Fantasy

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

By: Laura Numeroff

Illustrator: Felicia Bond

Publisher: HarperFestival

Copyright Date: September 2007

# of pages: 32

                I chose this book because I have always loved to read it. Not only have I loved to read it to my children I have enjoyed sharing it with my kindergarten practicum class. This is a book about a mouse and a young boy. The mouse wants a cookie, so the boy gives him a cookie. Once the mouse is given the cookie he begins to want a long list of items. The story ends in suspense. You are left to wonder and to think what will happen next.

This text was illustrated to show the increasing energy of the mouse. Felicia Bond, the illustrator used great attention to detail. She used sketches and vibrant pastels. She layered reds, blues, yellow and blacks to create this wonderful piece of artwork.

 If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is a great book for children of all ages. I would recommend this book for children from the ages of three to about six. This would be a great book to use for a literature lesson. Students could actually come up with an alternate ending. Students could also tell the story from either the voice of the boy or the voice of the mouse. This would also be a great book to use when teaching character traits and beginning,middle and end. I have used this book in my kindergarten class this year and they truly enjoyed it! This book won Alabama Children's Choice Book Award for kindergarten through first grade in 1986 K–1.

     

Traditional Literature

The Magnificent Tree

By: Nick Blend and Stephen Michael King

Publishing Company: Scholastic Canada

Copyright Date: February 2013

# of pages: 32 

I chose this book because it is a traditional story that celebrates the fact that everyone is unique. The story reminds us that this is a good thing. Everyone has something special to offer the world. What could be better than that?! The story is about a boy and a man who end up working together to complete a project. With careful planning and really hard work they are able to pull off the impossible. 
The Magnificent Tree would be suitable for a kindergarten class to about second grade. Even in second I think it may be a bit of a stretch. 

The illustrations are bigger than life. There was no holding back when the pictures were completed. This would be a great book when talking to your students about differences between people and how that is okay. Also there is a great rhyme scheme that goes along with the simple story. Using this text as part of a literature and language arts lesson would be a great idea. This book has no awards.

Traditional Literature

Wish: Wishing Traditions Around the World

By: Roseanne Thong

Illustrated by: Elisa Kleven

Publishing Company:  Chronicle Books

Copyright Date: September 2008

# of Pages: 36

I chose this great book because it talks about  countries and their different customs. The book talks specifically about wishing customs in each country. Some of the customs are things like throwing flowers at a wedding, blowing seeds off of a dandelion and so many other things that so many of us do today. 

The illustrations in this book are honestly just captivating! There are double pages and on each page there is a different custom and its own illustration. This book is full of colorful pictures that capture the imagination.

This book is appropriate for grades kindergarten through third grade. There are really so many different subjects that this book could be incorporated into. Culture could be taught using this text. The different types of cultural experiences and items can be learned. Traditions can be studied as well, so this book could also be incorporated into history. Using this text when talking about communities is also a great idea. This text is infused with sense of community and celebrations for all types of people. This book has not received any awards.

Traditional Literature

  The Princess and the Pig

                      By: Jonathon Emmet

                   Illustrated by: Poly Bernatene

                    Publishing Company: Walker Children's

                             # of Pages:32

I chose this book because I was never really a fan of all the other princess stories. I saw this one and thought, "Finally''! A princess story the way it should have been told all along!" This cute traditional piece of literature begins with a terrible mix-up in a royal hospital! The princess and the baby piglet are switched at birth. Some believe it to be the work of the witch. The piglet grows up in the castle with everything her heart could desire, except for the love of her life. This story is pretty much just a fractured fairytale.

This fairytale was illustrated using computer technology. The animations are amazing. I just love all of the bright and vivid colors used to create this wonderful work of art. Each page is like a movie in a book. The people look completely animated!

The illustrations really just compliment the text.

                                                 This would be a great story from kindergarten to about fourth grade. This would be a great book to use as a writing prompt in a first and second grade. Students could also tell the story from another perspective. That would be a great lesson especially for the little girls! Not only would it be fun, it would be educational. The students could even complete a character reading aloud. They could each choose their character and act it out. This book has not won any awards.                        

Hip Hop Speaks to Children

Hip Hop Speaks to Children

By: Nikki Giovanni

Illustrated by: Kristen Balouch

Publishing Company: Sourcebooks

Copyright Date: 2008

# of Pages: 72

I chose this particular poetry collection while working at my practicum school. I needed something new and exciting to share with these children to get them interested in literature. So this is what I found. A book full of amazing poetry that has a diverse selection of African-American artists. These artist include those from the Harlem Renaissance to today's hip hop scene. There is even a CD that goes along with the book. Kanye West is an artist on the CD and he preforms a poem titled ''Hey Mama". I have yet to here it but I imagine it is wonderful.

