The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howlitt and Tony DiTerlizzi

Howitt, M. and T. DiTerlizzi, illustrator (2002).  The Spider and the Fly.  New York City, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.  ISBN: 0-689-85289-4

Annotation

This picturebook combines illustrations based on classic Hollywood horror movies of the 1920s and 1930s with a Victorian cautionary poem written by Mary Howitt in 1829.

My thoughts

This Caldecott Honors book is a hauntingly beautiful tale. A sinister looking spider tries to convince an innocent looking fly to enter his parlor.  In one of the earlier publications of the original poem, William Bennett wrote, “Unfortunately, as long as there’s dishonesty in the world, there will be people ready to lay trap for us. We must learn to recognize them and guard against their wiles. Not everyone who talk sweetly offers sweets.” The book explains the consequences for believing flattering words of strangers. Knowing to be skeptical is a difficult issue to approach with young children. This book makes this complicated conversion easier with the personified Spider and Fly. I enjoyed this book.  I loved how it has recycled a classic piece of literature and I especially love the illustrations.

Focus on artwork:

The illustrations are fantastic. Inspired by 1920s and 1930 dark Hollywood, the cinematic effect that accentuate the details of the story. In the author’s information he credits his inspiration to come from Hollywood film noir as well as illustrations from Edward Gorey, Chaz Addams, and Arthur Rackham. The influence of these artists is evident and this book is recommended for fans of these classic illustrators.

There were many things that I liked about the illustrations. One is the way that DiTerlizzi illustrates the spider and fly. Another nice detail is the spider’s web. Throughout the story, the spider’s web is included from a few strands in the beginning to the final web. The web is finished with the story making it a nice marker. The ghosts that are seen as cautionary figures throughout the story also stand out. For the ghosts, Tony DiTerlizzi used Adobe Photoshop to add the graphic drawn ghosts as a transparent layer which gives them a luminous effect.

Lesson Plan

See 'Lesson Plan' page

Literary devices

Use of Rhyme: “So he wove a subtle web in a little corner sly,/ And set his table ready, to dine upon the fly.”

Use of Rhythm: “Oh no, no,” said the little Fly. “to ask me is in vain,/ For who goes up your winding stair can ne’er come down again.” There is a sense of rhythm and beats in the couplets of this poem.

Reading level/ Interest Age

Age 6-10

Reviews and Awards

Caldecott Honors, 2003

ALA Notable Children’s Books, 2003

Author website: No author website.

Illustrator website: http://diterlizzi.com

Media: Lamp Black and Titanium White Holbein Acryla Gouache and Berol Prismacolor Pencil on Thrathmore 5-Ply, Plate Bristol board and reproduced in silver and black duotone.  Ghosts were created using graphite and then added as a transparent layer using Adobe Photoshop.   (Information retrieved from the copyright page.)

Genre: Juvenile picture book

Why War is Never a Good Idea by Alice Walker and Stefano Vitale

Walker, Alice - author, & Vitale, Stefano - illustrator (2007). Why War is Never a Good Idea. New York, NY: HarperCollinsPublishers. ISBN: 978-0060753856.

Annotation

Powerful, evocative, hard hitting, gut wrenching poem about the devastating effects of war.

My thoughts

This is a pacifist’s poem in the extreme, and if it isn’t then as the pages turn the reader will think about pacifism. It doesn’t rationalize a war instead it turns war into this evil personified thing that destroys life and has wide consequences. “When it comes/ To nursing/ Mothers/ It is blind;/ Milk, especially/Human,/ It cannot/ See.” These words are tragic and very scary because it doesn’t show the supposed just-causes of war it shows the unintended consequences on the lives of innocents.

The illustrations start off bright and capture the various regions in descriptively vague ways. China, South America, Cambodia, a jungle, European architecture, Middle-east architecture, and Africa are depicted showing the global scale. The people from these places are shown going about their innocent daily duties and lives. “Through War has a mind of its own/ war never knows/ Who/ It is going/ To hit.” A church and homes are depicted with many people playing, talking, working, walking, riding, fishing, drinking, swimming, sitting, kissing, etc. A death cloud looms on the following page. The illustrations get darker until the last page. The final page is painted from the perspective of the bottom of a well looking up at the moon. Looking down into the well are silhouetted forms with lit eyes looking into the war-tainted water. These people are innocent various global representatives representing the wide spread effects.

Curricular connections

History

Literary devices

Use of Personification: “the power and wanton devastation of war” is represented in this poem. The illustrations show the consequences of war.

Reading level/ Interest Age

Grade 5 and up. The book jacket says “all ages.” Some people feel that this book is “scary” and disturbing. It is just as war is. I think that children are exposed to so much directly and indirectly though life and through the media. The earlier children are introduced to truths (like war is devastatingly terrible) the better. Otherwise, there is the chance of raising a generation who is blind to the consequences or sees the wrong causes. This is just a personal opinion, however. There are other people who view this book and poem as political propaganda meant to indoctrinate children to be peaceful. In addition, this particular personified war is evil. It doesn’t show the version where people gain freedom and are liberated. Books like this are great for discussions. I would think it would be good for a middle school debate.

Unfortunately, perhaps books that have these ‘mature’ concepts should be suggested with discretion in a public library setting or for individuals (parents, teachers, etc.) interested in and inquiring about war in general.

Reviews and Awards

Alice Walker won the Pulitzer Prize and an American Book Award for her novel The Color Purple. School Library Journal included Why War is Never a Good Idea in its Best Books of 2007 list.

Author website: No known website.

Illustrator website: www.stefanovitale.com/

Media: Acrylic painting

Genre: Juvenile picture book, poetry

Ellington Was Not A Street by Ntozake Shange and Kadir Nelson

Shange, N. - author, & Nelson, K. - illustrator (2004). Ellington Was Not A Street. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN-10: 0689828845.

Annotation

Illustrated picture book of the poem “Mood Indigo” by Ntozake Shange.

My thoughts

The book is about historical greats in the black community, told through a child’s (Duke Ellington’s daughter) eyes with “Mood Indigo” providing text. Mood Indigo is a historical poem by Ntozake Shange and was inspired by many different activists and musicians of the Harlem Renaissance. The poet notes these individuals and the back of the book provides biographical information. Paul Robeson, William Edward Burghardt DuBois, Ray Barretto, Earlington Carl “Sonny Til” Tilhgman, Dizzy Dillespie, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Virgil “Honey Bear” Akins, the Clovers, and of course Duke Ellington make appearances at her house and are all included in the book.

What really stands out for me are the beautiful oil illustrations. These are incredible double page paintings that really capture the time. One of the most interesting pictures was the "family photo" at the end. I found this to be a very powerful statement because it shows that it really takes several different types of people to make change and take a stand against society. Each personality comes through Kadir Nelson’s rendering of person’s expression. Very impressive.

Favorite Quotes:

“I listened in the company of men

politics as necessary as collards

music even in our dreams.”

“our doors opened lie our daddy’s arms

held us safe & loved”

Curricular connections

History- African American history- the Harlem Renaissance- 20^th cent Black history- grade 3-8- These men are some of the greatest black heroes of the early twentieth century to past day America. The book includes a helpful biographical section in the back with pictures of the featured men. The book can be used to introduce some of these men. It can also be used in an English class to introduce different poets and forms of poetry.

Lesson Plan

See 'Lesson Plan' page

Reading level/ Interest Age

Grade 3-8

Reviews and Awards

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award winner

Author website: No found website.

Ilustrator website: www.kadirnelson.com/

Media: Oil paints

Genre: juvenile picture book, historical, poetry