Module 6--Probuditi! by Chris Van Allsburg



Source: http://www.booksofwonder.com/prodinfo.asp?number=140112

Summary:
Calvin gets to see a hypnotist for his birthday with his friend Rodney.  When they get home they try to hypnotize Calvin's little sister, Trudy.  They believe they have succeeded when Trudy follows their commands to act like a dog.  After they get a few laughs in and their neighbor complains about the barking, they try to stop the spell by saying the hypnotist's word, but cannot remember it correctly.  Trudy remains under the spell, so they take Trudy in a wagon to seek the magician's help without success.  When they return home they try to douse Trudy with a bucket of water to wake her out of the spell.  It works, but their mom sees them do it.  She punishes Calvin.  At the very end of the story, Trudy slips that she remembered details from her spell even though a hypnotized person shouldn't, indicating that she was the one playing a trick the whole time.

APA Reference:

Van Allsburg, C. (2006).  Probuditi!  New York, NY: Houghton
Mifflin Company.

My Impressions: 
This book was downright hilarious thanks to the striking illustrations that breathe life into a clever plot.  I will forever remember the illustration of Trudy with her tongue sticking out and acting like a dog.  The text was well-written in terms of both vocabulary and structure--definitely a good example of a quality picture book for older readers.  The inference involved at the end challenges the comprehensions of even the best readers due to its subtlety.  For these reasons, I would love to have this book in my future library's collection.  As a little sister myself, I especially loved the sneaky revenge Trudy pulled off.  

Professional Reviews: 

A rare outing from Van Allsburg, featuring as smooth a case of payback as ever was. Calvin returns from watching a hypnotist's act determined to visit yet another torment on his beleaguered little sister, Trudy, by hypnotizing her. His delight at seeing her barking loudly and capering about like a dog changes to dismay, however, when she fails to snap out of it on command, and then to deep gloom when his frantic efforts to waken her earn him supper-less exile to his room. With sepia-toned, characteristic photorealism, Van Allsburg views his African-American characters from low angles and zeroes in on their animated faces. Trudy-as-a-dog is not only particularly hilarious, with glassy eyes and hanging tongue, but totally convincing, too--until, that is, she makes a sly remark at the end. Smaller siblings everywhere will applaud the elegant way she turns the tables on her big brother.


[Review of the book Probuditi!, by C. Van Allsburg]. (2006)  Kirkus Reviews, 74(20), 1080. Retrieved from http://www.kirkusreviews.com  


 PreS-Gr 3 --Van Allsburg's latest story opens with a spider and a scream coming from Trudy (offstage), caused by an older brother's prank. Although Calvin's mother is none too pleased with her son, she honors his birthday with tickets for a magician/hypnotist. When the boy and his friend witness the strutting and clucking of a pearl-clad matron who believes she's a chicken, they can't wait to build their own rotating spiral disk. With Mom at the beauty parlor, the moment is ripe with Van Allsburgian possibility, and the artist delivers with fresh and funny scenes. Under hypnosis, Trudy becomes a dog. The suspense builds as the boys struggle to remember the word that will break the spell. The highly textured pastel and pencil drawings, rendered in a range of warm browns, are offset by creamy, rich backgrounds. The sepia look is well suited to the '40s setting. The masterful compositions display the depth, varied viewpoints, and marvelous mixture of patterns and surfaces that readers have come to expect from the artist. The expressions and postures of the African-American heroine are hilarious. Probuditi! displays a clear sympathy for the thankless role of a younger sibling; however, while Calvin is howling at the memory of his sister "barking and drooling," it is she who has the very satisfying last laugh (offstage).


Lukehart, W. (2006). [Review of the book Probuditi!, by C. Van Allsburg]. School Library Journal, 52(12), 116-118.  Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com



Library Uses:  

Do You See What I See?:  Prior to coming to the library for a scheduled class visit, students can participate in a lesson with their teacher.  In the lesson, students will use only the illustrations to infer what was happening in the story.  What emotions do the characters seem to have?  What is each character doing?  What are the relationships between the different characters?  When students come to the library, they will hear the story read aloud. 

