POETRY
blsanchez1962





2011Macmillan


BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Frost, Helen. 2011. HIDDEN. New York: Frances Foster Books. ISBN 978-0-374-38221-6


PLOT SUMMARY:
Wren and Darra, aged 14 meet at summer camp and are housed in the same cabin. Although each has never met face-to-face, they know who the other is upon hearing their name. This is the first year that Darra has come to summer camp, and even though she is reluctant to go, she has agreed to spend two weeks there. Being the new girl in cabin 8, she does her best to stay to herself. Wren has been coming for several summers, housed in the same cabin 8 where the girls already know each other. But unbeknownst to the other girls Wren and Darra share a secret and even though they have never come fact-to-face they knew immediately who the other one was upon hearing each other’s name. What are the chances that after 6 years fate would have them come together at the same camp and in the same cabin.
When the girls were 8 years old, Wren was in waiting for her mother in their van when Darra’s dad stole it. She was able to hide from him and he drove the van home and it was there that she came to know of Darra. Hiding out in a boat, she heard the kind of life that Darra lived and was unaware that she knew anything about Wren hiding out in her boat. Wren was able to get away and Darra’s dad was arrested and sent to jail having lasting effect on both girls.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Helen Frost does an amazing job of telling a story through poetic form. She is able to delicately craft the voice of two characters giving each their own individuality through using two different forms to give each one their own. Darra and Wren survive an ordeal that happened to them at the age of eight years old, which is horrifying for anyone to live through.
The amazing intertwining of each character’s perspective brought together to form a story in poetic style added something personal to each voice. The story is told from different points of view which complement each other and draws in the reader. I like the way you could read along what each girl was thinking and experiencing and feel as though you were right there with them. Each style was different as were the girls, and yet connected in a way that made it feel real and not made up.
Touching on something as horrific as being in a car that gets stolen is something that younger readers can think about and believe that it’s a possibility that could happen to anyone, and not just through the pages of a book. Frost touches on this carefully without over doing it in such a way that it would bring fear to the reader, she also shows two different perspectives of the same event and the outcome it brings to both.
I found this to be a mesmerizing book and I was unable to put it down, the characters were very realistic and believable. The way that Helen Frost used two poetic styles was amazing and it gave the girls personality, it also had the feel of almost a diary in the way that you were able to know each point of view. This is a great book for middle school-aged students because it isn’t overbearing to read or heavy, they would be able to relate to how the character voice.
On Helen Frost’s website, she has a link at the bottom of the page for this book which takes you to an article that discusses realistic accounts of cases where children were left in a car that  is stolen which is good to accompany this book so that students reading will know that it’s based on real-life events and not on something that is made up.
Courtesy of Helen Frost’s website, probabilities of this happening in real life:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20110312/LOCAL07/303129930/0/FRONTPAG

REVIEWS:

…Beginning with a horrific story of an accidental kidnapping, this poetic novel is impossible to put down. Two eight year olds experience the event from totally different perspectives and are left with unanswered questions, anger, and fear. Years later, the girls meet and have a chance to finally face their feelings about what really happened. Frost in her notes at the end explains yet another way to read the story in her intricately constructed poems. Like finding a hidden picture within a picture, the second reading tells yet another point of view. A masterpiece! - Shirley Mullin, Kids Ink Children's Bookstore
From KIRKUS, Starred review, April 1, 2011: Frost's tale exhibits her trademark character development that probes the complexities of intimate relationships. ...
Both tender and insightful, this well-crafted, fast-paced tale should have wide teen appeal. (notes on form) (Poetry. 10-16) - from BOOKLIST:
....Like Frost’s Printz Honor Book, Keesha’s House (2003), this novel in verse stands out through its deliberate use of form to illuminate emotions and cleverly hide secrets in the text.— Heather Boot from SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL:
... This original blend of crime tale, psychological study, and friendship story is a page-turner that kids will love...Wren’s captivity in the garage is truly suspenseful, and the various interactions of the kids at the sleepover camp are a study in shifting alliances. The book also touches on some deeper issues, like how you can love a parent who is sometimes abusive, and how sensitive kids can blame themselves for things that aren’t really their fault. Smoothly written, this novel carries a message of healing and hope.–Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
Extras:
Interview with Helen Frost:
http://bookpage.com/interview/a-story-that’s-more-than-meets-the-eye
TO Enjoy a chapter excerpt:
http://us.macmillan.com/uploadedFiles/FSGBYR/Hidden%20Chapter%20Excerpt.pdf
CONNECTIONS:
Have students read “HIDDEN” by Helen Frost; discuss it to assist them in forming higher order level questions, and have them write about how they feel about it. Read the article from the link on Frost’s website so they can see the number of cases documented in it.
Propose questions such as:
·         How does this make you feel?
·         What do you think about the relationship between Wren and Darra?
·         What would you do if you were in Wren’s/Darra’s shoes?

