Monday, September 8, 2014

International Lit- MY FATHER’S ARMS ARE A BOAT by Stein Erik Lunde



Bibliographic Data

Lunde, Stein Erik and Kari Dickson. 2012. My Father's Arms Are a Boat. Ill. By Oyvind Torseter. New York: Enchanted Lion Books. ISBN: 9781592701247

Brief Plot Summary

Father reassures his son on a sleepless night discussing the passing of the mother amongst other topics.

Critical Analysis

The characters of this story are a father and a son who seem to live alone in a spacious house. Though this plot takes place in Norway our characters could be from a number of places. They do not exhibit too much vocabulary or customs unique to Norway, besides the father planning to cut down a “big spruce.” The child does recall his grandmother told him that red birds were dead people. The red birds appear to be animals of the region.


(The large and spacious home)

It looks as though the culture of this piece is consistent with contemporary times in Norway. They have toys littered around the house. Records rest besides the couch. Cups appear to be mass produced. There’s a light switch by the door. These are indicative of current times.


(Records, cups, and a switch are clues for what time period this takes place)

This story is an example of imagery poetry. It vividly describes a home during a Norwegian winter. Complementary to the text, illustrations feature a snowy night of quiet animals. The house is minimalist and dark, a metaphor for the family. The mother’s death is like a quiet and dark winter.


(Dark and minimalist house)

Readers are inclined to trust the authenticity of this work as it is translated from Norwegian. It even won the Norwegian Ministry's Culture Prize for the Best Book for Children and Youth. Clearly this must be a literary piece that is a respectful representation of an aspect of Norwegian culture.

This is subtle and dense for a picture book. It also focuses on serious topics that are uncomfortable for most to talk about. Despite that, the intended audience is 3-6 years old. We also know that the grandmother is deteriorating from only two lines:

“She told me that when we were at the old people’s home. She can hardly talk, but I knew what she meant.”

The author tackles the subject matter with heartfelt reassurances, especially when we see the birds snacking on the bread at the end of the book.


(The birds eat the bread just as the father assured his son)

Torseter’s illustrations are of a unique style. Three dimensional paper models appear to be photographed. Sometimes the foreground is blurred giving the setting visual depth. His choice of color creates a mood of cold and quiet desolation. The negative space also contributes to the mood of this story.


(Observed the blurred foreground creating depth)

Awards/Best Books

Mildred L. Batchelder Award, 2014 Honor Book United States
2014 USBBY Outstanding International Books List
2009 Norwegian Ministry's Culture Prize for the Best Book for Children and Youth
2011 German Children's Literature Award
Kirkus Book Review Stars, January 1, 2013
Notable Children's Books, 2014 ALSC American Library Association

Review Excerpt(s)

“The striking, paper-cut-out illustrations add an unforgettable touch to this poignant tale of love, loss, and comfort. Highly recommended.” -Midwest Book Review (Children's Bookwatch, January 2013)

“They seem grounded in reality, yet they are dreamlike, giving the impression one has been privileged to see someone else's memory.” -Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, January 1, 2013 (Vol. 81, No. 1))

“It depicts the pain of the loss in the father and son clearly, but also shows how the two find comfort in each other.” -Lisa Colozza Cocca (Children's Literature)

Connections

After reading this book, show pictures of animals of Norway. Take this opportunity to share nonfiction titles about the climate and other information about the region.

Read other Mildred Batchelder Award winners such as Bathing Costume: Or the Worst Vacation of My Life. Discuss or complete a writing activity speculating why these books won this honor.

Follow this title with another similarly diorama-esque You Are Stardust by Elin Kelsey. Then have students create dioramas of their own stories.


Read this title with Uncle Monarch and compare how the families talked about death, particularly in reference to the animals in each story.

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