Final Reflection

This has been a wonderful experience. When I first started this class I was new to the blogging and glogging world. Now, I feel a lot more comfortable with the process and found it to be quite fun and it really expanded my creative abilities with analyzing all sorts of picture books and novels. I was the most surprised at my instant love of graphic novels. Without this class, I can honestly say that this never would have happened. This class has really opened my eyes to a variety of children’s literature, new perspectives, opinions, cultures, backgrounds, and lifestyles. I have a new appreciation for this class and children’s literature. Having a child, myself, helped me pay attention to the controversial side of things. I have learned to be more aware in some ways and will try to be more accommodating in other ways. Overall, I loved this class and feel it will be an asset to my teaching career.

Love That Dog by Sharon Creech

This is such a great novel that really dissects poetry and not only helps define it but helps identify it in a new way. Originally, the boy identifies poetry with a stigma attached to it. He thinks only girls write poetry and all of the words must fit perfectly in place. It is a creative story with beautiful poetry! This book really makes you think outside of the box.
Another great thing about this is a book is that it can suit all ages, child or adult! I love how everything fits so nicely together. Our classroom activity was very helpful in creating color and personality to this book! The chance to act it out changed my perspective on ways to make a poem come alive. I realized that it doesn’t just have to come from one reader. Sometimes it can be read by a group working together to craft animation from a variety of imaginations. I love that dog and I love this book!

I Saw Your Face by Tom Feelings

This has a wonderful sentimental meaning behind this poem picture book. The illustrator actually drew these portraits while he travelled around the world to find many beautiful faces with the commonality of having an African descent. I feel many of the pictures are a bit depressing because they have solemn, somber faces. Not one single person is smiling. Some of the people look like they are posing; others just look deep in thought. There are sketches of all ages and I am a bit shocked that no one is smiling, especially the children. I like how the images are set up on each page. There are very few things in the background. Additionally, there are only a few words on each page, mainly stating where each drawing came from and arranged words creating a rhyming scheme. I think all of this helps avoid distractions against the large sketches of the people. It is interesting that Tom Feelings did not include any action shots, unless, his intentions were to only go with one theme. I thought it was quite unique how none of the portraits are colored in. There are all outlined in blue, brown, or black with a background color of either beige or light blue. I found that pretty fascinating because his choice of these monotone dreary colors truly added to the feeling of loneliness and sadness of these people.

I think this book it trying to send a powerful message to its readers. Although they seem to show no emotion; I can immediately sense immense pain through their eyes. You can almost see the injustice they feel deep in their soul. It’s interesting how these sketches were drawn all throughout the world yet; it looks as though everyone in here is from the same community. It sends the message to me that they are all alike in some way no matter where they live in the world.

Homegrown House by Janet Wong

This is an interesting poetry book because there is no specific rhythm or rhyming scheme. I was amazing at the powerfulness it had to really put me in the little girl’s mind and perspective of moving all the time. She was desperately searching for some normalcy and routine and I could strongly feel that throughout the whole book. I can’t imagine having to move so much as a child. I, personally, moved a lot as an adult and found it pretty difficult in many ways to adjust. However, as a child you are still trying to find your identity and a sense of belonging.

The author could have just as easily made this a regular picture book but I am so glad she did it as a poetry book. It is more resonating this way. She is so good at what she does. Additionally, the choice of watercolors and the style she used them in captured a lot more emotion and scenery in my head than was actually there on the page. I was very curious as to whether this is a true story or not. I appeared that it was the author sharing truths from her childhood and reminiscing about the good times that she will forever cherish and take with her as she grows old. It also touches a lot on her hardships and how she gets through it all which I find very inspirational. As you can probably tell, I absolutely loved this book. I really learned to love this girl and appreciate her for all that she has been through and how she handles it all. I loved how Janet was able to truly get into the mind of the child and speak about the certain details that would be going through an eight year old’s mind. The simplicity of it all actually made it more complex and multifaceted. Great Book!

Buzz by Janet Wong

This book explores all of the every day noises that happen in our lives today. It’s interesting how there isn’t only one type of buzz noise but yet multifaceted buzz noises that represent the buzzes in our lives. This is a wonderful poetry book that accentuates the author’s personality. It emphasizes all the everyday things that make buzzing or brief loud noises.

