Skip to main content

The Chronicles of Harris Burdick

By


The Chronicles of Harris Burdick: 14 Amazing Authors Tell the Tales
by Chris van Allsburg, et. al.
Houghton Mifflin, 2011. 195 pgs. Short Stories

Can the Newbery be awarded to an anthology? One can only hope this year's committee is giving The Chronicles of Harris Burdick a close look. Based on Chris van Allsburg's artful, enigmatic The Mysteries of Harris Burdick (1984), this new volume allows authors the likes of Walter Dean Myers, Gregory Maguire, Sherman Alexie, Lois Lowry, Cory Doctorow, and many more the chance to extrapolate stories from the enigmatic evidence of Burdick's (van Allsburg's)
original pictures. Why is that ocean liner barging down the canals of Venice? And what on earth (or elsewhere) allows a nun on a straight-backed chair to float mid-air in the middle of a French cathedral? Kate DiCamillo's story of the wallpaper bird pulling free is particularly affecting, and Stephen King's of the middle-class house blasting off from a tree-lined street, particularly satisfying. Ranging from deeply touching to very scary, these stories should very quickly become classic companions to the classic pictures from which they derive. Huzzah!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Funny Farm by Mark Teague 2009

By Anonymous
There are things I liked about Mark Teague's newest book, Funny Farm , and things I didn't like. Where should I start? I'll do the "didn'ts" first. The illustrations show animals personified. Well, some of the animals are. The main characters, Edward, and his farm family relatives, all dogs, are humanized. They stand upright, do farm chores, eat at a table, wear clothes, knit (yes, with paws) and sleep in beds. Most everybody else on and around the farm, who are also animals, act like animals. They are outside, roll in mud, live in the barn, and require care from their owners. It struck me the most on the page spread where there are pigs playing in puddle in the rain and Edward, a black and white boxer, watches from inside the house. I thought "You're a dog! Go play with them!" But, alas, he can't, seeing as how he goes through his entire visit to the farm wearing a suit and red bow tie. Another picture that bothered me was the maple syrup pa...
Post a Comment
Read more

Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) by Pamela Espeland & Elizabeth Verdick

By
If there's one book today's kids need to read, it is Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) . The authors provide a fun format for teaching etiquette to children. They discuss proper behavior at home, at school, at other people's homes and in public places. The information is completely up-to-date with cellphone manners and netiquette included. Fun, cartoony illustrations are on practically every page giving the book great visual appeal. This book is perfect for boys and girls in the fourth grade or older. WARNING: Bodily functions are discussed.
Post a Comment
Read more

Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin

By loo
Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin Illustrated by Leslie Evans Charlesburg; 2009; unpaged Faces of the Moon is a short nonfiction book that describes the different phases of the moon and why the moon appears like it does on certain nights. This book is short and sweet so even the youngest of moon lovers will enjoy it. The layout is simplistic and easy to follow. I don’t know much about the moon so I found it very interesting.
Post a Comment
Read more