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Mercy Watson To The Rescue by DiCamillo and Van Dusen
Mercy Watson To The Rescue (2005) is a picture book divided into chapters for the emergent reader, written by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen.
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Mister Magnolia by Quentin Blake Analysis
Mister Magnolia is a picture book written and illustrated by Sir Quentin Blake. It won the Kate Greenaway Medal in 1980, and the Red House Children’s Book Award in 1981. This story is an excellent lesson in simplicity.
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Tigers, Lions and Other Big Cats
LIONS How tf did lions become the symbol of bravery? They are the biggest and the strongest and they use that strength to eat the weaker animals. What exactly makes them brave?? Existential Comics (@existentialcoms) November 17, 2019 Tiger is big. Tiger is tough. And Tiger has an important note for you. Dear Reader,WATCH OUT…
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Rocks, Stones, Brick, Paving and Concrete In Art
I grew up in Christchurch, New Zealand, and occasionally visited The Christchurch Art Gallery. In the viewing room to the left of the entrance hall there was an especially memorable painting. Every now and then I come across a piece of art which takes my breath away, and this was one of the first. When…
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The Home Hearth in Art and Storytelling
In his book Home, Witold Rybczynski describes a typical European house: Heating was primitive. Houses in the sixteenth century had a fireplace or cookstove only in the main room, and no heating in the rest of the house. In winter, this room with its heavy masonry walls and stone floor was extremely cold. Voluminous clothing,…
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Umbrellas In Art And Storytelling
The oldest umbrellas, as we know them today, were used not to keep off the rain but to avoid the sun.
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Haystacks In Art and Storytelling
Haystacks and haybales are multivalent symbols in storytelling, utilised in horror as well as in cosy pastoral stories.
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Writing Activity: Describe A Park Or Playground
They drove a couple of miles down a rough country road—having turned off the highway and then off a decent unpaved country road—and found a place for cars to park, with no cars in it at present. A sign was painted on a board and needed retouching: “caution. deep-holes.” Alice Munro, “Deep Holes“ Kenopsia: The…
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Candy and Sweets in Art and Children’s Stories
Sweets and children go hand in hand, especially in non-Western countries, where sweetness is so connected to childhood (and to femininity) that ‘real men’ eschew sweets and instead take up smoking, and probably drinking as well. When I was a teenager, my Japanese host father saw a photo of my Western father eating something sweet…
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Symbolism of Coats and Cloaks
The cloak is the garment of Kings, and the King is a symbolic archetype. Fathers and Kings are basically the same archetype in traditional stories. (Fathers are the kings of the home.)
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The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton Analysis
Some stories have a linear shape. Others are circular, and emphasise the seasons. If we’re talking about circular, seasonal books for children, The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton (1942) is the standout example. Circular plot shapes tend to have a feminine feel and star female characters (but not always). “The shape of a story”…
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Writing Activity: Describe The Theatre
People watching live theatre, people lined up waiting to watch live theatre, and backstage paintings.
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Writing Activity: Describe a Bathroom
Maurice Lobre – Cabinette de toilette de Jacques-Emile Blanche 1888
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Cry Heart, But Never Break by Glenn Ringtved and Charlotte Pardi Analysis
Cry Heart, But Never Break is a picture book to help children process their grief. The book was first published in Denmark in 2001, then translated into English by Robert Moulthrop five years later. The story is beautifully illustrated by Danish artist Charlotte Pardi. I recommend this book for children of all ages dealing with…
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Old Mother Frost Fairy Tale Analysis
Old Mother Frost” is a German fairy tale also known as “Mother Holle”, “Mother Hulda” and “Frau Holle”.