An interesting lesson is learned in The Elephant’s Wrestling Match
by Judy Sierra-and that is, don’t pick a fight you cannot win. On his talking drum, the monkey beats out the elephant’s challenge for all to hear. Animals of all different sizes (big and small!) answer his call and attempt to face the elephant, but no one wins. The elephant loves to trash talk to the different competitors. However, a small bat comes along and decides to face the elephant and uses his brains to beat the elephant. So it’s funny, the smallest animal (and underdog) was the one that was the bravest and small enough to beat he elephant.
I feel like boys would enjoy this book the most because of the side theme of violence and winning a fight throughout the story, and we all know most young boys are into that kind of stuff. They would also probably love the huge picture of ferocious animals such as the leopard and an alligator. The illustrations make the animals look very, very mean and intimidating. In addition, the illustrations are different than any other I’ve seen-instead of coloring the pictures in solid, the illustrator uses tons and tons of line in order to fill up the missing space. Overall, I liked this book and the message the author gives, and I would definitely use it in my classroom.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Kristy's Great Idea
Ah, a definite blast from the past. Every girl remembers her first Babysitter’s Club book, and I definitely remember mine. Kristy’s Great Idea by Ann M. Martin was one of the first novels I read in this series, and I immediately become obsessed. For those of you who are not aware of this book, the 12-year-old student comes up with an idea for a club or business with her girlfriends when she sees her mother struggling to find a babysitter for her little brother. I used just love this series-all the girls were my role models. I loved hearing about their drama and plus, they made me want to get out there and babysit!
The illustrations on the front cove give a nice and warm feeling about the book. Just from looking at it, you can tell the story is definitely going to be a happy one about your typical teenage girls, which it indeed is. The picture shows that the girls are around the age of the reading level, so it’s appealing to the reader. Also, at this age, many girls enjoy babysitting or want to babysit, and it’s something they can relate to.
Now 12 years later, I am definitely reading the book a little differently and notice a lot of things I never noticed before. The plot was pretty predictable and the characters were somewhat flat, but I feel this is okay since it’s 7-12 year olds that are reading these books because probably aren’t too advanced yet. The text in the story appears to be a little smaller than I remember and the spacing is pretty small as well. The chapters are short as well, being less than 10 pages in length so it is easy to follow.
Even though this book (and the series) isn’t very deep, I think it is a great, clean book that is truly genuine to introduce to females just beginning to read chapter books.
The illustrations on the front cove give a nice and warm feeling about the book. Just from looking at it, you can tell the story is definitely going to be a happy one about your typical teenage girls, which it indeed is. The picture shows that the girls are around the age of the reading level, so it’s appealing to the reader. Also, at this age, many girls enjoy babysitting or want to babysit, and it’s something they can relate to.
Now 12 years later, I am definitely reading the book a little differently and notice a lot of things I never noticed before. The plot was pretty predictable and the characters were somewhat flat, but I feel this is okay since it’s 7-12 year olds that are reading these books because probably aren’t too advanced yet. The text in the story appears to be a little smaller than I remember and the spacing is pretty small as well. The chapters are short as well, being less than 10 pages in length so it is easy to follow.
Even though this book (and the series) isn’t very deep, I think it is a great, clean book that is truly genuine to introduce to females just beginning to read chapter books.
Homework
If you love talking school supplies, then you are going to love the picture book Homework by Arthur Yorinks. Every night, Tony’s mom yells at him to do his homework, and every night he does not. Instead he just reads a comic book and goes to bed. However, one night when Tony fell asleep, his pen, pencil, and eraser come alive and want to write his assignment for him, but fight over what to write about. They finally agree on an idea and write a story, and Tony wakes up and reads the story. Confused, he throws the paper away and writes a new story-just like the one his school supplies wrote!
This book contained a lot of dialogue between the school supplies that made it easy to follow and read. I’m sure many students would find it humorous that a bunch of school supplies are alive and talking, and I’m sure many can relate to the not want wanting to complete the homework. However, I feel there is no correct message given in this book. The pictures are great and all, but there’s not much to get out of the story.