The text was big and bold using syntax. The illustrations were very cartoonish and simplistic. I actually truly adore the simplicity of it. The young boy always seems so excited to learn and I love that he is so happy. The boy is just enjoying life and I think it is a fantastic children’s poetry book because it makes learning poetry blissfully fun and cheerful! This is a book I would read to my classroom as well as my kids at home. I am, personally, drawn to it because of the child’s truthful and natural curiosity of everyday things and, especially, noises.

Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars by Douglas Florian

It’s neat how certain pages have a circle cutout so when you flip the page it is linked to the theme or object on the next page. It brings a feeling of wonder and surprise to the following page. I love how one of the poems is designed as a spiral. You have to continually turn the book in circles to read the words. I not only enjoyed the rhyming on each page as well as the beautiful bright watercolors, but I enjoyed learning about a lot of interesting facts about the universe. The page numbers are only located on the left-hand side of the left pages in the middle. It gives the effect of looking like small indents to an index. There are also glimpses of real photos within a few of the paintings. For example, when they painted the picture of the earth on different parts of the land or water they zoomed in and placed a picture of an animal that lived in that area to show there was life on that planet. There is also a galactic glossary in the back that adds some additional information to the galaxy and its planets. This is a wonderful book for children to have fun with while learning about space. The illustrations are really what completed this book. Each page has something new and exciting to look at and learn about. I like the wide range of shapes he used and labeled each shape on the galaxy page. It included shapes and titles such as barred, barred spiral, elliptical, egg shaped, spiral, flattened, ball shaped, and irregular. It’s great that they provide options for further reading so students who maybe want more information about space but not necessarily in poem format can use these resources available. I also noticed that the copyright information was in the back as well. I actual think it works great with the author deciding to do that because it looked really neat with how he jumped right into the book at the beginning making the first illustrations really stand out.

Dirt on My Shirt by Jeff Foxworthy

This is a fun-loving joyous book with all kinds of adventures that explore many themes that all revolve around the truths of life. I think it is a fantastic book because it really centers on happiness and how the small things in life can mean so much. It reminds me of my innocence as a child. For example, one page talks about fly away balloons and wondering where they go. I used to write my name and address on helium balloons to try to determine how far and where they travel to. There is so much curiosity as a child and this poem picture book plays a lot into a child’s nosiness nature. This is such a fun-loving book. It really touches on the perspective of the child and the joys they have doing every things such as taking a bubble bath or playing hide-and-seek. It is quite interesting to see Jeff Foxworthy write a poetry book because I when I think of him I think of a comedian about rednecks. This truly shows his multidimensionality. I think almost anyone can relate to some of these poems in this book. I love it reaches such a wide audience. I think this would suffice any grade level because we all experience these things at one time or another in our lives.

The Year of Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyui Choi

This is quite fascinating reading from a perspective of a Korean girl after reading So Far From the Bamboo Grove from the perspective of a Japanese girl. It makes me wonder what it would have been like from the view of a male enlisting during this time.

Honestly, I was surprised to hear Mother’s story and that she made it to the south side alive. The whole experience for everyone involved was amazing to see them fight through all of this. It was unfortunate to read that Kisa and Aunt Tiger didn’t make it out alive. I am very proud of them for making it through all of those trials and tribulations. I was kind of taken back that Sook and Inchun opened up about trying to find their mother after crossing the border after being betrayed by the guide who helped the Russians capture their mother. It’s interesting how Sook emotions about the Russians fluctuated throughout the novel. At first she somewhat trusts them, then is afraid of them and wants to escape them and flee to the south. She appears to have somewhat mixed feelings the whole time which is a big confusing but intriguing nonetheless. It is almost as if she wants to take a liking to them but has to keep her guard up and remind herself of all the horrible things they are doing in the North to innocent families. It is neat how you learn a few words and terms in Korean and Japanese. I felt sad when the Japanese cut down Grandfather’s pine tree and then he died three days later. Also, if Kisa and Aunt Tiger would have tried to cross the border at the same time as Mother, I wonder if they would have eventually made it to the South alive. I have no doubt they would have been captured. What I am not sure of is if they would have been slain or forced into slavery. It was interesting how they began to label everyone as either in the group pink or red. My impression was that the pinks were those on the north that were not as loyal to the Russians as the Reds were. The Reds were known to be brainwashed and basically followed the commander.

