My Science School

"The Polar Express"

What's Christmas without watching the incredibly moving film, The Polar Express". The 2004 film, about a special bond between a little boy and train conductor as they ride to the North Pole, is a feast for the eyes. But did you know it was based on a children's book written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg? The book is set partially in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the authors home town, and was inspired by Allsburg's memories of visiting the department stores as a child during Christmas.

A writer and an illustrator, Allsburg has made significant contributions to the world of children's literature. Allburg has written and illustrated 21 books. His major works include "Jumanji" and "The Polar Express, both of which he wrote and illustrated. His art has also been featured on the covers of an edition of C. S. Lewis's series The Chronicles of Namia".

"How To Train Your Dragon"

Dreamworks Animation adapted Cressida Cowell's children's book, about an unlikely friendship between a young viking and a dragon, to the silver screen in 2010. The protagonist Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III finds inner courage after befriending and becoming the trainer of a rare dragon. Spectacular animations and celebrities like Jay Baruchel and Gerard Butler breathe life into the tale.

As a child, Cowell often spent time in Scotland during her vacations. The natural beauty and history of the region inspired Cowell to come up with the "How To Train Your Dragon" series, which consists of 12 books. Currently, three of the books have been made into films, more are in the pipeline.

"Charlotte's Web"

E.B. White's classic children's book about a pig and his friend spider was made adapted to the silver screen twice. In 1973, the iconic animation studio Hanna- Barbera was the first to make an animated film based on the classic. Later, in 2006 it was made into a live-action film starring Dakota Fanning, Julia Roberts and Oprah Winfrey. White, who is known for his handbook of grammatical and stylistic guidance for writers, forayed into children's writing in his 40s. His first children's book was Stuart Little", was published in 1945, and "Charlotte's Web" followed in 1952.

"Shrek"

One of the highest grossing animated film franchise of all time, the "Shrek" films are popular with one and all. The adventures of the hilarious green ogre, Shrek and his faithful companion, Donkey, voiced by comedians Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy, will send you rolling on the floor with laughter. But did you know that the films are based on a children's book? William Steig's "Shrek!", released in 1990, is the source material for the films. An American cartoonist, Steig started his career with The New Yorker. He has contributed 2,600 drawings to the magazine. He started writing children's books when he was 61!

"The Jungle Book"

One of the most famous animated adaptations of a children's book is 'The Jungle Book". Based on Rudyard Kipling's work, "The Jungle Book” has been adapted to screen multiple times. The 1967 film was the first animated adaptations of the book by Disney. Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, it was the last film to be produced by Walt Disney, who died during its production. The plot follows Mowgli, a human raised in the Indian jungle by wolves. In 2016, Disney released a live-action epic adventure with Neel Sethi as the man cub. In this version, celebrities like Idris Elba and Christian Bale voiced some of the main characters.

 

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Move over, Metallica and Coldplay, it's time for The Mudbloods and The Parselmouths!

A new genre of music with its roots in the "Harry Potter' series is gaining popularity across the world.

Wizard rock, also known as Wrock, is devoted to the magical universe of Harry Potter. What's more, the band members even dress up (Cosplay) as their favourite characters from the series. Just like fan fiction, wizard rock provides an outlet for fans to express their love for the books.

How it began

Nearly 20 years ago, author J.K. Rowling introduced young readers around the world to the bespectacled boy with a lightning shaped scar on his forehead. And in the years that followed, the "Harry Potter series met with resounding success, spawning multiple films, video games, and even a theme park. But it also conjured up a new form of music - wizard rock!

It began in 2000 in the U.S. with just a handful of bands expressing their love for the boy wizard through their original musical compositions. Soon, Harry and the Potters, the first band in the wizard rock genre, was joined by the likes of The Whomping Willow, Draco and the Malfoys. The Mudbloods and The Parselmouths. Some of the bands even started dressing up like the characters from the franchise, as they belted out number such as "Voldemort Can't Stop the Rock", "Saving Ginny", and "Dumbledore's Army".

By 2006, there were over 30 wizard rock bands, with some of them even going on tours. In 2008, the BBC did a documentary "We Are Wizards" exploring the realm of wizard rock, bringing international recognition to the genre. Today, there are wizard rock bands in different parts of the world.

You can listen to bands like Moaning Myrtles, Gryffindor Common Room Rejects Squared, The Owl Post, Mostly Muggles and We-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named on YouTube or music streaming apps.

Fandom

The appeal of the songs of wizard rock lies in their creativity and ability to connect with the readers, capturing the emotions of its characters. For instance, Draco and the Malfoys and The Parselmouths explore the nastiness of the Slytherins through punk and indie rock. Some songs even take the story forward by imagining alternate endings and futures for their characters.

Tune in to Tolkien

"Harry Potter' is not the only series to serenade its fans. J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" series, which was later adapted to the silver screen by Peter Jackson, was perhaps one of the earliest to catch the imagination of the music world. Bands have been writing songs drawing upon Tolkien's books since the 1970s. One of the most famous among them was Led Zeppelin ("Stairway to Heaven"). Even today Tolkien's works continue to inspire many heavy metal bands. Blind Guardian and Summoning have written songs about hobbits and dwarves.

 

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Long, entertaining and enticing. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poems take you on a memorable trip down U.S. history. Hailed for their musical verses, Longfellow's poems are treasured and widely translated even today. Some of us might have even studied them as part of our syllabus. Prominent public figures from Abraham Lincoln and Charles Dickens to Charles Baudelaire were admirers of his poetry.