Encourage readers try their hand at writing poetry.





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POETRY
blsanchez1962

1996-2011, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates



Mirror Mirror

By: Marilyn Singer

Illustrated by: Josee Masse

Singer, Marilyn. 2010. MIRROR MIRROR. Ill. Josee Masse. New York: Dutton Children’s Books an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. ISBN 978-0525-47901-7.

PLOT SUMMARY:

Could up be down and down be up? Is it possible to read poetry up to down and then back up? In this witty collection of “reversals” Marilyn Singer proves that you can make sense from down to up. A classic tale with a new twist, her poetic verse will challenge any reader to see if they have some fun in reversal.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

We always knew that the princess kissed the frog, or was it the frog kissed the princess? Marilyn Singer has shown us a new twist on poetic verse in the form of reversals. She challenged herself to see if she would be able to and MIRROR MIRROR delights readers with her cunning wit. “Who says it’s true-down is the only view? If you believe that, this poem will challenge you. Up is something new……”(Singer, 2010.) Poetry doesn’t have to have a single form, and poetry doesn’t have to have a standard rhyme. Poetry can be fun and challenging if you allow your mind the time. Look in a mirror and see what you can think of. Have fun with words and see what you can create!

REVIEW EXCERPTS:
From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 3–6—This appealing collection based on fairy tales is a marvel to read. It is particularly noteworthy because the poems are read in two ways: up and down. They are reverse images of themselves and work equally well in both directions. "Mirror Mirror" is chilling in that Snow White, who is looking after the Seven Dwarves, narrates the first poem of the pair. Read in reverse, it is the wicked queen who is enticing Snow White to eat the apple that will put her to sleep forever. "In the Hood" is as crafty as the wolf who tells of his delightful anticipation of eating Red Riding Hood. The mirrored poem is Red Riding Hood reminding herself not to dally since Grandma awaits. The vibrant artwork is painterly yet unfussy and offers hints to the characters who are narrating the poems. An endnote shows children how to create a "reverse" poem. This is a remarkably clever and versatile book that would work in any poetry or fairy-tale unit. A must-have for any library.—Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist

*Starred Review* This ingenious book of reversos, or poems which have one meaning when read down the page and perhaps an altogether different meaning when read up the page, toys with and reinvents oh-so-familiar stories and characters, from Cinderella to the Ugly Duckling. The five opening lines of the Goldilocks reverso read: “Asleep in cub’s bed / Blonde / startled by / Bears, / the headline read.” Running down the page side-by-side with this poem is a second, which ends with: “Next day / the headline read: / Bears startled / by blonde / asleep in cub’s bed.” The 14 pairs of poems—easily distinguished by different fonts and background colors—allow changes only in punctuation, capitalization, and line breaks, as Singer explains in an author’s note about her invented poetic form. “It is a form that is both challenging and fun—rather like creating and solving a puzzle.” Singer also issues an invitation for readers to try to write their own reversos on any topic. Matching the cleverness of the text, Masse’s deep-hued paintings create split images that reflect the twisted meaning of the irreverently witty poems and brilliantly employ artistic elements of form and shape—Cinderella’s clock on one side morphs to the moon on the other. A must-purchase that will have readers marveling over a visual and verbal feast. Grades 2-5. --Patricia Austin

