“Borderlands are physically present wherever two or more cultures edge each other; where people of different races occupy the same territory, where under, lower, middle and upper classes touch, where the space between two individuals shrinks with intimacy.” Anzaldua
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. "
Martin Luther King Jr.US black civil rights leader & clergyman (1929 - 1968)
FATHER BRESSANI CATHOLIC HIGH SCOOL: A SCHOOL FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES AND ADVANCED PLACEMENT CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE
Monday, March 19, 2012
Post #13: Children's Literature selections
Student's are asked to post their comments/reflections on the two children's literature selections Rose Blanche and The Crayon Box That Talked. Discuss the themes in each and comment on the power of the illustrations and the printed text.
Rose Blanche was a very eye opening book that used children’s literature to portray and represent a strong but brutal reality. The message I took from this novel was that this young girl, Rose Blanche, died because she was ignorant/innocent, not because she was Jewish, even though neither one is more acceptable. Since she was not aware of her surroundings and what was going on, she wandered into the woods, leading to her unfortunate death. I think this is really important because people always say “ignorance is bliss” but in this case ignorance caused Rose’s death. I think this story really highlighted how unknowledgeable the world was on the subject, at that time, and that people were being killed for no reason, Jewish or not. The printed text was extremely powerful and one specific quote stood out to me. “Some of them had a star pinned on their shirts. It was bright yellow.” This one line astonished me because all the vocabulary in the story had somewhat of a dull or miserable definition: noisy, old, broken, gray, frozen, cold and pale. But the one word that described something bright and colorful was something that was not bright and colorful and happy. It labeled a group of people and took who they were and turned it into something opposite, something that destroyed them, something horrible and disgusting. The illustrations really surprised me in the novel because they were some of the most detailed and intriguing pictures I have seen. The picture of when Rose Blanche is in the clearing where the camp used to be was the one that stood out. I found it very clever how the soldiers were drawn like shadows hiding in the darkness and although it pained me, I liked how Rose Blanche appeared duller and less cheerful/colorful than usual. It really proves the point that this subject of the Holocaust, really takes a toll on people when they learn what’s really going on.
The Crayon Box That Talked was definitely one of my all time favourite books as a child so I really appreciated how such a short, simply, children’s novel could have such a deep meaning. The message I took from this story was that there is one race, like Mr. Racco has said, the human race and how despite our different “colors” and cultures and backgrounds and religions, we are all the same, we are all humans. It teaches us that despite the physical differences, we need to and we should want to all work together because it is when we come together that we are the best. “And no one here likes Orange But no one knows just why.” This one quote in my opinion says it all; it summarizes the Holocaust in 12 words. Many Germans did not hate the Jews in the beginning, in fact some grew to love them but during the Holocaust it was instilled in them to hate them and so without really knowing why they just began to hate them. This is really important because people hate just to hate, many times there is no justification for the hate and this is exactly like the Nazis. It is crucial that we all take a minute and realize that all this unwanted and unneeded hate can be erased and we can all be happier and better, as cliché as that may sound. I loved the illustrations in this novel because I really enjoyed how they were drawn like a picture from a child, simple and easy but beautiful. The last picture in the novel, where all the crayons are hugging and admiring the finished masterpiece they all contributed to, really stood out. As simple as it was, it reminded me that God has one plan, and no matter what we may think at first, we will one day realize everyone fits into his plan.
Rose Blanche was a very interesting story. It was in many ways, similar to The Boy In The Striped Pajamas. In both stories a child was too ignorant and naive to realise what was really going on around them. This is not necessarily a bad thing though. Both Bruno and Rose were very kind and accepting. Bruno kept a lonely boy company and Rose helped to feed a group of hungry people. They were both kids that didn't know any better and they helped people in need. Unfortunately, their death is the result of their naivety. Rose was in the forest when she was mistaken for an escaped prisoner so she was killed. One text part that I found extremely interesting was that the book starts with “winter was beginning” and the book ended with “spring sang”. This is interesting because Winter is when things die and everything becomes cold and generally unhappy. In the story, winter is when the Nazis invaded the town, and that is when people started being rounded up and started dying. Spring is when things come back to life and everything becomes green and it starts to get warm again. In the story, spring is when the town is liberated by the Soviets. Which is when everyone was safe again. Another thing that I found intriguing is when Rose’s mother tells her to stay out of the way of the soldiers and their trucks. “They won’t stop for you”. Even though Rose is a German and is not one of the people that Hitler is trying to exterminate, the soldiers will not give a second thought about running over anyone in their way. One thing I noticed in the pictures was that in the beginning, Rose’s clothes are bright colours and they stand out against the mechanical look of the city and the tanks and soldiers. Even the other adults in the town have brown, black and grey clothing. While Rose has a bright pink and purple dress. This shows that a child can stand out the most even though no one seems to notice them. A child can make a difference just like an adult can.
The Crayon Box That Talked was a great example of a book written for both an old and young audience. Young kids can understand that working together is important and they would enjoy the colourful drawings. An older audience would see the whole message in the book. That we are all unique in the world, but in a good way. I liked the quote: We are a box of crayons Each one of us unique But when we get together The Picture Is Complete This quote is a great way to describe humans. We are all different colours, we all have different ways of doing things. Therefore, we are all unique. We need to all work together to solve problems, and to build great things. If we were all the same, there would only be one job in the whole world and what good would that do? We need a large variety of jobs and hobbies to support us all. Also, even if we all are unique but none of us work together, again, nothing would get done. We need all different types to ‘complete the picture’ that is our world.
I thought that “The Crayon Box That Talked” was a great story with an important message. At first, the crayons did not get along and were constantly bickering and claiming that they disliked one another yet they had no idea why. A parallel can be drawn between this and many places in our world today where ethnic groups have been fighting for so long that nobody remembers the cause they are fighting for. However, the young girl sees the problems that the crayons are having and takes them home where she uses them together to create a picture and in doing so creates peace and equality between them. To me, the young girl represents the United Nations because she acts as a peacemaker and works to end the conflict. Finally, at the end of the story the crayons come together and make the declaration “We are a box of crayons, each one of us unique. But when we get together, the picture is complete.” In terms of visuals I found that the biggest feature was facial expression. At first the crayons had looks of contempt yet after working together they showed signs of joy. To me the message of the story is that every race on the Earth is unique and special. Each race has specific beliefs and talents and only when we combine and accept each of these races can the world reach its true potential. To be honest, I thought that “Rose Blanche” was similar to “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” in terms of the premise of the story. Both protagonists were naïve German children who chose to be kind and generous to Jewish people and both paid the ultimate price for their generosity. The difference between the two can be found in the illustrations of “Rose Blanche”. The author did an excellent job with the use of colour. When reading the book my group noticed that most of the scenery was composed of miserable and dreary colours like grey, green and black. The only use of vivid colour was in the drawings of Rose Blanche, the Nazi armbands and the Jewish Star of David. This was a brilliant idea because it caused the reader to focus in on what was central to the story; mainly the Nazi officers and the Jewish prisoners. Rose Blanche was the only person who crossed those boundaries and because of this was the only person who was coloured completely in the desolate landscape of wartime Germany. It was extremely interesting that only on the last page when the Holocaust ended did colour return to the entire world. I think the message of the story is that no matter the risks we should always help those in need. It is better to die being kind and generous to those who are helpless than live by ignoring the suffering of those around you.
After reading and analyzing both children’s books, I realized one important thing that Mr. Racco told us: just because it’s a picture book, does not mean it is read strictly by children. Both books portrayed strong messages, that even teens such as me, would find evident in everyday life. For example, The Crayon Box That Talked taught us that despite our differences, it pays off to overlook them and work together to create a beautiful picture. Certain colours must work together to make other things possible; for example if red and yellow hated each other, there would be no orange. At first I looked at this book literally and thought: there are people of different races and skin colours that must learn to live in harmony. But then I realized that skin colour is not the only difference people seem to find in others; the different colours of the crayons can represent any difference among people! I especially enjoyed this book because of its simplicity and strong moral lesson. On the other hand, Rose Blanche was a more mature book with an obvious main message. Because I was already familiar with the textual story of this book, I found more interest in the illustrations. Something my group noticed was the use of colour. Upon first glance, the scenes all appear dull and dreary. But after we looked at it closer, we noticed there was some vivid colour included—Rose Blanche, the Star of David, the Swastika, and the final image of fresh flowers growing in the field were all illustrated in vibrant colours. What did these things have in common? They are all of great importance to the story. The Star of David and the Swastika both represent the differences among the people in the Holocaust. The little girl and the final image of spring are symbols of hope and innocence. With these few, subtle hints, the reader can infer ideas about the message and get a fuller understanding of the story. That’s what I find I really enjoy about children’s literature—the simple words and pictures have great power when it comes to portraying a moral lesson.
The first book that my group read was Rose Blanche. The thing that stuck out the most to me about this book was the similarity between Rose and Bruno, from the Boy in the Striped Pajamas. They were both two children caught in the middle of the war, and were both naïve. Rose was a young girl who didn’t know what the tanks with the soldiers were doing in her town. Her own curiosity brought her to the concentration camps. Her kindness brought her back everyday to give food to the people. But unlike Bruno, she didn’t know about the Jewish people. She just saw them as hungry people on the other side of the fence. She noticed the star they wore, but didn’t think anything of it. She was ignorant, but still did what she thought was right. In the end, she died because she went back to the camp. This book gave me a lot to think about. One thing that I noticed was that the illustrations of her change as the story goes on. In the beginning, she was a bright spot on the dreary scene, but by the end the colours faded. It was like it the beginning she was happy, but by the end she became more aware of what was happening around her, and that caused her to be less happy or for her to lose her brightness.
The Crayon Box that Talked was probably my favourite form of media that we did. The message was simple, but it could be used for the biggest situations. One line that stood out was “We are a box of crayons, each one of us unique. But when we get together, the picture is complete.” To me, this means that each person in the world is unique. There are different religions, cultures and customs for everyone. But together, everything makes the world we live in. Without one thing, like the German culture or the Jewish religion, the world wouldn’t be complete. People shouldn’t think they are better than the rest because without the others, the world wouldn’t be complete.
“Rose Blanche” by Roberto Innocenti is a very simple story, yet the illustrations proved to send out more of a message than the actual text. In a way, the text left the reader to infer what was happening, however the pictures helped reveal the meaning. The colour used to portray the story further enhanced the world of this little girl, overtaken by soldiers and sadness; browns, dark reds and khakis were used to give an undertone of gloom. At first Rose Blanche seemed like the only bright spot in the illustration, like the only happy thing, however gradually even Rose seems to fade into the background. The line in the story where it talks about the soldiers confusing everyone as the enemy because of the fog really shows the lack of a reason for the Holocaust seeing how anyone could be perceived as the enemy because the soldier’s sight was impaired. This demonstrates that everyone is the same under their skin, each with a heart, brain and other organs. I think that the main theme of this story is about helping others, even though it may lead to your own demise. What I found interesting was that Rose Blanche was actually a German resistance group that all were executed, just like Rose Blanche.
“The Crayon Box that Talked” by Shane Derolf was a story that managed to convey its message straight to the point. The illustrations were very colourful and appealing to the young eye, and the text was short and sweet without getting anyone bored. The line that stood out to me the most was “No one likes orange, but no one knows why.” This relates to who stereotypes are preconceived notions that exist because of media influence, yet nobody really understands why they are there in the first place, just like the crayons. Finally, the picture that the little girl creating seemed like a white flag or a peace between the crayons, because they were finally able to see that all of them were needed to make the picture beautiful and complete.
The Crayon Box That Talked was a basic and simple story that brought a very clear message. The crayons in the box evidently dislike each other and had little reason but because they were of different appearance in color. They are later bought buy a young girl and she uses the crayons together to form one big picture. The crayons had to work together to complete the picture and not one crayon was excluded. Immediately I related the crayons to people and how they fight because of difference. At first they didn’t like each other but that was only because they didn’t know or understand each other. They all may appear different but in the end they’re all just crayons and thats all that it comes down too. There are hundreds of different cultures and races but we’re all human. It is when we educate each other about ourselves and show our colors to one another is when we can appreciate our differences and grow off of each other. In the end we are all part of God’s big picture and as the crayons we must bring this picture to life with our various colors or it will never be quite complete.
The second children’s story, Rose Blanche was about a young German girl and how her generosity would cost her dearly. Throughout the story I noticed that the overall color grade of the illustrations were dark and gloomy, however there were three specific objects that would remain bright and would strike the reader as important. The star of David found on the clothing of the Jewish prisoners and the Swastika on the German soldiers stood out. The author used this sense of color to show the difference between the two cultures and make the reader aware that these were very symbolic and important. Also the third thing that stood out was Rose Blanche. Unlike most of the characters she is illuminating with blues and reds and whites. This was done perhaps to represent that she was naive or wasn’t on either side of the war. In my opinion, if she had felt she was on the side of the German’s or even the Jew’s she would be just as dull as the rest of the characters. By having the Swastika and the Star of David stand out this could represent as a label of who you are. By Rose Blanche being naive and oblivious she is independent and her own person therefore she remains in her true colors. It is a shame that her innocence brought her to death but the significance is this, she died not as a German nor Jew, but as a human.
Rose Blanche and the crayon box that talked both carried some very interesting themes, and displayed them very well with both visual cues and writing style.
The themes of Rose Blanche revolved around the Second World War and the events of the holocaust, as seen from the perspective of a child (much like Striped Pyjamas). The style of the writer was very minimalistic, often only pointing out key plot points, leaving the rest for the observer to see in the pictures. And in that sense, Rose Blanche’s message really comes through in its imagery. The stark, bleak world in which Rose lives in is accentuated by the intense red of Nazi swastikas and the single bow atop the child’s head. The pro-Nazi mayor is a fat politician, and propaganda litters almost every shot of the German town.
While many other things have been said already, I would like to point out an interesting fact: near the end, Rose’s bright red bow is gone. In my opinion, this is meant to represent a separation from the ideals of the Nazi party, because she had begun to bring food to the people at the camp and now realised what was going on. An interesting visual hint that rose’s outlook has changed.
The crayon box that talked was a much simpler representation for ideas of equality and uniqueness.
Overly dramatic expression on the crayons are depicted, perhaps to highlight petty ideas of discrimination, and things such as new colours made when two colours got together were simple enough ideas with big implications on our ways of thinking. Writing was also similar in approach. One quote stood out for me, however. “we are a box of crayons, each one of us unique, but when we are together, the picture is complete”
So, both Rose Blanche and the crayon box that talked conveyed their meanings very well as children’s story books.
The Crayon Box that Talked was a simple book intended for a reading audience of young children. The drawings were filled with bright colours and vivid images that were already geared towards young kids. Although it was written for children, it demonstrated many themes that high school pace level students like ourselves, were able to analyse. In the beginning of the story, the crayons took a strong loathing of each other, but as the story progressed, the crayons began to get along, thus creating a beautiful piece of art. When we are forced to work with others that are different from us -like the crayons were when the girl brought them home- we must learn to accept our differences and love each other. The message of the children’s book is demonstrated in this quote taken straight from the book. “We are a box of crayons, each one of us is unique, but when we come together the picture is complete.” This meaning that although everyone on the planet is surely unique, if we all cooperate and work together, life is a lot easier. Unfortunately, some people don’t take into account this message and throughout history and even in present times, there are many wars taking place.
Rose Blanche was a story I found very enlightening, however very similar to The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. Both stories had the same basic plot line and I therefore felt myself rereading John Boyne’s book. Although the two books are so similar, they show a great message that gives us another side to the German culture, the innocent naive children that are not informed of the war going on around them. Unfortunately, both stories end very tragically and it is sad to hear that lack of knowledge can kill you because Rose Blanche was only a child after all. The one thing I was most intrigued by in Rose Blanche was the illustrations. The drawings were vivid detailed pieces of art that looked like real photographs. The thing about them that interested me was that they were all grey and gloomy, giving the reader a sunken sad feeling- everything except Rose Blanche who was bright and colourful. As the book progressed her colour started to fade as if she was slowly dying.
I found the children’s media experience was very light and enjoyable and I look forward to doing some more soon.
In the children’s storybook that is not meant for children, "Rose Blanche", the printed text along with the illustrations carried a deep message. In many ways, this book was strikingly similar to "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas", in that they were both about naive, young children who did not understand why everything was going on around them and why the fences were there; they were just curious and yet, unintentionally, they did what some grown men and women cannot do—be at peace with and understand other people. In the written text, nothing was stated directly but the words were very suggestive of what was actually going on, and if you had any doubts, the pictures made the story crystal clear. Overall, the pictures were dark and greyish, except for the bright red of the Nazi Swastikas and Rose’s red bow, which really stood out. The last scene of the book was of the clearing where Rose was shot except now it was empty and springtime had brought colour and life back with it. I thought this was interesting because it made it seem like everything was okay now, which although the situation had gotten undoubtedly better, it is not to say that what happened was by any means right. Also, if you looked closely at the picture, you could see a dead flower caught on the fence—I think it was the flower Rose was holding, but I am not entirely sure, and regardless of if it was or wasn’t, it still represented the tragedy that took place and is a reminder that we can never forget.
In the simpler yet equally as powerful children’s book, "The Crayon Box that Talked", the main message of the story was that we are all different, like different coloured crayons, but we must learn to work together and respect each other. The metaphor used by the author is rather simple—the different crayons in the box represent the different people in the world—however, it illustrates a remarkably important message that I think comes across very well through this comparison. In regards to the writing, I enjoyed the simple, rhyming words that were concise and to the point and allowed the drawings to take centre stage in the book. The thing I liked best about the drawings were the cute animated faces on the crayons and how they changed dramatically as the story progressed; I thought they really portrayed the message clearly. Finally, I think that there is one quote that really sums up the message of this story; it was used to end the book and now I will use it to end my comment (I know a lot of other people mentioned the exact same quote, which just goes to show how significant it was in the book and is in today’s world): “We are a box of crayons, each one of us unique. But when we get together, the picture is complete.”
