Thank You Mr Falkers Analysis

Picture books are an ideal format to introduce students to the wonderful world of reading. One of today’s masters of picture books is Patricia Polacco, a prolific author whose words and pictures have inspired and delighted countless children. In fact, many of her books are autobiographical in nature, thereby allowing her to share her own stories and experiences with her readers. Two such titles are Thank You, Mr. Falker, in which she pays homage to the special teacher who helped her learn to read, and Something about Hensley’s, a tribute to the magical general store and its equally marvelous shopkeeper in her hometown. Heartwarming narratives and charming artwork are characteristic of all of Polacco’s books, and these two are no exception.

This is one area in which great contrast can be observed between the books. In Something about Hensley’s, the tone is happy, warm, inviting, and even magical. Hensley’s general store is depicted as a wonderland in which no problem is unsolvable and every need is fulfilled. It is a place of joy and fellowship, and its elderly owner, John Soncrant, is always ready with a smile and a comforting word. This effect is achieved through the use of bright colors and vivid contrasts as well as the characters’ facial expressions, which are usually radiant and jubilant. However, the characters do express visible concern, as when Mary becomes unable to breathe (2006). Generally the opposite effect is employed in Thank You, Mr. Falker, which portrays young Trisha’s struggles with reading and feelings of dumbness and isolation through her facial expressions and the use of dark colors. However, Falker is not without its warmth, however, as evidenced by the opening scene with Trisha and her grandfather (1998). There is a real sense in which the reader can “read” the feelings of characters or the mood of the situation without even looking at the text. However, the text serves a very important purpose in spelling out the full reality indicated by the illustrations, as is described in the next