Saturday, February 23, 2013

COMETS, STARS, THE MOON, AND MARS
By Douglas Florian

1. Bibliography
Florian, Douglas. COMETS, STARS, THE MOON, AND MARS: SPACE POEMS AND PAINTINGS. Orlando: Harcourt. 2007. Print. ISBN: 9780152053727

2. Plot Summary
This book contains poems from different aspects of space.  Poems about each planet and the sun can be found in this book.  Also, other things that can be found in space, have their own poem as well.  These include comets, the galaxy, and the black hole. At the end of the book you will find "A Galactic Glossary" were more in-depth definitions for each poem's topic can be found. Florian also includes a poem about Pluto and why it is no longer classified as a planet.

3. Critical Analysis
This book contains a collection of poems written by Florian on the subject of space. These poems have rhymes which are mostly consistent throughout the book. Many young students will enjoy this book about space because some factual information is present along with humor. The poems are good for a read aloud because of the simple rhymes and descriptive language to help children picture the planet in their mind. 

The illustrations in the book are bright and colorful for elementary readers to enjoy. From a note in the book we learn that Florian's illustrations were created using "gouache, collage, and rubber stamps on primed brown paper bags". Each poem is illustrated on two pages so that the reader gets a visual picture.  Children will enjoy finding the letters that are stamped in various corners to spell out the title of the poem.  Some illustrations included words from different languages.  On "The Sun" page, paike, sol, and soare are written around the perimeter of the sun.  We can learn that these words are "sun" from different language translations. On the page with "The Earth" poem, the readers will enjoy seeing the earth and pictures of different animals that live in various countries. 

4. Review Excerpts
~BOOKLIST: "Each broad double-page spread features a short, accessible poem about a subject such as the sun, each of its planets, a comet, a constellation, or the universe, set within an impressive painting."
~HORN BOOK FANFARE "With its gorgeous palette (deep-space blues and gaseous oranges), sweeping vistas, and ingenious effects (including occasional die-cuts), this is a cosmic success."
~2008-2009 Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee

5. Connections
~Read this book as an introduction to a lesson on planets and space.
~Have willing students to participate in a reader's theater.
~Have students choose a topic from this book and complete an inquiry based research project from what they would like to know more about while working in pairs.

6. Other Books by Douglas Florian
UNBEELIEVABLES: HONEYBEE POEMS AND PAINTINGS
BEAST FEAST: POEMS
SHIVER ME TIMBERS!: PIRATE POEMS & PAINTINGS
POEM RUNS: BASEBALL POEMS
POETREES

RED SINGS FROM TREETOPS: A YEAR IN COLORS
By Joyce Sidman Illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski

1. Bibliography
Sidman, Joyce. 2009. RED SINGS FROM TREETOPS: A YEAR IN COLORS. Ill. Pamela Zagarenski. New York: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN 9780547014944

2. Plot Summary
This collection of poems is about seasons and the colors that are present.  The story begins with spring and takes the reader on a journey through the seasons with emphasis on colors that you see, smell, hear, and taste. The colors are used to express the seasons.

3. Critical Analysis
The collection of poems written by Sidman tell the readers of the various colors that can be found throughout the year. Sidman highlighted the color that each poem was about.  This is extremely helpful to young readers so that they can focus on the color described.  Many colors are used each season to represent things that are taking place during that season. In spring, green describes the new growth, in summer green is the grass, and in fall green is leaving so brown can take over. Finally, pine needles represent green in the winter.  Sidman uses many adjectives to help the reader picture the colors of fall in their mind. For example; "Fall smells purple: old leaves, crushed berries, squishy plums with worms in them." I feel that you can almost smell, taste, and feel the colors that are present in each season due to the word choices the author made.

"The illustrations are mixed media paintings on wood and computer illustrations." The illustrations in the book are quite interesting. The illustrations correlates beautifully to the poems on each page. The pictures help the reader to grasp the color mentioned in the poems and to use their senses to experience the colors present. Many pictures have words or numbers within the pictures. On two different pages, the ladies' collar has the name of the season written on it.  Some roof tops, sidewalks, and one door have words written on them from what looks to be newspaper print. Children will enjoy looking at the pictures to see if they can find something unique within the illustration.

4. Review Excerpt
~BOOKLIST: "Throughout, the mixed-media illustrations, including collage and paintings on wood, provide much to look at. And as the title implies, the colors that surprise on every page do sing."
~SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "Sidman encourages readers to experience color with all of the senses."
~CALDECOTT HONOR BOOK

5. Connections
~This book could be read aloud during each season to discuss the different things and colors that are taking place in nature.
~Children could make their illustration of the seasons while making sure to include all colors mentioned.

