Canticle of the Fog « terrallectualism

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Posted : Jul 09, 2012 05:47

D sedney

Any idea why brother sun sister moon was not even an honor book?

Posted : Jan 22, 2012 08:44

Melody Allen

I'm a little behind this discussion, but I would add a couple of thoughts. For Caldecott the art is supposed to delineate the theme, etc., so it should not matter that the text has a religious basis. It matters that the art is an appropriate match to the theme, topic, concept, story, whatever. My question regarding this book is actually whether the artistic technique becomes what you look at instead of the content. One person above even commented on skipping the text on some readings. Are readers so amazed at the paper cutting, that the technique is what they take away from the book? I would also like to follow up on the issue regarding diversity as this same question came up in our Mock Caldecott's discussion of a totally different book - Where's Walrus. The graphic style is more based on shape and form than on depictions of real people in order to create the hiding game. Has anyone else heard this issue discussed about this title? There was talk of the point of having a collection be multicultural in aggregate and not for every book.

Posted : Dec 27, 2011 08:51

Paper Moons « Annie Cardi

[...] love the paper cut art in Brother Sun, Sister Moon. What a stunning book! And it’s by Katherine Paterson, so you know it’s going to be good. I don’t [...]

Posted : Dec 23, 2011 05:51

kimu

Robin & others - The main reason I highlight the religion component is that Chronicle Books describes this as a "re-imagining" of the Saint Francis hymn and a "stunningly beautiful tribute to nature". Neither one of those descriptions makes it clear to me that this is still a religious work. In fact, they led me to believe it might no longer be religious, although on actually reading the book, it was clear there was no way that was actually possible. I'm troubled because, as a non-religious person, I frequently encounter this obfuscation and lack of precision in book & music descriptions. I don't in any way object to the existence of books & music with religious content, I just wish that publishers would make it easier to identify this material.

Posted : Dec 21, 2011 05:50

MotherReader

I thought this book was absolutely stunning, and I hope that it is recognized by the Caldecott. The discussion going on here is interesting in its unexpectedness. I wasn't surprised by the religious content given the title, nor would I think that would be an issue anyway. I liked what the author did with the text, making it more accessible. I'm generally tuned in to diversity in books, but I didn't see the place for it in what looks to me to be an old-time European village.

Posted : Dec 21, 2011 03:38

Robin Smith

Yes, indeed, Lolly. I love this: "Over a period of time, I hope every child can experience books depicting many kinds of characters, settings, and yes, religious beliefs. It’s great when one book covers a range of any one of these and does it well, but often that’s too much to ask. I hope no one overlooks a great book simply because the characters are all of one race or the setting is only rural or urban or suburban."

Posted : Dec 20, 2011 09:16

Lolly Robinson

I think it may vary committee to committee. If I remember correctly, the criteria don't specifically say that the text should be taken into consideration, but in at least one committee I know of the members were aware that their choice would become a high profile book. Keeping that in mind, they decided early on to concentrate on books that were exemplary picture books in every way, text and all. I hope I'm allowed to say this. It doesn't speak to the religion question, but I suspect for some committees this kind of thing does make a difference. I also think the question of religious content can be related to Ed Woilfer's observation about the lily-white cast in Brother Sun, Sister Moon. I'm all for a multicultural approach to children's literature, but I think that comes in the aggregate. Over a period of time, I hope every child can experience books depicting many kinds of characters, settings, and yes, religious beliefs. It's great when one book covers a range of any one of these and does it well, but often that's too much to ask. I hope no one overlooks a great book simply because the characters are all of one race or the setting is only rural or urban or suburban. As I see it, the goal is to cover as much ground as possible, but let that be over the course of a year or a semester -- many books.

Posted : Dec 20, 2011 08:44

Jules

I'll speak as a librarian here: Yes, it's an overtly religious text (as was her second offering this year about the nativity story from the King James Bible). Of course it should be added to a collection and I'd even read it at a story time, as long as I made it clear that it's *one* way of believing. And I'd be sure to also read, say, Michael J. Rosen's new Hanukah book (pop-up one). Some of this year's best books---this one, Lauren Thompson's and Jonathan Bean's One Starry Night, and Susan Campbell Bartoletti's and Holly Meade's Naamah and the Ark at Night---have Biblical content. In the name of Too Much Information, I myself am not a person of faith -- and I love them. 'Cause it's about the art. And the way the books work as a whole. Now, does the committee, though, ponder further these books with Biblical content? Robin wrote that, for the committee’s purpose, it’s all about the art. That makes sense. But do they in the back of their minds consider whether they'll be divisive as winning choices? That would seem natural, but it's comforting to me to hear Robin say that art is the focus. Period.

Posted : Dec 20, 2011 06:48

Dean Schneider

I have loved BROTHER SUN, SISTER MOON ever since I first saw it. I appreciate the black backgrounds, the symmetry, and the glorious color. And I like the papercuts as a technique seldom seen in children's book illustration. I learned about scherenschnitte from my mother when I was growing up in Pennsylvania near the Pennsylvania Dutch (Pennsylvania German) area, and Dalton employs it beautifully here. However, I can imagine the Caldecott committee wondering if the illustrations are too static, not offering the interplay of text and illustration that most typifies award-winning picture books. That, in no way, means the art in this book is less beautiful. Lots of beautiful art is static. I think Kadir Nelson is at his best in his majestic, but more static portaits in We Are the Ship and some of Heart and Soul and in panoramic scenes, such as Yankee Stadium in A Nation's Hope. And Ashley Bryan's art in Let it Shine and Beautiful Blackbird is absolutely gorgeous, among my favorites, but also, for a Caldecott committee, perhaps seen as static. Not a deal breaker, I don't think, but I can see committees preferring illustration that more fully plays off of the text, extending the text rather than just representing it. But, again, that is, in no way, a criticism of these illustrators' work, which I love; just a reflection on how this committee seems to define the criteria.

Posted : Dec 20, 2011 03:53

GraceAnne_LadyHawk

Robin and all- I loved the art in Grandpa Green, and I loved the art in Swirl by Swirl, I found them rich and marvelously done. But with Brother Sun Sister Moon, I found what I also found in A Ball for Daisy: extraordinary, distinguished art. The use of negative space, the tiny and large details, the profound use of color in Brother Sun Sister Moon was truly remarkable to me. In A Ball for Daisy, Raschka did things with line that were so emotionally powerful that I was blown away. This is a conversation I love having, and I try to put stuff like that in my book reviews because the art matters so much to me, but it is harder to do that here.

Posted : Dec 20, 2011 12:49

Robin Smith

Rosanna, Well, with picture books it might be a book where the art is inconsistent from page to page, where the gutter was not used correctly, where the colors or art do not make sense, where the paper is so thin you can see the images from the next page. Any sort of inconsistency from page to page makes me put a book aside. Of course, I have to love the story or concept and sometimes I just don't like the story. The book I am thinking about was not a picture book. It was a book that won a Newbery Honor some time ago. It had too many coincidences for me and there was some playing with real history in a book of historical fiction, which I have a lot of trouble with. Obviously, the committee found all sorts of things to love about it. I was not on the committee, so I will never know how the discussions went. I trust the committee process and trust that there were some pretty amazing things about that book that I simply missed. Robin

Posted : Dec 20, 2011 12:27

Robin Smith

Rosanna-- I don't seem to be able to answer you right below your comment. The committee can talk about whatever it wants to talk about, but one thing I remember from my time on various committees is the exhortation to "judge the work we have here, not the book we wish it was." I love the idea of an "Absolutely Not" list. I always have one of those for Newbery and once one of my Absolutely Not books was awarded an honor. And I did pout. I still do, when I think of That Book.

Posted : Dec 19, 2011 11:53

GraceAnne_LadyHawk

It is an extraordinary piece of art, and worthy of serious consideration. It is in my personal top five, and possibly in my top three. St Francis is indeed a saint, but also a historical figure, and while this prayer is indeed a prayer, it is not specifically Christian so far as I can tell. I believe that is one of the strengths of the text.

Posted : Dec 19, 2011 11:26

Barb Gogan

It very well may be, but I would hope there would be a specific reason given for only having fair-skinned people pictured. For instance, I felt the family pictured in THE MONEY WE'LL SAVE was appropriate for the setting. Maybe I was just grumpy about the lack of diversity in the Caldecott possibilities as a whole as I re-read them this weekend. It seemed as if unless a book was specifically about a topic that REQUIRED people of color (like UNDERGROUND), I didn't see many various colored faces. Except NEVILLE. Just one of the many things I loved about that book.

Posted : Dec 19, 2011 11:21

Barb Gogan

I didn't find anything in the words which indicated only Aryan children could be pictured and found the lack of any diversity in the children put this on my Absolutely Not list. I would have felt differently if this was supposed to be Sweden, but I looked and didn't read anything in it that indicated something like that.

Posted : Dec 19, 2011 10:01

kimu

I thought the art in this book was beautiful, but gladly returned it to the library due to the heavily religious text. I'm surprised that more reviews haven't made it explicitly clear that this is a Christian devotional. If you're planning on giving it as a gift at baby showers, I hope you're making certain the parents are interested in the religious message.

Posted : Dec 19, 2011 05:17