The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere

Title- The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere

Author- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Graved and Painted by- Christopher Bing

Publisher- Handprint Books

ISBN-1929766130



     
      I have to admit that even though I am a big fan of children's literature, I am not thrilled with poetry. I find it difficult to dissect each line of a poem in order to correctly interpret its meaning. However, if a poem is about something I have a great interest in, it becomes more appealing to me. Ever since I was in elementary school, I have enjoyed learning about history. I have always been eager to learn more about time lines of wars, the life stories of important people and the reasons behind historical events. This is why The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere is the poem I chose.

     The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, written in 1860, is an epic poem that describes Paul Revere's great journey. Longfellow uses rhythm and rhyme throughout the poem to make it appealing to all age groups. The rhyme is inconsistent, with some stanzas having each line rhyme, others have the first and third lines rhyme, while others vary from both of theses rhyming schemes. Although there is no pattern to the rhyme, it flows beautifully. Longfellow also uses the most descriptive words I have ever read to explain how Revere took his ride through Massachusetts on April 18, 1775. He told a friend to let him know if the British were coming by hanging lanterns on the top of a clock tower, "one, if by land, and two, if by sea." The poem describes how his friend learned that the British were coming by sea and how the friend went to the tower. Revere, on the other side of the river, saw the signal of two lamps and took off on his horse at twelve o'clock. He rode through the towns of Medford, Lexington and Concord to warn the sleeping farmers that the red-coats were coming to start the Revolutionary War. The last page of the poem tells how the people heard hoof beats in the night and listened to Revere's defiant cry. Longfellow also accurately explains that his midnight message will echo forever in our country's great history.

     Since The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere is such a masterfully written poem, it almost seems unnecessary to have illustrations to accompany the text. But Christopher Bing's paintings are so wonderfully drawn that they enhance the poem magnificently. He shows us the ships, the colonists sneaking around to see what the British are doing, Revere's friend entering the clock tower and then Revere on his horse galloping through the countryside.  The paintings are dark as they are meant to show that this historical event occurred in the middle of the night. But even the darkest picture allows the reader to visualize the words from the poem. I particularly like the close-up of Revere on his horse with a full moon in the sky. Obviously, you cannot see a horse move in a painting. Yet in this painting you can envision how fast Revere must have been riding. Moreover, the serious expression on his face demonstrates that he believed this was the most important ride of his life. The last painting is not only beautiful but it appears to be magical. You see Revere riding in the distance past what appears to be a fence. Upon further investigation, you see the lines of the fence are actually the stripes of the American flag. The flag is also made up of stars, but Bing not only shows the stars in their current configuration, he also has 13 stars in a circle representing the colonies. To me, this signifies that historical events of the past continue to have effect on those who are alive today.

     Although I found The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere to be inspiring and well-written, it may be challenging for young children because not only is the vocabulary difficult, the words are rather outdated and not what we use in our everyday conversations. Nevertheless,  I believe that older children, probably those over the age of eight, would appreciate the poem and gain insight and knowledge of an important patriot. Longfellow must have wanted the poem to appeal to youngsters since he began it with the line "listen my children and you shall hear, of the midnight ride of Paul Revere." And the poem certainly shows that Longfellow believed he was writing about a great hero. Longfellow's poem not only described an important historical event to contemporaries, he also gave future generations a spectacular piece of literature. I think it is wonderful that a poem written over 150 years ago can still be used to teach children about Paul Revere and inspire them to study American history.


  

The Seven Chinese Sisters

Title- The Seven Chinese Sisters

Author- Kathy Tucker

Illustrator- Grace Lin

Publisher- Albert Whitman & Company

ISBN- 9780807573105

     We all have friends and acquaintances that come and go during our lifetime. But the people that you can always rely are our family members, and more specifically, our siblings. My older sisters have helped me through many difficult times in my life. I have also given them support when they needed it most. Without the love and support of my sisters, I would not be the person I am today.  Because I believe in the importance of sisterhood, I have selected The Seven Chinese Sisters for my multicultural book.

     The Seven Chinese Sisters by Kathy Tucker is the retelling of an ancient Chinese tall tale where identical-looking brothers use superhuman powers to outwit an emperor who wants to execute a brother who has offended him. Tucker's all-girl version of the story is lighthearted and simplistic. Although the seven sisters look alike, they all have very different and unique qualities. One rides a scooter very fast, another is great at karate, one counts very high, another talks to dogs, one can catch any ball and the sixth makes the best noodle soup. There is a seventh sister, the baby, and her special quality is unknown because she is too little to speak. One day a hungry red dragon smells Sixth Sister's noodle soup and wants to eat it. The dragon goes to the house of the seven sisters, sees the baby sister in the kitchen, and takes her instead. Once the dragon brings the baby over a mountain and into his cave, she speaks her first word:  HELP. The other sisters use all of their special talents to get the baby away from the dragon and return her to their home. And when Seventh Sister grows up she becomes the best storyteller and always tells this story first.