This book contained a lot of dialogue between the school supplies that made it easy to follow and read. I’m sure many students would find it humorous that a bunch of school supplies are alive and talking, and I’m sure many can relate to the not want wanting to complete the homework. However, I feel there is no correct message given in this book. The pictures are great and all, but there’s not much to get out of the story.
Terrible Storm
Even though this picture book was short with small amount of text, the book Terrible Storm by Carol Otis Hurst definitely introduces some new ideas to new readers. First of all, the book is written in a different format than were used to reading-it’s simply a conversation between two grandpas and their memories and reactions to the bad snowstorm of 1888. So, on the top of almost ever page is a quote from one grandpa to the other and a picture of his memory, and at the bottom of the page is the other grandpa’s quote about the same thing and his picture. By doing this, the author is introducing to the reader that two people can agree on the same thing (in this case, agreeing about how things had gone in the storm) but have completely opposite reactions to the events (one grandpa loving being trapped in a room for 3 days with people, and the other hating it, etc.) So, ultimately, as readers, we learn that different situations affect all people differently.
Another thing I liked about this book is the extent in which the pictures tell the story. This is an excellent book for children just learning how to read since there is not much text on each page, easier words, and detailed actions in the pictures
Another thing I liked about this book is the extent in which the pictures tell the story. This is an excellent book for children just learning how to read since there is not much text on each page, easier words, and detailed actions in the pictures
My Dog is as Smelly as Dirty Socks
If you want to spark a young child’s imagination, then reading My Dog is as Smelly as Dirty Socks by Hanoch Piven is definitely one way to go. This has probably been the most creative picture book I have read thus far. The book begins with a drawing of a girls family on notebook paper (looks around first gradish) and it says “My teacher asked me to draw a picture of my family, and this is what I drew” and she goes on to say how she didn’t like it because there are so many things about each family member that you don’t see in the picture she drew. Then for each family member, she goes “my family member is like…” and compares them to everyday objects you see around your house. For example, for her mom, she goes “my mommy is as soft as the softest FLUFF, and as bright as the brightest LIGHT, she is taste as the cunchiest COOKIE, etc”. With each object she compares the family member to, there is a real life picture of the object. This is great for children that are just learning how to read because the picture helps them recognize the word. In addition, this is a great book to use when teaching similes, since pretty much every sentence in the book is a similies and provides great details. I love the creativity and the originality in this book and I know it’s one that will never get boring and every child will love.
My Dog is as Smelly as Dirty Socks
If you want to spark a young child’s imagination, then reading My Dog is as Smelly as Dirty Socks by Hanoch Piven is definitely one way to go. This has probably been the most creative picture book I have read thus far. The book begins with a drawing of a girls family on notebook paper (looks around first gradish) and it says “My teacher asked me to draw a picture of my family, and this is what I drew” and she goes on to say how she didn’t like it because there are so many things about each family member that you don’t see in the picture she drew. Then for each family member, she goes “my family member is like…” and compares them to everyday objects you see around your house. For example, for her mom, she goes “my mommy is as soft as the softest FLUFF, and as bright as the brightest LIGHT, she is taste as the cunchiest COOKIE, etc”. With each object she compares the family member to, there is a real life picture of the object. This is great for children that are just learning how to read because the picture helps them recognize the word. In addition, this is a great book to use when teaching similes, since pretty much every sentence in the book is a similies and provides great details. I love the creativity and the originality in this book and I know it’s one that will never get boring and every child will love.
Pirate Treasure
When a dangerous storm forces the pirate ship called Daisy upriver, the two main characters Captain Oliver and Rosie decide to settle in the small village of Mousam as farmers in the picture book Pirate Treasure by Loretta Krupinski. They learn how to grow grain, but have trouble meeting new friends and having fun. However, when another furious storm hits, the captain’s talent for sailing and ability to predict the weather helps uncover the greatest treasure for the both the captain and the villagers of the town. The richly painted details paintings illustrate the large ship, the community, and the weather. Each page has a different detailed boarder that decorates each page.
