February -- Journeys to Hope and Little Kings

           The lllustration for The Little King December is by Michael Sowa.

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There are times in wonder tales when there is an uncanny synergy between the writer and the illustrator: this certainly happened with Lewis Carrol and John Tenniel in the Alice Books; with Kenneth Grahame and E.H. Shepard in The Wind In the Willows; and with A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard in the Winnie the Pooh books. Or, when the writer and illustrator are the same person as happened with The Tale of Peter Rabbit  -- and all the books that followed -- by Beatrix Potter. . . I believe the same special relationshp prevails with The Little King December, written by Axel Hake and illustrated by Michael Sowa. 

"In this strange and beautiful book, an unnamed man relates the story of The Little King December, the little pot-bellied king who visits the man (the narrator) from time to time, when the mood strikes. In King December’s world, you are born big, and then you become small, and most curiously, you are born knowing everything you will ever know. . .

The story opens with the relationship between the man and the king already established. We never really know what precipitated these royal visits, or if indeed the visits are real, or imagined. It may in fact be a dream, and even the narrator is unsure whether or not he is the dreamer, or the dreamed. Sounds a bit ethereal but it’s not; the dialogue is as natural as a conversation overheard at a Starbucks, except rather than being across the table from one another~the participants converse mouth to pocket."

 

"The above was excerpted from an excellent, comprehensive review: 32 pages.

Here is a quotation by the Little King, himself, describing his world where you begin life fully grown: “You wake up, you lie there for a bit, you get up and you can write, do higher mathematics, write computer programs, you go to work and to business dinners. Only gradually you forget. The smaller you get, the more you forget. If someone can no longer participate in business dinners, it’s pointless to go to the office: there’s no need for them there anymore. Then you have to stay home and you carry on forgetting more and more things. Your head becomes completely empty, with lots of room. Others have to cook for you, and afterwards you’re allowed to go and see your friends. Or watch shadows in the garden and pretend they’re ghosts. Or give names to clouds. Or torture your teddy bear. . .”

 

Virtually all the books in this blog I know about through childhood or family reading, or through the diverse writings of scholars like Jack Zipes, Maria Tatar, Terri Windling, Marina Warner, Alison Lurie and Jerry Griswald. However, I came to the Little King December soley through the illustrations of Michael Sowa. I have since learned that both Sowa and the author, Axel Hacke, are well known in Germany and Europe. Hacke's books range from the world of children's books to cross-over adult. They have been translated into 17 languages.

The Little King December, like all the best fantasy, takes you into another world, a world of possibilities. Perhaps our world of tomorrow could be better than our world of today. I am going to read more books by these very talented men.

All of the illustrations for The Little King December are by Michael Sowa. 

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Will You Tell Me About Your Country?

The Little King December asks this question. I wonder if an ancestor of the Little King's asked this question in an earlier time. Suppose he had asked a teller of tales in the past. Were there any kings from tales of long ago, like those collected by Straparola, Perrault, Afanasyev, and the brother's Grimm, who were, like the Little King, thoughtful, intelligent, and caring? My recollection of kings in wonder tales recalls arrogance, ruthlessness, dullness, and cruelty. 

Wonder tales are forever changing, reflections of the times, the culture, and the teller of the tale.

The illustration from The Little King December is by Michael Sowa.

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That's Where The Light Gets In

"‘Ring the bells that still can ring’: they’re few and far between but you can find them . . . There is a crack in everything . . . But that’s where the light gets in, and that’s where the resurrection is and that’s where the return, that’s where the repentance is. It is with the confrontation, with the brokenness of things."

 

Leonard Cohen -- That's Where The Light Gets In

 

The bell in the photo is from the monastery of St John, Patmos, Greece.
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Ernst Bloch -- The Man Who Found Hope in Wonder Tales

Jack Zipes has completed a new translation of Ernst Bloch, the German philosopher who wrote of the recurrent theme of hope, a quality which he found in the timeless tradition of fairy tales. In the course of writing about Bloch, Zipes has also written of the history and cultural chaos that characterized Bloch's world.

"Out Of Step Ernst Bloch was, is, and will always be out of step. He was a bad dancer with the times. He stumbled while numerous politicians and thinkers waltzed over the bodies of little people in step to the same music. Monotonous militant music. Bloch tried to add some color and bounce to the music, and in the process, he alienated many people including himself. Banged about from country to country by wars, betrayed by vile rulers of the world and the perverse conditions of his times, he fought with bare knuckles to survive while endeavoring to save what was vital in the remnants of civilizing processes that had gone awry. He stumbled but landed on his feet. Stumbled more than once. What a clumsy dancer Bloch was! I wish I had known him. I came close, very close. In the summer of 1961, after he fled East Germany . . . "

In this book, Zipes has given life and dimension to Bloch, and also to the world chaos directly impacting his life: WW1; the great depression; the brutality of Stalin; and the Hitler driven destruction of Europe. The fact of Bloch's survival and integrity throughout the era is quite remarkable and gives added meaning to Bloch's insights into wonder tales, and particularly his insights regarding hope. Bloch wrote three books on Hope. Here are two excerpts from Bloch's writings regarding hope and fairytales:

"It all adds up to this: the fairy tale narrates a wish-fulfillment which is not bound by its own time and the apparel of its contents. In contrast to the folk tale, which is always tied to a particular locale, the fairy tale remains unbound. 'Not only does the fairy tale remain as fresh as longing and love, but the evil demons that abound in fairy tales are still at work here in the present, and the happiness of 'once upon a time', which is even more abundant in the fairy tale, still affects our vision of the future..." 

