Module 2: Bunnicula

Howe, D., Howe, J., & Daniel, A. (2004). Bunnicula: A rabbit-tale of mystery. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Summary: Harold the dog and Chester the cat have their lives interrupted by a new addition to the Monroe family, a bunny found at the movie showing of Dracula. Once naming the bunny Bunnicula in honor of his arrival into the family, strange things begin happening to the vegetables in the refrigerator at night. It’s up to Harold and Chester to get to the bottom of it before it’s too late!

Response: I loved reading this book probably as much as when I first read it, if not more! I really enjoy the perspective of the story being told by Harold the dog, as the family pets are much more in tune with what is really going on. The personalities of Harold and Chester are so well fleshed out, that there is no need to go in depth with the family members. The action and suspense play themselves out naturally amongst the animal members of the story.

Reviews:

Leading a trio of titles with milestone celebrations, Bunnicula 25th Anniversary Edition by Deborah and James Howe, illus. by Alan Daniel, boasts a new foreword by James Howe to commemorate the 1979 publication of the tale starring a rabbit suspected of vegetable vampirism, narrated by the family dog.
Publishers Weekly. (2004, August 1). Bunnicula: A rabbit-tale of mystery [Book review blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-689-86775-0

Library Programs: Have a program where Bunnicula is read and invite kids to a book talk in Dracula costume. Provide fruits and vegetables for the draining, and talk about the perspective of narration from the dog. Have kids think about Bunnicula’s point of view and how he would tell the story (accents encouraged).

Module 2: Strega Nona

 DePaola, T. (1997). Strega Nona: An original tale. New York, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

 

Summary: Strega Nona, the town’s Grandmother witch, is known for her ability assist people with life and body ailments. She hires Big Anthony, a young man who does not pay attention, to help with chores as she continues her work. She provides him with food and a place to stay as long as he minds his work and obeys her orders. All is well until his curiosity gets the best of Big Anthony.

Response: I have always loved Strega Nona books. I appreciate the wisdom of the elder that is represented and how it helps educate the younger generations (i.e. Big Anthony and his grand ideas). I am especially a fan of the art style that DePaola illustrates in this book and the Strega Nona series.

Reviews:
Top 100 Picture Books as reviewed by the School Library Journal blog in 2012
#34 Strega Nona by Tomie de Paola (1975) 51 points

I must have a thing for bowls that duplicate stuff. Strega Nona in many ways mirrors the 4th title on this list, The Full Belly Bowl. But unlike Aylesworth’s book, Strega Nona focuses on humor to get its point across. dePaola’s 1979 classic takes an original tale and makes it feel timeless – no small feat. – Travis Jonker

I was working the Reference Desk one day when a small blond boy knee-high to a butterfly came up to me.  He wanted me to find a book for him and I said I’d try.  What was it about?  “There’s a woman with a white hat but she’s NOT a Pilgrim,” he told me thoroughly.  Apparently he had encountered the pilgrim problem before.  “And there’s baby Jesus and a donkey and a baker’s son.”  Uh-oh.  This was not sounding too familiar.  A Befana story, maybe?  But where does the baker’s son come in?  “Uh.. is there anything else you remember?” I asked, not hoping for much.  He screwed up his little face then said, “There’s a pot and it has magic spaghetti in it . . . .” Say no more!  I made a jackrabbit-like leap to the shelves and pulled off Strega Nona as fast as I could.  Baby Jesus and donkey aside, it was exactly the book he was looking for.  And why not?  Strega Nona is my own personal favorite of the Tomie de Paola oeuvre.  The telling, the pictures, the way it all comes together . . . it comes as close to being a perfect picture book as anyone could hope to find.

From my old review: “Strega Nona lives by her lonesome in a small cottage in Calabria, Italy. A witch by trade, she cures the townspeople of their ailments, warts, and headaches. When Big Anthony is hired on as Strega Nona’s servant she gives him very strict instructions on what he is required to do, and what is forbidden. Quoth Strega Nona, ‘The one thing you must never do is touch the pasta pot’. You see where this is going. After watching the witch conjure delicious cooked pasta fully formed from the pot, Anthony is eager to show this miracle himself to the people of the town. When Strega Nona leaves on a trip, Anthony speaks her spell and feeds everyone in the vicinity delicious, piping hot pasta. Unfortunately, Anthony didn’t quite catch the trick to making the pasta stop flowing. As the villagers attempt to prevent the growing threat from destroying their town, Strega Nona arrives just in time to put everything right again. Anthony receives a just comeuppance and all is well in the world.”

Apropos of nothing, I always thought that Big Anthony was kinda cute.  This is why I’ve been careful to avoid marrying any picture book characters.  I have terrible taste in their men.

I highly recommend reading the Bottom Shelf Books look at this book, particularly the discussion of Streganomics.  And that reminds me… are you brave enough to discover the secrets lurking within  . . . The DePaola Code?

The New York Times Book Review said of it, “De Paola’s illustrations aptly capture the whimsy of this ancient tale… simple line drawings clearly reveal the agony and ecstasy of pasta power, the muted colors create just the right ambiance for a Medieval village.”

Bird, E. (2012-07-06). Top 100 picture books poll results. School Library Journal. “A Fuse #8 Production” blog post. Retrieved from http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2012/06/01/top-100-picture-books-34-strega-nona-by-tomie-de-paola/

Library Program:

-Make dioramas with children of different scenes with the boiling pasta pot using cut outs of Strega Nona, Big Anthony, towns people and using yarn for the pasta.
-After reading the book, have children make their own poems that would make the pasta pot (or some other magical object) start and stop its task. Have them think of unique actions to complete as well similar to Strega Nona’s three kisses.



Module 1: Bats at the Library

 

Lies, B. (2008). Bats at the library. Boston, Houghton Mifflin Company.

Summary: A host of bats enjoy an evening at the library when a window is left ajar. They explore the space and its vast book holdings in this book written in rhyme.

Response: I enjoyed this book because of the idea that the library can come alive even after it has been closed down for patron use. The bats explore the space, its features and its resources to their hearts content because they aren’t often presented with this opportunity. I appreciate the celebration and appreciation of the library that is expressed.

Reviews:
An open library window is an invitation for a colony of bats in this sequel to Bats at the Beach (2006). Once inside, older bats look for favorite books, while younger ones explore and play. Storytime settles everyone down and transports them into the tales, filled with bat characters playing new roles. The bat homage to classic children's books includes titles like Goodnight Sun, while images such as Little Red Riding Bat will amuse children who are familiar with the originals. The rhymed narrative serves primarily as the vehicle for the appealing acrylic illustrations that teem with bats so charming they will even win over chiroptophobes.--Linda Perkins
Perkins, Linda. "Bats at the Library." Booklist 15 Oct. 2008: 46. Literature Resource Center. Web. 24 Jan. 2015.

Library programs: Have an event in the morning that occurs after the bats have visited the library. Read the book aloud to a group and do a walk-through of a designated space where the bats may have left evidence of their explorations.

Greetings!

Hello! My name is Hanako Moondance, and I will be blogging about Youth Literature of different varieties over the course of my semester in the Library and Information Science course Literature for Youth at the University of North Texas. I look forward to reading many books and assessing my thoughts about some of the most compelling books that I read.

Thanks for reading!