"The poems are both cleverly constructed and insightful...giving us the points of view of characters rarely considered." --Horn Book

"A mesmerizing and seamless celebration of language, imagery, and perspective." --Kirkus, starred review


CONNECTIONS:

To view an interview with Marilyn Singer -http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/singer/

To explore her website and other works -http://marilynsinger.net/

For printables from Scholastic.com - PRINTABLES
Math Connection printable from Scholastic.com - Math Printable
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Traditional Literature - The Ugly Duckling
blsanchez1962
Hans Christian Andersen
The Ugly Duckling
Adapted and Retold by : Jerry Pinkney

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Pinkney, Jerry. 1999. HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN: THE UGLY DUCKLING. Ill. Jerry Pinkney. New York: Morrow Junior Books a division of William Morrow &  Company, Inc.. ISBN 978-0-688-15932-0.
PLOT SUMMARY:
This is story about feeling no awkward and inadequate in the world, as the ugly duckling as told he was ugly from birth by his own brothers and sisters. He was loved by his mother even though she didn’t know what to make of him. Through the seasons he suffered many trials and found no place, until the Spring came and an amazing change.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Jerry Pinkney has given readers not only a beautifully illustrated book, he has retold this sensitive story with compassion and beauty. How can one’s heart not thug when reading about the poor little “ugly duckling” being called ugly. The important outcome of this story for readers young and old alike is the fact that although he was not like everyone else, and didn’t fit in can be coupled with the idea that you don’t know what will happen in the future.
REVIEW EXCERPTS:

From Publishers Weekly

Pinkney's (Rikki-Tikki-Tavi) supple, exquisitely detailed watercolors provide a handsome foil to his graceful adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen classic. This "duckling" is teased unmercifully by his apparent siblings but loved by the mother duck: "He may not be quite as handsome as the others," she says, "but... I am sure he will make his way in the world as well as anybody." Eventually he runs away, and as the seasons turn, the fledgling has a series of adventures, from a close encounter with a hunting dog to getting trapped in ice. All the while he is growing, transforming, and in the triumphant ending, he finds peace and happiness when his real identity is revealed to himself and to readers. Pinkney's artwork is a swan song to the beauty of the pastoral, and his lush images flow across the pages in sweeping vistas and meticulous close-ups. Whether depicting the subtle patterns and colors of a duck's feathers, the murky twilight of a freshwater pond or the contrast of red berries against dried grasses etched with snow, Pinkney's keenly observed watercolors honor nature in all its splendor. A flawlessly nuanced performance by a consummate craftsman. Ages 3-up.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 4-The appeal of this tale is as strong today as it was 150 years ago, and Pinkney has done an admirable job of repackaging it for a new generation. His adaptation of the text succeeds in capturing the gentleness and melancholy of Andersen, although a bit of the social commentary has gone by the wayside. Pinkney does not shy away from including the more disturbing elements, such as the shooting of the geese, recognizing this episode's importance to the fabric of the story. The first glimpse he gives readers of the duckling, having at long last emerged from his shell, exhausted and vulnerable despite his size, foreshadows the events to come and immediately engages children's sympathy. Naturalists will quibble over the artist's choice of birds. This duckling is born into a mallard family, wild, not domestic, and the geese are Canadas, whose range is generally North America. However, these details do not in any way detract from the feast to the eye that these illustrations are, carefully composed and rich in detail. Even those owning The Ugly Duckling as told by Marianna Mayer, illustrated by Thomas Locker (Macmillan, 1987; o.p.)-the most recent "Duckling" of note-will welcome this fresh new version. An artistic tour de force that is worthy of its graceful fine-feathered subject.
Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

PLB 0-688-15933-8 Outstanding illustrations and some new characters make Pinkney's retelling of a familiar tale memorable. This time around, there's an old woman who befriends the duck for its egg-laying potential, a hunting dog that happens upon the duck, a man who pulls the duck out of a frozen river and provides warmth and shelter, and children who comment on the once-ugly duckling's arrival at a pond, saying it is the finest of the flock. As in the original, suffering and loneliness are appeased, and the enduring lessons are reaffirmed: suffering may be necessary for growth and happiness, and loneliness may be overcome. A spirited, artistic adaptation, and a welcome addition to the shelves. (Picture book/folklore. 3-9) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
AWARDS:
·         Caldecott Honor Book
·         ALA Notable Children’s Book
CONNECTIONS:
http://childrensbooks.about.com/cs/authorsillustrato/a/jpinkney.htm
http://www.jerrypinkneystudio.com/
http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/westonwoods/study_guides/the_ugly_duckling.pdf
To Browse Inside



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Traditional Literature - Folktales
blsanchez1962


The Three Little Pigs
Retold & Illustrated by Paul Galdone
Bibliography:
Galdone, Paul. 1998. THE THREE LITTLE PIGS: A Folktale Classic. Ill. Paul Galdone. New York: Clarion Books an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-395-28813-9.
Plot Summary:
THE THREE LITTLE PIGS is a classic tale that is about poor Mother Sow who is so poor, she has to send her three little piglets out into the world to make it on their own. The first little pig meets a man carrying straw, the second little pig meets a man carrying sticks and the third little pig meets a man carrying bricks. The fate of the little pigs revolves around the way they each make their house and how they handle ‘the BIG BAD wolf’.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Paul Galdone gives us a charmingly illustrated retelling of a classic tale. His characters have expressions that match their ordeal, and the BIG BAD wolf, is clever enough to give a little thump to readers. This particular edition has an inviting cover and is would make a perfect give to any beginning reader to cherish for years to come.
Review Excerpts:
Amazon.com Review
Clear plots, careful prose style, and bright, action-packed illustrations have catapulted Paul Galdone's takes on traditional tales to the top of teachers' and librarians' lists for decades. Galdone retold and illustrated many folk and fairy tales during his long career, including The Gingerbread Boy, The Little Red Hen, Puss in Boots, and The Three Billy Goats Gruff. His stories always have an exact picture-to-text match and a thoughtful distribution of text to illustration, making them excellent choices for reading aloud to a group of children. This edition of the popular story of three porcine siblings and one wily wolf has endured for almost 30 years--the building of different kinds of houses, the wolf's various attempts to lure the smart pig from his brick house, and the satisfying denouement, where the wolf lands in the pot of boiling water as the main course for the pig's supper. Before children can understand a hilarious parody such as Jon Scieszka's The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, they should get a delicious, Galdone-style taste of the real McCoy. (Ages 3 to 6)
--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.
Review
"All in all, a very appealing edition of a beloved story." School Library Journal

Connections:
http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/three_little_pigs.html

It would be fun to have students act out the story in their own interpretations.

A literature class could research all of the different versions of the story and compare them.

Students could make puppets and have puppet shows in their class and for lower grade levels.




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Traditional Literature - Folktales
blsanchez1962

THE            
GREATEST
OF ALL     
    A JAPANESE FOLKTALE 
Retold by                      
ERIC A. KIMMEL       
Illustrated by      
GIORA CARMI  
                                                                BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Kimmel, Eric A., Retold. 1991. THE GREATEST OF    ALL: A Japanese Folktale. Ill. By Giora Carmi. New York: Holiday House. ISBN 0-8234-0885-X

