Books about Growth and Change for ages 3-5

Books about Growth and Change

Fiction

 

1.       I Can See Just Fine by Eric Barclay: Paige doesn’t want to get the glasses that she needs, but changes her mind once she has them.

2.       Your Daddy Was Just Like You by Kelly Bennett: Daddy was once a baby who had to grow up.

3.       Finding Spring by Carin Berger: It’s time to hibernate, but all that little bear wants is spring.

4.       I’m Not Moving! by Wiley Blevins: A little girl does not want to move to the city, but once she gets there she decides that it’s not so bad.

5.       Clifford Grows Up by Norman Bridwell: Clifford the dog was once a tiny puppy.

6.       Little Gorilla by Ruth Borstein: Everyone loves little gorilla, and when he becomes a big gorilla, they love him still.

7.       How Did You Grow So Big, So Soon? by Anne Bowen: A little boy and his mama talk about his first day of school tomorrow and all the growing he had to do to get there.

8.       A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle: As Hermit Crab grows, he must move from shell to shell, and he decorates them with new friends who live with him.

9.       Plant a Little Seed by Bonnie Christensen: Kids plant a garden that grows fruit , vegetables and flowers and then cook with them.

10.   My Brave Year of Firsts: Tries, Sighs and High Fives by Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell: A little girl lists her firsts: bike ride, pet, day of first grade, etc.

11.   Tadpole Rex by Kurt Cyrus: Rex Impresses his dinosaur neighbors when he grows from a tadpole to a frog.

12.   Where’s Jamela? by Niki Daly: Jamela and Mama are moving to a new house, but Jamela isn’t excited. On moving day, after packing, she disappears. Will she be found and could her new home be okay after all?

13.   Kangaroo Christine by Guido Van Genechten: Christine doesn’t want to leave her mom’s pouch, until kangaroo Ben invites her to play.

14.   Leaving the Nest by Mordicai Gerstein: Baby Jay is not to leave the nest, but when she falls out, it is witnessed by a little girl, a kitten and a baby squirrel.

15.   Say Hello To Zorro! By Carter Goodrich: Doggie Mister Bud is happy with his routine until new dog Zorro comes on the scene and Mister Bud has to adapt.

16.   One Little Lamb by Elaine Greenstein: A lamb’s wool is made into mittens that a child wears when she visits the lambs.

17.   When Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes: If you wait, spring will bring about changes to winter and then change itself into summer

18.   Perfect Square by Michael Hall: Square is happy being square , but it also changes and is  fountain, a park and more.

19.   Tadpoles by Betsy James: Molly’s frog eggs become tadpoles and then frogs, and her baby brother Davey learns to walk.

20.   As an Oak Tree Grows by Brian Karas: An acorn grows into a 200 year old oak tree.

21.   Now I’m Big by Karen Katz: Compares what a baby does with what a big kid can do.

22.   The Growing Story by Ruth Krauss: A boy has chicks and a puppy and over time they grow. His mom assures him that he is growing too, but he is doubtful until he sees that he has outgrown last fall’s clothes.

23.   Once Upon a Memory by Nina Laden: Shows how things change with “before” and “after” drawings.

24.   Little Tree by Loren Long: Little Tree has little leaves, but when the seasons change, he is unwilling to drop them and can’t grow until he lets go.

25.   Wonderful Things You Will Be by Emily Winfield Martin: Speculation on what you will do as you grow up.

26.   When I Grow Up by Colin McNaughton: Kids share what they want to be when they grow up, except one who doesn’t want to grow up.

27.   Kittens! Kittens! Kittens! By Susan Meyers: Kittens do kitten things until they grow into cats and maybe have more kittens.

28.   How You Got So Smart by David Milgrim: A child is told all the things s/he did from babyhood on up that contributed to being a successful person.

29.   I Feel Five! by Bethanie Deeney Murguia: On Fritz’s 5^th birthday, he still feels 4, because he still can’t tie his shoes or snap his fingers, but when he reaches apples in a tree for a friend, he feels a little older.

30.   If You Plant a Seed by Kadir Nelson: You can plant seeds that will grow, seeds of carrots, cabbages, tomatoes, selfishness and kindness.

31.   Water Can Be… by Laura Purdis Salas: Things water can be, like ice, fog and snow.

32.   First the Egg by Laura Vacarro Seeger: Things that change into other things.

33.   Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow? by Susan Shea: Things that will grow and things that won’t.

34.   A Big Boy Now by Eileen Spinelli: Big boy bunny can do lots of things, but he has a little trouble learning how to ride his bike without training wheels.

35.   Pouch! By David Ezra Stein: Kangaroo Joey wants to leave his mom’s pouch and hop, but meeting new friends can be scary at first.

36.   Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten? by Audrey Vernick: Things your growing buffalo might experience when he goes to kindergarten.

37.   Look What I Can Do! By Nancy Viau: Young animals learn how to do new things.

38.   Puffling by Margaret Wild: a baby puffin waits until he is old enough to leave his burrow.

39.   Little Boo by Stephen Wungerli (holiday): Seed Little Boo must be patient until he can grow into a scary jack-o-lantern!

40.   Baby Bear’s Big Dreams by Jane Yolen: Baby Bear plans for when he is grown up in a year or more, because he knows just what big bears do.

 

 Non-fiction

1.       See How They Grow: Chick by Jane Burton

2.       See How They Grow: Kitten by Jane Burton

3.       From Seed to Sunflower by Dr. Gerald Legg

4.       See How They Grow: Pig by Bill Ling

5.       See How They Grow: Frog by Kim Taylor

6.       Flowers Bloom! By Mary Dodson Wade

7.       Seeds Go, Seeds Grow by Mark Weakland

 

Food Storytime in the Park

 

 

Fun books about food:

• Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace Fleming: bunnies want Mr. McGreely's garden veggies.
• Monsters Don't Like Broccoli by Barbara Jean Hicks: or do they?
• Senorita Gordita by Helen Ketteman: a southwestern version of The Gingerbread Man.
• The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli: a crocodile swallows a watermelon seed and worries, will a watermelon grow inside him?
• Rah, Rah, Radishes!: a Vegetable Chant by April Pulley Sayre: hooray for tasty veggies!
• Foxy and Egg by Alex T. Smith: Foxy invites Egg over for dinner, but she is hoping to make him her breakfast!
• Snack Time for Confetti by Kali Stiles: Confetti is a hungry little bird who asks her animal friends for tips on what she should eat.
• Rude Cakes by Rowboat Watkins: a bratty cake gets his comeuppance when he is stolen by a Giant Cyclops!

Shoo Fly Storytime

Shoo Fly Family Storytime:

Book Possibilities

• I Spy Fly Guy! by Tedd Arnold*
• Old Black Fly by Jim Aylesworth, Illus. by Stephen Gammell*
• The Fly Flew In by David Catrow
• Horsefly and Honeybee by Randy Cecil
• The Spider and the Fly by Tony DiTerlizzi
• Soup for One by Ethan Long*
• Tiny Little Fly by Michael Rosen, Illus. by Kevin Waldron*
• A Fly Went By by Mike McClintock, Illus by Fritz Siebel
• When the Fly Flew In... by Lisa Westberg Peters, Illus. by Brad Sneed
• There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback*
• Shoo Fly! by Iza Trapani

*Books I used this time


We started with Old Black Fly and I sang the beginning and ending verses to the tune of "Buffalo Gals" and after "Shoo fly, Shoo fly, Shoo" we all gave a big "Swat!" and clapped our hands together.

I used the CD/Book set of There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback along with our Library system's Alma's Design There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly puppet. This was a huge hit, as the kids loved feeding her the animals as they listened to the song.

We also swatted flies along with Hap Palmer's song "Flick a Fly" from his CD Walter the Waltzing Worm. Warning: that song is infectious!

There are some excellent ideas for Fly Storytime on Storytime with Miss Tara and Friends and Sunflower Storytime . Don't miss them!

Hansel & Gretel by Lisbeth Zwerger

Hansel & Gretel by the Brothers Grimm & Lisbeth Zwerger, Trans. by Elizabeth D. Crawford, 1979.

Variations:

• Mentions God
• Hansel drops pebbles but says he is turning back to look at a white kitten on the roof
• Children think that their father is nearby in the woods, but he has fixed a tree branch to strike a tree to sound like an axe cutting wood
• Hansel drops breadcrumbs but says he is turning back to look at a dove on the roof
• Children follow a white bird to the witch's house
• House was "made of bread and roofed with cakes, and the windows were of pure sugar."
• Witch promises no harm will come to them
• Gives detail on the witch, including her keen sense of smell
• Hansel is kept in a kennel rather than a cage
• Children ride a white duck across the water to get home

Verse:

"Nibble, nibble, munch, munch.
Who is gnawing on my house?"

"The wind, the wind,
The heavenly wind."

"Duckling, duckling,
Help Hansel and Gretel.
There's no footbridge and no track.
Take us on your little white back."

Zwerger's watercolor illustrations  are done in neutral colors and put the focus on the children and their reactions. The woods are really a brown blur and the stepmother, a plain but normal looking woman, is only shown once. Even the witch is fairly subtle. Her robe has an absence of color and her skin a very faint green tint. Her most striking features are her amber eyes, that put one in mind of a snake or a toad. The overall effect is dreamy and melancholy, until the happy ending.

Hansel and Gretel illustrated by Dorothee Duntze

Hansel and Gretel by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, translated by Anthea Bell,  illustrated by Dorothee Duntze, 2001.

 

Variations:

• Mentions God
• The one who wants the children taken to the forest is their mother, not a stepmother
• Hansel drops pebbles but says he is turning back to look at a white kitten on the roof
• Children follow a white bird to the witch's house
• House is "built of gingerbread and roofed with cake, and the windowpanes were made of clear sugar."
• Witch promises no harm will come to them
• Hansel is locked in a shed instead of a cage
• Children ride a white duck across the water to get home
• Mother has died

Verse:

"Nibble nibble mousie,
Who's nibbling at my housie?"

"The child of the sky,
the wind blowing by."

"Here by the water, little duck,
Hansel and Gretel are out of luck.
There is no bridge, a boat we lack,
Carry us over on your white back."

"That's the end of my tale --look there goes a mouse!
If you catch it in your lap it will make a nice fur cap."

Duntze's surrealistic illustrations provide a dramatic and interesting interpretation of the tale. In the first scene when the starving woodcutter and his horrible wife try to decide what to do, the woman's head covering is bread and she is forcing her husband to look at four miniature caskets. The father's cap is sprouting twigs or trees and he cradles his tiny children surrounded by ferocious forest animals. His actual children look on in dismay. The children are led into a forest featuring what looks like large slices of bread. When the kids return home, the father's hat is growing flowers.

Hansel and Gretel, with golden shocks of hair like dandelions, are first shown innocently playing a hand clapping game. The crotchety witch is dressed like an old peasant woman with too much rouge and sparse and stubby teeth. She looms over a crying Gretel disconcertingly. Her oven has devilish features, and Gretel shuts her into its open maw.

The Magic Tapestry by Demi

 

 

The Magic Tapestry: a Chinese Folktale retold and illus. by Demi, 1994.

 

In this satisfying tale from China's Guangxi Province, an old mother spends years weaving a perfectly beautiful tapestry, but just as she shows it to her three sons, it is stolen away by the fairies. The mother instantly falls ill and begs her oldest son to retrieve it. When the eldest boy finds out he must either endure hardships and danger to find it or can instead have a box of jewels, he takes the easy way out and runs off to the city with his new wealth. The selfish middle child does the same. His poor old mother has now blinded herself through weeping. Fortunately, the heroic youngest brother keeps his promise and faces fire, bitter cold and having to knock his front teeth out and feed them to a stone horse in pursuit of the tapestry. He saves the weaving, helps heal his mother and wins himself a fairy bride in the bargain!

 

Demi has retold and also illustrated the story, using colorful backgrounds of of pink, purple, blue and gold. As she often does, she uses a perspective that shows a whole scene with small, active figures, such as the family chasing after the tapestry as it is blown away by a mysterious, sudden wind or the eldest brother leaving the guardian spirit and making off with his jewels, crossing over a bridge and heading to the city before him. Two of the most exciting pictures are of the youngest boy as he rides his horse through two pages of leaping red and gold flames and then of curling icy waves. The final illustration shows the happy mother, son and fairy bride, living in the now real, former tapestry. They are surrounded by blossoms and lovely birds and animals.

 



Hansel and Gretel, Illustrated by Sybille Schenker

Hansel and Gretel, Illustrated by Sybille Schenker, 2011.

Variations:

• No mention of God
• Doesn't have Hansel drop pebbles first
• Hansel drops breadcrumbs
• Children follow a white bird to the witch's house
• Witch promises no harm will come to them
• Gives detail on the witch, including her keen sense of smell
• Children ride a white duck across the water to get home

Verse:

"Nibble, nibble, munch munch,
Who is chewing on my house?"

"Duck, duck, Help Hansel and Gretel.
There's no bridge and no track.
Take us on your little white back."

In this version of the book, the format is important. Schenker uses die cut pages and vellum overlays  to create exciting and dramatic visuals. Black silhouettes and layers of images create a sense of foreboding such as when the children are led to and abandoned in the woods. Printed on orange vellum, the stepmother is shown in stark outline pointing her finger accusingly at her husband, and with a turn of the page, she's looming larger than life over the scene of the family heading into the forest:

From Schenker's webpage at http://cargocollective.com/sybille

The book's black cover contrasts with its die cut title that shows the flower sprigged yellow calico print behind it. This same background is used in the scenes of the children finding the treat house and meeting the deceptive witch. The cottage is a patchwork of homey patterns with the only hint of its sweetness shown with a panel of chocolate. The witch is a hunched old lady in sweetly patterned clothes similar to the children's but her eyes are red, her forehead is scrunched up and her nails are frighteningly long. In her home, the table is laid out with treats, but they are featured against a blood red background, and on the following vellum page, the only image is the witch's hand reaching down ominously. The reader can see through to the next page of the siblings "safe" in bed, with the hand hovering over them.

As the children return home, the silhouetted images become beautiful instead of frightening: a butterfly, meadow flowers and a great antlered stag. The final picture, of the children reuniting with their father, is colored summer grass green.

Hansel and Gretel by James Marshall

Hansel and Gretel by James Marshall, 1990.

Variations:

• Does not mention God
• Hansel drops pebbles but says he is turning back to look at a white cat on the roof
• Children think that their father is nearby in the woods, but he has fixed a tree branch to strike a tree to sound like an axe cutting wood
• Hansel drops breadcrumbs but says he is turning back to look at a pigeon on the roof
• Children follow a white bird to the witch's house
• House is "made of cookies and candy, spun sugar and cake."
• Children ride a white duck across the water to get home

Verse:

"Nibble, nibble, little mousie
Who's that nibbling
on my housie?"

James Marshall approaches this story with his usual humorous touches. The stepmother, who is nothing but bossy and nasty, asks her husband, "Do you want your pretty little wife to waste away?" She peppers her conversation with "you dolt!" "you donkey!" and "simpleton!" The witch, in her excitement and catching the siblings, slips up with "Two tasty-uh-pretty children have come to stay."  Once she cages Hansel, she does a little dance in delight.

Marshall's illustrations also make the book enjoyable, because they are outright fun. The stepmother is a large woman with carrot colored hair in Princess Leia buns. The witch (as shown above) has green hair and a matching wart, a honker of a nose and Cupid's bow lips. She is adorned with bows from her hairdo to her toes and  when she dances around Hansel she jumps right out of her shoes, revealing skinny ankles and a green pedicure.

Recommended.

Picture Books: Hansel and Gretel

I'm now looking at various illustrated versions of fairy tales by title.

I am starting with "Hansel and Gretel." If you don't know the story, or need a refresher, you can do no better than to look at the Surlalune website. This site is amazing, and I also very frequently check out the Surlalune Blog.

http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/hanselgretel/

In this post:

• Hansel and Gretel by the Brothers Grimm, illus by Anthony Browne, 1981
• Hansel and Gretel by Cynthia Rylant, illus. by Jen Corage, 2008.
• Hansel and Gretel retold and illus. by Rachel Isadora, 2009.
• Hansel & Gretel by the Brothers Grimm, retold by Amy Erlich, illus. by Susan Jeffers, 1980, 2011.
• Hansel & Gretel by the Brothers Grimm, retold and illus. by Will Moses, 2006.

Hansel and Gretel by the Brothers Grimm, illus by Anthony Browne, 1981.

This is adapted from a translation by Eleanor Quarrie, 1949.

Variations:

• Mentions God
• Hansel drops pebbles but says he is turning back to look at a white cat on the roof
•  Children think that their father is nearby in the woods, but he has fixed a tree branch to strike a  tree to sound like an axe cutting wood
• Hansel drops breadcrumbs but says he is turning back to look at a dove on the roof
• Children follow a white bird to the witch's house
• Witch promises no harm will come to them
• Gives detail on the witch, including her keen sense of smell
• Children ride a white duck across the water to get home

Verse:

"Nibble, nibble, little mouse,
Who is gnawing at my house?"

"Only the wind,
The Heaven-sent wind."

"Little duck, little duck,
Here stand Hansel and Gretel.
There is no bridge upon our track,
Take us over on your white back."

"My tale is done; see the mouse run;
Catch it if you would, to make a fur hood."

Anthony Browne has set his story in modern times and dispensed with folkloric costuming. He stresses the poverty of the family through the run-down quality of their home. There are bare patches in the ceiling plaster, peeling wallpaper and holes in the curtains, though they do have a television set and the stepmother owns fancy red high heel shoes. Hansel, Gretel and their father's clothes have dirty spots, but the stepmother looks clean and stylish (albeit with a black beehive hairdo).
Browne's art has something of a surrealistic quality, although not as overt as in Gorilla or Changes. When the parents are in bed, the bars of their headboard seem to foreshadow the dark trees of the wood or the bars of Hansel's cage. The frowning stepmother is later shown behind bars as she stares through the window at the returning children after Hansel's pebbles proved a successful guide. The witch is also shown looking out the window of the sweet house, and her features, like her pursed mouth and black mole resemble the cruel stepmother's. The witch looks like any elderly woman, but stern, with red-rimmed eyes. Browne has cleverly painted her with a lovely black cat, and she is positioned between the parted curtains in a way that places her inside a sharp black triangle suggestive of a witch's hat. The shadow of her hand feeling the bone that Hansel offers resembles a snake with a protruding tongue.
This is a book that I would gladly add to my own fairy tale collection!

Hansel and Gretel by Cynthia Rylant, illus. by Jen Corage, 2008.

