 "Wonderful Resource and Discussion on Fantasy Literature" | 2008-05-05 |
| - Reviewed By killingfrost |
"It is true that fairy tales have an effect, but it is a healthy, nurturing, cathartic effect, not a fault. Using archetypes and symbolic language, they externalize for the listener conflicts and situations that cannot be spoken of or explained or as yet analyzed. They give substance to dreams." (p 44)
In a time in which fantasy tales are often under challenge, Yolen makes a strong case for their importance in Touch Magic. She believes that, more than magic and mythical creatures, these stories are about acts of kindness or deceit, action and consequence, and the constant struggle to find a way to fit into the world you inhabit. As a result, "even very young children can absorb the meanings and wisdom of these symbolically expressed ancient tales and use them as tools for interpreting their own day-to-day experiences" (p 17.)
With Part One: The Tale and the Teller, Yolen takes the reader back to the root of fantasy, to the oral tales that have molded nearly every piece of fantasy that has followed, and how each changed as they were written down, taking on the morals and ideologies of the cultures and times during which they were recorded. From Cinderella to Red Riding Hood, she skillfully discusses fairy tale variants, maintaining that the original story, which often refused to shy away from pain and violence, is a more honest reflection of humanity than the versions that children are presented with today. She states: "They are the most potent kind of magic, these tales, for they catch a glimpse of the soul beneath the skin" (p 50.)
While this section is incredibly informative and thoughtful, Yolen dismisses some of the more modern adaptations of fairy tales, mostly those put forth by Walt Disney. The frequency with which she relies on pointing out the problems with his version of these stories comes across as a bit heavy-handed. And while she argues quite well as to why children do not need a watered down version of these tales, surely Disney's adaptations have some importance in the landscape of fantasy, if only to use as a counterpoint for children to work out on their own.
From there, Yolen focuses on the quest aspect of fantasy stories, and how looking more closely at the metaphors inherent in each serves as a human touchstone. "[The] tensions of the stories carry us past the unbelievability of the magic into the credibility of miracles in our everyday lives" (p 61;) it's a potent thought, one that isn't often mentioned when someone hints at the need to censor these stories because they fear they will send children down the wrong path.
"Why do those of us who love stories with layers of meaning have to defend our interest, as if that very interest makes us less capable citizens, wimps, nerds, or in league with the very devil?" (p 120)
Touch Magic is a wonderful and thought-provoking look at a genre that is often derided; as a librarian, I cannot say how many times I've heard a young reader say that a parent does not want them reading another fantasy story, and after reading this book I feel better armed to defend the genre's place in their lives.
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| "In-Depth review (TWU assignment)" | 2008-05-02 |
| - Reviewed By bell654 |
Content Overview
In Touch Magic: Fantasy, Faerie and Folklore in the Literature of Childhood, Yolen has put together 16 essays that delve deep into the psychology, sociology and importance of relating fairy and folk tales to children. The first edition of the book came out in 1981 and contained 10 essays that were written for her Doctorate of Education (Yolen 2007). The six new essays were added for the current edition.
The expanded edition reviewed here is broken down into four parts. The first section is called The Tale and the Teller and each of the five essays within it deal with how stories, particularly myths, legends and folklore, affect a person and the larger culture. The first essay in this section, "How Basic Is Shazam?" contains many of the principles explored in the rest of the book. One of the premises is that the roots of folklore surface in modern-day stories, like the word "SHAZAM" showing up in comic books (it is an acronym for the heroes Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles and Mercury). In addition, Yolen introduces the functions of folklore: ancestral connection, metaphoric language, therapeutic properties for teller and listener, and construction of individual's belief system. The author states that to deny the rich heritage of fairy tales and folklore is to deny our humanity and to reinforce a "barren language" and "barren minds."
Essay two discusses the general history of the folktale before and after writing became widespread in the fifteenth century. Oral storytelling, with less influential variations, gave way to authority of the printed version. The book became the story and many times, attributed to the re-teller erroneously.
Essay three, "Once Upon a Time" tracks three popular fairy tales, Little Red Riding Hood, The Frog Prince and Cinderella and their metaphorical power in children's lives. Yolen also explains that, with Disney's version of Cinderella, "The acculturation of millions of boys and girls to this passive Cinderella robs the old tale of its invigorating magic. The story has been falsified and the true meaning lost- perhaps forever."
Yolen continues her exploration of the impact of stories on humans with essay four, "The Eye and the Ear." She maintains that different processes are used when a person hears a story as opposed to reading it on a page. In addition, she touches on how illustrations can shape a tale.
The last essay in the first section is entitled "Touch Magic" and discusses the universal archetypes that resonate in folktales. Part of the power of the stories is that they speak to inner realities of which the listener or reader may not be fully conscious. At the end of the essay Yolen advises us to "Touch magic, [and] pass it on."
The second section of the book is playfully called Taradiddles, which means an elaborate lie, and the three essays contained within have to do with the truths expressed, paradoxically, through made up worlds. Here, Yolen switches from talking mainly about fairy tales to fantasies and the magical elements of stories.
The title of essay six, "The Mask on the Lapel," refers to the 18th century custom in Venice by which a person's identity could be in disguise by the presence of a small mask on the wearer's lapel. Although viewers could ascertain the person's identity, since their face wasn't concealed, all onlookers suspended their disbelief so that in an alternate identity he or she could explore the world. Similarly, although readers know fantasy stories to be elaborate "lies" because they break with known reality, the same stories are able to authentically capture aspects of the human condition. Yolen says that fantasy stories are not Life Actual, but Life in Truth.
A crucial element, according to Yolen, that must be present in fantasy stories in order to speak to human truths, is that the protagonist must face tough choices. She explores this element in essay seven, "Tough Magic." Characters must sacrifice, must know their actions have deep consequences, in order for the full power of the story to materialize, and for the greatest impact on the reader.
The last essay in Part II, "Here There Be Dragons," deals with the logic that must be present in fantasy. Although seemingly a paradox, Yolen maintains that the laws created in a fantastic world must be strictly followed, and that there must be a logical progression of events and detailed facts in order for the truths to emerge from the tale.
The two essays in Part III, which is entitled Wild Child, Feral Child, are discussions of the phenomenon of human language. In the first of the two essays in this section, "The Gift of Tongues," Yolen argues that language sets us apart from other animals and that children who are deprived of language in their early years have exceedingly limited, if any, verbal skills. Although stories about children being raised by animals are beloved, including for example, Romulus, Mowgli and Tarzan, in actuality children must hear human language. The tradition of oral language must take place for children.
This language, when encouraged and nurtured, will sprout from children's tongues in the form of questions and wonderment. If their minds are not nurtured, and the ancestral heritage not passed down in the form of stories to answer their questions, then children are little more than "An Inlet for Apple Pie," as this essay is entitled.
Part IV, Touchstones, is comprised of the six new essays Yolen included for the second edition of Touch Magic. The tone of this section is more humorous, perhaps because they are not pieces of a dissertation. Though willing to poke fun at herself, Yolen continues to delve into stories with a laser-like precision.
In "Story in 10 Fits," a product of "literitis," essay eleven lists ten things a story is not: "story is not a moral," "story is not a display of wit," and "story is not a lie," are just three examples. In her explanations of each thing a story is not, Yolen touches on aspects present in other essays, such as the need for metaphor and the power a story can have on lives.
After having told us what a story is not, Yolen gives readers her top five examples of great fantasy stories in this essay, "Touchstones." They are: Peter Rabbit, The Golden Key, The Jungle Books, The Thirteen Clocks, and Charlotte's Web.
In her thirteenth essay, "Fabling to the Near Night," Yolen names some worst examples of popular children's fantasies and literary tales, including Mary Poppins, and Water Babies: A Fairy Tale for a Land Baby. Although the reasons for including them in this list vary, such as the presence of racism and cultural close-mindedness, Yolen does not promote censorship. Instead, she advocates a critical reading of all tales, so that the consequences of children reading prejudiced or stereotypical works is used to an advantage.
Yolen departs from her earlier sentiments about the infallible goodness of fairy tales on children in essay fourteen, "Killing the Other." She examines three in which the morality is not inherent, "Puss n' Boots," "Rumplestiltskin," and "Rapunzel." To combat the possible negative effects of these stories, she advocates reading all stories "below the surface."
In "An Experiential Act," special importance is given to science fiction/fantasy books that use time travel to explore history, especially when the protagonist asks contemporary questions of the historical characters. In this way, children can connect to the past.
The last essay of the book, "Throwing Shadows," once again emphasizes the importance of metaphor and symbolic language in our lives, so that we can learn from characters who may not be exactly like us. Yolen ends the book with a theme started at the beginning: let humanity be comforted and connected by tales.
