The I Poem for 2 Voices was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. At first I just thought that I would have to look through each book and pick out cultural markers in each. However, it took a lot more effort than just that. I did quite a bit of research on both the Algonquin culture and the Mexican culture in order to better understand the stories and the characters. I think the poem is a great way to showcase two separate cultures and bring out the things that make them truly unique and incredibly similar. Too often we just look at cultures and see the differences but the I poem places a special emphasis on the things that these two different Cinderellas share even though they may come from places thousands of miles apart.
Native American and Mexican culture have always fascinated me, although I never knew a whole lot about Native American culture, just what I had been taught in school. After reading Rough-Face Girl, I was glad to see that someone had written down a Cinderella tale from a specific Native American tribe, not just a "Native American tale." So many times Native Americans get grouped as one huge culture, but they are very different just as Europeans are made up of very many distinct cultural groups. Having lived in North Carolina all my life, I was mostly taught about the Cherokee tribe. However, I was glad to now learn something about a woodlands tribe. The Algonquins did a lot of trading with their Southern neighbors, the Iroquois. I never knew that they did not farm at all but had to get their corn from other tribes. It's so amazing how much you learn when you actually pay attention to the different subgroups that there are under umbrella labels, like "Native American."
The Mexican culture was a lot more open and welcoming than I had originally thought. They are very open with one another and they value family and closeness. This is especially important in understanding what it was like for Adelita to be an orphan and then to be robbed of the only "family" she had left, Esperanza. In a culture that centers around family and close-knit communities, Adelita must have felt completely abandoned when she had no one at home that she could turn to.
The more I learn about different cultures, the more I respect them. I am continually amazed at how many similarities there are between cultures whose foundations are so completely different. However, it is the differences that give me more respect. By understanding different cultural groups, it is easier to understand our ever-changing and diversifying society and the world. I think that everyone should be required to learn at least a little bit about a few cultures, especially the ones that are prominent in their society. The more people learn about different cultures, the more tolerant and peaceful the world will be.
Here is a list of Cinderella stories from different cultures.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Adelita Reader Response
A. Adelita
B. Tomie dePaola
C. Tomie dePaola
D. G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2002
E. Picture book, traditional tale
F. k-3
G. Adelita is a Mexican Cinderella story. Adelita's mother passes away the day she is born and so Adelita grows up with her father and her helper, Esperanza. One day, Adelita's father, Francisco, decides to marry a woman who has two daughters of her own. Unfortunately, Francisco dies suddenly of an illness and Adelita is left to live with her stepmother and her stepsisters. Her stepmother even forces Esperanza to leave and Adelita is forced to do all of the chores in the house and wait on her stepsisters hand and foot. One day the women receive an invitation to a party where a handsome young bachelor will be seeking a wife. Adelita is of course forbidden to go while her stepmother and stepsisters go. Esperanza hears Adelita's cries and helps her go to the party. Adelita leaves the party before the bachelor finds out who she is but he finds her the next day when he sees her shawl hanging out of the window as a sign. The two get married and live happily ever after.
H. Tomie dePaola did an excellent job of embracing the Mexican culture in this book. Each page is sprinkled with common Spanish expressions in context (with a glossary in the back). In the United States, the Spanish language and culture are becoming increasingly important and I just love how dePaola adds the tidbits of language in the book instead of just telling the story.
Esperanza is my favorite character in the story. She is just bursting with love and devotion for the family. She is willing to give up everything she has just to stay with Adelita after Francisco dies. She even plays the role of "fairy godmother" when Adelita wants so badly to go to the party but can't because she has nothing to wear and is forbidden by her stepmother. There is such love between the two and it is clearly evident in every single page.
Even the illustrations represent the Mexican culture very well. The bright colors that adorn the borders and pictures of each page are very typical in almost all Latin-American cultures, especially the Mexican. Although I've never been to Mexico, the illustrations look a lot like what I've seen in pictures and have heard from friends who have been to Mexico.
I. Adelita is also a great addition to any lesson on traditional literature or on Cinderella stories. In addition, Adelita is a great segue into a unit or lesson on different cultures and how similar we all are. This is a great story to read to talk about tolerance. By highlighting the similarities between the Mexican culture and our own, we can teach our students that there is no reason to hate or to be prejudiced against the Mexican culture. This can help our students to overcome a lot of what they are seeing in society right now. If there are any Hispanic students in the class, I would encourage them to talk to their parents and write down any other versions of a Cinderella story that they can find. Then I would have those students share those stories with the class (after being translated if necessary). I would also have a day to celebrate the Hispanic culture with a unit on different Hispanic celebrations, food, and music.
