scholarly journals Shavit, Zohar. Poetics of children’s literature. Atenas e Londres: The University of Georgia Press, 2009. 200p.

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 225
Author(s):  
Lia Araujo Miranda Lima
2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Tan

The Deakin Review of Children's Literature Health Fiction Exhibition is a joint exhibit at the University of Alberta’s Education and Health Sciences libraries. It showcases books reviewed in this special issue.


2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Denis Lacroix

This article describes why and how the University of Alberta Libraries built a Spanish language children’s literature collection. Selection criteria, findability, visibility, and assessment are addressed in the context of this collection. Practical information is provided to help librarians build similar collections and promote them.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Paterson

Lindbergh, Reeve. Homer The Library Cat. Illus. Anne Wilsdorf. Somerville, MA: CandlewickPress, 2011. Print. Reeve Lindbergh’s tale of a cat who only wants some peace and quiet is a pleasant, though unremarkable, romp through some very noisy places, ending up in the quiet sanctuary of the library. The rhyme scheme is incredibly simple, making it easy for children to memorize and read along; however, the rhythm of the lines is not ideal, and aside from a general linguistic playfulness that serves him well, it cannot be said that Lindbergh has a particularly good ear for poetry. Likewise, Wilsdorf’s watercolours are vibrant and cheerful enough, but there is nothing notable in her style to attract or draw readers in. Most of the illustrations are very busy, giving children plenty to see and do; however, at times, Homer himself fades into the background. He is never drawn with enough definition to truly distinguish him or imbue him with any life beyond the pages of the story. Homer’s ubiquitous and varied use of onomatopoeia is sure to delight children, as well as giving parents small opportunities to perform in their reading. However, despite the faint pleasures of bright colours and noise-words, it is hard to imagine this book becoming any kind of favourite, unless perhaps of a child inordinately fond of both cats and libraries. Just as Homer eventually proves to be a library cat, Homer The Library Cat would probably be best suited as a library book. It is a book that many would enjoy reading a few times over, though it will never be a nursery staple. Homer is not so prettily drawn nor so well-defined a character as to particularly endear himself to children, though he may prove an amusing, short-term distraction with whom no reader could find serious fault. Recommended: 2 starsReviewer: Amy PatersonAmy Paterson is a Public Services Librarian at the University of Alberta’s H. T. Coutts Education Library. She was previously the Editor of the Dalhousie Journal of Interdisciplinary Management and is very happy to be involved in the Deakin Review and the delightful world of children’s literature.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie Aitken

O’Leary, Sara.  Owls Are Good at Keeping Secrets: An Unusual Alphabet. Illustrated by Jacob Grant. Tundra Books, 2018. From first to last, the phonic examples in O’Leary’s alphabet book are disarming:                 “Aa                 Alligators think you’d like them if you got to know them.”                 “Zz                Zebras would like to be first. Just once.“ Unlike so many other authors of this genre, O’Leary rarely struggles to find simple, memorable examples of words that begin with the appropriate vowels and consonants. The sole exception in his work is the use of “Chipmunks” to illustrate the sound of the letter “C.” Child readers would have to be mature enough to recognize the digraph (ch) and be alert to its sound. That exception being noted, all of the other phonic illustrations—even the ones for the “difficult” sounds—are straight-forward, playful and engaging.                 “Qq                 Quail get quite tired of being told to be quiet.”                 “Uu                 Unicorns believe in themselves.                 “Yy                 Yaks giggle at their own jokes.” Joseph Brant’s illustrations are all that they ought to be: large, clear, colourful and, most importantly in this type of book, unambiguous. His depiction of voles for the letter “V” is particularly endearing. Those of us involved in the field of children’s literature might want this illustration and its motto on our flag:                 “Vv                 Voles always want just one more book.” In any case, we should ensure that this delightful book is on our children’s library shelves. Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Leslie Aitken Leslie Aitken’s long career in librarianship included selection of children’s literature for school, public, special and academic libraries. She was a Curriculum Librarian for the University of Alberta.              


