With Your Heart

As stories are gathered and studied it becomes apparent there are more similarities than differences in our cultures.  There seems to be a common thread running beneath tales, motifs, which are then colored to reflect the country from which they come.  It's interesting to trace the origins of a story, to see how it has changed as it travels from place to place.

Some of the best stories come from the oral tradition of storytelling, passed on from generation to generation, parent to child.  Debut author Rita Jahanforuz, best known for her singing talents in the country of Israel, has written a folktale placed in the country of her birth.  The Girl With A Brave Heart: A Tale from Tehran (Barefoot Books) with illustrations by Vali Mintzi combines elements from a story told to her by her mother and those she added in the telling to her daughters. 

On a quiet street in the city of Tehran lived a little girl called Shiraz.

After Shiraz's mother dies her father remarries a woman with a daughter her age named Monir.  Up until his death the family lives in harmony and happiness.  Within a day of his passing, all changes for Shiraz; she becomes a servant in her own home.

One autumn day with her tasks completed Shiraz goes to the balcony at the top of their house.  She has found a ball of wool left in her mother's belongings.  Before she can begin knitting a sweater, a wind lifts it from the roof like a balloon to a neighbor's yard below where it lands on a rose bush in their garden.

Feeling frightened but desiring to get this remnant from her mother's life back, she soon makes her way to the neighbor's door.  After several knocks, a smaller door within the larger opens, eyes peering out at her.  Shiraz's question is answered with a requirement, if she wants the ball of wool back, she must do some chores for the elderly woman.

Shocked by the woman's and her home's appearance, Shiraz follows her to the kitchen.  Handing her a hammer, she tells Shiraz to destroy everything on and around the sink.  She does not do as the neighbor asks but instead cleans the entire space and even prepares a meal.  When she shows the woman, her efforts are met with silence.

Twice more the lady hands her tools which could be used to ruin but Shiraz chooses to use them for good creating beauty from neglect.  As promised the ball of wool is returned but in thanks for all her work, Shiraz is told to leave by the back gate.  There she will find two pools of water, one clear, the other dark.  She is told to dive into the clear pool three times first, then three times into the dark pool.  No more in either.

Returning home, fearful of punishment, she knocks on her own door.  Shiraz is greeted by her stepsister Monir, then her stepmother, as if she is a complete stranger.  Her transformation into a beautiful young woman stuns them.  Her explanation for the change spurs them into action.

The next morning after a visit to the market, the stepmother begins flinging balls of wool from the balcony; one finally landing in the old woman's garden.  Hiding outside the neighbor's home she watches as the conversation between Monir and the old woman ensues.  Unlike Shiraz, Monir does exactly as the woman asks, causing destruction in the kitchen, the garden and with the lady's hair.

She does leave...by the back gate.  She is given instructions.  She does follow them; even exceeding them.  The results are unexpected.  The difference is the two girls; one seeing with her eyes, the other with her heart.


Following in the footsteps of all good tellers of tales, Rita Jahanforuz paints a vivid picture with her words of the circumstance in which the main character find herself.  The number three is used more than once in the course of the events; the three tasks, diving into the pools three times.  Readers are left to predict the outcome for both Shiraz and Monir when performing their work for the woman; she views what they have done without speaking a word until handing them the ball of wool.  These elements when joined by the conversational narrative and dialogue make this story timeless.  You can almost hear Rita Jahanforuz speaking it to you; into your heart.


When I first held this book in my hands, spreading the cover open, I marveled at the beauty in the shades of browns, oranges, reds contrasting with the deep turquoise, splashes of bright green and the gold etching of the tree, leaves and bird.  (In the title verso it said Mintzi used the Middle Eastern market place as inspiration for her color choices.) With little imagination you can hear Shiraz's footsteps running down the street lined with the richly colored homes, hair streaming behind, her cat closely following. Dusty old-gold opening and closing endpapers compliment the double-page illustration of the cover.

Pictures rendered with gouache using transparent and opaque layers throughout most of the book extend edge to edge across two pages wrapping around the text.  Those on single pages or as smaller insets still convey, as do the larger illustrations, a vivid sense of place.  Vali Mintzi's mixture of pale washed, fine lines with the bolder, heavier brush strokes fashions a texture which will have you reaching out to touch the pages.  One of my favorite illustrations is of Shiraz leaning over the balcony gazing down at her village seeking to locate where the ball of wool has fallen.


The Girl With A Brave Heart: A Tale from Tehran written by Rita Jahanforuz with illustrations by Vali Mintzi is a beautiful story in word and art.  Careful readers will see parallels to Cinderella, Diamonds and Toads as well as The Talking Eggs by Robert D. San Souci with illustrations by Jerry Pinkney.  Make sure this book finds a spot in your folktale collection.

By following these links to the publisher website readers can view more illustrations and do extra activities.  I am very impressed with the mission statement of Barefoot Books stated in part below.

At Barefoot Books, we celebrate art and story that opens the hearts and minds of children from all walks of life, focusing on themes that encourage independence of spirit, enthusiasm for learning and respect for the world's diversity.  

Prehistoric Pursuit

Have you ever noticed how some grazing animals will stick their heads through a fence to eat on the other side, believing it to be better even though the food is exactly the same?  While the phrase "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence" may not hold true in most instances, out of necessity animals and people have throughout time moved to better their circumstances or as a means of survival.  The struggle associated with this endeavor has found its way into folklore.

Out of the storytelling tradition in Norway comes a fairy tale of three goats, hoping to eat grass on the other side of a bridge.  The problem is the ugly troll beneath the bridge, who would like nothing better than to have them for dinner.  With a twist and a trip to the past author/illustrator Stephen Shaskan offers readers, The Three Triceratops Tuff (Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, April 2, 2013).

Once upon a time,
sixty-eight million years ago,
there lived three triceratops brothers
who went by the name of Tuff:
Stanley Tuff, Rufus Tuff, and Bob Tuff.

Hard times have fallen on the area dinosaurs; food is becoming scarce.  After a bit of a trek, the lure of fresh green goodness on the other side of a valley gets the trio's attention.  Dino two, Rufus, is more than ready to dig into the waiting feast.  Therein lies the problem; Bob, the biggest of the three, points to a nasty, rather large Tyrannosaurus Rex waiting at the bottom.

Little Stanley Tuff with the blissful energy of youth does not want to wait.  He is stopped in his tracks by the looming, sharp-toothed giant, hoping to make Stanley an entree.  The T. Rex nevertheless takes the frightened but quick-thinking dino's advice to wait for the next bigger, and thus better, Tuff to come along the path.

Clip, clomp. Clip, clomp. Clip, clomp.  Here he comes.  When the equally resourceful Rufus mentions the biggest brother of all, the greedy monster, thinking himself to be very lucky, sends him on his way also.  Bob gladly goes, heading down to meet this meat-eating menace.

Getting ready for his first gourmet gulp, Tyrannosaurus Rex is halted by Bob's suggestion of a better idea.  The farthest thing from the villain's mind, though, is an aerial view of the valley.  Herbivores triumph!


With the first line Stephen Shaskan takes readers into the world of the triceratops three; making it perfectly clear these dudes may be old, really, really old, but this story is going to have a fresh, funny edge.  His word choices, turn of phrase and repetitive lines are more contemporary, in contrast to the characters and setting, heightening, what I like to call, the laughter factor.  Vegetation is appropriately called grub, T. Rex tells Stanley, "Then scram squirt!", T. Rex says "Dinner is served..." before attempting to consume the dinosaur brothers, and more than one character says "not so fast". 


Using the same artistic technique as in his debut picture book, A Dog Is A Dog, Shaskan digitally renders illustrations closely resembling those done by block printing.  Opening the matching jacket and cover, readers are greeted by the grinning threesome, sunbursts and volcano in the background on the right and the fearsome, growling carnivore on the left surrounded by all the vibrant, leafy, lime green plants.  On the first of two title pages we see a teeny, tiny fifth character zooming around the words in a sky blue circle---a sky blue mosquito.  He loops across the next two page spread calling attention to the publishing information as the triceratops trudge beneath the title and author/illustrator name.

Alternating textures, wood grain and sponge-like, and colors, shades of green and the sky blue, the scenery showcases the vivid colors of the dinosaurs.  Heavy lines around each further focus the reader's attention on the four.  Goofy grins, furrowed brows, angry eyes and hungry snarls along with expressive hand gestures leave no doubt in readers' minds as to the state of affairs on every page.

In the distance on several of the pages we see silhouettes of a line of other dinosaurs.  In a cheerful, vibrantly colored ending, Shaskan brings everyone together.  The final design technique has the mosquito again circling... the volcano... amid the dedication and more detailed publication information.


The Three Triceratops Tuff is a playful fracturing of a tale plus a little bit more.  There is exhilarating determination on every page.  What's not to love about three dinosaurs named Stanley, Rufus and Bob!? This is one you might want to consider for a reader's theater in a folktale study along with a more traditional version.

A link to Stephen Shaskan's website is embedded in his name above.  On another page linked here, he discusses how the idea for this book came to him through three four-year-old boys.  In his kids' stuff section he has headbands of the trio to cut out and color plus a printable maze.  This link to the publisher website shows a couple of interior illustrations.  Recently updated:  Stephen now has templates for creating paper bag puppets at his link.

The Price of Getting Your Own Way

Though it's been decades ago I can still recall sitting in a large open air tent, the first hint of fall traipsing through the mountains of Tennessee, listening to the resonant voice of one of the finest Native American storytellers.  He held every single one of us spellbound with tales passed from generation to generation. Since that day there have not been many of his story compilations, picture books and novels that I have not read.

Master storyteller and author, Joseph Bruchac and his son, James Bruchac, author, storyteller and wilderness survival expert and tracker, combine their noteworthy talents in a new pourquoi tale, Rabbit's Snow Dance (Dial Books for Young Readers).  Illustrations for this telling are provided by Jeff Newman, author/illustrator of Hippo! No, Rhino and The Boys.  Together the three keep a traditional Iroquois story alive for readers of all ages.


Long ago, they say, Rabbit did not look the way rabbits do today.

The sweet little hare of field and forest known today for his or her cottontail, originally was the proud owner of a much longer version.  One might even go so far as to say, this pride contributed to an attitude of rude impatience.

It seems, even though it was the middle of summer, Rabbit wanted snow.  His big feet were perfect for walking on the surface allowing him to reach the more delicious morsels higher up in the trees.  With his gift of song and dance, he was going to make it snow.  Why wait for winter?

This was a huge concern for some of the animals unprepared for the colder months; chipmunk's, squirrel's, turtle's and beaver's fears were ignored.  Moose and Bear doubted he had the slightest chance of succeeding.  But he did.

Now, if you think Rabbit stopped his singing and dancing when the first flakes fell, think again.  He wanted more and more and more.  Some of his fellow critters were pretty happy about all this snow, others were definitely not.

Before too long, Rabbit is getting mighty tired of all this song and dance.  So he rests in the one place left uncovered by snow, the tip-top of the tallest tree.  All night and nearly all the next day, Rabbit slept.  But the sun, bright and warm, shined all day.  Near sunset this long-eared, long-tailed, large-footed ball of fur is in for a rude awakening; an awakening making changes that have lasted to this very day.


Even though the text is printed on the page, it speaks clearly, in a voice as rich and warm as if the story were being told aloud.  Joseph Bruchac's and James Bruchac's tradition as gifted oral tellers is equally evident in this written tale.  Perfect pacing, repetitive phrases, insertion of Iroquois words, and the rhythmic song chanted by Rabbit conjure up a picture of gathered listeners about a roaring fire, surrounded by silence except for the voice of one, as the snow swirls about outside on a wintry evening.


The first few snowflakes of that first snowfall pepper both the front and back endpapers, white on a deep turquoise blue.  Four small, different, dancing poses of Rabbit holding his drum grace the title page.  Rendered in watercolor, gouache and ink the illustrations vary in size and perspective.  One key element evident in all of them is the underlying humor; beginning on the cover with the four animals pictured.