Analysis
The strengths of this book are many. The depths to which Yolen probes folklore for answers to humanity's questions gives the genre, which may be cast off by some as fluffy and unimportant or violent and damaging, validation of the complexity and deepness of folktales as a resource for children. The sociological, psychological, emotional, intellectual, historical, and personal impacts fairy tales and fantasy stories may have on children is thoroughly examined.
Though few, there are some weaknesses in this volume. First, some of Yolen's essays are predicated on versions of fairy tales the reader may not be familiar with. While this reviewer is familiar with a Rapunzel story, the one Yolen uses in "Killing the Other" is different; and some of the impact was lost.
One other omission is the lack of analysis of non-European folktales. While she does mention different staple folk characters from around the world, such as "Africa's Trickster Hare," the analyses are on Western-world tales. To remedy this, perhaps Yolen would be willing to write a companion volume analyzing tales from other parts of the world. Her expertise in folklore would draw more attention to tales many may not be familiar with.
Yolen's Style
This book is quite dense. Yolen offers many theories and ways of looking at fairy tales and fantasy stories. Because of this, it may be best to read the volume in several sittings.
Her authoritative voice crosses over into self-importance at times. Given that Yolen believes fairy and fantasy tales are crucial to humanity, and that she herself writes them, one may see aspects of this book as "tooting her own horn." Still, her ideas are useful, and this book is indispensable for anyone wanting to learn about folktales as a whole.
It must be mentioned that Yolen got many of her ideas from other authors and lists them at the end in the "Books for Further Reading" section. Under each essay title sources are listed. There are no in-text references so it is difficult to determine which are Yolen's ideas, unless the reader is familiar with every book listed in the "Further Reading" section.
For Librarians
Touch Magic is not a manual for strategies about sharing fairy and fantasy stories. It does not introduce activities, or give book lists or lesson plans. Rather, this slight volume is all about theory, and may serve to strengthen the librarian's purpose for sharing folklore in the library. The librarian may be more willing to use fairy tales in story times, reader's advisory or programs, especially in light of Yolen's observation that today's children are not being exposed to enough folklore.
Collection development may be impacted also, since librarians may pay more attention to acquiring folk and fantasy tales after reading Touch Magic. This book itself would be an excellent reference tool when a librarian deals with Requests for Reconsideration of Materials, especially when the parent or school board feels the presence of violence in the tales is unnecessary. Because of Yolen's authority on the subjects of fairy tales and fantasy stories, this book can act as a reaffirmation of the genres, even if they contain some violent content.
With all of the emerging material and formats librarians must be familiar with, Touch Magic returns one to the basics: folktales, our need for heroes, and the importance of having a collective bank of stories from which to draw.
Works Cited
Yolen, Jane. Touch Magic Description. http://janeyolen.com/blurbs/touchm.html. Accessed April 14, 2008.
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 "Touch Magic: Fantasy, Faerie & Folklore" | 2005-08-15 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1ABHPBBN147UN |
| Thank you for sending the books out so quickly in great condition. |
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| "Helpful Perspective on Folk and Legendary Tales for Children" | 2001-01-29 |
| - Reviewed By happypatriotsandredsoxfan |
| This book will touch on deep and meaningful experiences that you have had while reading as a child and reading to children. By reading those perspectives organized into a series of short essays, you will better be able to read and enjoy the classic tales and bring the most meaning to them for yourself and others. Although I spend a great deal of time thinking about children's literature, this book greatly extended by ability to conceptualize the context for benefiting from these stories. Ms. Yolen begins strongly by pointing out many of the most important distinctions between oral and written literature. Most of our classic children's stories began in the former, and have been migrating into the latter. The story teller plays a great role in the oral tradition, by adjusting the way the story is told to fit the audience. As parents, I think we all do this instinctively with young children, but gradually abdicate that role as the children learn to read silently to themselves. As story tellers, we can help point out the interesting and challenging parts of the stories. In so doing, we increase the likelihood that the child will learn more about what it means to be human. Many people are concerned because classic folk tales, like Little Red Riding Hood, have many layers of meaning and can be interpreted in some pretty fightening ways. Ms. Yolen cites research showing that children actually like the punishments to be extreme in such stories, as a reflection of their sense of justice. But when should we be able to treat the outsider harshly? Stories like Rumplestiltskin nicely raise that issue. Whenever I review children's books, I try to point out these opportunities for exploring moral issues. One of the strengths of the folk tales is