Great Joy (midi edition)
Book by Kate DiCamillo
DETAILS
Publisher : Candlewick; Illustrated edition (September 14, 2010) Language : English Hardcover : 32 pages ISBN-10 : 0763649961 ISBN-13 : 978-0763649968 Reading age : 4 - 8 years Lexile measure : AD680L Grade level : Preschool - 3 , "Newbery Medalist DiCamillo spins a tale of compassion and holiday warmth." — Publishers Weekly (starred review) A New York Times Bestseller A Time Magazine Top 10 Book of the Year Four starred reviews ( Booklist , Kirkus Reviews , Publishers Weekly , School Library Journal ) It is just before Christmas when an organ grinder and monkey appear on the street outside Frances’s apartment. When it’s quiet she can hear their music, and when she looks out her window at midnight, she sees them sleeping outside. Finally the day of the Christmas pageant arrives, but when it’s Frances’s turn to speak, all she can think about is the organ grinder’s sad eyes — until a door opens just in time, and she finds the perfect words to share. With this luminous tale, Kate DiCamillo pairs with Bagram Ibatoulline to offer a timeless holiday gift. Read more
REVIEW
This story and its accompanying pictures take place back in time, around the 1950s, when street corners would be spotted with self-employed opportunists who would entertain or sell you some gadget or gizmo. In this story, there is an organ grinder, with a small costumed monkey, playing music for people on the street. Crowds would pass by and enjoy the sounds of the organ grinder and the antics (that's behavior) of the monkey. From an apartment window above the street level, a little girl named Frances would watch the man and his monkey, both during the day and the night. Frances became concerned about the man and his monkey and what happens to them at night. Now Frances' mother was sewing her a robe for the church pageant; she was going to be an angel. That night, Frances made herself stay awake because she wanted to see if the old man and his monkey were still out on the street corner so late at night. Yes, she saw them, and called to them; the old man waved his hat to her. Well, the next morning, Frances told her Mother that they sleep on the street, even in the snow. She even wanted to invite them for dinner, but her Mother said they couldn't because they were strangers. Frances and her Mother, dressed in their winter coats and boots, walked in the snow. Frances saw that the man and the monkey were still on the street corner; she placed a coin in the monkey's cup, and invited the man to the Christmas play, that night. She explained that she was in the Christmas play at the church. She even asked him if he wanted to hear her one line in the play. Before he could say anything, Frances' Mother hurried her on so they wouldn't be late. Frances could see the sad eyes on the man's face. He just smiled at her. By the time Frances had put on her wings and halo, it was her turn to speak. The other characters waited, but Frances couldn't speak. All she could think of was how cold it was outside for the man and his monkey; she remembered how sad the man looked. All of a sudden, at the back of the church, the door opened; in came the man and his monkey, and in the midst of the quiet church, Frances smiled and shouted, "Behold! I bring you tidings of Great Joy!" The man walked in with the monkey. More than that, he spent time with the people in the church. Frances had made one person's world better that night by showing that she cared. The artist, Bagram Ibatoulline, an acclaimed Russian artist, noted for illustrating children's picture books, used the acrylic gouache method, which is the mixing of glue with the paint. As you browse through this very simple book, you will notice the small details in the artist's brushstrokes; these illustrations compliment the author's text. The drawings look a bit like those of the renown Norman Rockwell, though these illustrations have a softness that Rockwell's artwork don't have. Some of the illustrations remind me of sepia photographs, with a bit of infused color. This book carries a powerful message of compassion in the child's heart.
DOWNLOAD PAGE
留言列表
