Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats by Nina Simonds, Leslie Swartz & The Children's Museum, Boston1. Bibliography
Simonds, Nina, Swartz, Leslie and The Children’s Museum, Boston. MOONBEANS,DUMPLINGS AND DRAGON BOATS: A TREASURY OF CHINESE HOLIDAY TALES, ACTIVITIES AND RECIPES. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, Inc.
ISBN 978-0-15-201983-9
Dewey Classification 394.26
Reading Level: 5.8
2. Summary
This collection of history, legends, recipes and crafts is a wonderful addition to any library. The background information (or folklore) given why holidays such as The Dragon Boat Festival, The Lantern Festival, and the Harvest Moon Festival are celebrated, the kinds of foods associated with the holiday and crafts that represent the special day are all explained in this beautifully decorated book. Find out the meanings behind the Chinese Zodiac animals and read about how they were chosen. Challenge yourself to make a Lantern Riddle as celebrated during the Lantern Festival.
3. Critical Analysis
Nina Simonds, Leslie Swartz and The Children's Museum, Boston compiled an extraordinary treasure of tales, traditions, recipes and crafts that celebrate Chinese holidays. The set-up for this book is unique. It gives you background information regarding the celebrated holiday, the legend that goes along with why the holiday came to be, recipes of special foods and activities or art that accompanies the celebration. The book is meant for sharing between child and parent by giving the ideas of activities to make and share. I found myself becoming absorbed into the traditional tales told throughout the books, looking to read the next one and make the connection to the tradition still held for the holiday. Meilo So's watercolor artwork is a beautiful accompaniment to the stories told and she exquisitely demonstrates the intricate patterns in the Chinese calligraphy titled on each page next to the holiday name.
4. Reviews
Horn Book (Spring, 2003)
A suitable addition to any multicultural holiday collection, this volume includes folktales, recipes, and activities for celebrating Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival, Qing Ming and the Cold Foods Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, and the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. Accompanying the stories and activities are So's stylized watercolors, some of which evoke the brushwork of Chinese calligraphy. Bib.
Booklist (October 15, 2002 (Vol. 99, No. 4))
Gr. 4-6. This brightly illustrated, large-format book introduces Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival, Qing Ming and the Cold Foods Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, and the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. Each section explains the holiday, tells stories related to it, and offers at least one activity and one recipe. Attractively designed, the pages include plenty of white space, creating a fine background for So's brilliantly colored, stylized paintings. The recipes, some of which require the use of food processors and hot woks, are often beyond the culinary skills of the average child, though interested adults can use them to broaden their children's experience of Chinese culture. The activities--riddles to tell and paper lanterns to make, among them--look like fun for young people. Lists of books and Web sites and a pronunciation guide round out the treatment.
5. Connections
*Share traditions shared by families, activities, food, holidays.
*Read Fire Up for Reading by Toni Buzzeo
*Read any books about Chinese customs, holidays, traditions and compare/contrast the foods and crafts.
Little Gold Star A Spanish American Cinderella Tale retold by Robert D. SanSouci
1. Bibliography
SanSouci, Robert D. Little Gold Star: A Spanish American Cinderella Tale. HarperCollins Publisher, New York.
ISBN: 978-0-688-14780-1
Dewey Classification: 398.2
Reading Level: 3.2
2. Summary
This Cinderella tale retold by Robert D. San Souci takes on a new twist to an old favorite. Teresa is our Cinderella that must endure the wicked step-mother and the dreaded step-sisters' cruelty. She meets her "Fairy Godmother" which has a religious connection: Blessed Mary, Saint Joseph, and the Holy Child, the Baby Jesus. Because of her kind heart shown toward Joseph and the baby, Blessed Mary bestowed a gold star shining upon her forehead. When the two step-sisters were approached by Blessed Mary and asked to do something nice, they chose not to and received horns and donkey ears for their unkindly acts. The "prince" in this story is Don Miguel, a wealthy and handsome man. He seeks to find the "Little Gold Star" to marry. Through the magic of the talking cat that leads Miguel to Teresa, the step-family decide to live better lives by following Teresa's example.
3. Critical Analysis
This Cinderella variant follows many of the literary traits of a traditional folktale/fairytale. The main character, Teresa, is presented with a problem and tries to solve her problem through the obstacles presented (by her step-family) and comes out victorious. The cultural connections of Spanish/Mexican traditions and religious connections such as the washing of the fleece, the connection of Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus, and the use of Spanish words used in the story help this folktale retain its traditional heritage. The story is unique because it shows how Teresa's example of goodness changes the step mom and stepsisters to also become good. The use of a talking animal also marks the trait of a folktale. The cat leads Miguel to find Teresa by talking to him and telling him where she was locked up. I enjoy the use of the Spanish words (and the definition) to enhance the story and make it a Spanish American tale. Sergio Martinez's beautiful paintings of the characters and the setting of the poor and wealthy homes for this picture book show how the story unfolds and how the gold star is a blessed mark.