Variations:

• Courage and bravery stressed
• Talks about wickedness and explains characters' behavior
• Doesn't mention God, but guardian spirits
•  Smiling stepmother takes them into the woods saying they are going to find flowers and look at birds.
• She claims the parents will bring the children berries, but they are abandoned
•  Smiling witch who claims to love children
• Both children are put in cages
• Children ride a white swan across the water to get home
• Stepmother died eating mushrooms
• Joy, forgiveness and love bring the happy ending

Verse:

"Children dear, children fair,
I love children, everywhere."

Jen Corace's art definitely attracts me to this book. It looks like art deco "cozy cottage" type illustration, the kind you see on vintage mottos. For example:

From Pinterest

She successfully uses a muted color scheme with pops of bright: shades of deep forest green and olive, a variety of browns from tan to chocolate and berry red or sunny yellow.

Corace's stepmother has mostly neutral expressions and is not unattractive. The witch is a pleasant looking old lady in a black dress with a red hooded wrap. Even at her nastiest, she does no more than frown. Her dear little house doesn't really look like it's made of sweets, but the plants in the window boxes do. One of the prettiest pictures is Hansel and Gretel crossing the water while riding the large graceful swan. Pink waterlilies and pads surround them and the pale tan water seems to emphasize the swan's whiteness.

This is another lovely edition that I would like to collect.

Hansel and Gretel retold and illus. by Rachel Isadora, 2009.

I have talked about this version before in the post Fairy Tales Set in Africa by Rachel Isadora .

Variations:

•  This is a less detailed story than the others in this post
•  Unlike the Grimms' tale referenced on Surlalune, there is no mention of God

Verse:

"Nibble, nibble, little mouse,
Who is nibbling at my house?"

"My tale is done,
A mouse has run,
And whoever catches it can make for himself
from it a large, large fur cap."

In the illustrations, the stepmother always looks cross and the witch is frightening, obviously not a normal human, with green skin and blazing red eyes.

 Hansel & Gretel by the Brothers Grimm, retold by Amy Erlich, illus. by Susan Jeffers, 1980, 2011.

This translation of the story is from Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm by Mrs. Edgar Lucas, 1902.

Variations:

• No mention of God
• Children follow a white bird to the witch's house
• Witch's keen sense of smell is mentioned
• Hansel is kept in a stable, not a cage

Verse:

"Nibbling, nibbling like a mouse,
Who's that nibbling at my house?"

Amy Erlich's illustrations were done in ink and dyes over pencil drawings. Animals feature prominently, from the children's pet white cat and dove (which is not mentioned in the story), to the birds and forest creatures, like rabbits, bats, deer and an owl. The stepmother is constantly scowling, but the matronly witch looks unthreatening in her mob cap and apron adorned with gingerbread people. Her cake house is dripping with frosting and candies. Jeffers's detailed drawings of the woods are impressive, especially a two-page spread of Hansel and Gretel in the forest at night, their two figures the only color in a mass of white leaves and black branches.

Another version I would be happy to own.

Hansel & Gretel by the Brothers Grimm, retold and illus. by Will Moses, 2006.

Variations:

• Mentions God
• Hansel drops pebbles but says he is turning back to look at a white cat on the roof
• Tree trick used
• Time passes before the children are put out again
• Hansel drops breadcrumbs but says he is turning back to look at a pigeon on the roof
•  Children follow a white bird to the witch's house
• Specifically calls the house gingerbread
• Witch promises no harm will come to them
•  Witch's keen sense of smell is mentioned
• Children ride a white duck across the water to get home
• Stepmother dies of a black heart

 Verse:

"Nibble, nibble, I hear a mouse,
Who's nibbling on my house?"

"Tis the wind, the wind; it's very mild,
Blowing like the Heavenly Child."

"Help us, help us, beautiful duck!
We are Hansel and Gretel and out of luck.
We can't get across the river, try as we may,
Won't you please help us, this fine day?"

"Like a mouse caught by a cat, my tale is finished! Sleep well tonight, and don't let this old story give you a fright. Your parents love you dear and will never let harm come near!"

Folk artist Moses' oil paintings make the most of the rural setting. The mountains and green forest that surround the children's home are with filled colorful plants and wildlife such as bears, fox, and wolves. The fair haired children appear in traditional German costume and folklore motifs are frequently used, on the characters' painted beds and other furniture, and decorating the witch's shutters and even the doors of her oven. More motives like a running deer, a pot of flowers and bright birds adorn the book's margins.
The stepmother has wide, staring eyes and open mouth as she is caught mid argument. The witch has a hooked nose, a warty chin, and big eyes with tiny blood red pupils. Her gingerbread house is an inviting one, not only made of tasty treats, but surrounded by a garden with an arbor, a hay wagon and playful farm animals.

