ENG 360 CHILDREN’S LITERATURE

Dr. Shirley Pauler

House on Mango street

Kitten’s first Full MoonCaldecott Medal Winner

Setting: outdoors on a summer Night

Character: Kitten

More Reviewer Comments…

(about Kitten’s Frist Full Moon

Henkes’ Books Title/Topic Match

1. Chester's Way2. Lilly’s Purple Plastic

Purse3. Kitten’s First Full

Moon4. Sheila Rae, the

Brave5. Julius, the Baby of

the World6. Chrysanthemum

A. The effects of teasingB. Accepting a new

siblingC. Making new friendsD. Asking for forgivenessE. Overcoming sadness

about moving F. Bravery overcoming

timidityG. Pursuing a reward that

only comes after the pursuit is abandoned

Plot

Expectations vary with age Strict chronological order for young audience Older: can follow “flashbacks”, more complex

plots Conflict draws reader in – engages the

reader Criteria:

Natural (believable) Not predictable all the way through

Good Characterization…

Invites identification Shows weaknesses as well as strengths

(believable) Is interesting, unique – Ramona, not

Nancy Drew- create a character that is one of a kind

Shows change over time (longer books) – Does not always happen in a picture story book.

Setting (2 aspects)

Criteria: Supportive of characters & plot Accurate (if specific)

Contribution: Creates mood May be antagonist Can provide historical background May symbolize aspects of plot or character Adds credibility to story

Theme

Unifies plot, characterization, and setting Sometimes stated by a character Often value – laden Criteria:

Worthwhile Relevant to a child’s experience

Writing Style

Choice of words, their arrangement, kinds of sentences.

Use of figurative language, interesting sentence structures, reputation, rhythms to evoke mood.

Should trust reader to “fill in the gaps” (understatement)

Point of View (Narrator)

First person (usually main character) Lends an immediacy to the telling

Second Person “You” to address the reader or a story character May establish a conversational tone

3rd person Omniscient (can get into the head of all the major characters) Limited omniscient

Criteria Consistency appropriateness

Other Story Aspects:

Tone – author’s attitude toward subject or audience

Mood – atmosphere of the story, feelings it evokes

Traditional Literature…Dewy 398

Is a body of ancient stories & poems preserved & passed down by storytellers

Is attributed to entire groups of people or cultures No identifiable author

Includes many types of stories Most are fantasy, but some are realistic

Has common characteristic of the literary elements(plot, characters, setting, wiring style, themes…)

Functioned to pass on cultural values on through generations

Plot

In traditional tales, story… Is shorter that in other genres Quickly introduces conflict Often has recurring actions Has a quick resolution & ending

Storyteller used this element to hold attention of audience

characterization

Less developed that in any other genre Uni-dimensional – just one major

characteristic Good characters: completely good Bad characters: completely evil

Consider: what actions are rewarded?

Setting (Time & Place)

Vague (In the beginning…) long ago in a land far away…) May be “formulaic” (Once upon…) Time the far distant past Place: often symbolic: careful description not

needed As you read, consider

In picture storybooks, how is setting portrayed in illustrations? Who makes that decision?

In there anything in the setting that is symbolic?• Does it reflect the tension in the plot?• Does it symbolize the theme?

Theme

What is “theme”? A universal truth or lesson to be learned

Reflects values of culture in time of story’s origin

Often involves moral issues Consider

What character qualities and behaviors are rewarded… punished?

How do plot, characterization, and setting contribute to the theme?

Style of Language

Remember: stories all began as oral tales Memory of storyteller is limited Capacity of audience to remember is limited

Simple – only necessary description Realistic conversation Often enriched with repeating refrains Some stories us dialect of tine/place (Uncle

Remus Stories) Motifs – recurring features such as the

number three ( three little pigs, three Billy goats gruff

Choosing/evaluating trade lit

Dies it preserve the storytelling style? Does it preserve the flavor of the culture

or culture country of its oragin? Use of colloquiaisms, unusual speech

patterns, propper names common to the culture, a few foreigh terns

Do illustrations (if present) fit well with the tone of the text and portray the essence of the culture of origin? Are they well done?

Does the writing exemplify a rich literary style?

Folktales

A sub –category of traditional literature found in every culture Originated in lives/imaginations of people or “folk” Children’s favorite type of traditional literature

(from age 3 on)

Vary in content based on original intended audience King’s court and mobility – tales of valor,

heroism benevolence of ruling class (called castle tales)

Common people –ruling classes are portrayed as unjust or hard taskmasters (called cottage tales) Riches were considered “fair game” for

common folk who were clever or strong enough to acquire them.

Multicultural Literature

Depictions of Ethnicity Found in Children’s Books:

Culturally Neutral – Include children from cultural minorities, but book is about other topics Examples inched illustrated non-fiction books, with pictures showing cultural minorities

Culturally Generic – “What Mary Jo Shares” – focus on characters (main character or supporting character who represent a cultural minority, but contain few details that would help reader develop greater understanding on the characters culture

Culturally Specific – characters from minority culture are depicted in ways that include specific cultural details; cultural themes are present, and may even be the prevailing theme of the book

Alphabet Books

May be for any grade level, pre-school – grade 5 because Not all are intended to teach alphabet