Raven by Gerald McDermott

Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest is one of several books by writer/illustrator Gerald McDermott that details the story of one of the world's many mythical trickster figures. This particular book, a Caldecott Honor Book from 1994, follows the shapeshifting Raven from pacific northwest Native American folklore as he tries to bring light to the cold dark world.

The art is very unique, McDermott depicts Raven in bold geometric forms that mirror the traditional totemic art of the region, while the world and people around him are depicted in a more detailed modern style. The result is that Raven feels otherworldly and magical in his environment. This style also allows young readers to easily identify raven even as he changes his shape to a pine needle and a human child to achieve his mission.

The story, which has Raven infiltrate the village of a powerful man called Sky Chief in order to steal the light that will later become the sun, is told in simple clear sentences using words that young readers can easily understand. McDermott utilizes some fun techniques such as repetition (the sun is hidden in a box within a box within a box, for example) to add humor to the story and make it engaging without distracting from the simple folklore elements of the plot.

The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins by Barbara Kerley

The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins by Barbara Kerley, with illustrations by Brian Selznick, was a Caldecott Honor Book in 2002. The book is a non-fiction story about Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins, a London artist who, in 1853, worked with scientists to help create a series of life-sized models of dinosaurs. This is significant because, at the time, dinosaurs were a relatively new discovery, and though most people now knew that they existed, few people had any idea what they looked like. While later scientists would show that Waterhouse and his scientists would themselves get most of their dinosaur designs wrong, the book does an excellent job showing the combination of scientific and artistic methods through which Hawkins and his assistants compared the few discovered dinosaur fossils to similar bones of living creatures to try to recreate the prehistoric beasts.

I feel that this book earned its status as a Caldecott honor book by presenting what could be a drab historical biography in an engaging way without resorting to overtly fantastical elements. It is a grounded, factual, retelling of this man's life, but one that follows a relatable emotional journey as Hawkins finds himself welcomed into the scientific community that he has always admired as a result of his determination and imagination, and challenged by politicians who don't think money should be wasted studying long-dead animals. Like Hawkins' dinosaurs themselves, Brian Selznick's art combines historical accuracy with creativity, depicting actual events with a theatrical air and presenting Waterhouse as a kind of wild-haired magician who is endlessly delighted by the reaction of his growing audience. This book is a great way to introduce young readers who may have a fascination with dinosaurs to the worlds of science, art, and history that have been influenced by people with similar fascinations. It's also a great introduction to biographies of people less well-known than the historical figures they learn about in school; a great way to teach children that there historical figures and events that may not be significant enough to be included in their history textbooks, but are still worth seeking out and exploring on their own.

Hank Zipzer: Niagara Falls, Or Does It? by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver

Niagara Falls, Or Does It? written by Henry Winkler, who you may know as the Fonz from Happy Days (or, more recently, Barry the incompetent lawyer from Arrested Development) and Lin Oliver is the first in a series of chapter books focusing on the adventures of fourth grader Hank Zipzer and his friends and family. I had not encountered this series before (as it launched in 2003, when I was beginning high school), but personally I feel that this series and the characters presented in it would have made a profound connection with eight year old me.

Characters: Hank Zipzer, the titular character of the series is a manic class clown who can't seem to get anything right, but he is presented with more empathy and complexity than one might expect from such a character. Hank is often shown grappling with frustration and insecurity about his constant self-sabotaging behavior and the book ends with him at the request of a caring teacher, deciding to get tested for learning disabilities. The rest of the cast is made up of Hank's friends and family, who are supportive of Hank, and are all written with enough interesting details that I imagine that they will continue to grow and be of interest in later installments. There are also a collection of teachers both supportive (Mr. Rock, the cool new music teacher) and the adversarial (the stony Mrs Adolf; read into that name choice what you will).

Plot: The main plot of this novel is Hank grappling with a five paragraph assignment, which he decides to get around by replacing it with a visual representation of Niagara Falls, a decision which ends disastrously and interferes with the novel's b-plot of Hank and his friends being hired to perform a magic show for his grandfather's bowling club.

Setting: The book is set in New York City and it is a setting that definitly makes itself known. Cabbies shout vulgarities, sports teams are spoken of reverently, and every character seems to have a favorite deli or pizza shop. One thing I appreciate about the setting is the way that it presents Hanks school life and his home life in different tones, even though they bleed into one another.

Theme: If I had to pinpoint a theme in this book, I might suggest that it's about being grateful for the people in your life that support you. Unlike many books for this age-group about students clashing with the overwhelming and seemingly unfair world of academics, Hank never fully falls into despair and the reason for that is that he constantly recognizes
that he has a support system of friends and family. He is constantly remarking on how exceptional each of them is, and how lucky he is to have them in his life.

Style: This, I feel, is the book's greatest stregth. It oozes style and makes the whole thing exceedingly readable. In particular the grammar and vocabulary with which Hank narrates his story feels like the New Yorky voice-over of a Scorcese film (minus the violence and substance abuse of course). Hank speaks in a wry, sarcastic tone that seems uniquely Italian American (though his heritage is never stated, to my recollection.) I couldn't help but read it in the voice of someone like Joe Pesci or Robert Deniro. It is this tone that really sets the book apart from other similar books, and I suspect, that makes it a comedic hit with young readers.

Tone: As previously mentioned, the tone of this book is incredibly humorous. It never gets too bleak or overwhelming without veering back to the light almost immediately, creating a rapid pace that doesn't allow time for stress or self-pity to bog the characters down. I feel that the positivity and humor with which this book handles what turns out to be a child's learning disability are very refreshing, and a great way to introduce readers to the idea without making it seem frightening or upsetting.

Peacock and Other Poems by Valerie Worth with Illustrations by Natalie Babbitt

Peacock and Other Poems by Valerie Worth, with illustrations by Natalie Babbitt is a very interesting collection for young readers. She eschews the rhyme schemes and punchlines common in much of early childhood poetry as a means of introducing readers to more serious free-form poetry. In her poetry, Valerie Worth puts an emphasis on word choice carefully placed line breaks to introduce students to the concept of poetry that is lyrical and rhythmic without rhyming or having the sing-song style that they may be used to. She does this using words and subject matter that younger readers would be familiar with, and literary concepts such as metaphor and figurative language that they may just be beginning to discover.

In the above poem Umbrella, Worth characterizes an umbrella, something every child has seen and used, as a scheming, moody creature. She does this in metaphor, without coming right out and saying "an umbrella is like a bat" or "umbrellas seem like monsters sometimes", trusting young readers to see how she applies descriptive words that might be used to describe a monster in a fairytale story to the umbrella, imbuing it with magic simply through careful word choice.

Worth's poetry also makes use of unexpected descriptions of common objects to get readers to think about the world around them in ways that they might not have before. In her poem Panda, she describes a panda bear as a "Joking, fat/ Skeleton laughing" and a in Blue Jeans, she describes pair of well-worn jeans as "a homely/ Familiar/ Skin". Lines such as these lend to Worth's distinctive voice and ensure that her poetry never feels cliche or familiar. I expect that her poems would encourage young readers and writers to strive to try to find the unexpected phrases and observations that will help them discover their own distinctive creative voices as well.