Embedded Files
Another younger readers book, this one also caught my eye in a Michael's store (where I also purchased this cutie book). This reader is for the younger kids who read with help, and are able to handle longer sentences, word play and other slightly advanced reading skills. This is a nice little book that isn't too scary (and in fact are much tamer versions of familiar stories, as we'll discuss), and even has some humorous illustrations and and a poem written by a young boy. You won't need to worry about scaring your lil ones with this one.
The illustrations are brightly colored and have a nice distinctive crosshatching style, and textured color patterns (the trees have a pattern to the bark colors, even wallpapers and cloth). Under Dirk Zimmer's careful hand, these stories walk that balance between slightly scary and age-appropirate. The ghosties and skeletons aren't that horrendous, but they're not overly cutesy, and have a rather rustic in feeling. Its a very pleasing look. Zimmer was born in Germany but lives in New York, and his art has been exhibited in many countries. Its no wonder, with this wonderful line quality and the interesting use of textured color blocks.
The stories are collected from different sources, mostly from folklore. Author Alvin Schwartz has done many books for children involving folklore, and is best known as the compiler for the wonderfully horrific Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark trilogy. That's another review for another time, but for tonight, you'll find his retellings appropriate for the wee ones, and with strong but easy language.
There are 7 stories, with a foreword and an afterword that talks about the origin stories of the ones in the book. Some come from classic folkloric tales from other countries like England or Surinam, and one is a poem found in 1979 by a child whom lived in a town not that far from me. There's even a kids version of the classic "Vanishing Hitchhiker" story (your basic outline: a driver picks up a hitchhiker, is sometimes lent an object by the driver, is dropped off either at their house, or at a graveyard; the driver follows up on the hitchhiker and discovers that its the spirit of the person whom hitchhikes on the anniversary of their death to home/graveyard, and at their grave, often that item lent by the driver is found on their grave).
My favorite was the story "The Green Ribbon", which I've heard a different version in another book. This one ends more benignly than the version I recall, and for good reason. Basic outline: a girl wears a ribbon on her neck, and eventually her lover and she get married. The truth of the ribbon is revealed after they're married. What differs in the 2 versions here is the children's version ends with the husband trusting his wife, until her deathbed, where she tells him to untie it. The version I remember has the husband, unable to keep his curiosity in check, removes it from his wife as she sleeps.
In either case, the wife suffers the same fate: her head rolls off, because the ribbon is the only thing that kept it on. But the children's version "rewards" the husband for his faith and his trust allows them a long and happy life; the other, the wife's head rolls across the floor, accusingly blaming her husband, "I told you not to touch it! I told you not to touch it!" I prefer the children's version, since it has a much happier ending (to an extent).
In any case, its a great book for your young reader if they like the scarier side of things. The stories have roots in folklore, which is always a plus. The illustrations are striking and appropriate for the subject matter and the reader age. Highly recommended.
--Dio (10/21/14)
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse