Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

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Max is an imaginative little boy that is always getting into trouble. After his mother sends him to his room without dinner, Max's imagination takes flight and he is soon the king of the land where the wild things are. Will Max stay in his new kingdom with his wild monsters, or will he get homesick and recognize how much his mother actually loves him?


Composition: Where the Wild Things Are - Has a very distinctive compositional style. Subdued shadowy color schemes are enhanced by sharp repetitive line shading to evoke the supernatural aspects of the story. As most of the story occurs at night, the art style supports this by showing the yellow eyes of the monsters and the ominous forest. Both the monsters and Max are shown with horns and sharp claws in a similar style which gives credence to him becoming their king. The texture and the color scheme dominate the story and give it a cohesiveness that brings Max from his bedroom to the land of the wild things and back in a circular narrative. 

Setting: Where the Wild Things Are - The setting for Where the Wild Things Are is Max’s bedroom where he is sent as punishment. The bedroom has a double nature as it transforms into the imaginary land where the wild things are. Time also has a dual nature as Max sails in his boat to his wild island over a lengthy span of time, and yet returns to find that his supper is not only waiting for him, but still hot. The art also depicts his bedroom’s transformation, the tall posters on his bed imply the tall trees in the forest. Max’s travel to, and adventures in, his imaginary land integrally ties the setting to the plot.

Sendak, M. (1963). Where the wild things are. NY: Harper Collins.

-Ms. J

 

The Three Pigs by David Wiesner

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The Three Pigs is a modern retelling of the classic fairy tale. After the wolf arrives to terrorize these well-known pigs, they flee their story, and escape their pages and head on to new adventures in other fairy tales all while trying to outsmart the wolf. Are they successful? Read and find out!



Texture: The Three Pigs - The 3-dimensional illustrations allow the pigs to break the fourth wall as they climb out of their storybook and into other books. This allows the story to take on a metafictional aspect, altering their own tale. In the plot the 3-dimensional pig characters are able to manipulate the comic book style cells and rearrange the story. In one case the crumpled nature of one of the cells, shows that it is in the process of being moved. This is further contrasted by the lack of texture on the simplified storybook nursery rhyme pages, that are drawn in a very flat, simplistic style. 

Wiesner, D. (2001). The three little pigs. NY: Clarion.

-Ms. J

Mirror Mirror by Marilyn Singer

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Mirror Mirror offers a new take on poetry and fairy tales in a kid-friendly fashion. Each well-known fairy tale is retold in poetry form, and then reversed, for an entirely new take on the tale. Each rendition is colorfully illustrated and will keep your children intrigued.


Color: Mirror Mirror - The bold primary colors are extremely eye-catching. The brighter tones of yellow, sky blue, and green are typically used to represent the heroes and protagonists, while the villains and antagonists are often depicted in darker tones like deep reds. Color contrast is used on every page to portray the difference of emotions, and progression of plot (before and after) between the right side of the page and the left. Cooler colors are used throughout the aquatic examples like the Ugly Duckling and the Frog Prince. 

Style: Mirror Mirror - Books known for their style are different from other books because there is something about them that is very unique. That is the case with Mirror Mirror. The language is used in a way not often seen, not only is it assembled in poetry, but the poems on each page are also told in reverse, using the exact same words to create a different perspective in furthering the story. The illustrations also show the duality of the poetry by being split into halves that contrast each other, to tell both sides of the reverse poems. The author uses a formula that is the same for each page of text, so that the reader is able to almost predict what will happen in each individual story, just by reading the first half of the poem. The author is also able to play upon the reader’s previous knowledge of well-known fairy tales, while still making each story somewhat unique with his style of poetry. By using this pattern, plot surprises are balanced with predictable elements. These unique aspects are all combined to convey the author’s unique style.

Singer, M. (2010). Mirror, Mirror. NY: Dutton.

-Ms. J