Poems--Out of the Dust

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hesse, Karen. 1997. Out of the Dust. NewYork: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0590360809

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Out of the dust is a novel in verse through the eyes of a young, red-haired, 14-year-old girl named Billie Jo Kelby. The setting is in Oklahoma in the 1930s. The story is based on the dust bowl era when farms were devastated by the dust storms and drought. Billie Jo dreams of becoming a musician and getting away from the dust and poverty.

All her dreams are dashed when a personal tragedy hits the family. Billy Jo’s father leaves a pail with kerosene in the kitchen. Her mother uses it thinking it is a pail of water and ignites a fire. While trying to help to put out the fire, Billy Jo accidentally causes her mother further injuries and burns her own hands in the process. Billy Jo’s mother and her unborn brother die subsequently. “Under their words a finger pointed”, she says to herself as she hears whispers about the incident. Her feelings of guilt intensify as her remote father becomes even more withdrawn after the accident. The rest of the story describes Billy Jo’s grief due to her inability to play the piano, her loneliness, her ambivalent feelings about her father, and her love/hate relationship with the land.

Eventually Billy Jo runs away. She meets a drifter who has no family and realizes that "Getting away wasn't any better, just different and lonely." She adds: "And I know now that all the time I was trying to get out of the dust, the fact is, what I am, I am because of the dust." The relationship between father and daughter improves as Billy Jo decides to forgive her father and herself. The rain comes, Billie Jo’s father finds a woman who loves him, and Billie Jo starts healing emotionally and physically.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Even though the narrative poem is based during the dust bowl in the 1930s, most families, especially those who live in tornado zones, or hurricane regions, or in rural areas, can relate to the verses. The concern about lack of water, bad weather affects, and loss of income affects family members, young and old any time.

Karen Hesse has a way with words to illustrate the characters in the poem. She describes

Billie Jo as: “a long-legged girl…with a fondness for apples and a hunger for playing fierce piano.”

Here is a verse that demonstrates Billie Jo’s resentment toward her undemonstrative mother when Billie Jo achieves academic success.

“I wish she’d give me a little more to hold on to than
“I knew you could.” /Instead she makes me feel like she’s just/taking me in like I was/
so much flannel dry on the line”.

Hesse uses the ripening of apples to symbolize hope. The wind causes the apples to drop to the ground before they are ripened. Billy Jo’s mother and brother die at around the same time. When the rain comes and the apples start growing and ripening, Billy Jo and her father begin to rebuild their relationship and their circumstances begin to improve.

The author also uses simile to compare Billy Jo to wheat and her father to sod:

“I tell him he is like the sod./And I am like the wheat,/And I can’t grow everywhere,/But I can grow here./ With a little rain,/With a little care,/With a little luck”.

Hesse clever use of free verse and imagery throughout the poem draws a picture of a young girl’s heartbreak and despair and the strength and hope that she discovers within as she grows and matures.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
From Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, 01/11/1999

In a starred review of the 1998 Newbery Medal winner, set during the Depression, PW said, "This intimate novel, written in stanza form, poetically conveys the heat, dust and wind of Oklahoma. With each meticulously arranged entry Hesse paints a vivid picture of her heroine's emotions." Ages 11-13. (Jan.)

BookList, 10/01/1997

Gr. 6-9. "Daddy came in, / he sat across from Ma and blew his nose. / Mud streamed out. / He coughed and spit out / mud. / If he had cried, / his tears would have been mud too, / but he didn't cry. / And neither did Ma." This is life in the Oklahoma dust bowl in the mid-1930s. Billie Jo and her parents barely eke out a living from the land, as her father refuses to plant anything but wheat, and the winds and dust destroy the crop time after time. Playing the piano provides some solace, but there is no comfort to be had once Billie Jo's pregnant mother mistakes a bucket of kerosene for a bucket of water and dies, leaving a husband who withdraws even further and an adolescent daughter with terribly burned hands. The story is bleak, but Hesse's writing transcends the gloom and transforms it into a powerfully compelling tale of a girl with enormous strength, courage, and love. The entire novel is written in very readable blank verse, a superb choice for bringing out the exquisite agony and delight to be found in such a difficult period lived by such a vibrant character. It also spares the reader the trouble of wading through pages of distressing text, distilling all the experiences into brief, acutely observed phrases. This is an excellent book for discussion, and many of the poems stand alone sufficiently to be used as powerful supplements to a history lesson. ((Reviewed October 1, 1997)) -- Susan Dove Lempke. Booklist, published by the American Library Association.

School Library Journal, 09/01/1997

Gr 5 Up?In the midst of the Dust Bowl, 13-year-old Billie Jo loses her mother and unborn brother in an accident that she is partly responsible for and burns her own hands so badly that she may never again find solace in her only pleasure?playing the piano. Growing ever more distant from her brooding father, she hops on a train going west, and discovers that there is no escaping the dust of her Oklahoma home?she is part of it and it is part of her. Hesse uses free-verse poems to advance the plot, allowing the narrator to speak for herself much more eloquently than would be possible in standard prose. The author's astute and careful descriptions of life during the dust storms of the 1930s are grounded in harsh reality, yet are decidedly poetic; they will fascinate as well as horrify today's readers. Hesse deals with questions of loss, forgiveness, home, and even ecology by exposing and exploring Billie Jo's feelings of pain, longing, and occasional joy. Readers may at first balk at a work of fiction written as poetry, but the language, imagery, and rhythms are so immediate that after only a few pages it will seem natural to have the story related in verse. This book is a wonderful choice for classrooms involved in journal-writing assignments, since the poems often read like diary entries. It could also be performed effectively as readers' theater. Hesse's ever-growing skill as a writer willing to take chances with her form shines through superbly in her ability to take historical facts and weave them into the fictional story of a character young people will readily embrace.?Carrie Schadle, New York Public Library

5. CONNECTIONS
Display the poem in the classroom or library. Use it to teach about the Dust Bowl period in 1930’s in the history of Oklahoma.

Other books by Karen Hesse:

The Music of Dolphins 0-590-897985

Letters from Rifka 0140363912

Witness 0439272009

Other similar historical books:

Criss Cross by Perkins, Lynne Rae 0060092726

Talkin’ about Bessie: the story of aviator Elizabeth Coleman by Nikki Grimes 0439352436

Jazmin’s notebook by Nikki Grimes 0803722249

Poems--My Man Blue

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Grimes, Nikki. 1999. My Man Blue. NewYork: Penguin Putnam Inc. ISBN 0803723261

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Nikki Grimes’ poems are about a character named Damon who moves with his single mother to her old neighborhood. He meets a man named “Blue”. The poems are about Damon’s journey from skepticism to trust in his hero, Blue. When Damon first meets Blue, he is a little insecure because he feels that he is the “man” in his single parent household. In the poems, Grimes discusses sensitive issues such as insecurity, trust, fear, and anger. Another important aspect of the poems is the strong male model. In “The Class Bully”, Damon emphatically asserts that “it’s guys who don’t hit girls who’re strong”. In another poem, “My Own Man”, Damon says, “What’s the matter with that?” “And, if I take care of my mom so what? She takes care of me”. The colorful and lifelike pictures make the poems meaningful and easy to understand for the young and the old from every culture.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The poems in “My Man Blue” are written from a child’s point of view about the growing bond between Damon and Blue. In “Fearless”, Grimes’ clever use of simile in the following verse is impressive. “And urges me to loop my fear like twine around a branch and use the rope to climb”. For Damon, Blue becomes a symbol of hope, trust, and friendship in tough times. Lagarrigue uses the abstract illustrations of the characters to inspire the imaginations of young children with the message that “Blue” could be someone in their lives. The dark background in the illustrations denotes the hidden danger in the neighborhood.