Module 5--Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta



Source:  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2999475-jellicoe-road

Summary:
Taylor Markham lives at a boarding school and does not feel connected to any of the people in her life.  Though she cares deeply for many of them, she has trouble expressing this.  Her mother abandoned her at a 7-Eleven when she was eleven years-old.  Hannah, a lady who lives near the Jellicoe Boarding School, finds her there and takes her to the school.  When Hannah suddenly goes missing, Taylor panics and is sure something is wrong.  Through a winding story with many twists and turns, Hannah learns she is more connected to the people in her life than she had ever imagined and that her family has a rich history that began at the Jellicoe School.  Also a big part of the story is the relationship between the Jellicoe School, The Cadets and the Townies who engage in a tradition every fall called the Territory Wars.  The leader of the Cadets is a boy she has run away with three years before, Jonah Griggs.  She felt he betrayed her, like all the key players in her life, but learns he has always been on her side.  In the end, Taylor has both a past and future filled with trust, legacy, and love. 

APA Reference: 

Marchetta, M.  (2006). Jellicoe Road.  New York: HarperTeen.


My Impressions:
The book got off to a slow start.  Later, it became a page turner and the depth and details set forth in the beginning were well worth the needed patience.  I crave a sequel because the characters are so memorable and real and the plot so rich and intense that I mourned the book coming to an end.  And once Jonah Griggs came in to the plot, it had all the makings for a perfect book.  This is a book I will recommend to many adults.  It is best suited for High School, but school librarians should brace themselves for a challenge from a parent who may object to the sex and nudity inferred in some parts as well as other mature topics such as serial killers, cursing and molestation.  Nonetheless, this book will capture the heart of any reader and is of excellent literary quality--two ingredients that make a winning book. I have added it to my personal short list of favorite books. 

 Professional Reviews:

With Jellicoe Road, Australian author Melina Marchetta says that she was eager to "explore a community that wasn't necessarily defined by blood ties. I'm very close to my parents and sisters, but I also have a strong urban family who…are in my life for the long haul and ultimately that's what this story is about." After Taylor is abandoned by her drug-addled mother, she is taken in by Hannah, a longtime fixture of the neighboring Jellicoe School. But when Hannah disappears, leaving behind a cryptic manuscript that chronicles events that occurred 22 years earlier, the self-contained teenager must learn to forge connections with her classmates, students from a rival school and a ragtag collection of locals from Jellicoe town. At the center of the book, which Kirkus called "a beautifully rendered mystery," is Taylor's attempt to meld past and present into a new version of herself. "I think all of us are in a constant search for who we are, despite age and cultural backgrounds," says Marchetta. Shifting deftly between Taylor and Hannah's narratives, the author slowly unravels the secrets of her protagonist's past. "The reader has to work harder because they're not quite sure where it's going for a while," she says. "They don't know Taylor's story, but then again, she doesn't either."

[Review of the book Jellicoe road, by M. Marchetta]. (2008)  Kirkus Reviews, 76(23), 14. Retrieved from http://www.kirkusreviews.com  

Taylor Markham isn’t just one of the new student leaders of her boarding school, she’s also the heir to the Underground Community, one of three battling school factions in
her small Australian community (the others being the Cadets and the Townies). For a generation, these three camps have fought “the territory wars,” a deadly serious negotiation of land and property rife with surprise attacks, diplomatic immunities, and physical violence. Only this year, it’s complicated: Taylor might just have a thing for Cadet leader Jonah, and Jonah might just be the key to unlocking the secret identity of Taylor’s mother, who abandoned her when she was 11. In fact, nearly every relationship in Taylor’s life has unexpected ties to her past, and the continual series of revelations is both the book’s strength and weakness; the melodrama can be trying, but when Marchetta isn’t forcing epiphanies, she has a knack for nuanced characterizations and punchy dialogue. The complexity of the backstory will be offputting to younger readers,
but those who stick it out will find rewards in the heartbreaking twists of Marchetta’s saga.

Kraus, D. (2008). [Review of the book Jellicoe road, by M. Marchetta]. Booklist, 105(5), 34.  Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com
Library Uses: 

• Starring Your Family: Working with a writing teacher, students could research their family history then write a portion of it as a fictional story, as Hannah did in Jellicoe Road.   
•  Birds of a Feather: Display Jellicoe Road with other books that mention To Kill a Mockingbird in the plot, such as Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine after students read To Kill a Mockingbird for reading class.
• Visual It!: Have an art contest where students must paint or draw a selected description from the book. Marchetta writes vivid descriptions.  Students would not need to read to participate in the contest although they may be drawn to read the book because of the contest.  The art contest could be an ongoing contest that might use a book excerpt each month.  It would promote books and add artistic decor to the library setting.  The book could be displayed next to the artwork so it is easily accessible if a student wants to read the book.

 

Module 5--Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford

Source: http://www.uri.edu/library/cml/resources/coretta.html

Summary: 
At the beginning of the book, Harriet Tubman is still a slave in the South.  She leaves everything and everyone behind one night to take both a spiritual and physical journey to freedom after singing a song as a clue to her loved ones.  She is being chased for recapture, but finds inspiration through her faith in God.  She follows the North Star.  When dogs are tracking her scent, she travels through a brook because God spoke to her and kept her safe.  Eventually, Harriet is exhausted and sleeps under a tree, surrounded by wildlife.  She rides fearfully in the back of a wagon.  She reaches freedom in the north, but feels called to help others, including her family, so she returns to make the dangerous trip with others. 

APA Reference:
Weatherford, C.B. (2006). Moses: When Harriet Tubman led her people to freedom.  New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children. 

My Impressions: 
The illustrations are amazing.  Truly--you could remove the pages and frame them.  The paintings are realistic 2-page spreads with gorgeous details.  The one with all the animals surrounding her as she slept would have been my favorite as a child and it certainly spoke to me as an adult.  The text was poetic and deep.  While  Weatherford took great liberties in adding the spiritual dialogue between Harriet Tubman and God, it really made the text as noteworthy as the illustrations.  While the existence of the talk of God is something to be aware of within a children's library, I would feel confident defending the quality of this book should a complaint ever rise.  I like that Harriet Tubman is not portrayed as angry or defiant as is sometimes the stereotype of African-Americans fighting for freedom from slavery or for other civil liberties.  Instead, she is portratyed as strong, optimistic, and a leader. 

Professional Reviews:
Gr 2-5-- Tubman's religious faith drives this handsome, poetic account of her escape to freedom and role in the Underground Railroad. The story begins with Tubman addressing God on a summer night as she is about to be sold south from the Maryland plantation where she and her husband live: "I am Your child, Lord; yet Master owns me,/drives me like a mule." In resounding bold text, God tells her He means for her to be free. The story is sketched between passages of prayerful dialogue that keep Tubman from giving up and eventually call upon her to be "the Moses of [her] people." Deep scenes of night fill many double pages as the dramatic paintings follow her tortuous journey, arrival in Philadelphia, and later trip to guide others. Shifting perspectives and subtle details, such as shadowy forest animals guarding her while she sleeps, underscore the narrative's spirituality. Whether filled with apprehension, determination, or serenity, Tubman's beautifully furrowed face is expressive and entrancing. A foreword briefly explains the practice of slavery and an appended note outlines Tubman's life. The words and pictures create a potent sense of the harsh life of slavery, the fearsome escape, and one woman's unwavering belief in God.

Bush, M. (2006). [Review of the book Moses: When Harriet Tubman led her people to freedom, by C.B. Weatherford]. School Library Journal, 52(10), 129-130.  Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com


In elegant free verse, Weatherford imagines Tubman's remarkable escape from slavery and her role in guiding hundreds to freedom. Diverse typography braids three distinct narrative strands. White or black type delivers the third-person immediacy of Harriet's journey: "At nightfall, Harriet climbs into a wagon, / and the farmer covers her with blankets. / As the wagon wobbles along, Harriet worries that it is heading to jail." Larger, italic type telegraphs the devout Harriet's prayerful dialogue with God: "Shall I leap, Lord?" God's responses to her beseeching questions garner capitalized letters in warm grays. Nelson's double-page, full-bleed paintings illuminate both the dire physical and transcendent spiritual journey. At night, the moon lights Harriet's care-wracked face below a deep teal, star-pricked sky. By day, she disappears: A distant safe farm appears under a wan blue sky; a wagon transporting the hidden Harriet silhouettes against a golden sunset. Unique perspective and cropping reveal Tubman's heroism. Reaching Philadelphia, she's haloed in sunlight. Embracing her role as conductor, Harriet's face, eyes on the journey ahead, fairly bursts the picture plane against a blazing blue sky. Transcendent. (foreword, author's note) (Picture book. 5-9)

[Review of the book Moses: When Harriet Tubman led her people to freedom, by C.B. Weatherford]. (2006). Kirkus Reviews, 74(17), 914.  Retrieved from http://www.kirkusreviews.com

Library Uses:  
Inspired Bookmarks:  Students create bookmarks about what they learned about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad.  They can show their thoughts with artwork or poetry/writing.  The bookmarks can be displayed briefly then returned to students.