Another thing I noticed was that Sook was often called Nuna by her younger brother Inchun. I was wondering if it meant either person in charge or guide. Maybe Nuna meant older sister or sibling? Either way, being called Nuna I assumed had a sense of responsibility attached to it. I think Sook felt an obligation to protect her younger brother. However, Sook seemed a little jealous of her older sister Theresa who became a nun. All and all, there is a lot of substance in this book to dissect. I think it is a book children should read to get a better understanding of our history. Stories like these, I feel, give children a better understanding of our history than just a book of listed facts.

All in a Day by Cynthia Rylant

I was fortunate to teach this book to a small group of fifth graders yesterday while we were out in the prairie learning about the insects, decomposition, grasses, plants, trees, and flowers of the grasslands. This book had a lot of pertinent information and to-the-point facts about the grasslands that I think would be useful to children of all ages. I realized that I could read this book to any child but only the fourth, fifth, and sixth graders will mostly likely grasp the more difficult terms. The pictures were absolutely wonderful in displaying the main idea on the page. This would be especially helpful for young kids but I think older children will find it valuable nonetheless. When I showed students these pictures they were captivated with the images. For example, I showed them a photo of the root system beneath the soil and how long the roots extend underground and through the picture they appeared to fully grasp the extent of a root and its purposes and importance is serves to keep the prairie alive through goods times and bad. Additionally, I observed the students’ attention spans between and at each area we went to which helped me to develop an opinion on how effective the words and illustrations were. The drawings looks like oil paints and matched exceptionally well to what the message on the page was trying to describe. Overall, I think this book has a lot of essential facts about the grasslands as well as some great photos that can help in inquiry based learning about the environment.

Explore the Grasslands by Kay Jackson

I was fortunate to teach this book to a small group of fifth graders yesterday while we were out in the prairie learning about the insects, decomposition, grasses, plants, trees, and flowers of the grasslands. This book had a lot of pertinent information and to-the-point facts about the grasslands that I think would be useful to children of all ages. I realized that I could read this book to any child but only the fourth, fifth, and sixth graders will mostly likely grasp the more difficult terms. The pictures were absolutely wonderful in displaying the main idea on the page. This would be especially helpful for young kids but I think older children will find it valuable nonetheless. When I showed students these pictures they were captivated with the images. For example, I showed them a photo of the root system beneath the soil and how long the roots extend underground and through the picture they appeared to fully grasp the extent of a root and its purposes and importance is serves to keep the prairie alive through goods times and bad. Additionally, I observed the students’ attention spans between and at each area we went to which helped me to develop an opinion on how effective the words and illustrations were. The drawings looks like oil paints and matched exceptionally well to what the message on the page was trying to describe. Overall, I think this book has a lot of essential facts about the grasslands as well as some great photos that can help in inquiry based learning about the environment.

Foods of Italy by Barbara Sheen

This is a wonderful book to expand a child’s knowledge about foods from a different culture, country, and even continent! It does a great job of developing the main ideas of the literature. I have grown to realize that I really enjoy reading informational books. This book has such a way of making the facts so intriguing. The educational value is very important to me and that children will mostly likely find it useful. I would use this book to teach a lesson about the four main ingredients used in Italy as well as the significance of the varieties of pasta.

The illustrations are extremely realistic and truly painted a picture in my mind of what it would be like to experience the foods of Italy. It was very appealing and mouth watering to see and learn about the different dishes they most commonly prepared for their people. I felt like I wanted to join in and celebrate with them and their culture. I personally love Italian food. It is a favorite of mine! I wouldn’t talk about the wine like they touched on. However, by mentioning it, it does make it more real in feeling the sense of the experience of being in Italy.

All About Seeds by Troll Associates

This is a wonderful book for young children. It teaches the basics of all types of seeds and how they go about spreading their seeds to reproduce. Also, some seeds that young children might not have ever expected to be seeds are addressed and pointed out such as acorns and pine cones. Additionally, I feel many children are unaware of the variety of ways that seeds can travel. The illustrations are beautifully done to match the theme of each page. I think younger children under the age eight will take a liking to this book. It is simple and to the point for young children who cannot process a bunch of information on each page of a book very quickly. It is a wonderful informational book that I would recommend using this as part of a lesson plan. There is a lot of useful information that can be used and learned from this book. I think the author did an exceptional job on writing this book to attract an array of readers. I am not sure what types of paints or colors the illustrator used but the paper seemed to be somewhat iridescent with non-fictional drawings which I really liked and thought fit in well.

