Two Folklore Books

Hope all of you are having a great week so far! Today, I want to share with you some interesting information on two folklore books, that I have recently read. Folklore stories are known to include people's beliefs, traditions, and cultural stories. 

The first book that I read is called: The Mitten, adapted and illustrated by Jan Brett. It is a Ukrainian folktale. A grandmother knits white mittens for her grandson. As soon as the grandson leaves the house to explore, he loses one of his mittens. Several animals, one by one, decide to take refuge inside of the mitten to stay warm. At the end, the largest animal sneezes, and all the animals are no longer inside of the mitten. The grandson Nicki, finds his stretched mitten, and goes back home safely. I absolutely loved the story line and illustrations! The illustrations are life like, and the organic hues, help give life to the forest featured animals. Texture in the illustrations are evident, throughout several naturalistic focal points. Without a doubt, the illustrations give meaning to the text. Obviously, I am a tiny bit biased, because I have an inclination for the Slavic language, and a love for my Eastern European lineage. This book is a fabulous read aloud for multicultural month!

The second book that I read is called: Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears, retold by Verna Aardema, and illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. This book has received a Caldecott Medal. In addition, it is a West African folktale/fable. Shout out to my West African friends and family! The story line contains cause and effect features. In other words, one event affects another. These features easily make a way for teachable moments. It all begins when a mosquito spreads a silly rumor. Several animals end up in several chaotic situations. All the animals decide to meet, and a lion figures out the root cause. Therefore, the animals decide to punish him. At the end, the mosquito decides to buzz a question near a human's ear, and ends up getting splatted! The illustrations in this book are culturally fabulous and colorful. The animal expressions give human like feelings, and they are vividly demonstrated throughout each picturesque stroke. I absolutely enjoyed the humor in this story, although it does contain some tragedy. This is a great read for students. It helps give children an understanding, that lies can bring forth bad consequences. Food for thought, make sure you splat all false rumors.

Both books include animals that behave somewhat like humans. The first book, demonstrates a series of events, and the second book exhibits events that affect each other. Also, the second book gives a moral lesson at the end of the story. In conclusion, these are excellent reads!


Being Mindful,

Evelyn Portillo 


P.S. I spy with my little eye, a matryoshka doll! See if you can spot it.

Thoughts on Three Picture Books

I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend! Today, I would like to share some thoughts about three picture books, which I have recently read.

The first book is: "Hello Light House," by Sophie Blackall. This book is a 2019 Caldecott medal winner. Wow! This book is a must read! This book transports you into the different seasons of a lighthouse keeper, and demonstrates the events that a real lighthouse keeper possibly underwent, before the 1920's. The illustrations of this book were created with Chinese ink and watercolor on hot pressed paper. The blue, and natural hues of the sea are exquisite. Texture is evident in all of its beautiful art. As a reader, you can imagine the wind of the sea waves swaying from one place to another. You can feel the wind blowing on your face, and grasp the smell of saltwater. Every single illustration in this book contains a realistic type of design, yet each drawing depicts an ancient folklore modern twist. The text in this book is poetic, and the words were chosen wisely. In addition, the text stimulates all of your senses, and the art work helps give meaning to the text. This book contains, romance, nostalgia, danger, and new beginnings. Although, this book is definitely considered a picture book, it can also fall under realistic fiction. It is palpable, that the author has done a huge amount of research on past living light house keepers. 

The second book is: "They All Saw a Cat," by Brendan Wenzel. This book is a 2017 Caldecott medal and honor book. In the classroom, this book can help students see how things are perceived through different lenses. It is really neat how an illustrator can demonstrate different points of view, and perspectives through the eyes of other beings. The colors in this book are lively, and are used to give more meaning to the text. Different textures, sizes, shapes and dimensions are used to show the different ways that a cat is observed. The text has a rhythmic beat to it, and this definitely hypnotizes the eyes of a reader. I definitely enjoyed contemplating the surrealist illustrations of this picture book. This is another book that I will definitely be adding to my classroom library, very soon.

The third book is: "Du Iz Tak?," by Carson Ellis. This book is a 2017 Caldecott honor book. Curiously, this book has a made up quirky language, yet the illustrations give meaning to the text. Illustrations in this book have a comic like design, where characters are having a conversation about different new curiosities, that are evolving before their eyes. A message of insect lifecycles, metamorphosis, changes, seasons, the plant lifecycle, animal food chains, and animal basic needs, are portrayed throughout the book. This picture book can be integrated in specific science lessons, which include these scientific themes. The illustrator made sure to humanize these characters in their appearance, and the writer did the same, by giving them a language that only they can understand. There is few text in the book, yet the illustrations definitely amplify expression, and make the storyline more comprehensible. The hues in this book are those containing browns, and greens. These tints and shades can be naturally seen in your own backyard. Therefore, making the illustrations more believable. I am a Circus Soleil lover, and for some peculiar reason, this book reminds me of certain Circus Soleil oddities. I was amused by this book tremendously!

In conclusion, I recommend all of these three fabulous picture books, because they all have unique and intriguing visual qualities!

Being Mindful,

Evelyn Portillo

The "Art" of Reading

Hello beautiful people! Today I would like to share with you some features, of a certain Caldecott Honor Book Winner. The name of the book is called: Leave Me Alone!, by writer and illustrator, Vera Brosgol.

I have always had a fascination for Russia and its culture. This book has an "Eastern European" folktale vibe. I absolutely enjoyed reading this story through all of its illustrations. This book is about a grandmother that is trying to knit, but is constantly interrupted by several people and things. Therefore, she feels irritated, and migrates from one place to another, in order to "try" to get some knitting done. The colors in this book have an amplitude of intensity. The colors evoke a sense of energy, vibrancy, and excitement. The facial expressions of all the characters look as though they are living beings, and will soon jump out of the book's pages. The illustrations demonstrate various geometric shapes, as the grandmother wanders from setting to setting, in deep frustration. There is definitely a form of balance in the design of the illustrations. The artist draws attention to specific objects, in order to emphasize the specific placement of the main character. This element forces the viewer's eyes, to focus on a specific place within the illustration. Without a doubt, the illustrations convey and give meaning to the story. They help give completion to the words in the story. The style of Russian folk art is evident throughout the illustrations. Russian culture oozes out of these drawings, and I love it! I totally recommend this book, and it is a potential candidate for a read aloud in my classroom!

About the illustrator:

Vera Brosgol was born in Moscow, Russia in 1984 and moved to the United States when she was five. She received a diploma in Classical Animation from Sheridan College, and spent many years working in feature animation but now she is writing and drawing books full-time. She likes that very much.

She has storyboarded for Laika on the feature films Coraline, Paranorman, The Boxtrolls, and Kubo and the Two Strings, as well as for Cartoon Network, Frederator and various commercial projects.

Her first graphic novel, Anya's Ghost, was published in 2011 by First Second Books and won an Eisner Award. Her first picture book, Leave Me Alone, was published in 2016 by Roaring Brook Press and won a Caldecott Honor.

https://www.verabee.com/about


Being Mindful,

Evelyn Portillo