Children's Literature

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Children's Literature
Writers Craft EWC4UMrs. L. BouzanneVirtual
AcademyOttawa 2005

• christina czaban

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Overview

• This presentation will preview the Rachel Racoon
  series of childrens books created by Christina
  Czaban in partial fulfillment of the requirements
  for the ISU portion of the Writers Craft Course.
• There will be a general introduction providing a
  concise introduction to Childrens Literature..

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Introduction to Childrens Literature

• Principle types include
• Picture Books
• Nursery Rhymes
• Folk Literature
• Poetry
• Fantasy
• Realistic Fiction
• Biography
• Informational

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Introduction to Childrens Literature

• Picture Books
• Rely on Illustration
• Myth, Legends or folktales
• Fantasy, Science fiction, comic books
• Talking Animal Stories
• Realistic Stories

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Introduction to Childrens Literature

• Nursery Rhymes
• Lullabies
• War songs, proverbs, jingles
• Absurd or nonsensical
• Historical context

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Introduction to Childrens Literature

• Folk Literature
• Legends
• Superstitions or past religious events
• Oral in origin
• Quests
• Conflict resolution

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Introduction to Childrens Literature

• Realistic Fiction
• Adventure stories
• Mysteries
• Animal Stories
• Fantasy
• Stories of the Impossible
• Events contradict natural world

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Introduction to Childrens Literature

• Historic Fiction
• Realism
• Biographies
• Retell historical events
• Informational
• Great diversity
• On-Line assets
• Immense Resource

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Development of Childrens Literature

• Since early 19th century more focus given
  Children's Literature
• Trend from adult readers towards self reading
  formats
• Trend towards Illustrated books
• Trend towards non-secular social examples
• Trend toward Fiction away from History

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Development of Childrens Literature

• Many Authors
• Major Western centers of Literature include
• Europe
• Scandinavia
• England
• France
• America

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Author Selections

• Hans Christian Andersons The Little Mermaid
• Lewis Carrolls Alice through the Looking Glass
• Beatrix Potters Peter Rabbit
• Jean de Brunhoffs Babar the Elephant
• Theodor Geisels (Dr. Seuss) The Cat in the Hat
  and
• H.A. Reys Curious George

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Hans Anderson (1837)The Little Mermaid

• Scandinavian
• Fantasy
• Heroic
• Adventure
• Meant for adult reading to children

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Lewis Carroll (1837)Alice in Wonderland

• Victorian
• Fantasy
• Nonsense
• Alice is a moderator
• Illustrated
• Meant for adult reading to children

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Beatrix Potter (1900)Tale of Peter Rabbit

• Victorian
• Picture Book
• Talking Animal Story
• Peter is a trickster
• Realistic
• Meant for early readers

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Jean de Brunhoff (1931)Babar the Elephant

• French
• Picture Book
• Talking Animal Story
• Babar is an adult child
• Realistic
• Meant for early readers

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H. A. Rey (1949)Curious George

• American
• Picture Book
• Talking Animal Story
• George is a trickster
• Realistic
• Meant for early readers

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Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss)The Cat in the Hat

• American
• Picture Book
• Talking Animal Story
• The Cat is a trickster
• Fantasy
• Meant for early readers

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Appreciation

• The books all provide children entertainment
• While Carrolls Alice provides social comment to
  a certain extent, it carries little instruction
• The other books all tend to give some lesson in
  behaviour or in consequence
• Illustrations have evolved into the modern age
• George, Peter and the Cat are all tricksters
• Alice is more of a narrator or moderator
• Babar is an adult child
• The little mermaid is a heroine

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Appreciation

• The books selected for the Journal span more than
  one hundred years and include Scandinavian,
  English, French and American Authors and were
  chosen to examine how a cross-section of writers
  developed their work for children.
• The books reflect an evolution of literature from
  the somewhat more realism based fantasies of
  Anderson and Carroll, through the talking animal
  focused familial stories of Potter and de
  Brunhoff to the social learning examples of H.A.
  Reys Curious George.
• The Dr. Seuss stories are a unique art form in
  both their style and manner of teaching and
  entertaining early readers

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What is the purpose of Childrens Literature?

• A person's a person, no matter how small,
  ...Children want the same things we want. To
  laugh, to be challenged, to be entertained and
  delighted." (Dr. Seuss)
• The needs of children are the same as adults its
  just that they require different packaging.
  (C.Czaban)

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Rachel The RacoonThe Series

• The Tale of Rachel Racoon
• Book 1 (March 2005)
• Rachel Racoon finds new friends.
• Book 2 (April 2005)
• Rachel Racoons Great Adventure
• Book 3 (May 2005)
• (Coming soon to a bookstore near you)

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The Tales about Rachel Racoon

• Modelled after the Beatrix Potter style
• Rachel lives in a tree trunk with her
  family
• She sets out of the tree on her own and has
  various adventures

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The Tale of Rachel Racoon

• Book 1

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Book 1 The Tale of Rachel The Racoon

• Protagonist Rachel a teenage racoon
• Antagonist Tom, the Allens Cat
• Supporting Characters
• Ernie the Dog chases the cat away
• Rachels Mom comforts Rachel

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Book 1 The Tale of Rachel The Racoon

• Purpose Entertainment
• Theme Rescue Adventure
• Setting Country Village
• Atmosphere Outdoors Sunny Day
• Conflict Family is trapped

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Book 1 The Tale of Rachel The Racoon

• Plot
• Rachel wakes up alone and goes exploring
• Her search adds tension
• Character development through thoughts
• Family found trapped in Cages
• Cat tormenting trapped family
• Rachel sets dog loose who chases cat away
• Rachel frees her family

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Rachel Finds New Friends

• Book 2

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Book 2 Rachel Racoon Finds New Friends

• Protagonist Rachel a teenage racoon
• Antagonist Big Yellow monster
• Supporting Characters
• The Kittens Rachel rescues them
• Emily Allen Rachel plays with her toys
• Rachels Mom comforts Rachel

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Book 2 Rachel Racoon Finds New Friends

• Purpose Entertainment
• Theme Rescue Adventure
• Setting Country Village
• Atmosphere Indoors
• Conflict Emily rescues trapped kitten then gets
  trapped herself

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Book 2 Rachel Racoon Finds New Friends

• Plot
• Rachel wakes up alone and goes exploring
• Her search adds tension
• Character development through thoughts
• A family of baby Racoons is found
• Trapped Racoon is rescued
• Rachel is caught
• Rachel is set free

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Rachel Racoons Great Adventure

• Book 3

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Book 3 Rachel Racoons Great Adventure

• Protagonist Rachel a teenage racoon
• Antagonist Village Bullies
• Supporting Characters
• Ernie the Dog helps find lost Rachel
• Rachels Mom comforts Rachel

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Book 3 Rachel Racoons Great Adventure

• Purpose Entertainment
• Theme Rescue Adventure
• Setting Country
• Atmosphere Outdoors Gloomy
• Conflict Rachel gets trapped and taken far away
  then gets lost

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Book 3 Rachel Racoons Great Adventure

• Plot
• Rachel wakes up alone and goes exploring
• Her search adds tension
• Rachel gets trapped
• Rachel gets carried far away
• Rachel tries to find her way home
• Rachel has adventures
• Ernie finds Rachel

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The End