that they are full of moral issues, and questions of choice. For example, even when you take on the powers of magic, there is often a price to be paid. At another level, these stories capture parts of ourselves. By focusing in an imaginary world, they allow us to concentrate on that little sliver of ourselves. For example, anyone reading Peter Pan will remember sometimes feeling like Wendy and wanting to grow up, and sometimes feeling like Peter Pan and never wanting to grow up. By being poised with a choice on that ambivalence, a person can make a more successful determination about growing up and in what ways. No child would sit still for such a discussion without Barrie's powerful story. I was also impressed by the argument that we have many concepts that adults do not usually discuss in public company, like death, good, evil, God, and love. The folk and fairy tales are full of such subjects, and the "disbelief" that we suspend helps make us comfortable with dealing in these semi-taboo subjects. One of the best arguments in the essays is that by going through Alice's Looking Glass these stories must be very true about human nature, or we will reject them. They will simply be too remote and disconnected otherwise. So the more absurd the setting, the higher the potential for touching the universal. Naturally, there are things that are regrettable in these stories . . . but there are things that are regrettable in life. Moral conversation and discussion will always benefit from an early beginning in life. How will your children find out what you believe, if you do not use stories of all sorts as one context for explaining your ideas and experiences? I also agree with the praise here for the time travel books that allow us to more realistically consider earlier times. Now that people study so much less history, there is an increasing tendency to assume the past was much like the present. That has never been less true than now, as our knowledge and technology advance so rapidly. Perhaps the most persuasive argument of all is that these stories give us common metaphors for communicating with one another. In the absence of the Cinderella story, how can children deal with their universal secret suspicion that they were really born to royalty . . . not their own parents . . . and are fated for a great destiny? Having read many versions of Cinderella, as well as having seen the Walt Disney movie, I as shocked when I realized how impoverished this story would be if you had only seen the Walt Disney version. Then, having been shocked, I also remembered thinking how weak I thought the Walt Disney version was the first time I saw it as a youngster. That took me back to an age of consciousness where I had not been for many years. I was grateful for the experience. After you finish reading this book and considering its many important messages, I suggest that you also read The Golden Bough, which looks at legends and folklore around the world over time. From that perspective, you will begin to appreciate how common our yearnings and intrepretations are of common life issues and circumstances. It makes me feel closer to every other person when that thought resonates throughout my body while reading that outstanding book, like the reverbrations from an enhanting chanson performed by a troubador's medieval song and lute. May you touch others, and yourself, better through the most universal human stories from the oral tradition! Also, read aloud daily to your children and grandchildren. If you cannot be with them, you can still do this by telephone. |
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| "Compelling insight into the need for story and fantasy" | 2000-10-05 |
| - Reviewed By rcalvettijr |
| Jane Yolen offers strong reasons for the absolute need children have for stories and fairy tales, in their glory as well as their gore. In brilliant, almost poetic prose, she lends perspective and personal insight into the food for our souls these stories provide. She shares a particularly powerful example from her own childhood, a book by E. Nesbit, THE POWER OF THE AMULET. As a Jewish child in New York City, reading this book in about 1946, she was completely drawn into the fantasy world created. Only as a young adult, upon re-reading years later, did she confront the anti-Semitic bias in the story. Her point is well-taken, that those themes that an adult considers "ugly," are not what a child who lives in fantasy will take from a story. Her other essays face head-on the objections that many have to the old tales, and she champions them in their original form. In the wake of the uproar created by the Harry Potter books, her essays are well worth considering. We are, as she says, in danger of denying our children their own humanity when we brush aside the many gems of folk and fairy lore. |
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| "An expanded edition of a great book" | 2000-07-20 |
| - Reviewed By surlalune |
| Yolen offers a strong collection of essays on children, stories, fantasy, and folklore in this new edition of Touch Magic. Yolen is one of the greatest forces in children's literature and folklore today. She explores the reasons why fantasy and folklore literature is important for children to read and hear. The power of story in individuals and in our cultures is emphasized in each essay. Yolen explains that stories link us to our past and future, helping all of us understand who we are and improve our interaction with the world. For anyone who wants to understand or explain why fantasy and folklore is important for children and adults, this book is a must read. |
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