Module 1 Picture Books- Books 2

June 13,2009

1.Bibliography
Swanson,Susan Marie. 2008.
The House in the Night.Ill.by Beth Krommes.
New York,NY:Houghton Mifflin.
ISBN 0780618862443


2.Plot Summary
The verses,starting with
"Here is the key to the house.
In the house burns a light.
In that light rests a bed.
On that bed waits a book..."
make up a poem with cumulative patterns modeled after such famous rhymes as "This is the house that Jack built."

3.Critical Analysis
This ultimate bed time story should lull children to sleep.
The prominent and eye-catching scratchboard illustrations in black and white with touches of gold jump out at the reader. They have a dimensionality and depth created by the cross hatching and stipling. The verses,along with the art, which abounds with fine,precise detail and texture, help create a dimly lit but comforting world. The restful mood created by the repetition of the verse is also nurtured by the recurring use of such motifs as the bird,who eventually carries a dreaming child on his back in each illustration.The carefully placed accents of luminous gold in the illustrations serve to emphasize the important nouns in the rhyme,such as book and house,while the lulling rythym of the text gives the book a quality of a lullaby and creates a sense of well-being. The appearance of yellow colored text subtly signals the climax in the book and puts the readers' focus on the bird.

4. Review Excerpts
2009 Randolph Caldecott Medal
Publisher's Weekly Best Books of 2008.
Starred review in Publisher's Weekly:
"This volume's artful simplicity, homely wisdom and quiet tone demonstrate the interconnected beauty and order of the world in a way that both children and adults will treasure."
Starred review in Booklist:
*"Here, the art is spectacular. Executed in scratchboard decorated in droplets of gold, Krommes' illustrations expand on Swanson's reassuring story (inspired by a nursery rhyme that begins, This is the key of the kingdom ) to create a world as cozy inside the house as it is majestic outside."


5. Connections
Gather other books with cumulative rhymes such as The Napping House by Audrey and Don Wood. Ask students to notice changes in the colors used in this book and also have them look for visual patterns and recurring motifs such as the flea.

Children could talk about their own houses and draw pictures of them.

Shining a flashlight on each page while reading to children with the lights dimmed would mimic the feeling of a getting ready for bed storytime while allowing children a new way to experience the contrast between light and dark.

Other books with cumulative rhyme patterns:
Winter,Jeannette.The House that Jack Built.ISBN978-0803728202
Galdone,Paul.The Gingerbread Boy.ISBN 9780899191638