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie Aitken

Maclear, Kyo.  The Good Little Book. Illustrated by Marion Arbona.  Tundra Books, 2015.In this work, Maclear uses allegorical techniques to expand on compelling themes.  Her protagonist is unnamed; he is “the boy,” every boy who loves to read.  The Good Little Book is every book that captivates a reader.  Its author is unnamed.   Its characters are not delineated.  Only a captioned illustration, one of Arbona’s many colorful offerings, provides clues to the book’s plot and impact:“It carried him to the deep sea and steered him towards a faraway land. It dazzled him and stumped him and made him laugh and gasp.  He read it through.  Then he turned back to the beginning and read it again.”[pp.11-12]Humour is a feature of the work; Maclear likes to play with words--literary words. The Good Little Book resides with others, one of which has won the “Called a Cat” medal.  We are informed, however, that “The good little book…had no shiny medals…it didn’t even own a proper jacket.” [p.3]The protagonist’s compulsion to read and reread his good little book introduces the first theme: books transport us to imagined worlds.  When the book is lost, then rediscovered, a secondary theme emerges: books are to be shared.Text and illustration lead the reader to surmise that “the boy” is school-aged, a child physically mature enough to walk his dog while riding a skateboard.  He is, of course, an avid and independent reader.  Tormented by the loss of his book, he is old enough to hunt for it on his own, to scour crowded and heavily trafficked streets, to search the public library.  Initially, he appears to have an age appropriate appreciation of the book’s capacity to occupy his mind, to move his thoughts.“The book the boy thought couldn’t do anything did many things.” [p.11] “It did become a loyal companion, there to see him to sleep and distract him when he had to “think things over.””[p.13].To this point, the boy’s relationship with the book seems in keeping with the primary theme: book as intellectual transport.  Suddenly, his thought processes revert to those of a much younger child.“The boy worried. How would such a good and quiet book survive?  What would it do if it found itself at the edge of the unknown? Or among frightful enemies?...the book did not have skills that would help it in the dangerous wild….”[pp.19-20 ]The story becomes even more anthropomorphic when the book is discovered by various creatures:“A squirrel thought it might be a thriller.  A sparrow thought it might be a romance.  A raccoon thought it might be a sandwich.” [p.29 ]These developments raise a question: “Who is the intended reader?”  A child who has completed grade three would generally have both the ability and the maturity to read the book and to appreciate its messages.  This reader might, initially, identify with the protagonist’s dilemma. But would this same youngster identify with thinking that becomes, in the lexicon of child psychologists, animistic?  One can readily imagine a nine-year-old reader’s sudden dismissal of the work as, “…a little kid’s book.” One can also imagine that a preschooler would listen with rapt attention to the anthropomorphic sections, but zone out during the development of the book’s themes. Finally, it may be that only librarians, booksellers, and children’s literature specialists would appreciate the humour.  In sum, maintaining a clear vision of the intended reader or listener is a requisite in any kind of storytelling; The Good Little Book falls short in this regard.Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer:  Leslie AitkenLeslie Aitken’s long career in librarianship involved selection of children’s literature for school, public, special, and university collections.  She is a former Curriculum Librarian at the University of Alberta.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 27
Author(s):  
Lisa Von Drasek

When I found out I was awarded ALSC’s Bechtel Fellowship to conduct research in the Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature at the University of Florida Libraries in Gainesville, I was honored, thrilled, and excited. I was also curious to learn more about the person for whom my fellowship was named.


2021 ◽  
Vol 121 ◽  
pp. 02012
Author(s):  
Olga Nikolaevna Chelyukanova ◽  
Natalia Evgenievna Titkova

The article discusses the methodology of work on the project of the “Revival of traditions of family reading in the modern spiritual education of children and youth” innovative platform, organized in the Arzamas branch of the SUNN. The project is a cumulative phenomenon that synthesizes the scientific and methodological experience of leading teachers, psychologists, and organizers of children’s reading, research scientists of children’s literature. The project involves scientists, teachers of educational institutions of different levels, students, children of different ages, and their parents in a wide joint creative activity. Particular attention in the development of this practice-oriented innovative project is paid to the activities of the student initiative group and its pedagogical effect. The educational strategy of the project contributes to the development of constructive critical thinking and is aimed at developing a wide range of professional competencies among students participating in the project: professional and pedagogical, communicative, general cultural, and informational. The article pays particular attention to the description of the complex of educational products and forms of methodological assistance to teachers and parents. In the process of implementing this project, the urgent needs of teachers and families participating in the project are met. Those include the acquisition of methodological experience in working with parents and children to popularize children’s literature and family reading; practical experience of working with a children’s book in a family circle; the acquisition of artistic reading and recitation skills by the project participants; the generalization and systematization of scientific and methodological experience in the field of children’s literature and family reading; family and creative literary communication; the introduction to the literary study of local lore. Literary and ethical-artistic questions are brought to spectators through theatrical communication.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Campbell

Sammurtok, Nadia. Siuluk: The Last Tuniq. Illustrated by Rob Nix. Inhabit Media, 2018.This picture book, published in both English and Inuktitut syllabic script, tells the story of the last of the Tuniit, or the giants of the Eastern Arctic. The story is connected to a large rock, near Chesterfied Inlet in Nunavut, which is called Siuluk’s Rock. Nadia Sammurtok who is from Rankin Inlet and heard the story from her father, recounts that people were unkind to Siuluk and teased him because he was different. Through a show of strength by lifting the very large rock, Siuluk convinced the Inuit people that he really was the strongest man and gained their respect.Both the language and the artwork in the book are simple. The clothing pictured is unadorned. Vegetation is suggested, but not detailed. Rob Nix has taken some liberties with the appearance of the individuals. Artwork left by the Tuniit (also known as the Dorset Culture), typically show rounded faces, similar to modern Inuit. Siuluk’s face is depicted as long and angular, with a prominent and high-bridged, convex nose, more common in some European people.Overall this is a good retelling of the traditional story and conveys the message of tolerance of difference. Libraries with children’s collections, and particularly those that collect polar children’s literature will want to include these volumes. Recommendation: 3 stars out of 4Reviewer: Sandy CampbellSandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines. Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.


2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 28
Author(s):  
Emily Midkiff

In this article, I offer my experience with crafting a digital exhibit as one method of increasing children’s access to archived children’s literature materials. In spring 2015, I was enlisted by Lisa Von Drasek, curator of The Kerlan Collection at the University of Minnesota, to select and arrange the archival materials for Melissa Sweet’s award-winning Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade into a digital exhibit.


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