Multicultural

Coming On Home Soon

By: Jacqueline Woodson

Illustrated by: E. B. Lewis

 Putnam Juvenile: 2004

32 Pages

Multicultural

I chose this book because I was told my a friend 

that it was a great story about a girl and her mother that seems timeless. The story is set during World War II in Chicago. The story is about a young girl, Ada Ruth, who waits on her mother to return home from working in Chicago. The women are now doing the men's work while the men are off fighting in the war. Ada Ruth and her grandmother wait for the arrival of her mother. The story conveys a warm sense of anticipation. 

 Water colors are used to create the illustrations for this timeless book. The muted water colors are used with such grace, each picture portrays the emotions felt by the women. The colors used show what a dark and lonely time this must have been, especially to a young girl. The illustrations were done to show that emotion. 

     This book would be appropriate for many ages, but I would say at least kindergarten and up. This would be a great book to use when teaching about the history and how the wars affected us here in the US. The use of language to portray emotion could be used in a language arts lesson. Teachers could also use this book to teach character education. This book has won the Caldecott Award. 

Historical Fiction

Now & Ben The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin

By: Gene Barretta

Square Fish: 2008

40 Pages
Historical Fiction

   

     I chose to write about this individual book because it has such wonderful illustrations. I had not seen this book before now and just love it! There are definitely many great educational benefits you could get from this text and share with your class. This book was about Benjamin Franklin and his inventions. For example, Franklin invented the lightning rod, electricity, and even bifocals. In this book it shows how important these inventions are to us now. 

     

     The illustrations in this book are very colorful. The artist used watercolor on paper to achieve this look. There are a lot of cartoon looking characters throughout the book. The pictures are very engaging and humorous. The water colored cartoons show just how Franklin's inventions came to life. The endpapers are filled with sketches of some of the inventions. These endpapers also offer some more of the real biographical information. 

     This book would be appropriate for children from kindergarten until fourth grade. This would be a great book used for a history project. Students could use this text to learn about some of the inventions Franklin made possible. Students could also use this text to talk about what if these inventions were still not here today? What would the effect on our world be? There would be so many great discussion points. Older students could also talk or write about how the inventions have evolved over time. This book has not won any awards. 

Historical Fiction

Satchel Paige Don't Look Back

By: David A. Adler

Illustrated by: Terry Widener

Harcourt Childrens Book: 2007

32 Pages

Historical Fiction

    I chose this book because it just seems to be a great text to teach children about dreaming big. Children should learn from an early age to never let anyone hold you back and that is exactly what this book will teach not only young students but the young at heart as well. In the book Satchel, a young, African American boy steals some toy rings and is sent to a boarding school. This is where he is able to play ball and keep warm. Satchel eventually became a major league rookie although he played in the Negro Leagues for decades. This is where he earns his place in baseball history.

     The illustrations in this book are wonderful. They are somewhat like cartoons. The baseball players tend to have extremely long arms and legs especially Satchel Paige. The colors are amazing. They are true to life. The medium used is acrylics on Strathmore bristol board. I truly love the pictures. The illustrations of people in this text are just too good to be true! I wish more books had illustrations like this. The images of their faces are just priceless! 

This text would be appropriate for children from five to eight years of age, or from kindergarten until third grade. Using this book to teach a history lesson would be beneficial. Students could learn about the times when African Americans were not treated as they are today. Teaching students to never let anyone or anything hold you back from achieving your dreams is another great lesson. Language Arts would be a great place in the curriculum to place this text as well. This book has not won any awards, although David A. Adler has won many!

If You Give a Cat a Cupcake

If You Give a Cat a Cupcake

By: Laura Numeroff

Illustrated by: Felicia Bond

HarperCollins Publishing Company, 2008

32 Pages

Fantasy

     I chose this book because it is one of many in a series. I have wrote about a couple of the other ones also in this same series. I enjoyed reading the others to my class and this too was a favorite of mine. In this book a girl gives a cat a cupcake. The cat mistakes the girls kindness for weakness and from then on wants more and more. The cupcake leads to sprinkles, then to a trip to the beach and an amusement park. All of this eventually ends back to where they started. The cat is once again given a cupcake with sprinkles. 

     

     The illustrations in the book were great just like the illustrations in all of the other "If You Give a.." series. I am just amazed at how someone can take such a simple idea and turn the pictures into something so amazing. Bond uses beautiful, rich, vibrant watercolor. She includes a black line used for a graphic effect as well. White space is often used in many of Bonds illustrations as well.  

     This book would be appropriate for children age three to third grade. There are many activities you could create using this book. Many teachers have implemented this text into different curriculum across the board. This would be a great book to use for character education. The students would have a great time discussing the difference each character has. The students could also draw a picture to illustrate who they see when they read the text. Using this text for children to learn beginning, middle and end would be a useful tool as well. In this book it tells a story with an "If____, then ___" scenario. The story ends up in the same situation that you started with. Students could use this text in a language arts assignment. The students could fill in the "if" and "then" with their own situations. Laura Numeroff has won many awards for this series of books. She has not won any awards for this specific book. 

     

Fantasy

If You Give a Moose a Muffin

Author: Laura Numeroff

Illustrator: Felicia Bond

Publishing Company: Harper Collins

Copyright Date: September 1985

32 Pages

Fantasy

I chose this text because I love this entire series of books. I love that the children are able to connect all of the texts to each other. They remember the characters and the author. It is important for children to know authors and their texts. Children really fall in love with these stories. I have fallen in love with them as well. In this story a moose comes to visit. The moose wants a muffin so the boy gives him one. Once the boy has given him a muffin he begins to want more and more. The young boy is run ragged by this guest of his.

 Just like the other books in this series this book was illustrated by Felicia Bond. She used pastels and sketches to make this book come alive. This was the book that started the entire "If You Give a ..." series. This would be a great book for children from preschool until second grade. 

This would be a great book to use with language arts and literature lessons. 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 mo0se. 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 title and many of the others in this series have all won numerous awards. 
 
 

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.