The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Bibliography
Selznick, B. (2007). The invention of Hugo Cabret: a novel in words and pictures. New York, NY: Scholastic. ISBN-10:0-439-81378-6
Summary
The Invention of Hugo Cabret, is about a young boy named Hugo, who has been orphaned and is living within the walls of the Paris Train Station. Hugo lost his father to a fire and then went to live with his uncle, who was responsible for repairing and setting the clocks. However, one day his uncle does not return and Hugo is left to fend for himself. Hugo continues his uncle’s work, so that no one will know he is gone. The only thing that Hugo has of his father is a notebook that contains his work on a mechanical automaton. Hugo is caught taking spare parts from a toymaker and the toymaker takes his father’s journal. Hugo then embarks on a quest to regain his journal, but ends up meeting the toymakers goddaughter and others along the way. Together, they unearth the toymaker’s secrets and solve the mystery of Hugo’s parents.
Critical Analysis
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick could be a book that is passed up my many readers due to the look and extreme length, but missing out on this book is a tragedy. Selznick creates a character that the audience immediately connects with and begins to feel for Hugo. The plot is very complex and the storyline takes place during the 1930s in Paris, which can be difficult for readers to connect with. In addition to the historical references, readers cannot miss the clues that are throughout the book and help lead to the resolution of the book. Readers must be willing to devote time to focus on this book.
Selznick creates a story that is complex and tied completely to the illustrations throughout the story. In many books, illustrations support the writing, but in The Invention of Hugo Cabret, the illustrations continue the story and help set the stage for the reader's’ imagination. The reader must look through the illustrations and follow them to the next writing in order to keep up with the story line. The illustrations within the book help the audience zoom into the specific parts of the plot.
This is a book that is not to be missed by anyone. This book integrates the storyline and illustrations seamlessly and create a fun adventure for the audience.
Review Excerpts
*Horn Book said of it, “While the bookmaking is spectacular, and the binding secure but generous enough to allow the pictures to flow easily across the gutter, The Invention of Hugo Cabret is foremost good storytelling, with a sincerity and verbal ease reminiscent of Andrew Clements (a frequent Selznick collaborator) and themes of secrets, dreams, and invention that play lightly but resonantly throughout.”
*Said Library Journal, “Toss in a wild jumble of references and plot lines, a mean old man, a young girl, toys, secrets, and a fabulous train station, and you have the makings of a novel destined to enchant.”
Connections
I believe that this book would be a great book for literature circles. I think that the combination of great writing and illustrations would have students reading ahead. This book could be considered historical fiction and because of the illustrations it would be easier to help create a picture of the time period. Many times students struggle with the time period of the story because the have no schema. I think the illustrations would be extremely helpful. There are a variety of applications for this book including teaching cause and effect. Many of the actions made by Hugo and his family members have repercussions. Students would be able to identify cause and effect relationships within the book. Cause and effect relationships easily lead into discussion on conflict and resolution.
Also, this story could be compared with part two in Echo about Mike and Frankie. There are many similarities that could be found, including theme.
Munoz Ryan, P. (2015). Echo: A Novel. New York, NY: Scholastic. ISBN 9780439874021
Are You My Mother?
Bibliography
Eastman, P. D. (1988). Are You My Mother? New York, NY: Random House Inc.
ISBN 0394800184
Summary
In the book, Are You My Mother?, a mother bird realizes that she will need food for young that is about to hatch. Assuming she has time, momma leaves the nest and egg in search of food. While she is gone, the egg hatches and the baby bird begins to ask “where his mother is?” The young bird decides to look for his mother. Along the way, he meets a variety of animals, different types of transportation and a SNORT, aka a crane. When he meets each one, he asks the same question, “Are you my mother?” The SNORT ends up placing the baby bird back into his nest just in time for his momma to return with food. Finally, he finds his mother.
Critical Analysis
P.D. Eastman wrote and illustrated the book, Are You My Mother?, but it can commonly be mistaken for a Dr. Seuss book. Eastman wrote several books that were published apart of the Dr. Seuss Beginner Books. The the simple plot structure is very easy for the audience to follow along. The setting is extremely vague and could be interpreted differently. Each page contains words and dialogue that are accompanied by an illustration that supports the text. This makes the book very easy for beginning readers to follow along with and if there is any comprehension break down, the illustrations can help them.
Eastman’s pictures are fairly detailed and provide a great deal to look at, but he chose to use very few colors within his illustrations. He uses the brown, black, red and yellow that are set on stark white pages. The pages have a great deal of white space, which does help draw the attention to the illustrations. Eastman also creates the illusion of movement in his illustrations and it seen throughout the entire book.
Review Excerpts
*Children’s Books and Review - In short, Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman is a funny, compelling, and developmentally valuable picture book that I heartily recommend.
*From The School Library Journal - I am such a big fan of the truly excellent easy reader. This is another one that blows you away with its perfect simplicity. – Amy M. Weir
Connections
This book is a great book that is developmentally appropriate for the early grades. A lesson centered around predicting what the bird may do or who he may run into along the way would be a great way to interact with the book during a read aloud. Teachers may also ask their students how the book might change if the bird had stayed in the nest. What differences might the new story have?
This book could also used for a Mother’s Day activity, which are still done in the lower grades. Teachers could discuss why the mother left and what her role is, which is to take care of her young. Students could then relate that back to their life and how their mothers or mother-like figures do the same thing.
The Snowy Day
Bibliography
Keats, E. J. (1976). The Snowy Day. New York, NY: Puffin Books.
ISBN 0140501827
Summary
After a night of snowfall, a little boy named, Peter, puts on his snowsuit and goes outside to explore. As he is walking he notices the sound the snow makes when he is walking and how his tracks look in the snow. He uses a stick to hit a tree, which makes snow fall on his head. Then he joins a snowball fight, builds a snowman, and makes snow angel. To save some snow for the next day, he puts a snowball in his pocket. While taking a bath, he thinks about all of his adventures. As he gets ready for bed, he notices that his snowball has disappeared and he was very sad. Then to make things worse, he has a dream that the sun came out and melted all the snow. However, when he wakes up the next morning he finds new snow and sets out with a friend on a new snow adventure.
Critical Analysis
The Snowy Day is written and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats. Keats received a Caldecott Medal for his work on The Snowy Day. This was one of the first books that had an African American main character. Keats used a variety of techniques, but his illustrations were simplistic. Keats used very bright colors and geometric shapes to help create beautiful scenes on each page. He also used the technique of layering or collaging to create a scene. The scenes look as if each part is layered on top of the next. Keats used little detail, which is quite noticeable on the faces of the characters. However, when details were incorporated it seemed as if the object was the focal point of the illustration.
The storyline is very simplistic with a simple setting of the city. Peter is the main character and reader learns that he loves snow and would be sad to see it go. Keats does not develop any of the other characters within the story. The main focal point of the story is Keat’s illustrations and how they help tell Peter’s story.
Review Excerpts
*The Horn Book - “In this mood book, never static but sparkling with atmosphere in lovely water-color pictures, a small boy experiences the joys of a snowy day.” - Virginia Haviland
*From an article in The New York Times - “Suddenly children of many different ethnic and racial and social backgrounds thought, ‘Oh my goodness, there I am,’ ” Dr. Deborah Pope said.
Connections
This story could be used as an example for winter when discussing the seasons. The teacher could also extend this into science, discussing how long snowballs last. They could do an experiment.
The teacher could read aloud a nonfiction book on blizzards and snow. The teacher could then guide the students on comparing and contrasting the two books.
The teacher could also read another fiction book titled, The Snowy Day by Anna Milbourne. Then the class could discuss the differences between the two stories. Which book is located in the city or the country?
Milbourne, A., & Temporin, E. (2011). The snowy day. London: Usborne.
City Dog, Country Frog
Bibliography
Willems, M., & Muth, J. J. (2010). City dog, country frog. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.
ISBN9781423103004
Summary
City Dog, Country Frog begins on a spring day, when a city dog runs free in the country and meets a country frog. The two animals strike up a relationship and share their experiences by teaching each other things. As the year progresses and the season move on into fall, the country frog suggests that they play remembering games. Winter rolls around and the city dog cannot find the country frog. The seasons come full circle and spring is upon them again. The city dog waits on the rock, but no country frog is found, instead he meets a chipmunk and a new friendship is begun.
Critical Analysis
City Dog, Country Frog seems to be a simplistic storyline in the beginning, but then stretches the reader to make assumptions, which could be difficult for some young children. However, this story would evoke great conversations within the classroom.
Mo Willems uses the text to help organize the book by seasons, which makes the setting very identifiable. Willems also creates excitement with his words, use of punctuation and placement of words on the page. The repetition of phrases helps keep the audience on track with the movement of time within the story. During the period of Winter, there is less text which helps create the sense of loneliness. However, he ends the book giving the reader a sense of hope for a new friendship.
Jon Muth beautifully illustrated City Dog, Country Frog with what seemed to be watercolor painting. The illustrations help create a sense of seasons, by the colors that are used. During spring, Muth includes beautiful greens and pinks. The illustrations for summer include clouds in the sky that foreshadow to an upcoming rain shower that the two friends weather. By far the most beautiful illustrations are fall. Muth uses a variety of colors to show the changing season and then he easily moves the reader into winter. This book is an example of how the illustrations and text work together to create a beautiful storyline that engages the reader. The reader can tell that all of the choices that Willems and Muth made were very methodical and helped add to the book.
Review Excerpts
*From The Children’s Book Review - “The brilliance of the story is its simplicity; no long explanations are needed to explain the frog’s absence.” - Kelley Smith
*From the School Library Journal - “So the story unfolds, pitched perfectly to a preschool audience. But what makes it rise above for me is the ending, where Willem distinguishes himself in “interpretation of theme or concept” and “delineation of characters”.” - Nina Lindsay
Connections
Teachers could use this book in the lower and upper grades to help strengthen inferring skills. Teachers would read aloud the story and then ask the students to determine what happened to the country frog.
Also, if students needed more practice on inferring, then the teacher could use the book, I Want My Hat Back. This lesson would follow much like the previous one.
Klassen, J. (2012). I want my hat back. London: Walker Books.
Both lessons could be followed up with teaching students how to find supporting evidence for their inference.
No comments:
Post a Comment