PLOT SUMMARY:
Father Mouse was well-dressed and well-groomed and since he lived in an emperor’s palace with his family, and had the finest food from the emperor’s table, and even dressed in fine silks from the emperor’s wardrobe, he believed himself to be a “splendid mouse indeed.”What happens when his “pretty daughter” Chuko asks to marry a simple field mouse name Ko Nezumi. “Please say yes, Otosan. Please.” She pleads. But that will not do for his daughter, for she has to have the greatest of all and he sets out to see the emperor, who he thinks is the best of all.
Father Mouse goes on a journey to find the “greatest of all” as a husband for his daughter and is shocked to find out “who” really is “the greatest of all”.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
 This is a charming Japanese folktale retold by Eric Kimmel. The language used throughout the book captivates  readers with the flow and feel as if they were in Japan. Although this story was retold, Kimmel keeps the mood and feel of the tale. Readers are introduced to words like “Otosan,” and Osama-san,” as well as “Ko-Nezumi.” In the “author’s note, “ Kimmel reveals “the source of “The Greatest of All” is “The Wedding Mouse” in Yochiko Uchida’s fine collection of Japanese stories, “The Dancing Kettle.” He goes on to say that “Gerald McDermott’s “Stonecutter” is another variation of the same tale. Readers may wish to compare the two, which in classic Zen fashion illustrate the power of patience and humility, but in strikingly different ways.”
Giora Garmi’s beautiful illustrations throughout add a very Japanese feel to the book. His character’s are adorable and the landscape are very serene. Together Kimmel and Garmi have made this tale very entertaining to read.
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
From Publishers Weekly
Kimmel ( Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock ; Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins ) concisely retells this pleasant if low-key tale of a self-important mouse who lives in the emperor's palace and dresses in fine silk. He refuses to allow his daughter to marry a humble field mouse, announcing that whomever she marries "must be the greatest of all." His quest to find the individual who fits this description begins with the emperor, who sends him to bright Sun, who defers to Cloud, who insists that Wind is far greater than he: "When Wind blows, clouds scatter." In the end, of course, the mouse discovers that it is not these powerful forces but the hard-working field mouse who deserves his daughter's hand. Warm colors and distinctive texture mark Carmi's ( And Shira Imagined ; The Chanukkah Guest ) illustrations, which include effective renderings of the anthropomorphic natural elements. Ages 3-8.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews
In this smooth retelling of ``The Wedding of the Mouse,'' from Uchida's classic The Dancing Kettle (1947), Father Mouse approaches the emperor as the greatest possible bridegroom for his daughter. Not so, says the emperor: the sun can make him seek shade. The mouse pursues his quest from sun to cloud to wind to wall, only to have the wall demur like the others: one day the tunneling field mouse will bring him down, he says, so the mouse maiden is allowed to wed her own beloved after all. Carmi uses tall frames and details of dress to suggest a Japanese setting; her style is lively and accessible but undistinguished, the illustrations' muted tomato-soup borders more distracting than harmonious. Still, an acceptable setting for a good story. (Folklore/Picture book. 4-10) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
CONNECTIONS:
http://ericakimmel.com/
http://ericakimmel.com/2011/06/in-support-of-libraries-and-librarians/

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Enjoy!
blsanchez1962
I hope you have enjoyed my Picture Book reviews. I loved each book and bought them for  my collection. I hope you will be inspired to read them too!!

:o) Becky
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Book Fiesta Book Review
blsanchez1962
                                            © 1997-2011 Barnesandnoble.com llc

Book Fiesta!

Celebrate Children’s day/Book Day; Celebremos El dia de los ninos/El dia de los libros.

By: Pat Mora
Illustrated by: Rafael Lopez

Bibliography:

Mora, Pat. 2009.. Book Fiesta!: Celebrate Children's Day/Book Day; Celebremos El dia de los ninos/El dia de los libros.  Ill. by Rafael Lopez. New York, NY:Rayo, an imprint of HarperCollins Children’s Books, HarperCollns Publishers. ISBN 978-0-06-128877-7

Plot Summary:

Celebrate children! Celebrate Books! Any where, with anyone! In libraries, in submarines too! With a friend or alone, in English and Spanish, Chinese or Navajo too! Reading awareness in the form of a colorful fiesta!

Critical Analysis:

Through the words of Pat Mora and colorful and fun illustrations a celebration of children and books are brought into awareness in the form of a book fiesta. Book Fiesta is a bilingual book in English and Spanish that forms a delightful mixture of cultures and will entertain any reader, and yet this wonderful event is something that can span throughout the world. Enclosed at the back of the book is an invitation from the author to invite anyone to celebrate children and books together in any way, shape or form as a way to “grow a nation of readers.”

She also suggests activities to parents, schools and libraries, museums or community organizations, as well as bookstores how to bring awareness of this growing event. Mora also donates a portion of the sales of her book to literacy initiatives related to children’s day/book day.

