The illustration is by Ireland's Tomm Moore from his magical film, Song of the Sea. The story concerns a quest by a boy and his mute sister to free the fairies. The young girl is actually a selkie, a magical spirit from the sea in the form of a seal who has changed into human form and lives on the land as part of a family. Here is a link to the trailer: Song Of The Sea
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Selkies...Shape-shifters from the Sea
Selkies are mythological creatures who live in the sea in the form of seals; they are also shape-shifters, and may live on land as humans if they wish to do so. However, this requires the selkies to shed their skin. Selkies are living legends, part of the ancient folklore of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Iceland and the Faroe Islands. Certainly, Tomm Moore was inspired by the legends.
"Kalsoy, a rugged island in the Faroes, has many legends, the best known of which is the legend of the Selkie or Seal-Woman of Mikladalur... A young farmer from the town of Mikladalur on Kalsoy island goes to the beach to watch the selkies dance. He hides the skin of a beautiful selkie maid, so she cannot go back to sea, and forces her to marry him. He keeps her skin in a chest, and keeps the key with him both day and night. One day when out fishing, he discovers that he has forgotten to bring his key. When he returns home, the selkie wife has escaped back to sea, leaving their children behind. Later, when the farmer is out on a hunt, he kills (unwittingly, I believe) both her selkie husband and two selkie sons, and she promises to take revenge upon the men of Mikladalur. Some shall be drowned, some shall fall from cliffs and slopes, and this shall continue, until so many men have been lost that they will be able to link arms around the whole island of Kalsoy; there are still occasional deaths occurring in this way on the island."
"This revenge has always been taken seriously, not only in Kalsoy but in the Faroe Islands generally. The descendants of the 'Seal-woman' are still known in the country by certain characteristics, especially their short fingers." Deaths of men at sea and by falling from cliffs still take place in the Faroe Islands, leading many people to think that the selkie's revenge continues.
The top photo was taken on the isle of Kalsoy.
The statue of the Selkie of Mikladalur is found on Kalsoy island.
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Fantasy and Real Life
"At heart, the issues raised in a work of fantasy are those we face in real life. In whatever guise -- our own daily nightmares of war, intolerance, inhumanity, or the struggles of an Assistant Pig-Keeper against the Lord of Death -- the problems are agonizingly familiar. And an openness to compassion, love, and mercy is as essential to us here and now as it is to any inhabitant of an imaginary kingdom." -- Lloyd Alexander, Newbery award winning author of children's fantasy literature.
Here is a link to read all of Lloyd Alexander's insightful comments on Terri Windling's Myth and Moor
The painting is by Andrea Kowch.
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On Reading
But surpassing all stupendous inventions, what sublimity of mind was his who dreamed of finding means to communicate his deepest thoughts to any other person, though distant by mighty intervals of place and time! Of talking with those who are in India; of speaking to those who are not yet born and will not be born for a thousand or ten thousand years; and with what facility, by the different arrangements of twenty characters upon a page...
Galileo Galilei (1564-1642).
The photo is of the Long Room in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin.
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Opening the Door to Magic...The Sorcerer's Apprentice
The Sorcerer's Apprentice, An Anthology of Magic Tales, edited by Jack Zipes, opens with a powerful and highly personal statement ( in the preface):
"As I was developing this project (over the course of six years), it gradually became clear to me why I had become infatuated with these tales: they have given me some signs of hope when it seemed that we were living in hopeless times..."
Why Magic Matters
Zipes then goes on in his introduction (77 pages), Why Magic Matters, to speak to the relevancy of the Sorcerer's Apprentice Tales -- whose origins are ancient -- to painful societal problems that continue to endure today:
"Though many of the diverse tales about sorcerer's apprentice's are quite old, they still speak to contemporary problems of mentorship, child abuse, and exploitation as well as the misuse of cultural and political power. For instance, during the past thirty years there has been a worldwide crisis that involves the maltreatment of young people by sorcerers, the degeneration of public education, slave labor, child abandonment, poverty, and violence..."
" 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice' tales inform our lives more than we realize.They are historically and culturally prominent in our cultural memories. They make us aware that magic matters, no matter what its substance may be, no matter what form it takes,"
Self-Empowerment Through Magic
Zipes illustrates the theme of transition from domination and abuse to self-empowerment and a new life through the taking of power through magic. He offers over 50 tales and examples of the sorcerer's apprentice, ranging across time and cultures including, Ovid, Goethe, Strapola, the Grimms, Ursala LeGuin, and J.K. Rowling, as evidence.
He shows how there are two versions of the basic tale that have continued through the millennia . There are stories about "humiliated apprentices" who are defeated by magic, and there are stories of "rebellious apprentices" who work hard, endure hardship, learn how to use their cruel master's (the sorcerer) magic for themselves, and ultimately, triumph. As did Harry Potter.
As a reader with an ongoing interest in the evolution, meaning, and relevance of tales of wonder from the past, I found the insights and information in this fascinating and groundbreaking book trenchant and compelling; it opened new awareness and new understanding for me.
The top illustration is by wyldraven.
The lower illustration is by Hiro Isozaki.
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Her Love Of Animals Shouts Out From Every Page
C.A. Wulff's Born Without A Tail, a memoir about growing up connecting to and loving animals from childhood to womanhood, established her as an author who drew the reader into her world...
"I can't say too much about this book, it's more than a 'dog book' it's a people, animals, life book. I was hooked from the first page and read it straight through"-- from a review by an Amazon Verified Reader
Circling The Waggins, How Five Misfit Dogs Saved Me From Bewilderness, is a continuation of Wulff's life story in her mature years as an animal advocate, rescuer, artist, and author...
"I am not really sure what it is about these books by Wulff, but I simply love them. The story telling and commentaries are engaging, honest and sincere. And, her love of animals shouts out from every page." -- Amazon review by Nancy Segovia, NY Times and USA Today award winning author.
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Castle In The Mist
"Do you think that it is possible for dogs to stop a war?... Children will enjoy the story (Castle In The Mist) about dogs who come from another planet to help people on earth. But under the surface are the important messages of friendship, love, loyalty, and how to overcome evil with good… It will keep you turning the pages to find out what happens next. . ."
Reviewed by Wayne S. Walker, Stories for Children Magazine, Home School Book Buzz
Here is the link to read sample chapters of Castle In The Mist: Planet Of The Dogs
The illustration from Castle In The Mist is by Stella Mustanoja McCarty
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Time Gone By...Visions, Miracles, Angels, and Devils
For hundreds of centuries, people have lived in a world of many dangers from wars, natural disasters, famine and sickness. They found support in stories and events that gave them hope. They became integral to cultures, and unlimited by time and borders; they have been passed on to us today. Often they have become memes, themes that touch us deeply and color our perceptions. We know them today as myths, folktales, fairy tales, and legends.
Among the stories and events from past times that gave hope and also explained the mysteries of existence were those relating to religion. Life was short and difficult, but holy men and saints had the power to help and even to protect people in myriad ways.
There are records, from past ages, of miracles in many forms: holy men and women driving out devils and disease, speaking to angels and devils, making predictions, and even bringing the dead back to life. Such a man with this power was the fourth century Saint, Martin of Tours. In his early life, he was a soldier; in his later life, he was a holy man and a miracle worker.
A Dead Man Returns to Life
Here is an excerpt from the story of St. Martin's life written by a man who met with, and spoke with him, Sulpitius Severuson. This excerpt tells of the occasion when St Martin brought a dead man back to life:
"The body being laid out in public was being honored by the last sad offices on the part of the mourning brethren, when Martin hurries up to them with tears and lamentations. But then laying hold; as it were, of the Holy Spirit, with the whole powers of his mind, he orders the others to quit the cell in which the body was lying; and bolting the door, he stretches himself at full length on the dead limbs of the departed brother...Martin prays and exalts, and then...those who had been standing at the door immediately rush inside. And truly a marvelous spectacle met them, for they beheld the man alive whom they had formerly left dead. Thus being restored to life, and having immediately obtained baptism, he lived for many years afterwards...From this time forward, the name of the sainted man (Martin) became illustrious..."
Here is the link to read more of Sulpitius Severuson's story of this miracle and the life of Saint Martin: St Martin
The top photo is of the Famine Walk Memorial, Delph Valley, County Mayo, Ireland
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The forest will answer you in the way you call to it ~ Finnish proverb
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I Would Like to Be There in November ...
I would like to be there at the KidLit Conference in Hershey, PA, among the annual gathering of people who care about, and blog about, children’s and young adult books, including librarians, teachers, authors, illustrators, parents, and book reviewers.
“Genius is nothing more nor less than childhood recovered at will.”