‘Rose Blanche’, a simple yet so complex form of children’s literature written by Roberto Innocenti that —similar to ‘The Boy in the Striped Pajamas’—shows us the Holocaust through the eyes of a young German child. This story was written to show the reader that during this horrific period of time, most German people who were not directly involved with the war, had little to no clue of what was happening around them. This story also shows how there were German people who saw the suffering of the Jews and wanted to help. Rose Blanche, although a very young child was able to recognize the suffering of the children on the other side of the fence and found ways to help them as in offering food. This piece of literature brings up the theme of fences once again as discussed in the novel ‘The Boy in the Striped Pajamas’. This young innocent child recognized and realized that the barbed wire was a fence, a divider amongst people. She was also able to break the mental barrier when offering the slice of bread that she had. The illustrations of this novel display very powerful messages. One concept from the illustrations that stood out in my mind was the dark gloomy setting with the brightly coloured coat wearing little girl. This little girl is Rose Blanche. I believe Innocenti uses this colour contrast to display the innocence of not only Rose Blanche but of also all the children who were leaving in a war-torn area. Although the world around them was dark and gloomy, through their naivety they were able see some good and help where they saw the bad. It also seemed that as the novel went on, the scenes were getting darker and darker; this shows that times were getting worse and as one of the previously read diary entries was titled, ‘The end of the world will soon be here’. One of the main concepts from the text that stayed in my mind was that the story began with “winter beginning” and ended with “spring sang”; this seemed to confuse me because it seems as though this horrible event occurred for a short period of time, when in truth it was much longer. “The Crayon Box That Talked”, by Shane De Rolf is another very simple story that has a much deeper message. Out of all the toys to choose from in a toy store, this little girl chose the box of crayons. This little girl similar to the other children we read about (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas & Rose Blanche) saw the problem with the crayons and realized she needed to help. Both Bruno and Rose Blanche realized that the children on the other side of the fence were suffering and he needed to help them. When the little girl first opened the crayon box, one of the first things they said was, “no one here likes orange, but no one knows just why”. This statement made me instantly think of what Bruno’s sister’s response to him was when he asked why the people in the striped pajamas were on the other side of the fence. She did not know why. An illustration that I clearly remembered was the one that went along with the text about the orange crayon. This was an image of all the different crayons with angry faces, mad at each other, BUT WHY. Nobody does know why. On the last page of the story, it says, “we are a box of crayons, each one of us unique. But when we get together, the picture is complete” This shows complete border crossing and removal of fences. There is no longer the hate between the different crayons because they have learned to understand that they need each and every one of each other. This reminded me of Chimamanda Adichie’s ending thought, “When we reject the single story, when we realize that there is never a single story about any place, we gain a sense of paradise” When they crayon box stopped fighting and realized that there was no need to hate orange or yellow or green, they gained a sense of paradise. It is a much easier and simpler world when we learn to accept one another and not judge based on solely the single story.
After reading both of these short stories, one thought that came to mind was when we read the interview with John Boyne, he said that he did not want his novel to labeled as a children’s or adult’s read, it was just a novel. I realized that I these stories were to have been labeled as something specific, would we still pick them up and read them. Would we still have the opportunity to develop thoughts and ideas from them? What would have happened if there were a label?
When you read children's stories, the last thing you would think of is being able to read such deep messages written within the author's words. After reading both "The Crayon Box That Talked" and "Rose Blanche" I was proven to be extremely wrong.
In "The Crayon Box That Talked" we are introduced to a box of crayons who start off not getting along at all. By a lot of the illustrations, you can see that they are all either angry or upset. A quote that struck me was "Everyone hates orange, but no one knows why." It was almost funny in a sick way because isn't that what was happening during the holocaust? Most Germans hated the Jews, but did any of them really know why? Sure, Hitler hated them so they were only trying to be like their leader, but could they justify their own specific reason for their hatred towards the Jews? I don't think so. A lot of the time we do things because someone who we look up to does it. It reminds me of something my parents used to say to me when I would tell them about what one of my friends did; "If ... were to go jump off a cliff, would you do the same thing?" It's like a game of monkey see, monkey do, or follow the leader. I think if the Germans were to speak for themselves and become their own leader instead of being a follower, there wouldn't have been half as many Nazi soldiers as there had been.
Next, in "Rose Blanche" we are introduced to this young girl who is probably just as naive as Bruno was in "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas." In fact, Rose shares a bunch of similarities with Bruno and his story. One day, after witnessing the German soldiers taking away Jewish families from her neighborhood, Rose followed the truck into the forest and found what she didn't know was a concentration camp. She noticed a bunch of boys and girls there and the first thing she did, out of the goodness of her heart was give them a piece of bread. She did not know these people from Adam, but she was able to share what she had with them. She has shown that it doesn't matter to her whether these people are Jews, Germans, black, brown, white, had four fingers, three eyes, or lost limbs. She took to the kindness of her heart and shared with them because they needed help, so she helped them. Unfortunately, as the war ends, Rose is killed in the very spot she would give these people food. But, we can learn a lot from this story. Who would've known that a story intended towards a child would have a message and a moral geared towards adults and teenagers as well?
While reading Rose Blanche, I looked more at the pictures in the book than the words. I believe that a picture can tell a thousand words, and I found this to be true in the book. When we are first shown Rose Blanche, she is bright in contrast to the world around her. I think this symbolizes innocence and purity. Her mind is not tarnished by the true reality of what is happening around her, and everything to her is well. Therefore, she is happy. Before she encounters the barbed wire fence, with the image of her in the woods, her clothes are bright in contrast to the wood and trees around her. As the book progresses, she is seen getting duller, as if perhaps the reality of the war around her has made her realize what a place the world was. The scene where she stands holding the flower in the cloud of dust is a significant one, to me. She seems to be hunched over, as if the war has beaten her spirit. She seems dull and colourless. In the next scene, you see a bright red flower where Rose Blanche once stood, the same colour as her bow. I see this as a sign of rebirth, where memories are not forgotten. The language used in the book is rather simple. It is spoken through the eyes of a child, who has not yet been exposed to the cruelties of the world. The tone then switches to an outsider looking in. I think it is also a child speaking, because it is still rather simple. I think the girl doesn’t understand why the children are behind the fence, and her innocence, her want to help, is what kills her. Human kindness was her downfall.
The crayon box that talked was another book that we read and analyzed. In this book there was a line that was used when describing the crayons “And no one here likes Orange but no one knows just why.” I think this shows the ignorance of humans, in general. If people have been fighting each other for years, they forget why they are fighting, but they continue the feud. At the end, there is another quote that says “We are a box of crayons, each one of us unique, but when we get together, the picture is complete.” This to me symbolizes that yes, we are all different, but that is what makes us fit together. Being different makes the world a colorful place, and when people are trying to fit others into one specific group, the result will be a broken mess. To be complete, we need variety. One sole race isn’t what will make the world complete, but they are a piece of the picture. We need all the pieces for the complete picture.
Both of these books "The Crayon Box That Talked" and "Rose Blanche" are both very simplistic children books that allow us to see the powerful message it conveys in it's subtle words. When reading "Rose Blanche" by Roberto Innocenti I really was able to appreciate all the illustrations it gives, and the way and words the author used to depict the story through Rose Blanche's eyes. When reading, I and almost the rest of the group reading with me linked Bruno from The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas to Rose Blanche because they are both two young innocent children that suffer the consequences of the war, even both being of German descent. Not only were these two children from Germany, and unfortunately passed away due to the brutalities of war they were able to show hope and humanity through this really dark and depressing time. When I looked at the images of this book I noticed that many of the colours were really dark and faded while Rose Blanche stood out with her vivid red bow in her hair and bright pink skirt, I think this was done purposely due to represent her "naiveness" (I know it's not really a word) or really the essence of being a child, they are almost always curious, happy, and oblivious to the world outdoors. She sees things that she doesn't understand and curiosity takes her over she "wanted to know where the little boy went" and she eventually sees where but doesn't comprehend why they are there or what they are faced with, only that they are hungry and she gives them food, and that they wear bright yellow stars on their shirts. Her innocence has made her such a giving, and loving person showing like Mr. Racco said the only symbol of humanity, unaware of her consequences. In the end when she returns to the camp her colours seem duller maybe because she actually seems to understand what is taking place these events taking place around her make her mature faster. She unfortunately doesn't see the spring come again and though the simple-minded way of narrating doesn't state that she dies we understand, and colour is restored in the location of the camp as flowers bloom. I realize that Rose Blanche is "colour "as well, she almost captivates the springtime in my opinion, she symbolizes life and hope by her actions. Her name "White Rose" in translation captivates this essence of her and as it was explained in class Rose Blanche was a group or campaign against the Nazi political beliefs and the reason the author gave this character that name and she is a bit of a "rebel" to the Nazi beliefs. This book was filled with such simplicity yet power. "The Crayon Box That Talked " is a slightly more children appropriate book that conveys the same message we've been learning throughout this whole unit to eradicate the single stories and stereotypes in our heads about cultural races, genders and religions , and creating borderlands. This book displays crayons that act as people judging one another for our differences, and following and believing stereotypes like when it is mentioned "And no one here likes Orange, But no one knows just why", and "A box of crayons that don't get along". Me and Megan Zanette were saying in class how the girl is almost like a figure of God she brings the crayons together colours a picture with each one of them and they start to appreciate their differences and see how they complete the picture."We are a box of crayons, each one of us unique but together the picture is complete.", we see the beautiful picture and I picture the paper as the world and all the crayons or humans coming together. These are two very beautiful pieces of literature.
I never knew that a short story with bright images and simplistic words could have such a powerful message. The Crayon Box that Talked is a perfect example of how children' literature can help shape our perspective of “fitting in.” We observe the crayons – all different colours, all different personalities, all different physical differences, but all crayons. At the beginning, the crayons argue, disliking one another because they are not the same. But when the little girl needed to colour a picture, she gathered all of the crayons together, and united, they completed a beautiful picture. The picture could not be complete if even one of the crayons was missing – they were all a part of the finished product. New colours were formed when bonds were successful, and eventually, the crayons grew to appreciate and respect the colours that were not their own. The crayons were all unique, and together in a crayon box, they respected and learned from each other. They shouldn't of judged one another by their colour before they knew who they truly were. They needed to set aside their differences to exist in harmony.
Rose Blanche is a very interesting story about a German girl who lived through the Nazi regime. She realizes that her town is changing, but doesn't understand why this is happening. It is an extremely gloomy story of war and death, portrayed through the most innocent kind of eyes – a child's. Rose only knew a limited amount of detail about the war, and this is very relate able, since we do not exactly know the events of the Holocaust as well. Her innocence and naivete is so like Bruno's, since they are both children, unaware of their surroundings, and just wanting to lend a helping hand to their fellow race of humanity. As for the pictures, I noticed that whenever the scene was gloomy and upsetting, the colours were dull, and when the scene, or even certain characteristics, were healthy and uplifting, the colours were bright and lively. This is very intriguing, since the illustrator went out of their way to make this applicable to the story. It really emphasizes the importance of good will.
Today we read two picture books. Surprisingly, even though I expected picture books to just be intended for children, the message behind those two should be reminded often to people of all ages. The first book I read was "The Crayon Box that Talked". The pictures were very simple; the colours are solid and are very bright. I noticed that the expressions of the crayons were much exaggerated. The message was plain and clear though: everyone is unique and has a role in this world. While we were reading, a quote that caught my attention was, "And no one likes orange, but no one knows why". I found that interesting. If we take into account that each crayon represented a race or any tangible difference of any sort, it is almost as if we dislike each other for no reason. There are stereotypes and hatred and malice for no reason. Nobody really knows or understands why we create stereotypes and fences against one another. The second book that we read, Rose Blanche, was more serious and you could tell that if you asked a child to pick between the two books they would choose the first one. The colours of the pages were not bright; they were all bland and dull. The girl however wore bright clothing, such as pink, red, and a dark blue. When looking at the pages, your eyes drifted towards her direction immediately. However, as the pages go on, Rose Blanche's clothing becomes less bright. She's wearing white and is no longer wearing a bow (cannot afford many luxuries). To me, it almost seems as if she is slowly losing her shield of ignorance and so her clothing becomes less bright. Another thing that has bright colours was the symbols of differences. The Swastika and the Star of David. By doing this, the artist shows right away the difference of the two people. What I found that was most peculiar was that in the first few pages, everyone was smiling. The faces that you can see were all cheerful in some sort. BUT if you look closely, in the corner, soldiers are escorting people. Those people have their backs facing you. You do not know their expression. This may be a way to portray how Rose Blanche did not know that the people were suffering and that this was an event to be celebrated. To people who have a little bit of knowledge and understanding of what happened, we know that they are the Jewish people who were taken away to camps. The scenes that take place are very much like the ones that are in "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas". Both children are somewhat ignorant but help others regardless. The ending is not a happy one. The message somehow seems as if "ignorance is bliss" but it can also be a weakness. Or maybe even "curiosity killed the cat", because if she was not curious as to where they were taking the boy, she would not be caught up in that situation. A quote that stood out to me was, “But my mother wants me to be careful crossing the street between all the trucks. She says soldiers won’t slow down." This seems as if the soldiers will stamp out anybody who stood in their way, and it was true. They will not stop for anybody and are very ruthless. The wording of this story is very simple; there are no extra big adjectives or bountiful vocabulary. A child could probably read it. But, you must have at least a bit of knowledge to understand what is going on in the story. An example to this is that the book does not mention that Rose Blanche has been shot, or killed. It just states that there was a shot and she never returned home. This shows that it still has some kind of protection to the children reading this book.
Rose Blanche as I saw it was much more of a serious and had a gray feeling to it. It was a very sad topic and had a bitter feeling to it. The theme was again showing that it is out of human nature to help each other. We do not hate and kill each other out of the right mind, it is a corrupt way of thinking. This is displayed through Bruno and through Rose Blanche. How even if we do not know somebody if we all have the urge to help them, out of innocence. The pictures are very important, because they have meaning and are very thoughtful. You can notice that the pictures all consist of the same colours. Brown, grey, black. All those gloomy colours, but the important things, the ones which the author or illustrator want to attract attention to are in bright, aesthetically pleasing colours. For example, the Swastika flags are bright red, the star of David is in bright yellow, and Rose Blanche is always wearing vibrant colours. And then at the end, the final picture when spring finally arrived colours popped out and had a happy mood.
The Crayon Box That Talked was a much lighter and happier, and I think I enjoyed it much more than Rose Blanche. Mostly because I do not like being sad, I think everyone would rather be happy. I think the rhyming made the whole entire thing that much better. The whole theme we would assume is all about racism and not have a presumptions about other people. All of the crayons disliked each other but no one knew why. They just did not. It is exactly like what we as humans tend to do. But then finally when they all work together to create the “big picture” they were all needed and finally were in harmony. The pictures were great, childish and funny but still meaningful. Everything that was in that book had a purpose. The dictation was simple just like Rose Blanche’s but this one was more blunt and less ambiguous. What they thought was displayed straight-forward, and so was the message.
Meagan's words really highlight the class’ sentiments about Rose Blanche. She writes, "The message I took from this novel was that this young girl, Rose Blanche, died because she was ignorant/innocent,...I think this is really important because people always say “ignorance is bliss” but in this case ignorance caused Rose’s death. I think this story really highlighted how unknowledgeable the world was on the subject, at that time, and that people were being killed for no reason, Jewish or not”.
Chiara makes interesting comments about the illustrations of this children's book, " When I looked at the images of this book I noticed that many of the colours were really dark and faded while Rose Blanche stood out with her vivid red bow in her hair and bright pink skirt." She also comments on the contrasting colours in the conclusion, "In the end when she returns to the camp her colours seem duller maybe because she actually seems to understand what is taking place; these events taking place around her make her mature faster". This is similar to Sarah's comment, "As the book progresses, she is seen getting duller, as if perhaps the reality of the war around her has made her realize what a place the world was". Many students commented on final illustration in the book. Kyle writes, "the final picture when spring finally arrived colours popped out and had a happy mood". Samantha also writes, "the final image of fresh flowers growing in the field were all illustrated in vibrant colours...The little girl and the final image of spring are symbols of hope and innocence".
I truly enjoyed all your comments about themes and illustrations in Rose Blanche. Thank- you.
Meagan and others comment on the power of the printed text, "The printed text was extremely powerful and one specific quote stood out to me ' Some of them had a star pinned on their shirts. It was bright yellow'. This one line astonished me because all the vocabulary in the story had somewhat of a dull or miserable definition: noisy, old, broken, gray, frozen, cold and pale.” Veronica also writes, “the text that stayed in my mind was that the story began with “winter beginning” and ended with “spring sang”. Great commentary and analysis everyone!
What really impressed me was the fact that most of the class drew similarities between The Boy in the Striped Pygamas and Rose Blanche. David’s comparison illustrates the sentiment of most of our class, "Both Bruno and Rose were very kind and accepting. Bruno kept a lonely boy company and Rose helped to feed a group of hungry people. They were both kids that didn't know any better and they helped people in need. Unfortunately, their death is the result of their naivety. And finally Martha writes, "In many ways, this book was strikingly similar to "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas", in that they were both about naive, young children who did not understand why everything was going on around them and why the fences were there; they were just curious and yet, unintentionally, they did what some grown men and women cannot do—be at peace with and understand other people.
We definitely have transformed our classroom and classroom blog into a BORDERLAND. Thanks everyone.
A terrific job offering your analysis and comments on The Crayon Box that Talked. This is one of my favorite children’s storybooks because of the clear message and the vibrant colors that mesmerize the reading/viewing audience. The message is simplistic; yet, many impressed me with comments by showing critical thinking skills. Veronica correctly links our digital web selection to this literary selection, “On the last page of the story, it says, “we are a box of crayons, each one of us unique. But when we get together, the picture is complete” This shows complete border crossing and removal of fences. There is no longer the hate between the different crayons because they have learned to understand that they need each and every one of each other. This reminded me of Chimamanda Adichie’s ending thought, “When we reject the single story, when we realize that there is never a single story about any place, we gain a sense of paradise” When they crayon box stopped fighting and realized that there was no need to hate orange or yellow or green, they gained a sense of paradise. It is a much easier and simpler world when we learn to accept one another and not judge based on solely the single story.” Bravo!
Mary-Anne discussed the symbol of the fence and links it with this children’s story book, “a quote that caught my attention was, "And no one likes orange, but no one knows why". I found that interesting. If we take into account that each crayon represented a race or any tangible difference of any sort, it is almost as if we dislike each other for no reason. There are stereotypes and hatred and malice for no reason. Nobody really knows or understands why we create stereotypes and fences against one another. Great link! Great thinking!
Meagan links this literary selection to stereotyping and bullying, “it conveys the same message we've been learning throughout this whole unit to eradicate the single stories and stereotypes in our heads about cultural races, genders and religions, and creating borderlands. This book displays crayons that act as people judging one another for our differences, and following and believing stereotypes like when it is mentioned "And no one here likes Orange, But no one knows just why", and "A box of crayons that don't get along".
I think that we have all understood the power of this children’s storybook. I’m happy that everyone is being to make links between the many different literary genres and many media sources that have help us create a borderland in our classroom.
The Crayon Box That Talked is a very inspiring story. The crayons in the box started off hating each other but they didn't know why. That is a lot like what happened during the Holocaust. Nazis exterminated Jews, but we don't know why they felt othe need to do that. One little girl took home the box and used it to color a picture. When the crayons looked at how well their colors blended, the no longer hated each other but realized "by themselves they are unique but when they're together the picture is complete." if people were to just realize that society is better with differences instead of all being the same, they will have their own mosaic that is beautiful.
In Rose Blanche, I found colour imagery in every page. Rose herself had some red tied in her hair, the same colour as the Nazis symbol. I found that it made the reader see her as a German, but not a nazi. She was also painted with very bright colors. At first I thought it was so she would stand out to the reader, but as the book continued I came to a very different conclusion. She would grow dimmer every time they would show her sneaking food to some of the imprisoned Jews. I believe it was because she realized that they were in a terrible situation and that made her more and more upset. In the end, rose Blanche dies of niavett, just like Bruno. It is evident that when there are problems, and you don't realize them, but you do something about it, it might have a tragic ending after all.