It is very obvious that Harlem-born Grimes uses some of her own experiences and issues to create poetry. The poem exposes readers to topics such as anger, fear, trust, independent thought, role models and self-esteem. According to Blue, anger is a waste and fear has to be overcome. Also, a “real” man helps and protects women and does not hurt them.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
BookList, 10/15/1999

Gr. 2-5. In a simple, lyrical series of poems, Grimes speaks in the voice of Damon, a child in Harlem, whose "missing daddy's left a hole" and who finds a mentor in Blue, who lost a son to the streets. It's a scary place ("A boy got shot / At school last month"). Lagarrigue's strong realistic acrylic paintings show the poignant connection between the needy child and the gentle, heavily built man in the dangerous neighborhood, where wedges of blue sky are sandwiched in between the roofs. Blue is a dream-perfect father figure, and some metaphors are obvious, as when Blue urges Damon to climb ("You know I'll be right here / In case you fall"), but the words and paintings show the hard place and the child's yearning for safety and strength. Damon and Blue spar every day, and the expressive pictures show their punches are almost an embrace. In the most beautiful poem, Damon's feeling about Blue is in the action and the visual detail: Blue's hands, calloused and tender, are strong stories, and "He tells them / sometimes when / I let him hold mine." A great picture book for older readers. ((Reviewed October 15, 1999)) -- Hazel Rochman. Booklist, published by the American Library Association.

Publishers Weekly, 05/17/1999

In 14 knowing, heartfelt poems, Grimes (Come Sunday) invites readers to witness the friendship that blossoms between Damon, an African-American boy without a father, and Blue, a tough-looking man who has lost his son to the streets. At first Damon isn't sure what to make of "This rugged dude/ Who some folk think/ Looks fierce in clothes/ of midnight black." But the boy quickly discovers Blue's "harmless, gentle-giant side." In between shooting hoops and outings to the park, Blue fortifies Damon's values and self-confidenceAthe very things that prevent Damon from resorting to the violence and antisocial behavior prevalent in his urban world. Though each of these accomplished poems could easily stand alone, together they form an enticing story arc. In his picture book debut, Lagarrigue doesn't interpret Grimes's words literallyAhis Blue looks approachable. Readers never see, for example, the teeth that startle the boy ("one gold, three cracked"), and Blue's getup doesn't match the text's description of perpetual shades and black leather. The deep-hued acrylic paintings have a rough, slightly smudgy texture, and they demonstrate a remarkable color sense. Unexpected fields of sharp blues and greens blend into the gritty cityscapes, and blocks of text are set against canvases thinly brushed with paint in palettes that complement the facing illustration. The art creates an ideal setting for the text: the look is inescapably urban but also subtly lyrical. Ages 6-up. (May) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal, 05/01/1999

Gr 2-5-A child's suspicion of the new man in his mother's life grows into admiration and love in this set of linked poems. "When We First Met," young Damon recalls, "I circle, look him up and down and let/Him know his grin's not winning points with me," but all resistance melts in the face of Blue's respect, his quiet strength, his willingness to teach and to listen, and to look out for Damon's safety. By the end, Damon is hoping, one day, to be "Like Blue"; "Not fierce/In black leather/Or built like/A heavyweight/Boxing machine/But like that/Other Blue I've seen/The one who/Says he cares/And shows it." Lagarrigue debuts with a set of twilit, impressionistic, sparsely populated street scenes in which Blue, with his shaven head and heavy frame, leans hugely but attentively toward his diminutive companion. Damon mentions his mother several times, but because she appears in the illustrations only once, she remains a background presence as man and boy bond.-John Peters, New York Public Library Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

5. CONNECTIONS
Encourage children to make up and use illustrations to create their own poems about relationships or role-models. Display poems in the classroom or the library. Use two poem books by Nikki Grimes to compare and contrast.

