KOALA LOU
A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Fox, Mem. 1989. KOALA LOU. Ill. by Pamela Lofts.San Diego: Voyager Books. ISBN 0152005021.
B. PLOT SUMMARY
Koala Lou was loved by everyone, especially her mother, who verbally expressed that love often. As time passed and the family grew the mother was busy and didn’t tell Koala Lou as often as before that she was loved. Koalu Lou missed hearing she was loved. Koala Lou enters the Bush Olympics hoping to win and hear her mother tell her she loves her. Although she trains very hard she does not win; dejected she goes off alone and cries. Upon returning home her mother hugs her and tells her she loves her and always will.
C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Koala Lou’s story is an expression of mother’s love and childhood insecurity. This story depicts a universal story of a busy mother and the insecurity of growing up while using animals, plants, language, and artwork to establish an Australian setting. Animals mentioned in the story, such as koalas, emus, platypus, and kookabubrra support the Australian setting. Reference to the Bush Olympics further supports the setting. Pamela Lofts’colorful illustrations enhance and support the story and setting of this book. Vivid, expressive pictures of all the characters bolster the words of this story. At the beginning, the illustrations show a confident Koala Lou, then a busy, distracted mom, a lonesome, confused Koala Lou and finally the secure child Koala Lou was at the beginning of the story.
D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Kirkus Review (1989)
As a baby, cuddly Koala Lou is everyone's favorite, especially her mother's; but as more little koalas join the family, her mother forgets to say, "Koala Lou, I DO love you!" So--hoping for attention--Koala Lou trains mightily for the Bush Olympics, only to come in second. Surprisingly, this disappointment makes her wish come true; her mother is there to comfort her with the treasured words and a big hug. This satisfying reworking of a familiar and ever-important theme is appealingly illustrated--bright colors, soft-edged sculptural forms, precise detail, dozens of expressive animals. Another winning import from one of Australia's favorite authors.
Publishers Weekly (August 11, 1989)
Fox's two new books join Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge as perfect examples of why the Australian writer has become one of today's top authors of children's books. Koala Lou is loved by everyone, but it is her mother who loves her most of all. She often tells her daughter, ``Koala Lou, I DO love you.'' As the family grows and her mother gets busier, Koala Lou yearns to hear those words again. She sets out to win the Bush Olympics as a way to gain her mother's attention. Lofts's colored-pencil drawings portray the Australian flora and fauna beautifully, including a few of the more exotic species. In Night Noises , elderly Lilly Laceby lives with her fat old dog Butch Aggie. While Lily dozes in front of the fire, Butch Aggie becomes increasingly concerned by the sounds of cars, voices, knocking and shouts. At last, Lily finally wakes up to answer the door, where a veritable mob waits to wish her a happy 90th birthday. Denton uses cartoon balloons and large letters to show the simultaneous action. Both of Fox's books send out positive messages to children about the wonders of being human: Koala Lou celebrates the eternal love of a mother for her child without the sentimentality of Robert Munsch's Love You Forever , and Night Noises lovingly bridges the generation gap. Ages 3-6. (Sept.)
E. CONNECTIONS
Students can draw pictures of themselves with their mothers, write about how their mother loves them, and list people who love them.
Other books about mothers and children:
Braun, Sebastien. I LOVE MY MOMMY. ISBN 0060543108
Harper, Jo. I COULD EAT YOU UP!. ISBN 0823417336
Tedesco, Donna. DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU? ISBN 0027891208
Thursday, September 18, 2008
THE BREADWINNER
THE BREADWINNER
A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ellis, Deborah. 2001. THE BREADWINNER. Toronto, Ontario: Groundwood Books/Douglas & McIntyre. ISBN 0888994192
B. PLOT SUMMARY
After Parvana’s father is imprisoned she is forced to masquerade as a boy to earn money to provide food and necessities for herself, her mother, older sister, and younger sister and younger brother in the Taliban ruled city of Kabul, Afghanistan. She earns money by reading and writing for men in the square as her father did. She thinks she is the only girl dressing as a boy until one day she sees an old classmate doing the same. She struggles to survive as a boy to support the family until her father is released from prison.