Rose Blanche was a very eye opening book that used children’s literature to portray and represent a strong but brutal reality. The message I took from this novel was that this young girl, Rose Blanche, died because she was ignorant/innocent, not because she was Jewish, even though neither one is more acceptable. Since she was not aware of her surroundings and what was going on, she wandered into the woods, leading to her unfortunate death. I think this is really important because people always say “ignorance is bliss” but in this case ignorance caused Rose’s death. I think this story really highlighted how unknowledgeable the world was on the subject, at that time, and that people were being killed for no reason, Jewish or not. The printed text was extremely powerful and one specific quote stood out to me. “Some of them had a star pinned on their shirts. It was bright yellow.” This one line astonished me because all the vocabulary in the story had somewhat of a dull or miserable definition: noisy, old, broken, gray, frozen, cold and pale. But the one word that described something bright and colorful was something that was not bright and colorful and happy. It labeled a group of people and took who they were and turned it into something opposite, something that destroyed them, something horrible and disgusting. The illustrations really surprised me in the novel because they were some of the most detailed and intriguing pictures I have seen. The picture of when Rose Blanche is in the clearing where the camp used to be was the one that stood out. I found it very clever how the soldiers were drawn like shadows hiding in the darkness and although it pained me, I liked how Rose Blanche appeared duller and less cheerful/colorful than usual. It really proves the point that this subject of the Holocaust, really takes a toll on people when they learn what’s really going on.
ReplyDeleteThe Crayon Box That Talked was definitely one of my all time favourite books as a child so I really appreciated how such a short, simply, children’s novel could have such a deep meaning. The message I took from this story was that there is one race, like Mr. Racco has said, the human race and how despite our different “colors” and cultures and backgrounds and religions, we are all the same, we are all humans. It teaches us that despite the physical differences, we need to and we should want to all work together because it is when we come together that we are the best. “And no one here likes Orange But no one knows just why.” This one quote in my opinion says it all; it summarizes the Holocaust in 12 words. Many Germans did not hate the Jews in the beginning, in fact some grew to love them but during the Holocaust it was instilled in them to hate them and so without really knowing why they just began to hate them. This is really important because people hate just to hate, many times there is no justification for the hate and this is exactly like the Nazis. It is crucial that we all take a minute and realize that all this unwanted and unneeded hate can be erased and we can all be happier and better, as cliché as that may sound. I loved the illustrations in this novel because I really enjoyed how they were drawn like a picture from a child, simple and easy but beautiful. The last picture in the novel, where all the crayons are hugging and admiring the finished masterpiece they all contributed to, really stood out. As simple as it was, it reminded me that God has one plan, and no matter what we may think at first, we will one day realize everyone fits into his plan.
Rose Blanche was a very interesting story. It was in many ways, similar to The Boy In The Striped Pajamas. In both stories a child was too ignorant and naive to realise what was really going on around them. This is not necessarily a bad thing though. Both Bruno and Rose were very kind and accepting. Bruno kept a lonely boy company and Rose helped to feed a group of hungry people. They were both kids that didn't know any better and they helped people in need. Unfortunately, their death is the result of their naivety. Rose was in the forest when she was mistaken for an escaped prisoner so she was killed. One text part that I found extremely interesting was that the book starts with “winter was beginning” and the book ended with “spring sang”. This is interesting because Winter is when things die and everything becomes cold and generally unhappy. In the story, winter is when the Nazis invaded the town, and that is when people started being rounded up and started dying. Spring is when things come back to life and everything becomes green and it starts to get warm again. In the story, spring is when the town is liberated by the Soviets. Which is when everyone was safe again. Another thing that I found intriguing is when Rose’s mother tells her to stay out of the way of the soldiers and their trucks. “They won’t stop for you”. Even though Rose is a German and is not one of the people that Hitler is trying to exterminate, the soldiers will not give a second thought about running over anyone in their way. One thing I noticed in the pictures was that in the beginning, Rose’s clothes are bright colours and they stand out against the mechanical look of the city and the tanks and soldiers. Even the other adults in the town have brown, black and grey clothing. While Rose has a bright pink and purple dress. This shows that a child can stand out the most even though no one seems to notice them. A child can make a difference just like an adult can.
ReplyDeleteThe Crayon Box That Talked was a great example of a book written for both an old and young audience. Young kids can understand that working together is important and they would enjoy the colourful drawings. An older audience would see the whole message in the book. That we are all unique in the world, but in a good way. I liked the quote:
We are a box of crayons
Each one of us unique
But when we get together
The Picture Is Complete
This quote is a great way to describe humans. We are all different colours, we all have different ways of doing things. Therefore, we are all unique. We need to all work together to solve problems, and to build great things. If we were all the same, there would only be one job in the whole world and what good would that do? We need a large variety of jobs and hobbies to support us all. Also, even if we all are unique but none of us work together, again, nothing would get done. We need all different types to ‘complete the picture’ that is our world.
I thought that “The Crayon Box That Talked” was a great story with an important message. At first, the crayons did not get along and were constantly bickering and claiming that they disliked one another yet they had no idea why. A parallel can be drawn between this and many places in our world today where ethnic groups have been fighting for so long that nobody remembers the cause they are fighting for. However, the young girl sees the problems that the crayons are having and takes them home where she uses them together to create a picture and in doing so creates peace and equality between them. To me, the young girl represents the United Nations because she acts as a peacemaker and works to end the conflict. Finally, at the end of the story the crayons come together and make the declaration “We are a box of crayons, each one of us unique. But when we get together, the picture is complete.” In terms of visuals I found that the biggest feature was facial expression. At first the crayons had looks of contempt yet after working together they showed signs of joy. To me the message of the story is that every race on the Earth is unique and special. Each race has specific beliefs and talents and only when we combine and accept each of these races can the world reach its true potential.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I thought that “Rose Blanche” was similar to “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” in terms of the premise of the story. Both protagonists were naïve German children who chose to be kind and generous to Jewish people and both paid the ultimate price for their generosity. The difference between the two can be found in the illustrations of “Rose Blanche”. The author did an excellent job with the use of colour. When reading the book my group noticed that most of the scenery was composed of miserable and dreary colours like grey, green and black. The only use of vivid colour was in the drawings of Rose Blanche, the Nazi armbands and the Jewish Star of David. This was a brilliant idea because it caused the reader to focus in on what was central to the story; mainly the Nazi officers and the Jewish prisoners. Rose Blanche was the only person who crossed those boundaries and because of this was the only person who was coloured completely in the desolate landscape of wartime Germany. It was extremely interesting that only on the last page when the Holocaust ended did colour return to the entire world. I think the message of the story is that no matter the risks we should always help those in need. It is better to die being kind and generous to those who are helpless than live by ignoring the suffering of those around you.
After reading and analyzing both children’s books, I realized one important thing that Mr. Racco told us: just because it’s a picture book, does not mean it is read strictly by children. Both books portrayed strong messages, that even teens such as me, would find evident in everyday life. For example, The Crayon Box That Talked taught us that despite our differences, it pays off to overlook them and work together to create a beautiful picture. Certain colours must work together to make other things possible; for example if red and yellow hated each other, there would be no orange. At first I looked at this book literally and thought: there are people of different races and skin colours that must learn to live in harmony. But then I realized that skin colour is not the only difference people seem to find in others; the different colours of the crayons can represent any difference among people! I especially enjoyed this book because of its simplicity and strong moral lesson. On the other hand, Rose Blanche was a more mature book with an obvious main message. Because I was already familiar with the textual story of this book, I found more interest in the illustrations. Something my group noticed was the use of colour. Upon first glance, the scenes all appear dull and dreary. But after we looked at it closer, we noticed there was some vivid colour included—Rose Blanche, the Star of David, the Swastika, and the final image of fresh flowers growing in the field were all illustrated in vibrant colours. What did these things have in common? They are all of great importance to the story. The Star of David and the Swastika both represent the differences among the people in the Holocaust. The little girl and the final image of spring are symbols of hope and innocence. With these few, subtle hints, the reader can infer ideas about the message and get a fuller understanding of the story. That’s what I find I really enjoy about children’s literature—the simple words and pictures have great power when it comes to portraying a moral lesson.
ReplyDeleteThe first book that my group read was Rose Blanche. The thing that stuck out the most to me about this book was the similarity between Rose and Bruno, from the Boy in the Striped Pajamas. They were both two children caught in the middle of the war, and were both naïve. Rose was a young girl who didn’t know what the tanks with the soldiers were doing in her town. Her own curiosity brought her to the concentration camps. Her kindness brought her back everyday to give food to the people. But unlike Bruno, she didn’t know about the Jewish people. She just saw them as hungry people on the other side of the fence. She noticed the star they wore, but didn’t think anything of it. She was ignorant, but still did what she thought was right. In the end, she died because she went back to the camp. This book gave me a lot to think about. One thing that I noticed was that the illustrations of her change as the story goes on. In the beginning, she was a bright spot on the dreary scene, but by the end the colours faded. It was like it the beginning she was happy, but by the end she became more aware of what was happening around her, and that caused her to be less happy or for her to lose her brightness.
ReplyDeleteThe Crayon Box that Talked was probably my favourite form of media that we did. The message was simple, but it could be used for the biggest situations. One line that stood out was “We are a box of crayons, each one of us unique. But when we get together, the picture is complete.” To me, this means that each person in the world is unique. There are different religions, cultures and customs for everyone. But together, everything makes the world we live in. Without one thing, like the German culture or the Jewish religion, the world wouldn’t be complete. People shouldn’t think they are better than the rest because without the others, the world wouldn’t be complete.
“Rose Blanche” by Roberto Innocenti is a very simple story, yet the illustrations proved to send out more of a message than the actual text. In a way, the text left the reader to infer what was happening, however the pictures helped reveal the meaning. The colour used to portray the story further enhanced the world of this little girl, overtaken by soldiers and sadness; browns, dark reds and khakis were used to give an undertone of gloom. At first Rose Blanche seemed like the only bright spot in the illustration, like the only happy thing, however gradually even Rose seems to fade into the background. The line in the story where it talks about the soldiers confusing everyone as the enemy because of the fog really shows the lack of a reason for the Holocaust seeing how anyone could be perceived as the enemy because the soldier’s sight was impaired. This demonstrates that everyone is the same under their skin, each with a heart, brain and other organs. I think that the main theme of this story is about helping others, even though it may lead to your own demise. What I found interesting was that Rose Blanche was actually a German resistance group that all were executed, just like Rose Blanche.
ReplyDelete“The Crayon Box that Talked” by Shane Derolf was a story that managed to convey its message straight to the point. The illustrations were very colourful and appealing to the young eye, and the text was short and sweet without getting anyone bored. The line that stood out to me the most was “No one likes orange, but no one knows why.” This relates to who stereotypes are preconceived notions that exist because of media influence, yet nobody really understands why they are there in the first place, just like the crayons. Finally, the picture that the little girl creating seemed like a white flag or a peace between the crayons, because they were finally able to see that all of them were needed to make the picture beautiful and complete.
The Crayon Box That Talked was a basic and simple story that brought a very clear message. The crayons in the box evidently dislike each other and had little reason but because they were of different appearance in color. They are later bought buy a young girl and she uses the crayons together to form one big picture. The crayons had to work together to complete the picture and not one crayon was excluded. Immediately I related the crayons to people and how they fight because of difference. At first they didn’t like each other but that was only because they didn’t know or understand each other. They all may appear different but in the end they’re all just crayons and thats all that it comes down too. There are hundreds of different cultures and races but we’re all human. It is when we educate each other about ourselves and show our colors to one another is when we can appreciate our differences and grow off of each other. In the end we are all part of God’s big picture and as the crayons we must bring this picture to life with our various colors or it will never be quite complete.
ReplyDeleteThe second children’s story, Rose Blanche was about a young German girl and how her generosity would cost her dearly. Throughout the story I noticed that the overall color grade of the illustrations were dark and gloomy, however there were three specific objects that would remain bright and would strike the reader as important. The star of David found on the clothing of the Jewish prisoners and the Swastika on the German soldiers stood out. The author used this sense of color to show the difference between the two cultures and make the reader aware that these were very symbolic and important. Also the third thing that stood out was Rose Blanche. Unlike most of the characters she is illuminating with blues and reds and whites. This was done perhaps to represent that she was naive or wasn’t on either side of the war. In my opinion, if she had felt she was on the side of the German’s or even the Jew’s she would be just as dull as the rest of the characters. By having the Swastika and the Star of David stand out this could represent as a label of who you are. By Rose Blanche being naive and oblivious she is independent and her own person therefore she remains in her true colors. It is a shame that her innocence brought her to death but the significance is this, she died not as a German nor Jew, but as a human.
Rose Blanche and the crayon box that talked both carried some very interesting themes, and displayed them very well with both visual cues and writing style.
ReplyDeleteThe themes of Rose Blanche revolved around the Second World War and the events of the holocaust, as seen from the perspective of a child (much like Striped Pyjamas). The style of the writer was very minimalistic, often only pointing out key plot points, leaving the rest for the observer to see in the pictures. And in that sense, Rose Blanche’s message really comes through in its imagery. The stark, bleak world in which Rose lives in is accentuated by the intense red of Nazi swastikas and the single bow atop the child’s head. The pro-Nazi mayor is a fat politician, and propaganda litters almost every shot of the German town.
While many other things have been said already, I would like to point out an interesting fact: near the end, Rose’s bright red bow is gone. In my opinion, this is meant to represent a separation from the ideals of the Nazi party, because she had begun to bring food to the people at the camp and now realised what was going on. An interesting visual hint that rose’s outlook has changed.
The crayon box that talked was a much simpler representation for ideas of equality and uniqueness.
Overly dramatic expression on the crayons are depicted, perhaps to highlight petty ideas of discrimination, and things such as new colours made when two colours got together were simple enough ideas with big implications on our ways of thinking. Writing was also similar in approach. One quote stood out for me, however. “we are a box of crayons, each one of us unique, but when we are together, the picture is complete”
So, both Rose Blanche and the crayon box that talked conveyed their meanings very well as children’s story books.
The Crayon Box that Talked was a simple book intended for a reading audience of young children. The drawings were filled with bright colours and vivid images that were already geared towards young kids. Although it was written for children, it demonstrated many themes that high school pace level students like ourselves, were able to analyse. In the beginning of the story, the crayons took a strong loathing of each other, but as the story progressed, the crayons began to get along, thus creating a beautiful piece of art. When we are forced to work with others that are different from us -like the crayons were when the girl brought them home- we must learn to accept our differences and love each other. The message of the children’s book is demonstrated in this quote taken straight from the book. “We are a box of crayons, each one of us is unique, but when we come together the picture is complete.” This meaning that although everyone on the planet is surely unique, if we all cooperate and work together, life is a lot easier. Unfortunately, some people don’t take into account this message and throughout history and even in present times, there are many wars taking place.
ReplyDeleteRose Blanche was a story I found very enlightening, however very similar to The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. Both stories had the same basic plot line and I therefore felt myself rereading John Boyne’s book. Although the two books are so similar, they show a great message that gives us another side to the German culture, the innocent naive children that are not informed of the war going on around them. Unfortunately, both stories end very tragically and it is sad to hear that lack of knowledge can kill you because Rose Blanche was only a child after all. The one thing I was most intrigued by in Rose Blanche was the illustrations. The drawings were vivid detailed pieces of art that looked like real photographs. The thing about them that interested me was that they were all grey and gloomy, giving the reader a sunken sad feeling- everything except Rose Blanche who was bright and colourful. As the book progressed her colour started to fade as if she was slowly dying.
I found the children’s media experience was very light and enjoyable and I look forward to doing some more soon.
In the children’s storybook that is not meant for children, "Rose Blanche", the printed text along with the illustrations carried a deep message. In many ways, this book was strikingly similar to "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas", in that they were both about naive, young children who did not understand why everything was going on around them and why the fences were there; they were just curious and yet, unintentionally, they did what some grown men and women cannot do—be at peace with and understand other people. In the written text, nothing was stated directly but the words were very suggestive of what was actually going on, and if you had any doubts, the pictures made the story crystal clear. Overall, the pictures were dark and greyish, except for the bright red of the Nazi Swastikas and Rose’s red bow, which really stood out. The last scene of the book was of the clearing where Rose was shot except now it was empty and springtime had brought colour and life back with it. I thought this was interesting because it made it seem like everything was okay now, which although the situation had gotten undoubtedly better, it is not to say that what happened was by any means right. Also, if you looked closely at the picture, you could see a dead flower caught on the fence—I think it was the flower Rose was holding, but I am not entirely sure, and regardless of if it was or wasn’t, it still represented the tragedy that took place and is a reminder that we can never forget.
ReplyDeleteIn the simpler yet equally as powerful children’s book, "The Crayon Box that Talked", the main message of the story was that we are all different, like different coloured crayons, but we must learn to work together and respect each other. The metaphor used by the author is rather simple—the different crayons in the box represent the different people in the world—however, it illustrates a remarkably important message that I think comes across very well through this comparison. In regards to the writing, I enjoyed the simple, rhyming words that were concise and to the point and allowed the drawings to take centre stage in the book. The thing I liked best about the drawings were the cute animated faces on the crayons and how they changed dramatically as the story progressed; I thought they really portrayed the message clearly. Finally, I think that there is one quote that really sums up the message of this story; it was used to end the book and now I will use it to end my comment (I know a lot of other people mentioned the exact same quote, which just goes to show how significant it was in the book and is in today’s world): “We are a box of crayons, each one of us unique. But when we get together, the picture is complete.”
‘Rose Blanche’, a simple yet so complex form of children’s literature written by Roberto Innocenti that —similar to ‘The Boy in the Striped Pajamas’—shows us the Holocaust through the eyes of a young German child. This story was written to show the reader that during this horrific period of time, most German people who were not directly involved with the war, had little to no clue of what was happening around them. This story also shows how there were German people who saw the suffering of the Jews and wanted to help. Rose Blanche, although a very young child was able to recognize the suffering of the children on the other side of the fence and found ways to help them as in offering food. This piece of literature brings up the theme of fences once again as discussed in the novel ‘The Boy in the Striped Pajamas’. This young innocent child recognized and realized that the barbed wire was a fence, a divider amongst people. She was also able to break the mental barrier when offering the slice of bread that she had. The illustrations of this novel display very powerful messages. One concept from the illustrations that stood out in my mind was the dark gloomy setting with the brightly coloured coat wearing little girl. This little girl is Rose Blanche. I believe Innocenti uses this colour contrast to display the innocence of not only Rose Blanche but of also all the children who were leaving in a war-torn area. Although the world around them was dark and gloomy, through their naivety they were able see some good and help where they saw the bad. It also seemed that as the novel went on, the scenes were getting darker and darker; this shows that times were getting worse and as one of the previously read diary entries was titled, ‘The end of the world will soon be here’. One of the main concepts from the text that stayed in my mind was that the story began with “winter beginning” and ended with “spring sang”; this seemed to confuse me because it seems as though this horrible event occurred for a short period of time, when in truth it was much longer.