“Hope is critical and can be disappointed. However, hope still nails a flag on the mast, even in decline, in that the decline is not accepted, even when this decline is still very strong. Hope is not confidence. Hope is surrounded by dangers, and it is the consciousness of danger and at the same time the determined negation of that which continually makes the opposite of the hoped-for object possible.”

Jack Zipe's book offers important insights and understanding for the work of a remarkable scholar, Ernst Bloch, and his impact on the world of wonder tales. 

The illustration, Moonrise, is by Michael Ayrton.

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Hope Was Certainly Needed

In the many centuries where fairy tales were passed on by tellers of tales, and even in our time of the written tale, hope is certainly needed.

In the aftermath of the brutal 17th century English civil war (1642-1651), over 200,000 people died, untold more suffered, and the King, Charles 1, was beheaded. In the midst of those chaotic times, Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), the brilliant scholar and philosopher, wrote these thoughts on what life was like for people during war:

"In such condition [of war], there is no place for Industry; because the fruit thereof is uncertain; and consequently no Culture of the Earth; no Navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by Sea; no commodious Building; no Instruments of moving, and removing such things as require much force; no Knowledge of the face of the Earth; no account of Time; no Arts; no Letters; no Society; and which is worst of all, continual feare, and danger of violent death; And the life of man, solitary, poore, nasty, brutish, and short."

The illustration is of the conquest of Drogheda, Ireland, by Oliver Cromwell, in 1649.

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A Country Of The Mind

"Fairytale is a country of the mind made by imagery, by riddles and charms, spells and nonsense; it uses language to create imaginary structures in which language itself is supremely powerful: Rumpelstiltskin is undone when the heroine discovers his name." Marina Warner in Once Upon a Time, A Short History of Fairy Tales.

“For magic consists in this, the true naming of a thing.” Ursula K. LeGuin in A Wizard of Earthsea

"Slave in the magic mirror, come from the farthest space, through wind and darkness I summon thee. Speak! Let me see thy face." Snow White's step-mother,the Queen.

"And oh! I am glad that nobody knew
That the name I am called is Rumpelstiltskin!"

The illustration of Puss 'N Boots is by Carl Offterdinger.


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Imagination

"Many prefer not to exercise their imaginations at all. They choose to remain comfortably within the bounds of their own experience, never troubling to wonder how it would feel to have been born other than they are." -- J.K. Rowling, Harvard Graduation Speech, 2008

 

 

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Movies

Merlot

Little Red Riding Hood is reinterpreted in less than five minutes with wit, imagination, and style.

Merlot is a welcome far cry from the thunderous Computer Graphics of today's Disney.

I think Straporola, Basilie, Calvino, Perrault, and the Grimms, who wrote down earlier versions, would cerainly enjoy this animated film by Giulia Martinelli and Marta Gennari.

Here is a link: Merlot

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1917 -- An Exceptional Crossover Film

 A moving film experience that recreates the reality, the pain, the courage and the young men who fought -- and died -- in WW1.

A wonderful counterpoint to the bubblegum voiolence and cotton candy destruction pouring out of Disney and their competitors.

This one will stay with you. Teenagers should see this film.

 

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The Secret Garden 2020

I haven't seen the movie as it will not be released until spring 2020

However, if you liked the book, treat yourself to a look at the engaging trailer: The Secret Garden 2020.

 

 

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"Things need not have happened to be true. Tales and adventures are the shadow truths that will endure when mere facts are dust and ashes and forgotten." Neil Gaiman

The illustration is from Gaiman's Hansel and Gretel illustrated by Lorenzo Mattotti.
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Carterhaugh School Book Club News

"We are starting The Carterhaugh Book Club! You already probably had an inkling this was in the works if you're part of our Facebook discussion group - when we floated the idea there a few months ago, the response was a resounding YES!

 

 You can read more about how the book club will work (and how to join!) in our blog post this week, but here's the short version: the club will meet monthly, and we'll be streaming the discussion with live video, hearing your comments and questions in real time. Our first book is The Starless Sea, and we'll be meeting for the first time at 7pm on Sunday February 16th. (If you can't be there live, no worries! Send us your questions and comments in advance, and we'll answer them in the video, and you can watch at a later time!)." 

