Literature comes alive

We recently finished reading both Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. They were the abridged versions which hit the highlights. I normally don't like abridged versions, but in Huck Finn's case I was grateful. I do NOT like to read dialect. It slows me down too much.

I've been using these literature choices as our read-aloud bedtime stories. In order to deal with having to read the dialect, I had to call up my roots, my family, my kin. I relaxed my mouth and just let the drawl flow. It worked! (Then I had trouble getting back to my regular accent!)

As per usual, J was inspired to illustrate the newest books in a word-play cartoon. Below is a little soybean and a fish with new identities:



If you remember the story of Tom Sawyer, it begins with Tom and Huck witnessing a murder in the graveyard. Injun Joe and Muff Potter were supposed to be digging up a body for Dr. Robinson. Muff was three sheets to the wind. Injun Joe picked an argument with the Dr. and threatened to kill him. Muff tried to intervene, he got knocked down in the scuffle and Joe killed the doctor with Muff's knife. It was very exciting.

Since they were the next group of important characters introduced, they, too, have been given new identities:

Now, the next time you read Tom Sawyer, you'll have new images for your mind's eye!