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Rapunzel + Caldecott Discussion
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From: MI_JEAN at DAYTON.LIB.OH.US <MI_JEAN>
Date: Sun, 01 Feb 1998 14:19:44 -0500 (EST)
Please excuse me if you received part of this message before but I am having some e-mail problems here.
Those who look at Rapunzel are struck by its beauty. Rapunzel allows us to bee picture books as soemthing that are beautiful in the classic art sense. I can't think of another picture book that helps us appreciate the beauty of Renaissance art as this book does. When contemplating Rapunzel, I was reminded of how much I enjoyed viewing the play MidSummers Night Dream lst summer at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. One reason was I enjoyed the freshness of setting this play in the 1950s with poodle skirts, baggy pants, and army fatigues. Likewise, setting Rapunzel in the Renaissance captivates me and changes my view of the story. The whole idea of this love story set in the Italian Renaissance engages me so much more emotionally than other settings.
Just as picture books can expose children to the best in contemporary art styles, Rapunzel demonstrates picture books can expose children to the most sophisticated art in the history of painting. Those who think young children cannot appreciate great art may have their ideas altered, subverted. Rapunzel continues to stretch the possibilities of illustration in childrens books.
Rapunzel is an extremely creative book in its own right and sets the highest of standards.
Jean Gaffney Dayton and Montgomery County Public Library
Yes - I was on the committee and these are only my opinions.
From: IN%"ccbc-net at ccbc.soemadison.wisc.edu" 31-JAN98 11:55:16.12 To: IN%"ccbc-net at ccbc.soemadison.wisc.edu" CC: Subj: RE: Rapunzel + Caldecott Discussion
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31 Jan 1998 11:49:03 00 (EST) Date: Sat, 31 Jan 1998 11:49:02 00 (EST) From: John Peters Subject: Re: Rapunzel + Caldecott Discussion In-reply-to: To: ccbc-net at ccbc.soemadison.wisc.edu (Subscribers of ccbc-net) Errors-to: postmaster at ccbc.soemadison.wisc.edu Reply-to: ccbc-net at ccbc.soemadison.wisc.edu (Subscribers of ccbc-net) Message-id:
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Ginny and all: Yoiks! I've been waiting for the RAPUNZEL discussion to START--must have zoned out along the way and missed it. Anyway, before we leave it, I'd like to weigh in: can we agree that Paul Zelinsky is the most accomplished painter illustrating books today? Oh...OK, it's a matter of personal taste (I remember someone saying to me once in all seriousness that by consensus Michelangelo was the greatest artist the world has ever known and that's all she wrote. It's not what do you say to that, but where do you start?), but you'd still have to put him on the shortlist, no? RAPUNZEL really displays his superb command of the medium and a sharp, accurate eye for period detail. Plainly, he's looked at a LOT of great Renaissance art, and proves (as he has before, of course, though the Caldecott committee doesn't get to take that into consideration) his ability to stay right with the artists who created it.
BUT
I hope the committee didn't lay the gold sticker on RAPUNZEL because the artwork so brilliantly evokes a period; shouldn't there be more than technical virtuosity to a Caldecott book? Though I've praised RAPUNZEL--in print--I'm having trouble seeing the "venturesome creativity", the original vision, the (for want of a better word) subversive quality that one would hope to find in "the most distinguished American picture book for children." The RAPUNZEL soundbite in ALA's press release isn't very encouraging in this regard either, so I've been hoping that committee members would share their takes on this list and cause the scales to fall from my eyes. Any takers?
Respectfully, John Peters' New York Public Library cf071 at freenet.buffalo.edu
***My esteemed institution reserves the right to different opinions***
Jean Gaffney mi_jean at dayton.lib.oh.us Branch Manager/Children's Librarian 513"7?11 Miamisburg Branch Dayton and Montgomery County Public Library, Dayton, Ohio
Received on Sun 01 Feb 1998 01:19:44 PM CST
Date: Sun, 01 Feb 1998 14:19:44 -0500 (EST)
Please excuse me if you received part of this message before but I am having some e-mail problems here.
