Tuesday Storytime: Edgar Allen Poe

Our library decided to host a county-wide celebration of Edgar Allen Poe, and there were events across the entire system and in various other locations through the month of October.  We were asked to tie as many existing library programs into the event as possible, so I challenged myself to come up with toddler-friendly books that were both Halloween appropriate and which somewhat referenced Edgar Allen Poe or his thematic legacy.  I think I did pretty well, all things considered.  I chose to hit on gothic architecture and creepy suspense with Eve Bunting's amazing Night of the Gargoyles, I referenced the ubiquitous Raven with the sweetly translated Rosie the Raven, and double-teamed Poe's own pet cat (Catterina, because OF COURSE) and the creepy (and very child-UNfriendly) story The Black Cat with Cynthia Rylant's Moonlight the Halloween Cat, and finished off with a slightly expurgated and modernized rendition of Poe's courting poem about self-esteem and beauty.  Programming readers's advisory level: awesome.

Night of the Gargoyles
Eve Bunting, illustrated by David Wiesner
ISBN: 9780395968871
Gargoyles on a public building creep about and play tricks as they come alive at night.

Wiesner's illustrations really carry the story here, no offense to Bunting.  The graphite work is amazing, and the expressions on the various gargoyle and human faces is a master-class in showing, not telling.  Bunting's perfectly-honed slightly laconic and dry wit keeps the whole thing from imploding into a grotesque macabre sentiment.  Gargoyles have very simple, childlike pleasures: scuttling around the building and peeking into windows, playing in water fountains, and mildly tormenting helpless creatures (the hapless custodian who is the only one who believes they come alive).  It's beautiful and slightly creepy and subversively funny (jokes about bird poop appear well-received by all ages).  A perfect reference to Poe.  

Rosie the Raven
Helga Bansch
ISBN: 9781554518340
Rosie doesn't look like all her siblings, but she is self-confident and loved by her raven parents.

There is a real dearth of decent books about ravens in the picture book arena, and I find that a crying shame.  This is one of the few that I entirely enjoyed, and I decided it would represent all the sweet and innocent (or prosaic) writing that Poe did, most of which is largely forgotten.  Rosie is a miniature human child born to a family of ravens.  When her siblings grow up and leave the nest, her parents realize that Rosie isn't going to be able to do the same, and will need to migrate south with them.  The family works together, and Rosie learns to accept herself and her non-bird limitations with grace and courage.

Moonlight the Halloween Cat
Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
ISBN: 9780060297114
Moonlight is a black cat, and she loves the lights and noises and creepy creatures out on this particular night.

Moonlight stalks around, a black cat with gleaming, almost day-glow green eyes peering out from the various spreads and pages.  She's a black cat, a Halloween cat, and she knows this night from all the other nights because of all the Halloween things that she encounters; trick-or-treaters, jack-o-lanterns, strange lights, bright moonlight.  A sweet and VERY short story.  I probably should have stuck this one in the middle here.

Bonus Poe Poem:
"Thou would'st be loved?  Then let thy heart/"
from Poetry for Young People: Edgar Allen Poe  (2008 edition)
Brod Bagert & Carolynn Cobleigh
ISBN: 9781402754722
A curated collection of child-appropirate poems (and oddly enough some fragments of stories) by Poe.

Even in a collection of poems designed to be available and intelligible to young people, I only found one poem I felt like the kids would even slightly be able to understand, and that's Poe's untitled poem that he would send to girls that he fancied.  The poem itself is chaste enough, and I only slightly modernized and altered the wording to make meanings clear for a very young, very modern listening group.  It's good advice for all ages, and a nice positive note to end on.

Picture Book Bonanza 2/3: Molly Idle's Flora and the Flamingo, David Wiesner's Mr. Wuffles!

Flora and the Flamingo
Molly Idle
ISBN: 9781452110066
Read February 3, 2014

Wordless Picture Book, Lift-the-Flap Picture Book

This was a cute story, but I think that the combination of wordless AND lift-the-flap pushed it a little too far into 'trying too hard' territory for me.  Also, the book is pretty much entirely pink (with a flamingo, I can't rightly blame it for that, but I also hold that I'm more critical of it because it's pink).  Flora is a pear-shaped person in a swimming cap, suit, and swim-fins on her feet, and the flamingo is - well - a flamingo.  Flora is also attempting to copycat said flamingo, who isn't entirely happy about her attempts.  Things get a little rocky when the flamingo performs a maneuver that ends Flora up in the drink, but amends are made, leaving girl and bird to dance and splash together in harmony.  Not entirely to my taste, but I especially liked the cherry-blossom borders on the pages, the amount of character representation possible with a pair of black swim fins, and Flora's expressive eyebrows.


Mr. Wuffles!
David Wiesner
ISBN: 9780618756612
Read February 3, 2014

Wordless Picture Book

Have to say from the start that this is NOT my favorite of Wiesner's works (that one for me goes to Flotsam  for general amazingness, or to Hurricane for personal impact) but that said, this one is a cute romp.  Mr. Wuffles is a grumpy black cat who, like all cats, prefers toys that aren't toys.  Unfortunately for some very seasoned travelers, they are the newest "toy."  After Mr. Wuffles damages their spaceship, they must join forces with the denizens behind the cupboards, learning each others' languages (actual languages, which can be actually learned by the reader - this part made me think of Weslandia and Dinotopia) and developing blended technologies to help with the rescue/escape/taunt the cat mission.  I love the bugs - they're very William Joyce's Leaf Men in shape and plot function, but more expressive.  The aliens are adorable, and I love their determination and fright when faced with Mr Wuffles in all his enormity.  Technically, this isn't a wordless picture book, as the aliens and bugs do speak, but I'm willing to give it some wiggle room for a nifty idea and a lovely presentation.  The last panel, with the additions to the bugs' wall of history, was killer.