To be quite honest, this is not the most exciting book I’ve ever read. I could see how readers may think this book is a little dry-there’s a lot of text per page and it’s a little hard to follow. I feel like the author could have given more character description. However, the message is different than any book I’ve read before, and I think the idea of predicting weather is pretty unique and creative. This would be a good book to incorporate perhaps into a weather unit, or even a farming unit (for the Midwesterners?) since farming is a big part of the book as well.
To be quite honest, this is not the most exciting book I’ve ever read. I could see how readers may think this book is a little dry-there’s a lot of text per page and it’s a little hard to follow. I feel like the author could have given more character description. However, the message is different than any book I’ve read before, and I think the idea of predicting weather is pretty unique and creative. This would be a good book to incorporate perhaps into a weather unit, or even a farming unit (for the Midwesterners?) since farming is a big part of the book as well.
Insect from Outer Space
I picked out Insect From Outer Space by Vladimir Vagin mainly for my child study buddy because he loves books about space. This book was more of a futuristic Sci-Fi story because of the talking insects, and the outer space aspect. The story, told in first person, is about an insect who is bad at dancing but still goes to this big ball, and during this large ball, a spaceship of insects from a different planet come and the insects from different planets exchange dance moves, food, etc. This is almost far fetched-but it would be kind of an interesting book to read to children around Thanksgiving time, going along with the theme of two cultures meeting each other for the first time and not knowing what to expect, but then sharing traditions. I love that the author throws in this idea because I feel like it’s not like one I’ve read before.
The story is for kids probably in the first or second grade, and the text contains a lot of dialogue for kids just learning it. The pictures are very interesting to look at, being immensely detailed. Vladimir Vagin, who also illustrated the book, were first drawn in p pencil and then painted in watercolor
The story is for kids probably in the first or second grade, and the text contains a lot of dialogue for kids just learning it. The pictures are very interesting to look at, being immensely detailed. Vladimir Vagin, who also illustrated the book, were first drawn in p pencil and then painted in watercolor
What Can You Do With a Rebozo?
I’ve never had much experience with reading diverse or multi-cultural picture books, so I decided to pick one out for this week. I picked out the book What Can You Do With a Rebozo? written by Carmen Tafolla. The illustrations on the cover immediately caught my eye, like the rest of the pages. The illustrator, Amy Cordova, uses some kind of oil paint to make her bright and very unique illustrations. She makes it look like the pictures are painted on canvas, and it almost has a 3-D look to it.
In addition to the wonderful pictures, the story line is great as well. Basically, the main character (a little Mexican girl) talks about all the different uses this Rebozo can be used for, including a cozy cradle for her baby brother, hair decoration, making a secret tunnel, a flying cape, etc. The little girl uses her imagination when playing with the Rebozo. At the end of the story, the author has a page “About Rebozos” where she explains that for centuries, women in Mexico have used this Mexican shawl for anything from “dressing up for a party to carrying firewood”. I think it’s great to read books with people from different cultures to students so that they can learn about important traditions and tools from different cultures.
In addition to the wonderful pictures, the story line is great as well. Basically, the main character (a little Mexican girl) talks about all the different uses this Rebozo can be used for, including a cozy cradle for her baby brother, hair decoration, making a secret tunnel, a flying cape, etc. The little girl uses her imagination when playing with the Rebozo. At the end of the story, the author has a page “About Rebozos” where she explains that for centuries, women in Mexico have used this Mexican shawl for anything from “dressing up for a party to carrying firewood”. I think it’s great to read books with people from different cultures to students so that they can learn about important traditions and tools from different cultures.
