HOW CHIPMUNK GOT HIS STRIPES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bruchac, Joseph and James Bruchac. 2001. HOW CHIPMUNK GOT HIS STRIPES. Ill. by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey. New York: Puffin Books. ISBN 0142500216.

PLOT SUMMARY

Bear is tromping around the woods claiming he is the best animal and can do anything.  So Little Brown Squirrel gives him a challenge to keep the sun from rising the next day.  Bear accepts the challenge and waits all night willing the sun to not rise.  All of the animals in the forest wait in anticipation as the sun rises in the morning, and of course Bear is angry.  Brown squirrel foolishly teases him, and Bear swipes him with his paw leaving white stripes down his back where the hair is sheared away.  So Brown Squirrel becomes chipmunk, and he is the first animal to rise in the morning and sing to the sun.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The simple and repetitive text of this story makes it a great read aloud for younger elementary age students.  Bear chants, “The sun will not come up, humph!” and Squirrel counters, “The sun is going to rise, oooh!”.  The cartoon-like watercolor illustrations are very juvenile and may deter older readers from choosing to read the story.  However, younger students will enjoy the colorful pages and animals. Like most folktales, the moral is a simple one about not being boastful or teasing others, and like many Native American tales, it explains something occurring in nature.

REVIEW EXERPTS

School Library Journal (February 01, 2001)-  “While the story begs to be told, Aruego and Dewey's vibrantly hued trademark watercolors add significantly to the humor.”

Booklist (February 01, 2001)- “The simplicity of the tale makes this ideal for introducing students to the concept of mythology.”

Kirkus Reviews (December 15, 2000)-  “The Bruchacs translate the orality of the tale to written text beautifully, including dialogue that invites audience participation. Aruego and Dewey’s (Mouse in Love, p. 886, etc.) signature cartoon-like illustrations extend the humor of the text “perfectly.”

CONNECTIONS

• Have the students choral read the sing-song lines of Bear and Squirrel.

• Read other Native American tales such Between Earth & Sky : Legends of Native American Sacred Places by Joseph Bruchac and Thomas Locker or Arrow to the Sun : A Pueblo Indian Tale by Gerald McDermott.

RUMPELSTILTSKIN

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Zelinsky, Paul O.  (1986).  RUMPELSTILTSKIN.  New York: Puffin books.  ISBN: 0140558640.

PLOT SUMMARY

While in town, a miller sees the king and wishes to impress him.  He tells him he has a beautiful daughter that can spin straw into gold.  Upon hearing this, the king locks the miller’s daughter in his castle and forces her to spin straw to gold.  For three nights, a strange man comes to her aid.  The first two nights he assists her in exchange for jewelry, but on the final night he demanded that she give him her first born child.  The woman agrees and in the morning upon seeing the room of gold, the king takes her as his queen.  Once their first born arrives, the man returns and demands the child.  The queen begs for his mercy and so the man tells her he will allow her to keep the child if she guesses his name in three days.  The first two days she has no luck, so on the third day she sends her servant to find the man.  The servant finds him in the woods and hears him chant his name.  When he returns to claim the child, he is shocked when the queen knows his name, and she is allowed to keep her child..

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Zelinksky’s retelling of Rumpelstiltskin is based mainly on the Grimm Brother’s 1819 version, and it is one that children will recognize.  It reads like a traditional fairy tale even starting with “Once there was a poor miller who had a beautiful daughter.”  Unlike in other versions of this fairy tale where Rumpelstiltskin rips himself in half, this story ends happily ever after.  A theme is presented as the overconfident Rumpelstiltskin learns his lesson after he foolishly shouts out his name while dancing around his fire and is spotted by the queen’s servant.

The extraordinary illustrations in the story are reminiscent of Renaissance paintings, and create a magical setting.  Also, through these paintings the character of Rumpelstiltskin is more defined as you observe his tiny stature and peculiar appearance.  With the turning of each page, you are introduced to an intriguing scene that adds to this beauty of this enchanted tale.

REVIEW EXERPTS

School Library Journal (October 01, 1986)- “Zelinsky's painterly style and rich colors provide an evocative backdrop to this story. The medieval setting and costumes and the spools of gold thread which shine on the page like real gold are suggestive of an illuminated manuscript.”

Booklist (January 01, 1987)-  “Zelinsky's jeweled tones and precise medieval backgrounds make this a particularly handsome rendering of the classic fairy tale.”

Publishers Weekly (August 22, 1986)-  “One of the most exquisite picture books of the season, Zelinsky's Rumplestiltskin will have strong appeal for children and for adult picture-book collectors alike.”

CONNECTIONS

•  Pair with Rumpelstiltskin’s Daughter. Stanley, Diane. RUMPELSTILTSKIN’S DAUGHTER. ISBN:  0064410951
• Visit Paul Zelinsky’s website http://www.paulozelinsky.com/
• Have students make up a short song using their name following the pattern of the song sung by Rumpelstiltskin when he inadvertently reveals himself to the queen’s servant.

THE THREE LITTLE PIGS

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kellogg, Steven. 1997. THE THREE LITTLE PIGS. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN: 0064437795.

PLOT SUMMARY

In this variant of the classic story, Seraphina the pig has run a successful waffle business and decides to retire to The Gulf of Pasta.  She leaves her business and fortunes to her three children.  The three children each build a home:  one of straw, one of wood, and one of brick.  Much like in the classic version the wolf huffs and puffs and blows down the house of straw and the house of wood.  When he comes to the house of brick, he is unable to blow it down, and so he is ready to climb down the chimney.  Suddenly Seraphina returns and helps her children scorch the wolf with a waffle iron as he descends down the chimney.  The wolf decides to retire to the Gulf of Pasta, and the pigs continue to grow their waffle business.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Readers familiar with the traditional story of the three pigs will not be disappointed with Kellogg’s version.  The big bad wolf still huffs, puffs and tries to blow down the three pigs’ houses.  However Kellogg has made a few witty additions that make the story an entertaining read.  Such as when the wolf arrives at the third pig’s house and tells him, “I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blast this pigsty into pebbles!” The pictures support Kellogg’s witty writing with extremely detailed ink and watercolor scenes.  Much of the fun of this book is spending time looking for the play on words in the pictures such as the pig rehearsing Hamlet and La Toasta in the village where the pigs live.  Kellogg also includes onomatopoeias that can be read aloud as the wolf attempts to blow down the houses. The illustrations also help develop the characters like the robust mother, Seraphina, who starts the family waffle business or the tough wolf who is dressed like a biker with a “say yes to thugs” shirt and leather jacket.  I believe Kellogg has brought an entertaining, modern twist to a traditional tale that will make for an enjoyable read aloud.

REVIEW EXERPTS

Kirkus Review (July 01, 1997)-  “Kellogg puts a master's spin on another familiar tale.”

Booklist (August 01, 1997)- “Just as the pig family in this story soups up their old waffle iron with four wheels and various tanks, pipes, and hoses, so Kellogg takes a favorite folk tale and adds his own inventive touches of character, plot twists, and humor.”

Publishers Weekly (June 09, 1997)-  “Buoyant pictures and a pun-riddled text add gusto to Kellogg's lighthearted humor as he gives this classic caper more twists than are found in the average pig's tail.”

CONNECTION

• Pair with Jon Scieszka’s The True Story of the Three Little Pigs and compare the wolf in the two different stories (Scieszka, Jon. THE TRUE STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS. ISBN:  0140544518.
• Have students create paper airplanes like the first pig sent with a “help me” message.  Create a  Sherriff Sheep cut out and see who can fly their plane closest to the sheep.
• Make waffles using a waffle iron and enjoy after reading the story.