Trinka Hakes Noble

Poor in material things, but rich in artistic talent and family love, young Delly Porter didn't mind going to school barefoot. After all, she enjoyed the feeling of the dirt under her feet, from the sandy spots, to the silky smooth ones. But when her beloved teacher, Miss Violet, informed the class that they would be holding a Shoebox Social - in which each pupil would decorate a shoebox, and then they would be auctioned off - to raise money for art supplies, and Delly saw the most beautiful show more pair of orange shoes in the window of Sussman's Department Store, she was filled with longing. Her father, scraping by with two new truck tires, instead of four, fulfilled her fondest dreams, and Delly, ecstatic at finally having something beautiful to wear, brought her new orange shoes to school. Her dismay, when her cruel schoolmates, angry that a "dirt poor" girl like Delly should have something so lovely, trample her beautiful shoes, is indescribable. Has this precious gift been ruined by their spitefulness...?

A poignant tale of a poor farm girl with a rich inner vision, and warm family life, The Orange Shoes addresses some important issues - poverty, classism (Delly is targeted, not for being poor, but for getting "above" herself), bullying, art as a means of coping with negative emotions, and family love - in a gentle and non-preachy way. Trinka Hakes Noble's story could so easily have descended into treacly sentimentality, but she resists the impulse to transform her heroine into a paragon (Delly waving her foot in the face of Prudy Winfield, the bully ringleader, was just priceless!), keeping her a believable, and very winsome little girl instead. Delly's father emerges as a very appealing character as well: strong, loving and supportive. Doris Ettlinger's wonderful illustrations capture the emotional depth of each scene - I particularly liked the scene in which Prudy Winfield is leaning over to whisper malicious comments in Delly's ear - and are the perfect complement to the narrative. Highly recommended to anyone looking for children's stories dealing with poverty, bullying, and the role of art in a child's life. show less

Author Trinka Hakes Noble and illustrator Gerald Kelley retell the legend of the Jersey Devil, a mysterious and threatening creature said to haunt the Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey in this atmospheric picture-book. Believed to have been the thirteenth child of one Mother Leeds, who, not wanting another baby, declared, "Let it be a devil!," the creature had a horse-like head, a wyvern-like dragon body, hoofed feet and a tail. Immediately a sensation in the area, the Devil attracted show more preachers who railed against it, and animal hunters from New York and Philadelphia, intent on capturing it. All were driven off by the creature, who had made the swampy Pine Barrens his home, and who reappeared from time to time, to remind the world of his presence...

One of the great cryptids of North American folklore - akin to the Hodag of Wisconsin, the Lake Erie Monster, and others - the Jersey Devil dates back to the early 18th century, and has been seen many times over the years. In January of 1909, there were apparently multiple sightings, and the sensationalist news coverage of these events led to the closure of schools, and organized hunts being undertaken for the creature. The New Jersey Devils - the state's current professional hockey team - are named after the famous cryptid. Although long familiar with the existence of this creature, The Legend of the Jersey Devil is the first book I have read about it. I'm glad it was my introduction, as I found Noble's narrative engrossing, and the accompanying artwork from Kelley deliciously spooky. This is one I would recommend, both to young folklore enthusiasts, and to picture-book readers looking for spooky, atmospheric stories. show less

Katrina, her younger sister Josie, and her mother and father all love the apple tree that stands near their home in this lovely Christmas picture-book, set on a Michigan farm in the 1880s. Josie enjoys the swing attached to the tree, Katrina loves the spot in its branches where she likes to sit and draw, and they all appreciate the fruit it produces. When a terrible blizzard destroys the tree, Katrina is distraught, and cannot understand her father's seeming indifference, as he chops up her show more arboreal friend for firewood. On Christmas Day however, she discovers that her father understands her loss more than she realized, when Josie's swing is brought inside for her to enjoy, and she herself is given a drawing board made from the tree's wood...

Originally published in 1984, and then reprinted in this edition from 2005, Apple Tree Christmas is a beautiful work of picture-book historical fiction, one that is apparently inspired by author/illustrator Trinka Hakes Noble's own childhood on a southern Michigan farm. The story itself is engaging, sensitively highlighting its main character's attachment to the eponymous apple tree, as well as the loving bonds between the members of her family, while the accompanying artwork has a rustic charm that captures the wintry beauty around them. I thought it was very interesting that Katrina and her family are living in the barn, until her father can finish their farmhouse, and suspect that this detail would have charmed me quite a bit, if I had read this first as a girl. I thank my friend Kathryn for recommending this, as I found it quite enjoyable, and I would in turn recommend it to picture-book readers looking for charming Christmas tales, particularly ones with a historical setting. show less

Loretta Stanowski, known as Rettie in her neighborhood, lived in the tenements of New York City's Lower East Side in 1918. With her father away fighting in World War I, and her mother sick with consumption, it fell to nine-year-old Rettie to take care of the home, and of her three younger siblings. Determined to make ends meet, Rettie looked forward to the annual Thanksgiving Day "Ragamuffin Parade," in which the poor children of the city were allowed to march the streets, asking for pennies show more and other treats. This year, however, the terrible influenza outbreak threatened to put a stop to the parade. What would Rettie do, if she couldn't get those all-important pennies...?

Having just recently reread Sydney Taylor's marvelous All-of-a-Kind Family series, set partially on the Lower East Side during this time period, I picked up Rettie and the Ragamuffin Parade: A Thanksgiving Story with anticipation. There is a stray reference, in one of the Taylor books, to street children demanding pennies on Thanksgiving, which now makes much greater sense to me. I had never heard of the Ragamuffin Parade before picking up this book, but I am glad to have had the gap in my education rectified. An engaging work of historical fiction, the story here is part of the Tales of Young Americans Series put out by Sleeping Bear Press, which presents the fictional stories of American youths in various historical periods. I've read a one other - Noble's own The Scarlet Stockings Spy, set during the American Revolution - and enjoyed that as well. I'll have to try to track down others. The engaging narrative here is paired with appealing artwork from illustrator David C. Gardner, and a brief afterword gives more information, including the fact that the Ragamuffin Parade may have been an influence on the founding of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. All in all, an educational and entertaining title, one I would recommend to young historical fiction fans, and anyone interested in children's stories set on the Lower East Side during the 1910s. show less