Melisande
E. Nesbit and P.J. Lynch
Published: 1901, 1999
Why?: E. Nesbit was one of the first authors to write children’s books with children as main characters, and stories about ordinary children in fantastic worlds owe a lot to her (“E” is for “Edith”!). She also had a wonderful sense of humor, and this short story shows that off to best effect. Melisande is a twist on the Rapunzel story, though interestingly enough, Rapunzel has since been confused with Melisande – Rapunzel didn’t have magical, fast growing hair! To round out the perfection of this story, P.J. Lynch’s illustrations are gorgeous, as always.
Gist: Melisande is a beautiful princess with one unusual feature: she’s bald. Luckily (or unfortunately, as her family will learn), she has something of a surfeit of fairy godmothers, and she goes from no hair to far, far too much!
Quote: "I've seen too much trouble come of christening parties," said he. "How ever carefully you keep your visiting-book, some fairy or other is sure to get left out, and you know what that leads to. Why, even in my own family, the most shocking things have occurred. The Fairy Malevola was not asked to my great grandmothers christening-and you know all about the spindle and the hundred years' sleep."
Bonus Trivia: The full story of this short story is “Melisande: or Long and Short Division.”
Perfect For: The young and young at heart, a great family story
Genres: Fiction, Short Story
Keywords: Picture Book, Classic, Humor, Fantasy
Showing posts with label Books: Picture Book. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books: Picture Book. Show all posts
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Wednesday, August 03, 2011
08: Squids Will Be Squids
Squids Will Be Squids
Author: written by Jon Scieszka and illustrated by Lane Smith
Published: 1998
Why?: When I first heard about using picture books with middle schoolers, I was pretty skeptical. Add to that the fact that one of my first experiences with Scieszka was Stinky Cheese Man (one of his only books I don’t adore), and I avoided using Squids even though teaching folklore is part of our course of study. I lived down in Florida at the time, and with no family nearby, I often spent weekends perusing bookstores for the fun of it. This was how I discovered and read Squids Will Be Squids, curled up in a chair at a Barnes and Noble. Being an utter dweeb, I feel immediately in love with it, and the day I read it to my students has now become one of their favorites (and only partially because they get to lounge all over the room and the desks!). This book is a lot of fun, and it really shows how fables were meant to teach lessons, and not just to tell silly stories about animals.
I’ve developed a strong affection for picture books, and have amassed something of a collection over the last six years or so! :)
Quote: SPANKING HEAD!
Gist: This is a collection of beastly fables designed for the modern day, covering everything from grasshopper homework to the perils of believing everything you see on TV. Although a quick read, it’s a lot of fun and can really open a path to kids creating fables of their own!
Perfect For: Ages 8+, especially parents and kids with a sense of humor
Genres: Fiction, Picture Book
Keywords: Humor
Bob is a great typing assistant. I REALLY need to get my desktop back up and running. *sniffle*
Author: written by Jon Scieszka and illustrated by Lane Smith
Published: 1998
Why?: When I first heard about using picture books with middle schoolers, I was pretty skeptical. Add to that the fact that one of my first experiences with Scieszka was Stinky Cheese Man (one of his only books I don’t adore), and I avoided using Squids even though teaching folklore is part of our course of study. I lived down in Florida at the time, and with no family nearby, I often spent weekends perusing bookstores for the fun of it. This was how I discovered and read Squids Will Be Squids, curled up in a chair at a Barnes and Noble. Being an utter dweeb, I feel immediately in love with it, and the day I read it to my students has now become one of their favorites (and only partially because they get to lounge all over the room and the desks!). This book is a lot of fun, and it really shows how fables were meant to teach lessons, and not just to tell silly stories about animals.
I’ve developed a strong affection for picture books, and have amassed something of a collection over the last six years or so! :)
Quote: SPANKING HEAD!
Gist: This is a collection of beastly fables designed for the modern day, covering everything from grasshopper homework to the perils of believing everything you see on TV. Although a quick read, it’s a lot of fun and can really open a path to kids creating fables of their own!
Perfect For: Ages 8+, especially parents and kids with a sense of humor
Genres: Fiction, Picture Book
Keywords: Humor
Bob is a great typing assistant. I REALLY need to get my desktop back up and running. *sniffle*
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