*Multicultural*
B. Tomie dePaola
C. Tomie dePaola
D. G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2002
E. Picture book, traditional tale
F. k-3
G. Adelita is a Mexican Cinderella story. Adelita's mother passes away the day she is born and so Adelita grows up with her father and her helper, Esperanza. One day, Adelita's father, Francisco, decides to marry a woman who has two daughters of her own. Unfortunately, Francisco dies suddenly of an illness and Adelita is left to live with her stepmother and her stepsisters. Her stepmother even forces Esperanza to leave and Adelita is forced to do all of the chores in the house and wait on her stepsisters hand and foot. One day the women receive an invitation to a party where a handsome young bachelor will be seeking a wife. Adelita is of course forbidden to go while her stepmother and stepsisters go. Esperanza hears Adelita's cries and helps her go to the party. Adelita leaves the party before the bachelor finds out who she is but he finds her the next day when he sees her shawl hanging out of the window as a sign. The two get married and live happily ever after.
H. Tomie dePaola did an excellent job of embracing the Mexican culture in this book. Each page is sprinkled with common Spanish expressions in context (with a glossary in the back). In the United States, the Spanish language and culture are becoming increasingly important and I just love how dePaola adds the tidbits of language in the book instead of just telling the story.
Esperanza is my favorite character in the story. She is just bursting with love and devotion for the family. She is willing to give up everything she has just to stay with Adelita after Francisco dies. She even plays the role of "fairy godmother" when Adelita wants so badly to go to the party but can't because she has nothing to wear and is forbidden by her stepmother. There is such love between the two and it is clearly evident in every single page.
Even the illustrations represent the Mexican culture very well. The bright colors that adorn the borders and pictures of each page are very typical in almost all Latin-American cultures, especially the Mexican. Although I've never been to Mexico, the illustrations look a lot like what I've seen in pictures and have heard from friends who have been to Mexico.
I. Adelita is also a great addition to any lesson on traditional literature or on Cinderella stories. In addition, Adelita is a great segue into a unit or lesson on different cultures and how similar we all are. This is a great story to read to talk about tolerance. By highlighting the similarities between the Mexican culture and our own, we can teach our students that there is no reason to hate or to be prejudiced against the Mexican culture. This can help our students to overcome a lot of what they are seeing in society right now. If there are any Hispanic students in the class, I would encourage them to talk to their parents and write down any other versions of a Cinderella story that they can find. Then I would have those students share those stories with the class (after being translated if necessary). I would also have a day to celebrate the Hispanic culture with a unit on different Hispanic celebrations, food, and music.
*Multicultural*
The Rough-Face Girl Reader Response
A. The Rough-Face Girl
B. Rafe Martin
C. David Shannon
D. Puffin Books, 1992
E. Picture book, traditional tale
F. k-4
G. The Rough-Face Girl is an Algonquin Cinderella story. It tells the story of a young girl whose older sisters make her sit by the fire. Sparks from the fire eventually make her skin rough and her hair dingy and ratty. In the same village as the sisters lived a great and powerful (and supposedly very handsome) Invisible Being. It was said that whoever could see the Invisible Being would be his wife. The two older sisters took every last nice thing their father could give them and went to see the Invisible Being. When they arrived, they were taken inside so the Invisible Being's sister (who saw how cruel and proud the two were) could prove to them that they had indeed not seen the Invisible Being. The next day, the youngest sister made an outfit out of bark and went to marry the Invisible Being. After proving that she saw the Invisible Being everywhere, she and the Invisible Being married and lived happily ever after.
H. Of the many Cinderella stories that I've read, this one is very much my favorite. There is so much more depth to this story than with the Cinderella stories that feature a beautiful girl. In this story, the Rough-Faced Girl is so destroyed by the sparks from the fire that she has become very ugly; there is no remnant of her beauty left. However, because of her kind spirit and her faith in herself and the world, she is able to see the beauty of the Invisible Being and therefore marry him. It teaches several great lessons: that no matter how insignificant you may seem, your spirit will raise you above your situation and that true beauty is on the inside and worthwhile people will take the time to see the beauty that lies under the skin.
The illustrations in this book were stunning. I was unable to find what media David Shannon used but it looks like chalk pastels. All of the characters are so expressive and the colors are so strong and rich. I feel like these illustrations really take the reader into the world of the Algonquins. Every time I open the book, I am transported to a village along Lake Ontario and I see the people who live there and I admire the landscape just as the Rough-face Girl sees it. The illustrations say more about the culture than the actual story does. Every facet of every page says something different about the Algonquins and their lifestyle. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to read or look at something that is much more than just a picture book or just a traditional tale.
