Wemberly Worried

Title: Wemberly Worried

Author: Kevin Henkes

Illustrator:  Kevin Henkes

Publishing company: Greenwillow Books

Copyright: 2010

Number of pages:  32

Genre/category: fantasy

     I chose this book because I really enjoy Kevin Henkes’ stories.  I am fond of several of his other works.  This book was brought to my attention by one of my professors and I just had to purchase it.  This story is about a little talking mouse that worries about everything.  She is supposed to be going to school, but she is really worried about…well everything.  It is not until she meets a new friend that she begins to relax and worry a little less.

      Watercolor paints and a black pen are used for all of the artwork in this book.  The author uses a formal text placement throughout the story.  The pictures help the reader to see Wemberly’s emotions and feelings.  The colors are bright and playful.  Wemberly is drawn in such a manner that she just looks like a worry wart.  There is a good bit of negative space and it is used to draw the reader’s attention to the pictures and expressions on Wemberly’s face. 

     I would definitely recommend this book for kindergarten students.  It is really hard for them on the first day of school.  However, any grade could use this as a first day of school opener.  I would use this book to get students thinking and talking about their emotions.  I would use this book during a history class to talk about how schools are different in other places.  Not just in other countries, but from town to town as well.  Kevin Henkes has won awards for some of his other books; however, this book has not won any awards yet.

Sally and the Purple Socks

Title: Sally and the Purple Socks

Author:  Lisze Bechtold

Illustrator:  Lisze Bechtold

Publishing company:  Philomel books

Copyright date:  2008

Number of pages:  32
Genre: Fantasy

     I chose this book because my son really enjoyed it when he was in kindergarten.  I enjoy reading it with his baby brother now.  This book is about a duck named Sally.  She gets a pair of purple socks, but her socks start to grow.  They just keep on growing and she has a big giant, literally, adventure in those big, purple socks.  Until the rain starts to pour, then all of a sudden the socks start to shrink. 

     The artwork in this book is done with a brushed ink line on top of gouache paint.  There is a little bit of negative space on a certain few pages of the book.  The text placement is formal.  The words are strategically placed around the pictures.  The artist uses very mellow colors for everything in the illustrations; the only exception is the purple socks.  They are a bright and vibrant color purple.

     I would use this book in a kindergarten classroom.  I would use this book to introduce the color purple.  Additionally, this book would be great for a phonics lesson.  Although, I might use it in the first grade classroom to get students thinking about using their imagination in their writing.   I would use this book before a field trip, and then lead the class in a discussion about to expect while on the trip.  I think that this could also work in a science lesson about materials expanding and contracting.  As of this date, this book does not have any awards.  

Creepy Carrots

Title: Creepy Carrots

Author: Aaron Reynolds

Illustrator:  Peter Brown

Publishing company:  Simon and Schuster

Copyright date: 2012

Number of pages:  36
Genre: Fantasy

     I chose this book because my son wanted me to buy it for him.  We read this book together and it was very funny.  The carrots in this story are very clever.  It is all about how they trick the rabbit into being afraid of them.  The rabbit used to spend his days picking and eating the carrots.  That is, until they come up with a plan to stop him.  The carrots start to haunt and stalk the rabbit.  At first, he thinks he must be crazy, but then he is convinced that they are out to get him.  Then he devises a plan to protect himself from the creepy carrots.

      The illustrations in this book are done in pencil on paper.  They are then digitally composited and colored for effect.  The artist uses a lot of dark colors to make this story seem creepy.  The only things not black and white are the carrots.  The text type for this story is informal.  The words are used to draw the reader’s attention to the placement of the carrots on the page.  The pictures are beautifully designed and have the feel of texture to them.  The illustrator did a wonderful job of making the pictures

creepy and inviting.

      I would recommend this book for children in kindergarten through the second grade.  That does not mean that older children would not benefit from this story; readers of any age could enjoy the comical twist on a bunny eating a carrot.  In the classroom, I would use this book to talk about real and imaginary.  I might use it for younger students in teaching about character development.  This story could be used in math to count the carrots and make predictions.  It could be used in science to talk about building or growing things.  This book has a Caldecott Honor Award.   

Title: Two Bad Boys

A Very Old Cherokee Tale

Author:  Gail E. Haley

Illustrator: Gail E. Haley

Publishing company:  Dutton Children’s Books

Copyright date:  1996

Number of pages:  28
Genre: traditional

      I chose this story because it is a Cherokee tale.  I am part Cherokee Indian and always find it interesting when I am able to find stories from that culture.  I was looking for a traditional tale that was clearly handed down through the generations.  This story fit the bill perfectly.  It is the Cherokee version of the story of Eden.  Two little boys, one good and one bad, are getting themselves into all kinds of mischief.  Their trouble ends up making the whole world have to work harder for their food. 