Jeff Newman's visualizing of Rabbit, the setting and events is full of expression and motion; Rabbit stomping his feet when he wants what he wants, Rabbit's contemplative pose, or Bear and Moose watching him speed toward his home. His use of white space on four separate pages showcasing the song and the characters' reactions is absolutely delightful.  Reflective of the narrative his color palette is beckoning and bright.


Offering up an explanation for more than one truth found in nature, Rabbit's Snow Dance told by James and Joseph Bruchac with illustrations by Jeff Newman is a folktale treasure to be shared, remembered and passed on from reader to reader and reader to listener.  Trust me when I say, you need to read this out loud (I've tried it).  Before you know it your listeners will be repeating lines, singing and dancing along with Rabbit.

Links to each of the artists' websites/blogs are embedded in their names.  For an interview of Jeff Newman at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast follow this link.  This link is for additional images showcased at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.

Porcine Ponderings

I'm sure I've mentioned more than once, over the course of my career I have enjoyed exploring the variations on folktales whether cultural or fractured.  After my review earlier this week of The Three Ninja Pigs (G. P Putnam's Sons) by Corey Rosen Schwartz with illustrations by Dan Santat, I started jotting down all the titles I could remember. Before I knew it, I was back at one of my favorite web 2.0 applications, Popplet, one of AASL's (American Association of School Librarians) Best Websites for Teaching and Learning 2012.

Here is the newest Popplet, Little Pig Variants.  It's a work in progress.  I've tried to include links to lesson plans, reader's theaters and videos whenever possible. On the plus side I learned a couple of new things about the application today.  For example if you want to add links to your text, you need a new popple for each link.  I also experimented with adding a map via Google.

If the embedded version below does not work, here is the link.

Weaving Words of Story

I have seen with my own eyes the transformative power of storytelling whether I am telling to one, five, fifty or five hundred; it's in the looks, the silence, the sighs, the knowing nods of my listeners and in the inevitable question, "Is this true?" My reply is always the same, "What do you think? Isn't there a truth to be found in every story for each listener, something that speaks to their heart?"   Unlike the oral teller in a limited setting (with the exception of taped tellings, duly noted), an author's written words can reach an unlimited readership for an unlimited amount of time; touching generations.

In Starry River Of The Sky (Little, Brown and Company, release date October 2, 2012) author, Grace Lin, bids readers to reenter the world of her 2010 Newbery Honor winning title, Where The Mountain Meets The Moon.  Blending traditional, timeless folktales from the Chinese culture with the main narrative, she fashions a story laced with life's most meaningful truths.  Her words are like a hand held open for us, hoping we will except the invitation to hold on and walk with her into this beautiful story.  From the first sentence to the final word we are under the spell of her magic.

Rendi was not sure how long the moon had been missing.

With this first sentence we're drawn into the story by questions.  Who is Rendi?  Where is the moon and why has it gone missing? 

Rendi, a boy, has hidden on a merchant's cart filled with large covered jugs (gangs) of Son Wine.  He is discovered when the innkeeper, Master Chao, in the poor Village of Clear Sky makes a purchase.  Left by the merchant, Rendi becomes the inn's new chore boy, a vacancy needing to be filled after the departure of the innkeeper's older son, Jiming.

Hints are left for the reader as to the wealthy way of life Rendi has left.  To himself, his intentions are clear; leaving this dusty, drought-ridden, sorry excuse of a village is his top priority.  Of interest to him though is the large expanse of stone, a plain, stretching beyond one's view next to the inn.  Why is this here? Where does it go?

With the arrival of a new guest, paying for one month's rent on their room in advance, every one's lives, their perspectives and relationships begin to alter.  Gently, but with purpose, the ethereal Madam Chang through story and conversation begins to offer explanations to the people living in and near the inn; causing them to question what they believe to be true and to recognize what is right before their eyes.  It seems there is a celestial imbalance paralleling the discord in the lives of Master Cho, his daughter, Peiyi, their neighbors Widow Yan and her daughter, MeiNan along with old, confused Mr. Shan.

