I Love my Hair!

Title: I love my hair!

Author: Natasha Tarplay

Illustrator:  E.B. Lewis

Publishing Company:  Little Brown Books for young Readers

Copyright date:  2001

Number of pages: 32

Genre:  Multicultural

          I chose this book because I wanted to find another multicultural book.  This book was recommended by the librarian as one that was useful in the classroom.  I thought this book was okay; although, I do feel like you would have to be very careful how and when you present this book.  It doesn’t contain any real inappropriate material but because of the sometimes sensitive nature of the topic you must be careful.  This book is about a little girl whose mother is trying to encourage her African-American daughter to be proud of their heritage.  Sometimes she wishes that she had different hair, but her mom helped to change her mind.  She told her about how she was so lucky to have hair that could be woven in rows or braids and put into buns.  The little girl’s favorite way to wear her hair is in two ponytails.  As she discovers the beauty of what makes her heritage strong, she realizes just how lucky she truly is to have her hair.

          This book is painted in water color paints.  The colors are all bright and vivid.  The artwork is done in layers and helps the reader to see the emotions and feelings on the character’s face.  The text is an informal placement; there is no negative space on the page.  The pictures progress through the story.   They are a vital part of the story. 

          This book is intended for 1^st and 2^nd grade students.  It could be used as a read aloud for any grade.  It would be particularly helpful in a class that was having some bullying problems.  I would use this book during black history month.  I would use this book to discuss figurative language in writing.   I would use this book when we are discussing using our imaginations to tell or read stories in our heads.  I would use this book as a motivator to read.   This book has received no rewards at this time.

The Name Jar

Title:  The Name Jar

Author:  Yangsook Choi

Illustrator:  Yangsook Choi

Publishing Company:  Dragonfly books

Copyright date: 2001

Number of pages:  40

Genre: Multicultural

I chose this book because of the title.  I was looking for another multicultural book and this title just caught my attention.  Then, as I read the information on the back of the book I realized this was a story that many children could relate too.  This young Korean child is the new kid in class.  She is experiencing the same aches and qualms that any new kid might face; however, he feels her situation is worse on account of the fact that nobody can pronounce her name.  She tells her classmates that she will pick a name by next week.  This, of course, spurs a ton of excitement and interest from her classmates.  They decide to fill a glass jar with a variety of names for her to choose from.  This book is about being proud of who you are and accepting your differences, and similarities, as well. 

          The illustrator in this book uses pastels and oil paints to create these beautiful images.  The colors are bright and vivid.  They really help the pictures to have depth and appear to come alive throughout the book’s pages.   The text is placed in an informal type setting.  The words are placed on top of the pictures.  The pictures in this book really help to tell the story, and it would not be the same without them.

This book is appropriate for readers of all ages; in particular, any student who has ever been the ‘new kid’ in the class.  I would use this book any time that I had a new student.  I would use this book to encourage students to explore different cultures.  I would use this book if we were talking about different cultures of the world.  It would be a wonderful book to use as a motivator to get the children reading.  This would be a good boo to use for showing students that they should be proud of who they are no matter what circumstance they may find themselves.    This book has no awards at this time.

Night of the Moon: A Muslim Holiday story

Title:  Night of the Moon: A Muslim Holiday Story

Author:  Hena Khan

Illustrator:  Julie Paschkis

Publishing Company:  Chronicle Books

Copyright date: 2008

Number of pages:  32

Genre:  multicultural

          I chose this book because of the pictures and the capturing story line.  I was searching the web for good children’s books about other cultures.  I really like the traditional feel of the book.  This book is about a little girl who is discovering the rituals and celebrations that occur during certain stages of the lunar calendar.   The lunar calendar, she discovers, is used by members of her practiced religion to mark special days.  She is learning how to practice and the significance of these celebrations to the people of her religion. 

          The artwork in this book is done in a traditional Islamic ‘tile’ type of fashion.  The illustrator uses bright colors and rich, deep hues to represent a lively atmosphere.  The medium that is used in this book is gouache and permanent medium masking on paper.  The artwork really lends itself to the overall quality of the book.  The text type that is used is informal; there is no or very little negative space on the majority of the pages.  A few of the pages are set up in a slightly more formal manner; with the words on the opposite page of the picture. 

          This book is intended for grades 2-4, and children ages 6-8 years old.  I think this would be a good book for anyone trying to get a peek at a piece of the Muslim religion.  I would use this book as a way to introduce the student’s to new religions or cultures.  I would use it as a motivator to read.  I would use this book during a discussion of the moon phases in a science unit.  This book has no awards at this time.  

All the World

Title: All the World

Author: Liz Scanlon

Illustrator:  Marla Frazee

Publishing Company:  Beach Lane Books

Copyright Date:  2009

Number of pages: 40

Genre: Multicultural

          I chose this book because of the pictures.  Then I realized what a sweet little story about family time.  No matter what culture you are from family time is still time spent together.  It is special time for everyone no matter what part of the world you are from.  In this story we follow a family from the islands as they spend a day together at the beach and going into town.  They are not doing anything spectacular, but they are doing it together.  This story highlights the fact that family time is the same all around the world; hence, the title of the book.

