TRADITIONAL LITERATURE - EASY WORK! AN OLD TALE

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kimmel, Eric A. 1998. EASY WORK! AN OLD TALE. Ill by Andrew Glass. New York, NY: Holiday House, INC. ISBN 0823413497

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Sometimes the grass isn’t greener on the other side! That is what Mr. McTeague finds out, anyway. Mr. McTeague thought his wife had an easier time staying at home while he was off working in the fields. They arrange to switch places for the day, and things quickly turn quite chaotic for him as he finds himself in one disaster after another that led to their cabin being burned down. Needless to say, they rebuilt their cabin and both returned to their usual set of chores.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Eric Kimmel puts a humorous twist on the age old tale of the wife has an easier job than I do. Andrew Glass illustrates the story beautifully with a comical flair to match step for step with each impeding disaster that Mr. McTeague encounters. His illustrations are comical in nature, with sketch like characteristics. Bright pale colors (blues, greens, yellows, and purples) are illustrated throughout the text to easily tell the story. Glass captures the culture by showing the cabin built into the hill, and being grown over with grass. Mr. and Mrs. McTeague give the reader an inside look into the language and culture by using original sayings such as, "Easy work, eh?" and "Golly neds!"

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
BOOKLIST: “Kimmel pours a classic Norwegian folktale into an American pot, and Glass brings it to a rolling boil with dappled scenes of domestic chaos.”

CONNECTIONS
*This book could open up story telling time that could be enhanced with felt boards and story recreations. It also allows the children to learn about different cultures.

*Other Folklore books for children:
Asbjornsen, P.C. and Moe, J.E. THE MAN WHO KEPT HOUSE. ISBN 0689505604
Kimmel, Eric. BOOTS AND HIS BROTHERS. ISBN 0823408868
Ziefert, Harriet. THE THREE BILLY GOATS GRUFF. ISBN 0688132596