C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The reality of life in Kabul, Afghanistan sets the stage for Parvana’s story of survival and triumph. Ellis constructs a fast paced story of a daily struggle to survive under a cruel regime. The Taliban control is evidenced in this story by the suppression of women. Women are not allowed to be outside unless covered in a burka or accompanied by a male. The girls are not allowed to go to school nor the mother to work. Ellis uses the cruelty of Taliban to create tension throughout the story.
Parvana, the main character is like any eleven year old in some ways. She fusses with her sister, doesn’t like housework, and loves her family. Her culture is evidenced in her obedience to her family, acceptance of the hardships of daily life, although she wants to change them, and refusal to abandon her family. Parvana begins the story as an eleven year old helping her father and grows to become the sole supporter of the family, accepting (not without argument) the responsibility of feeding her family.
Referral to specific clothing worn is a cultural marker throughout this book. Women must wear burkas to be in public, girls wear a chador outside while boys and men wear a pakul. Shalwar kameez are a loose shirt and pants worn by both men and women with color and adornment designating male and female outfits.
Other cultural markers used in this book are used include food such as nan and kebabs. The family rests on a toshak. Knowledge of the two main languages, Pashtu and Dari, are how both, Parvana and her father support the family.
Random imprisonment, land mines, lack of running water, beatings, brutality, and constant fear are used to illustrate the reality of life in Afghanistan and show the courageous determination to survive by Parvana.
D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Book Report (November/December 2001)
Parvana, an 11-year-old Afghan girl, accompanies her father to the marketplace, where he sells items and reads and writes letters for those who can't. As a girl, Parvana can no longer attend school, because Afghanistan has been taken over by the Taliban militia and women are forbidden to travel unless accompanied by a male. They must also wear a burqa, a tent-like garment, and a chader, a head cover. Afghanistan has been at war for almost 20 years, first with the Russians and now in a civil war with the Taliban. Parvana's city of Kabul lies in ruins, and her father barely ekes out a living for her, her mother, her two sisters, and her brother. Before the civil war, Parvana's educated parents had held high-paying jobs. When Parvana's father is arrested and taken to prison, her mother falls into a deep depression, and the children are left to fend for themselves. Parvana's hair is cut and she is dressed as a boy so she can move freely through Kabul. This story is great for history students, helping them better understand Afghanistan's turbulent history and the current plight of Afghan women. Although simply written, this tale contains some graphic scenes for mature readers. It also presents a lesson in philanthropy, because all of the book's royalties go to support the education of Afghan girls who remain in Pakistani refugee camps. Recommended. Sandra B. Connell, Librarian, Valwood Private School, Valdosta, Georgia
BookList, 03/01/2001
Gr. 5-7. Ever since the fundamentalist group Taliban secured power in the Afghan capital of Kabul, Parvana and her family have suffered. The group's relentless oppression makes it impossible for the women of the family to leave the house without their father. When Parvana's elderly father is arrested on the grounds that he is a scholar, the women are trapped in their cramped apartment. Eventually, running out of food and hope, Parvana dresses as a boy and becomes the family's breadwinner, doing whatever is necessary to keep the family alive--from reading letters for the illiterate to digging up and selling the bones of her ancestors. Unfortunately, the novel never deals with the religious facets of Afghan life, failing to explain that the Taliban sees itself, essentially, as a religious group. Nonetheless, The Breadwinner is a potent portrait of life in contemporary Afghanistan, showing that powerful heroines can survive even in the most oppressive and sexist social conditions. -- John Green. Booklist, published by the American Library Association.
E. CONNECTIONS
Students can compare the ways Parvana’s life is the same/different from theirs, research children of war, and discuss/generate ideas on ways to end female suppression.