4. Reviews
Horn Book starred (Spring 2001)
This Southwest "Cinderella" story includes elements of European fairy tales, Christian imagery, and Spanish folklore. When her father marries a haughty widow with two vain daughters, Teresa's life becomes miserable. A "woman in blue" comes to the rescue in exchange for Teresa's kindness to an old man and a baby. Golden light suffuses the watercolor paintings, while accurate details root the story in the colonial Spanish tradition.
Booklist (October 1, 2000 (Vol. 97, No. 3))
Gr. 2-4, younger for reading aloud. The author of Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella (1998) and the new Cinderella Skeleton [BKL S 1 00] here gives the ever-popular picture-book tale a Southwestern flavor. While washing the fleece of a lamb her cruel stepmother has killed, Teresa meets the Blessed Mary, who asks her to tend old Joseph and the Holy Infant. When Teresa is finished, Mary returns and rewards her with a touch that places a gold star on her forehead. When her callous, clumsy sisters rush off for similar decorations, they are given not stars but goat horns and donkey ears. In Sergio Martinez's elegant Hispanic settings, Teresa and her beau, Don Miguel, are slender, graceful figures, comically juxtaposed against Teresa's lumpish, elaborately dressed stepmother and stepsisters, who are portrayed with exaggerated expressions of dismay or annoyance. Mary reappears to help Teresa secure her stepmother's permission to marry, and by the unalloyed happy ending, horns and hairy ears have vanished, too. Cinderella fans have to be rapid readers to keep up with the steady stream of new renditions, but this consolidation of old and new published versions mixes laughter and romance in pleasing proportion--and features an unusual (to say the least) fairy godmother. A source note is provided.
5. Connections
*Read other cultural Cinderella books and compare/contrast.
*Have students list the traits of each fairytale.
Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young
1. Bibliography
Young, Ed. Seven Blind Mice. New York: Philomel Books.
ISBN: 0-399-22261-8
Dewey Classification: 398.24
Reading Level: 2.4
2. Summary
This retold folktale of "The Blind Men and the Elephant" is clever story of colorful blind mice discovering an unusual object piece by piece. Each mouse "sees" their piece as something different than the next one. This story not only teaches the lesson of looking at an object as a whole, but also teaches numbers, colors and days of the week.
3. Critical Analysis
This story is based on an Indian fable of seven blind men finding an elephant. It is beautifully retold and illustrated using black background to enhance the colorful paper piece pictures done by the author/ illustrator, Ed Young. Each day of the week, a different color mouse explores the object and explains as they picture it to be. Each piece discovered, represents the color of the mouse that makes the prediction. The problem of guessing the mysterious object by their pond, leads to a wonderfully imaginative tale of discovery. Finally, one mouse "looks" at the whole object, not just one piece, and by incorporating all their predictions, comes up with the actual object- an elephant. The use of numbers and colors add to the traits of making this a traditional folktale.
4. Reviews
Caldecott Honor Book
Horn Book starred (September, 1992)
In the Indian fable, each blind mouse visits the elephant and declares that he has discovered a pillar, a snake, a cliff, a spear, a fan, or a rope. But a seventh mouse, the only one to investigate the whole "something," is able to discern that it is an elephant. The spareness of the text is echoed in the splendid collages. Immensely appealing.
Booklist starred (Vol. 88, No. 15 (April 1, 1992))
...Graphically, this picture book is stunning, with the cut-paper figures of the eight characters dramatically silhouetted against black backgrounds. White lettering and borders provide contrast, but the eye is always drawn to the mottled, beige tones of the elephant and the brightly colored mice, vibrant against the large, black pages. Playing with color and line, light and dark, and with the concepts of sightlessness and visualization, Young designs a title page spread with only the mice's colorful tails appearing against the blackness; like the blind mice themselves, viewers will call on their imaginations to fill in the rest. What does one see? Curved lines? Tails? Mice? At once profound and simple, intelligent and playful, this picture book is the work of an artist who understands the medium and respects his audience.
5. Connections
*Listen to the tale being read at http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/media.jsp?id=482
*Have students make their own 8 page book of animals discovering a large animal, piece by piece and showing their guesses.
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