Superdog: The Heat of a Hero
If a child likes comic books, then I think he would love the book Superdog: The Heart of a Hero because the story is a picture and comic book in one. Tired of being overlooked because he is so small, Dexter the dog transforms himself into a superhero by working out a ton and buying a hero suite. He becomes the ultimate superdog when he saves the same cat who’s been making fun of him all along out of a tree.
I love how the author incorporates the idea of a picture book and comic book into one. Even though there is still a good amount of text on each page, there is still comic text in most pictures on each page that is in the comic font, and language. The pictures are very colorful and interesting to look at, and the story is very easy to follow. I also enjoyed the message in the story-that if you dream something and work hard at it, it can happen.
I love how the author incorporates the idea of a picture book and comic book into one. Even though there is still a good amount of text on each page, there is still comic text in most pictures on each page that is in the comic font, and language. The pictures are very colorful and interesting to look at, and the story is very easy to follow. I also enjoyed the message in the story-that if you dream something and work hard at it, it can happen.
The Myster of Eatum Hall
The Mystery of Eatum Hall was the first “mystery” picture book I have read in a long, long time. I’m not really sure how I felt about it though-it was a little hard to follow. Basically, this couple (a pig and a chicken) are invite to Eatum hall for weekend of free gourmet food and when they get there, no one else is there, but they decide to stay the weekend there. Before they leave, they go into this “bandstand” but get out right away because it was “poorly constructed”. We learn, by the last page, that if they would have stayed in the bandstand, they would have been put in a chicken pie that the wolves eat!
Even the story was a little difficult and confusing to follow, I really liked the illustrations part of the book. Most the pages are really dark, so we sort of get this eerie, mysterious feeling that fits the mood well. I also thought it was clever at the end to have the wolves sitting around a huge pie ready to eat, inferring that it would have been the chicken and pig in there if they had stayed in the bandstand.
Even the story was a little difficult and confusing to follow, I really liked the illustrations part of the book. Most the pages are really dark, so we sort of get this eerie, mysterious feeling that fits the mood well. I also thought it was clever at the end to have the wolves sitting around a huge pie ready to eat, inferring that it would have been the chicken and pig in there if they had stayed in the bandstand.
The Underground Gators
The brand new picture book The Underground Gators by Tina Casey is definitely one I am going to remember. The book starts off saying “Legend has it that alligators live in the sewers of New York City. To be honest, nobody has ever really seen an alligator in the sewers. But they must be down there, somewhere.” Then, on each page, the author asks a question, such as “How can you explain why there are so many hot-dog carts in New York?” with an answer like “alligators love hot dogs.” There is also a drawing to go along with each question and activity.
I think this is a creative idea to write a book about and I’m sure kids love it. Kids love legends and thinking about if they are real or not. At the end of the book, there is a note from the author that explains how she used to work for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, which runs the sewer system and her experience with that and the true story of the legends living in there.
I think this is a creative idea to write a book about and I’m sure kids love it. Kids love legends and thinking about if they are real or not. At the end of the book, there is a note from the author that explains how she used to work for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, which runs the sewer system and her experience with that and the true story of the legends living in there.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Spiral-Bound
I’m quite embarrassed to admit that when assigned to read a graphic novel for this week, I had to go online and actually look at what a graphic novel was. When I finally looked over some websites to get a gist of what they were, I was very excited to read the comic-like book because from what I can remember, I’ve never read one before I was eager to see what they were all about.
I found the graphic novel Spiral-Bound by Aaron Renier and I obviously found it very different than any other novel I’ve ever read before, but I really liked it! Renier used a notebook format to his book-he actually made the different strips on notebook paper which I thought was great. The main characters are all animals (elephant and a dog) and through his black and white (but very detailed!) pictures, we are taken through the main character, Turnip’s journey through “sculpture camp”. The story was definitely original and imaginative but I found it a little hard to follow at some points. I noticed that these types of novels are a little more difficult to get used to, for I’m used to just reading and not looking at the pictures, but I realized looking at each picture after reading the text in it makes it easier to get to know which characters is which and know every little detail that is occurring.
I’m looking forward to incorporating graphic novels into my future classroom, especially for the younger aged students. The novels are great for increasing the reading comprehension and vocabulary of readers who may not want to read your traditional classroom text, which I’m sure is a problem I am going to run into in my future classroom.
I found the graphic novel Spiral-Bound by Aaron Renier and I obviously found it very different than any other novel I’ve ever read before, but I really liked it! Renier used a notebook format to his book-he actually made the different strips on notebook paper which I thought was great. The main characters are all animals (elephant and a dog) and through his black and white (but very detailed!) pictures, we are taken through the main character, Turnip’s journey through “sculpture camp”. The story was definitely original and imaginative but I found it a little hard to follow at some points. I noticed that these types of novels are a little more difficult to get used to, for I’m used to just reading and not looking at the pictures, but I realized looking at each picture after reading the text in it makes it easier to get to know which characters is which and know every little detail that is occurring.
I’m looking forward to incorporating graphic novels into my future classroom, especially for the younger aged students. The novels are great for increasing the reading comprehension and vocabulary of readers who may not want to read your traditional classroom text, which I’m sure is a problem I am going to run into in my future classroom.
The Berenstain Bears Big Chapter Book: No Guns Allowed
It’s not too often that you come across children's books that involve guns in their plot. The title of the Berenstain Bears series book No Guns Allowed definitely took me (and I’m sure many others) by surprise. Even though it is a Berenstain Bears “Big Chapter Book” intended for ages 8-10, it is definitely a touchy subject to talk/read about with children and students. The short chapter book is about explores sort of a post-Columbine world and is about a student who brings a life-like squirt gun to school as a joke. At the end we get a life lesson that guns can be dangerous when in the hand of bad people. The parents definitely have strong views in the story that I’m sure many parents with students would have the same.
I’m not sure if I would ever incorporate this story into my curriculum. I know it would be a very, very controversial book and I think I would stay away from it if I didn’t feel the strong need to be taught in order to resist parents and administrators’ complaints. It does teach a good lesson, but I’m not sure it’s as relevant at this age, but I guess it depends in what area I would be teaching. I feel like this subject does not need to be taught to children so young, and that this serious of a subject could definitely wait a few more years.
I’m not sure if I would ever incorporate this story into my curriculum. I know it would be a very, very controversial book and I think I would stay away from it if I didn’t feel the strong need to be taught in order to resist parents and administrators’ complaints. It does teach a good lesson, but I’m not sure it’s as relevant at this age, but I guess it depends in what area I would be teaching. I feel like this subject does not need to be taught to children so young, and that this serious of a subject could definitely wait a few more years.
Willy's Pictures
Willy’s Pictures was my favorite book in this series that I read by far. Each page is a new illustration, some original, and some remakes of famous paintings like da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Each picture is very colorful, detailed, and has tons of humor in it. For example, in one of the pictures Willy draws, it’s him and another gorilla fishing using a net full of bananas, and it shows pigs (as the fish) with a scared face getting caught in the net. I’m sure kids would love this picture and the rest that are in this book.
Under each picture is the name of Willy’s picture, and underneath the name is Willy’s description of the picture or just a silly comment. Part of what I love so much about this book is that that it is interactive. For example. Under one of the pictures is says, “Can you solve the mystery?” So it’s almost like it’s own game in sort of a way. Overall, I thought the set up of this book was excellent and it is definitely one I want to keep in mind for when I’m a teacher.
Under each picture is the name of Willy’s picture, and underneath the name is Willy’s description of the picture or just a silly comment. Part of what I love so much about this book is that that it is interactive. For example. Under one of the pictures is says, “Can you solve the mystery?” So it’s almost like it’s own game in sort of a way. Overall, I thought the set up of this book was excellent and it is definitely one I want to keep in mind for when I’m a teacher.
Willy the Dreamer
This Willy series book looked different than the others- it’s a lot bigger of a book, it’s boarders and colors used aren’t all primary like the other books, and this one also contains a dustcover, where the others do not. I would say this is one of the Willy series books that has the least text on each page, and probably the most easiest to read. The pictures are huge and have great detail in them, so the reader probably spends more time looking at each picture then reading the text.
Browne has a cute pattern in the story-he begins the story with the first page saying “Willy Dreams.” Then the next few pages, it says “Sometimes Willy dreams that he’s a __, or a ___, etc…Willy dreams.” Then, the pattern is repeated a few times and finally ends with a “Will dreams.” I like that Browne didn’t use anything too complex for getting his message across to the targeted audience, I feel any young child reading this would be able to get the message (just dream!)
Browne has a cute pattern in the story-he begins the story with the first page saying “Willy Dreams.” Then the next few pages, it says “Sometimes Willy dreams that he’s a __, or a ___, etc…Willy dreams.” Then, the pattern is repeated a few times and finally ends with a “Will dreams.” I like that Browne didn’t use anything too complex for getting his message across to the targeted audience, I feel any young child reading this would be able to get the message (just dream!)
Willy the Wizard
Willy the Wizard started off with Willy wanting to play soccer, but he wasn’t very good and didn’t have boots to play in. But one night, this mysterious man appeared and played soccer with him, gave him boots, and then vanished. Ever since then, Willy was amazing at soccer, but still practiced a ton. At the night of the big game he realized he had forgotten his boots and had no time to go back and get them, so he had to borrow someone’s extra pair of boots-but he still did awesome!
This book definitely had more content to it and it was the most exciting Willy series book I’ve read thus far. There was a good amount of dialogue which I thought is important to include even at the easy reading level so that the young child becomes familiar with it, and maybe even use it in their writing. Like the other Willy stories, this one has a ton of creative pictures. The illustrator does a great job drawing exactly what is going on in the story and I love how when the author gives us a play by play on a page, he uses many different frames to show the actual play by play made by Willy.
This book definitely had more content to it and it was the most exciting Willy series book I’ve read thus far. There was a good amount of dialogue which I thought is important to include even at the easy reading level so that the young child becomes familiar with it, and maybe even use it in their writing. Like the other Willy stories, this one has a ton of creative pictures. The illustrator does a great job drawing exactly what is going on in the story and I love how when the author gives us a play by play on a page, he uses many different frames to show the actual play by play made by Willy.
Will the Whimp
Once again, the next Will series books start out pretty depressing with Will and Hugh. Willy is sad that he is lonely, and that everyone has friends and people exclude him. However, one day a boy was running and literally ran into Willy, and they hit it off the bat right away. They do all sorts of activities together-Hugh even scares a bully away that tried to bully Willy!
There’s not much substance to this story, but I think that can be because the intended reading audience for this book is ages 4-8. I guess the message is don’t be sad if you feel lonely-there are plenty of people out there to make friends with? I’m not sure if it’s very clear and if young children would be able to figure this one out.
One thing about the book I did like again, is the illustrations. I love when you read the text on a page, and then go to look at the picture, and you notice other things happening in the picture that aren’t said in the text. For example, when Willy and Hugh are at the library together and Willy is reading to Hugh, we see all the other people at the library (in the background) giving them dirty looks and whispering to each other how the two boys are being so loud. Another part I thought was funny was when Will and Hugh went to the zoo and the picture was the two boys standing outside of a cage, and inside the large cage was 3 humans sitting on a couch looking scared (Will and Hugh are gorillas). So I thought that was creative, having the “animals” in the cage be humans.
There’s not much substance to this story, but I think that can be because the intended reading audience for this book is ages 4-8. I guess the message is don’t be sad if you feel lonely-there are plenty of people out there to make friends with? I’m not sure if it’s very clear and if young children would be able to figure this one out.