SO FAR FROM THE BAMBOO GROVE by Yoko Kawashima Watkins

This is a tragic yet triumphant story. It is interesting to read it from the viewpoint of a young Japanese girl who lived in the heart of World War II. It’s mind boggling to see how people were treated; almost as if they were inhuman. I cannot imagine how painfully it must have been for them at the time. I can only envision the pain she experienced after everything was over and her parents were dead. I acknowledge the courage it must have took to write this book. The author wrote it with such truthfulness and from the heart instead of sugarcoating her thoughts and feelings, even if sometimes it didn’t put her in a good light. Sometimes I wondered why Ko was so harsh on Yoko. However, towards the end I see her learning to do things and appreciate things that much more. Even though towards the end, Yoko was still suffering one way or another she made the conscious choice to stop complaining and be more thankful for what she has.

It does make me upset after I read about Yoko’s journey to Japan and then all of her classmates make fun of her (even though they didn't know her story). It takes a lot of courage to put up with that . I must say I give a lot of credit to her mother and her sister who help her strengthen Yoko with some tough love. They really help her be the better person and not stoop to their level. I am surprised that Yoko never mentioned anything about her story in class. I am glad that she made two close friends: Naido and Corporal Matsumura. She is pretty smart at picking real friends. As she knows from firsthand experience, you can’t judge a book by its cover, which she never did with her friends.

I cannot even fathem the impact this journey had on her, especially as only an eleven year old child. I am surprised they didn’t spend much of the mother’s money after she died and were able to save it. Most importantly, I am glad Yoko had instilled in her to take rejection and use it to make her a stronger person. It really shows you when it comes down to it that material items and possessions do not matter so much in the scheme of life; it is family that matters. Family is what makes people whole and complete. Family is what keeps us going on the inside. After all of this happened, Hideyo, Ko, and Yoko must have shared and indescribable bond. All they had left for family was each other. It really makes me think about the hardships that I think I have and be tremendously thankful for the freedom and shelter I have.

GO TO BED, MONSTER! by Natasha Wing

This is about an adventure between a child and a pretend monster who comes alive after she draws him with the help of her crayons. This reminds me a lot of role reversal. The young child becomes the fun loving parent who attends to their child’s needs except can only take so much. It is interesting how children only see the fun side of things instead of all the work that comes along with it. This is similar to the picture book, “Daddy, Could I Have an Elephant” because the child wants to take on the role as a grown-up.

I find it fascinating that the child is extremely young but manages to read and read and read to the monster. I’m not sure if she is pretending to read based of the pictures she sees on the pages or is actually reading. I know in my practicum class I work with kindergarteners who cannot read but analyze what is going on with the illustrations and attempt to make up their own interpretations or story of what is happening. I also noticed how wise this child is for her age in other aspects of her life such as grooming and her nurturing nature. Stories like these are reminders for me to never underestimate a child’s intelligence. I hope someday I will truly appreciate my child’s imagination. Through this book, it helped me recognize what they really have to offer. It reminded me of the book “I’m the Boss” in the sense of reminiscing about past time and childhood fantasies. I thought the inside cover pages were a unique addition to the story. It contains more drawings from the little girl, in crayon again. The book gave the impression that everything was supposed to look like it had been drawn from crayons, especially the monster. However, surprisingly, it was done using oil paints and pastels.

Elbert's Bad Word by Audrey Wood

This was a picture book about a young boy who learns a bad word at an adult dinner party. He then carries it on into his own experiences. It basically manifests into a word Elbert thought was acceptable. It makes me realize how crucial one word can really impact a group. Of course, there a lot of factors that plays into the context of how it comes across. This is basically what deciphers the strength of the word. I know from my experience kids are not expected to say bad words and that’s where is becomes the more of a shock. This is where I think it is desperately essential for adults to model the correct behavior because children are like sponges and they will soak up everything you say and do. However I am strongly against the method they used to punish him to teach Elbert not to say bad words. Maybe metaphorically it seems to make sense to wash his mouth out with soap but that not only does not rid the child from saying a bad word, it also does not promote a positive attitude or good behavior. If I had to predict I would assume he will soon rebel in other ways.

Daddy, Could I Have an Elephant? by Jake Wolf

This is a cute little story about a little boy wanting something. He feels he needs a companion but honestly doesn’t have any concept of the process of taking care of it. It reminds me of the things I used to wonder about when I was a child. I think it’s great that they have just the boy and his father. It helps represent the ever-growing non-stereotypical family. They show immense love and happiness with one another which I believe resonates through to its readers showing them what a strong bond they have between each other.

On the contrary, I wonder if this young boy is actually trying to outsmart his dad. Instead of starting with asking for a dog or cat and risking his father’s rejection of the idea he starts with asking to own a wild animal or two. I’m not sure which way I want to go on this one. However, if my child presented me with the ideas of different wild animals to have as pets I would probably soon compromise and suggest settling with a cat or dog. The cartoonish style drawings of the animals really add a strong connection to the words on each page. The illustrations were very fun-loving and made me chuckle throughout the story. It is a marvelous family book.

The Parrot Tico Tango by Anna Witte

The Parrot Tico Tango seems to be a book intended to be about second chances. We all do something we wish we didn’t do. However, this parrot takes all the animals’ fruit and has no remorse. That is, until he is caught. Then he asks for forgiveness. Just like in real life, many criminals feel sorry for what they have done after they have been caught. I don’t very often hear about the people who feel bad about what they have done and take steps to undo what they have done until they have officially been caught in the act. Everything is situational though. I wonder what the parrot would have done if he wouldn’t have dropped all of the fruit?

It seems like a lot of these authors have sentimental values to the books they write. I find, in my opinion, there is a lot of insight or messages to young children and many times adults in numerous children’s books. There were lots of deep bright red, blue, yellow, and green colors. I, unfortunately, still wasn’t a big fan of the illustrations. I think some of the colors and drawings should have been a lot more subtle. Furthermore, I think the intention was to create a rhyming scheme with the words but, again, I think this failed too. I am on the fence as to whether I value this to be a good children’s book or not. I would like to present it to a child and see how engaged they get.

I'm the Boss by Elizabeth Winthrop

At first, my prediction is that it is a feisty young child who constantly demands things as if she is the boss of the family. What I come to learn, though, is for a day she dresses up as a grown-up and pretends she is the boss. This is such an adorable book that brings me back to a lot of past times. I remember when I used to play ‘house’ and sometimes I was the mom while other times I was the baby. I couldn’t wait to play and make believe. It’s funny how when you’re a kid you so badly want to be a grown up but when you’re a grown up you would just love to be a kid again. When I was a kid I remember thinking it could never be possible to be a grown up except for in my imagination. I mean, I knew I was getting older everyday but I really didn’t have a true concept of reality of how I would be as a grown-up even when I tried to picture it in my head. I think some of it had to do with the fact that I could only think in concrete terms rather than abstractly. I tried to fathom someday I would be a grown-up but I didn’t believe in my heart that I would actually be one before the age of eleven. I love the light-heartedness of this story. It had a wonderful ending with Julia training her dog and finally getting to be the boss of somebody. In the end, she realized she gained a companion. It made me smile.

jms10.glogster.com

Midterm Reflection

It has been such a great semester so far. Honestly, I feel such a great amount of freedom of expression. It was wonderful having no pressure and specific formula that I had to mold to. It left me with copious options to speak about my own interpretations and views of the books that I have read. Frankly, it has really opened my eyes more than ever before about what literature has to offer. I don’t feel the pressure to conform to a textbook expected response. I feel like I can openly communicate my thoughts and feeling without the fear of being ridiculed. There is no ‘correct’ response. Of course, I may attribute it some to my growth as a reader and a learner. I never expected to be a blogger and let alone, someone to enjoy blogging. I used to have a different opinion of blogging. It just proves that you really can’t judge something until you thoroughly and truly understand or experience it yourself. I have had the chance to analyze some wonderful children books and get a further understanding of richness many of these books have to offer. The most surprising thing to me so far this semester is my love for Graphic Novels. I must admit, I did not think I would, at all, become a fan but I actually ended up really appreciating them. Lastly, after reading and commenting on several controversial books I look in retrospect and realize how naïve I used to be. This is all new to me and I am grateful for this opportunity. It gives me a practice run before I have to face the real thing in a classroom. I hope to continue having positive memorable experiences throughout the rest of the semester that will help me continue to learn and grow as a teacher and more importantly a person.