Other books by Nikki Grimes:

Bronx Masquerade 0-14-250189-1

Meet Danitra Brown 0-688-15471-9

Jazmin’s Notebook 0-14-130702-1

Other engaging books of poetry for middle graders:

The friendly four by Eloise Greenfield 0-06-000759-1

You and Me selected and illustrated by Salley Mavor 0-531-30045-5

I like you if you like me: poems of friendship elected and edited by Myra Cohn Livingston 0-689-50408-X

Poems--Insectlopedia

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Florian, Douglas. 1998. Insectlopedia. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc. ISBN 0152013067

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Insectlopedia includes concrete poems, ballad meters, couplets, and rhyming verses about 21 types of insects. The author uses poems about creepy and crawly insects to engage, inform, and humor kids. The watercolor illustrations are brilliant and the collages connect the various unrelated abstract drawings. Florian writes about weevils ('We are ruinous./ We are rotten./ We drill holes/ In bolls of cotton'), a mayfly ('A mayfly flies/ In May or June./ Its life is over/ Far too soon'),

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Florian uses repetition of the beginning sounds of words to create hilarious tongue twisters that would be great to read aloud. The illustration of the insects and the poems describing the insects are on opposite pages. The vivid drawings add depth to the verse. I especially like the use of shape to visualize and inch worm. His creative invention of words like “spiderobic” and “faterpiller” will appeal to readers of all ages.

The author’s use of rhyme, rhythm and figurative language creates animation brings each insect to life. The use of humor and wit make the poems interesting to children and adults: “Mosquitoes are thin./Mosquitoes are rude./They feast on your skin/for take-out food.”

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Publishers Weekly, 03/18/2002

"The silly, imaginative verses about whirligig beetles and waterbugs (almost) match the exquisite pictures in playfulness and wit. The result is downright stunning," said PW. Ages 5-8. (Apr.) Publishers Weekly, A Reed Business Information Publication

School Library Journal, 04/01/1998

Gr 2-6?As he did in Beast Feast (1994), On The Wing (1996), and In the Swim (1997, all Harcourt), Florian offers 21 short, inventive poems and paintings that create playful images of animals. Here, the subjects are arthropods such as the mayfly, praying mantis, hornet, black widow spider, and weevils. The verse form is as varied as the creatures presented. Shaped or pattern poems about the inchworm, whirligig beetles, and mound-building termites work particularly well. The words are arranged in pleasing patterns and the rhythms fit the characteristics of the subjects. The design adds to the overall appeal. Each selection is given its own page, allowing for the use of large type and plenty of glossy white space, and paired with a full-page watercolor with a neat border of white. These portraits build on the imaginatively integrated realistic and anthropomorphic images created in the text. There are other books of poetry about insects and lots of collections of humorous verses about animals but none match Insectlopedia.?Carolyn Angus, The Claremont Graduate School, CA

BookList, 03/15/1998

Gr. 3-5. Florian, the author/illustrator of beast feast (1994) and on the wing (1996), now presents a witty collection of short poems about insects and spiders. The verse rhymes at the ends of lines, and often internally as well, as Florian plays with sound and meter, word and sense, and even the placement of words on the page to create poems that children will enjoy, such as "The io moth / Has mam-moth eyes / That are not real--/ They're a disguise / To ward off birds / And other creatures, / Like garter snakes / And science teachers." The illustration on the facing page shows that the "mam-moth eyes" are eyespots on the moth's wings. The book is handsomely designed, with each short poem appearing on a large white page across from a full-color illustration. The artwork consists of collages of drawn and painted images and printed letters on paper that is cut and juxtaposed for effect. The clever artwork, deftly constructed, and the entertaining collection of insect and arachnid verse it illustrates will delight readers. ((Reviewed March 15, 1998)) -- Carolyn Phelan. Booklist, published by the American Library Association.

5. CONNECTIONS
Encourage children to make up and use drawings to create their own poems about insects, plants, or animals. Display poems and award prizes for the most creative illustrations.