One thing about the book I did like again, is the illustrations. I love when you read the text on a page, and then go to look at the picture, and you notice other things happening in the picture that aren’t said in the text. For example, when Willy and Hugh are at the library together and Willy is reading to Hugh, we see all the other people at the library (in the background) giving them dirty looks and whispering to each other how the two boys are being so loud. Another part I thought was funny was when Will and Hugh went to the zoo and the picture was the two boys standing outside of a cage, and inside the large cage was 3 humans sitting on a couch looking scared (Will and Hugh are gorillas). So I thought that was creative, having the “animals” in the cage be humans.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Willy The Champ
So for the 2nd week of class we were assigned to do our picture books and novel that was based on a serious, and I decided that I would try to read some books from a series that I’ve never read before. That X'd out many choices, however, I stumbled upon the “Willy” series books. The name kind of sounded familiar to me-I think perhaps my brother used to read them when he was younger. Anyway, looking through a few books, I noticed they are at the beginning reading level, and that’s around the grade I want to teach, so I checked out some of the books from the series.
Willy the Champ By Anthony Browne was definitely a happy read. The book starts off with Willy being down on himself and showing how he’s not good at too many activities and gets made fun of a lot. Luckily, when a bully tries to punch Willy, Willy moves his head and the bully accident ends up hitting the wall and hurting himself, and Willy “was the champ.”
There was something about its flow that I did not like too much in this book. For example, the first few pages are Willy doing various activities, and after each activity, on the next page would read “He did try”. So, you kind of get into this pattern that the books going to go in, then it just randomly stops the pattern and is a little difficult, perhaps for a 1st grader, to understand.
I really liked the pictures though. The Illustrator did a great job emphasizing how much bigger all the characters were than Willy. In addition, I liked how he would have a statement on one page, then the reader turns to the next page and sees the activity happening (with no text on the page)
Willy the Champ By Anthony Browne was definitely a happy read. The book starts off with Willy being down on himself and showing how he’s not good at too many activities and gets made fun of a lot. Luckily, when a bully tries to punch Willy, Willy moves his head and the bully accident ends up hitting the wall and hurting himself, and Willy “was the champ.”
There was something about its flow that I did not like too much in this book. For example, the first few pages are Willy doing various activities, and after each activity, on the next page would read “He did try”. So, you kind of get into this pattern that the books going to go in, then it just randomly stops the pattern and is a little difficult, perhaps for a 1st grader, to understand.
I really liked the pictures though. The Illustrator did a great job emphasizing how much bigger all the characters were than Willy. In addition, I liked how he would have a statement on one page, then the reader turns to the next page and sees the activity happening (with no text on the page)
Dadblamed Union Army Cow
It’s not too often you hear about real-life war stories that involve a cow, and this is why I thought Dadblamed Union Army Cow by Sysan Fletcher was so fascinating. The cow follows the main character that's a soldier through his journeys throughout the Civil war-as he enrolls, practice for battles, relaxes, and when he actually participates in a battle. The young soldier always gets upset at the cow and yells at him for following him, but finally realizes that the cow actually does help him and many other soldiers. At the end of the book, there is “A Note From the Author”, where Fletcher explains how the book is based on a true story, and goes more detail on the story. I like how the author includes this fascinating information with the reader at the end of the book because I’m sure it excites most children when they find out that the story happened in true life.
The last page in the book is a great picture-it’s all the soldiers celebrating a victory with the cow. Throughout the picture book, there is a great deal of colored pencils and water colors use to make the pictures very detailed and colorful. My favorite part is the front and back pages-covered in a cow print that’s so realistic, you would think they’re was a texture to the page.
The last page in the book is a great picture-it’s all the soldiers celebrating a victory with the cow. Throughout the picture book, there is a great deal of colored pencils and water colors use to make the pictures very detailed and colorful. My favorite part is the front and back pages-covered in a cow print that’s so realistic, you would think they’re was a texture to the page.