Module 4--When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead



Source: http://perpuskecil.wordpress.com/2011/04/25/when-you-reach-me

Summary: 

Miranda's friend Sal stops talking to her one day. Over the course of time, Miranda makes new friends that include Marcus, a boy that punched Sal. Miranda starts getting letters that seem to know more about her and her life than she can explain--including her future.  Miranda continues to make friends and keeps the letters secret.  In the end, she has reunited with Sal after realizing the letters were possible because of Marcus' time travel, all done to save Sal's life during an unfortunate accident when Sal runs in front of a car to avoid a bully.

APA Reference: 

Stead, R. (2009). When you reach me.  New York, NY: Random House Children's Books.

My Impressions:

I was bored overall.  I liked some details, such as the mother's incessant preparation to win on the game show $25,000 Pyramid and the climactic chapter written almost entirely in list format.  Still, I thought the plot was slow moving and a lot of the other details never added up to anything important or took a long time to become important. If selection was only based on my taste, I would not select this book to add to a library collection, however it would ultimately depend on how well children would like it.  I noticed, through class discussions, that my classmates that read it seemed to enjoy the book, so I may have the minority opinion. 
Professional Reviews: 

Narrator Holloway does an excellent job of inhabiting main character Miranda, a Wrinkle in Time–loving New Yorker sixth grader, as she deals with changing friendships, the challenges of her late-1970s Upper West Side neighborhood . . . and a succession of anonymous notes that seem to be a matter of life and death and,

incredibly, time travel. The narrator’s overly exaggerated voicing of Miranda’s mom (who comes across so naturally in the print book) is jarring. Otherwise, however, Holloway’s intimate tone emphasizes the novel’s interpersonal aspects, helping to ground the extraordinary plot. An additional plus of the audio version is that the clever chapter titles are given more prominence—they’re easy to skip over in print, but they’re well worth noticing, adding depth and further tying together the many ingeniously interwoven elements of this memorable book.

P., M.V.  (2009). [Review of the audio book When you reach me, by R. Stead]. Horn Book Magazine, 85(6), 703-704. Retrieved from http://www.hbook.com

Miranda experiences a lot in sixth grade. She loses her best friend, her mom goes on a game show, he learns there is a dentist's office inside her school and she enjoys her first job. Stead has written a story about a typical 12-year-o!d girl; although, it is set in the I9S()s and there is some compelling mystery that the reader is hard-pressed to discover. The best parts of the story, though, are the characters. There is Miranda herself who is thoughtful and smart, but she doesn't think much of it. Marcus is a troubled boy but no one really seems to know him. There are best friends Julia and Annemarie, but their friendship is put to a serious test when Julia acts snobby once too often. And, there is the mysterious writer of the notes that Miranda keeps finding. This well-written book is executed to keep readers engaged until the very end. The author's style is appealing because of her character development and clever plot vehicles. The topics are interesting and the short chapters keep the pace flowing quickly. Recommended.

Glantz, S. (2009). [Review of the book When you reach me, by R. Stead]. Library Media Connection, 28(2), 74.  Retrieved from http://www.librarymediaconnection.com

Library Uses:
Before I was Born:  Introduce simple internet research skills by having students research the music, television shows, celebrities and fads that were popular in 1979 when Miranda was in sixth grade.  This research could be done even if students have not read the book as a way to raise circulation statistics for the book.

Module 4--The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare



Source: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6062766-witch-of-blackbird-pond

Summary: 

Kit Tyler, arrived unannounced and homeless to her aunt and uncle's household in Colonial Connecticut after a long journey by sailboat from her home in Barbados. Adjusting to life with her new found family, the townspeople's discerning ways, and a long list of chores would prove challenging to any newcomer, but it was especially trying for the free-spirited Kit.  Kit's friendship with a shunned widow and her courtship with an important townsman added to her challenges. In the end, Kit finds her way in life and love when she decides to join the sail ship of her true love Nat, who named the ship Witch after her.

APA Reference: 

Speare, E. (1986). The witch of Blackbird Pond.   New York, NY: Hougton Mifflin Company.  (Originally published in 1958).

My Impressions: 

This book is a historical novel that offers insight into the old ways of Colonial times. As I read, I kept imagining this book as the jumping point of conversation in a U.S. History classroom. Where a teacher might struggle to drive home an accurate description, Kit's characterization gave fresh perspective that highlighted the harsh realities of long chore-filled days, lackluster possessions, religion-tempered opinions and minimal options. While I question that the details are completely historically accurate and I felt there were times where the secondary characters seemed flatly portrayed, it has certainly earned the Newbery Medal for good reason. There was a complexity to the plot and themes (of finding love, being the newcomer, the dangers of gossip and intolerance and more) and a roundness of the main characters that spoke to its quality.  In terms of appeal, some would consider this book to be a slow read.  It is also very serious whereas many popular children's novels are imbedded with a lot of humor.  