          The illustrations in this book are made with prisma-black pencil and watercolors.  The pictures are vivid and bright.  They create a warm and inviting feel to the book.  The text layout is informal on most pages.  The words are over top of the pictures.  On a few of the pages the words surround the pictures.  There is very little negative space; the only exception is when the illustrator and author use the negative space to help the story flow. (i.e. when the family is going to the beach or to town)

          This book is suitable for any elementary aged students and children.  It is recommended for ages 5-7 years old.  I would use this book as a motivator for

camaraderie in the classroom.  I would use this book to introduce other areas of the world in a social studies lesson.  I might even use this for rhyming or introducing the use of couplets in poems.  This story has both of those aspects in the text.  This book has received the Caldecott Medal.

Dreaming of America: An Ellis Island Story

Title: Dreaming of America: An Ellis Island Story

Author: Eve Bunting

Illustrator:  Brad Stahl

Publishing Company: Troll Communications

Copyright date: 2000

Number of pages:  32

Genre: historical fiction

          I chose this book because I really liked the pictures.  I was looking for a good historical fiction to add to my collection, and to use for this assignment.  I have always liked immigration stories.  Typically, they are inspiring tales.  For the most part, even in many hardships the main character, usually based on a real person, thrives.  This story is based on Annie and her two little brothers traveling to America.  They have been living with their aunt and uncle in Ireland for the past three years.  Their parents are already in America. They send tickets for the children to join them in America.  The children are sad and scared to leave their home, family and friends.  They travel to America by boat; the children meet a very nice Russian man, Viktor, on the way to America.  The children are set to be part of the first group of immigrants to arrive through the new Ellis Island processing station.  This story tells an account of their journey in third class accommodations, storms and snobby people.  Annie and her brothers were the first to be processed at Ellis Island. 

       

   The pictures are done in water colors and pastels.  They are intentionally left a little less clear, at times, for effect.  The artist makes good use of vibrant blue and purple colors.  The entire book’s pages are done in a yellowed beige color; almost as if trying to give them an aged look. The text set-up is a mostly informal.  The words are placed directly over the pictures on most of the pages. 

          This book would be good for students in the 2^nd or 3^rd grade.   The label says grades 2-4.  I would say that it would be a great history book to use when talking about immigration.  It could be used in science to talk about the weather in the ocean. It could be used to talk about America in the 19^th century.  I would also use it as a motivator to get students to read about history.  I would also use it to encourage them to read in general.  This book has won the International Reading Association’s Teacher’s Choice Award.

The Littlest Pilgrim

Title: The Littlest Pilgrim

Author:  Brandi Dougherty

Illustrator: Kirsten Richards

Publishing Company:  Cartwheel Books

Copyright date: 2008

Number of pages: 32

Genre:   Historical nonfiction

          I chose this book because it is a very cute story and Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  My niece used to love this book.  This sweet little pilgrim, Mini, thinks that she is too small to do anything.  Everything she tries to do help her family she gets sent away.  She starts to feel like she can’t do anything right and that maybe she is just too little.  At the end of the book she discovers that you are never too small to make friends, and that she is good at that!

          The illustrator of this book uses many traditionally fall-themed colors in the pictures.  It looks like the pictures are done in a water color medium; although, it doesn’t specify on the cover.  The text is set up as formal on some pages with the text above or below a smaller picture.  On other pages the text is informal.  On these pages there is a little bit of negative space.  This negative space is used to draw the reader’s attention to the center of the picture details.  The words are just placed directly onto the picture, and the picture takes up the whole page. 

             This book states that it is intended for second grade readers, but is a

kindergarten/first grade book.  I think that is an accurate judgment on the content of the book.  I really like this book, and would use it around the holidays and throughout the year.  It can be used to talk about pilgrims in a history lesson.  It could be used for personal growth, and to teach students that everyone can make friends.  It would be a good book to talk about where and how pilgrims lived.  It could be used to introduce the facts about Thanksgiving.  This book has no awards at this time. 

The Houdini Box

Title:  The Houdini Box

Author: Brian Selznick

Illustrator: Brian Selznick

Publishing Company:  Atheneum books for young readers

Copyright date: 2001

Number of pages: 64

Genre: historical fiction

        

       I chose this book because I noticed the author.  We had to read a different book by Brian Selznick, The invention of Hugo Cabret, and it was a great book.  I loved the art and story line.  There is just something about the research that Brian Selznick does in the books that make them wonderful.  Naturally, when I saw this book, also by this talented author/illustrator, I had to check it out.  In this story, a young boy named Victor desperately wants to be like his idol, Harry Houdini.  He doesn't really think he has a chance, but he follows Houdini’s performances and successes avidly.  The book is based on factual events that occur during Houdini’s tours and with his tricks.  The box that the boy was given is actually the box of Houdini’s greatest tricks that is rumored, through newspaper articles, to exist in real life.  Although, the box itself has never been found the excitement and history behind it is still alive today.

         

The illustrations in this book are very similar to those in other Brian Selznick books.  He uses charcoal and pencil shading to create the vivid and almost life–like pictures that adorn the pages of this book.  The only colors used are grey and black.  He makes great use of texture and shading to bring these illustrations to life.  Actual posters from the tours of Houdini are also used throughout the book’s pages.  The text placement is formal; the words are opposite the pictures on most of pages.

          The book is written and targeted towards children ages 6-9; however, readers of any age could easily enjoy this book.  I know that I did!  I would use this book for history projects about famous people in our history.  I would also use this book to motivate children to read.  It would be a great read aloud for those few minutes that you sometimes have between activities.  I would use this book when studying map skills, possibly during a study of New York.  It would be a great book to use to introduce children to the historical fiction genre.  I would even use this book as a way to encourage children to not lose sight of their dreams.  At this time, surprisingly, this book has received no awards.