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.

 

Picture Credit : Google

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.


•  

Picture Credit : Google