Pennies in a Jar
Pennies in a Jar, written by Dori Chaconas, takes place during the World War II era, and begins with a young boy saying goodbye to his father as his father goes overseas to fight in the war. Everyday, the young boys sits for hours on his front porch watching the large horses carrying wagons of vendors and collectors for the war effort, but feels ashamed of his fears (of horses) and wants to be brave like his dad. He finally builds up enough courage to approach the street horses and takes a picture on one, for a great birthday gift to send his dad.
I really enjoyed the message the Chaconas was sending through her historical fiction picture book. I thought this book would be great for the lower elementary school children because even though there is a fair amount of text on each page, the words are not difficult and the message isn’t difficult to understand. It’s interesting how she incorporated a story about a young boy during World War II and a lesson he learned, that could also be relatable to children today. In addition, the pictures in this book are great. The watercolor painting provides tons of big pictures with a variety of color.
I really enjoyed the message the Chaconas was sending through her historical fiction picture book. I thought this book would be great for the lower elementary school children because even though there is a fair amount of text on each page, the words are not difficult and the message isn’t difficult to understand. It’s interesting how she incorporated a story about a young boy during World War II and a lesson he learned, that could also be relatable to children today. In addition, the pictures in this book are great. The watercolor painting provides tons of big pictures with a variety of color.
Red Legs
Red Legs, written and illustrated by Ted Lewin, is an historical fiction picture book that I definitely found unique. The story starts out pretty normal- a young soldier during the civil war sits around the campfire at his campsite and writes his mom. We are taken through his nightly and daily activities that lead up to a big battle, including beating on the drum. The battle takes place and-this is the part that’s strange-the young soldier is shot in the chest. His body, lying in the grass with a gunshot in it, is pretty graphic for a children’s book. At first, when I saw the picture I thought, how could an author of a children’s book have the main character get shot and die? However, this was the twist. The last page reads,
“Stephen’s father helps him up. He and the others around him rise. They brush the dust and grass off their uniforms. They shake hands with the enemy. The battle is over. They can all go home because…”
and the reader turns the page and there are a few paragraphs talking about how the young solider could go home because it was a reenactment battle, but 100,000 children soldiers weren’t able to. A little strange, I thought, but kind of a different twist at the end. Besides that, I loved the pictures (in watercolor).
The Bus Ride
The Bus Ride, written by William Miller, is inspired by Rosa Parks story of sitting in the front of the bus in 1955. Sara, the main character in the story, is a little girl who decides to check out and sit in the front of the bus to see what was so “special” about it. Even though Rosa Parks was older when this happened, Miller probably made Sara a young girl making it easier for kids reading the book to put themselves in Sara’s shoes at that age and relate to her. The bus situation with Rosa Parks is a difficult one to simplify for children to understand, and I think Miller does an excellent job putting the legality terms into simple terms for children to understand, especially with the legality terms and segregation.
Tituba
After researching historical fiction books for my genre presentation, I found the true story of Tituba (By: William Miller), the slave that was accused of witchcraft during the Salem which trials in 1962. The first thing that crossed my mind, though, was how the author was going to peruse the ending, where Tituba gets hanged.
The cover of the book reads in large orange letters “Tituba” with a picture of an a black women sewing a blanket on a chair. The dark background with the bright orange plants kind of make of creates a mysterious mood and grabs anyone’s attention.
Thankfully, the author doesn’t include the end of the story where Tituba gets hanged. Instead, she makes an alternative ending (I don’t want to give it away!) where everyone turns out happy. I believe this is a reason why the historical fiction genre is so difficult at times-countless events in our past don’t have the best endings-how do we explain these to the young children were reading to?
The cover of the book reads in large orange letters “Tituba” with a picture of an a black women sewing a blanket on a chair. The dark background with the bright orange plants kind of make of creates a mysterious mood and grabs anyone’s attention.
Thankfully, the author doesn’t include the end of the story where Tituba gets hanged. Instead, she makes an alternative ending (I don’t want to give it away!) where everyone turns out happy. I believe this is a reason why the historical fiction genre is so difficult at times-countless events in our past don’t have the best endings-how do we explain these to the young children were reading to?
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