Awards

ALA Notable Book, 2010
CCBC Choices, 2010
Américas Commended List, 2010
Notable Children's Books in the Language
Arts, 2010
Belpré Illustrator Medal Book, 2010

Review Excerpts:
School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 3
Mora encourages teachers, parents, and librarians to celebrate Children's Day/Book Day and includes ideas for observing the festivities. Written in English and Spanish, the text shows children reading in a variety of places, going to the library, listening to stories, and enjoying books. López's acrylic illustrations fill the pages with color. His upbeat iconic style shows how much fun this celebration can be and portrays round-faced kids reading to a variety of pets and riding an elephant or sailing with a whale. Students will be encouraged to join in the book-based activities. This lively selection will motivate and excite children about the adventures they can go on through reading.-Sandra Welzenbach, Villarreal Elementary School, San Antonio, TX

 Connections:
·         As a class have their own book fiesta and create covers of their favorite books to display.

·         Older grade levels can read to younger students excerpts of their favorite books.

·         Art classes can select a country and make paintings to represent that culture as a part of Children’s Day/Book Day.

·         Schools can  host book fairs for children.

·         Libraries can see about getting authors to come and read to children as a way to enhance their reading experience.

·         Visit http://www.patmora.com/ and http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/


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The Poky Little Puppy Book Review
blsanchez1962
          

© 1997-2011 Barnesandnoble.com llc

The Poky Little Puppy 65th Anniversary Edition

By: Janette Sebring Lowrey

Illustrated by: Gustaf Tenggren

Bibliography:
Lowrey, Janette Sebring. 2007. The Poky Little Puppy: 65th anniversary edition. Ill. by Gustaf Tenggren. New York, NY: Golden Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, Random House Inc. ISBN 978-0-375-83920-7

Plot Summary:
This is a charming tale of five little puppies who dig holes under a fence and venture out into the wide, wide world, through the meadow, down the road, over the bridge, across the green grass, and up the hill only to find there are only four of them. Where is that poky little puppy? They looked around and saw him down the hill, and down they go.
While they were in a hurry, the poky little puppy was investigating something and smells desert and the puppies run home. Their mother was not happy with them and sent them to bed without desert. And the poky little puppy, came home after everyone went to bed and ate up all the desert and happily went to bed. Finally, the four puppies get that they should not dig holes and get their desert, while the poky little puppy came home to no desert. Don’t dig holes and venture out of your own back yard!

Critical Analysis:
Alice Sebring Lowrey enchants readers with her adorable puppies who like to venture out of their own backyard and learn a hard lesson when they break rules. Readers of all ages will be delighted with this little story and the artwork. It’s interesting to know this story originated in 1942 during World War II and sold for only 25 cents. It’s a testament that good writing stands the test of time and for 65 years, this story has delighted young and old alike. It’s a good way to introduce young children to the concept of rules and what happens when you break them.

Review Excerpts:

Editorial Review - Kirkus Reviews
Twice the little puppy is so slow he gets home too late for the punishment meted out to his four brothers and sisters- for digging a hole under the fence- and laps up all the dessert they were denied. But the third time his pokiness catches up with him and he gets punished too.

Editorial Review - Reed Business Information (c) 2003
Random House launches Big Little Golden Books with a quartet of vintage titles in a new, larger trim size. First published in 1942, The Poky Little Puppy by Janette Sebring Lowrey, illus. by Gustaf Tenggren, stars a curious canine who just can't keep up with the pack. In Scuffy the Tugboat by Gertrude Crampton, illus. by Tibor Gergely, Scuffy sets out to see the world but soon decides to go back where he belongs-the bathtub. It's springtime in Margaret Wise Brown's Home for a Bunny (1956), illus. by Garth Williams, and a brown rabbit looks for a place to live. After interviewing other animals about their abodes ("I would fall out of a nest," he explains to the robin), he finally finds the right match. In The Fuzzy Duckling (1949), a counting book by Jane Werner Watson, illus. by Alice and Martin Provensen, a baby duck meets other animals including "two frisky colts," and "six lively lambs/ with thick soft fleece," but none will join him for a walk through the woods.

