Children's Books As Popular Movies

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 

Published 1978

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs first appeared as a children's book in 1978. The highly imaginative book was written by Judi Barrett and illustrated by Ron Barrett. The story is that of a Grandfather telling his grandchildren a tall-tale bedtime story about a town called Chewandswallow. In the tiny seaside town of Chewandswallow, all the food falls from the sky. It rains juice and soup, snows mashed potatoes, and the wind blew in storms of hamburgers. Anything the town's people could possibly want to eat was provided by the weather. According to the Grandfather's tale, one day out of the blue, the weather took a turn for the worse. The food kept getting bigger and bigger and there were awful storms, like a tomato tornado. The weather threatened the lives of the town people, so they made boats out of leftover food and fled via the ocean. They started a over in a new land, but had to adjust to buying food from a supermarket. In the new town, nothing fell from they sky but rain and snow, but the people of Chewandswallow stayed in the new land and lived happily ever after.


Released 2009

In 2009, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs was released by Sony Pictures as a feature film. The movie is based on the original book, but introduces viewers to an entirely new story. The film features a young, aspiring scientist named Flint Lockwood. Flint's early inventions included spray on shoes and a monkey thought translator. His newest invention is a machine that turns water into food. During a freak accident, Flint's machine is launched high into the Earth's atmosphere, where it begins turning rain into food that falls to the ground as if it were normal precipitation. The struggling town of Swallow Falls sees Flint's invention as a way to attract tourists and save the town. Encouraged by the town's gluttonous mayor, Flint gets carried away and lets the machine overheat. The food over-mutates and begins destroying the town, threatening everyone who lives in Swallow Falls. Flint, along with a few friends and weather girl, Sam, go on a mission to destroy the machine and save the town.      

Flint Lockwood in Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (2009)

Commonalities between the book and movie include food falling from the sky, big trucks that sweep away leftovers, a town that is threatened, and escape boats made from food. However, for the most part, the movie differs greatly from the book. I suppose movie creators thought the original book premise was too boring, so they developed a different town name, a new plot, new characters, and an alternate ending to make the story more appealing to movie audiences. 

 The Cat in the Hat

Published 1957

In The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss, two young children receive an unexpected visit from a talking cat on a boring, rainy day. The cat plays and shows off his tricks, making a huge mess in the process. All the while, the pair's pet fish acts as the voice of reason, reminding the kids that their mother will not be happy when she returns. The cat plays a game called "Fun-In-A-Box" and releases Thing 1 and Thing 2, who add to the mess. Seeing that their mother is about to return, the children capture the Things with a net and the cat uses a machine of gadgets to quickly clean the massive mess. The mother returns home to a clean house, with no idea of the mayhem that took place while she was away. The book is narrated by the young boy, who brings the story to life with Seuss' famous rhyming text.

Released in 2004

Decades after Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat had already become a classic, the story was reproduced as a movie for children. The movie version contains all the elements of the original story: rhyming narrations, the brother and sister who were bored on a rainy day, the cat's appearance and curly eyelashes, the reasonable fish, rambunctious Thing 1 and Thing 2, and the machine that cleans up the mess. However, the movie contains lots of "extras" that aren't part of the original story. The plot was greatly expanded, the children were given more elaborate personalities, and the element of the magical red crate was added. In the film version of The Cat in the Hat, the mother of the two children leave them at home with instructions to keep the house very clean, as she is hosting a party for fellow realtors that night. Sally is characterized as an uptight, control freak, while her brother, Conrad, is a troublemaker in jeopardy of being shipped off to military school. When Cat appears and convinces the children to join in his fun, Conrad's future and the mother's career are subject to ruin. In the end, Cat puts everything back in order, just in time, and helps Sally and Conrad learn valuable lessons about themselves.

The Cat in the Hat, as a film, is highly entertaining. Children will enjoy the cat's crazy antics and the colorful setting. However, as one who grew up reading The Cat in the Hat, I don't think the movie has the same appeal as the book. The magic of Dr. Seuss' books lies, no so much in the stories themselves, but in the rhythmic text. Movie creators did not give enough attention to the rhyming narrations, nor bothered to use the original wording. I definitely prefer reading the classic Cat in the Hat book aloud to watching the movie. 

Beezus and Ramona

Published 1955

In the original story of Beezus and Ramona, Beatrice (Beezus) Quimby believes she must have the most annoying little sister in the world. Her younger sister, Ramona, is always causing some type of trouble and is always the center of attention. Ramona is creative but messy and typically acts without thinking. At 4 years old, she could care less what anyone thinks and her actions consistently bring embarrassment to Beezus. As the older sister, Beezus wants to look out for Ramona but struggles to tolerate her frustrating behavior. Beezus copes when Ramona locks the neighbor's dog in the bathroom and throws herself a party without telling anyone in advance, but she can't take it when her little sister spoils her birthday party with her obnoxious behavior. After feeling that her own party has been ruined, Beezus states that she doesn't love her sister all the time. Through a heart to heart talk with her mother, Beezus realizes that sisterhood has its ups and downs. She won't always get along with Ramona or like the things she does, but that is okay. Beezus knows that she truly loves Ramona, and they will always be there for one another when it really counts.

Released 2010

The movie counterpart to Beezus and Ramona, aptly titled Ramona and Beezus, features an entirely different plot than the book. In Ramona and Beezus (2010), the Quimby family is forced to make changes after Mr. Quimby loses his job. Ramona comes up with some clever ways to raise money for the family, such as washing cars and selling lemonade out of her mother's fine crystal. The always precocious Ramona ends up doing more harm than good, embarrassing her older sister and frustrating her parents. 

Although Ramona and Beezus are older in the movie and their eye colors are reversed, Ramona and Beezus captures the basic personality traits of the book's original characters. In addition, Beezus still struggles with caring for Ramona while tolerating her antics. Both the book and movie convey the significance of a sisterly bond.

An Important Lesson About Books & Movies

After comparing several children's books to their movie counterparts, it is quite obvious that the movie is never the same as the book. The differences, typically, are not subtle either. Movie producers look to popular children's books for inspiration and then let their imaginations run wild. Plots are elaborated and characteristics are altered, all for the sake of selling more tickets. The movies I examined all featured statements like "based on the book" or "inspired by the book." Such disclaimers should be taken literally, because any movie goer expecting to see what they've read about in a book will likely be disappointed. The important lesson is that movies will never replace books. Reading allows an individual to create details, like the sounds of a character's voice or layout of a town, for themselves. In a movie, all the creating is done for you. What fun is that? 

Outstanding International Children's Books

Many outstanding books read by children in the United States were originally written in foreign languages by authors of other countries. Recognizing the popularity of these foreign books and the likelihood that they would catch on with children across the world, American book publishers worked to translate the books and make them available to children in the U.S. The following three books have all been translated into English and made available to children in the United States. In addition, the quality of the writing and success of their stories have earned all three the Batchelder Award for outstanding children's books.

A Faraway Island by Annika Thor

(First published in Sweden)

2010 Batchelder Winner

In 1939, Jewish sisters Stephie and Nellie Steiner are sent from their home in Vienna to live with separate host families on a small island of Sweden. The girls' parents sent them away in order to protect them from the Nazis. What was originally meant to be a 6 month stay, grew as the war in Europe intensified. As if the stress of the war and separation from her parents were not enough, Stephie struggles to adapt to her new surroundings, a foreign language, and the harshness of her host mother.  


Stephie's loneliness and struggle to fit in at her new school are challenges to which many adolescent readers will easily relate. It is difficult to be viewed as the child who is "different," and Stephie's story sheds light on bullying from the victim's perspective.


Although, many readers will be able to see a bit of themselves in Stephie, A Faraway Island holds value in the classroom as well. The story contains valuable information about World War II, Nazis, and child refugees. The historical context of the book makes A Faraway Island an excellent supplement to lessons pertaining to World War II.   

Brave Story by Miyuki Miyabe

(First published in Japan)

2008 Batchelder Winner

Brave Story is a highly imaginative story about a young boy, Wataru Mitani, and his discovery of a fantasy world. After hearing rumors from kids at school about the Daimatsu building, Wataru wanders into the building one afternoon and soon finds himself in the fantasy world called Vision. His visit is short-lived, as he soon awakes at home in his bed to learn that his visit had only been a dream. As Wataru's memories of Vision begin to fade away, his family begins to fall apart. His father is seeing another woman. Distraught over the affair, Wataru's mother attempts suicide by leaving the gas on in their house. A mysterious new kid at school visits Wataru and warns him of the gas, explaining that he must return to Vision in order to change destiny. Wataru finds his way back to Vision where an old man called Wayfinder guides him on an adventure to change his family's fate.

Reading the 800+ pages of Brave Story may seem like a daunting task for many young readers, but those who attempt the story will surely be captivated by the action and the anticipation of what will happen next. The science-fiction genre has never been a favorite of mine. However, I enjoyed the unique manner in which the story combines fantasy with real world problems, like divorce and the challenge of dealing with strained relationships. Brave Story truly contains something for everyone!

     

The Pull of the Ocean by Jean-Claude Mourlevat

(First published in France)

2007 Batchelder Winner

Little Yann Doutreleau is the youngest of seven male children, and the only one without a twin. He lacks the ability to speak, but communicates silently with his brothers. One night Yann overhears his parents fighting and understands that his father plans to kill the children the next day. Yann wakes his brothers and convinces them to flee west, through the French countryside and toward the ocean to safety. Along the way, the boys encounter an assortment of characters, including a helpful truck driver, a suspecting policeman, and a generous baker. Each section of the story is presented as a first-hand account from a different character. The boys' journey is doomed from the start, but the clever ending reveals new facts about the parents' conversation and what little Yann actually heard. 

The Pull of the Ocean is a well-crafted mystery that lets readers draw their own conclusions as the story progresses, not revealing what actually happened until the end. As a collection of first-hand accounts, the style of the story is refreshingly original and stimulates the minds of young readers. This entertaining story about brotherhood and adventure is one that children, of many ages, will thoroughly enjoy.

Addressing Diversity Through Children's Literature

Mrs. Katz and Tush by Patricia Polacco

(Picture Book)

Mrs. Katz and Tush tells the heartwarming story of a Jewish widow, Mrs. Katz, and young African-American boy, Larnel, who forge a lifelong friendship. Larnel does not know much about his neighbor, Mrs. Katz, but sees that she is sad and lonely after the passing of her husband. He brings Mrs. Katz an abandoned kitten and convinces her to adopt it, thinking it will help her feel less alone. She agrees to take the kitten, who she names Tush, on the condition that Larnel helps her take care of it. The two bond while caring for Tush, soon visiting everyday. Mrs. Katz teaches young Larnel about her Jewish faith and her life as an immigrant from Poland. Larnel learns about their cultural differences but also about the themes of suffering and triumph black history shares with the Jewish heritage.   

Mrs. Katz and Tush promotes diversity in several ways. The two main characters are not only of different faith backgrounds, they are of different nationalities and races as well. The story also prompts discussion about intergenerational relationships and the importance of respecting elders.

While Mrs. Katz and Tush features colorful dialogue and terms that present an important message about living in a diverse society, my favorite aspect of the book, by far, is the manner in which the story is illustrated. Polacco's expressive illustrations convey characters' emotions in a way that tugs at the hearts of readers. The final image of Mrs. Katz and Tush with a grown Larnel and his new baby made tears well up in my eyes. The two characters care for one another as if they were family and never seem to be phased by their differences. What an amazing world we would live in if everyone could look at others with such openness!   

The Diary of Anne Frank

(Chapter Book)

Shortly after turning thirteen, Anne Frank and her family were forced into hiding in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam in an effort to escape the atrocious acts taken against Jewish families and those who helped them. Anne kept a detailed account of her life in hiding using a personal diary she received for her birthday. After her family's capture and her death in 1945, Anne's diary was made into a book, which highlights the changing emotions of an adolescent while educating readers about the effects of the Holocaust on family life. The Diary of Anne Frank chronicles 25 months of strained family relationships, living in close quarters with neighbors, bad food, and limited supplies, all written from Anne's perspective. 

