ESCAPE; An Age-Old, HUMAN, Story

LANTANA, 2021

 Can you name twelve synonyms for, or words related to, ESCAPE? 

(Take a moment to try.)

 The authors of ESCAPE : One Day We Had To Run managed to do so, using those words to structure a dramatic nonfiction picture book on the topic. Ming & Wah wrote the text and Carmen Vela illustrated the dozen accounts of ESCAPE with a variety of colors and tones, with sweeping scenes and emotionally packed shadows and angles. 

The twelve words they used as a table of contents?

CLING...DART...DEFY...DISGUISE...FLEE...FLY...PEDAL...RAFT...SPRINT...

STOWAWAY...SWIM...TUNNEL

Each of these launches a double page spread devoted to a single escape account spanning three centuries. Refugee stories in Western culture alone are timeless, going back to Moses parting the sea and even back to Adam and Eve being ejected from the Garden. Escaping persecution, trauma, unlivable condition, war, and expulsion is a human conditions that has occurred as long as there have been humans. The authors share twelve dramatic, actual events that reveal a wide range of people, causes, times, and places. 

Each double spread treatment uses the featured word, followed by a line or two. That, and a page of explanatory narrative, sprawl across an illustration that exposes and expands the harrowing accounts described. The first example is 

CLING: Syria to Greece, 2015. 

                                DON'T LET GO. HOLD TIGHT. NEVER GIVE UP.

The last steps to safety for two girls traveling with family and more in an overloaded boat takes them from Turkey to Greece. To avoid swamping the boat, the girls CLING to the sides of the boat, propelling and guiding it to their destination despite extreme cold and being ignored by passing boats. I particularly appreciated how often the refugees were described in years following their escapes, revealing their successes and contributions the their receiving nations.

These 2015 escapes were current events and came back to me in reading them here, although other accounts were more distant memories or even unknown. For example, DISGUISE: Scotland to France, 1745, is the account of Bonnie Prince Charles who, having failed to secure the British crown, fled for his life to France. Yes, disguised as a hooded woman. The remainder of his life was spent in various disguises as he fled and hid throughout Europe. 

The illustrations capture the tone and settings of each true journey with minimal figures, perspectives, geographic elements, and varied tones and depths. Opening and ending spreads were particularly helpful. The book concludes with the brief text from the UNIVERSAL DECLARATiON OF HUMAN RIGHTS, Article 13 and 14. Freedom, emigration, and asylum in safe countries are broadly agreed upon rights of every human, and yet societies and power groups make such journeys futile, or tenuous at best. Immigration and asylum claims are treated as current or even recent problems when every one of us knows this is not true. 

This book helps to share the global and timeless experiences of such desperate escapes. The opening spread helps in that, offering a minimalist double spread global map. The expanse of water as our planet's dominant feature is evident, and map details are few, allowing readers to note the twelve migrations indicated across our shared geography. In addition, the suggestion of an eastern sun and western crescent moon emphasis the passing of time during these journeys, and a subtle suggestion of the northern and southern jet streams suggest the never-ending forces of tides and winds and weather. 

Overall, this collection of escape stories provides perspective on the truth about human escape and need for safe harbor. It will be invaluable in classrooms, homes, and libraries when shared with children, ranging from young to teen. It also offers adults a chance to step away from headlines and recognize the WHO and WHY of current refugees and of our own personal and social histories. After all, the PILGRIMS cam as a persecuted group, seeking a new home.

It could happen to any of us again.

Compare and Contrast: Eiffel Tower and Statue of Liberty

 You can take the teacher out of the classroom but you can't change September habits after a lifetime of sharing books with kids. At this time of year, my love of books leaves me pining to have a classroom of kids on a carpet with a stack of picture books at hand.

So, indulge me, please. 

Two titles that are not new but deserve to be in the spotlight are about structures that actually ARE spotlit around the clock. Most who know anything about the Statue of Liberty are aware that its scaffolding structure/underpinnings are the design and execution of French designer/architect, Gustav Eiffel, the force behind the Eiffel Tower.

CHRONICLE BOOKS, 2017

In fact, his ground-breaking approach to massive constructions using materials and designs that could withstand shuddering earth forces preceded that tower. So did the Statue of Liberty. I wrote about HER RIGHT FOOT in a prior post, HERE. (If you haven't read it, I hope you will. It has great relevance to our current immigration issues.)

It was these prior successes that convinced Eiffel that he MUST be the designer to win a contest seeking a globally-impressive centerpiece for the 1889 World's Fair in Paris. He intended to create a structure taller than any other in the world, one that visitors could enter and from which they could view breathtaking scenes of Paris and its surrounding countryside.

PICTURE WINDOW BOOKS, 2016
CAPSTONE 

Of course, he did win that assignment. The challenges he faced to actually have the structure built, in tie for the fair's opening, are described in THE EIFFEL TOWER: Gustav Eiffel's Spectaluar Idea, written by Sharon Katz Cooper and illustrated by Janna Bock. 

