Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters, and Other Wily Characters

Bibliography:
McKissack, Patricia C. and André Carrilho, ill. Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters, and Other Wily Characters. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books. 2006. ISBN-10 0375836195 ISBN-13 9780375836190

Plot Summary:
Porch Lies is a compilation of fictional tales told in a manner befitting a front porch. Each story is told from a different narrator, but the author pulls them all together as visitors to her grandparent’s porch. The stories are all told from an African American viewpoint and deal with issues in African American history such as slavery, segregation and KKK-ish actions. Through each story is a character who is able to swindle and talk their way into and out of just about any imaginable situation from getting free pie to outsmarting the King of the Ghosts. Each story leaves the reader impressed by the trickster and wanting to hear more.

Critical Analysis:
The way in which the stories are told, a relating of stories told to the author, helps to immediately grab the reader/listener’s attention since if the story is worth repeating, it must be good. Trickster stories are also easily appealing to an audience since the audience wants to figure out how the tricksters will end up convincing those around them that they are right and have done nothing wrong. The various elements of the supernatural found in some of the stories help to keep the stories as just that, stories, but they also have such an ease about them that the reader starts to wonder if there is some truth to them. The illustrations all have this supernatural feeling to them as well which makes the characters seem more fictitious but at the same time more real because the reader is able to put their own imaginative face on the characters and make them more personal. Overall, the only thing this book is missing is a little historical reference and of course, more stories.

Review Excerpts:
School Library Journal: “Carrilhos eerie black-and-white illustrations, dramatically off-balance, lit by moonlight, and elongated like nightmares, are well-matched with the stories. The tales are variously narrated by boys and girls, even though the authors preface seems to set readers up for a single, female narrator in the persona of McKissack herself. They contain the essence of truth but are fiction from beginning to end, an amalgam of old stories, characters, jokes, setups, and motifs. As such, they have no provenance. Still, it would have helped readers unfamiliar with African-American history to have an authors note helping separate the truth of these lies that allude to Depression-era African-American and Southern traditions. That aside, theyre great fun to read aloud and the tricksters, sharpies, slicksters, and outlaws wink knowingly at the child narrators, and at us foolish humans.”
Booklist: “Like McKissack's award-winning The Dark Thirty (1992), the nine original tales in this uproarious collection draw on African American oral tradition and blend history and legend with sly humor, creepy horror, villainous characters, and wild farce. McKissack based the stories on those she heard as a child while sitting on her grandparents' porch; now she is passing them on to her grandchildren. Without using dialect, her intimate folk idiom celebrates the storytelling among friends, neighbors, and family as much as the stories themselves. ‘Some folk believe the story; some don't. You decide for yourself.’… In black and white, Carrilho's full-page illustrations--part cartoon, part portrait in silhouette--combine realistic characters with scary monsters. History is always in the background (runaway slaves, segregation cruelty, white-robed Klansmen), and in surprising twists and turns that are true to trickster tradition, the weak and exploited beat powerful oppressors with the best lies ever told. Great for sharing, on the porch and in the classroom.”

Connections:
Here are some other books with stories that should be shared, many of which are about “slicksters” or “tricksters”:
Avi. ed. and Chris Raschka, ill. Best Shorts: Favorite Stories for Sharing. ISBN 9780618476039
Souci, Robert San. Sister Tricksters: Rollicking Tales of Clever Females. ISBN 9780874837919
Sherman, Josepha. Trickster Tales: Forty Folk Stories from Around the World. ISBN 9780874834505

Tattercoats

Bibliography:
Jacobs, Joseph. ed. And Margot Tomes, ill. Tattercoats. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons. 1989. ISBN-10 0399215840

Plot Summary:
Similar to the story of Cinderella, the story of Tattercoats is about the granddaughter of a rich, old lord who is mistreated because her birth killed the lord’s favorite daughter. Her only friends are her nanny and a gooseherd. One day she and the gooseherd meet a stranger in the forest and after watching her while listening to the gooseherd’s pipe, he invites her to the King’s ball, held in honor of the prince, where the stranger would introduce her as his bride in front of the King and all of the great lords and ladies.

Critical Analysis:
This is a very obvious Cinderella variant in that there is a poor girl without many friends and a prince who falls in love with and marries her. Some of the main differences between Tattercoats and the stereotypical Cinderella are that she has a family member still alive (her grandfather simply refuses to look at her), no sisters (step or otherwise), there is no fairy god-mother (instead there is a gooseherd) and not everybody lives happily ever after. It is this last aspect of the story that really causes it to differ from the Disney Cinderella, and the art work helps to understand and make sense of the ending because it is never bright and cheerful, but mellow and occasionally sobering. The children have the brightest clothes but they do not have the carefree sparkle in their eyes that so many children book characters have, allowing the reader to know that the children are the bright spot in the story but that even they have to live with reality.

Review Excerpts:
School Library Journal: “The story is a quiet celebration with just a twinge of sadness, for even though the granddaughter exchanges her tattered rags for the shining robes of a prince's wife, her grandfather will not break his vow never to look on her face. Thus, the last picture is the same as the first, with the old lord "weeping more bitterly than ever, as he looks out over he sea." In between, of course, magic happens, but not the obvious magic of a fairy godmother or a powerful potion or a magic wand. Here it is the true, if more subtle, magic of love. Somber gray-browns predominate in Tomes' illustrations, with the yellows and pale blues of the children's clothing providing spots of light. Strong lines of streets or paths or doorways provide perspective and draw viewers into the pictures. The attention to architectural detail, as well as to the details of the text, are visual delights, while the facial expressions and body language of minor characters provide humor for this tale in which not everyone lives happily ever after.”
Publisher’s Weekly: “Long, flowing sentences and traditional language stylize this familiar tale. Tomes's elegant paintings delicately capture and extend the emotions in the story; grays, beiges and pale pastel colors, outlined and embellished with fine strokes, re-create the simplicity and nobility of the era.”

Connections:
Here are other variations on the Cinderella story:
Climo, Shirley and Ruth Heller, ill. The Egyptian Cinderella. ISBN 9780064432795
Martin, Rafe. The Rough-Face Girl. ISBN 9780698116269
Louise, Ai-Ling. Yeh-Shen. ISBN 9780698113886

Three Samurai Cats

Bibliography:
Kimmel, Eric A. and Mordicai Gerstein, ill. Three Samurai Cats: A Story from Japan. New York: Scholastic Inc. 2003. ISBN-10 0439692563

Plot Summary:
Three Samurai Cats is a Japanese story in which a rat takes over the household of a rich diamyo. The daimyo then rides off to a monastery where the dōchō promises to send a samurai cat in to face the rat. One cat comes and fails. Another cat comes and fails. Finally a tattered, old cat comes to face the rat.

Critical Analysis:
The story of the Three Cats clearly depicts the messages of the book, allow your opponents to defeat themselves and “draw strength from stillness”, in a very child friendly manner. The repetition of the daimyo going back and forth to the monastery, and the rat beating the first two cats, allows for children to see a pattern and predict what is going to happen. When the old cat comes there is again repetition in the rat and cat behavior which again draws the child into the story and makes them feel they are able to interact with the plot. The artwork of the books supports this relationship with the children listening to the book by using very exaggerated emotions on animal characters while at the same time incorporating many traditional Japanese artistic aspects.

Review Excerpts:
School Library Journal: “Here's an adaptation of an adaptation of a story Zen masters used to illustrate how unconventional approaches to problems can be disarmingly effective… Kimmel's telling is reasonably successful and the message to ‘Draw strength from stillness. Learn to act without acting. And never underestimate a samurai cat-‘ is conveyed without any element of preachiness. Gerstein's lively cartoon illustrations are at their best in depicting the loathsome rat. The daimyo and the abbot are depicted as dogs, but there's no question as to who has the upper paw.”
Booklist: “Kimmel tempers the folktale's heavy message about passive resistance with humorous, perfectly paced language that is ideal for read-alouds, and the characters in Gerstein's colorful, detailed drawings are irresistible--the saggy-jowled hound in robes; the buffoonish, wildly costumed daimyo bulldog; the scruffy, shrunken Neko Roshi; and, best of all, the pot-bellied, gleefully wicked ‘barbarous rat,’ who is more comic foil than villain. An author's note offers some historical background and sources.”

Connections:
Here are some other Japanese folktales:
Bodkin, Odds. The Crane Wife. ISBN 9780152014070
Sakade, Florence and Yoshisuke Kurosaki. Japanese Children’s Favorite Stories Book One. ISBN 9780804834490
Say, Allen. Under the Cherry Blossom Tree: An Old Japanese Tale. ISBN 9780618556151

Artist to Artist: 23 Major Illustrators Talk to Children about Their Art

Bibliography:
Carle, Eric. Ed. 2007. Artist to Artist: 23 Major illustrators Talk to Children about Their Art. New York: Philomel Books. ISBN-13 9780399246005

Plot Summary:
The title of this book tells quite clearly what the contents are: namely, 23 artists discussing their art in short (one page) letters and three pages of their artwork, including a self-portrait. The letters vary in content but the general theme is why the artists chose picture books and who their influences were.

Critical Analysis:
Even if you do not know any of the artists’ names before reading the book, as was my case, you will recognize many of their various styles, and each one that you recognize makes you remember some childhood memory. It is a very good book for gaining a general idea of picture book illustrators and it allows you to see the individual author’s work paired up with well known books they worked on.