Anne Frank

The Diary of Anne Frank has become a classic and a requisite title in libraries worldwide for good reason. As a first-hand account of what many consider to be the world's greatest tragedy, the book educates young readers about the Holocaust in a way that an adult author could not. Anne's candid writings about her fear, frustration toward family members, and growing feelings toward a young boy named Otto allow young readers to relate to her on a somewhat personal level. Readers cannot help but sympathize with Anne Frank and wonder how her life could have been different if there were no prejudice in the world. 




The Diary of Anne Frank is a wonderful book for adolescent readers and serves as a powerful supplement to class history lessons. The book calls attention to the problem of religious persecution and the impact it has had on the world. Discussion of The Diary of Anne Frank and the troubled past of Jews offers the opportunity to segue into other topics pertaining to discrimination and draw connections between Jews and other groups that have faced similar hardships. In addition, the book might influence young readers in a positive way, prompting them to examine there own lives and the manner in which they treat others. 



One Crazy Summer

by Rita Williams-Garcia

2011 Coretta Scott King Award Winner

Set during the summer of 1968, One Crazy Summer blends the fictitious story of a young black girl, Delphine, with insightful information about one of the most trying periods in U.S. history. In this funny but heartbreaking story, Delphine and her younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern, are sent away from their home in Brooklyn, New York to spend a month in Oakland, California with their long lost mother, Cecile. Cecile abandoned the girls when they were still very young, leaving them to be raised by there father and grandmother, Big Ma. The girls are excited to learn more about Cecile, but nervous about facing the mother who abandoned them.

Upon arrival, Cecile makes it clear that she had not asked for the girls to come visit and makes no attempt to make up for lost time. She refuses to call the youngest, Fern, by her name and insists that the girls stay out of her way. Cecile also refuses to cook, making Delphine and her sisters eat Chinese takeout, picnic-style, off the living room floor. She sends them out of the house each morning and tells them not to return until night. Cecile gives the girls directions to the local center, where they must wait in line for a free breakfast each morning. It is at the center, that Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern learn about the revolution taking place through participation in a summer camp sponsored by the Black Panthers. The summer Delphine spends with her "crazy" mother gives her an inside look at the Civil Rights Movement and provides her and her sisters with a sense of closure.

One Crazy Summer is not a fast-paced, action-packed book by any means. However, the story is beautifully written in a way that appeals to both children and adults. Young reads come away with a new found knowledge about real events pertaining to African-American history and inspiration to be self-reliant. For older readers, One Crazy Summer sparks an emotional response about how far our society has come since desegregation and the impact a mother can have on her children.

As a mother reading One Crazy Summer, I couldn't help but despise Cecile and wonder what type of motivation she had for leaving her daughters. How could a mother possibly justify abandoning her children? What else in life could be more important than her role as a mother? My heart ached for the young girls and the rejection they must have felt. However, I was also inspired by Delphine and her willingness to step into the role of mother at such a young age. Even though Big Ma had moved north to help care for the three girls, it is obvious that Delphine feels it is her responsibility to protect and care for her younger sisters. The characters' strong personalities and the story's link to such an elusive political group, the Black Panthers, makes One Crazy Summer a great selection for any library collection. 

The Lion & The Mouse

Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney

The Lion & The Mouse showcases the power of illustration through a wordless retelling of Aesop's beloved fable about a lion and a mouse. Pinkney's visual adaptation guides children through each aspect of the story, from the lion catching and releasing the mouse, to the lion's capture by poachers, and finally, to the mouse chewing through a net to save the lion. Pinkney uses oversized images to draw attention to the characters' facial expressions and actions. His unique style and the intricacy of his drawings caption emotion in a way that eliminates the need for text.

I remember Aesop's fable of the lion and the mouse as one of my favorites from childhood. The story teachs young children the importance of considering others and returning favors to those who have helped us. Jerry Pinkney's illustrations capture the essence of the original fable and convey the underlining message well.

