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.
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