Book Corner by Sharon Levin
It's October and time for more badly made movies based on wonderful children's books. Normally I would not comment on these, but just recently I've received a few of the new tie-in books for the eagerly anticipated The Polar Express movie. As a HUGE fan of the book, I have been looking forward to seeing this movie, wondering what they would do to expand this sweet, heartwarming, beautiful, SHORT book. Well, now I have my answer and the expansion adds nothing to the original and, is in fact, a bit tedious. I wouldn't feel the need to speak up if I was not concerned that some will buy The Polar Express - The Magic Journey without FIRST reading the original by Chris Van Allsburg. So, this is my plea, DO NOT offer this to the children you teach, raise, care for, as their first exposure. Make some cocoa, find a comfy chair, and snuggle up as you share Van Allsburg's magical holiday story.
Home by Jeannie Baker (Greenwillow Books, 2004) A companion to the beautiful, environmentally aware wordless picture book, Window, Jeannie Baker again shows us chronological, physical and environmental changes through a small frame, literally. On the opening page we see a small collage of two men carrying a dresser, one man carrying a t.v. and a pregnant woman standing near a door. The man and woman are obviously moving into their new home. In each subsequent page we are looking out the window into the backyard and neighborhood of this young family. The first scene shows the parent in a desolate concrete backyard, gazing lovingly at their newborn, the frame of the window has a card that reads "A New Baby...Congratulations!"
Over the back fence we see an industrial, run-down neighborhood with billboards and graffiti covered walls . As time goes on the indicators on the windowsill show us how much time has passed, i.e. a mug that says "I am 4" or a note saying, "Dear June, Just imagine - I'm celebrating my 10th birthday with the flu!" while outside the yard we see neighbors cleaning up the neighborhood, trees being planted and a poster that says, "Reclaim your street". This child we have come to know grow up, gets married and has her own child all in the framework of this backyard and neighborhood.
Jeannie Baker's stunning, detailed collages and her message of what makes a home and the impact we have on our environment, make this a book you'll want to revisit many times. I often advocate children's books for adults and I would definitely recommend this as a beautifully sentimental housewarming present.
Hands growing up to be an artist by Lois Ehlert (Harcourt, 2997/2004)(lower case her choice, not my typo) . I do not remember seeing this book, although it was originally released 7 years ago. Appealing to both children and adults Ms. Ehlert talks from a child's perspective about her parents enjoying working with their hands and how she works at their sides. Visually enticing, the book has many 'shaped' pages, such as the title page which is a 4 x 5 screwdriver box (measurements not precise, there is not a ruler to be found in my discombobulated house) which flips open to reveal the title on the top half and a photographic collection of screwdrivers on the bottom. The child's palpable delight at creating and her joy in sharing this love with her parents is a joy to read. The book closes with her saying "...because I know, when I grow up,I want to be an artist." and this is next to a hand shaped, child sized page which flips to say, "Then I'll join hands (and we flip the mother sized glove) with my mom and dad." (printed on a father sized glove).
The warped team of Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith have done it again, Science Verse (Viking, 2004) follows the book, Math Curse when everything was seen through a math filter. In this fun romp, the children are told "...if you listen closely enough, you can hear the poetry of science in everything." The beleaguered student from Math Curse now has science poems running through his head. For example, "Evolution. Glory, glory evolution. Darwin found us a solution. Your mama is that shape, and your knuckles always scrape...'Cause Grandpa was an ape." They also explain the age old puzzler of "Why Scientists Don't Write Nursery Rhymes". Because this would be the result, "Jack be nimble, Jack be quick. Jack jump over the combustion reaction of O 2 + heat + fuel to form CO 2 + light + heat + exhaust" (my apologies for not being technically astute enough to get the '2' to drop down, this explains "Why Sharon Does Not Work in Technical Support"). A fun read for 3rd - college and every science nut in your family.
Until next month...
Sharon Levin can be reached at sharonlevin@mindspring.com.
Read previous months' Book Corner features from Sharon Levin:
August 2004
November 2003
February 2003
December 2002
November 2002
October 2002
September 2002
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Added 10/15/04
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