ReplyDelete“The Crayon Box That Talked”, by Shane De Rolf is another very simple story that has a much deeper message. Out of all the toys to choose from in a toy store, this little girl chose the box of crayons. This little girl similar to the other children we read about (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas & Rose Blanche) saw the problem with the crayons and realized she needed to help. Both Bruno and Rose Blanche realized that the children on the other side of the fence were suffering and he needed to help them. When the little girl first opened the crayon box, one of the first things they said was, “no one here likes orange, but no one knows just why”. This statement made me instantly think of what Bruno’s sister’s response to him was when he asked why the people in the striped pajamas were on the other side of the fence. She did not know why. An illustration that I clearly remembered was the one that went along with the text about the orange crayon. This was an image of all the different crayons with angry faces, mad at each other, BUT WHY. Nobody does know why. On the last page of the story, it says, “we are a box of crayons, each one of us unique. But when we get together, the picture is complete” This shows complete border crossing and removal of fences. There is no longer the hate between the different crayons because they have learned to understand that they need each and every one of each other. This reminded me of Chimamanda Adichie’s ending thought, “When we reject the single story, when we realize that there is never a single story about any place, we gain a sense of paradise” When they crayon box stopped fighting and realized that there was no need to hate orange or yellow or green, they gained a sense of paradise. It is a much easier and simpler world when we learn to accept one another and not judge based on solely the single story.
After reading both of these short stories, one thought that came to mind was when we read the interview with John Boyne, he said that he did not want his novel to labeled as a children’s or adult’s read, it was just a novel. I realized that I these stories were to have been labeled as something specific, would we still pick them up and read them. Would we still have the opportunity to develop thoughts and ideas from them? What would have happened if there were a label?
ReplyDeleteWhen you read children's stories, the last thing you would think of is being able to read such deep messages written within the author's words. After reading both "The Crayon Box That Talked" and "Rose Blanche" I was proven to be extremely wrong.
ReplyDeleteIn "The Crayon Box That Talked" we are introduced to a box of crayons who start off not getting along at all. By a lot of the illustrations, you can see that they are all either angry or upset. A quote that struck me was "Everyone hates orange, but no one knows why." It was almost funny in a sick way because isn't that what was happening during the holocaust? Most Germans hated the Jews, but did any of them really know why? Sure, Hitler hated them so they were only trying to be like their leader, but could they justify their own specific reason for their hatred towards the Jews? I don't think so. A lot of the time we do things because someone who we look up to does it. It reminds me of something my parents used to say to me when I would tell them about what one of my friends did; "If ... were to go jump off a cliff, would you do the same thing?" It's like a game of monkey see, monkey do, or follow the leader. I think if the Germans were to speak for themselves and become their own leader instead of being a follower, there wouldn't have been half as many Nazi soldiers as there had been.
Next, in "Rose Blanche" we are introduced to this young girl who is probably just as naive as Bruno was in "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas." In fact, Rose shares a bunch of similarities with Bruno and his story. One day, after witnessing the German soldiers taking away Jewish families from her neighborhood, Rose followed the truck into the forest and found what she didn't know was a concentration camp. She noticed a bunch of boys and girls there and the first thing she did, out of the goodness of her heart was give them a piece of bread. She did not know these people from Adam, but she was able to share what she had with them. She has shown that it doesn't matter to her whether these people are Jews, Germans, black, brown, white, had four fingers, three eyes, or lost limbs. She took to the kindness of her heart and shared with them because they needed help, so she helped them. Unfortunately, as the war ends, Rose is killed in the very spot she would give these people food. But, we can learn a lot from this story. Who would've known that a story intended towards a child would have a message and a moral geared towards adults and teenagers as well?
While reading Rose Blanche, I looked more at the pictures in the book than the words. I believe that a picture can tell a thousand words, and I found this to be true in the book. When we are first shown Rose Blanche, she is bright in contrast to the world around her. I think this symbolizes innocence and purity. Her mind is not tarnished by the true reality of what is happening around her, and everything to her is well. Therefore, she is happy. Before she encounters the barbed wire fence, with the image of her in the woods, her clothes are bright in contrast to the wood and trees around her. As the book progresses, she is seen getting duller, as if perhaps the reality of the war around her has made her realize what a place the world was. The scene where she stands holding the flower in the cloud of dust is a significant one, to me. She seems to be hunched over, as if the war has beaten her spirit. She seems dull and colourless. In the next scene, you see a bright red flower where Rose Blanche once stood, the same colour as her bow. I see this as a sign of rebirth, where memories are not forgotten.
ReplyDeleteThe language used in the book is rather simple. It is spoken through the eyes of a child, who has not yet been exposed to the cruelties of the world. The tone then switches to an outsider looking in. I think it is also a child speaking, because it is still rather simple. I think the girl doesn’t understand why the children are behind the fence, and her innocence, her want to help, is what kills her. Human kindness was her downfall.
The crayon box that talked was another book that we read and analyzed. In this book there was a line that was used when describing the crayons “And no one here likes Orange but no one knows just why.” I think this shows the ignorance of humans, in general. If people have been fighting each other for years, they forget why they are fighting, but they continue the feud.
At the end, there is another quote that says “We are a box of crayons, each one of us unique, but when we get together, the picture is complete.” This to me symbolizes that yes, we are all different, but that is what makes us fit together. Being different makes the world a colorful place, and when people are trying to fit others into one specific group, the result will be a broken mess. To be complete, we need variety. One sole race isn’t what will make the world complete, but they are a piece of the picture. We need all the pieces for the complete picture.
Both of these books "The Crayon Box That Talked" and "Rose Blanche" are both very simplistic children books that allow us to see the powerful message it conveys in it's subtle words.
ReplyDeleteWhen reading "Rose Blanche" by Roberto Innocenti I really was able to appreciate all the illustrations it gives, and the way and words the author used to depict the story through Rose Blanche's eyes. When reading, I and almost the rest of the group reading with me linked Bruno from The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas to Rose Blanche because they are both two young innocent children that suffer the consequences of the war, even both being of German descent. Not only were these two children from Germany, and unfortunately passed away due to the brutalities of war they were able to show hope and humanity through this really dark and depressing time. When I looked at the images of this book I noticed that many of the colours were really dark and faded while Rose Blanche stood out with her vivid red bow in her hair and bright pink skirt, I think this was done purposely due to represent her "naiveness" (I know it's not really a word) or really the essence of being a child, they are almost always curious, happy, and oblivious to the world outdoors. She sees things that she doesn't understand and curiosity takes her over she "wanted to know where the little boy went" and she eventually sees where but doesn't comprehend why they are there or what they are faced with, only that they are hungry and she gives them food, and that they wear bright yellow stars on their shirts. Her innocence has made her such a giving, and loving person showing like Mr. Racco said the only symbol of humanity, unaware of her consequences. In the end when she returns to the camp her colours seem duller maybe because she actually seems to understand what is taking place these events taking place around her make her mature faster. She unfortunately doesn't see the spring come again and though the simple-minded way of narrating doesn't state that she dies we understand, and colour is restored in the location of the camp as flowers bloom. I realize that Rose Blanche is "colour "as well, she almost captivates the springtime in my opinion, she symbolizes life and hope by her actions. Her name "White Rose" in translation captivates this essence of her and as it was explained in class Rose Blanche was a group or campaign against the Nazi political beliefs and the reason the author gave this character that name and she is a bit of a "rebel" to the Nazi beliefs. This book was filled with such simplicity yet power. "The Crayon Box That Talked " is a slightly more children appropriate book that conveys the same message we've been learning throughout this whole unit to eradicate the single stories and stereotypes in our heads about cultural races, genders and religions , and creating borderlands. This book displays crayons that act as people judging one another for our differences, and following and believing stereotypes like when it is mentioned "And no one here likes Orange, But no one knows just why", and "A box of crayons that don't get along". Me and Megan Zanette were saying in class how the girl is almost like a figure of God she brings the crayons together colours a picture with each one of them and they start to appreciate their differences and see how they complete the picture."We are a box of crayons, each one of us unique but together the picture is complete.", we see the beautiful picture and I picture the paper as the world and all the crayons or humans coming together. These are two very beautiful pieces of literature.
I never knew that a short story with bright images and simplistic words could have such a powerful message. The Crayon Box that Talked is a perfect example of how children' literature can help shape our perspective of “fitting in.” We observe the crayons – all different colours, all different personalities, all different physical differences, but all crayons. At the beginning, the crayons argue, disliking one another because they are not the same. But when the little girl needed to colour a picture, she gathered all of the crayons together, and united, they completed a beautiful picture. The picture could not be complete if even one of the crayons was missing – they were all a part of the finished product. New colours were formed when bonds were successful, and eventually, the crayons grew to appreciate and respect the colours that were not their own. The crayons were all unique, and together in a crayon box, they respected and learned from each other. They shouldn't of judged one another by their colour before they knew who they truly were. They needed to set aside their differences to exist in harmony.
ReplyDeleteRose Blanche is a very interesting story about a German girl who lived through the Nazi regime. She realizes that her town is changing, but doesn't understand why this is happening. It is an extremely gloomy story of war and death, portrayed through the most innocent kind of eyes – a child's. Rose only knew a limited amount of detail about the war, and this is very relate able, since we do not exactly know the events of the Holocaust as well. Her innocence and naivete is so like Bruno's, since they are both children, unaware of their surroundings, and just wanting to lend a helping hand to their fellow race of humanity. As for the pictures, I noticed that whenever the scene was gloomy and upsetting, the colours were dull, and when the scene, or even certain characteristics, were healthy and uplifting, the colours were bright and lively. This is very intriguing, since the illustrator went out of their way to make this applicable to the story. It really emphasizes the importance of good will.
