Part 2 of 2
Mattick, L. (2015). Finding Winnie. Little, Brown. ISBN: 9780316324908
Summary: A long time ago, a veterinarian named Harry Colebourn lived in Winnipeg healing animals and finding out how to take care of them. One day, he had to leave Winnipeg to care for the horses of the soldiers’ during the war. At a train stop, he decides to stretch out his legs. On his walk, he spots a black cub with a trapper. Thinking about what he should do, Harry felt like the bear was special. So, he buys the bear for twenty dollars. His Colonel sees the bear and asks him if he wanted to bring a dangerous animal with them. The bear stands up and the regimen looks on with excitement. Harry decides to name the bear after his hometown, Winnipeg or Winnie for short; he named the bear Winnie so that the soldiers don’t feel so far away from home. Harry fed the bear and took care of her while working for the army, soon Winnie got assigned to her own post and became one of the best navigators in the army. Winnie is a remarkable bear! Harry takes her on a voyage and notices that Winnie was getting bigger. The Army took pictures with Winnie for photos to send home to their families. Harry then decided to take the bear back with him to the city. Unfortunately, he had to leave Winnie at the zoo as he was going to be caring for the horses in the frontlines and thought it was too dangerous for her. That ends the story of Harry and Winnie’s story, in order for another one to begin. Another story begins with a boy who owns an unnamed bear, then sees Winnie at the zoo. Inspired by her, he decides to name his bear Winnie-the-Pooh. The boy’s name is Christopher Robin. And Winnie becomes a very beloved bear.
Analysis: The illustrations were quite cute to look at. Some usage of perspective like Harry taking the train off to war, the train making its stop at the station, Harry looking out at the camp with Winnie, and so on. There are some pictures of the mother of the story reading it to her son, with some input of dialogue between the two giving the realistic feel of telling a bedtime story to a child. The colors were really well used and Winnie was simply adorable to look at! The full-page spreads were remarkable to give the reader a sense of the setting. The soldiers and clothing of the characters match up with the timeline of the story since it's based on true events, the historical accuracy brings that real touch into a children’s book. Harry’s story of how he meets Winnie is simply heartwarming and was so sad when he had to part ways from her. It brings a smile to one’s face knowing that Winnie then inspires the Winnie-the-Pooh books to make her even more lovable. The idea of how one story ends to begin another is really wonderful since stories can be brought to life again, really shows how stories continue on and can be used to inspire others to continue the tale. The fact that this true story eventually becomes Winnie-the-Pooh makes it even more fantastic and legendary in its own right. Harry and Winnie’s story can be used to teach children that sometimes you need to let someone important go for them to be happy and the memories shared with them will never be forgotten.
AWARDS:
*2016 Caldecott Winner
HORN BOOK (2015): “...Mattick, who’s the storytelling mother in this book, embellishes her family’s tale with especially evocative and playful language (“The train rolled right through dinner and over the sunset and around ten o’clock and into a nap and out the next day”), matched by the period warmth of Blackall’s still, balanced, and carefully composed images. The sum total is as captivating as it is informative, transforming a personal family story into something universally resonant. A facsimile photo album at the back features photos and records documenting both stories’ landmark events.”
KIRKUS REVIEWS (2015): “...Beautiful but bifurcated, with the two stories in one making it a challenge to determine the audience.”
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (2015): “...Blackall’s characters are rosy-cheeked and expressive, while Winnie is curious and whimsical. A perfect melding of beautiful art with soulful, imaginative writing, this lovely story, penned by Colebourn’s great-great granddaughter, is ideal for sharing aloud or poring over individually. VERDICT Children everywhere will enjoy this tale for years. A must-have."
Other books by Lindsay Mattick:
Mattick, L. (2009). Winnie’s Great War: Based on the True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear. Little Brown. ISBN: 9780316447096
Cordell, M. (2017). Wolf in the snow. Feiwel and Friends. ISBN: 9781250076366
Summary: A young girl encounters a wolf on a snowy day that had been separated from its pack. She endures a snowstorm and harsh conditions as she desperately tries to reunite him with his family and in this venture, she also gets lost too! Will the girl be able to find her way home? Will she be able to reunite the cub with his pack?
Analysis: A wordless picture book that still inflicts the emotions being felt by a girl in a red parka. Her red coat contrasts distinctly from the wintry, snowy background of the snowstorm she gets herself into. The illustrations are beautifully done in a simplistic manner, but still gives off an impactful feeling to express the challenges and struggles the two go through to find the pack. The minimal text displays sounds (often repeated) to express what the girl is hearing on her adventure to find the wolf cub’s family. Her puffs of breath as she tries to breathe, the cub whining while feeling lonely being away from his family invokes powerful emotions even without a lot of text being used in the story. The girl goes on a hero’s journey to help the cub, showing children how to overcome challenges and how a picture can be worth a thousand words.