"This supremacy of sensibility is no doubt due to the child’s voracious and indiscriminate curiosity, which furnishes a mastery at the art of observation superior to the adult’s by immeasurable orders of magnitude. This seer’s superpower is what glimmers in the personal histories of geniuses, in their recollections of those memorable moments in which they first glimpsed their artistic sense of purpose..."
The above is an excerpt from Maria Popova's article, Baudelaire on the Genius of Childhood, on her fascinating website, Brainpickings .
The photo illustration is by Laurent Lavender.
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Haunted in Real Life by the Myth of the Fairy Stepmother
The fairy stepmother in fairy tales is often cruel and heartless. Author and new stepmother Leslie Jamison found herself confronting the legacy of fairy tale mythology when she became stepmother to a lovely little girl named Lily. The situation was compounded by the fact that Lily's mother had died. Here is an excerpt from this fascinating account of a new life for both Leslie and Lily.
"I wondered if it was comforting for Lily to hear stories about fairy-tale children who had lost what she had lost — unlike most of the kids at her school, or in her ballet classes, whose mothers were still alive. Or perhaps it brought the stories dangerously near, the fact that she shared so much with them. Maybe it peeled away their protective skins of fantasy, made their pepper water too literal, brought their perils too close. When I read her the old fairy tales about daughters without mothers, I worried that I was pushing on the bruises of her loss. When I read her the old fairy tales about stepmothers, I worried I was reading her an evil version of myself."
Here is a link to read all of Leslie Jamison's account: FairyStepmother
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The Nightmare Plight of the Yazidi and Their Children
The photo is of a Yazidi woman and her family. The Yazidi are caught up in genocide. The following is excerpted from the Guardian
"Islamic State fighters are committing genocide against Yazidis in Syria and Iraq by seeking to destroy the group through murder, sexual slavery, gang rape, torture and humiliation, UN investigators have said.
"One Yazidi woman recalled being bought by an Isis fighter at a Raqqa slave farm. On placing her in his car, he told her: “You are like a sheep. I have bought you.” He sold her seven days later to an Algerian Isis fighter living in the Aleppo area..."
One very active source of aid amidst this madness is the UNHCR. I salute them. They seek funding. This is from their website..."UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organisation dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people."
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MOVIES
Okja...an Adult Crossover Fantasy
"Okja is a most remarkable pig. As big as a medium-sized elephant, with a snout that looks more canine than porcine, she is slobbery and sometimes flatulent, but also loyal, gentle and brave. Okja is devoted, above all, to a girl named Mija. They have grown up together on a remote mountain farm that belongs to Mija’s grandfather, inseparable companions in a classic literary and cinematic tradition...But anyone familiar with that tradition — I’ll mention “Old Yeller” and leave it at that — knows that stories of children and their pets are almost inevitably shadowed by tragedy and loss. The adult human world regards animals through a callous, utilitarian lens, as sources of food, labor or ornamental cuteness, a fact that “Okja,” Bong Joon-ho’s wonderful new film, takes to a dystopian but also an unnervingly realistic extreme." -- excerpted from A.O. Scott's review in the NY Times.
Here is a link to the very engaging OKJA Trailer
Captain Underpants...a Movie for Kids
I haven't seen the movie and I haven't read the book, but to my surprise, the reviews are mostly excellent; apparently, the movie is smart, creative, definitely for kids, and very funny. Here is an excerpt from Wendy Ide's review in the Guardian:
"Although one of the foundations on which much children’s cinema was built, lavatory humour was always perceived as an inglorious last resort. Can’t think of a funny line? Have a character break wind instead. By this logic, Captain Underpants, a film almost entirely crafted out of lavatory humour, should be a soul-crushing, puerile slog. However, David Soren’s animation, which was adapted from the children’s books by Dav Pilkey, is a delightful surprise. It’s a celebration of friendship, of the boundless creativity of children’s minds. It’s a dizzily silly collection of sly cultural references. It’s visually inventive, narratively agile. And yes, it has fart gags..."
Here is a link to the trailer for Captain Underpants.
A Disappointing Valerian... despite limitless imagination
The consensus seems to be that Valerian and The City of a Thousand Planets has very imaginative animation, excellent CGI, but a disappointing story that bogs down...Here is an excerpt from a review by Thelma Adams in the New York Observer:"In the end, Besson’s Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is a mixed bag: a ripe visual adventure of limitless imagination hamstrung by an undercooked plot propelled by lackluster heroes.
