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Jerry Pinkney's books
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From: Ginny Kruse <gmkruse>
Date: Thu, 24 Oct 1996 12:35:00 -0600
Your comments about one or more of Jerry Pinkney's books come close to displaying a partial profile of the diverse CCBC-NET discussion community of readers interested in children's and young adult literature. CCBC-NET is composed of teachers, university graduate and undergraduate students, school library media specialists, public librarians, writers, artists, publishers, reviewers, children's/y.a. literature faculty, academic librarians, i.e. adults with a professional, academic and/or career interest in discussing books for the young (along with those of us who can provide, in addition, observations from our personal lives with children & teenagers.) What have you said so far?
Some of Jerry Pinkney's books are popular with preschoolers, and some of them are recognizable as "Jerry Pinkney books." His works often have a distinctive style, a "look." (Kari Augustine, Miriam Hansen) His books are as warm as Mr. Pinkney is in person. (Rob Reid)
The abundance of white space in Sam and the Tigers represents a distinct change compared to his other books. The impact of the art & design in Sam... makes a difference. And - the fantasy in ... Sam is believable because Pinkney's art reinforces the fantasy. (Susan Griffith)
Adult teachers for whom Sam... and/or The Story of Little Babajii (by Fred Marcellino, HarperCollins, 1996) is unfamiliar seem to be younger in years than those who recognize one, the other or both. (William Teale)
After reading one School Library Journal reviewer's reflections on her daunting assignment to review Sam, we can all reflect on the complexity of the reviewing process. It's a big responsibility, one that most reviewers take very seriously. Thumbs up for Donna Scanlon's commitment to the book, the children who might enjoy it in the future, the author and artist, and the adults who act upon what they read in her review.
(By the way, thumbs down for the reviewer of The Cuckoo's Child in New York Times Book Review, 10/13/96. Did s/he read the same book we did? As Dave Barry often writes in his column, I am not making this up. Megan Schliesman spotted that "spot" review first here at the CCBC. Here's the complete text: "It's 1962 in Beirut in this first novel, and Mia wishes she and her American family were back home in the United States. She's sent to spend a summer with annt in Tennessee and finds the experience surprising." Did that "reviewer" even read the book?)
Donna shares Kathleen Horning's interest - and that of many of us - in longing for an Afro?ntric perspective on Sam... Yes, no one can speak for her/his race, region, gender, etc. Yes, "insider" and "outsider" perspectives each have their place. Howver, an African-American woman not ready to be quoted at this time (and who was speaking only for herself) told me yesterday that she wished Pinkney and Lester had not referred to the original LBS in their subtitle. She also regrets that they included personal notes. Why? She worries that sales of the original LBS will skyrocket as a result of these direct references. She has memories of the brutally hurtful ways the original LBS was used with children when she was a girl, the things that happened, the names called, etc., when LBS was read to children ("and it still is happening, make no mistake," she said to me).
Let's continue to talk about Sam... and about other elements in Jerry Pinkney's books for children. Sincerely, Ginny Moore Kruse
(gmkruse at ccbc.soemadison.wisc.edu)
************************ Ginny Moore Kruse, Director Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) A Library of the School of Education University of Wisconsin - Madison 4290 Helen C. White Hall, 600 N. Park St. Madison, WI 53706 USA
Received on Thu 24 Oct 1996 01:35:00 PM CDT
Date: Thu, 24 Oct 1996 12:35:00 -0600
Your comments about one or more of Jerry Pinkney's books come close to displaying a partial profile of the diverse CCBC-NET discussion community of readers interested in children's and young adult literature. CCBC-NET is composed of teachers, university graduate and undergraduate students, school library media specialists, public librarians, writers, artists, publishers, reviewers, children's/y.a. literature faculty, academic librarians, i.e. adults with a professional, academic and/or career interest in discussing books for the young (along with those of us who can provide, in addition, observations from our personal lives with children & teenagers.) What have you said so far?
Some of Jerry Pinkney's books are popular with preschoolers, and some of them are recognizable as "Jerry Pinkney books." His works often have a distinctive style, a "look." (Kari Augustine, Miriam Hansen) His books are as warm as Mr. Pinkney is in person. (Rob Reid)
The abundance of white space in Sam and the Tigers represents a distinct change compared to his other books. The impact of the art & design in Sam... makes a difference. And - the fantasy in ... Sam is believable because Pinkney's art reinforces the fantasy. (Susan Griffith)
Adult teachers for whom Sam... and/or The Story of Little Babajii (by Fred Marcellino, HarperCollins, 1996) is unfamiliar seem to be younger in years than those who recognize one, the other or both. (William Teale)
After reading one School Library Journal reviewer's reflections on her daunting assignment to review Sam, we can all reflect on the complexity of the reviewing process. It's a big responsibility, one that most reviewers take very seriously. Thumbs up for Donna Scanlon's commitment to the book, the children who might enjoy it in the future, the author and artist, and the adults who act upon what they read in her review.
(By the way, thumbs down for the reviewer of The Cuckoo's Child in New York Times Book Review, 10/13/96. Did s/he read the same book we did? As Dave Barry often writes in his column, I am not making this up. Megan Schliesman spotted that "spot" review first here at the CCBC. Here's the complete text: "It's 1962 in Beirut in this first novel, and Mia wishes she and her American family were back home in the United States. She's sent to spend a summer with annt in Tennessee and finds the experience surprising." Did that "reviewer" even read the book?)
Donna shares Kathleen Horning's interest - and that of many of us - in longing for an Afro?ntric perspective on Sam... Yes, no one can speak for her/his race, region, gender, etc. Yes, "insider" and "outsider" perspectives each have their place. Howver, an African-American woman not ready to be quoted at this time (and who was speaking only for herself) told me yesterday that she wished Pinkney and Lester had not referred to the original LBS in their subtitle. She also regrets that they included personal notes. Why? She worries that sales of the original LBS will skyrocket as a result of these direct references. She has memories of the brutally hurtful ways the original LBS was used with children when she was a girl, the things that happened, the names called, etc., when LBS was read to children ("and it still is happening, make no mistake," she said to me).
Let's continue to talk about Sam... and about other elements in Jerry Pinkney's books for children. Sincerely, Ginny Moore Kruse
(gmkruse at ccbc.soemadison.wisc.edu)
************************ Ginny Moore Kruse, Director Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) A Library of the School of Education University of Wisconsin - Madison 4290 Helen C. White Hall, 600 N. Park St. Madison, WI 53706 USA
Received on Thu 24 Oct 1996 01:35:00 PM CDT