The Misfits by James Howe

I absolutely adore this book. It really draws to your heart and reminds me of the tough times everyone goes through in high school. Every character is trying to fit in no matter if they are popular or not. One part that really stuck out to me is when Bobby and his dad are talking about Bobby’s Grandfather and sharing some of the things he used to say to Bobby’s dad that was forever instilled in him as a parent. The phrase was “You can’t embarrass me. Not ever. It’s just not part of the deal.” I found that to be a very powerful and heartfelt statement. This creates such a deepening feeling for me. Being a parent myself, I definitely understand how I could never feel embarrassed of my child. It think it is an important line for children to pay attention to while reading this book and try to relate it to their own lives in a positive way.

The book was actually, quite surprisingly, a quick read. There was a lot of the dialogue with Addie writing down word for word what people were saying during the forum meetings. Of course, maybe it flew by because, just like The Giver, I couldn’t put it down. It really made me analyze my own experiences from school and realize we don’t have to except what is not fair. We have a voice and it is extremely empowering to hear this story and learn about their experiences. Many kids in school struggle to deal with understanding their personal identities and insecurities with themselves. In my opinion, for some, they think that the only way to feel accepted, superior, or better about themselves, is to put others down and call them names. This really shed some light on real-life situations that happen in school and did an excellent job tackling these issues.

There are two characters in the book (Joe and Collin) that are gay which may spark some controversy for some. I love how everyone embraces and treats it like another norm which is how I think it should be treated in society today. Not everyone is going to have a cookie cutter life, in fact, most people don’t. However, too many people are not being accepting enough of other people’s differences. I appreciate and really respect that they cover it a lot in this book with many discussions about race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. I think this is a wonderful book for children to read at their leisure. Furthermore, I would strongly consider reading along with dissecting this book in my upper-elementary classroom.

Daddy's Roommate by Michael Willhoite

This is a book about a boy who lives with his mother who recently was divorced. The young boy still maintains a good relationship with his father and visits him on the weekends. Soon, the young boy’s father moves in with another man and the young boy learns his father is gay. I think this book is important for children to read and understand. It has not only become more accepted but it has become more of a reality in our culture. Not everyone is the same (some people are gay) and not everything lasts forever (like a marriage).

I think it is very important for children to learn about gay people. They need to be familiar with all different types of people such as race, ethnicity, gender, as well as sexual orientation. I think we should treat each other equally while understanding, appreciating, and celebrating each other’s differences. I have a daughter and I know when she gets a little older I would rather talk to her about gay people rather than having her see it and be unable to identify with it and immediately make negative judgments about it. I think this book is a good learning tool for kids and I consider it to be a wonderful example to represent diversity in our culture. In addition, nowadays, many gay people adopt and raise kids as their own. Why would it be ok to adopt and raise a child in a gay family but not ok to talk about it and express it in the form of a picture book where many kids who are dealing with this are confused? Children need to learn to let out their feelings and emotions, especially during a situation like this one. This is a reality in many people’s lives. They need to know there is nothing wrong with them and that they are not alone.

Walter the Farting Dog by William Kotzwinkle and Glenn Murray

This is about a dog that smells terrible all the time because he cannot stop farting. I do not at all find in inappropriate for children but I can see how it can be. It is a natural human/animal bodily function that everyone experiences repeatedly. The dog is in no way doing anything wrong. However, in our culture, farting has been taught to be improper etiquette and at times even embarrassing. Sometimes even saying the word fart can seem inappropriate to some people. It reminds me of my cousin who was never allowed to say the word fart. I remember one time I said it and she told me, “oh, you said a bad word.” She had to use the term ‘toot’ instead otherwise she would get in trouble for using a bad word.

I would show this in my classroom but before I do I would probably inform the parents first. This way, if anyone objects to the word “fart” I will respect that and cover up the word on each page and change it to a word suitable for everyone’s approval. It would be somewhat of a similar word or a code word that the students could come up with together.