Professional Reviews: 

Gr 5-8 -Mary Beth Hurt gives an excellent performance in this reading of the Newbery Award-winning novel by Elizabeth George Speare (HM, 1958). The setting is the Colony of Connecticut in 1687 amid the political and religious conflicts of that day. Sixteen-year-old Kit Tyler unexpectedly arrives at her aunt and uncle's doorstep and is unprepared for the new world which awaits her. Having been raised by her grandfather in Barbados, she doesn't understand the conflict between those loyal to the king and those who defend the Connecticut Charter. Unprepared for the religious intolerance and rigidity of the Puritan community, she is constantly astounding her aunt, uncle, and cousins with her dress, behavior, and ideas. She takes comfort in her secret friendship with the widow, Hannah Tupper, who has been expelled from Massachusetts because she is a Quaker and suspected of being a witch. When a deathly sickness strikes the village, first Hannah and then Kit are accused of being witches. Through these conflicts and experiences, Kit comes to know and accept herself. She learns not to make hasty judgments about people, and that there are always two sides to every conflict. There are several minor plots as well, including three romances, which help to bring this time and place to life. Hurt's use of vocal inflection and expression make this an excellent choice for listening whether as an enrichment to the social studies curriculum or purely for pleasure.

Mandell, P., & Moffet, M. (2003). [Review of the audiobook The witch of Blackbird Pond, by E. G. Spear]. School Library Journal, 49(4), 88. Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com

Gr. 6–8. Hurt masterfully reads this Newbery award winner, set in seventeenth-century Puritan New England. Orphan Kit Tyler sails to the Connecticut colony to live with her aunt and uncle, but despite earnest attempts to belong, her behavior is unacceptable by Puritan standards. Criticized by the community, Kit seeks solace with a kindly old Quaker woman. Hurt’s youthful voice and soft New England accent perfectly match Kit’s buoyant personality and well-meaning antics. Hurt’s perception of the story enables her to shift seamlessly among characters, and she ably portrays everyone, including Kit’s soft-spoken aunt and her terse, unforgiving uncle. The villager’s talk of heresy is thick with suspicion, and Hurt’s capable reading accentuates this sense of foreboding.

Rich, A. (2002). [Review of the audiobook The witch of Blackbird Pond, by E. G. Spear]. Booklist, 99(5), 518.  Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com

Library Uses: 

Colonial Research: Collaborate with U.S. History teachers to imbed this novel into the Colonial America unit using a set of discussion questions.  Additionally, students could each be assigned an aspect of Colonial life encountered in this book to research and present findings.  Aspects for topic consideration would include:  clothing, courtship, homes/buildings, justice system, religion, witchcraft, schooling, and trading.

Adding Character to History: Similarly, excerpts of the chapters that show how easily Kit was seen as a witch when she swam to save the doll and Hannah as a sweet lady who was made out to be a witch for different religious views could be used with a class that is studying the Salem Witch Trials. 

Module 3-- Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg

Source: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDi0OjtkqH97DJmxCIaEdc42JJbX81j7JjfgCMxWv9Mvn5kYlSIOudnrTj9_QpnYU2WGuVT1kaNc1FnlprFle_AryymtJF5xD6tzpPvp8fAvK6Ok9Tln_-dxuNbsrHpYedwc64jzrJZS0/s1600/jumanji.jpg

Summary:
Judy and Peter find a board game called Jumanji in the park.  Peter thought the game would be boring, but Judy convinced him to play.  A note on the box warned them to read the instructions carefully.  The instructions told them they had to finish the game by having a player reach the Golden City.  As they play, the jungle game comes to life.  A lion, a group of monkeys, a guide, rain and a rhinoceros stampede invade their home as they play.  They know they must play until one of them wins to make it all stop.  Finally, Judy reaches the Golden City and shouts Jumanji!  Their ransacked house goes back to normal.  They return the game to the park.  Their parents return home with guests.  The guests say their children never read directions.  The book ends with their guests' children running home from the park with the game.
APA Reference:
Van Allsburg, C. (1981). Jumanji.  Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.

