Week 3 Traditional Literature / Poetry

 

Grimm, J. et al. The Juniper Tree and Other Tales From                    Grimm. Translated by Lore Segal and Randall Jarrell.                    Illustrated by Maurice Sendak. New York: Farrar, Straus              And Giroux, 2003.  352 pages. Tr $28.00 ISBN 978-                      0374339715.

I could not retrieve this edition of The Juniper Tree and Other Tales from Grimm, in all of its entirety through my library.  It was finally found in Amazon with a reading sample of two of the 27 stories the authors' and illustrator painstakingly and accurately translated from German to English (Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, 1973), from its 1943 edition. The Juniper Tree context was omitted from the Amazon sample, but retrievable from my library.  

The purpose of this collection was to translate the text and illustrations from the original 1943 edition from the copyrighted 1973 edition. Text, pictures, selection and arrangement translations were carefully copyrighted into this 2003 edition. The authority of this edition is made well known by the author's and illustrator, as sole translators of the original work by the Grimm's. The text is preserved, the illustrations transcended without any cuts, retelling, or bowdlerizing (back flap of book, 2003). The narrative style allows your brain to imagine that a 19th Century old author (the Grimm Brothers) is standing in front of you and telling you these stories in person, in English, however, not German.  The selected audience as stated by Amazon is for 7-12yo children, however, Juniper Tree, The Three Feathers, and Hans My Hedgehog, presents as young adult to adult audiences with longer sentences and gruesome, bloody, detailed events of cannibalism, murder, or hatred of family members and treating family badly.  This edition has 27 tales translated from the 1973 copyrighted version from the original authors as exact and accurate as the original 1943 edition in its narrative format. The organization of the stories are to be read independently of each other.  The illustrations enhance the storytelling and are as obscure as the text of the stories. The  illustrations can be viewed over and over and new dimensions or lines to the artwork that was not noticed before, may be seen at a second viewing.  While it is apparent these fairytales are well-loved and do hold up over time, especially with a retelling of original versions, the latter hold a place in my heart, especially as a fractured fairy tales offering a more humorous mindset. 

  References:  https://www.amazon.com/Juniper-Tree-Other-Tales-Grimm/dp/0374339716?asin=0374339716&revisionId=&format=4&depth=1 

Dembicki, M. Edited by Matt Dembicki,                                       Introduction by Joseph Bruchac. Trickster:                           Native American Tales, A Graphic Novel. Fulcrum             Publishing, May 2021. 248 pages. Tr $29.95 ISBN               9781682752739.

Trickster: Native American Tales, A Graphic Novel edited by Matt Dembicki is a mix of Native American folklore and the world of comics (back cover, 2016).  The purpose of Trickster, is to present life lessons to learn from or simply to remember the beastly tales, using different forms of wild animals or humans ranging from coyote, rabbit, raccoon, to raven or crawfish and other creatures.  Joseph Bruchac, stated the purpose of native tales is to entertain and to teach (introduction, p. 5).  This edition is a collection of combining 24 Native storytellers and 24 accomplished artists telling 22 folklore tales written by authentic Native American storytellers in a sequential format.  The authority of each folklore tale is told within in its own story.  The narrative feels as if you might be sitting around a campfire having a native storyteller telling tales in North American tongue and traditions.  This edition is intended for 12 years old and up and the storytellers keep your attention to every detail and wondering how the tale will end, even as an adult, interests may be intrigued and certainly remembered by the tales end or what is being taught in the lesson.  The organization of the tales can be read independently with each having its own specific memorable meaning or lesson.  Illustrations are telling the tale just as much as the text is telling the tale.  The colors, background use of black & white, sepia, or color adds to the wonder of each story, making dramatic or climactic moments stand out to be remembered.

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