BEARHEAD: A RUSSIAN FOLKTALE
by Eric Kimmel
1. Kimmel,
Eric. 1991. BEARHEAD: A RUSSIAN FOLKTALE. III. By Charels Mikolaycak. New
York: Holiday House. ISBN 0823413020
2. Summary
One day a woman
collecting mushrooms in the woods happens upon a baby. This was no ordinary baby it had the body of
a human and a head of a bear. She took
the baby home to her husband and they, gave it the name Bearhead . They raised Bearhead as their own. As the years went on, Bearhead grew up into a
strong, unique and obedient son who loved his parents deeply. One day Madame Hexaba, the witch who owned
all the land called upon Bearheads frail father to be her servant. The obedient Bearhead went in his place
instead. using wit and eventually
returns home to his parents with a surprise.
In the end, Bearhead decides it is time to move on to be with others
like himself.
3. Critical
analysis
Well known
folklorist Eric Kimmel adapted the Russian folktale, Ivanko the Bears Son into an
amusing picture book folktale, Bearhead.
The original tale is a complicated tale containing sexual content
and violence. Kimmel puts a different
spin on the original tale to be more fitting for children (ages 5-8) but still
maintaining the theme of good vs. evil and good triumphing in the end. The
trickster tales main character Bearhead is the hero in the story succeeding in
outwitting a witch and goblin by taking everything literally. The story moves along with lots of action and
tongue and cheek humor that parents and children will enjoy. Kimmel delivers the message with humor and
delight in this unique tale that leaves readers feeling satisfied in the end.
Charles Mikolaycak
traditional folktale illustrations are done in watercolors and colored pencil and
do an excellent job of interpreting and extending the story. Each two page
spread contains illustrations that are bordered with a thick red outline on
three sides leaving the fourth side open which contain the words. Mikolaycak
captures the characters emotions in his illustrations which draws the reader
in. The active movements and emotions
of the characters move the story along.
The colors are rich and the Russian culture is depicted in the designs
on the fabrics, dishes, and décor.
4. Reviews/Awards
·
Kirkus reviews 1991- A
satisfying story in a handsome setting.
·
Publishers
Weekly 1991 - this is a satisfying tale, and children will delight in the
winning hero's literal interpretations of orders.
5. Connections
-Students can write their own folktale
about good defeating evil, involving a protagonist and antagonist and involving
different elements of a folktale including character, theme, plot setting and
style.
-In a study of Russian culture several
Russian folktales could be read and compared and contrasted.
·
Baba Yaga
·
Vasillisa the
Beautiful
·
Fox, Hare and
Rooster
·
Golden Fish
·
The Frog
Princess
- Because folktales were originally
told out loud as stories, this is a great story to be read aloud to children or
made into a reader’s theater.
- Art project- teach students the art
of mixing different medias the way Mikolaycak did with the Bearhead illustrations using watercolor and pencil.
- Do an author study on Eric Kimmel
and read several of his books.
·
Tunng Up:
A Visit From Eric Kimmel (Meet The Author)
·
Hershel and the
Hanukkah Goblins
·
Gershon's Monster
·
Anansi and the Talking Melon
·
Anansi and the Moss Covered Rock
·
The Runaway Tortilla
·
Related
website - http://ericakimmel.com/
THERE
WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY
by
Simms Taback
1. Taback, Simms. 1997.
THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN
0670869392
2. Summary:
I know an old lady who swallowed a
fly…..Why? We may never know why. In this humorous and well-known American
folktale, dating back to the 1940s, the reader follows a kooky old lady who
continues to keep swallowing different animals and insects in order to catch
the one she just ate. With each new creature she swallows, she continues to get
bigger and bigger eventually ending in her demise. The end of the book gives out an amusing
moral to the story- Never swallow a
horse.
3. Critical analysis
Simms Taback brought this classic cumulative folktale to life in
creative and comical way. The lyrical
picture book has a repetitive and rhythmic language that will make a fun story
time that children will enjoy repeating the rhyming lyrics or singing the
verses. The bizarre exaggerations along with the amazing illustrations will
grab children’s attention and keep them focused on the story. The page cutouts
reveal the contents of the old woman’s stomach and show the old lady’s body
growing each time she swallows an animal.
The words are scattered onto the pages which adds a
unique look to the book. The
interactions between the illustrations and text do an exceptional job of
telling the story. Children will be drawn to the bright colored
illustrations and the many pattern and textures used from the mixed media and
collage on craft paper. The only
negative is the pages are very busy with side commentary from the animals. This could become distracting for young
readers. However, if you take the time to read them they are amusing.