For St. Patrick's Day: Fin M'Coul by Tomie de Paola

Fin M'Coul: The Giant of Knockmanyhill by Tomie dePaola, 1981.

In honor of St. Patrick's Day and the fact that I'm somewhat Irish, let's take a look at the Celtic tale of Fin M'Coul and his clever wife Oonagh!  Although he is a fine giant himself, Fin has spent years running from the nasty Cucullin, a giant bully with magical strength provided to him by a brass finger. Cucullin has beaten every other giant in Ireland, and that is why he is coming for Fin. Luckily, Fin's lovely wife Oonagh has an ingenious plan to fool Cucullin, one that involves twenty one iron frying pans, fresh cheese, white stones and Fin all dressed up in baby clothes and lying in a huge cradle. Readers of all ages will love this funny and fantastic story of a bully's comeuppance and girls and women especially will appreciate the crafty Oonagh.

According to his website (http://www.tomie.com/) Tomie dePaola has written and/or illustrated almost 250 books and been published for 40 years. His books are classics, and this one is no exception. The art is colorful and playful, and dePaola's characters are very expressive and child pleasing. Readers will enjoy seeing the giants surrounded by smaller creatures such as tiny sheep, fairies, leprechauns and a bitty kitty cat. They will also get a laugh out of  bearded Fin dressed in his frilly pink bonnet, gown and baby booties.

King Pom and the Fox

King Pom and the Fox by Jessica Souhami, 2007.

This Chinese story eventually became what we know as "Puss in Boots." Poor Li Ming owns nothing but a pomegranate tree, and is jokingly known as "King Pom." One day he catches a fox stealing his fruit and the animal promises to make him rich if he lets it go. He agrees and as in "Puss...", the clever creature contrives to win him a kingship, a beautiful queen and a palace. And they all, including the fox, live happily ever after!

Author Jessica Souhami also created the book's hand painted paper collage illustrations. Set against a creamy background, the bold colors pop, particularly the reds and oranges of the pomegranates and the fox's fur. The self-satisfied expression on the fox's face at Li Ming's wedding alone is worth a look at this merry retelling.

Lon Po Po and Auntie Tiger: Chinese Red Riding Hood Tales

Lon Po Po: a Red-Riding Hood Story From China by Ed Young, 1989.

This Red Riding Hood tale is about three little sisters, Shang, Tao and Paotze, who are left alone for the day when their mother goes to visit their grandmother. Of course, it is then that the wolf comes to call. Although the girls are gullible enough to let him in when he claims to be their grandmother, Shang, the oldest, is clever enough to lure him out of the house and the three have what it takes to defeat him.

Ed Young won the 1990 Caldecott Medal for Lon Po Po's art. This wolf is a scary one, with flashing eyes and gaping jaws.

Auntie Tiger by Laurence Yep, Illus. by Insu Yee, 2009.

The Big, Bad Wolf is a Huge, Horrible Tiger in this version of the tale. Mother has to go into town to get food, so she must leave quarreling Big Sister and Little Sister alone. When their "darling Auntie" shows up, the elder sister is sceptical, but the young one is most interested in the treats that "she" brings, and opens the door. The tricky cat has disguised his most tigerish parts, and he eventually swallows Little Sister whole. Fortunately, he has met his match in Big Sister, who dispatches him and rescues her sibling. Mother returns home to find her daughters working together happily, having learned a lesson from the fiendish feline.

Insu Lee's tiger is more comical than frightening, although his claws and teeth cannot be overlooked. Decked out in a purple tunic and flowered headscarf he is hardly convincing, yet he certainly looks optimistic about his plan. Lee plays with form and texture as he brings the girls' home setting to life as a bulbous tree trunk houses an alarmed chipmunk, jagged and wavy foliage conceals the eager tiger and Big Sister takes shelter in a tree bursting with heart shaped leaves and trumpet flowers.

Monkey King by Ed Young

Monkey King by Ed Young, 2001.


Ed Young has provided readers with a lively introduction to the Chinese Monkey King. In his Author's Note, we learn that Monkey's story is told in the epic Journey to the West, set during the T'ang dynasty (A.D. 618-907). It describes the travels of monk Tang Tsen and his companions Monkey, Pig and Water Demon as they seek to bring Buddhist scriptures from India to China.

Young's story includes Monk Tang, the Jade Emperor, Guan Ying, the Goddess Mercy, and the Buddha himself. It begins with the "birth" of  Monkey from a rock on Flower Fruit Mountain and his fast rise to monkey royalty. An ambitious trickster, he studies with a master to learn magical tricks such as changing shape, turning cloud somersaults and dividing himself into 100 little monkey soldiers. He can defeat bandits, steal weapons and the immortal peaches of heaven and evade punishment, but he is unable to best Buddha. Hundreds of years later, he regains his freedom when he agrees to become holy monk Tang's disciple, but Monkey is not done with trouble!

Young's collage illustrations of handmade and bought paper impart pleasing color and texture. The dynamic art shows the mischievous Monkey vaulting and somersaulting through his adventures and also interestingly depicts his allies and foes. The Red Beard Bandit has appropriately fiery facial hair, along with blue skin, pink tufts of hair and some serious fangs. The Dragon King is first shown as a menacing shadow. Guan Ying is serene, clad in white and a veil of light.

This book is a great choice to expand your knowledge of tricksters and legend and may send you in search of the full epic, Journey to the West.

The Emperor and the Kite by Jane Yolen

The Emperor and the Kite by Jane Yolen, Illus. by Ed Young, 1967,1988.


Set in ancient China, this is the the story of the emperor's tiny youngest daughter, who is generally overlooked. Although Djeow Seow is usually alone and spends much of her time playing with her kite, she is able to put her toy to good use and save her father when evil men lock him up in a tower. Her older and seemingly more important brothers and sisters mourn the emperor, but the observant child, with the advice of a kind monk, knows how to feed and eventually rescue her powerful dad. Through her loyalty, Djeow Seow wins the love and recognition that she deserves.

Ed Young won a Caldecott honor for his illustrations, which are based on a traditional Asian papercut method. They are full of detail and color. In Djeow Seow's dragon-head kite, the color gradually shifts from purple to red to hot pink. The emperor's ornate dragon embellished robes also change color, in the garment itself and from page to page, now green and gold, then pink, then red and orange. The art is beautifully balanced and the action often occurs over an entire double page spread, as when the kite soars at the top of the left side, the little girl and the monk bow to each other on the bottom right, and both images are connected by the kite's angled string.

Why there is no cat in the Chinese zodiac!

Sob!

Turning now to Chinese folktales and legends, I begin with the story of the Chinese zodiac. There are many picture book and illustrated versions of this story for children. The basic tale goes like this: an important person/deity decides to create the first calendar and summons all the animals of China to help. He will name the first year in the twelve year cycle after the first animal that reaches him.  Rat, cat, dog, pig, rooster, ox (water buffalo), tiger, hare, dragon, snake, horse, monkey and sheep are all invited. Although cat and rat are best friends, rat schemes to be first with a trick that shuts  the unfortunate cat out of the race and destroys friendship between them and all of their descendants. Rat also takes advantage of the strength and speed of Ox (Water Buffalo) to grab a lift. Rat is triumphant, and Cat is furious.

I will be adding to this post as I find additional versions of the story.

The Great Race: the Story of the Chinese Zodiac by Dawn Casey, Illus. by Anne Wilson. 2006.

The Jade Emperor, King of Heaven, decides to create a calendar and name each year after a different animal. He holds a swimming race across the river to determine the order that the beasts should appear in the new cycle. Here, the dirty Rat actively eliminates Cat from the competition by pushing him into the river while he is asleep. He also takes advantage of Ox by riding his back across the river, but then scuttling ahead of him into first place once they arrive on dry land.

Once all the animals but cat arrive, the Jade Emperor declares that every child born in an animal's year will share the talents of that creature.

After the story, information on the Chinese calendar, its important days, and the years and characters of the twelve animals are included.

The illustrations are done in bright collage. Wilson uses repeating circles, ovals and squares, and the Jade Emperor and the animals are done with intentional simplicity, like a child's drawing.

The Cat's Tale: Why the Years Are Named for Animals by Doris Orgel, Illus. by Meilo So, 2008.

This is the same basic tale, but told in a frame story. Mao the cat and Willow the girl belong to each other. When Nai Nai, Willow's grandma, comes to watch her, the child isn't happy about it because it means that her mother has gone out. Nai Nai begins to tell the story of the Zodiac's origin, but Mao is enraged when she forgets to mention Cat, and gives her a scratch. Nai Nai is angry with Mao and Willow is mad at her Grandma, so the girl and kitty head to another room by themselves. As Willow strokes Mao, the cat tells her the real story of the Zodiac race and Rat's betrayal. The story unfolds, and Willow realizes that she has lost her stuffed pig.  Fortunately, at the tale's end, Grandma appears and has the perfect way to make up with her granddaughter and Willow's feline friend.

Meilo So, who also illustrated Tasty Baby Belly Buttons, provides cheerful illustrations. Round Mao has wide amber eyes, a dear little heart shaped pink nose, and a very large indignant mouth when Nai Nai leaves Cat out of her story.

Cat and Rat: The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac. by Ed Young, 1995.

This is the same storyline, but it also follows cat's unsuccessful struggle to reach the Emperor. The animal's years and characteristics precede the tale. In the Author's Note, Young explains that the zodiac was established 5000 years ago by Emperor Huang Di. Young's illustrations are done in charcoal and pastels on Japanese rice paper.