Connections:

·         Science connections – these puppies come across some strange things in their adventures, discussions about meadows, hills, and the types of critters you might encounter there.

·         Cause and effect – what happens when- discussions amongst students what happens when rules are broken. Why are rules made?

·         Class can make puppets and perform the story for the rest of the class.

·         Look into the history of The Poky Little Puppy, social study connections to the time of 1942; students can do research to see what was going on in the world at that time.

·         Visit http://www.randomhouse.com/golden/ to learn more about Little Golden Books.






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PICTURE BOOK REVIEW - Kitten's First Full Moon
blsanchez1962


           

© 1997-2011 Barnesandnoble.com llc

Kitten’s First Full Moon

By: Kevin Henkes
 

Bibliography:

Henkes, Kevin. 2004. Kitten’s First Full Moon. Ill. by Kevin Henkes. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 978-0-06-058828-1
 

Plot Summary:

Kitten has quite an adventure while trying to get to the big bowl of milk she sees in the sky. She tries everything she can to reach it, yet it stays in the sky. When she climbs a tree to get to it, she get’s scared until…she sees the even bigger bowl of milk in the pond. She runs down the tree, and runs and jumps into the “bigger bowl of milk” and ends up cold and wet. Cold, wet and hungry she goes home and what does she find? She finds a big bowl of milk. This story tells readers about that sometimes the road to get what we want isn’t easy, but if you keep trying you might get there.

 Critical Analysis:

Kevin Henkes has introduced us to an adorable yet simple story of kitten and her first full moon, which she thinks is a big bowl of milk. Readers tag along with her as she tries everything she can to get the big bowl of milk in the sky. Although she is unsuccessful in her attempts, she doesn’t give up trying to get to her goal. When she ends up in a jam, she sees an even bigger bowl of milk and she overcomes her fear to get to a new goal. This story is simple to follow and easy enough to understand the importance of “keep trying” you always get rewarded in the end.

Henkes’ artistic style give this book elegance in black and white.

Kitten’s First Full Moon won the Caldecott Medal in 2004.

 Review Excerpts:

“His drawing style is rowdy, exuberant, equal parts late Arnold Lobel and early Maurice Sendak. His heroes are admirably tenacious, plucky and equal to whatever task, lesson or sorrow Mr. Henkes supplies for them. His writing has a concise wit that is rare in children’s books…There is also an emotional  context to Mr. Henkes’s picture-book that is equally rare…His work rings true.”----The New York Times Book Review

From School Library Journal - PreSchool-K-An irresistible offering from the multifaceted Henkes. The spare and suspense-filled story concerns a kitten that mistakes the moon for a bowl of milk. When she opens her mouth to lick the treat, she ends up with a bug on her tongue. Next, she launches herself into the air, paws reaching out for the object of her desire, only to tumble down the stairs, "bumping her nose and banging her ear and pinching her tail. Poor Kitten." Again and again, the feline's persistent attempts to reach her goal lead to pain, frustration, and exhaustion. Repetitive phrases introduce each sequence of desire, action, and consequence, until the animal's instincts lead her home to a satisfying resolution. Done in a charcoal and cream-colored palette, the understated illustrations feature thick black outlines, pleasing curves, and swiftly changing expressions that are full of nuance. The rhythmic text and delightful artwork ensure storytime success. Kids will surely applaud this cat's irrepressible spirit. Pair this tale with Frank Asch's classic Moongame (S & S, 1987) and Nancy Elizabeth Wallace's The Sun, the Moon and the Stars (Houghton, 2003) for nocturnal celebrations.-Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library
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 Connections:

·         Students can perform reader’s theater in groups giving their own interpretation of the story

·         Students can create a storyboard

·         students can retell the story

·         As a class with student-led discussion, they can discuss the elements of the story and try to identify character traits and how they relate to their lives.

·         Students can visit the author’s website to learn more about how the story was developed and illustrated. http://www.kevinhenkes.com/default.asp


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