Thanksgiving Treasures-Tradition #4

In thinking about writing this fourth post about favorite titles used to express gratitude I can't ignore the snow-covered landscape outside my window.  For the second November in a row we have had plenty of snowfall beginning in the middle of the month; even prompting an early snow day for our schools.  I can't help but think the natural world might be sending us a message.  There will be those who say it's part of a cycle or some propose it's a result of global warming and climate change but perhaps it is a signal to simply slow down more.  We need to take time to pause and ponder; to appreciate all the goodness in our lives, even the littlest of things.  My three previous posts, Thanksgiving Treasures-Tradition, Thanksgiving Treasures-Tradition #2 and Thanksgiving Treasures-Tradition #3, highlight the following six titles.

Back in 1999 The Blue Sky Press (an imprint of Scholastic Inc.) released Thanksgiving Wish written by Michael J. Rosen with paintings by John Thompson.  In collaboration the two bring readers a heartbreaking and heartwarming book based upon tradition, family and making memories.  You truly wish you could talk to both of them to see how the narrative and artwork were created.  Is this story based upon a real life experience?  Who served as models for the people in the pictures? 

ONCE A YEAR, ever since Amanda knew the word Thanksgiving, her family would travel to her grandmother Bubbe's house for the holiday.  Even more than Chanukah or Passover or the other Jewish holidays that Bubbe loved to share with her family, Thanksgiving had always been Bubbe's special holiday.

Amanda's grandmother spends the entire month of November cooking dishes, the same dishes year after year, to serve to her family at Thanksgiving.  It is a gift from her heart.  While all the food and family, uncles, aunts and cousins, is an important part of the day, it's right before falling asleep when the best part happens.  

All year long Bubbe saves the wishbones from the birds she cooks so every single child can make a wish.  She comes to them at bedtime holding various sizes in her hand depending on the size of the wish needing to be granted.  After the pull, whoever has the largest piece is sure to get their wish fulfilled.  Even when Amanda asks Bubbe she will never talk about her wish.  If a wish is shared it can't possibly come true.

When Bubbe passes away, the first Thanksgiving without her is to be held at Amanda's family's new house; a very large, very old house.  Using her Grandmother's recipes kept in a special file, Amanda, her parents and two sisters try to cook up a feast the day before all the relatives arrive.  They continue through the night working together.

On Thanksgiving morning, they keep on preparing and cooking food.  It is a rainy gloomy day.  When two sets of uncles, aunts and cousins arrive they are soaking wet.  Being told by Amanda's mother dinner will be a little late, they settle in, drying themselves out, watching television and talking about Bubbe.  Suddenly all the lights go out.  There is no power.

Everyone else in the neighborhood is fine.  Fuses in the old electrical system can't be replaced until the following day.  A knock at the door announces the beginning of a day like no other, a day of gratitude, remembering and the creation of a new tradition.

Characters so real they could be your next-door neighbor woven into events so true to life they must have happened are the mark of Michael J. Rosen as a storyteller.  His blend of narration and dialogue between the characters make readers feel as if they are there.  He understands the dynamics of families and the connection between children and their grandparents.  Here is a sample passage.

The Thanksgiving before Bubbe died, as unexpectedly as anything you want to live forever dies, Amanda asked her a question. "Bubbe, I've always wondered:  What are you wishing for tonight?  I know we're not supposed to tell, but maybe...well, can you tell me what you wished for last year?"

Her grandmother held out the wishbone for Amanda to grab, and said, "Tonight?  Last year?  I'm wishing for the same thing I wish for every time."

The illustrations, the paintings, on the matching dust jacket and book case are images taken from the interior of the book.  The grandmother's and child's hand getting ready to make a wish and Amanda's mother holding her at the Thanksgiving table as she tells Amanda and the rest of the family, Bubbe's wish each year.  Opening and closing endpapers are a warm, golden brown.  A single wishbone is framed on the title page.  

John Thompson includes a full framed picture on a single page with a small detailed inset on the opposite page within every two pages.  The skill in his paintings is so masterful as to be photographic in quality.  It appears as though he might use some type of underlying wash giving all his illustrations a glow.  The play of light and shadow are stunning.  

One of my favorite illustrations is of Amanda lying in bed with Bubbe offering her the choice of three wishbones.  They are both smiling in anticipation.  Everything, the facial expressions, body postures, clothing, hair, quilt on the bed, teddy bear and angel hanging on the bedpost, speaks of comfort and love.  

Without a doubt attending the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee for several Octobers over the years, is a lifetime highpoint.  I, with many others, listened in fascination to Native America teller and author, Joseph Bruchac.  Listening to him tell stories or reading his many books, gives us valuable insights into the culture from which he comes.  

The Circle of Thanks: Native American Poems and Songs of Thanksgiving (BridgeWater Books, 1996) told by Joseph Bruchac with illustrations by Murv Jacob presents thirteen poems or songs from ten different peoples.  Both Bruchac and Jacob draw on their Native American culture to present authenticity in the words and illustrations.  Giving gratitude for everything every day, especially the bounty of our natural world, is inherent in those Native American cultures represented here.  

