Module 3: The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brain Selznick

"I like to imagine that the world is one big machine.  You know, machines never have any extra parts.  They have the exact number and types of parts they need.  So I figure if the entire world is a big machine, I have to be here for some reason, too."

www.goodreads.com

Citations

Selznick, B.  (2007).  The invention of Hugo Cabret.  London:  Scholastic Ltd.

Summary

Part novel, part picture book, part graphic novel, part film on paper, this book tells the story of Hugo Cabret, a twelve-year-old boy who lives inside the walls of a Paris train station in the year 1931.  Believing a wind-up toy (also called an automaton) holds a connection to a father, Hugo longs to bring it back to life.  As he balances winding the train station's clocks and fixing the toy, he meets an angry old toymaker, an intriguing young girl, and a mysterious older boy with an eyepatch, and his secret mystery is suddenly in danger.  The story explores a little-known world of amazingly lifelike mechanical figurines, silent films, and the magic and dreams contained therein.  Winner of the 2008 Caldecott Medal.

My Impressions

I was initially interested by the format of the book, mixing full-page pencil drawings with novel-like narration.  I was immediately drawn into the story by the opening sequence of images and subsequent text.  Hugo is a loveable child with a mesmerizing story.  This book reminded me what I loved about books when I was a kid:  characters that you felt like you knew, or wanted to be friends with; faraway places and the exposure to new and  fascinating things, like automata and silent films.  There's magic in between the covers of this book, and I hope that kids give this 500-page book a chance after seeing how thick it is.

Review
"Gr 4-9 -- With characteristic intelligence, exquisite images, and a breathtaking design, Selznick shatters conventions related to the art of bookmaking in this magical mystery set in 1930s Paris.  He employs wordless sequential pictures and distinct pages of text to let the cinematic story unfold, and the artwork, rendered in pencil and bordered in black, contains elements of a flipbook, a graphic novel, and film.  It opens with a small square depicting a full moon centered on a black spread.  As readers flip the pages, the image grows and the moon recedes.  A boy on the run slips through the grate to take refuge inside the walls of a train station-home for this orphaned, apprentice clock keeper.  As Hugo seeks to accomplish his mission, his life intersects with a cantankerous toyshop owner and a feisty girl who won't be ignored.  Each character possesses secrets and something of great value to the other.  With deft foreshadowing,  sensitively wrought characters, and heart-pounding suspense, the author engineers the elements of his complex plot:  speeding trains, clocks, footsteps, dreams, and movies-especially those by Georges Melies, the French pioneer of science-fiction cinema.  Movie stills are cleverly interspersed.  Selznick's art ranges from evocative, shadowy spreads of Parisian streets to penetrating character closeups.  Leaving much to ponder about loss, time, family, and the creative impulse, the book closes with a waning moon, a diminishing square, and informative credits.  This is a masterful narrative that readers can literally manipulate."

Lukehart, W.  (2007).  [Review of The invention of Hugo Cabret by B. Selznick].  School Library Journal.  53(3), 218.  Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com.


Suggested Library Uses
The back of the book features websites for more information about automata and Georges Melies, the filmmaker in the novel, as well as credits for images and citations for the real films mentioned in the book.  

• Host an informative session about the history of automata.  Have some machines available for demonstration, or at least video clips of automata.  Wooden kits are available for purchase, but can be pricey.  The children's toy, K'nex will also serve the purpose.  A trip to a local museum that has automata, if applicable, is also a good idea.
• Host a silent film night.  Discuss Georges Melies' contribution to silent film.  Reading the book Before Hollywood: From Shadow Play to the Silver Screen by Paul Clee can teach about early films. Show a silent film (not necessarily by Melies, though this or one mentioned in the book would be a bonus!).  If children in the audience become antsy, invite some to come forward and provide the dialogue. 

Find it @ Your Library - Albany County Public Library

J SE489I

Notes

Winner of the Caldecott Medal, 2008

Top Ten, YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, 2008

National Book Award Finalist, 2007

Nominee, Wyoming's Indian Paintbrush Award (Grades 4-6), 2008-2009

Module 3: Tuesday by David Wiesner

"...there is always another Tuesday."

www.goodreads.com

Citation
Wiesner, D.  (1991).  Tuesday.  New York:  Clarion Books.  


Summary
On a seemingly ordinary Tuesday evening, toads take off from their swamp, flying through the air on lily pads.  They spend the night exploring the neighborhood, with surprises for both the toads and the few residents who are awake.  When morning comes, the frogs must return to the swamp, leaving their lily pads behind as puzzling evidence of their excursions.  What will happen next Tuesday, around eight o'clock?  Winner of the 1992 Caldecott Medal.


My Impressions
Words are nearly absent in this book, allowing Wiesner's whimsical illustrations to take charge of the storytelling.  Each picture invites the reader to step into the story and enjoy even the smallest of details.  I enjoyed the different perspectives and the use of comic book-like panels on some pages.  The story sparked my imagination and had me dreaming about flying frogs the night I read it.  


Review
School Library Journal
"K-Gr 4--As the full moon rises over a peaceful marsh, so do frogs on their lily pads levitating straight up into the air and sailing off, with surprise with some laundry, hovering briefly before a TV left on. A dog chases one lone low coasting frog, but is summarily routed by a concerted amphibious armada. Suddenly the rays of the rising sun dispel the magic; the frogs fall to ed but gratified expressions. Fish stick their heads out of the water to watch; a turtle gapes goggle-eyed. The phalanx of froggies glides over houses in a sleeping village, interrupting the one witness's midnight snack, tangling the ground and hop back to their marsh, leaving police puzzling over the lily pads on Main Street. In the final pages, the sun sets on the following Tuesday--and the air fills with ascending pigs! Dominated by rich blues and greens, and fully exploiting its varied perspectives, this book treats its readers to the pleasures of airborne adventure. It may not be immortal, but kids will love its lighthearted, meticulously imagined, fun-without-amoral fantasy. Tuesday is bound to take off."


Dooley, P. (1991). [Review of the book Tuesday by D. Wiesner]. School Library Journal, 37(5), 86. Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com.


Suggested Library Uses

• Read/present the book to children.  Have them take turns narrating each page, each providing a sentence or two.  Have an assistant write down the story as the children tell it.  Re-reading the story with the new narration is a possibility.  
• Alternatively, read the book to the children, and have them draw, paint or describe what they think will happen "next Tuesday," based on the last image.  In either case, emphasize to parents or teachers the literacy skills taught by having children supply the narration or create their own story. 

Find it @ Your Library - Albany County Library

E W6373TU

Notes

Winner of the Caldecott Medal, 1992