Here is an action filled trailer (there are several) for Valerian
Miyazaki Studio Ghibli Film Festival USA
Thanks to Once Upon a Blog (INK Gypsy), I learned of the Miyazaki Ghibli Film Festival, happening now and through the fall, in multiple locations, across the country. To locate when and where one of these six extraordinary films is playing in your area, click this link, MIYAZKI
The festival films are: My Friend Totoro; Kiki's Delivery Service; Howl's Moving Castle; Nausica, Valley Of The Wind; Castle In The Sky; and Spirited Away.
The illustration is from Howl's Moving Castle.
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The Man Who Read 100,000 of Lewis Carroll's Letters
A co-founder of the Lewis Carroll Society of North America, Morton Cohen, died last June. People from many walks of life, and many countries, who have an active interest in Alice or Lewis Carroll, are members. The following is excerpted from Morton Cohen's NY Times obituary article in the NY Times.
"Morton Cohen, a scholar of Victorian literature who spent much of his career editing the letters and writing the definitive biography of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, the author, as Lewis Carroll, of "Alice's Adventures In Wonderland" and “Through the Looking-Glass,” died on June 12 in Manhattan. He was 96....Carroll was such an astonishingly prolific correspondent — he wrote at least 100,000 letters in his lifetime — that the project, a feat of prodigious research and patience, took Mr. Cohen and Mr. Green nearly two decades to complete. It was published in 1979. Mr. Cohen notably tracked down many of the adult women to whom Carroll had written when they were children... "
Here is a link to the Richard Sandomir's NYTimes article/obituary of Morton Cohen
Here is a link to the Lewis Carroll Society of North America.
The illustration, Never too Late, is by Lyndsey Pyne
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Paws Giving Independence
Paws Giving Independence (PGI) is a multi-faceted, grass roots, volunteer organization, located in Peoria, Illinois, that does wonderful work in providing service dogs for people with disabilities. Their dogs serve people ranging from the Jesse Brown Veteran's Hospital in Chicago to the Peoria Children's Home Youth Farm. PGI is non-profit. They depend on volunteers and donations.
The photo on the left is of Monty, a PGI trained dog, going to school with his friend, the young girl in the photo. They are both in fourth grade. Monty lives with her in her home, and they go everywhere, including the school bus, together. I have posted this photo in the past; I am heartened and touched by this little girl and Monty.
Monty was trained by a Bradley University student as part of the Wags for Mags program, initiated by Paws Giving Independence .This ongoing program of student volunteers train dogs for people with disabilities. Anyone with a disability can apply for a PGI service dog. There is no charge for the dog, the training, or the service. And, many of the PGI trained dogs are rescued dogs.
The PGI annual Running With The Dogs fundraiser will be held in Peoria on September 30. There will be medals, and the annual pet costume contest.
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Excerpt from The Tailor's Apprentice...a sixteenth century Sorcerer's Apprentice Tale
"Lattantino...practiced in public, namely his trade of a tailor, while the other, the art of necromancy, he did in secret. Now, one day Lattantio took the son of a poor man as his apprentice in order to make a tailor of him. This young man was called Dionigi, an industrious and smart fellow, who learned everything as soon as it was taught to him. One day, when Maestro Lattantino was alone, he locked himself in his chamber and began conducting experiments in magic. When Dionigi became aware of this, he crept silently up to a crack in the door and saw very clearly what Lattanto was doing. As a result, he became so entranced and obsessed by this art that he could think only of necromancy and cast aside all thoughts of becoming a tailor."
Excerpted from Straparola's Pleasant Nights (1553), his collection of oral tales which were told to him, "by the ladies, nobles, learned men and gentlemen who gathered together for recreation." One of the stories appearing in Zipes' Sorcerer's Apprentice.
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The Yelodoggie Book Search Continues
Why Am I ? is a joyous book that helps children recognize and appreciate differences and to embrace that which is unique in each of us. Why Am I ? teaches tolerance.
We are actively searching for a publisher who will love Why Am I ?, embrace its potential, and launch it into the world.
We believe that Why Am I ?, C.A. Wulff's wonderful new Yelodoggie book should have wide distribution. Kids 4-8 love it and we see it as the beginning of a series.
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The Planet Of The Dogs Series
To read sample chapters of any book in the series, visit PlanetOfTheDogs
The Planet Of The Dogs series (including Castle In The Mist and Snow Valley Heroes, A Christmas Tale) is available from many Internet sources and through independent book stores.
"I love a dog. He does nothing for political reasons." -- Will Rogers
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