The sequel to this book is: Ellis, Deborah. PARVANA’S JOURNEY. ISBN 0888995199
A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ellis, Deborah. 2001. THE BREADWINNER. Toronto, Ontario: Groundwood Books/Douglas & McIntyre. ISBN 0888994192
B. PLOT SUMMARY
After Parvana’s father is imprisoned she is forced to masquerade as a boy to earn money to provide food and necessities for herself, her mother, older sister, and younger sister and younger brother in the Taliban ruled city of Kabul, Afghanistan. She earns money by reading and writing for men in the square as her father did. She thinks she is the only girl dressing as a boy until one day she sees an old classmate doing the same. She struggles to survive as a boy to support the family until her father is released from prison.
C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The reality of life in Kabul, Afghanistan sets the stage for Parvana’s story of survival and triumph. Ellis constructs a fast paced story of a daily struggle to survive under a cruel regime. The Taliban control is evidenced in this story by the suppression of women. Women are not allowed to be outside unless covered in a burka or accompanied by a male. The girls are not allowed to go to school nor the mother to work. Ellis uses the cruelty of Taliban to create tension throughout the story.
Parvana, the main character is like any eleven year old in some ways. She fusses with her sister, doesn’t like housework, and loves her family. Her culture is evidenced in her obedience to her family, acceptance of the hardships of daily life, although she wants to change them, and refusal to abandon her family. Parvana begins the story as an eleven year old helping her father and grows to become the sole supporter of the family, accepting (not without argument) the responsibility of feeding her family.
Referral to specific clothing worn is a cultural marker throughout this book. Women must wear burkas to be in public, girls wear a chador outside while boys and men wear a pakul. Shalwar kameez are a loose shirt and pants worn by both men and women with color and adornment designating male and female outfits.
Other cultural markers used in this book are used include food such as nan and kebabs. The family rests on a toshak. Knowledge of the two main languages, Pashtu and Dari, are how both, Parvana and her father support the family.
Random imprisonment, land mines, lack of running water, beatings, brutality, and constant fear are used to illustrate the reality of life in Afghanistan and show the courageous determination to survive by Parvana.
D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Book Report (November/December 2001)
Parvana, an 11-year-old Afghan girl, accompanies her father to the marketplace, where he sells items and reads and writes letters for those who can't. As a girl, Parvana can no longer attend school, because Afghanistan has been taken over by the Taliban militia and women are forbidden to travel unless accompanied by a male. They must also wear a burqa, a tent-like garment, and a chader, a head cover. Afghanistan has been at war for almost 20 years, first with the Russians and now in a civil war with the Taliban. Parvana's city of Kabul lies in ruins, and her father barely ekes out a living for her, her mother, her two sisters, and her brother. Before the civil war, Parvana's educated parents had held high-paying jobs. When Parvana's father is arrested and taken to prison, her mother falls into a deep depression, and the children are left to fend for themselves. Parvana's hair is cut and she is dressed as a boy so she can move freely through Kabul. This story is great for history students, helping them better understand Afghanistan's turbulent history and the current plight of Afghan women. Although simply written, this tale contains some graphic scenes for mature readers. It also presents a lesson in philanthropy, because all of the book's royalties go to support the education of Afghan girls who remain in Pakistani refugee camps. Recommended. Sandra B. Connell, Librarian, Valwood Private School, Valdosta, Georgia
BookList, 03/01/2001
Gr. 5-7. Ever since the fundamentalist group Taliban secured power in the Afghan capital of Kabul, Parvana and her family have suffered. The group's relentless oppression makes it impossible for the women of the family to leave the house without their father. When Parvana's elderly father is arrested on the grounds that he is a scholar, the women are trapped in their cramped apartment. Eventually, running out of food and hope, Parvana dresses as a boy and becomes the family's breadwinner, doing whatever is necessary to keep the family alive--from reading letters for the illiterate to digging up and selling the bones of her ancestors. Unfortunately, the novel never deals with the religious facets of Afghan life, failing to explain that the Taliban sees itself, essentially, as a religious group. Nonetheless, The Breadwinner is a potent portrait of life in contemporary Afghanistan, showing that powerful heroines can survive even in the most oppressive and sexist social conditions. -- John Green. Booklist, published by the American Library Association.
E. CONNECTIONS
Students can compare the ways Parvana’s life is the same/different from theirs, research children of war, and discuss/generate ideas on ways to end female suppression.
The sequel to this book is: Ellis, Deborah. PARVANA’S JOURNEY. ISBN 0888995199
THE PULL OF THE OCEAN
THE PULL OF THE OCEAN
A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Mourlevat, Jean-Claude. 2006. New York: Delacorte Press. ISBN 0385733488
B. PLOT SUMMARY
Seven brothers flee their parent’s home in France led by the youngest. Yann, small and mute leads his six older brothers, all twins, away from their home on the belief that the parents are planning to kill them. The story chronicles their journey to the sea and their reunion with their parents.
C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This story is told by multiple narrators, each with a different yet similar perspective, except the cruel businessman that imprisons them in his home. Short chapters separate the narrators, which include the boys, their parents, and the people that encounter them on their journey. The author sets the emotional stage for this story with the mother’s lack of caring as evidenced by her willingness to hit Yann, the youngest boy. To the backdrop of rain and thunder Yann convinces his older brothers they must leave immediately without giving them a reason. Their journey is told by people they encountered that helped them or simply by people that observed them. Most people took a compassionate approach dealing with the boys.
Cultural markers include the French name the family has, Doutreleau, as well as the names of other characters such as Etcheverry, Viard, and Faure in the book, and the French towns the boys traveled through.
Chronicling the journey the boys travel shows the closeness of brothers as well as the daily irritations. This is exhibited through the boys’ acceptance of Yann’s leadership without question and the way they help one another.
Although the book deals with the harshness of life, poverty, parental neglect and abuse, the end offers hope with the apparent concern of the mother and father upon hearing from the boys.
D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Booklist (December 1, 2006 (Vol. 103, No. 7))
Unlike his six older brothers--three sets of twins--who are all tall for their age, 10-year-old Yann is a miniature, no more than two feet tall. However, despite his diminutive stature, his youth, and the fact that he is mute, he is the cleverest of the lot and their unquestioned leader. When he wakes his brothers one dark and stormy night and convinces them that they must leave their parents’ farm, they follow him unquestioningly. Sound familiar? It should; it's a retelling of "Tom Thumb."In addition to giving his version a contemporary setting, French author Mourlevat tells the story from multiple points of view. He also invests it with some symbolic weight--Yann can be viewed as a Christ figure. The ending leaves readers a bit at sea, but the story is intriguing, and the relationship among the brothers is heartwarming.
Publishers Weekly (January 1, 2007)
A mute 10-year-old boy stars in this inventive modern-day play on Charles Perrault's Tom Thumb. Yann, the size of a toddler, is the youngest of seven sons of poor, sour parents and the only one who is not a twin ("Yann came last and alone. Like the period at the end of a sentence"). The lad silently communicates with his brothers, but never with his parents. One night, he overhears his parents bickering and awakens his siblings; letting them know that their father plans to harm them (the author reveals the actual content of the couple's conversation later). Yann then leads the three sets of twins out into the rainy darkness. The peripatetic story weaves together first-person accounts by each twin as well as individuals who have spotted or interacted with the children. Under Yann's direction (he navigates by turning his head in all directions and then pointing the way), the brothers traverse the French countryside, heading west toward the ocean. The story takes a dark turn before they are reunited with their seemingly softened parents. Yet Yann slips away once more, stowing away on a merchant marine ship to continue his journey west. The captain observes, "I had the sudden impression that this child wasn't real, that he had stepped right out of a fairy tale." Indeed, Mourlevat enchantingly blends the harshly real and the make-believe, with the latter tipping the balance as this effectively haunting, fluidly translated tale comes to a close. Ages 12-up. (Dec.) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
E. CONNECTIONS
Students can write how they would feel if they thought a parent wanted to kill them, list and discuss reasons to run away from home, or extend the book by adding another chapter.