I. The Rough-Face Girl is an excellent addition to any lesson on traditional literature. It is very easy to recognize this tale as a Cinderella tale but it's different enough to provide a whole new meaning to the stereotypical Cinderella. This book is also great for introducing students to Native Americans and, more specifically, the Algonquin tribes. After reading this book, I would have students conduct a small research project (in small groups) into one of the Native American tribes. Using the information that they gathered, students would write a Cinderella story, complete with illustrations, that reflects some of the individual aspects of each tribe. We would then share all the stories in front of the class and perhaps eat some traditional Native American food.
*Multicultural*
B. Rafe Martin
C. David Shannon
D. Puffin Books, 1992
E. Picture book, traditional tale
F. k-4
G. The Rough-Face Girl is an Algonquin Cinderella story. It tells the story of a young girl whose older sisters make her sit by the fire. Sparks from the fire eventually make her skin rough and her hair dingy and ratty. In the same village as the sisters lived a great and powerful (and supposedly very handsome) Invisible Being. It was said that whoever could see the Invisible Being would be his wife. The two older sisters took every last nice thing their father could give them and went to see the Invisible Being. When they arrived, they were taken inside so the Invisible Being's sister (who saw how cruel and proud the two were) could prove to them that they had indeed not seen the Invisible Being. The next day, the youngest sister made an outfit out of bark and went to marry the Invisible Being. After proving that she saw the Invisible Being everywhere, she and the Invisible Being married and lived happily ever after.
H. Of the many Cinderella stories that I've read, this one is very much my favorite. There is so much more depth to this story than with the Cinderella stories that feature a beautiful girl. In this story, the Rough-Faced Girl is so destroyed by the sparks from the fire that she has become very ugly; there is no remnant of her beauty left. However, because of her kind spirit and her faith in herself and the world, she is able to see the beauty of the Invisible Being and therefore marry him. It teaches several great lessons: that no matter how insignificant you may seem, your spirit will raise you above your situation and that true beauty is on the inside and worthwhile people will take the time to see the beauty that lies under the skin.
The illustrations in this book were stunning. I was unable to find what media David Shannon used but it looks like chalk pastels. All of the characters are so expressive and the colors are so strong and rich. I feel like these illustrations really take the reader into the world of the Algonquins. Every time I open the book, I am transported to a village along Lake Ontario and I see the people who live there and I admire the landscape just as the Rough-face Girl sees it. The illustrations say more about the culture than the actual story does. Every facet of every page says something different about the Algonquins and their lifestyle. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to read or look at something that is much more than just a picture book or just a traditional tale.
I. The Rough-Face Girl is an excellent addition to any lesson on traditional literature. It is very easy to recognize this tale as a Cinderella tale but it's different enough to provide a whole new meaning to the stereotypical Cinderella. This book is also great for introducing students to Native Americans and, more specifically, the Algonquin tribes. After reading this book, I would have students conduct a small research project (in small groups) into one of the Native American tribes. Using the information that they gathered, students would write a Cinderella story, complete with illustrations, that reflects some of the individual aspects of each tribe. We would then share all the stories in front of the class and perhaps eat some traditional Native American food.
*Multicultural*
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Lon Po Po Reader Response
A. Lon Po Po
B. Ed Young
C. Ed Young
D. Penguin Putnam Books, 1989
E. Picture book, traditional tale
F. k-2
G. Lon Po Po is the Red Riding Hood story of China. It is about three girls who are visited by a wolf when their mother leaves them alone to go visit their grandmother. The eldest is the first to figure out that the wolf who is trying to disguise himself as their grandmother, is actually a wolf. The sisters outsmart the wolf by telling him there are some delicious nuts that grow in the top of a tree outside that will make them live forever. The wolf really wants some of those nuts but cannot climb the tree to get to them. So the girls tell their "Po Po" that they will raise her up in a basket. When the basket gets almost to the top, the girls drop the basket, killing the wolf. The mother returns and everyone lives happily ever after.
H. This book reminded me a little bit of the Three Little Pigs. The wolf was trying to get inside to eat the girls much as a wolf was trying to get in to eat the three little girls. I love how clever the girls were in outsmarting the wolf. It also amazed me how determined the wolf was to get those nuts; he just kept climbing back into the basket even though he had been dropped twice!
