Module 1/SLIS 5420: Introduction to Children's Literature

Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude

Written and Illustrated by Kevin O’Malley; also illustrated by Carol Heyer and Scott Goto




Bibliography

O'Malley, Kevin. Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude. Walker & Company, 2005. ISBN: 0802789471

Summary

The story of Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude is told from two viewpoints; a girl and a boy must cooperatively write a story for a library assignment at school. The girl writes about a princess who loves to play with her eight horses, while the boy wants to write about a motorcycle ‘dude’ who fights the evil giant who has stolen the princess’s horses. The story takes humorous turns as the two children argue over elements of the plot, and the story is resolved as the princess and the dude fight so much that they scare the giant away.

My Impressions

Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude is a very enjoyable book that highlights gender differences and shows children how different a story can become within different points of view. It is cleverly illustrated by more than one artist. The author illustrated the two children while a female artist illustrated the girl’s story and a male artist illustrated the boy’s additions. The artists each present the same material (such as the giant and his lair) in different artistic mediums so it is clear to the reader that the two children have unique viewpoints of the same story.

Reviews

A girl and a boy create a fairy tale in this lively picture book…. The fun in this picture book comes in the contrasting styles of the illustrations, which include contributions from Carol Heyer and Scott Goto. The girl's story features bright colors, flowers, and long golden locks, while the boy's story is done in the dark, taut-muscled style of comic books. Throughout, O'Malley depicts the girl and the boy reacting to the twists of the plot. A funny take on the age-old battle of the sexes, with an ending suited for the new millennium Todd Morning (Booklist, Mar. 15, 2005).

Young readers who have ever been forcibly yoked to a rival for some class project will glory in this contentious oral report. Unable to agree on a folktale to tell their classmates, a lad and lass decide to make it up as they go…. The unusual collaboration among illustrators works seamlessly, with O'Malley supplying the storytellers, and Heyer and Goto the characters on separate pages or spreads. This disarming, funny and not agenda-driven dig at the hot-button issue of gender differences is likely to excite plenty of giggles-and perhaps some discussion, too (Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2005).

Suggested Activities

The variety of styles of the illustrations found in Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude make it an excellent starting point for a discussion on artistic interpretation. The different styles and mediums can be explored and discussed. The children can illustrate their favorite scene from the story, and the activity can conclude with an art show.

After reading the book out loud, the children can play The Story Game, in which each person gets to tell a story for 15-20 seconds, then the next child gets to add another 15-20 seconds, and so on. The story is passed on to every member of the group until it reaches the last person, who gets to conclude the story and finish the tale. It will be interesting for the children as they watch the evolution of the tale as each child’s ideas are added to the story.