THE CIRCLE OF THANKS

As I play my drum

I look around me

and I see the trees.

The trees are dancing

in a circle about me

and they are beautiful. ...

Beginning on the northeast coast with the Micmac people we are introduced to the importance of the drum, the circle it represents and sending praise for the trees, sun, moon, stars and people.  Mother Earth is shown honor by the Mohawk for her constant and strong presence.  Without rain, the Papago of the southwest would be unable to sustain themselves with their corn crops.  Praise for both can be found in their traditions.

The Cherokee of the southeast and the Kwakiutl of the northwest coast pay tribute to the blessings bestowed on their people by the generosity of plants and trees.  The Kwakiutl of the Pacific Northwest believe if gratitude is expressed to the black bear for the giving of their life, traits of that bear will be passed to the hunter who killed it.  In the southwest the Hopi sing to the Kachina who come to their villages dancing, depicting things in the universe over which they have no power.  These songs are sung in thanksgiving.

Songs and poems about thunder from the Navajo, the sun from the Osage and the stars from the Pawnee of the southern plains signify the appreciation held for these natural wonders.  The final piece, WORDS CALLED TO THE FOUR DIRECTIONS, is a reverent plea for calm and peace everywhere.  This collection pays tribute in words as true today as when they were first uttered.

Joseph Bruchac opens this book with a note to the reader and closes with an afterward.  He also provides two pages of further explanations about each of the thirteen poems and songs and the beliefs of the people. Each telling can be easily understood by even younger readers providing points for discussion and further research.  There is a feeling of devout respect to be found on every page.  Here is one of the poems.

SONG TO THE DANCING STARS

Look as they rise,

look as those stars rise

there over the line

where the earth meets the sky.

Those Star Dancers,

they rise up together.

Look, as they rise up,

how they come to guide us.

They lead us safely,

they keep us as one.

Dancing Stars,

we watch you as you rise.

Teach us to be, like you, united.

Pawnee, Southern Plains

Each illustration with the exception of the front dust jacket, book case, title page and final page spans across two pages.  These paintings by Cherokee artist, Murv Jacob provide a background for the framed text set upon each of them.  A full color palette evoking seasons, housing, activities and dress are done with infinite care.

In all the images flora and fauna native to a specific area are showcased focusing on one or more element as well as the people.  Jacob chooses to alter his perspective by providing us with a panoramic or close-up view depending on the poem or song.  One of my favorites is for the shared Pawnee poem.

It is night with the sky a swirl of tiny colored dots.  Seven stars are brighter than the others with the bodies of women outlined in the sky attached to them.  Beneath the sky is a grassy plain upon which three riders gallop on their ponies.  In the lead is a woman followed by two men.  

I am grateful for both Thanksgiving Wish by Michael J. Rosen with paintings by John Thompson and The Circle of Thanks: Native American Poems and Songs of Thanksgiving by Joseph Bruchac with paintings by Murv Jacob.  If you wish to learn more about Michael J. Rosen, John Thompson or Joseph Bruchac please follow the links embedded in their names.  John Thompson has several images from the book at his site.

Thanksgiving Treasures-Tradition #3

For the Thanksgiving post for the past two years, I've featured titles to commemorate and celebrate this holiday; Thanksgiving Treasures-Tradition and Thanksgiving Treasures-Tradition #2 highlight four favorites of mine.  It is important to not only set aside a single day for the giving of thanks but to appreciate and recognize small memorable and positive moments all year long.  They are there every single day if we only take the time to pause, listen and look.

In 1844 Lydia Maria Child published a poem, The New-England Boy's Song About Thanksgiving Day in a collection titled Flowers for Children, Volume 2.  Since that time it has achieved classic status as a seasonal song.  In 2011 author illustrator Matt Tavares illustrated the beloved verses with his rich, period paintings in Over the River and Through the Wood (Candlewick Press).



Over the river, and through the wood,
To grandfather's house we go;
The horse knows the way,
To carry the sleigh,
Through the white and drifted snow.

The opened matching jacket and cover feature a peaceful pastoral scene, from the edge of one flap to the other, of a family leaving their town to climb the hills to grandfather's house.  On the title pages Matt Tavares gives readers a panoramic, aerial view of the community, winding river and hills in the background, with the family tucked in the lower left-hand corner next to their sleigh getting ready for their trip.  For the first five lines of the poem he provides a close-up of the parents, their two children, and dog about to depart.

For every five lines of the poem Tavares' illustrations rendered in watercolor, gouache and pencil spread across two pages.  While the color of the sky, people bundled in winter clothing and fallen and falling snow, leave no doubt as to the chilly temperatures, there is warmth in every picture.  The colors used in the clothing, buildings and the sleigh coupled with the facial expressions on the people reflect the remembered joys of this day.

The joy of passing by a store window filled with toys, crossing an arched stone bridge, watching the people skating on the river below, climbing up one hill after another, passing through the gate around the barnyard, arriving at grandfather's home and enjoying a meal together, are all depicted in varying perspectives designed to make the reader feel like a participant rather than only an observer.  Attentive readers will notice Tavares has also chosen to add another story to the trip through his illustrations; a special canine connection.  Any one of these gorgeous pictures is worthy of framing but one of my favorites is of the family's arrival at the farm, the home and barn in the background, the dog running ahead, the boy leaning forward in the sleigh expectantly, as snow falls.  You can almost hear the bark of the dogs, called greetings, baaing of sheep and the slide of runners on the snow when you look at this illustration.

Over the River and Through the Wood written by Lydia Maria Child with illustrations by Matt Tavares is a lovely seasonal offering for readers of all ages.  There is a note about the author at the book's end.  Please follow the links embedded in Matt Tavares' name to access his website and blog. The videos below are to acquaint you with the true joy Matt Tavares feels for his work.













I have seen tweets repeatedly which mirror my own feelings about reading books once you have heard an author or illustrator speak; from that point forward when you read their work you hear them talking to you.  After listening to Katherine Paterson's speech at the American Library Association, Association for Library Service to Children, Newbery, Caldecott, Wilder Awards Banquet and conversing with her briefly in the reception line, I hear her gentle, knowing voice in my mind when I read her books.  Her most recent title, as an author and editor, Giving Thanks: Poems, Prayers And Praise Songs Of Thanksgiving (Handprint Books, an imprint of Chronicle Books) with illustrations by Pamela Dalton is the ideal platform for what I believe to be the soul of her body of work.

As way of introduction Katherine Paterson begins with a two page reflection on joy, gratitude and prayer.  She recounts all the blessings in her life from the good and bad times alike, as each has lessons from which we can learn. For each of the following sections in this book, she begins with a single page of her own words on the theme.

In Gather Around the Table Paterson voices her gratitude for having plenty of food to eat, recounting her own and another's story.  Within the eight pages we can read a traditional American mealtime prayer, an Islamic prayer, a Chinese proverb, a Native American grace, words of poet Ralph Waldo Emerson or a Pueblo blessing.  It is apparent that no matter the culture or custom, giving thanks for food to eat is universal for its nourishment, for sustaining our bodies.

A few shared hours with her son David watching a cicada, opens the chapter A Celebration of Life.  This is my favorite of the four.  Her descriptions, choice of words, transport you to those marvelous moments.  Poems penned from authors around the world are found here as are prayers from a variety of cultures.  Some are familiar, others are new, but all bring a sense of peace to the reader; twelve pages of beauty.

A thoughtful musing on the poor in spirit begins the writings titled The Spirit Within.  I think of all those contained in these six pages my favorite might be by Helen Keller.

The best and most beautiful things in
the world cannot be seen or even touched.
They must be felt with the heart.

Then too, it's hard not to be moved by the words, the song, written by John Newton,

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound...

Katherine Paterson closes the book with thoughts on all the many places she has lived and visited around the world and the importance of understanding.  It addresses our misplaced beliefs.  The selections in the Circle of Community are about noticing the similarities we share.  They are about the importance of each individual.


The exquisite, intricate cut-paper illustrations by Pamela Dalton done in the early American tradition are nearly beyond description. A note at the back briefly describes the technique.

The paper was then antiqued in a coffee solution, ironed, and illuminated with watercolor.

The rustic red seen on the jacket and cover is deepened to provide a background for the opening and closing endpapers.  On the endpapers the cut-paper artwork creates a wide frame for tiny oval watercolor paintings which also appear throughout the book.

Different colored backgrounds are used for each area of the book; a golden tan, deep earthy green, a steely blue and the rustic red of the jacket and cover.  These hues supply the left-hand side of each page with a wide margin for highlighting the illustrations.  Other cut-paper pictures are placed within the pages, shades of cream on cream.  The painstaking hours of work for each is easily apparent, causing you to pause on each page wondering.  My favorite is the last page in the A Celebration of Life chapter.  Green, yellow and gray-brown cut-paper birch tree branches frame a square containing an E. E. Cummings verse with a black-capped chickadee sitting on a branch.

Giving Thanks: Poems, Prayers, And Praise Songs Of Thanksgiving edited and with reflections by Katherine Paterson with illustrations by Pamela Dalton is as breathtaking as their first collaboration, Brother Sun, Sister Moon. I highly recommend it for your personal and classroom collections due to the diversity of choices within the pages.  It makes you stop, take note and be grateful.  It can be the basis of a variety of discussions and writing prompts with your students.

Please take time to visit the author's and illustrator's websites by following the links embedded in their names.  I could not resist sharing this video of Katherine Paterson and her husband John talking about the importance of picture books.

 

Giving Thanks

I am extremely grateful for these authors and illustrators not only on this Thanksgiving day but every day.  They have brought immeasurable joy to all their readers.