      The illustrations in this book are done in a sinewy gouache style.  The colors are both vibrant and cool depending on what is happening in the story.  The text type is informal and placed strategically throughout the story.  The words draw the reader’s eye to the part of the picture that may be important.  Many of the lines in these illustrations are textured and give the look and feel of roughness or fur. 

      I would recommend this book most for third through sixth grade.  It does touch a little on what may be a touchy subject to some people; the original sin and the Garden of Eden.  I think that his would be a great book to use to introduce students to new cultures.  It could also be used to get students exploring Native American tales.  I might even use this book to compare and contrast the beliefs of the origins of man on earth, with the older students, of course.  This book could be used during a science lesson on how hard work makes things grow.  This book has no awards at this time.  

Raven: A trickster tale

Title: Raven: A trickster tale from the pacific northwest

Author:  Gerald McDermott

Illustrator:  Gerald McDermott

Publishing company:  Harcourt Brace Publishers

Copyright date:  1993

Number of pages: 32
Genre: traditional

     I chose this book because I was looking for books that would represent a trickster tale.  I was looking for a good example to help me explain what a ‘trickster’ tale was to my children.  This book was given to me as an addition to my library.  I really like this story.  This book is about a raven that steals the sun and gives it to all the people to be enjoyed.  Until this day, the people had lived in darkness.  This story has been passed down through the generations. 

      This book uses watercolors for the majority of the pictures.  This book also employs the use of pastels, and colored pencils.  The pages are void of any negative space at all.  Each page has a picture that helps to tell the story.  The type of text placement this book uses is informal.  The words are placed directly over a picture.  The pictures are done using images that are traditional of the tribe the story represents. 

     This story would be appropriate for any readers who wish to learn about Native American folklore.   I would say it would work best for a social studies unit in third or fourth grade.  I would use this to demonstrate different writing styles, or to bring about a class discussion about folk tales.  I might use this in a science unit to start a unit on the sun.  This book has been awarded the Caldecott honor award.  

Cinderella

Title: Cinderella

Author: Charles Perrault

Illustrator: Loek Koopmans

Publishing company:  North-South books

Copyright date: 2002

Number of pages: 32
genre: traditional

     I chose this book because I was looking for an original version of the Cinderella story for my niece.  She is very fascinated by fairy tales and princesses.  This is the story of a young girl’s father that becomes so enchanted by his love for his new wife that he forgets about the needs of his daughter.  As a result of his neglect, she is forced into servitude to her stepmother and sisters.  She ends up finding love and being freed from her family’s treachery with the help of a fairy godmother.  This story sounds familiar, but it is a little bit different than the classical Cinderella movie that we all grew up watching. 

     The illustrations in this book are done with oil painting.  The illustrations are beautiful and very descriptive.  There is little or no negative space on the pages.  Additionally, the text type used in the majority of this book is informal.  The words are placed directly over the pictures.  The illustrations definitely help to tell the story and allow the reader to feel the story as it occurs. 

     I would recommend this book for any person that really likes princess stories or romantic love stories.  I am not a real big fan of the whole hopeless romantic idealism, but a lot of people are drawn to these types of books.  Any little girl would love the princess aspect of this book.  This book can be used to teach students the differences between stories.   For example, it would work for a compare and contrast of similarities and differences between the different kinds of Cinderella stories.   I would use this book to talk about the differences in other countries cultures during a social studies unit.  I might even use this book to bring up how stories change the more they are told.  As far as I know this book does not have any awards.  

Poetry All Kids Should Know

Title: Poetry All kids Should Know

Author: Edited by Gerald P. Murphy

Illustrator:  unknown

Publishing company: Shamrock Eden Publishing company

Copyright date: 2009

Number of pages: 46
genre: poetry

          I chose this book as a follow up to some of the other poetry books in my collection.  I added this one last, thus, it is last on my blog.  I started with the simpler poetry collections that would be easier to understand.  Then I introduced this book to my son.  It contains many of the classic poems written by beloved poets throughout history.  Authors included in this masterful collection include; Emily Dickinson, Edgar Allan Poe, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Louis Stevenson.  These poems require much more thought and analyzing to decipher than those found in my other poetry books. 

          The mediums chosen for the artwork of this book are pencil and charcoals.  The text is set up in a very formal type setting.  Each poem has a small picture to go with it, and it is above or below the poem.  There is a lot of negative space in this book.  The negative space is surrounding the poems on each page.   The poems are written in a continuous form, in that they are written one poem right after the other.

