The book that I chose was Paddle-to-the-Sea. It was written and illustrated by Holling Clancy Holling. It was first published in 1941 then renewed in 1969.
Paddle-to-the-Sea is an Historical Fiction picture book. This is true because in the story, the characters an “Indian boy” carves a miniature Indian in a canoe, who is named “Paddle”, and lets him free to float throughout the Great Lakes. This is an event that could have actually happened. The setting starts in the Great Lakes and ends in the Atlantic Ocean. The time of this adventure would be approximately 1940’s. The plot would be the journey that Paddle takes throughout the Great Lakes. The point of view is in third person. The theme is that the audience takes a ride through the Great Lakes and its geographical and historical setting.
The style of art used in Paddle-to-the-Sea is naïve art. This is true because the illustrations ignore traditional styles of art. The mead used is water color and pencil. On the left hand side of the pages, all of the pictures that surround the text are made with a simple lead pencil. The right hand sides of the pages are done in vibrant water colors. The illustrations are so in depth that book is a proud winner of a Caldecott Honor award.
There are some controversies within Paddle-to-the-Sea. For instance the author gives the Indian’s a language and tone throughout the book that seems to be very stereotypical and comes off very racist. Also the “Indian boy” isn’t given a name. It seems to me that the author is trying to give off a sense that all Indians are the same.
In short, I thought the book is a great educational tool for teachers who are planning on teaching history or geography of the Great Lakes.
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