It has a lot of good humor in it that I think kids would absolutely enjoy. I actually caught myself laughing out loud when Walter promised never to fart again and started holding all his farts in and then all of a sudden exploded with gas! I unquestionably believe it would grab student’s attention and make them giggle all while teaching them a lesson of having fun with reading and that it is normal to have gas and fart.

Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam

My first impression of this picture book was, “I cannot believe this book was published for young children to learn and read from.” I do not like this book. I do not like the illustrations. Basically, everything involved represents evil and death. I feel depressed, scared, and lonely after reading this. The words were so graphic and sinful in nature that I wouldn’t possibly surrender my students to this. It is far less than encouraging and in fact supporting bad behavior. The author talks through each letter of the alphabet through poetry on a page and here are some excerpts that I find a little disturbing, especially for a first or second grader:

N, nightmare, seal your fate.
A, apple, delicious, malicious, one bite and you’re dead.
D, demons, the devil, devil, devil, with it all!”
I, an icy stabbing so swiftly done, the victim scarcely felt it.
P, pet, finds the neighbors quite nutritious.
R, rope, to be a hangman’s noose.
V, viper, virulent, villain, venomous, vile, darting poison with a snaky smile.
W, witch, which wicked wickedness, which will we serve? Well, which pretty poison do you deserve?

Most of the pages had bare bones or malicious faces or objects. I know there are numerous scary Halloween movies and books but there is a difference between a scary book and an evil book. What about all of the celebration that comes with Halloween anyways? There could have been something in the book to lighten the mood a little. It was way too dark for my liking.

In The Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak

I can see how this can be a very controversial book. The little boy who is about four years old is naked in half of the pictures with his genitals showing. One of the pages the little boy is standing on a huge milk can with his legs spread apart standing confident and macho while facing the reader. I think some people may look at it as soft pornography. Imagine a young boy or girl reading this book. It might give them the impression that it is ok to be naked for other people to see. Think about all of the child molesters out there. It must be gratifying for them to see this and that is not exactly the audience you want to attract. On the other hand, it is a little boy and not an adult. Babies and young children are natural seen naked by their caretakers at times when they take a bath, get dressed, or need their diaper changed. However, I will stress that it is their caretakers that see them naked not everyone. I think they could have avoided a lot of issues if they would have tilted the boy’s hips in more towards the page so you couldn’t see any of his genitals. Another option would be to at least leave his underwear on. Despite the nudity, I still particularly did not like this book because nothing really flowed together in an imaginative sense to my liking. Other than the controversial images of the boy, the illustrations were great. The drawings were very bubbly and clear to understand. Interestingly enough, there are pages without words and those were my favorite pages because I could create my own interpretation of what was going on.

The Stupids Take Off by Harry Allard

This is one of a series of books of The Stupids. Each book they go on a different adventure. The book is actually quite funny. They do a lot of odd things such as grow a garden of pencils, build diving board over the grass, wear diving equipment to bed, etc. However, even though their family’s last name is Stupid, the way they refer to them may seem very offensive. It sounds like they are being called stupid and kids may interpret it to be funny to call someone stupid. They say things for example, “the two Stupid kids.” To me, and probably most children, it sounds like they are calling those kids stupid. This sends a horrible message to children when trying to instill the value of being kind and respectful of one another. Since I am an adult, I fully understand and recognize the humor in it but I do not believe it is appropriate for children. I think if they make a simple change of switching the family’s last name it would be a magnificent children’s book. They should change it to the “Odd” family since they don’t do stupid things, they do odd things. Additionally, at the end they say, “That always happens sometimes.” How does something always happen sometimes? It doesn’t make any sense but at the same time I find it quite hilarious. Just change the family’s last name and it’s good to go in my opinion.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

I found this book very addicting. I had trouble putting it down because the suspense of what was going to happen next was killing me. It gave me a new perspective on equality. After reading this book I have a deeper appreciation for the world’s uniqueness. It’s kind of weird how they don’t keep track of age after twelve. I disagree with a lot of way things were strictly run in this community but maybe that’s why I found it so interesting. However, I did find the ending to be quite complex and confusing. All of a sudden, the book ended after Jonas and Gabriel reached the top of the hill. Did they reach a new community? I wasn’t entirely sure. There were many things that were quite abstract. How did they take away all of the color and everyone’s memories in Jonas’ old community?

