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Jones, Rowling, and back to Alfie et al
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From: Kathleen Horning <horning>
Date: Tue, 25 May 1999 14:23:16 -0500
It seems that many people are itching to discuss "Harry Potter" which is the topic of next month's CCBC-Net when we discuss Cross-over Books. If it's possible for you to hold your comments of Harry Potter till next week, we'd be most appreciative.
Thanks to those of you have brought up Dianna Wynne Jones, who is another author who sometimes writes character series. There are many other authors we could mention as well, such as Lloyd Alexander, Lois Lowry, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Laura Ingalls Wilder, A.A. Milne, and even, before too long, J.K. Rowling.
As we close out the month, we want to turn our attention to character series in picture books. Last week Ginny mentioned the Alfie books by Shirley Hughes, the Titch books by Pat Hutchins, and the Martha books by Susan Meddaugh by posing the questions: "Does the protagonist grow or change from book to book? If yes, how does the author/artist reinforce expectations and yet invite preschoolers to a new experience with each story?"
My response is that I think the Alfie character grows (literally!) from book to book but I'm not sure Titch and Martha do. Perhaps it's because Alfie is a more fully rounded, psychologically realistic character than the other two. It seems to me that Alfie's true counterpart in picture books is Everett Anderson, the character in a series created by Lucille Clifton. Both Alfie and Everett have realistic childhood experiences that encourage emotional growth and small changes in their perspectives.
To answer Ginny's second question, I think Shirley Hughes reinforces young readers' expectations with a consistent recognizable cast of characters. Even her secondary characters, such as the McNalley family next door, are the same from book to book. And I know more than one child who snaps up each new Alfie book to seek out Bernard, Alfie's mean-spirited, misbehaving friend. In fact, a friend of mine recently told me that one night, out of the blue, in the midst of his evening bath, her four-year-old son asked: "Why is Alfie's best friend Bernard?!" (Something I'm sure Alfie's parents will ask themselves for many years to come!)
Kathleen T. Horning (khorning at facstaff.wisc.edu) Cooperative Children's Book Center University of Wisconsin-School of Education 4290 Helen C. White Hall 600 North Park St. Madison, WI 53706 608&3930 FAX: 608&2I33
Received on Tue 25 May 1999 02:23:16 PM CDT
Date: Tue, 25 May 1999 14:23:16 -0500
It seems that many people are itching to discuss "Harry Potter" which is the topic of next month's CCBC-Net when we discuss Cross-over Books. If it's possible for you to hold your comments of Harry Potter till next week, we'd be most appreciative.
Thanks to those of you have brought up Dianna Wynne Jones, who is another author who sometimes writes character series. There are many other authors we could mention as well, such as Lloyd Alexander, Lois Lowry, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Laura Ingalls Wilder, A.A. Milne, and even, before too long, J.K. Rowling.
As we close out the month, we want to turn our attention to character series in picture books. Last week Ginny mentioned the Alfie books by Shirley Hughes, the Titch books by Pat Hutchins, and the Martha books by Susan Meddaugh by posing the questions: "Does the protagonist grow or change from book to book? If yes, how does the author/artist reinforce expectations and yet invite preschoolers to a new experience with each story?"
My response is that I think the Alfie character grows (literally!) from book to book but I'm not sure Titch and Martha do. Perhaps it's because Alfie is a more fully rounded, psychologically realistic character than the other two. It seems to me that Alfie's true counterpart in picture books is Everett Anderson, the character in a series created by Lucille Clifton. Both Alfie and Everett have realistic childhood experiences that encourage emotional growth and small changes in their perspectives.
To answer Ginny's second question, I think Shirley Hughes reinforces young readers' expectations with a consistent recognizable cast of characters. Even her secondary characters, such as the McNalley family next door, are the same from book to book. And I know more than one child who snaps up each new Alfie book to seek out Bernard, Alfie's mean-spirited, misbehaving friend. In fact, a friend of mine recently told me that one night, out of the blue, in the midst of his evening bath, her four-year-old son asked: "Why is Alfie's best friend Bernard?!" (Something I'm sure Alfie's parents will ask themselves for many years to come!)
Kathleen T. Horning (khorning at facstaff.wisc.edu) Cooperative Children's Book Center University of Wisconsin-School of Education 4290 Helen C. White Hall 600 North Park St. Madison, WI 53706 608&3930 FAX: 608&2I33
Received on Tue 25 May 1999 02:23:16 PM CDT