Other poems by Douglas Florian:

Lizards, frogs, and polliwogs: poems and paintings 015202591X
Mammalabilia: poems and paintings 0152021671

Beast Feast : poems and paintings 0152017372

Other poems about insects:

Insect Soup : bug poems by Barry Louis Polisar 0938663224

The little buggers by J. Patrick Lewis 0803717695

Bugs and critters I have known by Ann Heiskell Rickey 0966783417

Traditional Review--Strange and Scary Things

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Schwartz, Alvin. 1981. Strange and Scary Things. Ill By Gammell, Stephen. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers. 0397319274.

PLOT SUMMARY
Schwartz’s collection American folklore is full of tales of creepy terror and vengeance that will give you sleepless nights. Skeletons with torn and twisted heads and legs drop down from the chimney of haunted houses. For example, the tale “The Big Toe” has a dead person groaning and saying “Where is my t-o-o-o-o-o-e”? The reader can create a lot of drama by groaning and hoarsely enunciating each syllable of the word toe to engage the listeners in a suspenseful mood. The selections are meant to be read aloud and are short enough to read in a few minutes. As the reader and listeners get caught up in the stories and are waiting in suspense to expect the worst, the author switches to selections that are funny and provide some comic relief.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The book covers nearly every type of scary tale possible. The stories are filled with ghosts, witches, monsters, animal-like creatures, skeletons, and dead people who come alive. The author retells the stories he has collected from other well-known folkloric and mythical literature. Even though the book is for young readers, many of the tales are intended for adults.

The author uses rhyming and onomatopoeic words to stir the imagination. The following excerpt from the story, “Aaron Kelly’s Bones” describes a dead man dancing. “Crickety-crack, down and back, the dead man went hopping, and his dry bones kept dropping—this way, that way, the pieces just kept popping”.

Schwartz uses repetition of words and action to intensify the terror of the person reading or hearing the story. Stephen Gammell's superb and spine-chilling drawings thoroughly depict the mood of all the scary stories and songs. The graphic black and white illustrations give the stories a macabre twist. The drawings of characters in the humorous tales are weird but not as frightening as they are in the horror stories.

The book is perfect for reading alone on a dark, gloomy night or for reading aloud in the dark to a group of scared kids at a slumber party.


REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Booklist(June 1, 1996)
Gr. 5^-7. This collection of stories about witches and ghosts includes "jump" stories as well as macabre songs, contemporary psychic tales, and frightening legends from the past. Gammell's smudge drawings expand the ghoulish atmosphere.

Children's Books 1981 (NY Public Library)."A fine collection of short tales to chill the bones of young and old with interesting notes for folktale buffs."

CONNECTIONS

“Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” will work well with young readers, especially boys. Most youngsters these days find horror fascinating. The suspense of the tales and the creepy illustrations will keep them engrossed. Some young-at-heart adults may also find these legends appealing.

If you liked “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark”, you will also enjoy the following books collected by Alvin Schwartz:

More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (0064401774)
Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones (0064404188)

Similar scary stories by other authors:

13 Scary Ghost Stories (0613720253) by Marianne Carus
13 Monsters Who Should be Avoided (1561451460) by Kevin Shortsleeve
Scary Stories (0811854140) by Barry Moser

Traditional Review--The Legend of the Bluebonnet

BIBLIOGRAPHY

DePaola, Tomie. 1983. The Legend of the Bluebonnet. New York, NY: The Putnam & Grosset Group. 1561373281.

PLOT SUMMARY
This fascinating narration of a Comanche Indian tale explains the inception of the bluebonnet, the state flower of Texas. There is drought and famine in the land. The shaman tells the people that the Great Spirits feel that the people have become selfish. The Comanche People are told that they have to sacrifice their most valued possession as a sacrifice and scatter the ashes if they want rain.