4. Review excerpt
School Library Journal- starred review 1997 “ From cover to moral (never swallow a
horse), this cleverly illustrated version of an old folk favorite will delight
children.” “ This illustrator provides
an eye-catching, energy-filled interpretation that could easily become a
classic in itself.
Caldecott Honor Book 1998
ALA Notable Children's Books 1998
5.
Connections
-
The book can be used as a group sing-a-long, a prompt for making predictions or
lead into a discussion on truth and fiction.
-
Felt board props and hand puppets can be used to retell the story.
-
Students can discuss the rhyming words and create their own rhyming poem.
-Other
versions of the book can be compared and contrasted to a find similarities and
differences.
·
I know an Old Lady who Swallowed a Pie
by Alison Jackson
·
I know an Old lady Who Swallowed a Fly
by Glenn Hay
·
I know an Old Lady Who swallowed a Fly
by Nadine Bernard Westcott
·
I know an Old lady Who Swallowed a
bat by Lucille Colandro and Jared D. Lee
Other Picture books By Simms Taback
·
Joseph had a
Little Overcoat
·
This is the
House That Jack Built
·
I Miss you
Everyday
The True Story of the Three Little
Pigs
By Jon
Scieszkas
1.
Scieszkas, Jon. 1989. THE TRUE STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE
PIGS. III. By Lane Smith. New York: Viking.
ISBN 0670827592
2. Summary
At
last, we get to hear the real story of The
Three Little Pigs, as told to Jon Scieszka by Alexander T. Wolf aka the Big
Bad Wolf. According to Alexander T. Wolf
“The whole big bad wolf thing is all wrong.”
“The real story is about a sneeze and a cup of Sugar.” "Way back in Once Upon a Time, I was
making a birthday cake for my dear old granny. I had a terrible sneezing cold.
I ran out of sugar." From here the
wolf explains to the reader that he was only asking his neighbors, the pigs,
for a cup of sugar for his dear old granny’s birthday cake and due to his
terrible sneezing cold, the unsuitable materials the pigs chose for their homes
and the fact that he could not just leave a perfectly good ham dinner just
lying there is how the pigs met their demise.
The whole thing was one big misunderstanding.
3. Critical analysis
Author
Jon Scieszkas fractured fairytale picture book of the three little pigs is done
with clever and wit. Putting a twist on
the traditional good vs. evil fairytale, this variation of the classic story
allows the readers to see things from the wolf’s perspective. The wolf claims
he was framed and tells his side of what happened. Scieszka portrays the wolf as a reputable
fellow dressed in regular clothes, with little round glasses and baking a
birthday cake for his dear old granny. This
persuades the reader to sympathize with the wolf and his situation. However, Scieszka, adds a touch of doubt in
the readers mind when he discusses the wolf's diet of cute little, bunnies,
pigs and sheep. The story shows
children there is always more than one side to a story and allows them to look
at things from various perspectives. This imaginative and humorous book is
great for children ages 5-8 already familiar with the original version of the
three little pigs.
The
watercolor Illustrations by artist Lane Smith expand the text and move the
story along. The dark muted colors
create a gloomy quality to the book and the over exaggerated characters ( pigs
being very large and the wolf thin) enhance the wolfs story. The illustrations reflect a different era
through the clothing style and aged look of the pictures and maintain folktale
style.
4.
Review Excerpts
·
Publishers Weekly 1989 –“Designed with
uncommon flair, this alternative fable is both fetching and glib.”
·
ALA Notable Children's Books 1995
·
School Library Journal 1989 – “It's
the type of book that older kids (and adults) will find very funny.”
5. Connections
-This is a great story for students to study
different perspectives on stories and how the same story can be changed when
looking at it through another character.
·
Generate a discussion on a time when you saw a situation
differently than a friend did.
·
Have the students write a letter to Alexander T. Wolf.
·
Have students
choose a different traditional fairytale and write an imaginary story from
another characters perspective.
-Compare and
contrast, using a Venn diagram, the original version of The Three Pigs and The True
Story of the Three Little Pigs.
-Students create
a readers theater to perform.
Related Stories
·
The Classic Tale Of The Three Little
Pigs By Paul Galdone
·
The Three Pigs By David Wiesner
·
The Three Wolves And The Big Bad Pig
By Eugene Trivizas
Other books written by Jon
Scieszkas
·
The Stinky Cheese Man And Other Fairly
Stupid Tales
·
Math Curse
·
Science Verse
·
Squids Will Be Squids
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