Reading Log Assignment One

Amy Walker
ECED 7232

Author and Illustrator: Tomie Depaola

Title: “The Legend of the Bluebonnet”
date of publication: 1996 by The Putnam and Grosset Group
Genre: legend, fiction
Format—Picture Book
Award: no award
Summary of book: The Legend of the Bluebonnet explains why beautiful blue flowers

cover much of the land during the spring. The People called Comanche were in a dire

situation. Drought had taken over their land and their people were dying. The people

prayed for rain and depended on the Great Spirits to restore the land. A shaman informed

the people that they had become selfish and needed to give something back to the Earth

in order for life to be restored. Only one young girl was willing to do this. She sacrificed

her only possession, a valued doll. When she awoke the next morning, the land was

covered with beautiful blue flowers and it began to rain. The People had been forgiven.

Today, the flowers still cover the hills and valleys of the land, now called Texas.

Reflection
 The Legend of the Bluebonnet gives an explanation as to why land is covered with

beautiful blue flowers in the spring. Children can better understand the nonscientific

cultural traditions of early humanity when they read how a selfless act, such as when

“She-Who-Is-Alone” gave up her prize possession, resulted in something great and

beautiful for all. The Legend of the Bluebonnet shows the interrelatedness of various

stories in that the motif of good versus evil is evident throughout the story. Also, there is

a sense of magic found in the doll that the young girl burned and the flowers that

appeared the next morning. The land was transformed from a very dry, drought-stricken

land, to a land that appeared green and beautiful. Since the land is said to be known as

what we now call Texas, children can appreciate the traditional culture of our country.

However, I did not find that the literature provided factual information about the land.

The Legend of the Bluebonnet introduces children to the dialect of our ancestors by using

names such as “Comanche”, “Great Spirits”, and “Shaman”. Many children may not be

familiar with this language and therefore question what the terms actually represent.

This book helps children realize that there is an inherent goodness within people. Also, a

valuable lesson can be learned. She-Who-Is-Alone gave up a loved possession and

received a great reward that also benefited others around her.

The page and book design are effective in that the design and illustrations add to

the content of the book. Bare land, bare clotheslines, and bare teepees are illustrated to

depict the following sentence that can be found in the story:

“Drought and famine are hardest on the very young and the very old.”

The text used throughout this book is positioned above or beneath the illustrations, which

is considered formal. The bland colors used throughout the book enhances the mood of
“The Legend of the Bluebonnet”. The illustrations help to gain the reader’s interest and

anticipate the unfolding of the events occurring in the falling action, and resolution. The

young girl appears to be a simple, yet attractive girl, which also conveys a sense of

innocence in the character. The land, village, and people are accurately illustrated

throughout the text.

This book is appropriate for upper elementary students. Students can relate the

name of the young girl, “She-Who-Is-Alone” with characteristics of the girl. She was

completely alone… her only possession being the valued doll that she eventually gave

back to the land. The flow and dialogue are easy for children to follow. Children should

be able to make predictions about the resolution throughout the plot of the book. The use

of complex sentences is appropriate for the upper elementary student. For example:

“She looked out over the hill, and stretching out from all sides, where the ashes
had fallen, the ground was covered with flowers—beautiful flowers, as blue as the
feathers in the hair of the doll, as blue as the feathers of the bird who cries”Jay-
jay-jay.”

Some children can relate to “She-Who-Is-Alone” because they, too, feel they are

alone. They may have a sense of inadequacy at school or at home. This book will help

children realize that they can overcome desperate feelings or loneliness in times of need.

Selfless acts lead to rewards and instant gratification.

Author : Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
Illustrators: Robin Lawrie, Graham Percy, Jenny Williams, and Robert Wilson
Title: Rumpelstiltskin
date of publication: 1997 by Running Press Publishers
Genre: folktale
Format—Picture Book
Award: no award listed
Summary of book: This folktale begins when a poor miller gives a king his daughter

and foolishly tells the king that she can spin straw into gold. Of course, the young girl

couldn’t do this, but a very small man appeared and began to make a bargain with her.

He would spin the straw into gold if she would give him her necklace (the first night) and

her firstborn child. Reluctantly, she agreed. A year later, the little man appeared again in

an effort to take her child. He told her the only way she could keep the baby is if she

guessed his name. After several attempts, she could not guess the name. She sent one of

the king’s messengers out to search for unusual names. Instead, he actually came upon

the little man singing a song and he overheard his real name. The queen didn’t have to

give up her child after all!

Reflection
 “Rumpelstiltskin” is a very entertaining story that easily captivates it’s readers;

however, I don’t think that it helps children better understand the nonscientific cultural

traditions of early humanity. There are several motifs found throughout this selection.

The character of Rumpelstiltskin depicts a cruel supernatural being that magically

transforms straw into gold. The young girl (eventually the queen), must accurately guess

Rumpelstiltskin’s name in order to keep her child. This folktale has been dispersed in

different countries and edited to better entice young children in today’s society. Using

such terms as “king”, “queen”, “king’s merchants”, and “miller”, allow readers to

become more familiar with the culture and language of different countries. However, this

folktale doesn’t provide factual information about those countries.

Many activities could be utilized after reading this selection. Children could

participate in creative writing activities that allow them to look at the world through

Rumpelstiltskin’s eyes. They could ask themselves why Rumpelstiltskin would want a

baby and what would have happened if the queen could not guess his name. Students

could also re-write the end of the folktale.

The illustrations used throughout this book could tell the story of Rumpelstiltskin

without reading text. The illustrators did a wonderful job depicting the events that unfold

throughout the plot of the book. The design and color used in this selection appeal to the

eye and enhance the mood and tone that the author is portraying. One illustration shows

the queen holding her baby up to her chest with Rumpelstiltskin “eyeing” the child.

Rumpelstiltskin is depicted as a cruel, sneaky little man that is obviously plotting to take

her child. This helps the reader anticipate the climax of the folktale. Illustrations also
accurately depict the time period, “Once upon a time…” in that the castle and medieval

period are portrayed throughout the book.

This folktale appeals to many children of all ages, primarily early elementary

children (ages 6-8). Students could use the illustrations provided in the book to suggest

the plot, without reading the book. Children in this age are moving into what Piaget

called the “concrete operational stage”. In this stage, they are better able to understand

more complex relationships, such as the relationship between the young queen, the king,

and Rumpelstiltskin. In this stage, children have definite ideas of right and wrong.

Students could be challenged by answering if Rumpelstiltskin was a good or bad

character and why. This would open up the opportunity for the teacher to discuss the

standards of conduct in the book. This folktale is full of terms that many early

elementary aged children could add to their vocabularies. The teacher could read the

story aloud to students in order to model the reading process.