“I’m sure it is not my new bow that the Great Spirits want,” a warrior says. “Or my special blanket,” a woman adds, as everyone goes to their tipis to talk and think over what the Great Spirits have asked. A little girl named She-Who-Is-Alone says to her companion warrior doll, a legacy from her family, “You are my most valued possession. It is you the Great Spirits want.” She burns her doll and throws the ashes to the Home of the Winds.

The next day the hills are blanketed with bluebonnets. The People celebrate, the rains return and they rename the noble and courageous young girl One-Who-Dearly-Loved-Her-People. This land is now called Texas.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The plot begins with obstacles, famine and drought. As the story unfolds, the main character, a young Comanche orphan girl, discovers strength and courage to help her people. By making the right choice, the heroine of the benefits and so does her tribe.
Tomie dePaola uses the warrior doll as a symbol of the She-Who-Is-Alone’s lost family. The doll offers comfort to the orphan. In the end, the word “Alone” in her name is changed to “Dearly-Loved-Her-People”. This reflects the change in her circumstances from a lonely girl without a family to a girl who loves and is loves by all.

“The ground was covered with flowers, beautiful blue flowers, as blue as the feathers in the hair of her beloved doll.” In this statement, the author uses allusion to connect the sacrifice to the end result.

This story has a prominent theme of surrendering of one’s most valued possession for the greater good. The pictures are colorful and vibrant and teach about Northwest Indian art.
The simplistic illustrations with various hues of color in the background and less than half and page of text will definitely enthrall young readers. Both the illustrations and the language in the tale portray the customs, dress, and culture of the Comanche people.


REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Booklist (September 1, 1991). This live-action adaptation of Tomie dePaola's Legend of the Bluebonnets (Putnam, 1983) portrays the time-honored sacrifice of a treasured doll by a young Comanche to end a drought. Although other tribal members are unable to part with a favorite bow, blanket, or pair of moccasins, the girl's gift to the Spirit is responsible for the return of the blue flowers, the sign of rain. With a backdrop of bluebonnets carpeting the landscape, the camera glimpses the tepees and rain dances of the Comanches. Family relationships are sensitively portrayed in this pleasing production, expressively narrated in voice-over by a native American. A welcome addition to school and library programs. Ages 7-10.

From Publishers Weekly According to PW , this tale of Little Gopher's artistic dreams is "related with deceptive simplicity by dePaola; he enhances the plainness of the story with his primitive illustrations and . . . finds inspiration in the colors of the sunset." Ages 4-8. Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

CONNECTIONS
The Legend of the Bluebonnet can be used to expose children to multicultural literature.
The book can also be used to teach children about responsibility, sacrifice, and courage.
It is a great book for the whole family because it is easy to read and understand. In addition, it focuses on family, community and nature.


Similar books by Tomie dePaola:

The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush (0399215344)
The Legend of Poinsettia (0399216928)
The Legend of Old Belfana: An Italian Christmas Story (0152438165)

Other books by Tomie dePaola:

Strega Nona (0689817649)

Traditional Book Review--Bubba the Cowboy Prince

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ketteman, Helen. 1997. Bubba the Cowboy Prince. A Fractured Texas Tale. Ill by Warhola, James. New York, NY: Sholastic Inc.. 0590255061.

PLOT SUMMARY
Bubba The Cowboy Prince, A Fractured Texas Tale, is an entertaining unique adaptation of the classic wonder tale, Cinderella. Bubba lives with his wicked stepbrothers and his mean stepfather. The stepbrothers are lazy and domineering. Bubba, on the other hand, is submissive and is constantly serving his demanding father and stepbrothers. Miz Lurleen, “the purtiest and richest gal in the county”, throws a ball to find herself a “feller”. By the time Bubba completes his chores and helps his family get ready, he is worn-out and filthy. He asks his family to wait for him to get ready. They tell him that Miz Lurleen will not dance with him since he is so dirty and smelly. As he heads for the cow pasture, a fairy “godcow” appears and provides him with handsome cowboy “duds” and turns a steer into a beautiful white stallion. Bubba arrives at the ball and wins Miz Lurleen’s heart. At midnight, he turns into a dirty cowpoke again while he is dancing with Miz Lurleen. As he dashes off, he loses one of his cowboy boots. The boot helps Miz Lurleen to find Bubba the next day. They ride their horses into the sunset and live happily ever after.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This is a tall tale with a Western twist. The plot is similar to the traditional version of Cinderella but there is a break in the stereotype. Children, especially those from Texas, will find the cowboy theme interesting. The text is full of Texas maxims, such as "darker than a black bull at midnight" and "another ten dollar Stetsons on a five cent head."
This story can be read aloud with a Texas drawl to make it more dramatic. Since the story is familiar, the children will be able predict the next scene. However, they will find the unusual adaptation thrilling and entertaining.