Born on February 27, 1807 in Portland, Maine in the U.S., Longfellow started his career as a professor at Bowdoin College and later at Harvard College. But he gave up teaching in 1854 to focus on his writing. His works "Evangeline" (1847), "The Song of Hiawatha" (1855), and "Paul Revere's Ride" (1860) cemented his place as one of the iconic poets of the U.S. He was the first American to translate Dante Alighieri's "Divine Comedy".

Popular works

Let's take a look at some of his noteworthy poems and the history behind them...

"Paul Revere's Ride"

Written in a manner that suggests the galloping of a horse, Longfellow writes about the actions of American patriot Paul Revere in this poem. Revere is known for his midnight horse ride to alert the colonial militia in April 1775 to the approach of British forces. Longfellow wrote this epic poem as the U.S. moved towards a civil war. Though the poem has been criticised for its factual inaccuracies, it has been hailed as a call for courage.

"The Song of Hiawatha"

A long poem about the life of the Native Indians, “The Song of Hiawatha” tells the tale of Hiawatha, an Ojibwa Indian who becomes his people's leader after performing feats of courage.

"Evangeline"

A sentimental poem, "Evangeline" follows a young couple separated when British soldiers expel the French colonists from what is now Nova Scotia. The couple, Evangeline and Gabriel, are reunited years later as Gabriel is dying.

Translating Dante

Longfellow lost the will to write after the death of his second wife 1861. She died after her dress accidentally caught fire. Seeking comfort in spirituality, he translated 'The Divine Comedy" by Dante. He also wrote six sonnets on Dante that are among his finest poems.

Other works:

• “Poems on Slavery” (1842)


• “The Belfry of Bruges and Other Poems” (1845)


• “The Courtship of Miles Standish” (1858)


• “The Golden Legend” (1851)


• “The Masque of Pandora and Other Poems” (1875)


• “The Seaside and Fireside” (1849)

DID YOU KNOW?

• Former U.S. President Donald Trump's lawyer recited lines from Longfellow's 1849 poem The Building of the Ship," during Trump's impeachment trial on February 10. 2021. The famous lines from the poem are: “Fear not each sudden sound and shock, Tis of the wave and not the rock.”


• The Portland Gazette published Longfellow's first poem at the age of 13.


• Longfellow was a dog lover! His family had many pets, but Trap the Scotch Terrier was his favourite.


• Longfellow is the only American to be honored with a bust in Westminster Abbey in London, England. His marble bust was placed in the Poet's Comer in 1884.


• One of his students at Harvard University was Henry David Thoreau.


• Longfellow was a polyglot and could speak eight languages.

 

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Do you love stories of talking animals, singing portraits and chatty kettles? If yes, then you are a fan of anthropomorphism.

A literary device, anthropomorphism (pronounced anthro-polt-more-fizz um) is used by authors to attribute human traits to animals or inanimate objects. This is done to make non-human characters more relatable and entertaining to readers and viewers. You may have seen this in stories and films that depict animals who can talk behave and feel emotions just like us. Children's classics such as "Dr. Dolittle", "Charlotte's Web", "The Tale of Peter Rabbit", and "Chronicles of Namia: The Lion. The Witch, and the Wardrobe all feature anthropomorphic characters.

While animals are commonly shown as anthropomorphised creatures, this technique is also used to bring inanimate objects to life by assigning them human-like qualities. Disney-Pixar films often use anthropomorphism - bringing clownfish and toy space-rangers to life as the beloved Nemo in Finding Nemo" and Buzz Lightyear in "Toy Story".

The term ‘anthropomorphism’ was coined by the Greek Philosopher Xenophanes after observing the physical similarities between people and their Gods.

Anthropomorphism vs. Personification

It is easy to confuse anthropomorphism with another similar literary device called personification. But the two are starkly different. Personification is a figure of speech in which a thing, an animal or an abstract notion is ascribed human qualities. For instance, the sentence, "Nature unleashed its fury through thunderstorms," is an example of personification, because nature can't be "furious" as it cannot feel human emotions. However, saying that nature can feel anger and fury emphasises the harshness of the storm. On the other hand in anthropomorphism, the non-human objects literally behave like human beings.

POPULAR EXAMPLES

• "The Beauty and the Beast": The fairytale as well as its Disney adaptation is packed with anthropomorphic furniture such as clocks and wardrobes that sing, dance and talk.


• Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland": Humans and anthropomorphic characters such as walking rabbits, smiling cats and even talking playing cards exist together in this fantastical story.


• J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter series: The magical world of Harry Potter is full of anthropomorphic characters. For instance, the talking and sometimes singing portraits hung inside the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The centaurs of the Forbidden Forest, who are half human, half-horse and skilled at Divination, are other examples of anthropomorphism.


•  "The Secret Life of Pets" film franchise: Wonder what your pets – cats, dogs, or even rabbits - are up to when you leave the house? 'The Secret Life of Pets" films show pets as socialising, watching telenovelas, raiding the fridge and even rocking out to heavy metal music when humans are not around.


• Richard Adams' Watership Down: In his debut novel. "Watership Down" (1972), Adams featured rabbits that could talk in their own distinctive language (Lapine).


• "Doctor Dolittle": Hugh Lofting's series of children's books portray a doctor who can talk to animals in their own languages. The books were adapted into highly successful films, starring Eddie Murphy as the main character.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Giving hurricanes human names is also a form of anthropomorphism. It is done because a human name is simpler and easier to comprehend than a scientific name, and makes us more receptive to information.


• In religion and mythology, anthropomorphism is the perception of a divine being in human form, or the recognition of human qualities in these beings. Greek deities such as Zeus and Apollo are often depicted in human form exhibiting human qualities such as beauty, greed, hatred, jealousy, and uncontrollable anger.


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