Module 1 : Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude

Module 1
Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude

Reference
O'Malley, K. (2005). Once upon a cool motorcycle dude. New York, NY: Walker & Company.

Summary
This story is a great example of two students telling the same story, perhaps to their class, but they can not agree upon the details of the story. The girl wishes to tell a tale about a princess and her horse, Princess. The boy prefers a story about motorcycle dudes and a giant who eats pony stew. The boy and the girl both try to end the story with their favorite version but in the end they both agree on a happy ending, almost.

What I Think
Illustrators: Kevin O'Malley, Carol Heyer, and Scott Goto
The illustrations in this book help the story along by using one artistic style for the girl's version of the story with realistic pictures using lots of pink and dramatic details, another artistic style for the boy's version using darker colors and more fantasy pictures, and then the storytellers themselves are illustrated with a cartoon artistic element so they stand out against their story's background. The story itself is light and humorous as the boy and girl take turns adding to the story and changing the plot to their own preferred version. The boy and girl characters each represent the stereotype for all boys and girls, so many children may not relate to either story but the humor displayed by each character keeps the story moving and in the end the boy and girl agree on the fate of the giant. Male or female, good wins over evil.

What Others Think
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. She starts, with Princess Tenderheart—rendered by Heyer in flowing silk gowns and blonde tresses—pining for her beloved ponies, which are being stolen one by one by a giant. Gagging, the storyteller’s companion proceeds to add a huge dude who roars up on a chopper to provide protection, and to battle a giant that, in Goto’s testosterone-soaked oils, is green but far from jolly. Meanwhile, instead of passively sitting by spinning straw into gold, the Princess starts pumping iron . . . and on the tale seesaws, to a more or less happily-ever-after. 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. (Picture book. 6-9) - Kirkus Reviews. (2010, June 28). Retrieved from: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/kevin-omalley/once-upon-a-cool-motorcycle-dude/

Ideas

This book gives a terrific example of everyone contributing their own details to a story. The story can be used as a back drop for children sitting in a circle and each child takes the story and adds a new element while each child takes their turn passing around a toy motorcycle or pony. This can done Ad Lib style with an adult filling in some details to help the children contribute to the details or the children can make up their own story while the adult writes down their tale and gives everyone a copy when they are finished. Each part of the story could be written on separate pages so the page has blank space left over where the children can add their own pictures to help illustrate the story further.