Probuditi! by Chris Van Allsburg

Everyone loves a story depicting the triumph of the underdog and that is exactly what is delivered to readers in Probuditi! by Chris Van Allsburg.  The main character, Calvin, takes every opportunity to trick his little sister, Tanya, until she is presented with an opportunity for revenge which she effectively takes full advantage of.  A majority of the solid plot and realistic character development is revealed through the dialog.  The ending is wrapped up in a traditional Van Allsburg understated way that leaves readers with an “ah ha” and a smile. 

            The careful artistry of the illustrations in Probuditi assist in the development of setting and characterization in the story.  Van Allsburg has proven once again his ability to realistically master the clothing and environments of the characters in the time periods for which he writes.  In this story, his illustrations are often close-ups of the action from different view points, including slanted, below, above, and right in the thick of things.  It’s almost as if the reader is capturing this story with a camera or video recorder as it unfolds.  Amazing!
            For teachers, many journaling prompts could be taken from this story: Write about a time you tricked a family member, describe how it feels to be tricked,  describe a magic show or magic trick you have watched, and write about what you would directed someone to do if you could hypnotize them.  Hypnotism is something that many children may not be familiar with and this story could lead to a teachable moment on this topic.  This book might also be a good choice for acting out because of its humorous nature.  Another activity for this book, and a change of pace in the classroom, is a lesson about magic tricks leading to the class putting on a magic show. 
Year Published: 2006         Awards: