

Summary: 
     
        In David Wiesner's version of The Three Pigs, we are given the traditional version with an added twist. We meet the three pigs, but instead of watching them become lunch for the big, bad wolf, we see them change their story. With the help of some old friends, we see the pigs find the happy ending they deserved.

Visual Element: Shape

       Wiesner's illustrations are key to the tale because of the shapes used. In order to make the setting so successful, Wiesner used shapes to make the pages look as if they were individual frames to look at. This helped the reader understand what the purpose of the setting was as well as what route the pigs chose to take.

Evaluative Criteria: Setting

       The setting in this tale is one of a kind because of the originality of it. Since the beginning of the story takes place where the original tale starts, it is quite surprising to see how the author chose to have the pigs adventure to new worlds. As the story continues, we see our characters venture where "the fork runs away with the spoon" and they find new friends with each page they explore. The setting is crucial to the tale with a twist because the reader begins to get the idea that a children's story doesn't have to be limited to one setting.

 Wiesner, D. (2001). The three pigs. New York: Clarion Books.  

Mirror Mirror by Marilyn Singer

Summary:

     

            Mirror Mirror is an enchanting book of poetry that showcases the two sides to every story. By using reversible poems, Singer can show the reader that although our favorite fairy tale characters made it to a "happily ever after," it cold have had an alternative ending. 

Visual Element and Evaluative Criteria: Composition and Theme

           Mirror Mirror is an example of perfect composition because of the balance of each illustration. There is an obvious separation to signify the reverso poems, but the inclusion of color and lines add to the final product. In addition to the composition, the fact that it revolves around classic tales helps to cover theme in multiple works. We see the theme that "there are two sides to every story" through the reversal of the poems. Had the poems not been reversed, the themes would be limited to each individual tale represented.  

Classroom Integration:

 

I have 8th graders, so I wanted to challenge them to create a reverso poem during our themed lesson for Do The Write Thing. They had to first begin with a poem titled "To This Day;" they continued with how they are (how have they changed if at all, what makes them unique, what makes them them?) "To This Day." When they finished, they needed to try it in reverso style, and make adjustments to make both poems flow successfully. 

 Singer, M., & Masse, J. (2010). Mirror mirror: A book of reverso poems. New York, N.Y.: Dutton Children's Books.  

Olivia by Ian Falconer

Summary:

   Olivia the energetic pig wanted to enjoy her day doing her most favorite things. The only thing in her way is the dreaded daily nap that has to happen...maybe. Only Mom can help ease her sleeping tensions by reading multiple children's stories. Olivia can finally fall asleep and dream.

Visual Element:

    Despite going through the minimalist route, Falconer has been able to create an imaginative world for Olivia using texture to enhance the setting. By using texture, Olivia's sandcastle shows depth and immense size; her favorite image in the art museum seems to pop right out of the book! Through his subtle choices, Falconer has given the reader just the right amount of visual appeal to enjoy.  
Evaluative Criteria:
    Falconer's illustrations have made Olivia enjoyable because they command attention. By choosing to keep his pages clean, colorless, and simple, the readers can enjoy and appreciate the beauty of the images he did choose to include. 

Falconer, I. (2000) Olivia. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. 

Martina the Beautiful Cockroach by Carmen Agra Deedy and Illustrated by Michael Austin

Summary:
       Martina Josefina Catalina Cucaracha was looking for a potential husband! How did she spot the unsuitable suitors? With her Cuban Abuelita's Coffee Test of course! All she had to do was spill some coffee on the shoes of the potential grooms to see their reaction. After multiple failures, including some eligible bachelors, Martina found an acceptable husband in an unlikely candidate. Congratulations to the joyous newlyweds. 
Visual Element of Art:
      In Martina the Beautiful Cockroach, we are introduced to many beautiful colors to accentuate the different suitors introduced. For example, when we are introduced to the first suitor, Don Gallo, the colors are bright and vivid to show the beginning of the day as well as showcase his immense presence. By the end of the day though, the colors soften as we are introduced to Martina's soon-to-be husband Perez.  We can conclude that color is used for two purposes in this book from beginning to end: 1) the "bigger" the presence, the stronger the color and 2) to show elapsing of time. 

     Evaluative Criteria:

      Deedy and Austin intertwined words and images to help bring out the cultural aspect of the folktale. By using both English and Spanish, Deedy was able to help translate the original meaning of the folktale without compromising the origin. Austin brought these images to life by incorporating the streets of Havana as well as objects mentioned such as the peineta and mantilla. This gives the readers a taste of cultural traditions and language that might not be experienced first-hand. Coming from a Hispanic background, I can see the significance of the peineta and mantilla because they are objects that my grandmother used to use, so seeing them in this story reminds me of traditional customs that aren't widely practiced anymore. 

How I used it in my class:

    I teach 8th grade ELAR and we are currently working on the elements of plot. My librarian and I created centers around plot and students had about 20-25 minutes for each. Center 1- students were given a children's book to read and create a plot diagram for them, this is where Martina came in. 

Center 2- students were given a baggie with a list of objects (Martina included objects like the mantilla and peineta so you could include these if you like) and needed to create their own short story following the elements of plot. 

Center 3- students had to create an alternate ending, following the plot diagram, for a short story they read. What happens AFTER "happily ever after?"

Deedy, C., & Austin, M. (2007). Martina the beautiful cockroach: A Cuban folktale. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree.