Week 3 Reviews

 WEEK 3 TRADITIONAL LITERATURE AND POETRY (before reading Horning Chapter 3 and 4)

INTRODUCTION

Having started browsing through the readings of the week, I wanted to immediately record my thoughts about the subjects of the week: traditional literature and poetry. This week spoke directly to my heart. In my country, despite the average rate of literacy, it is hard for the average person to come accross children's literature. And therefore, people use traditional literature or as we call them "contes africains" as the primary mode of transferring wisdom, entertainment, reflection to children.

Those "contes" are ofter told by older members of the community. It is a ritual that happens often in the evening time within the family circle or the extended family cirle. It tends to occur under a tree (see picture) in the cool of the evening.

Image source: Freepik

Those spoken tales often portrait exagerated human trait and often attribute them to animals. They also depict reprehensible behavior in children and the results that are unvoidably follow while lauding virtuous behaviors and the rewards that ensues. It is how we pass on our culture. Those tales also include songs, clapping and sometimes dancing. Even though I am an older students, those tales are lodged in my mind. I found a similarity with the "fables de la Fontaine", French tales as well as the work of the Grimm brothers. Tales that depict virtuous and vicious behaviors, generous and selfish behaviors, foolish and intelligent behaviors. Tales that bid us and children to do good and avoid evil, to not judge a book by its colors, to remain steadfast and patient in the face of difficulties, and to develop the "we" not "me" attitude. And now, onto Cover to Cover, chapters 3 and 4.

After reading Horning Chapter 3

Chapter 3 confirmed that those tales that my grandma and aunts used to tell us children when we were young do indeed conform with our definition of traditional literature. Definitions are provided to us that we may adequately categorize these stories into their proper groups i.e. mythology, epics, legends, tall tales, urban legends, folktales (cumulative, pourquoi, beast tales, fairy tales, and realistic). We are cautioned about giving these tales their proper authorship so as to avoid cultural appropriation. And then we are told how to properly review them and told to look for elements such as "repetition and pattern in the language, descriptive phrases/actions" and judging "the quality of the illustrations and how they complement the story."

After reading Horning Chapter 4

This chapter speaks of poetry and of the elements that constitute it. Particular attention is given to verse, defined as "the regular structured patterns" found in poetry. There is also rhyme or "the repetition of the same similar sound". 

When the author speaks of how some of us are turned off by the way in which we were contrained to analyzing poems and their structures, it took me straight to school and I recalled having to learn the the definition of an "alexandrin" (a verse composed of twelve syllables". I agree that the rigourous study of poems can turn students off. Still, in analyzing a poem it is important to know the "devices used" such as alliteration, assonance and consonance. Children are attracted to that. I remember the fun we had with my daughter while listening to Mr. Poppers secretary declare in the movie Mr. Popper's Pengiun: "I was pricked by a porcupine on my posterior". Children do love those play with words and therefore we can teach them again to love poetry.

But poetry is not just about playing with and arranging words, it can "appeal to the intellect too". This authors will do this by getting their inspiration from the "typical interest and concerns of childhood".

Included in poetry are Nursery Rhymes (also called Mother Goose) defined as "rhymes recited to children and handed down through generations". Keeping in mind that there pieces of literature do not change in themselves, "but the ilustrations change", we are to review them by checking "what the illustrations add to the verses". The author also speaks of poetry collections including single poets and anthologies (which contain the work of many poets) and of verse novels (full length fictions written as a series of connected poems) and songs.

It is songs that I was most attracted to as I remembered those songs that often accompanied the traditional literature that I grew up with. The author argues here that "songs share many features in common with poetry" and therefore when we are reviewing them, we should use some of the same criteria used in evaluating poems including the "presentation of the language in structured pattern".

Reading response 1 - Traditional literature

BOOK 1:

DEMBICKI, Matt. Trickster: Native American Tales. illus. by Matt, Dembicki. 232p. AK Press.  2010. Tr $39.99. ISBN 9781682750537

A beautifully crafted graphic novel recounting native american folklore tales of tricksters, native american characters whose mischievous and tricky deeds earn them either a punishment or a reward. These tales are used to teach modern readers to do good by choosing righteous behavior and avoil evil and selfish behaviours. The characters here include rabbits, ravens, coyotes, mink, badger and other crafty creatures.

In this book Author Matt Dembicki cleverly found a clever way to pass on native american culture and values to the modern reader. Using both native american plots and illustrations in addition to words in native american tongue, the author seeks to explain some of native american understanding of the world they live in, their beliefs and actions, through the point of view and actions of trickster characters who come both in human and animal forms. 

The stories were gathered from many storytellers across America. Credit is given to each of them. In the table of content that clearly shows the arrangement of these stories, the author and compiler gives credit to both storytellers and illustrators. This looks like the result of a beautiful and fair partnership.

It is clear that the purpose of this author is to share the rich native american culture and tradition in a way that is appealing to young and old readers.

The tales selected by this author are vivid and diverse and come from the different native american groups across America. You can tell the authority of these storytellers by the use of native language (both in naming people, animal and places) now spoken by so few. 

The twenty tales from different storytellers are presented to us and range from Pourquois (How alligator got his brown skin) to beast tales (the dangerous beaver, the wolf and the mink etc..) to fairy tales (coyote and the pebbles) and more realistic tales to downright gruesome tales (Dangerous Beaver).

Style: I believe that the narrative of the tales are preserved. Consider how the first tale starts: “when the mother earth was extremely young, things were not as they are now”. This is a spoken sort of introduction to a story and these stories can be told to an audience of children listening, however, without a doubt this book can also be read individually as there are many characters each participating in the story.

Scope: The twenty tales included here are to be read independently and do not relate to each other. The common element through all these all these stories is that each tale teaches a lesson or explains why a thing (landscape) is the way we see it (When Coyote Decided to get Married).

Illustrations: The illustrations in this graphic novel formatted book enhance the tales and extend them. They do not distract at all.

BOOK 2

Jacob Grimm (Author), Wilhelm K. Grimm (Author)

GRIMM, Jacob and GRIMM, Wilhelm K. The Juniper Tree: and Other Tales from Grimm. illus. by Maurice, Sendak. 352p. Farrar, Straus, Giroux. Oct. 2003. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9780374513580

In this well organized collection of tales, the author presents us with the tales penned down by the Grimm brothers. It is difficult to review this collection because these famous tales have become so familiar to us and are such a part of our modern upbringing.

The collection is well organized with a table of content both for the poems and the illustrations.

The purpose of the authors is clear, to bring these well known tales to readers young and old. I believe this collection is intended for anyone who knows how to read and also lends itself to use as stories read aloud. The stories do not relate to one another but each retain that characteristic of a fairy tale that is out of the ordinary and magical. Here, characters are both human and animals, witch and goblins, with the ability to change form or be changed by a third party from one form to another. 

In these tales in which the characters include villains, goblins, kings and queens, princes and princesses, fathers, sons, mothers and daughters, there is often a struggle between good and evil, charity and selfishness, love and hate. Included in these stories are little rhymes (or songs) that lend a magical character to the whole literature genre.

Authority: The authors made it clear that these tales do not originate from them but were translated from the work of the Grimm brothers and then illustrated. Illustrations are true to the spirit of the time in which these stories were first collected by the Grimm brothers. Consider the depiction of  Dumbkin with his boots, the feather in his cap, his shirt and belt. It is clear that both reteller and illustrator paid attention to authenticity.

Style: The authors kept true to the “once upon a time” style that has now become familiar to us and therefore kept these stories readable for children and for read aloud adult storytellers. 

Scope: Twenty seven fairy tales were included and were organized such that stories can be read independently.

Illustrations: 

The illustrations were done in black and white by beloved children’s author and illustrator Maurice Sendack. These illustrations are true to the time and place when these stories were gathered (Europe, 19th century).  The illustrations are few and are integral to the stories and even though the story can be understood without the illustrations, they complement the stories beautifully.

READING RESPONSE 2: POETRY

BOOK 1

Full citation: SINGER, Marylyn. Mirror, Mirror. illus . by Josee Masse. 32p. Dutton Children’s Book. March 2010. Tr $ 18.99. ISBN 9780525479017

Children will love this collection of 14 palindromes also known as reverse, mirror poems or reversos. The author uses well known fairy tales such as Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Goldilocks and Rapunzel, to entice young children and readers into enjoying and possibly trying this literary art. 

Purpose: I believe the author wrote this book of poems for pleasure and to help children learn and enjoy poems. Reading these poems is not only entertaining, it also encourages children to write their own mirror poems and in doing so develop their vocabulary and confidence in spoken words. 

Audience: Because the author used material that is already familiar to children aged 3 to 5 years old, I would say that they are intended for the same audience. These poems can be used by parents reading to their children and encouraging them to write their own. They can also be used in story time in between books just to make the audience laugh.

Scope: These poems were all written by the same author using traditional literature from the Grimm Brothers. In changing these tales into poems, the author used a variety of forms. I recognized “Enjambment” or the “continuation of a sentence or thought from one line of poetry to the next without a pause, which improves flow and creates suspense or surprise”.

Language: There is a variation of meter in the poems: compare for example these two poems:

The Road

It may be such

A fairy tale secret,

This much

I know:

The road leads

Wherever you may go

Rapunzel’s Locks

No wonder she felt snippy

Sweeping the floor

It took forever to manage

All that pale, tangled, dangling hair.

Cut off,

Shut up in the tower,

Who was

That strange girl with the weird name?

You know,

Someone said her mother was a witch.

It figures.

Organization:  I could  see no patterns in poems arrangement, no table of contents and no indexes. It was however interesting to note that the author took the time to include information about Reversos and ended this page by saying: “It is a (literary) form that is both challenging and fun…Try it yourself and you’ll see what I  mean”. The author makes her intention clear, to encourage children to create their own poetry.

Illustrations: The illustrations are beautiful and complement these poems The illustrator used symmetry to convey the main characteristic of these mirror poems.

Here, The author uses illustrations that enrich the effectiveness of the poetry without distraction. Images are placed appropriately.

BOOK 2

JANECZKO, Paul B. Firefly July: A year of Very Short Poems. illus. By Melissa Sweet. 48p. Candlewick Press. 2014 Tr.$8.99. ISBN 9780763648428

 This anthology is a collection of 36 poems, from different authors which the author and illustrators of this book carefully selected and organized in order to celebrate the four seasons found in a temperate climate i.e. Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.

The book is well organized with a table of content and furthermore a clear explanation of its author’s objectives which are to “ show readers, young and old that a few perfect words and pictures can make the world glow”. The common factor between these poems is that they all celebrate a season.

We are told that Paul B. Janeczko is an “acclaimed poet” and he carefully selected these poems. The author of each poem is well documented and sits at the end of each poem. (see image).

The illustrations in this collection of poems are simple. As the poems are arranged per season, the illustrations follow the same pattern illustrating the poems that highlight each season. It is clear that the illustrator and authors work together to make sure that the images capture the essence of each poem. 

Audience: The  author of this picture made it clear in the foreword that this book was intended for both young and old readers alike. These poems can also be read in a storytime to children who can follow the content of one of two sentences. Consider this fall poem:

What is it that the wind has lost

That he keeps looking for

Under each leaf?

I would consider reading this poem during a storytime about poems. I would read the poems aloud to a group of children. The poems are appropriate both for adults and children alike.

Organization: Stories are arranged by season (see picture) and do not relate to each other. The poems can be ready independently.

Illustrations: The illustrations enhance these poems and extend and complement them. The illustrations do not distract.