The language also impressed me. I loved the simplicity of the language but also how rich it was at the same time. I could tell that this story was not from the American culture but it shows how similar we are across all cultures. We all love our grandmothers and want them to come in out of the cold when they are sick.
I also liked the illustrations. I couldn't find what the media/medium is/was but it looks to me like chalk or pastels. The "panels" of illustration were new to me. I don't know a whole lot about the Chinese culture so I'm not sure if the panels are representative of traditional Chinese artwork or not. Either way, I haven't come to a conclusion as to whether or not like the panelling effect. In some spreads, they seem effective as a means to separate different parts of the illustration and in others it seems like the separation is not welcome in the illustration. Perhaps I would like them better (or at least be able to make a decision) if I understood why Young chose to do that.
I. This book is a good way to expose readers to traditional tales from other cultures. I would start by reading the traditional American Little Red Riding Hood before delving into this one. I would also include versions from other cultures, more importantly, cultures that are represented in the my own classroom. In addition to teaching about traditional tales, this could also be a good introduction into different cultures. From this could stem a discussion or lesson on the Chinese culture. By starting with simple things like this and seeing how similar different cultures are to their own, children can learn that prejudice is completely unnecessary and unfounded. Short stories are a great way to teach children that even though we may all look different, we are similar in many different ways.
*Caldecott Medal winner*
*Multicultural*
B. Ed Young
C. Ed Young
D. Penguin Putnam Books, 1989
E. Picture book, traditional tale
F. k-2
G. Lon Po Po is the Red Riding Hood story of China. It is about three girls who are visited by a wolf when their mother leaves them alone to go visit their grandmother. The eldest is the first to figure out that the wolf who is trying to disguise himself as their grandmother, is actually a wolf. The sisters outsmart the wolf by telling him there are some delicious nuts that grow in the top of a tree outside that will make them live forever. The wolf really wants some of those nuts but cannot climb the tree to get to them. So the girls tell their "Po Po" that they will raise her up in a basket. When the basket gets almost to the top, the girls drop the basket, killing the wolf. The mother returns and everyone lives happily ever after.
H. This book reminded me a little bit of the Three Little Pigs. The wolf was trying to get inside to eat the girls much as a wolf was trying to get in to eat the three little girls. I love how clever the girls were in outsmarting the wolf. It also amazed me how determined the wolf was to get those nuts; he just kept climbing back into the basket even though he had been dropped twice!
The language also impressed me. I loved the simplicity of the language but also how rich it was at the same time. I could tell that this story was not from the American culture but it shows how similar we are across all cultures. We all love our grandmothers and want them to come in out of the cold when they are sick.
I also liked the illustrations. I couldn't find what the media/medium is/was but it looks to me like chalk or pastels. The "panels" of illustration were new to me. I don't know a whole lot about the Chinese culture so I'm not sure if the panels are representative of traditional Chinese artwork or not. Either way, I haven't come to a conclusion as to whether or not like the panelling effect. In some spreads, they seem effective as a means to separate different parts of the illustration and in others it seems like the separation is not welcome in the illustration. Perhaps I would like them better (or at least be able to make a decision) if I understood why Young chose to do that.
I. This book is a good way to expose readers to traditional tales from other cultures. I would start by reading the traditional American Little Red Riding Hood before delving into this one. I would also include versions from other cultures, more importantly, cultures that are represented in the my own classroom. In addition to teaching about traditional tales, this could also be a good introduction into different cultures. From this could stem a discussion or lesson on the Chinese culture. By starting with simple things like this and seeing how similar different cultures are to their own, children can learn that prejudice is completely unnecessary and unfounded. Short stories are a great way to teach children that even though we may all look different, we are similar in many different ways.
*Caldecott Medal winner*
*Multicultural*
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Swamp Angel Reader Response
A. Swamp Angel
B. Anne Isaacs
C. Paul O. Zelinsky
D. Penguin Books, 1994
E. Picture book, traditional literature/ tall tale
F. 1-3
G. Swamp Angel is about a girl who is nicknamed Swamp Angel because she once came out of a swamp to rescue a group of wagons that had gotten stuck in the mud. One day there was a contest to see who could kill Thundering Tarnation, the bear that had been eating all the people's food. Men from all around signed up, and so did Swamp Angel. All of the men fell short of completing this monstrous task but not Swamp Angel. After wrestling Thundering Tarnation for a long while, he finally met his demise when Swamp Angel's snoring caused a tree to fall on him.