Meet the Illustrator

 

Artist, Jerry Pinkney

Having received too many accolades to mention, Jerry Pinkney is one of the most well-known children's book illustrators of all time. He has been awarded the Caldecott Medal, the Coretta Scott King Award, the New York Times Best Illustrated Award, and nomination for the Hans Christian Andersen Award...just to name a few. His work in the arena of children's literature includes more than one hundred titles, including:

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
2011



Three Little Kittens
2010

Little Red Riding Hood
2007



The Wise Old Woman

Retold by Yoshiko Uchida

Illustrated by Martin Springett





The Wise Old Woman is Uchida's imaginative retelling of a Japanese folktale. In the tale, a cruel young lord declares that anyone over the age of seventy is no longer useful, and thus, must be taken into the mountains and left to die. When one young farmer's mother reaches the dreaded age, he reluctantly carries her into the mountains. However, once there, the young farmer cannot bear to leave his mother, so he brings her home and hides her in a secret room beneath the kitchen. Two years later, three warriors suddenly storm into the village, warning the cruel young lord that the mighty Lord Higa will come to conquer his village. When the lord begs to be spared, the warriors toss him a scroll listing three impossible tasks. If he can complete the three impossible tasks, the young lord and his village will be saved. When the village's wisest minds are not able to solve the three difficult tasks, the young lord posts a notice promising a bag of gold to anyone who can help. The farmer hurries home to tell his mother of the dilemma and she sets about completing the three tasks: making a coil rope out of ashes, running a single thread through the length of a crooked log, and making a drum sound without beating it. Upon presenting the completed tasks, the farmer is accused of not being wise enough to complete such tasks, and the young lord demands to know who is responsible. The farmer confesses to hiding his mother and explains that she is responsible for saving the village from Lord Higa. Surprisingly, the young lord revokes his original decree and proclaims that old people will now be treated with respect and will share the wisdom of their years.  

While the folktale of The Wise Old Woman serves to entertain young readers with its careful descriptions and bold illustrations, it also contains an important message about respecting the elderly. Often older members of our society are viewed as being incapable of simple tasks and as a burden to younger generations. However, through this clever book, Uchida reminds children that true wisdom comes from life experience and that a great deal may be learned from those older than themselves.

Yoshiko Uchida

Widely acclaimed for her work, Yoshiko Uchida has spent several decades writing children's books about the Japanese-American experience. In addition to The Wise Old Woman, Uchida has authored the following titles:

   

• The Dancing Kettle and Other Japanese Folk Tales (1949)
• A Jar of Dreams (1981)
• The Two Foolish Cats (1987)
• The Magic Purse (1993)

Awarding Translated Books

Occasionally, a book is written that is so outstanding, it must be shared with the rest of the world. Thankfully, some publishers welcome the daunting task of translating those books so that readers may enjoy what they otherwise could not. That hard work is deserving of recognition, and as a result, several awards have been established to recognize the importance of translated literature.

The Mildred L. Batchelder Award is presented annually to an American publisher for a book considered to be the most outstanding of those originally published in a foreign language in a foreign country, but subsequently published in English for children in the United States. Established by the Association for Library Service to Children, the Batchelder Award promotes international collaboration and encourages publishers to seek out exceptional children's books abroad. Recent recipients include A Time of Miracles, A Faraway Island, and Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit. 

In the United Kingdom, translated children's books are recognized biennially by the Marsh Award for Children's Literature in Translation. The award is presented to the translator of the best translation of a children's book into English from a foreign language, published by a British publishing company.

In 2002, the Swedish government established the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in honor of the Swedish children's author, Astrid Lindgren. The prize is awarded annually in an effort to increase interest in young people's literature, and it may be awarded to authors, illustrators, or narrators of children's books. The monetary prize given to each recipient makes the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award one of the richest literary prizes in the world.

The International Board of Books for Young People recognizes outstanding authors and illustrators biennially with the Hans Christian Andersen Award. The award is presented to those deemed to have made a lasting contribution to literature for young people. The prestigious award is considered by many in the literary field to be the Nobel Prize for children's literature.