My Impressions: 
Fun book!  It's a great way to remind children to read the directions. (Spoken like a true teacher!)  Of course, being a Caldecott Medal winner the illustrations steal the show.  Van Allsburg's drawings are realistic, almost photo-like.  This includes captivating drawings of the animals.  What child would not stop for a second look at a picture of monkeys in someone's kitchen?  Better still, the children's expressions are equally realistic.  It's easy to identify Judy's shock in the monkey illustration and Peter's fear as the lion seeks him out.  I remember the movie with Robin Williams.  It was quite animated and exciting.  Nonetheless, the book holds its own with these fun illustrations and Van Allsburg's understated humor. 

Professional Reviews:
Ever wonder what would happen if a board game came to life? Peter and Judy find out in this exciting tale in which volcanoes, stampeding rhinoceros, monsoons and more come to life. Black and white sketches leave lots to stimulate the reader's imagination in this well-written adventure.


H. (n.d.) [Review of the book Jumanji, by C. Van Allsburg].  Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.  Retrieved from http://www.cmlibrary.org/bookhive/books/details.asp?id=681

I thought this children’s book was fantastic. I loved the Polar Express, and I feel the same way now about Jumanji. Both stories are just something that the adventurous part of us longs to imagine may actually happen. Children will gain a new appreciation and understanding of ‘picture books’ when they read Jumanji. They will feel that great force that a good book has that tugs them into it. That force is reminds me a lot of the most important rule in Jumanji “Once a game of Jumanji is started, it will not be over until one player reaches the Golden City.” With a good book such as this one, it is very important to remember: Once a great book is started, you will not be able to put it down until you finish it.


[Review of the book Jumanji, by C. Van Allsburg]. (n.d.).  Children's Book Guide.  Retrieved from http://childrensbooksguide.com/reviews/jumanji-by-chris-van-allsburg


Library Uses:
Setting Clues: After a read aloud, ask students to identify characteristics about the family by examining details of their home.  These could include the large statue in front of the home (wealthy family), books (educated), piano (musical), clean and neat (tidy), and vases (formal).  

Module 3--Owl Moon by Jane Yolen




Source: http://www.betterworldbooks.com/Owl-Moon-id-0399214577.aspx

 Summary:

A young girl tells the story of the night she went owling with her father one winter night.  It is a family tradition she has waited to experience with her father for a long time.  They quietly and hopefully crept through the woods and eventually saw an owl.  Her father did an owl call then the owl, seemingly majestic, flew away.  The girl returned home with her father, happy.

APA Reference:

Yolen, J. (1987).  Owl moon. New York, NY: Philomel Books.

My Impressions:

Owl Moon's Caldecott Medal was well-earned.  The illustrations' softness and cool colors emoted a majestic and peaceful mood.  I was very impressed with the perspective the illustrator, John Schoenherr, took with the drawings.  The smallness of the father and girl emphasized the vastness of the woods in which their owl was hidden.  I also loved the text.  Yolen created a story about a tradition held between a father and his children.  Better yet, she created a story that shows how much the child treasured the experience with her father, which is a very sweet story to tell.  As I read it, I immediately knew I wanted a copy of this book in my future library.

Professional Reviews:

"The play of shadows, the contrast between light and dark, and the way in which the woods make an an irregular frame around the words all contribute to the total unity of the book.  This is a loving book that readers, male or female, young or old, will want to make a part of their lives."

Vandergrift, K.E. (1987). [Review of the book Owl Moon, by J. Yolen]. School Library Journal, 34(4), 78.  Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/

A rare reappearance of a fine illustrator (Rascal, Julie of the Wolves), whose watercolors here follow a father and small child as they seek an owl beneath a winter moon. In Yolen's spare, graceful text, the child recounts their trudge through snow, long past bedtime, with Pa repeating an owl call until he is rewarded with a reply plus the sighting of the owl, for a minute or "maybe even a hundred minutes." Schoenherr catches the deep, misty blues and soft browns of night--contrasting them to the snow's stark white so sharply that the bite of the cold is palpable--and hides a wild creature in tree or wall in almost every vista of the farmland landscape. Yolen hints at a philosophical overtone ("When you go owling you don't need words or warm or anything but hope. . .the kind of hope that flies on silent wings. . ."), but the shared experience of the mysterious, natural night-world seems the more important message of this lovely, quiet book.

[Review of the book Owl Moon, by J. Yolen]. (1987).  Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved from http://www.kirkusreviews.com

Library Uses:


Read in the U.S.A.:  Use this book in a display of authors around the country.  Choose one author from each state.  Jane Yolen would be the author representing Massachusetts.  The book jackets can be displayed around a very large United States map. This would be great to do when students are learning about the 50 states as part of their curriculum.