Cannon, J. (2004). Pinduli. Orlando: Harcourt.
Summary: Pinduli is a young hyena eager to
explore the world around her. She leaves her mama’s side under the promise that
she will soon return. In her explorations she meets several animals who are
critical of her appearance. Pinduli does all she can to change the way she
looks and ends up creating an adventure of her own.
Response: I really enjoyed reading and
rereading this book because of its wonderful illustrations. Each page is so
well crafted to show each interaction that Pinduli has though interesting
angles and perspectives. I really enjoyed the smaller pen illustrations
underneath the text depicting Pinduli’s mother being worried and going out to
look for her. It is another side of the story that gets told without words.
Reviews:
Cannon, Janell. Pinduli. Sept. 2004. 48p. illus.
Harcourt.
Gr. 1-3. Cannon,
best known as the author/ illustrator of Stellaluna (1993), here introduces Pinduli, a little hyena who lives in
East Africa. One afternoon, Pinduli
encounters a pack of wild dogs that make fun of her ears, a bald lion that
calls her fur a "prickly fringe," and a zebra that criticizes the
haziness of her stripes After transforming her "flaws" as best she
can, Pinduli inadvertently
tricks these animals into thinking that she is the "Great Spirit."
They confess their misdeeds and agree to make amends Children will find
Pinduli's hurt feelings understandable and her quick thinking admirable. The
artwork, executed in colored pencils and acrylics, uses a restrained palette in
the large pictures depicting the main story on the right-hand pages. On the
left, below the text, a series of small ink drawings create a visual
counterpoint by showing what Pinduli's mother is doing while events unfold. A
four-page end-note discusses the various species of hyenas and their
characteristics. Though a bit purposeful, the story may give teachers and
parents a starting point for discussing insults.--Carolyn Phelan
Phelan, C. (2004, September 1). Cannon, Janell. Pinduli. Booklist, 101(1),
129+.
Program: Have a display of different animals with different attributes listed
and a pro’s and con’s list underneath each animal. Children and parents
visiting the display area may participate in adding words underneath each
category to think about why certain animals are the way they are, what makes
them unique or gives them certain abilities for survival. Encourage all those
who participate to check out the book and how the animals are made to feel
about their particular traits.
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