      Multicultural literature offers readers a glimpse of a society's lifestyles and customs. Tucker's story shows us what it is like for a girl to live in the Chinese countryside. She tells us that girls ride on scooters, practice karate and cook noodle soup. And then the illustrator, Grace Lin goes further to depict what China is like. Her pictures reveal lovely Chinese landscapes with vibrant green grass, a traditional Chinese home and a red arched bridge. And her illustrations of the dragon seems to show Chinese children that he is not a monster to be feared.  He is slithering like a snake but he has long arms and a smile on his face that makes him less scary and more human. And when he has tears in his eyes at the end of the book, the reader feels sorry for him.  Moreover, Lin's pictures of the girls acting in unison to fight this dragon are inspiring. I particularly like the one where the baby is on First Sister's back as she races down the mountain with the other sisters hanging on to her in a line. This evokes feelings of love and sisterhood.  It is heartwarming to see the Chinese sisters joyfully take care of each other. Chinese children, particularly girls, would identify with these characters and see their culture reflected in a positive manner.  And that is the purpose of multicultural literature:  to have members of a society see their lifestyle positively depicted in order to boost their self-esteem.

     I enjoyed Tucker's story and believe that she and Lin were able to present a tale that is appealing to all children. They highlighted that we may not excel at many things, but if we use our talents together, we can rise against something that appears to be insurmountable. My sisters helped me learn this lesson years ago. I believe that when my sisters and I act as a team we can solve any problem. That is why The Seven Chinese Sisters is an adorable multicultural story that will always hold a special place in my heart.

The Legend Of The Bluebonnet

Title-The Legend Of The Bluebonnet

Author/Illustrator- Tomie dePaola

Publisher- Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers

ISBN-0698113594

     I believe many people own something sentimental that they want to keep forever.  My most valued possession is a necklace of rosary beads that belonged to my grandmother. I had a very special relationship with my grandmother because she lived with my family. I fondly remember spending time with her and the interesting conversations we had. When I was eight, I asked my grandmother what she wanted me to give her for Christmas.  She told me she would like green rosary beads because green is the color of Ireland. (She had Irish ancestors.)  I was so happy to see the joy in her eyes when she opened my Christmas present that year. When my grandmother passed away, I kept her rosary beads as a remembrance of the special bond we shared.  They are my "good luck charm."  I kept them in my pocket while taking my certification tests, and knowing my grandmother was with me helped me pass them. Because the rosary beads are so important to me, I never want to part with them.  Since I could never imagine giving the beads up, I find it remarkable that the young girl in the tale I chose was able to part with her most valued possession.

     The Legend of the Bluebonnet is an old Texas tale that has been retold and illustrated by Tomie dePaola. Tomie dePaula succinctly and vividly explains the story of the Comanche tribe of Native Americans living during a drought and famine. One member of the tribe is a little girl named She-Who-Is-Alone, who always carries a doll that was made by her mother out of blue feathers that her father had collected. Both of her parents had died from the famine and the doll was her only memory of them. The tribe is desperate to see an end to the drought and they gather to hear what the Great Spirits have told the shaman they must do to bring rain to the land. The shaman told them that the Great Spirits wanted the people to sacrifice to show they are not selfish. The sacrifice was to be a burnt offering of the most valued possession among the people. That night, She-Who-Was-Alone crept out of her tipi, made a fire with twigs and burned her doll. She scattered the ashes and then fell asleep. The next morning, She-Who-Is-Alone and the other members of the tribe awoke to beautiful blue flowers all over the land and a warm rain began to fall.  Because of her great sacrifice, the girl was renamed "One-Who-Dearly-Loved-Her-People" and every spring the Great Spirits fill the land of Texas with beautiful blue flowers.   

     A legend is a story based on either real or supposedly real individuals and their marvelous deeds. That is exactly what happens in The Legend Of The Bluebonnet.  I can't think of a better example of a legend:  a story of how a little girl sacrificed so that her tribe could be saved. Tomie dePaula does a wonderful job of telling the story with words and also showing with illustrations how the little girl is alone and how she sacrifices to end the drought.  In the beginning of the book, there is a picture of the little girl holding her doll while the tribe is far away from her.  With the sad expression on her face, it is easy to see that she is alone, with no parents to love her.  After learning what she must do to save the tribe, there is another excellent illustration of the little girl holding the doll to the sky with a fire burning nearby.  The picture shows the courage of She-Who-Is-Alone.  The last page of the book depicts a land filled with beautiful blue flowers.  By looking at that, I can imagine how the Great Spirits wanted to reward the little girl for her sacrifice and am happy that they chose such a beautiful way to show how pleased they were with her.  I am also amazed by the sacrifice of the little girl and believe that she deserves the recognition she gets for her marvelous deed!       

