The lure of reading someone else's diary ...
Oh yes, there is that forbidden cookie of reading your sibling's diary, isn't there? I mean, there could be anything written there ... and hopefully, there is! And, what have they written about me???!!! (They better have written SOMETHING about me!)
Kidlit NF experts Doreen Cronin and Harry Bliss have a killer series of creative nonfiction picture books that master the diary technique: Diary of a Spider, Diary of a Fly, and Diary of a Worm.
Of course, spiders, flies, and worms don't generally keep a scrapbook or write in journals, so these works are fiction, but because they are also informative, they are often considered as creative nonfiction for children.
Each of these diaries are photo journal-meets-scrapbook. At the end of them, the reader feels a member of the family, having met in various ways, parents, grandparents, siblings, and best friends. And, not only learns a bit about spider, fly or worm life, but also gains a bit of empathy, too. The world looks different to different creatures. Not bad for a short romp of a book!
Each book opens into a spread of family photos and momentums 'taped' and 'pasted' onto the page ... the reader is immersed in the world of the spider, or fly, or worm, depending on the title. For example, here is is the first spread of the spider's diary:
We immediately begin to experience life from the perspective of the spider. We learn that what's important to him is maybe what's important to us, too. Maybe we share his love the the book, Charlotte's Web! We also learn that he has a family, too. But, being a spider means he has a different perspective on things, too. Such as sculptures. Although I'm sure there have been toilets installed as pieces of art at one time or another!
Although these books do not claim to be science lore, they do slide in some learning, too. For example, we learn that spiders molt. Facts are presented in a fun way, in keeping with the framework of a diary:
The three friends--spider, worm, fly--appear through all three of the titles. In fact, they often socialize together and attempt to share dinner, which of course, does make for funny, not fact! By the way, in the picture directly above, notice the paperclip on the soil? What a perfect way to remind us of the scale of their world compared to a familiar small object.
Humor is the name of the game here. Everything is presented 'straight' but is funny to kids, as they experience similarities with everyday life in the world of the spider, including forgetting things, getting something wrong at school, feeling embarrassed ... in other words, life. There is something reassuring at seeing someone else experience those uncomfortable moments, too!
There's always tomorrow to try again!
Another life skill topic discussed by Worm in his diary is self-image. Yes, I do not tell a lie. In carefully done entries, Worm has a some reflective moments where he is not sure he is quite happy about being a worm. For one, he has no legs. So, in practical, kid fashion, Worm makes a pros and cons list, he has fun with Spider, and he chats with his mom. No sugar-coated resolution here, just a quiet comfortable acceptance of life in the earth. (Notice what I did there 'in' not 'on' the earth!)
In Diary of a Fly, Fly has a slightly different perspective on things. In his science assignment, to observe with all five senses, he observes a 'creepy' first grader and concludes that they are disgusting, although they don't taste too bad.
Worm is definitely more the contemplative of the three. Of course, friends do have their differences. Especially if they are different species. In Diary of a Fly, the three friends are at Spider's place and Fly learns the real meaning of the food chain from Worm. It's all about perspective, isn't it? What a great lesson for kids (and us all) to learn!
I so enjoyed this fun, thoughtful, and lovely (illustrations are LUSH) visit through the Diary series. They are the quintessential 'diary format' for a creative nonfiction that walks the nonfiction/fiction line.
I was quite disappointed the series hasn't, to my knowledge, expanded. I would have loved to have seen what this duo would have done with a pond-dwelling creature like a tadpole!
Maybe they will see this and reconsider ...
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