6. Other Book by Joyce Sidman
~SONG OF THE WATER BOATMAN & OTHER POND POEMS
~THIS IS JUST TO SAY: POEMS OF APOLOGY AND FORGIVENESS
~SWIRL BY SWIRL: SPIRALS IN NATURE


CROSSING STONES
By Helen Frost

1. Biblography
Frost, Helen. Crossing Stones. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2009. Print. ISBN: 9780374316532

2. Plot Summary:
This novel is about two families who live on opposite sides of a creek during the 1910s and most importantly during WWI. Muriel and her brother Ollie, Emma and her brother Frank are families that are close childhood friends.  Things change when Frank and Ollie go off to fight in World War I. Frank does not come back from war and Ollie returns without one arm.  Muriel has the chance to see women's suffrage movement when her Aunt Vera needs help in Washington, D.C. Muriel then realizes that maybe her home is not her home any longer and returns to Washington, D.C. to help her aunt and be "a happily unmarried woman."

3. Critical Analysis
CROSSING STONES is a historical novel written in verse. Frost writes the novel in verse which is beautifully done and a quick read.  Each main character (Muriel, Emma, and Ollie) has a shape poem to tell their story.  From the author's note of the form, we learn that Muriel's poems are like the creek flowing over the stones that separate the two families. Emma and Ollie's poem are like the prefect stones found in the creek.  Their poems even contain words that rhyme with each other's poem to represent the feelings they have for each other. Through this book we are reminded that not only are the men who go off to war affected, the families they leave behind are affected as well.  This is shown through Muriel and the parents mentioned in the book. This novel helps readers to understand more of the woman's suffrage movement through the character of Muriel. The readers are given a first hand view of the what might have happened in the picket line during the woman's suffrage movement. 


4. Review Excerpt
~ 2010 Lee Bennett Hopkins Honor
~ BOOKLIST: "Frost offers a layered, moving verse novel."
~ SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "Frost's warmly sentimental novel covers a lot of political, social, and geographical grounds."

5. Connections
~ The novel could be used to introduce a unit on WWI.
~ This book could be used to introduce shape poems and then have students write their own poems using the shape format.
~ Women's rights could be discussed and researched in greater detail.

6. Other novels in verse by Helen Frost
HIDDEN
THE BRAID
DIAMOND WILLOW


Saturday, February 9, 2013

THE THREE PIGS by David Wiesner


1. Bibliography
Wiesner, David. THE THREE PIGS. New York: Clarion, 2001. Print. ISBN: 0439445175

2. Plot Summary
The story begins as the original "The Three Little Pigs." When the wolf goes to the house of the first little pig, the story begins to change. Instead of being eaten by the wolf, the pigs escape the original story. The pigs then wonder around viewing pages from other stories like HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE. They venture into a story containing a dragon. To save the dragon from death by a knight, they invite him to join them outside the story. Finally the pigs find their original story and decide to go home. They take the dragon with them to scare off the wolf. The pigs, dragon, and cat from HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE live happily together.

3. Critical Analysis
The author writes the story at the beginning from a traditional stand. Then allows the pigs to escape a bad situation.  The story is different from most because the pigs are able to get outside the story in a sense and wonder around various other stories. The author uses three different stories to complete one story that consist of a happy ending. If children have not read one story, hopefully they have read the others and therefore can relate to them. The story ends happily which many children enjoy.

The illustrations in the story begin traditional and also end traditional.  The middle of the story is where things are different. The pigs take on a three dimensional shape which helps the reader to notice that something different is happening in the story.  There is also a lot of white space during this time in the story. Readers are able to focus on the happenings of the story due to the white space. The pigs are also given speech bubbles so that the readers can understand that the pigs are no longer in a story. When the pigs enter the other stories like HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE,  the illustrations return to normal like in the beginning.  This helps the readers to understand that the pigs are now in a story instead of wondering outside the stories. At the end, we see the pigs return to a story because of the illustrations and no white spaces.  We also see the pigs write their own ending of "they lived happily ever after," using letters from the original story.

When reading this story to second graders, they were a little confused when the pigs escape the story.  After talking about the story line and what is happening, they seem to enjoy the story.  Some of their favorite parts are when the wolf's page gets crumbled up and when the dragon scares the wolf away.  One child noted that it was the best story of all the "The Three Little Pig" stories.

4. Review Excerpts
~2002 Caldecott Medal
~SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "Witty dialogue and physical comedy abound in this inspired retelling of a familiar favorite."
~HORN BOOK MAGAZINE: "There are lots of teaching opportunities to be mined here--or you can just dig into the creative possibilities of unconventionality."


5. Connections

~Read the three stories used in THE THREE PIGS to compare where the three pigs entered or left the story
~Read other versions of the THE THREE LITTLE PIGS and compare/contrast the stories

6. Other books by David Wiesner
~SECTOR 7
~TUESDAY
~JUNE 29, 1999
~ART & MAX


THE FIRST STRAWBERRIES: A CHEROKEE STORY
 Retold by Joseph Bruchac, Illustrations by Anna Vojtech

1. Bibliography
Bruchac, Joseph, and Anna Vojtech. THE FIRST STRAWBERRIES: A CHEROKEE STORY. New York: Dial for Young Readers, 1993. Print. ISBN: 0803713320

2. Plot Summary
The first couple that the creator made lived happily together. One day the husband became upset with the wife because she had not started supper and she was out picking flowers instead. He said some hurtful words, so she left on foot. The husband started to chase after her but could not catch her. The sun who had watched all of this take place felt sorry for the husband and wanted to help. The sun made various berries to try and catch the attention of the wife. After several unsuccessful attempts, strawberries catch the wife's attention. At this point the husband is able to catch up to his wife and he apologizes. She shares the strawberries with her husband. The berries are a reminder "to be kind to each other." 

