Title: Peppe The Lamplighter
Author: Elisa Bartone
Illustrator: Ted LewinISBN: 0-688-15469-7
In 1994 Peppe the Lamplighter by Elisa Bartone received the Caldecott Honor. The Caldecott Honor is given to worthy runners-up for the Caldecott Medal. The Caldecott Medal is given to the artist who had created the most distinguished picture book of the year. Peppe the Lamplighter is a book about a young boy long ago who lived in Little Italy, his name was Peppe. Peppe was searching for a job to help support his family. Peppe asked many people to hire him to do anything, count cigars, clean glasses, sweep saw dust, but no one would hire him. Finally, Domenico, the lamplighter asked Peppe if he could light the lamps of the street while he returned to Italy. Peppe was so excited, but when he told his father about his new job, his father was ashamed and told Peppe he would belong to the streets. Peppe stays confident in his job for a few days but then one day, refuses to light the lamps because of his fathers disappointment in him. This is the day Peppe's youngest sister does not return home. With Assunta lost in the dark streets, Peppe must be proud of his job and light the lamps to find his sister.
The illustrations throughout the book are beautifully done. The colors are vivid and the faces of each character are done with great details. The time period is depicted through the illustrations, the crowded streets and candlelit homes. The illustrator was extremely talented.
The reason for choosing this Caldecott Honor book was because it has a great message to convey to children. It teaches children to be proud of who they are no matter what. It tells them that everyone is important for something and that everyone is appreciated whether they are reminded of that or not. I really enjoyed reading this book and hope to find many many more just like it. I enjoy introducing books with an uplifting message to my students, it helps to boost their self esteem and their understanding of self worth.
This book is also a great book to teach the elements of a story, it has many characters, a setting that is supported by the story line, plot, problem and solution and a great conclusion. Many different activities and comparisons can be made using this book.
I'm sorry this is so late, I've had problem after problem trying to post.
What a great book!! I was first introduced to this while observing a 2nd grade class a few semesters ago. The teacher had her students write about a time they didn't want to do something/go somewhere but was happy/sad when they did. It was interesting to see what the kids wrote, a lot about going to the doctor and they toy store.
ReplyDeleteI too like to introduce books that have an uplifting message. It's so important to address the whole child in your classroom and promote a positive self esteem. Nice pick! I look forward to reading your future posts!