WRITING CRAFT USING THREE BOOKS WITH GREAT ILLUSTRATIONS FOR INSPIRATION

Rylant, C. When I was young in the mountains. New York: Penguin Books

Say, A. (1993). Grandfather’s journey. Boston: Houghton Mifflin

Yolen, J. (1987). Owl moon. New York: Philomel Books.

Rylant, C. When I was young in the mountains. New York: Penguin Books

SUMMARY/PLOT

When I Was Young in the Mountains is an old-fashioned story about a young girl and her brother growing up in the Appalachian Mountains with their grandparents. The book is about simple food, simple pleasures, simple living. The young girl often helps with chores around the house.

CHARACTERS

“When I was young in the mountains,

Grandfather came home in the evening

covered with the black dust of a coal mine.

Only his lips were clean, and he used them

To kiss the top of my head.”

The girl’s grandparents are depicted as loving and caring. The girl’s grandmother doesn’t mind walking her to the outhouse.

QUALITY, ILLUSTRATIONS, STYLE

The best books seem to use just the right number of words, and Rylant does this.

“On our way home, we stopped at

Mr. Crawford’s for a mound of white butter.

Mr. Crawford and Mrs. Crawford looked

alike and always smelled of sweet milk.”

Diane Goode’s illustrations show a crowded country store bursting with corn meal, eggs, and Mason jars. Her watercolors detail country life in the early-mid 20th century.

GENRE

Picture book

INTEREST LEVEL

Lexile: 450

Guided Reading level: K

Say, A. (1993). Grandfather’s journey. Boston: Houghton Mifflin

SUMMARY/PLOT

In the early 20^th century a young man journeys from his home in Japan to the New World. He is awed by marvellous wonders:

…The endless farm fields reminded him of the ocean he had crossed.

…Huge cities of factories and tall buildings bewildered yet excited him.”

He settles in San Francisco and starts a family, but he misses his Japanese home. When his daughter is almost grown he moves his family back to his Japan. Yet he pines for California, and tells his grandson stories about living there, and plans to return to the U.S. on a trip. Calamity interferes, and his grandson picks up where grandfather left off, and moves to California as a young man.

CHARACTERS AND CONFLICT

The best books seem to use just the right number of words, and Say does this as he refrains from telling us how the characters feel. We know they are full of wistfulness. The have their feet in two worlds and they are always missing where they’re not.

“The funny thing is, the moment I am in one country,

I am homesick for the other.”

THEME

This book is about immigration, war, longing and life.

QUALITY, ILLUSTRATIONS STYLE

This is one of my most favorite children’s books. I have used it with children on both sides of the ocean. It is an excellent book to use with ESL immigrant children. They immediately understand it and tell their own stories about living in two worlds.

Say is both the writer and illustrator. His gorgeous, restrained watercolor illustrations extend his narration just enough.

GENRE

Picture book

INTEREST LEVEL

Lexile: 630

Guided reading level: O

Yolen, J. (1987). Owl moon. New York: Philomel Books.

SUMMARY/PLOT

A young girl and her father go “owling” on a cold winter night. They have to be quiet in order to be lucky enough to see an owl, and so John Schoenherr’s illustrations have to speak even louder than words, and they do.

CHARACTERS

In this book nature has a big role, almost like a star character.

“…The shadows

were the blackest things

I had ever seen.

They stained the white snow.”

“…the snow below it

was whiter than the milk

in a cereal bowl.”

The girl and her Pa silently trudge through the snow on a mission:

“…watched silently

with heat in our mouths,

the heat of all those words

we had not spoken”

QUALITY, ILLUSTRATIONS, STYLE

This book is ideal for Minnesota school children who live six months of their year in snow and cold. It perfectly depicts the winter brilliance and stark beauty of white, blue, gray brown and black.

THEME

Winter, nature, majestic owls, father and daughter

GENRE

Picture book

INTEREST LEVEL

Lexile: 630

Guided Reading level: O

LESSON PLAN

All three of these books have an interesting way with words, to paraphrase Ray (1999, p. 184), and could be used to engage young writers. Rylant and Yolen are often cited by Katie Wood Ray as authors that have the potential to inspire young writers, such as third graders.

Repeating Sentences (Ray, 1999, p. 165 & 236)

Rylant uses the sentence, “When I was young on the mountain” three times in her book to describe what she did growing up. A third grader could be invited to experiment with this technique to give continuity to her writing piece.

Similes, Metaphors, Personification

When Say describes:

“…Deserts with rocks like enormous sculptures amazed him.”

We can draw a third grader’s attention to both the simile and the illustration that accompanies it, and invite the child to experiment with the simile in his own writing.

As noted in the quotes from the text above, Yolen employs similes and metaphors liberally, along with personification:

“When you go owling

you don’t need words

or warm

or anything but hope.

That’s what Pa says.

The kind of hope

that flies

on silent wings

under a shining

Owl Moon.”

Hope flies on silent wings!

Third graders could be asked to try pairing feelings with interesting action words:

Sadness melts

Happiness sings

Anger burns

Finally, these three books provide further artistic inspiration. I have often used watercolor and tempra with children ages 3-8 to illustrate their writing work. There is nothing like the non-verbal quality of paint media to draw out the deepest feelings and expressions of youngsters.

Ray, K. W. (1999). Wondrous words: Writers and writing in the elementary years. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.