The illustrations painted by James Warhola depict Texas symbols. For instance, a clock in the shape of the state of Texas hangs in Miz Lurleen’s living room. Also, there are scenes with pictures of cactus in the background. The features of the characters are well-defined. The oil paintings are brightly colored and whimsical. Warhola is extremely talented in giving appropriate expressions to his characters. For example, the bewildered expressions on the rest of the cattle when the fairy godcow appears are entertaining. Also, the horse carrying the wicked stepfather and brothers to the ball has the same mean look as the humans.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)


Horn Book Guide (March 1, 1998). This fairy tale takeoff substitutes the stepson of a wicked cattle rancher for Cinderella and an industrious wealthy neighbor gal with Texas-size hair for the prince. The western-style trimmings of the text and accompanying oil paintings are humorous but not enough to justify retelling a story that's as overworked as poor Bubba. Horn Rating: Recommended, with minor flaws.

Booklist (December 1, 1997). Ages 5-8. Retold countless times with new twists and different settings, the story of Cinderella seems to have universal and endless appeal. This western version features a cow as the fairy godmother, and breaks tradition with a gender reversal in which the Cinderella role is played by a likable Texas cowboy named Bubba, and the handsome prince's part is taken by Miz Lurleen, a spunky (and wealthy) cowgirl who throws a ball when she decides it's time to find a husband. Ketteman wisely leaves the plot unchanged, but the story has a distinct western flair and a humorous tall-tale feel that is greatly enhanced by the exaggerated actions and facial expressions of the characters in Warhola's double-page-spread oil paintings. With a male in the starring role, this charming and funny retelling may hold more appeal for young boys than the traditional version may

Publishers Weekly (November 17, 1997). Rustler lingo and illustrations chockablock with Texas kitsch make this ranch-spun Cinder-fella a knee-slappin' tale. Bullied by his step-kin, Bubba is stranded on the ranch while the rest of Texas attends the ball hosted by Miz Lurleen ,"the purtiest and richest gal in the county", who is looking for a feller who loves ranching as much as she does. While Bubba checks the herd, the sky grows "darker than a black bull at midnight." The thunderhead rolling in turns out to be his fairy godcow” haloed, freshly coiffed and wielding not a wand but lightning bolts. By the time the duded-up Bubba hits the shindig, Miz Lurleen has wearied of the last of her suitors ("another ten-dollar Stetson on a five-cent head"). After some fine do-si-do-ing, Bubba's duds turn to rags, but Miz Lurleen is infatuated. While spoofing Cinderella is not a new idea, Ketteman and Warhola's (Aunt Hilarity's Bustle) well-matched flair for hyperbole gives both the narrative and illustrations a one-two punch. Just the ticket for buckaroos lookin' fer a good read. Ages 5-8.

CONNECTIONS

This is an interesting folk tale for children and can be used to compare it to the original Cinderella. The dramatic and picturesque illustrations inspire the imagination of younger children who cannot read.

Other similar stories by Ketteman:

Waynetta and the Cornstalk (0807586870): A Texas Fairy Tale—based on the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk
Armadilly Chili (0807504572)—based on the story of Little Red Hen

Other stories by Ketterman:
The Great Cake Bake (0802789501)