The Cat in the Hat and The Lorax

When someone says Dr. Seuss, most often we think of his most famous work The Cat in the Hat. It is often one of the first stories brought to children learning to read because of its repetitive nature and rhyming lines of simplistic language. This book still appeals to children today because of its notoriety—it appeals to many new readers as a right of passage into the reading world. It is also quite silly and most children enjoy the nonsensical nature of its plot and characters. Additionally, The Cat in the Hat has a broader theme—doing the right thing even when we might not get caught. The pet fish is the ethical character that reminds us to do the right thing. There are many contemporary titles that deliver similar messages, though not that are quite as captivating or memorable as The Cat in the Hat.

Another famous story by Dr. Seuss is the story of The Lorax. This book has a whimsical tone, but also has a much deeper message, that of the importance of conservation and helping our planet. It is educational as the main character is a Seuss-like creature who is an emblem for the trees, birds, fish, and other living things. The natural balance is offset because of the Once-ler, who is ravaging the trees to produce Thneeds to sell. It is affecting all the other organisms in the environment because they rely on those trees. Just a Dream by Chris Van Allsburg is a comparable story to that of The Lorax. He too uses a simplistic approach that is accessible to children to show what would happen if we do not begin to conserve our resources and take care of our planet.

Dr. Seuss has added so much to our children's literature development. Especially The Cat in the Hat and The Lorax are two titles that have multiple purposes and would be a wonderful addition to a school library.

Charlotte's Web (Book vs. Movie)

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White is one of the most notable and recognizable children's book of our generation. It is as popular today as it was when it was first published in 1952. It has been re-released several times and there have been two movies created based on the story.

Charlotte's Web is likely still popular today because its message is timeless, its tone touching and its character traits are still relevant. It tells the story of Fern, a young farm girl whose father wants to kill a baby pig because he is a runt. Fern convinces him not to and the pig becomes her pet. The pig, whose name is Wilbur, learns to live on a farm, befriending the other animals that live there. The animal who helps him the most is a spider named Charlotte. Through animals, we learn a lot about friendship, life and how to cope with loss.


The recent re-release of Charlotte's Web, the movie brought new attention to this timeless tale. Dakota Fanning quite accurately portrayed my image of Fern. I really enjoyed this movie and was as warmed by its events as when I read the book. It illuminated the book on the big screen the way that I believe E.B. White would have wanted. The spider is exactly as I had expected and Julia Roberts is calming, maternal and comforting. As an adult and an educator, I am drawn to this text and movie because of its sweet message, endearing and witty humor and bittersweet tone. This is one production that I was as happy with the product as the initial story.

Newbery vs. Caldecott?

The Newbery Medal is a prestigious award given to an American author who exhibits the most exceptional contribution to children's literature for a given year. This award has been given out since 1922 by the Association for Library Service to Children, a quite reputable association. The Caldecott Medal is given to an American illustrator who exhibits the most distinguished picture books for children in a given year. The award was created in 1938 also by the Association for Library Service to Children.

Both awards are recognized world-wide as having esteem and their gold and silver seals are revered as emblems of fame and honor. To be identified as the most prestigious American children's book award for either writing or illustrating would be quite an privilege. As a librarian, these titles are likely to be wonderful models and additions to a collection, as they have been scoured, picked apart and prodded for their literary components or artful composition. The difference between the two is the means by which people are evaluated (whether it be for illustration or writing), however both are given the highest consideration from the public.

The Bracelet by Yoshiko Uchida

Yoshiko Uchida is the author of many titles for children. She was a Japanese-American writer who used her life experiences to often help tell her stories. She is the author of many famous titles to include (but certainly not be limited to):

The Invisible Thread: An Autobiography; The Terrible Leak; Picture Bride; The Dancing Kettle and Other Japanese Folk Tales; New Friends for Susan; The Magic Listening Cap: More Folk Tales from Japan; The Full Circle; Takao and Grandfather's Sword; The Promised Year; Mik and the Prowler; Rokubei and the Thousand Rice Bowls;
The Forever Christmas Tree; Sumi's Prize; The Sea of Gold, and Other Tales from Japan; In-Between Maya; Hisako's Mysteries; Sumi and the Goat and the Tokyo Express;
Makoto, The Smallest Boy; Journey to Topaz: A Story of the Japanese American Evacuation; Samurai of Gold Hill; The Birthday Visitor; The Rooster who Understood Japanese; Jar of Dreams; Desert Exile: The Uprooting of a Japanese-American Family (Autobiography); Best Bad Thing; and The Happiest Ending.

As many of the title suggest, many of her stories are focused around the difficult life of Japanese-American families during the time when racism ran high in the United States.

In The Bracelet, Emi is a little Japanese girl whose family is being sent away from their home in California to live in an internment camp. Upon her leaving, she is given a bracelet by her best friend Lauri as a token of their friendship. As they are leaving she realizes that she has lost the bracelet and she is devastated. Soon thereafter, Emi realizes that the bracelet is not needed to remember her best friend, she will always keep her in her thoughts for the kindness and friendship she had offered.