  

  The illustrations are done in watercolor. The colors really bring power and passion to the book.

Pictures of love and faith fill the pages and tugs at your heart strings.

Teachers should definitely start encouraging children to place their words into song and poetry. Hopefully there will be some teachers who will feel encouraged to share this wonderful, motivating poetry with the children. Rhythm and  rhyme are both in poetry and those are two big stepping stones for children in kindergarten. Hopefully this book will allow children to become interested in reading  and poetry as well. Language arts, literature, reading and social studies could all be touched using this text. Hip Hop Speaks is a New York Times Best Seller.

When We Were Very Young

A.A. Milne

Illustrated by: Ernest H. Shepard

Publishing Company: Puffin

Copyright Date: August 1992

# of Pages:  112

I chose this book full of poetry because the author actually wrote one of my all time favorite books from when I was a kid. I loved Winnie the Pooh. This is a great collection of stories about imaginary playmates. These creatures have warmed the hearts of many for years and will continue to do so!

 

The Illustrations are not really bold or bright. They are not really what I imagined they would be. There are few illustrations in This book full of poetry, but the drawings are tiny! They are not full of detail at all. They are not full of color either. The illustrator only used simple drawings to illustrate this book. It is just so fitting and classy the way the book was laid out so many years ago. 

This text is appropriate for everyone from toddlers to young adults, even to the young at heart. Young children in elementary schools would truly love to hear the special rhymes. The poems talk about imaginary playmates that become their heart and soul. This poetry collection could be used to teach language arts and writing lessons would coincide with the text as well. There are not a lot of really great poetry books like this anymore. The young children need to continue reading this type of text. It is good for the soul! This book has not received any awards.

Rainy Day Poems 

By: James McDonald

Publishing Company: House of Lore

Copyright Date: November 2012

64 Pages

I chose this book filled with poetry because I felt as if children of any age could really enjoy it. Even adults could relate to the poems that talk about the different aspects of childhood. Children's good and bad days are both discussed in this great collection. It speaks of magical playtime with wonderful plots and so much more. Some of the poetry seems so sad, almost dark and some of it talks of endless  joy.

The illustrations are very captivating. The pictures are almost futuristic at times. I really love turning the pages to see the wonderful creations McDonald has made for the world to see. Computer software was used to create these illustrations. 

This book could be used in the classroom on a daily basis! The poem titled "Starfish" is a great poem for teaching action words. Language arts would be the best place for this book. There are also a few poems that read like a riddle. A text like this should be used to share the wonderful message it contains about bullying in schools. Using Rainy Day Poems in a classroom full of fourth graders  would be a great idea. These students could use this text for language arts while studying nouns and pronouns.This book has not won any awards. Although I believe it should! Maybe one day it will!

Twosomes:Love Poems from the Animal Kingdom

Twosomes: Love Poems from the Animal Kingdom

     By: Marilyn Singer

Illustrator: Lee Wildish

Published by: Alfred A. Knoff

 Copyright Date: January 2011

24 Pages

     

I chose Twosomes: Love Poems from the Animal Kingdom because I immediately fell in love with the illustrations. The book is filled with poems only two lines a piece. Each poem speaks of a relationship between two animals. I am just happy to see that they are stable relationships! The book of poetry contains horses, dogs, cats, dolphins, squirrels and even porcupines. Each page is so witty and wonderful. Any teacher would be lucky to have this in their own classroom library.

  

    The illustrations in this little piece of heaven are just amazing! They are very simple yet very eye catching. I actually looked at all of the pictures first before I even read the first page. I love how the illustrator used such beautiful watercolors to make the animals look so vivid. I even enjoy how the words kind of just float underneath the pictures without a border to hold them in.

    I would recommend this book to any small child. The appropriate age would be from three to about eight. Although the book is not very sophisticated it does have a very warm and loving feel to it. It would make a great valentine gift for anyone! I know I would love to get it. This collection of poems could be used in any classroom library. The book would be great if used with a literature lesson in kindergarten. Books full of poetry and rhyming words are great for kids so young. Character education could be taught  using this book as well. There are just so many fun activities a teacher could do with her young class using this text. This book has not received any awards.