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| 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.
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.
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.
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