Why is Rendi hearing a whimpering and moaning which appears to come from the moonless sky each night? Who are the government officials seeking?  Will the thieving traders succeed in their greedy plot?  Will love triumph?  Will wishes come true?

Imagine, if you will, beginning with a bud which a petal at a time opens until in full bloom; this book is the glorious result of a flowering realized. Madam Chang is not the only one with stories, others tell theirs, each building one upon the other. Soon the line between reality and story blur and blend.

Grace Lin's writing is so compelling, even though I have never heard her speak, I hear her voice as if she is reading this book to me.  Her setting is finely formed to the point where you can open a page and step right in.  Characters speak to readers with thoughts and desires timeless in quality.

What follows is a passage from Starry River Of The Sky.

The sky sent out another pitiful groan, and Rendi looked at her in confusion.
"Remember your story?" Madame Chang said. "The duke believed that if a listener truly understood, he can hear what another cannot.  You must understand in a way none of us do."
"But that wasn't true," Rendi protested. "The duke was tricked."
"The duke was tricked," Madam Chang said.  "But that does not mean what he believed was false."
The light of the firefly lanterns flickered, and shadows wavered over Rendi's frowning face.

Grace Lin has penned a story, Starry River Of The Sky, resplendent in its honor of the human need to listen to and tell stories bridging the gap between young and old, then and now, seeking to find the similarities in cultures and illuminate the differences.  My book is an advance reading copy without her intricate, stunning illustrations as were seen in Where The Mountain Meets The Moon. It will be a happy day when I can purchase the hardcover copy to sit next to its companion on my personal bookshelf.  Thank you Grace Lin for sharing your gift of story with so many.  Starry River Of The Sky is a treasure beyond value.

Who's going to blow the house in?

Jan Brett has fashioned yet another dazzling example of her signature artwork in her newest book, The 3 Little Dassies.  Widely traveled gaining inspiration for her books, she collects details of the flora, fauna, culture, customs and clothing.  The locations shown in her stories are a true reflection of that part of the world.  Knowing just a little bit more about people, places, animals or vegetation unlike their own, is a given for the reader of Jan Brett's books.  Using watercolor and gouache (watercolor paint which is opaque rather than transparent) each highly detailed illustration not only complements the storyline but true to her style the side panels tell another tale giving the reader a glimpse into that which is to come.

After making a trip to Namibia located in southern Africa with her husband, Jan kept thinking about seeing the rock hyraxes (dassies) and the agama lizard.  Having been introduced to the Namibian women and their traditional dress, Jan acquired many pieces of the brightly colored fabrics as well as varying types of grasses native to the area.  She uses these fabrics not only to dress her characters but as frames for each piece of art.  Never missing a chance to surround her reader with the story Brett begins and ends this book (endpapers) showing woven grasses dotted with insects found in Namibia.


The 3 Little Dassies is, of course, an adaptation of The Three Little Pigs but readers will find it richer in characters, lessons and a wee bit of a pourquoi message.   As the dassies leave home they meet the Agama Man at the base of a mountain.  He welcomes them having been lonely for too long.

Making their homes of grass, driftwood and stone resting as each is completed the dassies settle in their new surroundings.  It is the wily eagle, chicks in her nest on the mountain top, that seeks out the dassies for food.  Chanting

I'll flap and I'll clap and I'll blow your house in. 

she manages to fly upward with the first two sisters, Mimbi and Pimbi. 

Equally as clever is the Agama Man who sees a chance to save the already captured dassies.  Mirroring the story's predecessors is the eagle's flight down the chimney only to have her feathers severely burned changing their color for generations to see.  At Timibi's stone house all are reunited celebrating with their extended family who have come to live.


I have long been a collector of Jan Brett books enjoying them again and again as have my students over the years.  We eagerly await each of her new books.  Reading The 3 Little Dassies to them and adding it to our library media center collection will be a joy. As Jan Brett says, A picture is never finished until I feel I can walk into a page.  We will all be gladly walking with you, Jan Brett.