EDRG 3321 Literature for Public Schools/ Chapter 7

I enjoyed this chapter because we covered the subject of Picture Books. Who doesn't like picture books? Most of us enjoy picture books and it was a good experience to learn all about them. According to Living Literature picture books are the marriage of literature and fine arts into a unique literary form. In this form, the art extends and animates the story in ways that "vivify, quicken, and vitalize" (Sendak, 1988, p. 3). I really liked the comparison the book makes about a picture book and a novel which is like comparing television to radio. This comparison gave me a clearer picture of the distinction between the novel and the picture book. Something important that I learned was that picture books are a form and NOT a genre.

AUTHOR PROFILE:

Many children growing up have a pet and many times this pet is a dog. There are many books in the literary world that involve a dog. I found to great, traditional books about the relationship between a child and his dog.

Lassie Come Home by Eric Knight

A Yorkshire, England, family is forced to sell their beloved collie, Lassie, to pay their bills during a time of economic crisis and unemployment. The son is especially devastated to lose his companion who devotedly met him each afternoon when he came home from school. Lassie's new owner, a wealthy duke, takes her to Scotland. However, she escapes and travels approximately one thousand miles south to return home. Her journey requires her to traverse challenging natural obstacles such as rivers and snow drifts.

Old Yeller by Fred Gipson

The Coates family consists of father Jim (Fess Parker), mother Katie (Dorothy McGuire), older son Travis (Tommy Kirk) and a younger son Arliss (Kevin Corcoran). The family is so poor the children have never seen a dollar bill, other than worthless Confederate dollars.
While Jim is away on a cattle drive, a scruffy "yeller" Blackmouth Cur mix visits the family uninvited and scares their mule, causing it to knock down a fence. Travis unsuccessfully tries to shoo him off, while his younger brother Arliss takes a liking to him. Travis eventually accepts the dog and a profound bond grows between the two.