[Monday Reading] Voyages to the Fringes of Fantasy: “The Legend of the Golden Snail” and “Quest”

Myra here.

It’s Monday, What are You Reading is a meme hosted by Jen from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers (brainchild of Sheila at BookJourney). Since two of our friends, Linda from Teacher Dance and Tara from A Teaching Life have been joining this meme for quite awhile now, we thought of joining this warm and inviting community.

Last Week’s Review and Miscellany Posts

We’re also inviting everyone to join our Check Off your Reading List Challenge 2014.

Sign up here to join us! Here is the October-December linky.  We are also very excited to share that Pansing Books will be giving away copies of Cherub Dark Sun by Robert Muchamore to two lucky CORL participants from October-December.

Carrie Gelson of There is a Book for That is also hosting #mustreadin2014.

I originally meant to do a 3-in-1 Graeme Base Special last week, but when I read these two books, I thought that they would fit much better together.

The Legend Of The Golden Snail

Written and Illustrated by: Graeme Base
Published by: Abrams Book for Young Readers, 2010
Borrowed from the Jurong West Public Library. Book photos taken by me.

Wilbur’s favourite bedtime story book is The Legend of the Golden Snail that tells about a fabulous Snailing Ship that is somewhat like the Arabian Nights’ red carpet – able to take any voyager to any place in the world – even to fantastical and mystical places. However, a Grand Enchanter banished the Golden Snail to the ends of the earth so that no one could sail in it anymore when he grew tired of it and grew too old to be traveling the seas. Wilbur felt that he could rescue the Golden Snail so that he could go on a quest around the world.

As you can see above, Wilbur’s favourite bedtime story along with the top-secret incantation to control the Snailing Ship can be found in this book as well. When Wilbur decided to travel to the ends of the earth, his mum made sure that he brought a hat with him to keep the sun off his face, of course.

As Wilbur travels to the ends of the earth, he encountered quite a number of difficulties along the slithering sea, the dreadful doldrums, the maze of madness, and not to mention the Earwig Pirates he met along the way.

In this story, Wilbur discovers the time-honoured lesson of any life-traveler – it is the journey and the many creatures you meet along the way that matter more than the actual destination. Whether he found the Snailing Ship, I shall leave for you to discover.

Quest

Written and Illustrated by: Aaron Becker
Published by: Candlewick Press, 2014
Borrowed from the Jurong West Public Library. Book photos taken by me.

I did not realize that Becker was planning a trilogy revolving around his celebrated picturebook Journey. In the vein of Harold and the Purple Crayon, this second book follows the adventure of two children as they save an orange-robed king, meticulously follow a detailed map of sorts, and figure out through intuition and their highly-imaginative minds exactly what is needed in order for them to release the rainbow in the skies.

There is much to savor here – and there are tiny details that the reader can immerse herself in: visual codes and clues and narrative told through exquisite artwork.

Teachers would go crazy discussing visual literacy, inferences, problem-solving through art, and establishing causal relationships as explored in images. A thoroughly enjoyable book one can get lost in.

Currently Reading…

We arrived in San Diego Monday last week from Washington DC. I managed to finish One Came Home by Amy Timberlake before we left DC. I immediately started reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn while I was on the plane traveling, as I was supposed to do a virtual book discussion with my friends over Thanksgiving week (which sadly did not pan out).

But at least, I got to finish the book in two days since there was no wifi connection when we arrived in San Diego. See what loss of internet access can do!

Now I am deep into Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, a book that was loaned to me by a very good friend who speaks very highly about this novel.

Reading Challenge Update: 284-285 (25)