This is a nonfiction picture book that blends a slice-of-life period for Eiffel, not a full biography. Its focus is on the building/structure that is a global icon, one that has made the name EIFFEL so recognizable. It includes surprises like  the fact that it was intended to be disassembled after the  fair, but its life was extended for twenty years to allow Eiffel to fund part of the construction and pay himself back by admissions during those after-fair years. 

The building is well over a century old now and shows no sign of disappearing.

I found this while browsing library shelves on architecture and instantly recognized how appealing this library/school intended book really is. In a recent post ai wrote about the ways in which graphic/comics offer appeal and eager participation among capable readers who resist reading. 

Sharing these  two nonfiction picture books will spark readers to compare and contrast, to look closely at text and images, to discuss tone and voice and author's purpose. Many of the deep thinking processes that developing readers need to practice are encouraged by authentic text and fascinating content. Further research and focus are easily accessed through an abundance of resources ranging from expository text to video clips. Analyzing reliability of information presented as fact is another invaluable practice. These two iconic topics open up endless opportunities to evaluate sources and content about known entities. 

Give them both a look, and maybe you'll want to share them with readers you know, too.

Twenty-Five Years Since 9-11.

 

Photo credit: National Archives Catalog ID 5997250

Significant events always seem to be just moments ago and yet forever-ago. That can be true for the death of a loved one, the birth of a child, a moment in history. 

And that moment in history, twenty-five years ago today, was the 9-11 terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and over a Pennsylvania field. 

A quarter century ago. Two full "generations" of this nation (and the world, since this was an event that had a global effect) have no living memory of the day itself. Or of the weeks that followed, filled with confusion, desperation, hyper-patriotism, and actions that resonate through to today. 

Since that time, some outstanding books have been published that help younger folks develop deeper understanding of the events and their repercussions. I've written about several of them HERE, HERE, HERE, and an MG novel  HERE.

Check out the official memorial site information about the anniversary HERE.

Let's hear it for COMICS and GRAPHIX!

 As schools shift into high gear, teachers are actively evaluating the readers in their rooms. That's not only who CAN read what, but WHO each reader is, WHAT they like to read, and HOW they view themselves as readers. 

The above statement describes authentic assessment. Yes, there will be countless minutes and hours spent in formal testing and other arbitrary listings of "levels", but those are  far less significant or accurate than an experienced teacher will determine by observation, attention, and questioning. It is more important to identify where readers are going and ways to get there than to report if they are "behind" or "above" expectations. 

The above rant is brought to you by an educator who resisted excess standardized testing to the last minute of my classroom responsibilities. Finding the right book for every child, supporting each reader in their personal journey to literacy was a mission, and I'm still on it!

I've shared comments on comics and graphic stories in prior posts, with examples HERE, HERE, and HERE. These formats are variations on picture-books, although they are not shelved or marketed as traditional picture books. In fact, comics and graphic materials require a different subset of reading skills, but these involve and support all the skills and habits that an engaged reader needs to enjoy and succeed with  any material. (To read more thoughts on this, click the links I shared above). 

Macmillan, 2015

Someone who understood the powerful lure of comics was Charles Schultz, a creative talent who ranks among the very few universally beloved icons in a league with Dolly Parton. BORN TO DRAW COMICS: THE STORY OF CHARLES SCHULTZ and the Creation of PEANUTS is written by Ginger Wadsworth and illustrated by Craig Orback. In fact, Schultz began  doodling, drawing, imitating the "funny papers" that were part of his family life at his earliest age.

(Click on "Charles Schultz" above for a closer look at the details of his life with photo archives and more!)

This vibrant, comic-similar picture book opens with framed spreads and encircled text to hint at the media Charles embraced throughout his life. From his earliest moments, when he was dubbed with his lifelong nickname Sparky, readers will connect with the boy who laughed and drew from early on. His dog, SPIKE, a white and black beagle, gained Schultz his first publishing credit. Spike's ability to consume nearly anything and have no ill effects inspired Sparky to submit a drawing and text to RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT. It appeared in the newspaper nationwide!

This is a full birth-to-death biography of a famous figure, presented in a picture book with documentation and further details in back matter. It is a wonderful read, involving the depth and span of his life and influence. It's a celebration of  the effectiveness of picture book format to convey a long and complex life of influence while celebrating the power and validity of the comic format of literature. 

As such, this title is an effective read-aloud or read-share with kids of any age, but especially for older readers who have defined themselves (or been labeled) as "not a reader". Worse yet, as someone who CAN read but doesn't like reading. It not only invites them to see colorful and complex material presented in picture books and graphic forms as valid "reading" choices. It may help teachers and caregivers recognize that reading materials in these formats IS REALLY READING, not discouraging it as unimportant or childish. It also celebrates the child-Charles who recognized early in life what he loved doing, and he was encouraged to pursue it. Over time. Despite sad losses. While doing other work to get by. But never giving up. 

This is not a new release, but one that is as timeless as PEANUTS and Charles Schultz.