Today we read two picture books. Surprisingly, even though I expected picture books to just be intended for children, the message behind those two should be reminded often to people of all ages.
ReplyDeleteThe first book I read was "The Crayon Box that Talked". The pictures were very simple; the colours are solid and are very bright. I noticed that the expressions of the crayons were much exaggerated. The message was plain and clear though: everyone is unique and has a role in this world. While we were reading, a quote that caught my attention was, "And no one likes orange, but no one knows why". I found that interesting. If we take into account that each crayon represented a race or any tangible difference of any sort, it is almost as if we dislike each other for no reason. There are stereotypes and hatred and malice for no reason. Nobody really knows or understands why we create stereotypes and fences against one another.
The second book that we read, Rose Blanche, was more serious and you could tell that if you asked a child to pick between the two books they would choose the first one. The colours of the pages were not bright; they were all bland and dull. The girl however wore bright clothing, such as pink, red, and a dark blue. When looking at the pages, your eyes drifted towards her direction immediately. However, as the pages go on, Rose Blanche's clothing becomes less bright. She's wearing white and is no longer wearing a bow (cannot afford many luxuries). To me, it almost seems as if she is slowly losing her shield of ignorance and so her clothing becomes less bright. Another thing that has bright colours was the symbols of differences. The Swastika and the Star of David. By doing this, the artist shows right away the difference of the two people.
What I found that was most peculiar was that in the first few pages, everyone was smiling. The faces that you can see were all cheerful in some sort. BUT if you look closely, in the corner, soldiers are escorting people. Those people have their backs facing you. You do not know their expression. This may be a way to portray how Rose Blanche did not know that the people were suffering and that this was an event to be celebrated. To people who have a little bit of knowledge and understanding of what happened, we know that they are the Jewish people who were taken away to camps.
The scenes that take place are very much like the ones that are in "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas". Both children are somewhat ignorant but help others regardless. The ending is not a happy one. The message somehow seems as if "ignorance is bliss" but it can also be a weakness. Or maybe even "curiosity killed the cat", because if she was not curious as to where they were taking the boy, she would not be caught up in that situation.
A quote that stood out to me was, “But my mother wants me to be careful crossing the street between all the trucks. She says soldiers won’t slow down." This seems as if the soldiers will stamp out anybody who stood in their way, and it was true. They will not stop for anybody and are very ruthless.
The wording of this story is very simple; there are no extra big adjectives or bountiful vocabulary. A child could probably read it. But, you must have at least a bit of knowledge to understand what is going on in the story. An example to this is that the book does not mention that Rose Blanche has been shot, or killed. It just states that there was a shot and she never returned home. This shows that it still has some kind of protection to the children reading this book.
Rose Blanche as I saw it was much more of a serious and had a gray feeling to it. It was a very sad topic and had a bitter feeling to it. The theme was again showing that it is out of human nature to help each other. We do not hate and kill each other out of the right mind, it is a corrupt way of thinking. This is displayed through Bruno and through Rose Blanche. How even if we do not know somebody if we all have the urge to help them, out of innocence. The pictures are very important, because they have meaning and are very thoughtful. You can notice that the pictures all consist of the same colours. Brown, grey, black. All those gloomy colours, but the important things, the ones which the author or illustrator want to attract attention to are in bright, aesthetically pleasing colours. For example, the Swastika flags are bright red, the star of David is in bright yellow, and Rose Blanche is always wearing vibrant colours. And then at the end, the final picture when spring finally arrived colours popped out and had a happy mood.
ReplyDeleteThe Crayon Box That Talked was a much lighter and happier, and I think I enjoyed it much more than Rose Blanche. Mostly because I do not like being sad, I think everyone would rather be happy. I think the rhyming made the whole entire thing that much better. The whole theme we would assume is all about racism and not have a presumptions about other people. All of the crayons disliked each other but no one knew why. They just did not. It is exactly like what we as humans tend to do. But then finally when they all work together to create the “big picture” they were all needed and finally were in harmony. The pictures were great, childish and funny but still meaningful. Everything that was in that book had a purpose. The dictation was simple just like Rose Blanche’s but this one was more blunt and less ambiguous. What they thought was displayed straight-forward, and so was the message.
Meagan's words really highlight the class’ sentiments about Rose Blanche. She writes, "The message I took from this novel was that this young girl, Rose Blanche, died because she was ignorant/innocent,...I think this is really important because people always say “ignorance is bliss” but in this case ignorance caused Rose’s death. I think this story really highlighted how unknowledgeable the world was on the subject, at that time, and that people were being killed for no reason, Jewish or not”.
ReplyDeleteChiara makes interesting comments about the illustrations of this children's book, " When I looked at the images of this book I noticed that many of the colours were really dark and faded while Rose Blanche stood out with her vivid red bow in her hair and bright pink skirt." She also comments on the contrasting colours in the conclusion, "In the end when she returns to the camp her colours seem duller maybe because she actually seems to understand what is taking place; these events taking place around her make her mature faster". This is similar to Sarah's comment, "As the book progresses, she is seen getting duller, as if perhaps the reality of the war around her has made her realize what a place the world was". Many students commented on final illustration in the book. Kyle writes, "the final picture when spring finally arrived colours popped out and had a happy mood". Samantha also writes, "the final image of fresh flowers growing in the field were all illustrated in vibrant colours...The little girl and the final image of spring are symbols of hope and innocence".
I truly enjoyed all your comments about themes and illustrations in Rose Blanche. Thank- you.
Meagan and others comment on the power of the printed text, "The printed text was extremely powerful and one specific quote stood out to me ' Some of them had a star pinned on their shirts. It was bright yellow'. This one line astonished me because all the vocabulary in the story had somewhat of a dull or miserable definition: noisy, old, broken, gray, frozen, cold and pale.” Veronica also writes, “the text that stayed in my mind was that the story began with “winter beginning” and ended with “spring sang”. Great commentary and analysis everyone!
What really impressed me was the fact that most of the class drew similarities between The Boy in the Striped Pygamas and Rose Blanche. David’s comparison illustrates the sentiment of most of our class, "Both Bruno and Rose were very kind and accepting. Bruno kept a lonely boy company and Rose helped to feed a group of hungry people. They were both kids that didn't know any better and they helped people in need. Unfortunately, their death is the result of their naivety. And finally Martha writes, "In many ways, this book was strikingly similar to "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas", in that they were both about naive, young children who did not understand why everything was going on around them and why the fences were there; they were just curious and yet, unintentionally, they did what some grown men and women cannot do—be at peace with and understand other people.
We definitely have transformed our classroom and classroom blog into a BORDERLAND. Thanks everyone.
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ReplyDeleteA terrific job offering your analysis and comments on The Crayon Box that Talked. This is one of my favorite children’s storybooks because of the clear message and the vibrant colors that mesmerize the reading/viewing audience. The message is simplistic; yet, many impressed me with comments by showing critical thinking skills. Veronica correctly links our digital web selection to this literary selection, “On the last page of the story, it says, “we are a box of crayons, each one of us unique. But when we get together, the picture is complete” This shows complete border crossing and removal of fences. There is no longer the hate between the different crayons because they have learned to understand that they need each and every one of each other. This reminded me of Chimamanda Adichie’s ending thought, “When we reject the single story, when we realize that there is never a single story about any place, we gain a sense of paradise” When they crayon box stopped fighting and realized that there was no need to hate orange or yellow or green, they gained a sense of paradise. It is a much easier and simpler world when we learn to accept one another and not judge based on solely the single story.” Bravo!
ReplyDeleteMary-Anne discussed the symbol of the fence and links it with this children’s story book, “a quote that caught my attention was, "And no one likes orange, but no one knows why". I found that interesting. If we take into account that each crayon represented a race or any tangible difference of any sort, it is almost as if we dislike each other for no reason. There are stereotypes and hatred and malice for no reason. Nobody really knows or understands why we create stereotypes and fences against one another. Great link! Great thinking!
Meagan links this literary selection to stereotyping and bullying, “it conveys the same message we've been learning throughout this whole unit to eradicate the single stories and stereotypes in our heads about cultural races, genders and religions, and creating borderlands. This book displays crayons that act as people judging one another for our differences, and following and believing stereotypes like when it is mentioned "And no one here likes Orange, But no one knows just why", and "A box of crayons that don't get along".
I think that we have all understood the power of this children’s storybook. I’m happy that everyone is being to make links between the many different literary genres and many media sources that have help us create a borderland in our classroom.
Thanks again everyone.
The Crayon Box That Talked is a very inspiring story. The crayons in the box started off hating each other but they didn't know why. That is a lot like what happened during the Holocaust. Nazis exterminated Jews, but we don't know why they felt othe need to do that. One little girl took home the box and used it to color a picture. When the crayons looked at how well their colors blended, the no longer hated each other but realized "by themselves they are unique but when they're together the picture is complete." if people were to just realize that society is better with differences instead of all being the same, they will have their own mosaic that is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteIn Rose Blanche, I found colour imagery in every page. Rose herself had some red tied in her hair, the same colour as the Nazis symbol. I found that it made the reader see her as a German, but not a nazi. She was also painted with very bright colors. At first I thought it was so she would stand out to the reader, but as the book continued I came to a very different conclusion. She would grow dimmer every time they would show her sneaking food to some of the imprisoned Jews. I believe it was because she realized that they were in a terrible situation and that made her more and more upset. In the end, rose Blanche dies of niavett, just like Bruno. It is evident that when there are problems, and you don't realize them, but you do something about it, it might have a tragic ending after all.