Fairy Tale Friday: Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters (by John Steptoe)

It is Fairy Tale Friday!  As much as I love fairy tales, I have been so busy that I have had little time to read them lately.  I am revisiting a tale I have read for years.  It was actually introduced to me in my first children’s literature course.   As I reread it, I was struck by the gorgeous illustrations and pleased with the beautiful storytelling. 

Summary of Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters:  An African Tale (by John Steptoe)

Mufaro lives in a small village with his two beautiful daughters:  Manyara and Nyasha.   Manyara is bad tempered and proud.  She treats her sister cruelly, but carefully, for her father is oblivious to it.   Nyasha always responds with kindness and humbleness.  She spends her time working a small plot of land that grows food abundantly.  A snake, she calls him Nyoka, is her companion as she works.  One day, the king calls for all the worthy single women to come to the city, so he can choose a wife.   Manyara leaves for the journey in the middle of the night, in hopes of beating her sister and the others.    She comes across a hungry boy who requests a bite to eat.  Of course, Manyara yells at him and leaves him with nothing.  Then, she is warned by an old woman of some situations ahead, but in her pride Manyara ignores her.  When she finally goes before the king, she finds a hideous monster who reveals her faults to her.  Nyasha travels with her village the next morning.  Seeing the young boy, she immediately offers him her lunch.   For the old woman, she gives her a pouch of sunflower seeds.  The pure-hearted daughter passes the tests that lie ahead.  When she goes in to see the king, there is something entirely different in the chamber.   

Evaluation

Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters won the Caldecott Honor award for its illustrations.  For inspiration, Steptoe effectively used the ruins of an ancient city in Zimbabwe as well as the flora and fauna of the region.   The true nature’s and personalities’ of the girls comes through his realistic and powerful depictions.   The storytelling is tight, not a wasted word or scene.  Everything comes full-circle, producing a satisfying ending both emotionally and structurally.  Even though the plot elements are very different than the Western Cinderella stories, Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters is categorized as one.  It challenged me to consider:  What makes a fairy tale a “Cinderella” story?    I’d like to hear what you think.  I will share my thoughts next week.  

Poetry: Dragons Dragons and Other Creatures that Never Were (by Eric Carle)

Yesterday, I saw Dragons Dragons and Other Creatures that Never Were in a classroom library.  I was immediately drawn to it because it is from Eric Carle, one of my favorite children’s book illustrators and writers.  I picked up the book at the public library on my way home.  This selection is an anthology of poems complied by Carle.  Some poets represented are traditionally adult literature writers of the past, such as William Blake and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, while others are modern children’s literature authors, like Gerald McDermott and Paul Fleishman.  Here is one of my favorite poems: 

“Pegasus” (by Eleanor Farjeon)

He could not be captured,

He could not be bought,

His running was rhythm,

His standing was thought;

With one eye on sorrow

And one eye on mirth,

He galloped in heaven

With gamboled on earth

And only the poet

With wings to his brain

Can mount him and ride him

Without any rein,

The stallion of heaven,

The steed of the skies,

The horse of the singer

Who sing as flies.

Fans and children will delight in his recreation of mythical characters using his unique pictorial style.  Myth lovers will enjoy the subjects which are from a wide arrange of ancient cultures, such as Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Indian, Native American, European, and Asian.  Some of the mythical creatures depicted are minotaur, phoenix, Anansi the spider, yeti, Basilisk, hippogriff, griffin, and many more.  A glossary is provided that provides a short paragraph description on each one. The poems are primarily a light-hearted look at these creatures—both the fierce:

“Kracken” (X.J. Kennedy)

Neath icelocked waves the Kracken lies

In wait for passing ships,

To gobble them as you or I

Might munch potato chips.

And the benevolent:

“Mermaid/Undersea” (by Marchette Chute)

Beneath the waters

Green and cool

The mermaids keep

A swimming school.

The oysters trot;

The lobsters prance;

The dolphins come

To join the dance.

But all the jellyfish

Who are rather small,

Can’t seem to learn

The steps at all.

This anthology is a wonderful collection to share with children.  Most of the selections are short and fun, ideal for young readers/listeners.  I recommend Dragons Dragons and Other Creatures that Never Were for ages 5 and up. 

Teaching Opportunities: 

• Art:  using the description in the poem, draw or paint what you think the character looks like before viewing the illustrations
• Point of View:  examine the different uses of point of view in the poems—some are from the perspective of the creature (first person), others are characters interacting with it (third person), while many are from a voice observing/imagining it  (third-person)
• Sound Devices:  identify rhyme, alliteration, and other sound devices together
• Figurative Language:  locate and discuss similes, metaphors, and personification
• Myths:  read myths about the creatures and discuss their significance in ancient cultures
• History:  connect the  mythical creatures in the poems to the ancient cultures being studied

This posted is connected with the Poetry Friday link up at Gathering Books.