H. I love tall tales! This one seemed a bit different to me though because it features a girl (especially a young girl) as the protagonist. Most of the ones I've heard growing up had men in them, like Paul Bunyan and Pecos Bill. The language in here in wonderful! It was comforting to hear all the little sayings that come from "mountain folk" like thundering tarnation because it reminded me of my mammaw in Kentucky. The imagery is fantastic; I can see the "dewdrops on the corn" and hear Angel snoring like a "locomotive in a thunderstorm." My favorite description was the description of why the Smoky Mountains are called just that.
I found a lot of humor in this book starting with the first page. A newborn barely taller than her mother playing with an ax, and her parents found nothing remarkable about that! And it being a pity that it took her a full two years before she could even build a cabin! I giggled quite a few times as I read what happened to the other men who were trying to outsmart Thundering Tarnation. The combination of the illustration and the text description gave a vivid picture of how these men must have felt and also how fun it must have been for Thundering Tarnation to outsmart them so easily.
The illustrations were beautiful. They reminded me a lot of the artwork my mammaw does. She's just started taking art lessons and most of what she paints are pictures of farmhouses and things that surround farmhouses, done on pieces of wood. I think the wood really gives the illustrations a warmth and that sort of backwoods Tennessee feel. The illustrations depict as much of the feeling and the importance of the setting as the language and imagery does. Angel's face is so expressive in every single illustration. I feel like I say this a lot but the illustrations in this book also add a whole different dimension to the book that the text alone can't accomplish.
I. What a great way to teach about tall tales! Along with reading this book, I would also read the classics like Paul Bunyan and Bill Pecos. I think I would also read tall tales from other cultures so my students could compare and contrast between different American tall tales and also between American tall tales and the tall tales of other cultures (using Venn diagrams perhaps). Obviously, I would teach this as a part of a unit on traditional tales, including fairy tales, folktales, etc. After reading several tall tales, I would have my students write a tall tale of their own.
*Caldecott Honor book*
B. Anne Isaacs
C. Paul O. Zelinsky
D. Penguin Books, 1994
E. Picture book, traditional literature/ tall tale
F. 1-3
G. Swamp Angel is about a girl who is nicknamed Swamp Angel because she once came out of a swamp to rescue a group of wagons that had gotten stuck in the mud. One day there was a contest to see who could kill Thundering Tarnation, the bear that had been eating all the people's food. Men from all around signed up, and so did Swamp Angel. All of the men fell short of completing this monstrous task but not Swamp Angel. After wrestling Thundering Tarnation for a long while, he finally met his demise when Swamp Angel's snoring caused a tree to fall on him.
H. I love tall tales! This one seemed a bit different to me though because it features a girl (especially a young girl) as the protagonist. Most of the ones I've heard growing up had men in them, like Paul Bunyan and Pecos Bill. The language in here in wonderful! It was comforting to hear all the little sayings that come from "mountain folk" like thundering tarnation because it reminded me of my mammaw in Kentucky. The imagery is fantastic; I can see the "dewdrops on the corn" and hear Angel snoring like a "locomotive in a thunderstorm." My favorite description was the description of why the Smoky Mountains are called just that.
I found a lot of humor in this book starting with the first page. A newborn barely taller than her mother playing with an ax, and her parents found nothing remarkable about that! And it being a pity that it took her a full two years before she could even build a cabin! I giggled quite a few times as I read what happened to the other men who were trying to outsmart Thundering Tarnation. The combination of the illustration and the text description gave a vivid picture of how these men must have felt and also how fun it must have been for Thundering Tarnation to outsmart them so easily.
The illustrations were beautiful. They reminded me a lot of the artwork my mammaw does. She's just started taking art lessons and most of what she paints are pictures of farmhouses and things that surround farmhouses, done on pieces of wood. I think the wood really gives the illustrations a warmth and that sort of backwoods Tennessee feel. The illustrations depict as much of the feeling and the importance of the setting as the language and imagery does. Angel's face is so expressive in every single illustration. I feel like I say this a lot but the illustrations in this book also add a whole different dimension to the book that the text alone can't accomplish.
I. What a great way to teach about tall tales! Along with reading this book, I would also read the classics like Paul Bunyan and Bill Pecos. I think I would also read tall tales from other cultures so my students could compare and contrast between different American tall tales and also between American tall tales and the tall tales of other cultures (using Venn diagrams perhaps). Obviously, I would teach this as a part of a unit on traditional tales, including fairy tales, folktales, etc. After reading several tall tales, I would have my students write a tall tale of their own.
*Caldecott Honor book*
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