Module 2 Book Review #1: Rattlestiltsk

-

*This book review was written for one of my MLS courses at SHSU.*



BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kimmel, Eric. (2016). RATTLESTILTSKIN. Ill. by Erin Camarca. Portland, OR: WestWinds Press. ISBN 9781943328383

PLOT SUMMARY
After Rosalia’s mother brags that her daughter makes the best floating tortillas, Don Ignacio, the richest man in town, demands Rosalia to make him tortillas so he can determine if it was indeed true. Obviously worried that she would not live up to the task, Rosalia accepts help from a little and mysterious rattlesnake-like man, promising him that she would be willing to do anything he asks from her in the future. The little man later on returns and orders Rosalia to become his maid; however, she refuses, and her only way out is if she successfully guesses his name. After several failed attempts, Rosalia overhears the little man sing out his name; therefore, she was finally able to guess his name right and get him to leave her alone for good.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Rattlestiltskin is a Southwestern variant of the popular traditional tale, Rumpelstiltskin. The Hispanic heritage is evident in Kimmel’s writing. For example, many small Spanish phrases are incorporated into the tale, followed by a brief English translation. In addition to this, Kimmel used thin, homemade, “floating” tortillas as an item most people in the town desired. These cultural references can be seen as relatable for many Hispanic readers, and a learning experience for those who are not.

In addition to this, the illustrator, Erin Camarca, also definitely paid homage to the Hispanic culture. The setting of the book was a Southwestern town, which Camarca reflected with her detailed colored penciled drawings. The characters’ clothing included bright primary colors, long dresses for the women, and long-sleeved shirts and cowboy attire (pointy boots, cowboy hats, etc.) for the men. Rattlestiltskin himself was dressed up in cowboy attire, but he had a rattlesnake decoration on top of his hat and pale green skin to help bring out his antagonist side.

Overall, this variant still did a terrific job of demonstrating the same themes as the original tale. The first theme that was easily recognizable was “don’t lie”, which was reflected when Rosalia’s mother went around and bragged to everyone that her daughter’s tortillas were able to “float like clouds”. It created a sticky situation for Rosalia, causing for her to be hard on herself and worry. The second obvious theme was “don’t make promises you can’t keep”. Rosalia was desperate to learn the secret trick to make the tortillas “float”; therefore, she was quick to promise Rattlestiltskin anything that he would later on ask from her. This can also go into a lesson about how Rosalia should have considered the terms and conditions of the agreement before proceeding.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
*Starred Review from School Library Journal: “This tale stands on its own while paying homage to the original and includes Spanish words throughout the text.”
*Starred Review from Booklist: "Grimm’s familiar tale gets a Southwestern rendering in Caldecott Honor–winner Kimmel’s retelling."
CONNECTIONS
*To keep the traditional Hispanic feel going, Eric Kimmel included a recipe for homemade tortillas at the end of Rattlestiltskin. Perhaps children and their families can get together to make these tortillas and eat them when they read or share the tale.
*A geography lesson about the Southwest would be beneficial to teach when reading this tale. It can help give readers some background knowledge about the setting and understand the illustrations a little better.
*Rumpelstiltskin by Paul O. Zelinsky is a version of the traditional tale students can read in order to compare and contrast to Rattlestiltskin.
*Little Red Hot is also by Eric Kimmel. It is a variant of Little Red Riding Hood, which also includes Hispanic influences.

PICTURE SOURCE
https://www.amazon.com/Rattlestiltskin-Eric-Kimmel/dp/1943328382




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Module 1 Book Review #2: Orson Blasts Off!

-
Image
*This book review was written for one of my MLS courses at SHSU.* BIBLIOGRAPHY Col ón, Ra úl. (2004). ORSON BLASTS OFF. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0689842783 PLOT SUMMARY Frustrated at the fact that his computer is no longer in service, Orson becomes extremely bored and begins to imagine/dream about all the adventures he would be able to go on in the outside world. From discovering the North Pole, confronting a hurricane, and even taking off to outer space, Orson is exposed to the many possibilities he would encounter if he was to not depend solely on using technology for leisure. CRITICAL ANALYSIS Ra úl Col ón’s plot in Orson Blasts Off! significantly exhibits how children can be intrigued by the many wonders of the outside world if they give it a chance. In the beginning of the picture book, Orson is furious and says out loud, “You dumb computer, how could you?”. This allows the reader to see the character’s feeling of betrayal a...
Read more

Module 3 Book Review #3: Hidden

-
Image
*This book review was written for a MLS course at SHSU.* BIBLIOGRAPHY Frost, Helen. (2011). HIDDEN. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux. ISBN 9780374382216 PLOT SUMMARY Both at age fourteen, Wren and Darra attend Camp Oakwood, a summer camp in Michigan. They never personally met each other before then; however, their lives did connect at one point six years earlier. Darra’s father stole Wren’s mother’s car from a gas station, but he was not aware that Wren was actually still in the car. Frightened, eight-year old Wren hid in the back of the car so she wouldn’t be seen by her kidnapper, and when they arrive at his house, she stays hidden in the garage since there was no way to escape. Darra, who knows that her dad stole the car, hears from the news that Wren was missing, so she is convinced that Wren was somewhere in their garage, scared with no way out. Eventually, Wren gets out of the garage through a small pet door, and later on finds help. As a result, Darra’...
Read more

Module 4 Book Review #2: Never Smile at a Monkey: And 17 Other Important Things to Remember

-
Image
*This book review was written for a MLS course at SHSU.* BIBLIOGRAPHY Jenkins, Steve. (2009). NEVER SMILE AT A MONKEY: AND 17 OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for Children. ISBN 9780618966202 PLOT SUMMARY We are all aware that there are many different animals that humans should definitely not mess with, especially the wild ones. However, there are many other animals in which people just assume are safe to be around and are completely harmless, but Steve Jenkins’  Never Smile at a Monkey: And 17 Other Important Things to Remember  proves this wrong. From venomous bites to being kicked with total might, it is important for everybody to recognize these different dangers to protect themselves if they ever encounter any of these species. CRITICAL ANALYSIS Steve Jenkins dedicates one to two pages per animal he describes in this informative book. Each of them gets a short little paragraph, which is more than enough whe...
Read more