Reading something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue
Search results for lane smith
More Po-Mo picture books (Picture book roundup 10)
Nov 29th
I’ve been fascinated with postmodern picture books ever since I took a course in children’s books back in college. Since then I’ve been building up my collection of po-mo picture books, and I’ve now got over 20 of them, mostly from rummaging through bargain bins.
I love how po-mo picture books challenge the reader to look at things in a different way, offering an enjoyable experience to both the young reader, the parent reading to the child, and even an older reader randomly picking up the book and flicking through the pages.
The multiplicity of meanings also encourages creativity and imagination in constructing the meaning of the text or illustrations, as well as the interest to reread a book.
I also marvel at the writers and illustrators’ creativity in taking the craft of picture books one step further, defying convention and structure
I have several books in this picture book roundup: The Story of a Little Mouse Trapped in a Book by Monique Felix; Wolves by Emily Gravett; Zoom and Re-Zoom by Istvan Banyai; Bamboozled by David Legge; and Pinocchio the Boy, or Incognito in Collodi by Lane Smith (books 175-180 for 2009).
(In case you missed it, I previously discussed the characteristics of po-mo picture books in the post I did on The Three Little Pigs.)
Coming up: 24-Hour Read-a-thon
Oct 22nd
I finally remembered to sign up for Dewey’s 24-hour Read-a-thon, which is set on October 24th 5am Pacific 1pm GMT (erm, Flipper friends, can you tell me what time that is in the Philippines?)
The last read-a-thon was my first, and I think I learned a lot from that, especially in the choice of reading material, so I’m definitely more prepared this time around.
All about Seuss
Jul 27th
Last Saturday, our book club Flips Flipping Pages held our July book discussion on one of my childhood favorites, Dr. Seuss. I’d been looking forward to this discussion because we haven’t tackled any children’s books yet in a year of book discussions, and I was part moderator of this one, where I took on the discussion of the art of Dr. Seuss.
As a child, I was fortunate enough to attend a school with a principal that had special interest in children’s books, and so our library was well-stocked with the best of them. I remember discovering the Dr. Seuss section when I was in first grade, and I spent many happy hours in the library — well, happy for me, not for the maid who waited for me for hours at the gate, because I didn’t want to go home yet so I evaded her for as long as I can. Hehe.
For this particular discussion, I read three Dr. Seuss books (books #114-116 of 2009): How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss; Seuss, the whole Seuss, and nothing but the Seuss: A Visual Biography of Theodore Seuss Geisel by Charles D. Cohen; and Hooray for Diffendoofer Day by Dr. Seuss, Jack Prelutsky, and Lane Smith.
I Survived the 24-hour Read-a-thon.
Apr 19th
I’m still alive!
It’s the 24th hour and I’m far from finishing the last book I started so I thought I’d start blogging already.
It’s the 24th hour and I’m far from finishing the last book I started so I thought I’d start blogging already.
I realized I didn’t include an introduction of my challenge in my mid-event post, so to explain, the 24-hour read-a-thon is an event mounted in memory of Dewey, a blogger and a reader who started the event in October 2007. Dewey passed away in November 2008, and the 24-hour read-a-thon is continued by those who’ve helped Dewey organize the past read-a-thons, and hundreds of book bloggers in the world.
I never met Dewey, although she was also active on BookMooch, but I am inspired by the number of lives she touched, and how she shared her love of reading to people all over the world. I decided to join this year because I salute her efforts, and I wanted to be part of this global celebration for a fellow book blogger.
So, as you’ve read in my mid-event post, I had a lot of catching up to do since I got stuck on Silverlock last night. Here’s the story, and the answers to some memes
I realized I didn’t answer the introductory meme so here goes:
3 facts about me …
- I live in Makati City, Philippines, where it’s the peak of summer and the temperature’s over 30 degrees!
- I collect international editions of Harry Potter.
- I am scared of flying cockroaches.
How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?
I didn’t plan my reading list, other than Silverlock, which was I was in the middle of when the event started, so after that I just grabbed some books from my general TBR pile, which has nearly 300. Now they’re in disarray because I trawled through them like a madwoman, lol!
Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?
My goal was 8 books.
If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, Any advice for people doing this for the first time?
It’s my first time, although I’ll definitely plan better for the next one, and I want to pull a hardcore all-nighter!
And finally, my end-of-event meme:
Downing a coke float, which didn’t have much of an effect towards the heat!
The Secret of the Pistoulet by Jana Kolpen and Mary Tiegreen
The Legend of Villa della Luna by Jana Kolpen and Mary Tiegreen
Maybe he wants me to cook this recipe for him?
1. Which hour was most daunting for you?
Gosh, around hour 16, after I posted my mid-event entry.
It was sooooo hot, I was sweating like crazy so I took off for a walk to McDonald’s, which is around five blocks from our house. I finished one book, Para Kay B, and then I had to go home because I had to go to mass — it’s Sunday in the Philippines.
Downing a coke float, which didn’t have much of an effect towards the heat!2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? Hmm, high-interest books in general, not necessarily ones I’ve read for this event. I’m thinking short and interesting so here are some suggestions:
Perfume by Patrick Suskind
The Arrival by Shaun Tan — wordless!
The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka, ill. by Lane Smith
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
The Tattooed Map by Barbara Hodgson
Griffin and Sabine by Nick Bantock
The Little Prince by Antoine Saint Exupery
I’ve found that illustrated books work great because there’s a visual interest, and your eyes can rest from straight text.
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
My suggestion is same as my mid-event suggestion — a holiday read-a-thon, because people have more time off or can clear their schedule accordingly, regardless of time zone.
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?
The Mr. Linky and the feed site — it’s a great way to find out what other readers are up to.
5. How many books did you read?
8 and a half
6. What were the names of the books you read?
The first four were in my mid-event post: Silverlock by John Myers Myers, D is for Dahl, and 2 Little Lit books (It was a Dark and Silly Night, and Fairy Tale Funnies).
Today’s reads included:
Para Kay B by Ricky Lee (photo above)
The Secret of the Pistoulet by Jana Kolpen and Mary Tiegreen
The Legend of Villa della Luna by Jana Kolpen and Mary Tiegreen
The Pixie Hollow Pop-up
and halfway through Miller’s Collecting Books by Catherine Porter
(and that’s my tottering TBR mountain– those that don’t fit my TBR shelves!)
7. Which book did you enjoy most?
I enjoyed the last book the most, Miller’s Collecting Books. It contains everything you need to know about collecting books and all sorts of book geekery, and I’m really loving it so I’m reading it slowly so I can savor it.
8. Which did you enjoy least?
Hmm, Silverlock was hardest for me to get through because I started it over the Easter holidays, stopped for a week when I had so much work to do and picked it up again for the read-a-thon. Hardcore fantasy (with maps and strange names) are really not my cup of tea, although the book references in Silverlock kept me going. Note to self: next time, no fantasy epics!
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?
I wasn’t a cheerleader, but to the cheerleaders — good job! See you again next year!
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?
I’d still want to be a reader. I really want an all-nighter, and I’ve got to plan it out. An idea would be to read with another reader (or maybe more!), for a read-a-thon party.
Heehee, one last thing, I’d like to share a photo of my dog, Macky, helping me out in the read-a-thon:
Maybe he wants me to cook this recipe for him?Cheers, and congratulations to all readers! Will post reviews of the read-a-thon books throughout this week.
Thank you Dewey for starting this tradition. You live in the memory of all read-a-thoners and read-a-thon cheerleaders!
The Three Little Pigs go Po-Mo
Mar 30th
I know I just did a picture book roundup, but I’m really excited to share two picture books I got this weekend, both a deconstruction of the story of the Three Little Pigs: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by A. Wolf as told to Jon Scieszka, illustrated by Lane Smith; and The Three Pigs (book #54 for 2009), written and illustrated by David Wiesner.
I have had a fascination for postmodern picture books since I was in college, and I have a growing collection of them. It totally revolutionizes picture books as we know them, and it’s great genius on the part of the writers and especially the illustrators.
Postmodern picture books are often characterized by:
- Nontraditional ways of using plot, character, and setting, which challenge reader expectations and require different ways of reading and viewing;
- Unusual uses of the narrator’s voice to position the reader to read the book in particular ways and through a particular characters’ eyes (this can be achieved by the written or visual text);
- Indeterminacy in written or illustrative text, plot, character, or setting, which requires the reader to construct some of the text and meanings;
- A pastiche of illustrative styles, which require the reader to employ a range of knowledge and grammars to read;
- New and unusual design and layout, which challenge the reader’s perception of how to read a book;
- Contesting discourses (between illustrative and written text), which require the reader to consider alternate readings and meaning; intertextuality, which requires the reader to use background knowledge in order to access the available meanings; and
- The availability of multiple readings and meanings for a variety of audiences.
(Anstey, M. (2002). “It’s not all black and white”: Postmodern picture books and new literacies. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy)
Now, I’ve long been a fan of Lane Smith, especially when he’s teamed up with John Scieszka, because they just make me laugh out loud! I have a growing collection of their picture books, starting with The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Stories, Squids will be Squids, Cowboy and Octopus, Pinocchio, and Math Curse. I think I’m just missing a few – Science Curse, the Abe Lincoln book, and Seen Art?.
I’ve had a paperback copy of The True Story of the Three Little Pigs for around 4 years now, but when I saw the hardcover, 10 year anniversary edition of the book at Book Sale for only P120, I just had to have it (never mind that I bought the paperback full price, for more than twice the amount.
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, with Totoro 
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs is told from the wolf’s point of view, and he cries out, “I was framed!”
He pleads not guilty, stating, “Hey, it’s not my fault wolves eat cute little animals like bunnies and sheep and pigs. That’s just the way we are. If cheeseburgers were cute, folks would probably think you were Big and Bad too.”
cheeseburger: wolf versionA. Wolf, or Alexander T. Wolf, shares his side of the story, the real story, he says, which is about a sneeze and a cup of sugar.
Apparently, he was making a birthday cake for his granny when he ran out of sugar, so he went over to the pigs’ house to borrow a cup of sugar. The problem is, he had a bad cold, and when he sneezed, the first two houses – the one made of straw and the one made of sticks – collapsed on top of the their owners, and the wolf thought it would be a shame to let some perfectly good ham go to waste.
The third house was brick, though, and the wolf had a nasty exchange of words with the third pig, who wouldn’t lend him a cup of sugar for his dear granny’s birthday cake. So he huffed, and he puffed… and that’s how the cops found him.
He says that the cup of sugar story wasn’t exactly breaking news, so the police jazzed up the story and he became famous as the Big Bad Wolf.
breaking news!Lane Smith’s rich, textured illustrations make the story doubly funny, adding little (sometimes morbid) jokes into the illustrations. The 10 year anniversary edition, which I now have, throws in a few more laughs: there is a letter from A. Wolf complaining his ten-year imprisonment and decrying the testimony made by a certain girl in a red riding hood. The back of the book has also been vandalized with different opinions on the case.
wall graffitiNow that I’ve “done a Blooey” on this book, i.e. upgraded yet another paperback into hardcover (in Flippers/Moochers terms), I now have a spare copy of the book (in pristine condition), but I think I already have someone in mind for the book. I’ll have to find out if that person has this already, or else it’ll go into my BookMooch inventory.
By the way, I’m really loving how hardcover picture books from the US have “reinforced binding” that make them good for lots and lots of readings. Hopefully my (future + hypothetical) kids get to appreciate my growing collection of picture books, which ran out of shelves, like, several dozen books ago. I wish they’d devise the same type of binding for other types of books.
My second book for today is The Three Pigs by David Wiesner, who has fast become another one of my favorites, ever since I found a battered copy of Tuesday in a bargain bin (I think the one I mooched got lost in the mail).
According to the jacket, “Ever since the pigs took to the air at the end of Tuesday, he [Wiesner] has wanted to give them a book of their own” – hence The Three Pigs, which received the 2001 Caldecott Medal. It amazes me how this guy just racks up the Caldecotts.
Before reading this book, I’d have thought The True Story of the Three Little Pigs would be a tough act to beat, but Wiesner does a great job with this book. Aside from deconstructing the story, The Three Pigs deconstructs the actual structure of the book, with a touch of metafiction, as the characters become aware that they are characters in a book.
It starts out as the regular Three Little Pigs story, but the wolf huffs and puffs so hard that he blows the first pig right out of the story. Confused, the wolf moves on to the next house, but as he huffs and puffs, the first pig coaxes the second one out of the story and the wolf is even more confused when he finds the second house empty.
When the two pigs reach the third house, the third pig is surprised because they haven’t been eaten up. They knock away some pages of the book, fold it up, make a paper plane and have the time of their lives, until the plane crashes into a crumpled heap.
folding the pages
My favorite scene — the paper plane rideThe three pigs find another story and they enter it – it’s Hey Diddle Diddle. They get out of the story and the cat with the fiddle follows them out. They enter another story, this time with a dragon, and they save the dragon from getting slain by taking him out of his story.
The pigs finally go home to their story, and piece it back together so that the wolf gets to the brick house, and when he huffs and puffs and is unable to blow down the house, the dragon pokes his head out and the letters from the text get scattered. The pigs decide they’ve had quite enough and leave the wolf outside while they (pigs + cat + dragon) all head inside to have some soup.
Dragon’s head butts into the text, scattering the lettersI love how smart David Wiesner’s books are, and this one reminds me of one of my favorite book series, Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series. I like how the pigs defy the structure of the book, jumping from one story into another, ultimately taking charge of their fate.
I also love how Wiesner uses different styles to establish the jump from story to story, and the pigs adapt to the illustration style wherever they are situated— from the vintage style of The Three Little Pigs, the realistic style of the “space” outside the books, the simplistic style of the nursery rhyme book, and the coloring book style of the dragon story. When the pigs are halfway out the story, they’re also illustrated in half-and-half styles. Wiesner is such a genius!
The pigs jumping into the coloring book-style dragon storyThe Three Little Pigs is a great children’s classic, but it’s even better when it goes po-mo!
***
My copy: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, hardcover 10 year anniversary edition (upgraded from Scholastic paperback); The Three Pigs, hardcover — both P120 at Book Sale
My rating: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, 5/5 stars; The Three Pigs 5/5 stars
The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith
Jan 2nd
I’ve been looking for this book for ages, and I temporarily lifted my book-buying moratorium because I chanced upon it at book sale (I love you guys, whoever’s behind the store, even though that beatrix potter book I’ve requested online from you still hasn’t been confirmed, and that was a whole year ago!)… Whee!
I discovered The Stinky Cheese Man and my love for Lane Smith when I was taking Illustration classes under Panch Alcaraz, when she lent me the book to use as a reference for my thesis. I’ve been looking for it for three years now (heartbroken at the INKmas party, when someone turned it in as an exchange gift, and it missed me by a couple of persons during the passing), and I finally have it! Yehey!
To those not familiar with the book, it’s an irreverent parody of fairy tales, one of the best examples of post-modern children’s books today, deconstructing not only the fairy tale but the concept of a book as well. It’s funny in a way both kids and grownups can enjoy (Chickoy and I had a fun time reading it together!), no matter how many times you read it.
I love it love it love it!
***
My copy: hardcover with dust jacket, from Book Sale
My rating: 5/5 stars
Yodelayheehoo! (The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip)
Nov 20th
Posted by Sumthinblue in Bargain Books
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Lane Smith (of The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, Hooray for Diffendoofer Day, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs and many others) is one of my all-time favorite illustrators, and I’ve got a growing collection of his books (mostly the result of foraging in bargain bins!).
I’d been eyeing the book The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip by George Saunders (illustrated by Lane Smith) at a specialty bookstore for ages. Earlier this year, I finally scored a copy at one of the book store sales for only P59!
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