Harve ZemachReseñas

Lawyers

This is such a simple premise, with limited text, few illustrations, and a seemingly short narrative overall. Yet it all blends so well to create a light-hearted, humorous, and unusual tale.½

This is a classic story of a person who is initially thought of as a fool using his talents to reach a happily ever after moment. The main character is one of three brothers with the two others being accomplished mariners. However through fortunate happenstance the younger brother is able to win the princess of another land and fill his boat with gold and silver. Though the message to not underestimate a person is a great one the story is a little too coincidental for my taste.½

As a child, any mention or image of the devil scared me immensely. Still, I remember checking this book out several times because it was just that good.

The story is an old one with many iterations. This version came from a 19th-century play traditionally performed in Cornwall during the Christmas season. I remember two versions of the story from my childhood: Rumpelstiltskin and Tom Tit Tot. The biggest difference in these tales is that Duffy is a young woman who, herself, claims to be able to spin, weave and knit (regular cloth), while in the other stories it was the girl’s father who boasted his daughter could spin straw into gold. Duffy’s devil states he will take HER away after three years; Rumpelstiltskin gives the girl only three days to guess his name, or he will take her newborn child. Minor quibbles. It’s a fairy tale that has appealed to children (and their parents) for centuries.

The book won the Caldecott medal. Margo Zemach’s illustrations are wonderfully detailed and help support the story. I found myself examining them for small details. I particularly loved the wedding feast illustration.

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The didactic story (from which tradition or culture?) is amusingly retold. Adults will enjoy it also. (One parent objected to the cigar in the rascal's mouth, but it does give him the appropriate "character").

Caldecott winner, 1974
retold from an old play preformed in England, book set with a Cornish flare.
similair to Rumpelstiltskin

This is a version of an old Cornish play and folk tale, told with jovial wit and zaniness. The story is Rumpelstiltskin, with added Cornish flair, similar to "Punch and Judy" in humor. Unlike many popular folk tales, this story goes the extra mile in terms of developing characters. Highly recommended for students learning about folklore around the world and mid-late elementary students.½

The Cornish version of Rumplestiltskin, Duffy makes a deal with the devil to spin yearn and do the knitting so she can live a life of leisure. Three years later when their deal comes to an end, the other maid finds out his name and Duffy is saved.

I picked this up thinking it might turn out to be a good persuasive text. Unfortunately, that wasn't how it turned out. However, this was a nice example of a building text, similar to The House That Jack Built. I could use this in the future. The text stands up today nearly as well as it would have almost 50 years ago when it was written. A nice book.

Caldecott winner, 1974
retold from an old play preformed in England, book set with a Cornish flare.
similair to Rumpelstiltskin

This was kind of like Rumplestiltskin, except that Duffy annoyed me way more.

Caldecott Medal, 1974

This book could be used in a unit on fairy tales and their variance around the world (this being a Cornish version of Rumplestiltskin). The Zemachs' odd drawing style is amusing and encourages re-reading, and reminded me of William Steig's art.

Various people appear before the judge, all warning of a horrible creature about to appear. He dimisses them all, despite the fact that their stories all match and become increasingly alarming. We have some fun dramatic irony since we see the monster on the book's cover - too bad you're not listening to them, judge! Cartoony line-drawn illustrations with watercolor.

A twist on Rumplestiltskin

Zemach, H., & Zemach, M. (1973). Duffy and the devil. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux.
Grades 1 through 3

Squire Lovel is in search of an assistant for his housekeeper, Old Jone. He finds one in Duffy, recently fired under accusations of laziness and incompetence. Duffy is asked to knit the squire new stockings; try as she might, she cannot figure out how to use the spinning wheel. She starts crying, and a little devil appears from behind a stack of fleeces. He offers to spin and knit all she wants in return for her soul in three years. If she can find out his name, however, she is free of the deal. In three years, Duffy goes from servant to mistress of the house. When the time comes to fulfill her part of the deal, Duffy breaks down and confesses to Old Jone her promise to the devil. Old Jone designs a plan that ends with the squire witnessing a party with witches and devils in attendance. The devil sings a song that includes his name, and through the squire Duffy learns the information that helps her beat the devil. The angry devil stomps until he disappears in a flash of flame, and all the clothing he had even spun is turned into ashes.

Duffy and the devil is the Cornish retelling of the German Rumpelstiltskin story. The Cornish version explores characters and situations typical of life in England's southwestern coast. Bits and pieces of the Cornish dialect are kept in the story for authenticity. The pen-and wash illustrations portray characters as jolly, rosy-cheeked, and very round individuals engaging in traditional activities such as tea drinking, garden frolicking, and hare hunting. Duffy and the Devil was a 1973 New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of the Year and Outstanding Book of the Year, a 1974 National Book Award Finalist for Children's Books, and the winner of the 1974 Caldecott Medal.

five people are sent in front of a judge for telling a story about a horrible creature that is coming to town. The judge does not beleive them and sends them all to jail. It turns out that at the end of the story the prisoners were telling the truth and the horrible creature ends up eating the judge.

This was the first time that I have read this book. I liked how the story went with each person adding an discription to the montster. I was very suprised with the ending and I am not sure that I would read it to the younger crowd.

classroom ideas:
1)have the class write a story on a time they were telling the truth but no one believed them.
2)using the discriptive words in the story draw your own picture of what the creature should look like.

Summary: This book is about five individuals that are brought before a judge and found guilty because they spoke of something that no one believed. In the end the judge believes.

Personal Reflection: I was reading this book to my three year old since he wouldn't allow me to read it to myself and in the end he didn't get it but he enjoyed being read to. There is a right age and a wrong age for this book but over all a good book. It would be a great conversation starter.

Extentions:
1) Classroom discussion about respecting others and there beliefs.
2) Writing/ Art assignment, before during and after.
3) Journal personal experiences with similar situations, or about what the student was thinking as the book was being read.

A story about a Judge who refuses to listen to the defendants and labels them unjustly. He gets what is coming to him in the end. A VERY funny book. One of my childhood favorites.

An old man gives each of his sons a special gift: an old broken hat that allows the wearer to be invisible; a coin purse that never stops giving coins; and a horn that will bring whatever the blower wants. A brother foolishly loses all of the gifts to the queen, but redeems himself with a clever plan.½

Andrew is a happy servant in the castle. Master Dabble arrives and promise to create a beautiful mural. Instead, this fraud eats the kings food and blames Andrew for ruining the painting. The king believes Master Dabble, punishes Andrew, and requests a new mural.
Andrew shows the king and queen the truth.

An absolutely delightful adaptation of an Ozark Mountain children's song. The Zemach's bring it alive with colorful primative illustrations which was an ALA Notable Book in 1966. I used this each year with my storytelling to second graders because of the illustrations and the sing-song quality that builds each page on the other.

Is excellent for readers' theater.

This book is Realistic Fiction, because, though the story is made up, all the events that are discussed in the story are probable. The voice used in this book is a dialogue, first person in between Eliza Lou and her mother. There is a sequenced beginning, middle and end plot in this story. Eliza wishes for her mom to buy her a china doll. She uses her problem solving skills to reason what they could sell to get money, and who would sleep where. The book ends as Eliza is exhausted of ideas and falls asleep. There is wonderful media in the story, done by paints. This Author/Illustrator has won the Caldecott medal for some of his other books. I feel that the book ended abruptly with no real resolution.