 

Here is an excerpt from Carterhaugh Blog on Tradition and Authentic Folklore: " Old does not automatically mean better, and something doesn’t have to be old to be authentic. People are constantly creating new folklore, from old traditions, from new experiences, from bits and pieces of things that they encounter throughout their lives. It’s chaotic and unwieldy instead of tidy and linear, and that’s part of what makes it so wonderful! Folklorists don’t judge folklore based on its age or pedigree. Instead, we care if it brings people together or means something to them or helps them communicate who they are."

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A Native American Award Winner

Johnny’s Pheasant, written by Cheryl Minnema, illustrated by Julie Flett, and published by University of Minnesota Press in 2019, is the winner of the 2020 Charlotte Zolotow Award for outstanding writing in a picture book. This gorgeous, graceful story about a Native family, written by an Ojibwe author and illustrated by a Cree-Métis artist, is both satisfying and surprising. The award is named for the late Charlotte Zolotow, author of more than 70 books for young children, and a distinguished editor of books for children and teens at Harper. The Award is administrated by the Cooperative Children's Book Center.

Here is a link to read a list of all the cited books for this year CCBlogC.

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Jackrabbit

This is an excerpt from C.A.Wulff's novel in progress, Jackrabbit.

The story is a rural mystery that brings together modern day issues and the journey of an autistic child  interacting and understanding the world around her through her ability to communicate with animals.

 

 

Please click on the photo to read the excerpt

 

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World Read Aloud Day is February 5

Here is a message from Pam Allyn, founder: "When I founded LitWorld in 2007, I did so with a dream: to strengthen communities everywhere through the profound power of stories. I shared this initial dream with some of our most important allies: children and young adults themselves. They cheered us on from the start, and they still do! Twelve years later, I am amazed and humbled to see our first LitClub members becoming leaders in their communities, and our grassroots partner organizations growing and strengthening all around the globe."   Lit World and World Read Aloud Day Are an amazing story. Here is a link to learn more: LitWorld.

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Therapy Dogs

Since the early days of this blog, I have been writing about the wonders of therapy dogs, their owners, and the dedicated organizations that train, certify, sponser and support therapy dogs.

Dogs continue to heal today...by providing direct assistance, by raising the spirits of the sick, the old and the infirm, by calming the fears of children and by stimulating the health of many. There are over 50,000 therapy dogs actively helping people in the USA and they are spreading to other countries. 

My thanks to teacher Julie Hauck in Kokomo, Indiana, who long ago introduced me to Pages for Preston (above) and the wonders of therapy dogs in the classroom.      

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Refugees

The Syrian Emergency Task Force
“Syria is the worst humanitarian crisis in our lifetime. It is our never again moment and it is what drives our humanitarian and advocacy work. SETF is an organization for anyone who wants to help give a voice to the voiceless and to keep the spark of freedom, justice, and democracy alive in Syria while standing against tyranny and terrorism” — Mouaz Moustafa, Executive Director

Here is a link to their Website: SETF  Here is a link to a moving Syrian Emergency Task Force video on Bread for Idib

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The Stone Wall of the National Rifle Association

The NRA represents weapons manufacturers as well as good people who like hunting and being outdoors. The NRA is hard to understand regarding their reluctance to allow politicians whom they lobby and support to make needed changes in the gun laws. How much income and power would they lose because of background checks?  Or not selling assault weapons to teens? 

Virginia is changing some laws to make gun sales more responsible to citizens. The reactions on both sides are strong. The NRA Lobby is a danger to all. Including those who like to hunt, if they have children in school, drink at the their local bar, worship in the wrong place,  go out shopping, or are on their way home from work. Link to the Gun Violence Archive.

The photo of the El Paso Massacre Protest is by Carlos Sanchez.

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There are healers in Green Valley. . .

There are healers in the land of the Forest people.

Long, long ago, there were healers living in every culture.

Dogs are also healers.

And so it was only natural that when dogs first came down to planet earth they worked closely with healers like Bella, the healer lady, seen on the left.

The healers knew about the healing powers of dogs, and worked with them in much the same way that therapy dogs and their owners do today.

Long, long ago, when dogs first came down to earth to help people, no one had ever heard about dogs, never mind seen one. When the farmers learned how the dogs were helping Bella to heal people, it helped banish fear and enabled people to accept these new creatures.

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We have free reader copies of all the books in the Planet Of The Dogs series for therapy dog organizations, individual therapy dog owners, librarians, teachers and independent bookstores. Email us with a postal address to [email protected] and we will send you the books. 

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 bookstores of all sizes. 

The illustration of Bella, the healer lady, from Planet Of The Dogs is by Stella Mustanoja McCarty

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“One of the greatest gifts we receive from dogs is the tenderness they evoke in us. . . By their delight in being with us, the reliable sunniness of their disposition, the joy they bring to playtime, the curiosity with which they embrace each new experience, dogs can melt cynicism, and sweeten the bitter heart.” 
― Dean Koontz, A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog

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