AWARDS:
*2018 Caldecott Medal
BOOKLIST (2016): “...The ink-and-watercolor illustrations, though simple, are packed with emotion, while the minimal texts relays only sounds: the distant howls of the wolves, the whines of the wolf cub, the girl’s huffs of breath as she struggles through the snow. Cordell’s wolves aren’t cuddly cartoons by any means, but neither are they monsters; instead, they’re realistically depicted wild animals who inherently understand loyalty. Expect this wintry tale to bring only warmth.”
HORN BOOK (2016): “...What distinguishes this book are the many feelings that Cordell’s pen-and-ink–with-watercolor illustrations capture so well—cold, fear, courage, exhaustion, relief—keeping readers hooked to the end. Deeply satisfying.”
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (2016): “...Cozy vignettes, framed in rough circles, help reassure readers that the story will end well, and so does a tender opening portrait of the family. The girl's story is a hero's journey, and Cordell tells it with skill and heart.”
Other books by Matthew Cordell:
Cordell, M. (2021). Cornbread and Poppy. Little Brown. ISBN: 9780759554870
Cordell, M. (2018). Wish. Disney Press. ISBN: 9781484788462
Blackall, S. (2018). Hello, Lighthouse! Little, Brown and Company.
Summary: The lighthouse greets sailors daily as if saying hello on its perch on a tiny island. A lighthouse keeper encounters a world passing him by, coming to work and writing down his log book. Loneliness and hardwork; all the seasons simply pass him by. His day to day life seems to be mundane and predictable. It goes on and on. But life at the lifehouse can also be exciting as well. Such as making sure sailors out during a storm safely or making sure the light stays tended. Despite all the world passing by or lighthouse life being seemingly mundane, he discovers the circle of life, comfort and love that carries with his daily life within the lighthouse. He ends up getting a family and is soon replaced by a machine that doesn’t need a keeper to stay running. But despite the bittersweetness of the keeper leaving the lighthouse, the light keeps shining on as if saying hello!
Analysis: The double full-page spread of the lighthouse “greeting” the boats is simply stunning. The colors are vivid and the water is calming to look at. The scenery of the lighthouse keeper going on his daily routine in the sections displays sort of like a visual schedule of what he does when comes to work. The circular frames isolate him from the rest of the page which connects to how the lighthouse is isolated itself on its island in the middle of the sea. It reflects his loneliness within his compact world within the lighthouse and nothing beyond it. Another double full-page spread further emphasizes the isolation of the lighthouse away from everything else. The lighthouse keeper wishes to be away from loneliness and wishes to speak to someone. The double full-page spread of the waves crashing against the lighthouse with the dark atmosphere was both gorgeous and terrifying, but the beacon of the lighthouse shines brilliantly as hope for the sailors out at sea. The text flowed nicely around the story. All capitalization letters during the storm to mimic yelling or written like gushes of wind or being wrapped around in a circle. The lighthouse saying goodbye to its keeper was an interesting contrast to the hellos it would say every day. Finally, the ending pages of the lighthouse keeper with his family seeing the lighthouse from afar was beautiful, yet bittersweet to the tale of the keeper of the lighthouse. The connections kids can make is about lighthouse life, both the everyday things and the exciting ones as well.
AWARDS:
*2019 Caldecott Medal
HORN BOOK (2018): “...An extensive and lively author’s note provides needed context for many of the events in the story (apparently some lighthouse keepers really did “mail” their letters ashore via bottles tossed into the sea!).”
KIRKUS REVIEWS (2018): “...A cutaway interior view exposes a compact, contained world. Close-ups of the keeper and his wife (both white) in porthole-shaped frames and from unusual aerial views emphasize their isolated, circular environment. An “About Lighthouses” section adds insightful detail. A fascinating, splendidly executed peek into both the mundane and the dramatic aspects of lighthouse life.”
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (2018): “...Repeated images of circles echo the lighthouse’s circular rooms, from vignettes framed with nautical rope to a breathtaking sequence of the lighthouse-keeper’s wife walking through her labor, each moment like the hand on the face of a clock. It’s a jewel of a creation and a gift to those who dream of retreat.”