Review Excerpts:
The illustrators reveal common themes of dedication, hard work, and practice, plus personal anecdotes that really bring to life the person behind the "illustrated by" credit on a book cover… The sheer variety in "breaking in" stories, illustrative styles, and professional advice makes for excellent reading for kids interested in making a living in art, or at least making art a part of their lives for a very long time. –Amy Brozio-Andrews

Connections:
Here are other books for children about art/artists:
Venezia, Mike. Jacob Lawrence (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists). ISBN 9780516265339
Venezia, Mike. Georgia O’Keeffe (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists). ISBN 9780516422978
Matisse, Henri. Drawing with Scissors (Smart About Art). ISBN 9780448425191

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball

Bibliography:
Nelson, Kadir. 2008. We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball. New York: Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN-13 9780786808328 ISBN-10 0786808322

Plot Summary:
Organized by “Innings”, this is the story of the Negro League as told by the players. There are many personal anecdotes related to why the league was formed, who formed it, which players were the best/most noteworthy, and the general lifestyle of the league. In addition, it addressed the attitude of the Negro League players and owners toward the integration of Baseball.

Critical Analysis:
Even as someone who is not very passionate about baseball this book fascinated me. The story, which seems rarely told to someone outside of the African-American culture, is told on such a personal level and through so many voices that being drawn in is inevitable. The voices, however, are never identified and so it becomes the story of an entire people. Through these pages, and the artwork of Kadir Nelson, a whole new world is opened up where the people of two different cultures can be better understood: the African Americans who have had to grow up with such segregation in their past and any fans of baseball who realize talent when they see it.

Review Excerpts:
Starred Review in School Library Journal: A lost piece of American history comes to life in Kadir Nelson's elegant and eloquent history of the Negro Leagues and its gifted baseball players… Listeners glimpse the pain black Americans endured because of bigotry and segregation, but the true center of this story is the joy of baseball and the joy men felt at being able to play the game.
Starred Review in Booklist: Award-winning illustrator and first-time author Nelson’s history of the Negro Leagues, told from the vantage point of an unnamed narrator, reads like an old-timer regaling his grandchildren with tales of baseball greats Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and others who forged the path toward breaking the race barrier before Jackie Robinson made his historic debut. The narrative showcases the pride and comradery of the Negro Leagues, celebrates triumphing on one’s own terms and embracing adversity, even as it clearly shows the “us” and “them” mentality bred by segregation.

Connections:
Here is one general educational book about baseball and two books about baseball players who were segregated out (one because of race, the other because of sex).
Herzog, Brad. H is for Home Run: A Baseball Alphabet. Illustrated by Melanie Rose-Popp. ISBN 9781585362196
Hayes, Florence. Skid. Illustrated by Elton C. Fax. ISBN 9780395068083
Hopkinson, Deborah. Girl Wonder: A Baseball Story in Nine Innings. Illustrated by Terry Widener. ISBN 9780689833007

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Bibliography:
Selznick, Biran. 2007. The Invention of Hugo Cabret. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN-13 9780439813785 ISBN-10 0439813786

Plot Summary:
The Invention of Hugo Cabret is about a twelve year old boy’s interactions with an old toy maker and his god-daughter while working as a secret timekeeper in a Paris train station. The boy, Hugo, has only two main goals: avoid detection by the Station Inspector and fix an old automaton in order to discover the message it can write.

Critical Analysis:
The illustrations that Brian Selznick includes in this book do not simply supplement the plot, but in many cases tell whole sections of the story. The power the images play in the novel can be summed up in a line said by the character Isabelle, “You can make up our own story when you look at a photo”. The story is then made real through the occasional use of actual photographs and images of the time. This freedom of imagination given to the reader, combined with realistic aspects, helps the story and the characters come to life.

The ending, revealing even why the illustrations are black and white sketches, wraps up the story so well that even the book in the readers hand becomes a part of the story. It is a wonderful book, suitable for all ages, that shows how a simple drawing can change a life forever.

Review Excerpts:
Starred Review in Publisher’s Weekly: “a true masterpiece—an artful blending of narrative, illustration and cinematic technique, for a story as tantalizing as it is touching.”
Starred Review in School Library Journal: “With characteristic intelligence, exquisite images, and a breathtaking design, Selznick shatters conventions related to the art of bookmaking in this magical mystery set in 1930s Paris… This is a masterful narrative that readers can literally manipulate.”

Connections:
Here are three other books that deal with famous artists:
Warhola, James. Uncle Andy's: A Faabbbulous Visit with Andy Warhol. ISBN 9780399238697
Rumford, James. Seeker of Knowledge: The Man Who Deciphered Egyptian Hieroglyphs. ISBN 9780395979341
Krull, Kathleen. The Boy on Fairfield Street: How Ted Geisel Grew Up to Become Dr. Seuss. ISBN 9780375822988