What the Rat Told Me: a Legend of the Chinese Zodiac by Marie Sellier, Catherine Louis and Wang Fei. 2008.

It is stated on the endpapers that this story is adapted from a Chinese Buddhist legend from the Han Dynasty (206 BCE- 220 CE). It takes place on the morning of the dawn of the world. The animals must climb the Jade Mountain to reach the Great Emperor of Heaven. Although the rat has promised to wake the cat for the journey, he fails to do so. As each creature arrives, the Emperor praises their finest qualities. The sun rises for the first time, and the beasts take their places in the wheel of time. But, not the poor cat. The dates for each sign are given following the story.

The graphics are big and bold, all done in black, white and red. The Chinese characters for each animal, plus the emperor and the mountain, are used.

The Animals of the Chinese Zodiac by Susan Whitfield and Phillipa-Alys Browne. 1998.

Buddha wants to make a calendar and the name the years, but he becomes ill and sends his Apsaras ("flying women with magical powers") to invite the animals for a visit. So, the ladies journey to a farm, the mountains, the rivers and the plains to spread the news. This story gives more detail on the animal's behavior and travel habits. Rat is given the benefit of the doubt. Is he a trickster or just forgetful?

The animals are colored fancifully: a blue horse with a red, yellow and orange mane, a tiger with green stripes and a orchid shaded monkey.

No Year of the Cat by Mary Dodson Wade, Illus. by Nicole Wong, 2013.

In this picture book version, the human emperor looks for a way for all to remember the year that the prince and heir was born.

This is my favorite telling of the story, largely because of the art. Wong brings a very playful touch to the tale. On the title page, best friends Cat and Rat are shown with Rat sitting on Cat's head and dangling some string and a bell for her to play with. Ox smiles broadly at the twosome's flattery before they cross the river. Each creature is fussed over once they arrive, and a delighted Tiger is shown getting a tummy rub from one of the emperor's advisers. The art is also full of movement, from the various beasts travels through the river to the ruler's pacing with his line of advisers following him like ducklings, to the Dog shaking water off himself as he meets the emperor.

Animal Dreaming: an Aboriginal Dreamtime Story by Paul Mori, 1998.

This is the story of the Kip-a-ara (initiation into manhood) of Mirri, who is told of the earth's origin by his friend and elder Gadurra. As they set off on walkabout, Mirri learns that the Great Ancestor War-ra-mur-run-gun-di created the animals, birds and fish and they all lived together in a watery place. Everything was fine until the birds decided they should have all of the land for themselves. A giant battle commenced, but three, Garn-dag-itj, the Ancestral Kangaroo, Bal-an-ga, the Ancestral Long-Necked Turtle and Din-e-wan, the Ancestral Emu would not fight. Instead, they looked for ways to bring peace. Each had a powerful dream and afterward, the land began to change. All the animals made their homes on earth and were at peace. From that time, when the animals dreamt, they lived their dreams. When the story ended, Mirri looked at rock paintings of the Dreamtime and knew that a time would come for him too to leave his mark.

Mori's paintings of Mirri and Gadurra are done in alkyds on canvas, while his Dreamtime images are based on traditional Dreamtime motifs and are painted in acrylics on wood. The questing boy and his surroundings are painted realistically, using deep dark colors to show a mysterious sacred space. Some of the striking Dreamtime pictures look almost like mosaics, with spirals, wavy lines and dots of earthen colors creating a night sky giving way to a dream. The backgrounds of the pictures of the emu, kangaroo and turtle are highly textured and look to be painted with natural pigments, suggesting the cave drawings that Mirri sees. Readers will enjoy the surrealistic pictures, such as the great snake coiling itself  and changing into a twisting, rock hillside.

Gidja the Moon

Gidja the Moon by Percy Trezise & Dick Roughsey, 1984, North American edition 1988.

In this legend, Gidja the Moon brings mortality to the humans of the Dreamtime and becomes a celestial body, along with his wife, the Evening Star and his daughter the Morning Star. The story describes how the (super)human Gidja courts and wins his wife, then has and loses their little daughter Lilga to death. Death has been unknown to the first people, who blame Gidja and violently chase him away when he is trying to bury Lilga's body. They go so far as to try to kill him, but he does not die. When they fling him into the air, he becomes the moon that we know, waxing and waning as the days pass. At this time, he curses the people to be mortal.

In the book's introduction, we are told that the moon symbolized death to Australian Aboriginal people, but also Nature's seasonal rebirth and the afterlife. "They believed that Gidja attends the good gate at the portal of the new horizon, the Aboriginal concept of life after death. No one passes through the good gate without Gidja's approval."

Gidja the Moon includes a map of Australia with a detail of Cape York and a glossary with pronunciation of names.