          This book would work well as an introduction of famous poets to younger children and as a sample of famous poet’s works for older children.  I think that all lovers of poetry should enjoy this collection.  It contains a good sampling of great works.  I would use this book as an introduction for a unit on famous poets.  Obviously, this book could be used as a way to introduce several different sound devices in poetry.  While this book itself does not carry any awards, many of the authors have been awarded honors for their works.  Longfellow is the only American writer honored in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey.  There is an award named after Edgar Allen Poe, The Edgar Awards.  

Pizza, Pigs, and Poetry

Title: Pizza, Pigs, and Poetry

Author: Jack Prelutsky

Illustrator:  No author (computer generated images-small)

Publisher company:  Greenwillow books

Copyright date:  2008

Number of pages: 208
genre: poetry

     I chose this book because of the author, Jack Prelutsky.  I also chose this book because I wanted a way to introduce my child and nephews to writing poetry.  This was the perfect tool to start that introduction.  I have recently fallen in love Jack Prelutsky poems.  I wanted to share this love with my child.  He thinks that writing poetry is too hard to write.  This book served my purposes perfectly.  It is filled with a variety of poems on many different topics.  Before each poem he tells the reader where the idea for the poem came from and encourages readers to find ideas from their world and experiences.

     There are very few illustrations in this book.  The ones that I have seen are computer generated or done in pencil.  There is a considerable amount of negative space and the pictures are strategically placed to go with the poems being presented.  The writing is done in a very formal type of design. 

       This book is good for all readers.  Anyone trying to learn how to write poetry would benefit from the lessons being presented.  Additionally, the poems are good, strong poems for young readers.  This book would work well with early elementary school students to be introduced to the idea of writing about life experiences.  Also, t would work with older students to specifically focus on translating life experiences into poetry.  In one of his poems, Jack writes about performing science experiment.  This could be a simple way of showing students that science doesn’t have to be scary.  This book has not received any awards yet, but I bet it will eventually.  

I Thought I Saw a Ghost Last Night

Title: I Thought I Saw a Ghost Last Night: And Other Laugh-Out-Loud Poems for Kids

Author:  Paul Orshoski

Illustrator:  Paul Orshoski

Publishing Company: 

Copyright Date: 2012

number of pages:  93
genre: poetry

   

 I chose this book because I found some of Paul Orshoski’s poems in another book and I was impressed.  I was looking for poetry books to add to my collection and this book was free for Halloween week.  This book contains poems that are about being scared and Halloween themed subjects.  I wanted to be able to share these with my practicum class, and I did just that.  The students responded really well to this whimsical Halloween rhymes.  They were impressed.

     The author and illustrator is the same person in this poetry collection.  He uses a lot of negative space on the page.  Additionally, he uses a formal arrangement of the words to pictures placement.  The pictures are done in watercolors and markers.  The colors have been chosen in a vibrant and colorful palette.  While some of the poems could be a little scary, the pictures help to lighten the mood.   

     This book is appropriate for poetry lovers of all ages.  This would also serve as a good introduction to the art for those who are just beginning to test the waters.  I would use this book as an introduction to rhyming.  I could see many phonics lessons springing from this book’s contents.  I could see using certain poems as a funny way to introduce certain science subjects, i.e. light and shadows, and imprints.  There is a lot of figurative language and a lot of poems about point of view.  As of today, this book has not yet received any awards that are listed.  

Dinner with Dracula

Title:  Dinner with Dracula A Spine Tingling Collection of Frighteningly Funny Poems

Author:  Edited by-Bruce Lanksy (various authors)

Illustrator: Mike and Carol Gordon

Publishing company:  Meadowbrook creations

Copyright date: 2006

Number of pages: 32
genre: poetry

I chose this book because it has a Halloween themed cover; I was looking for poetry books to add to my son’s book collection.  I wanted to try and find some poetry that would interest my nephew.  He likes guts and gory stuff and pretty much anything monsters.  When I saw the title and looked at some of the poems inside I knew this would be perfect for both boys.  The poems in this book are an assortment of funny and or rhyming poems.  They are all centrally themed; that theme being, of course, monsters or ghosts and make believe.  It is meant to be cute and funny, thus, easily enjoyed.

          The artwork in this poetry anthology is done in watercolor paints.  The colors are light and his dark depending on the poem; both the colors and the artwork coincide with the theme of the poem they surround.   The pictures versus words arrangement is set up like in a formal pattern on some pages.  However, it is an informal pattern on some of the pages containing longer poems.   

                                                           

       I believe this book could be appropriate for students who are just being introduced to poetry.  Although, readers of any age would enjoy the humorous rhymes and quips.  I would use this book as an easy way to introduce rhyming and poetry in the classroom.  It would be a cute way to introduce a unit about Halloween or maybe a fun way to introduce the history of beliefs about certain legends.  This book could also be used to introduce a study of the fiction genre.  It would even work as a cute introduction to a history lesson.  This book has received no awards at this time.