3.  Critical Analysis
The characters in the book reflect the human emotional qualities that everyone has including anger. The setting takes place at the beginning of time. Love is represented by the Sun when the various fruits are being made. The moral of the story is to be kind to each other. Children are taught through this story about forgiveness. Cultural references are present because the husband's job is the hunter while the wife is to cook. This serves as a reminder to children that mothers were not always working outside of the home.  

At the beginning, the illustrations portray a happy couple on earth. There are several pages that contain no words, which helps the reader to focus on the emotions present at the time.  Mostly neutral colors are used in the illustrations.  The use of bright colors for the fruit, help the readers to see what fruit the wife is passing by.  The bright red of the strawberries help the readers to anticipate the wife stopping to pick them. When she stops to pick the strawberries, we see that her emotions have changed and she is now happy.  The illustrations show a happy reunion between husband and wife, while viewing the strawberries. The pictures also show the native Americans living close to nature.

4. Review Excerpt
~SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "The retelling is simply and clearly written, and as sweet as the berries the woman stops to taste."
~HORN BOOK MAGAZINE: "A brief, readable, authentically retold tale that carries a valuable and palatable message."

5. Connections
~Have students research native American people
~Have students research strawberries
~Grow strawberries as a class
~Discuss anger and what the husband should of said instead of hurtful words

6. Other Stories of Cherokee People:
THE TRAIL ON WHICH THEY WEPT: THE STORY OF A CHEROKEE GIRL By Dorothy Hoobler

RUMPELSTILTSKIN: FROM THE GERMAN OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM
Retold and Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky

1.  Bibliography
Zelinsky, Paul O., Jacob Grimm, Wilhelm Grimm, Paul O. Zelinsky, and Riki Levinson. RUMPELSTILTSKIN: FROM THE GERMAN OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1986. Print. ISBN: 0525442650

2. Plot Summary
An average miller wanting to impress the king, tells him that his daughter can spin straw into gold. The king takes the daughter to the castle and tells her to spin a room of straw into gold or die. The daughter does not know what to do except cry. A little man appears and tells her he can spin the straw into gold in-exchange for a gift. She gives him her necklace, the next night the king brings her to another room of straw that needs to be spun into gold.  The second night she gives him her ring. On the third night the girl has nothing left to give.  The little man asks for her firstborn after she marries the king and she agrees, but she does not think that will happen. After she has her firstborn, the little man reappears to take the baby. The queen begs him not to take her child, so he gives her three days to guess his name. The Queen sends a servant to discover his name and she does. Therefore, the queen gets to keep her son.

3. Critical Analysis
From the author's note at the end of the book, this folktale is based on the 1819 version of RUMPELSTILTSKIN. The author based some dialogue on later versions and also added lines where he felt   the readers needed more understanding.
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This story has suspense in several aspects. Readers do not know if the daughter will die, if Rumpelstiltskin will return to claim the baby, and if the queen will discover his name in time. Even with the suspense, younger children are able to follow the story because the story line contains few characters and a simple setting. The story portrays good defeating evil because the beautiful queen gets the prince and is able to keep her child.

The pictures are very detailed and rich in color. Readers are able to be taken to the castle, and different parts of the countryside through the art of this book. The illustrations show the depth of the straw, the emotions on the girl's face when she is giving Rumpelstiltskin her items, and the art of a castle. The illustrations in the book make the story come to life for the readers. When Rumpelstiltskin is taking her ring, you can see by the illustrations of her emotions that she is not happy.  When Rumpelstiltskin arrives to claim the baby, you can see the surprise and fear of a mother not wanting this to happen. The illustrations also show that she is worried when trying to come up with his name. The reader is also shown the happiness of a mother who gets to keep her baby.  On the other hand, the illustrations do a wonderful job of showing Rumpelstiltskin's anger when he realizes he does not get the baby. 

This story is one of my favorites from my childhood, especially this book because of the pictures.  My favorite part is that the queen wins in the end. 

4.  Review Excerpts
~1987 Caldecott Honor Book
~BOOKLIST: "A lush and substantial offering"
~SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "Without overpowering the text, the illustrations give depth and background, providing exquisite texture and detail."

5. Connections
~Discuss the various character styles present
~Analyze why the father told a lie

6. Other books illustrated Paul O. Zelinsky:
~Z IS FOR MOOSE
~TOYS COME HOME
~RAPUNZEL
~HANSEL AND GRETEL
~TOYS GO OUT


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