Look for TOM THUMB in the following book:
Gustafson, Scott. CLASSIC FAIRY TALES. ISBN 086713089X
A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Mourlevat, Jean-Claude. 2006. New York: Delacorte Press. ISBN 0385733488
B. PLOT SUMMARY
Seven brothers flee their parent’s home in France led by the youngest. Yann, small and mute leads his six older brothers, all twins, away from their home on the belief that the parents are planning to kill them. The story chronicles their journey to the sea and their reunion with their parents.
C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This story is told by multiple narrators, each with a different yet similar perspective, except the cruel businessman that imprisons them in his home. Short chapters separate the narrators, which include the boys, their parents, and the people that encounter them on their journey. The author sets the emotional stage for this story with the mother’s lack of caring as evidenced by her willingness to hit Yann, the youngest boy. To the backdrop of rain and thunder Yann convinces his older brothers they must leave immediately without giving them a reason. Their journey is told by people they encountered that helped them or simply by people that observed them. Most people took a compassionate approach dealing with the boys.
Cultural markers include the French name the family has, Doutreleau, as well as the names of other characters such as Etcheverry, Viard, and Faure in the book, and the French towns the boys traveled through.
Chronicling the journey the boys travel shows the closeness of brothers as well as the daily irritations. This is exhibited through the boys’ acceptance of Yann’s leadership without question and the way they help one another.
Although the book deals with the harshness of life, poverty, parental neglect and abuse, the end offers hope with the apparent concern of the mother and father upon hearing from the boys.
D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Booklist (December 1, 2006 (Vol. 103, No. 7))
Unlike his six older brothers--three sets of twins--who are all tall for their age, 10-year-old Yann is a miniature, no more than two feet tall. However, despite his diminutive stature, his youth, and the fact that he is mute, he is the cleverest of the lot and their unquestioned leader. When he wakes his brothers one dark and stormy night and convinces them that they must leave their parents’ farm, they follow him unquestioningly. Sound familiar? It should; it's a retelling of "Tom Thumb."In addition to giving his version a contemporary setting, French author Mourlevat tells the story from multiple points of view. He also invests it with some symbolic weight--Yann can be viewed as a Christ figure. The ending leaves readers a bit at sea, but the story is intriguing, and the relationship among the brothers is heartwarming.
Publishers Weekly (January 1, 2007)
A mute 10-year-old boy stars in this inventive modern-day play on Charles Perrault's Tom Thumb. Yann, the size of a toddler, is the youngest of seven sons of poor, sour parents and the only one who is not a twin ("Yann came last and alone. Like the period at the end of a sentence"). The lad silently communicates with his brothers, but never with his parents. One night, he overhears his parents bickering and awakens his siblings; letting them know that their father plans to harm them (the author reveals the actual content of the couple's conversation later). Yann then leads the three sets of twins out into the rainy darkness. The peripatetic story weaves together first-person accounts by each twin as well as individuals who have spotted or interacted with the children. Under Yann's direction (he navigates by turning his head in all directions and then pointing the way), the brothers traverse the French countryside, heading west toward the ocean. The story takes a dark turn before they are reunited with their seemingly softened parents. Yet Yann slips away once more, stowing away on a merchant marine ship to continue his journey west. The captain observes, "I had the sudden impression that this child wasn't real, that he had stepped right out of a fairy tale." Indeed, Mourlevat enchantingly blends the harshly real and the make-believe, with the latter tipping the balance as this effectively haunting, fluidly translated tale comes to a close. Ages 12-up. (Dec.) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
E. CONNECTIONS
Students can write how they would feel if they thought a parent wanted to kill them, list and discuss reasons to run away from home, or extend the book by adding another chapter.
Look for TOM THUMB in the following book:
Gustafson, Scott. CLASSIC FAIRY TALES. ISBN 086713089X
Monday, September 1, 2008
NEW SEMESTER
This blog is being used for a requirement for LS 5653, Multicultural Literature for Children and YA at TWU. Book reviews will be posted during the 08 Fall semester. Happy reading!
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