    I would find it almost impossible to part with my grandmother's rosary beads. I honestly do not know if I could do it and I am an adult, not a child like She-Who-Is-Alone. I know that it must have been extremely difficult for this little girl, but she saved her tribe by making such a sacrifice. I am inspired by the courage shown by She-Who-Is-Alone and I love to think how the Great Spirits also show their admiration by filling Texas with blue bonnets every spring. Tomie dePaola did a wonderful job of retelling and illustrating this tale of courage and sacrifice!

Miss Bindergarten Has a Wild Day in Kindergarten

Title-Miss Bindergarten Has a Wild Day in Kindergarten

Author-Joseph Slate

Illustrator-Ashley Wolff

Publisher-Dutton Children's Books

ISBN-0525470840    

     As teachers, we see the classroom from a different perspective. Teachers see the classroom as a comfortable place to learn.  But a child's first experience with the classroom can be intimidating.  I can remember my first day of kindergarten like it was yesterday. I walked into this large and scary room crying, like many of the other students. Not only was the room intimidating, there was an adult I had never met before and a herd of strange children.  It only took about five minutes until I made my first friend and stopped crying.  Then I realized in this room was the best play area I had ever seen.  It had a kitchen, a dress up station, a library, a block section and 20 new playmates.  Based on the wonderful experience in my kindergarten classroom, I often wish I could be there playing with my classmates.  That is why kindergarten will forever hold a special place in my heart!

     Since I have such fond memories of kindergarten, I chose a picture book from the Miss Bindergarten collection.  The book is titled Miss Bindergarten Has a Wild Day in Kindergarten written by Joseph Slate and illustrated by Ashley Wolff.  Miss Bindergarten is a collie who heads a class full of rambunctious animal students.  It appears that Miss Bindergarten is having a tough day with the kindergarteners since they keep having one problem after another.  One student comes in late, one has to use the bathroom and cannot wait, one student cuts her thumb and another calls for the nurse to come.  There are 26 students who have problems familiar to every kindergarten teacher.  The detailed pictures show just how much trouble the kindergarteners get themselves into.  With the descriptive illustrations, children can understand the text even if they are unable to read the words.  Miss Bindergarten and the rest of the staff in the school handle every problem skillfully and cheerfully.  Miss Bindergarten is not even flustered when a student releases butterflies in the schoolyard at the end of the day.  Instead, she remarks how even a wild day can bring about something wonderful to see. 

     Miss Bindergarten Has a Wild Day in Kindergarten is a pattern book because the sentence "Miss Bindergarten has a wild day in kindergarten" is repeated, with slight variations, every few pages.  Children enjoy pattern books because they find it comforting when they know what to expect on the next page.  Teachers also like to read pattern books aloud to their classes since the students can interact by finishing the familiar sentence.  The pages that do not contain the pattern sentence have appealing rhythmic sentences.  This book will engage every kindergartener since it has rhyme, rhythm and repetition.  It also helps teach the alphabet since each of the 26 students start with a different letter, such as Adam the Alligator, Brenda the Beaver, Christopher the Cat, and so on.

     This story is the perfect example of how students and teachers see not only the classroom differently, but also the school day.  The students are only concerned with their own problems as individuals, but Miss Bindergarten has to attend to 26 sticky situations throughout the day. This is a book from a fabulous collection that every kindergarten teacher should read to their class!


    

Where The Wild Things Are

Title: Where The Wild Things Are

Author/Illustrator: Maurice Sendak

ISBN: 0060254920

Publisher: Harper Collins

    


     One of the best qualities that small children possess is their imagination. For example, children can make apples out of oranges.  In contrast, adults have a realistic attitude towards life, and can only see what is plainly before them.  But by reading children's literature, we can remember what it is like to use our imaginations.

     As a child I loved to pretend rooms in my house were different places.  Sometimes, I imagined my room was a doctor's office, other times it was a tree house, but mostly it was a school.  Who would have thought I'd become a teacher?  I can also remember when my grandmother and I would turn my dining room into a tea party on Sesame Street.  You see, to me imagining different settings made them seem real.

     On the nights when I couldn't fall sleep immediately, I would pretend my room was the Small World ride in Disney World.  I was sailing through my room looking at all the international dolls that were singing and dancing. This memory is why I choose the story Where The Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak. I feel a special connection with the creative images that were used in this text.

     Where The Wild Things Are is a story of a young boy named Max who uses his imagination to turn his room into a forest, an ocean and, finally, the place "where the wild things are."  The wild things are described as big, scary creatures with terrible roars, teeth, eyes and claws.  The illustrations did an excellent job of depicting them as terrible.  But Max was able to tame the wild things by staring into their eyes and scaring them. They were so frightened of him they named him king of all the wild things.  Eventually, Max missed his mother and got hungry so he sailed back home.

     Sendak did a fantastic job of both writing and illustrating this story.  Any young child can relate to the way the boy used his imagination.  The story comes to life through the pictures. It is one of the best text-to- picture books that I have ever read.  A few pages have only illustrations, which made me feel as if I am actually there with the wild things.  I could almost hear jungle music playing while the creatures were going wild.  I believe that Sendak deserved the Caldecott Medal he received for this book.