In the previous blog post, I discussed the time frame and the possibilities we have. This blog post is about another decision we have to make: the Narrator and accordingly the Point Of View (POV). Previously, I have published two blog posts about Point Of View (POV) in picture […]
POV in picture book biography Read More »
In the first blog post of this series, I looked at the definition of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and its five components according to CASEL 5. So far, two components are discussed: Self-awareness link Self-management link Social awareness link This blog post is about the fourth basic element in SEL: relationship skills. What are
SEL; Relationship skills in pictue books Read More »
In the first blog post of this series, I looked at the definition of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and its five components according to CASEL 5. So far, two components are discussed: Self-awareness link Self-management link This blog post is about the third basic element in SEL: social awareness. What
SEL; Social awareness in pictue books Read More »
In the previous blog post, I looked at the definition of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and its five components according to CASEL 5. This blog post is about the first components: self-awareness and some examples of picture books that are published in this category. What is Self-awareness? According to
SEL; Self-awareness in pictue books Read More »
In the first blog post of this series, I looked at the definition of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and its five components according to CASEL 5. The second post was about self-awareness and this blog post is about the second basic element in SEL: Self-management. What is Self-management? According
SEL; Self-management in pictue books Read More »
Once upon a time, stories were meant to teach children to stay away from wolfs, to come back home before the sunset, to warn them of the jungles, etc. Nowadays, living isolated from nature, children face different problems. Besides, our understanding of the importance of mental health
Social & Emotional Learning (SEL) in picture books Read More »
Introduction: Why an inanimate Narrator? In writing picture books, we often use personification. Personification is when we use a human attribute(s) or a feeling(s) to describe an object. For example, the leaves dance, the wind whispers, etc. Personification differs from an inanimate narrator. By choosing an inanimate narrator, we
Inanimate Narrator in picture books Read More »
You may have seen some agents, publishers, and people in the movie industry seek high-concept manuscripts/playwrights. For a simple reason, high-concept is a mega-seller. A wide range of audiences love these films/books. Why do they sell so well? Why are they exceptional? What are they, anyway?! Answering these questions is as hard as writing a high-concept
High-concept picture books Read More »
A concept book, as the name indicates, introduces a basic idea or concept to the readers. The Alphabet, shapes, colors, telling time, and counting are the classical subjects of the concept books for pre-kindergarten children. However, that is not all. Concept books are a way to introduce children to complicated topics. Some authors tend to
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You have built your character and selected your Narrator. The Narrative Structure is done; meaning you know what is going to happen in the Beginning, in the Middle, and in the End of the story. Now, it is time to write (or revise) the story. How are
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I will write here later
I read this book merely because of its title. My reasoning was that when an author is so careful with the title, the story will most likely be good. And it was not good, but brilliant.
Seven resin collectors
The story happens in a small, impoverished fictional village called Dukuh Paruk in the middle of Java Island. The main character, the 14-year-old Rasus, is in love with an 11-year-old girl, Srintil, whose grandfather believes she has a talent for Ronggeng—the Javanese dance. Moreover, in Rasus’s imagination, the girl is a replacement for Rasus’s mother, whom he had lost in childhood. A Ronggeng dancer isn’t a simple entertainer. The dancer is considered a sacred vessel for the village’s ancestral spirit and is expected to be available to the men of the village! I am not sure if it is comparable to the “sacred prostitute” in the temples that we read in the ancient Sumerian stories.
I read the first book in the trilogy in German—Die Tänzerin von Dukuh Paruk. Sadly, the other two volumes aren’t available to buy. In English, the trilogy is published in one volume with the title “The Dancer”.
The central conflict of the story is that Rasus has to emotionally put up with the tradition that everyone in his village believes in or benefits from. Rasus grows out of this calamity; he criticizes his village and its culture. In a nutshell, the story is the classic archetype: a boy becomes a man.
Tohari’s writing voice brings this archetype to life, especially his descriptions of nature and animals, which immerse me in the atmosphere of a Javanese village. The main theme of the story is the battle between tradition and humanity. In spite of the dire atmosphere in the story, it is very optimistic. Poverty and tradition cannot kill the humanity in Rasus.