Other books by Sophie Blackall:
Blackall, S. (2014). Baby Tree. Penguin Group (USA). 9780399257186
Blackall, S. (2021). Negative Cat. Nancy Paulsen Books. 9780399257193
Rohmann, E. (2002). My friend rabbit. Roaring Brook Press. ISBN: 9780761315353
Summary: My Friend Rabbit captures the lighthearted story of a friendship between a mouse and a rabbit. The rabbit is always a troublemaker, yet the mouse is still a good friend to him. The rabbit gets into all kinds of mischief and the mouse helps him out. The two go on various little adventures of how their friendship stays strong thanks to the loyalty they share with one another.
Analysis: One noticeable thing about the illustrations besides adorableness is that they’re outlined quite heavily. Almost similar to the drawing style of graphic novels or anime. These heavy lines give off that hand-drawn feeling and make each cute animal stand out wonderfully against the bright colors of the backgrounds. Each character is expressive and drawn in a lively way that makes you look on with anticipation of their next wacky adventure where trouble will surely follow Rabbit. The animals are drawn with exquisite detail and make comedic faces that get kids laughing at them. Rabbit lifting up the big animals is so similar to what kids might see in cartoons, the contrast between the rabbit and larger animals can make the audience smile at Rabbit’s mischievousness. The text is minimal, but the illustrations are so captivating that it really brings the story to life. Rabbit and Mouse on their hilarious adventure to get the airplane out of the tree was fun to see, making the audience know what they will do to get it down. Overall, the story can teach friendship and loyalty to children. Despite Rabbit’s mischief and trouble following him, he will always be Mouse’s friend.
AWARDS:
*2003 Caldecott Medal
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (2005): “After the hero gets his friend Mouse's airplane stuck in a tree, he goes to great lengths to retrieve it, in this Caldecott Medal winner. In PW 's words, "This gentle lesson in patience and loyalty, balanced on the back of a hilarious set of illustrations, will leave young readers clamoring for repeat readings."
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (2002): “...The double-page, hand-colored relief prints with heavy black outlines are magnificent, and children will enjoy the comically expressive pictures of the animals before and after their attempt to extract the plane. The text is minimal; it's the illustrations that are the draw here.”
Other books by Eric Rohmann:
Rohmann, E. (2001). Cinder-Eyed Cats. Random House. ISBN: 9780440417439
Rohmann, E. (2015). A Kitten Tale. Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN: 9780553498318
Rohmann, E. (1997). Time Flies. Random House. ISBN: 9780517885550
Bunting, E., & Diaz, D. (1999). Smoky night. Harcourt Brace. ISBN: 9780152018849
Summary: A story told by a young boy named Daniel brings together a community that had never seen eye to eye and needed to work together for a common cause. He watches as riots happen within his own community and his mother explains the madness happening outside of their home from the window. Daniel learns that though the neighbors have their differences, as the riots break out, they learn to come together and bridge the distance between each other.
Analysis: The bold colors really bring out the mixed-media used for the illustrations done for this story. The people are uniquely drawn in a sense that brings character and personality. Daniel, the protagonist, is not really understanding what is going on outside his window. The violence and looting happening outside on the streets are remarked by him of the madness going on outside of his home. The riots make him unable to sleep which can reflect how children would have trouble sleeping when it comes to something destructive within the neighborhood. The story gets away from the riots and about how neighbors who couldn’t get along have to work together in order to save their cat kind of puts the riots in the background. The words of Daniel bring about an innocence to the violence of the riots, his viewpoint of how when people get angry over something the larger the destruction becomes. The illustrations of people looting and fires burning things down is such a powerful image to see. The other thing addressed is how people from other races can come together despite differences such as Daniel’s mom not wanting to go to Mrs. Kim’s store since she buys from “her own people” to offering a hand of friendship to Mrs. Kim is a change of attitude. In the end, this book can be used to teach children to settle their differences with others and outstretch a hand of friendship during hard times.
AWARDS:
*1995 Caldecott Medal
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (2021): “...Diaz's dazzling mixed-media collages superimpose bold acrylic illustrations on photographs of carefully arranged backgrounds that feature a wide array of symbolic materials--from scraps of paper and shards of broken glass to spilled rice and plastic dry-cleaner bags...”
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (2021): “...Bunting skillfully uses the voice of the child narrator. His innocent view of the riots makes the destructive behavior of the rioters more abhorrent...When the rioters loot a dry cleaners, for example, the background is wire hangers and plastic film. The pictures are more arresting than appealing, but they invite discussion and will stimulate thoughtful responses to this quietly powerful story.
Other books by Eve Bunting:
Bunting, E., & Love, J. (2007). Baby Shower. Charlesbridge Publishing. ISBN: 9781580891394
Bunting, E. & Masse, J. (2012). Best Summer Ever. Sleeping Bear Press. ISBN: 9781585365500
Bunting, E. & Tate, D. (2013). Cart That Carried Martin. Random House. ISBN: 9781580893879
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