Rump by Liesl Shurtliff

I know that I am really behind with this one, but I just finished Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff.  I heard about it on Twitter, on podcasts, and at conferences and bought it sometime back, but it wasn’t until a student was asking for recommendations for her new fourth grade classroom that I finally moved it up the stack on my nightstand.   

Rump is the charming story of the childhood of Rumpelstiltskin.  Readers get to see him as the innocent boy who struggles with the loss of his mother, poverty, and an unfortunate name in a world where names mean everything. The Rump readers get to know is not the traditional creepy, little man who appears out of nowhere, demanding favors for spinning gold.  The Rump in Shurtliff’s story is a boy who is searching for meaning in his life and a way to control his new-found magical powers.  Rump is caring and funny, and I loved his relationship with Red, who is definitely not the flighty, brainless girl who readers see in many traditional tales.  I also loved the way that Shurtliff presented new sides to other fairy tale characters as well, like the trolls for instance.  Who would have thought readers could love stinky, nasty trolls?

I completely believe that young readers will love this easy-to-read chapter book.  It would also make a great read aloud.  I think that teachers and students would have a fun time comparing Rump to other versions of the fairy tale, like Paul O. Zelinsky’s picture book version perhaps.  There are also so many opportunities for readers to use Shurtliff’s book to talk about the paths and decisions that could ultimately lead Rump to the more sinister Grimm’s version.  I just could not help thinking about all of the ways that I would love to share this book with students.

I hope teachers and students pick this sweet book up and share it with each other.  Then, as I am about to do, I hope they go out and read the next books by Shurtliff: Jack and Red.  

Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff, 258 pages from Alfred A. Knopf books (2013). ISBN # 978-0-307-97793-9

Ideal for young readers (and anyone who loves a fairy tale)

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore & More

The last blog entry for me was 11/10/2016.  That entry date was just a few days after breast biopsy results revealed that I had HER2+ breast cancer.  That diagnosis set me on a path of brutal chemo and a bilateral mastectomy.  Although I still have many surgeries and some other treatments ahead of me, the chemo did its job, and I have had a pathological complete response.  These past six months have been the most trying in all of my life, and believe me, I had some real trials before this.  While it took me awhile to find the strength and focus, I returned to books and writing in my journal.  But, I had to put blogging on hold.  There was something sad about returning to this place in cyberspace since it represented much of who I was before cancer.  Today, when I reread a picture book that I had bought before my diagnosis, I knew that it was the perfect reintroduction to my book blog.  This book is beautiful, but it speaks even more clearly to me now.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce & Joe Bluhm is a book that is plump with beautiful illustrations, delicious words, and a decadent story.  It speaks to me, specifically, because my journey with cancer greatly affected my relationship with books.  Just like Morris, I loved words, stories, and books.  I wrote about my own life in a journal, just like Morris documented his life in a book.  But, a storm threw both Morris and me off of our path and left us scattered, confused, and always looking down.  When we finally decided to look up, a library of books came to us again, but our stories were still heavy and unable to fly.  For Morris, it took years of books whispering to him and of him sharing stories with others who needed them to be happy again.  For me, it was just months, but slowly books began to lift my spirits, engage my mind, and bring me back to life.  I talked with really close friends about the books I read, and just like Morris, I shared some titles “whose tale was seldom told” because all stories matter.  Like Morris, I learned that the books and stories had never changed; I had.  They were always there waiting for me when I was ready to get lost in them again.  The books took care of Morris and me.  Like Morris, I learned that books will be carried in my heart no matter what until the day that I too grab that beautiful bouquet of books and fly away.  At the very same time, I also know, just as Morris did, that at this very moment someone else is opening a book.  Those stories will impact that person just as they did Morris and me.  The books are there, the stories are waiting…for you too.

I want to encourage readers to share this beautiful picture book with others.  There is much to be explored and so much that could be inferred.  Joyce even has a wonderful website and fantastic short film based on the book (http://morrislessmore.com/).  Discover the story of Joyce’s journey as he was writing this book.  Think about whether more is less or less is more.  Most importantly, contemplate how books have buoyed you through life’s storms.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce & Joe Bluhm, picture book by Moonbot, an imprint of Atheneum Books for Young Readers (2012). ISBN # 978-1-4424-5702-7

Ideal for anyone who needs healing through books (and that’s all of us).