Those who look at Rapunzel are struck by its beauty. Rapunzel allows us to bee picture books as soemthing that are beautiful in the classic art sense. I can't think of another picture book that helps us appreciate the beauty of Renaissance art as this book does. When contemplating Rapunzel, I was reminded of how much I enjoyed viewing the play MidSummers Night Dream lst summer at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. One reason was I enjoyed the freshness of setting this play in the 1950s with poodle skirts, baggy pants, and army fatigues. Likewise, setting Rapunzel in the Renaissance captivates me and changes my view of the story. The whole idea of this love story set in the Italian Renaissance engages me so much more emotionally than other settings.
Just as picture books can expose children to the best in contemporary art styles, Rapunzel demonstrates picture books can expose children to the most sophisticated art in the history of painting. Those who think young children cannot appreciate great art may have their ideas altered, subverted. Rapunzel continues to stretch the possibilities of illustration in childrens books.
Rapunzel is an extremely creative book in its own right and sets the highest of standards.
Jean Gaffney Dayton and Montgomery County Public Library
Yes - I was on the committee and these are only my opinions.
From: IN%"ccbc-net at ccbc.soemadison.wisc.edu" 31-JAN98 11:55:16.12 To: IN%"ccbc-net at ccbc.soemadison.wisc.edu" CC: Subj: RE: Rapunzel + Caldecott Discussion
Return-path:
Received: from ccbc.soemadison.wisc.edu by DAYTON.LIB.OH.US
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MI_JEAN at DAYTON.LIB.OH.US; Sat, 31 Jan 1998 11:55:12 EST Received: from freenet.buffalo.edu (128.205.200.12) by ccbc.soemadison.wisc.edu
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31 Jan 1998 11:49:03 00 (EST) Date: Sat, 31 Jan 1998 11:49:02 00 (EST) From: John Peters Subject: Re: Rapunzel + Caldecott Discussion In-reply-to: To: ccbc-net at ccbc.soemadison.wisc.edu (Subscribers of ccbc-net) Errors-to: postmaster at ccbc.soemadison.wisc.edu Reply-to: ccbc-net at ccbc.soemadison.wisc.edu (Subscribers of ccbc-net) Message-id:
MIME-version: 1.0 Precedence: bulk List-Software: AutoShare 1.4.2 by Mikael Hansen
Ginny and all: Yoiks! I've been waiting for the RAPUNZEL discussion to START--must have zoned out along the way and missed it. Anyway, before we leave it, I'd like to weigh in: can we agree that Paul Zelinsky is the most accomplished painter illustrating books today? Oh...OK, it's a matter of personal taste (I remember someone saying to me once in all seriousness that by consensus Michelangelo was the greatest artist the world has ever known and that's all she wrote. It's not what do you say to that, but where do you start?), but you'd still have to put him on the shortlist, no? RAPUNZEL really displays his superb command of the medium and a sharp, accurate eye for period detail. Plainly, he's looked at a LOT of great Renaissance art, and proves (as he has before, of course, though the Caldecott committee doesn't get to take that into consideration) his ability to stay right with the artists who created it.
BUT
I hope the committee didn't lay the gold sticker on RAPUNZEL because the artwork so brilliantly evokes a period; shouldn't there be more than technical virtuosity to a Caldecott book? Though I've praised RAPUNZEL--in print--I'm having trouble seeing the "venturesome creativity", the original vision, the (for want of a better word) subversive quality that one would hope to find in "the most distinguished American picture book for children." The RAPUNZEL soundbite in ALA's press release isn't very encouraging in this regard either, so I've been hoping that committee members would share their takes on this list and cause the scales to fall from my eyes. Any takers?
Respectfully, John Peters' New York Public Library cf071 at freenet.buffalo.edu
***My esteemed institution reserves the right to different opinions***
Jean Gaffney mi_jean at dayton.lib.oh.us Branch Manager/Children's Librarian 513"7?11 Miamisburg Branch Dayton and Montgomery County Public Library, Dayton, Ohio
Received on Sun 01 Feb 1998 01:19:44 PM CST