As a librarian, this is quite an interesting text. There are not many titles written about this time in American history. Partly because it happened fifty years ago and likely also because it was a hateful and dark time in our country's history. This is a wonderful story for children because it teaches the significance of friendship while also informing them about how one child faced a difficult law that was imposed by her government. The tone of this piece also is quite inspirational as we watch Emi overcome adversity despite her very difficulty situation. I loved this book especially because it is quite helpful in allowing children's natural ability to wonder come forth. They are quite intrigued by this topic, as many of them have little to no background knowledge on such a topic. I also likely enjoyed this story because I am naturally drawn to historical fiction texts, especially in the form of picture books. I also am quite drawn to this story because it is based on the real experiences of the author, Yoshiko Uchida, who grew up in America during this time.

Caldecott Honors (2008): Henry's Freedom Box

Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine and illustrated by Kadir Nelson is a wonderful and true story about one slave's experience in the Underground Railroad. Henry was born into slavery, though initially his master treated him somewhat kindly. He was eventually sold to his master's son where he would meet his wife. Together, they had several children and were living as happily as they could under the constraints of slavery. That is until one day, the master decides to sell Henry's wife and children to another plantation. This infuriates Henry as that was the only form of happiness he had attained. At this action, he decides to head towards freedom. To do so, he decides that he will ship himself in a box to Philadelphia. The journey is long and difficult and he often times feels like he is going to die. Eventually however, he makes it to Philadelphia and becomes a free man!

It is quite evident why this book was considered as a recent Caldecott nominee. The pictures are quite detailed and reflect the somber tone of the protagonist. Kadir Nelson uses rich colors and deep tones to convey the mood of the piece. Additionally, the depth with which he shows the detailed nuances allow the audience to feel the drama that is occurring on this page. He captures the essence of the words and enhances the piece with his illustrations. I especially love the creativity of the page in which Henry's box is being rolled as it is moved on the ship to Philadelphia. Nelson depicts this spread by using a cutaway so the audience feels privy to see what is inside as Henry is being contorted and shifted with each frame of the move. Kids love this page as well!

As a librarian, this is a wonderful addition to a collection, not only because it illuminates a horrible time in our country's history through one man's story, but also because the rich illustrations used to do so are exceptional. I love this story because the illustrations heighten my interest and allow me to better visualize what is happening.

Cockroach Cooties by Laurence Yep

Cockroach Cooties by Laurence Yep is one of his numerous titles mostly focused around Asian American characters. Laurence Yep is author to several other chapter books for children to include several books in the Golden Mountain Chronicles, several titles in his Dragon series, several titles in the Chinatown Mysteries, several titles in The Tiger's Apprentice series, and several others to include Later Gator, Hiroshima and Cockroach Cooties. He also has explored in other genres to include nonfiction titles about Asian Americans and his own autobiography. He also has published several picture books (such as the Dragon Prince, the Magic Paintbrush, and the Man Who Tricked a Ghost) and even some plays (Dragonwings, The Age of Wonders, Pay the Chinaman and Fairy Bones).

In this particular title, Yep introduces us to two brothers Teddy and Bobby, second generation Asian Americans living in California. They experience issues much the same as boys their age, the largest problem being the school bully, Artie. He is particularly fond of picking on the two brothers, who try to avoid him at all costs. That is until one day when they come face to face with him. When he appears ready to pounce, Bobby, the younger brother of the two produces a pet cockroach (an insect that he is quite fond of). At the sight of such a terror, Artie flees the scene as quickly as possible. The brothers learn that they may have a means to become bully free. That is until the cockroach is squashed by their anti-bug mother who sees the presence of any insect as a sign of filth. They end up discovering in the end about Artie and why he has such a dislike of cockroaches--namely because he lives in isolated poverty with a parent who doesn't care to keep the bugs out. Each insect is a reminder of the disgusting conditions and isolated situation he finds himself in each night.

While this book is about Asian American characters (and there is evidence of their cultural differences throughout the text) the theme transcends time and cultural barriers. The two protagonists are faced with a common kid problem, that of handling a bully and through their conversations with him realize that there are definite reasons for his bullying. This is a wonderful story that identifies the human qualities of everyone, regardless of their position in life. Laurence Yep does an exceptional job of capturing the reader's attention from beginning to end. The text is poignant and concise, but also descriptive and exciting. The audience really sympathizes with the brothers and wants them to seek resolution from this horrible bully. As a teacher and librarian, it is a wonderful moral that all children will not likely realize. It contains a valuable lesson through the exciting adventures in dealing with bullies. This would be a wonderful addition to any library collection. I liked this book because of the subtle yet important lesson it teaches and the exciting plot line.