Little Sap and Monsieur Rodin [Hardcover]

Felicia Hoshino (Illustrator) Michelle Lord (Author) (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5–This fictionalized tale is based on actual events that occurred in the early 1900s, when five- and six-year-old Cambodian girls were trained at the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh in the art of their countrys traditional dance. Lord describes how Little Sap, a girl from a family of poor rice farmers, wins a place in the royal dance troupe. After briefly detailing the childs years of training, the story focuses on a trip to France, where the troupe performs before an audience that includes Auguste Rodin. Enchanted with the gracefulness of the young dancers, the artist arranges to spend two days drawing Sap and two other girls. An authors note explains that the real sketches, with color washes added, were exhibited in 1907 under the title Danseuse Cambodgienne. Hoshinos matte acrylic paintings with pen-and-ink outlining and some paper collage contain elements of both impressionist and folk-art styles. They feature eye-pleasing shades of peach, burnt orange, soft yellow, aquamarine, and green. Images of lovely wide-eyed girls, sampan boats, and the cobblestoned courtyard of a French villa draw readers into Little Saps world and expose a moment of creative inspiration. An inviting glimpse at Cambodian dance and a sweet tidbit of art history.–Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 2-4. A debut for both author and illustrator, this picture book was inspired by a documented encounter between nineteenth-century-artist Auguste Rodin and touring Cambodian dancers. Though Little Sap feels "like a magpie in a pen of peacocks," she earns a spot in the king's royal troupe--and, later, impresses Rodin, who sees her in France, requests that she pose for him, and sends her off with thoughtful gifts. In many ways this is an odd children's story. The dynamic between artist and model often carries uncomfortable undertones of exploitation, especially in an era when Europeans' fascination with foreign peoples was not uniformly respectful. Lord's sunny telling and avuncular portrayal of Rodin may not be enough to fully settle adult readers' queasiness, but children will simply appreciate the ugly duckling premise and Hoshino's mixed-media paintings, which showcase the beauty of traditional Cambodian movement. Readers seeking to unequivocally separate fact from fiction will need to delve beyond Lord's brief historical context to the sources noted on the copyright page. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Lee & Low Books; 1 edition (April 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584302488
• ISBN-13: 978-1584302483
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 9.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,070,324 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Shall we dance?, March 14, 2006

By 

E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Little Sap and Monsieur Rodin (Hardcover)

They say not to judge a book by its cover. Obviously this rule is true some of the time. Some of the time, however, the cover is EXACTLY what you need to see in order to judge a book correctly. How many times have you seen a cheaply produced cover on a children's picture book also to find the story inside laughably simplistic? More than once, I'd wager. By and large, however, I do not seek out books based on what their covers look like. Then I took a gander at "Little Sap and Monsieur Rodin" and my little heart went pitter-pat. Oh how pretty. We've all seen those picture books that show a small child getting to know some great artistic figure. There was "Beethoven Lives Upstairs", and "Degas and the Little Dancer" (which bears no small resemblance to this book), and the truly disturbing "Picasso and the Girl With the Ponytail". What drew me to "Little Sap" however was partly its content. I don't know how many Cambodian picture books you can recite off the top of your head, but my count is pretty low. Add to that the fact that the book talks about Rodin (oddly ignored by picture books, by and large) and you've got yourself the makings of something particularly good.

The royal dance troupe of Cambodia is recruiting new members from a number of girls around the country. Little Sap is from a small village, but despite her dirty nails and awkward balance the child wins a place on the court's troupe. That means unceasing practice and training. Over the years she gains confidence and poise and is allowed to go to France with the troupe to perform abroad. While there they attract the attention of the great artist Auguste Rodin. Drawn to the dancers (no pun intended), Rodin spends much of his time in the villa where they stay, sketching their moves. Little Sap in particular gets his attention and by the end of their stay in France he purchases a pair of fancy French shoes and gives her a sketch of herself. The back of the book includes an Author's Note that describes the facts behind the story and what is and isn't true.

Rendered in ink, watercolor, acrylic, and paper collage the illustrations done by first-time picture book artist Felicia Hoshino are quite pleasant. Hoshino's girls wear silk sampot, or pantaloons, which let the girls look as if they're wearing slightly baggy pants all the time. This accurate detail has a dual purpose. On the one hand it means that the book is historically and culturally appropriate. On the other, it means that the girls in this book look particularly familiar to today's jean-shod young lasses. The style Hoshino uses here tends towards odd proportions in characters. Feet tend to be particularly small and heads particularly large. Just the same, this technique never strikes the reader as out of place. It's simply a different style.

Lord is careful to note at the back of her book that Little Sap's story is, for the most part, made up. There are elements to it, however, that were true. One thing I noticed in a photograph displayed of Rodin watching a dancer was that the performer is wearing a costume far more elaborate than any pictured in the book. During the professional dance of Robam Makaw the costumes are made evident, but we never get a scene similar to the one in the photo. One has to wonder why this is. Why, for example, did artist Felicia Hoshino choose to include plenty of scenes where the girls dance for Rodin, but not one where they are dressed up? Still, there was much to enjoy in this book. I was particularly pleased that Lord thought to include some of the hand motions mastered for the purpose of the dance. And though there isn't an official Bibliography at the back, a quick gander at the publication page shows the books, videos, and websites that Lord and Hoshino owe their aid to.

There are plenty of child-influences-great-artist type books out there, but by and large they are of white children with white artists. You'll still have the white artist in this book, but at least there's a bit of multiculturalism going on as well. You may be able to find Cambodian folktales in your local library, but not many will be stories based on real life occurrences involving the Khmer empire. A lovely little book and a nice story to boot.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of a Kind!, February 25, 2006

By 

MEG (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Sap and Monsieur Rodin (Hardcover)

I found this book delightful and culturally significant, as it's the first children's book I've seen to weave its story around Cambodian culture. A wonderful message of hope and commitment, I plan to donate copies of this book to our local libraries. It's the sweet story of a girl from a poor rice farming family who steps out of her little world to become a court dancer at the Royal Palace in Cambodia. With rigorous training and the special opportunity to perform with her troupe in Paris, she ultimately sees herself transformed from a simple country girl to a graceful dancer through the drawings of the famous French artist Monsieur Rodin. The book's illustrations beautifully bring the book to life. Enjoy!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful childrens book that tugs at the heartstrings, June 12, 2006

By 

M/M (Nevada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Sap and Monsieur Rodin (Hardcover)

A truly delightful childrens book about a young cambodian girl who leaves her family and her village to become a dancer for the princess's royal dance troupe so that her family can have a better life. Along the way, she learns hard work and self worth. I found this to be an inspiring and touching story with a unique cultural angle not normally seen in childrens books.

The bright and colorful drawings bring the story to life.

I highly recommend this book! An exceptional book from a first time author that I hope publishes many more in the years to come.