Caldecott Honor | Book Review: Illustrator's Awards

Viva Frida by Yuyi Morales

Posted on March 20, 2015 by jodidelapena

Book Information: Viva Frida Written and Illustrated by Yuyi Morales. 2014, Roaring Book Press, New York, NY.

ISBN: 978-1-59643-603-9

Awards: Pura Belpre Illustration Award 2015, Caldecott Honor Book 2015

Plot Summary: Viva Frida by Yuyi Morales is textually simple bi-lingual book, made rich and vibrant through its beautiful illustrations. In fact, “I am,… I search, I see…Ah-ha! I play, I know, I dream, and I realize that I feel and I understand that I love and create and so…I live!” is the totality of the story. It is a self-affirming, empowering statement of the importance of celebrating yourself and the joy of being alive.

Illustrations: While the text is simple, the illustrations are rich and complex. They offer a rich subtext that compliments the overall story and adds dimension and subtlety. Also, through the three dimensional mixed media of photography and art, the pages have depth and vibrancy utilizing colors and themes from Frida Kahlo’s own artistic style. For example on the second page we see a Frida Kahlo doll in traditional dress with flowers in her hair, propped on a cobbled stone pathway looking into the jungle with a Diego Rivera doll walking away from her holding paint brushes. Additionally illustrated images are combined with photography on the “I dream” page showing tiny drawn images of herself dancing around the Frida doll’s head. And the most compelling page is the “And Create” page as the illustrations is of the doll in the process of a self-portrait that Frida Kahlo was so known for. All of the illustrations contain elements from the over 55 self-portraits Kahlo painted in her lifetime depicting herself with her pet monkey, her parrot wearing traditional Mexican clothing.

Children’s Programming Options:

Story Time – Viva Frida is a wonderful book to introduce young minds to the beauty and artistry of a great Mexican artist. The text is quite simple so much time would be taken observing the pictures and discussing the elements inside the illustrations. While the text is sparse, this book would be more suited to pre-school aged students and older. In particular students coming in for a class visit studying art would be a great book to compare with a short non-fiction biography about Frida Kahlo.

One on One – This book is fantastic for the one-on-one reading experience particularly between mother and daughter. It almost works as an I Spy book with so many elements hidden within the illustrations and prompts much individual discussion about Frida Kahlo and her life. Also in the back of the book, Morales describes Kahlo and her influence on her as an artist, a Mexican and a woman. All great talking points between girls and women today.

Groups – Viva Frida is a book that would be a wonderful addition to bi-lingual story time as well as groups of students coming from a Spanish Immersion class for a visit. It is short, but offers an opportunity for Storyteller and children to connect to the artist and discuss how these elements are represented in her own art.

Classroom – Any module on Mexican culture, Famous Women, and/or Art would greatly benefit from the addition of this book. Tying a biography to this book creates the opportunity to treat each page into a fun exercise in symbolism and art appreciation.

About the Author: Yuyi Morales is an author and illustrator of children’s books, an artist and a puppet maker. She was born and raised in Veracruz Mexico, and much of her artwork has been influenced from her childhood. She has won several awards and Viva Frida won both the Pura Belpre Illustrators Award as well as a Caldecott Honor Award.

References:

Association for Library Service to Children. 2015. “Caldecott Medal & Honor Books 1938 – present.” Retrieved on March 17, 2015 from : http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/caldecottmedal/caldecotthonors/caldecottmedal

Association for Library Service to Children. 2015. “The Pura Belpre Award Winners 1996 – present.” Retrieved on March 17, 2015 from : http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/belpremedal/belprepast

Morales, Yuyi. 2014. Viva Frida. Roaring Book Press: New York, NY.

Publisher’s Weekly. 2014. “Yuyi Morales: PW talks with the Award Winning Illustrator.” Retrieved on March 17, 2015 from: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/63359-yuyi-morales.html

Olivia by Ian Falconer

Posted on March 20, 2015 by jodidelapena

Book Information: Olivia written and Illustrated by Ian Falconer, 2008, Antheneum Books for Young Readers, New York, NY

ISBN: 0-689-82953-1

Awards: Caldecott Honor Book 2000,

Plot Summary: Olivia is a high energy little girl with a big imagination that often wears her mother out. Her family keeps her occupied by visiting many fun places from the beach to museum, but even then Olivia has too much energy for her mother to manage. She ends up receiving a time out before bedtime, but all is well when she and her mother read her favorite stories together.

Illustrations: Ian Falconer wrote and illustrated this hilarious story about a precocious little pig. His illustrations are simple and, with the exception of the color red used for impact, are done all in black and white. Some pages are filled with Olivia dressing in various clothing outfits trying to decide on what to wear for the day, while other pages are dominated by a single large illustration of a sand castle or painting. The illustrations compliment the text as they are both sparse and contain a quirky deadpan comedy. Especially at the end of the book when Olivia’s mother tells her “‘…you wear me out. But I love you anyway'” to which Olivia responds “‘I love you anyway too.'” The story is funny and sweet without being overly done just as the illustrations are, which makes it a great choice for adults and children to share.

Children’s Programming Options:

Story Time – Olivia is a wonderful book that can be used for story times for children as young as 3 years old. The reason for this is the sparse text and graphic images. This book is also appropriate for children in Pre-school story times, as it introduces themes about art and good decision-making that older children preparing for Kindergarten understand. The story time themes this book would be appropriate for are Pigs, Art, Imagination and Behavior.

One on One – When reading Olivia to a child one on one, the illustrations are graphic and interesting, especially the pictures of Olivia in various clothes and costumes. It sparks much discussion about what each costume or uniform represents and even allows for the child’s own imagination to soar just as Olivia does in the book.

Classroom – Ian Falconer and his books could be highlighted in the classroom during an educational module on authors and illustrators. His distinctive style is a great representation of simple, monochromatic art and is a great foil to illustrators such as David Shannon and David Kirk who’s artwork is so colorful. This book would also be a great compliment to a lesson on Art as Olivia visits a museum then produces her own “artwork” at home much to the dismay of her mother.

About the Author: Ian Falconer is a painter and illustrator and Olivia was his first children’s book. Since the debut of Olivia in 2000, Ian Falconer has gone on to write and illustrate more than 10 books in the Olivia series. Falconer has also illustrated for The New Yorker magazine and designed costumes and sets for the theatre. The characters of Olivia and Ian who appear in this book are based on Falconers own niece and nephew.

References:

Falconer, Ian. 2008. Olivia. Antheneum Books for Young Readers. New York, NY.

Ian Falconer. Wikipedia. 2015. Retrieved on March 17, 2015 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Falconer

Publishers Weekly. “Olivia.” Retrieved on March 17, 2015 from: http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-689-82953-6