I find it interesting that the author states that Jonas’ first lie was when he told his parents that he understood why it was inappropriate to use the word love. This wasn’t his first lie though. He previously had been lying about if he was having any dreams. Also, it is disturbing to me that Jonas’ father is a Nurturer yet he kills babies if they don’t meet their milestones. Everyone’s freedom is taken away in this new community of what they call “sameness.” They live in a community that doesn’t allow you to make your own choices. I think living and unexciting dreary life would be miserable. I couldn’t imagine not having the choice to have happiness and love even if pain is sprinkled in along the way. Honestly, I feel a lot of strong opinions I have regarding certain aspects of the book but at the same time I absolutely loved it and was drawn to the book from start to finish.

The Mother's Day Sandwich by Jillian Wynot

This is an adorable book about two little kids who try to make their mother breakfast in bed for Mother’s Day. When they set the tray down on the bed and yell “Surprise!” everything spills everywhere. I admire that instead of the mother getting frantic or upset she giggled. That part made me smile because it completely lightened the mood and didn’t make the kids feel bad for scaring their mother. It was the effort that counted, and to me, it appears that the mother instinctively knew that right away.

The illustrations were excellent. I thought it was so cute to see the little girl dressed in oversize clothes. Everyone looked so comfy. It was great the way they showed some scenes close up and zoomed in while some were from a distance. Also, I noticed some illustrations encompassed the whole page while other images were framed in half or portion of a page. It looked beautiful and I think that was a great choice and wonderful idea! The drawings looked like they were done in stencil. I think it blended beautifully with the theme because it created a childlike feel to it. It is funny how the Mother’s Day sandwich is actually the two kids squeezing together with the mom in-between. It brings back a lot of (good) memories from my experiences I had with my mother on Mother’s Day.

Tomatoes From Mars by Arthur Yorinks

My impression or inclination toward the interpretation of this book was that the tomatoes were so bland that everyone was running away from them. What they needed was some salad dressing and garlic to spice up the tomatoes a bit. It is quite humorous if you take a child’s point of view. If I was a child, the first thing I would think about if something was going to try to attack me is, “what do they want?” Apparently, the salad dressing is what stopped the tomatoes from attacking. Of course, it is not what the tomatoes wanted so in actuality the tomatoes hated the dressing because it prevented them from attacking earth. I think it could be a bit confusing for some students but for others they may love seeing the illustrations of tomatoes smashing the earth’s surface causing everything to turn red. I think it is always fun when you get children to expand their imagination. Having the whole world turn red must have meant these were pretty enormous tomatoes.

Additionally, the story started on the second page and the copyright information was on the fourth page. After the copyright information, it flipped to a new scene. It actually looked really neat because it looked like a scene from a movie. Many times in movies they have a pre-introduction of the movie before they show the title and I believe it creates a more suspenseful effect of wondering what is going to happen next. Not a book that I would recommend but it did take reality and develop an imaginative feel to it at times.

Hannah is My Name by Belle Yang

This is such an inspirational book about a little Chinese girl named Na-Li and her parents who come to the United States to become Americans. As soon as they move, Na-Li’s parents change her name to Hannah to be more American. After they arrive, they immediately apply for their green cards in order to truly feel free like every other American. However, there are a lot of struggles along the way. While they are waiting for their green cards, Hannah’s mother or father are legally not allowed to work in America. Hannah’s father does, however, manage to find a man who will secretly hire him for a low paying job at a hotel. The story is so uplifting and the little girl is so charismatic. I love the illustrations. They are so detailed and full of expression. They are very attractive looking for young readers.

It is a great book to get a perspective from immigrants moving to the United States and how it feels for them as they are adapting to a new way of life and a drastically different culture. I also enjoyed this book because it is very relatable to any child who is new to something, somewhere, or somebody. This could be anything from moving to a different school, joining a club or team, or anywhere else that a child may go that is unfamiliar or involves many new experiences. There are countless times that I can look back and remember on the first day I felt alone and then over time become so comfortable that it is hard to think about how alone I felt in the beginning. No matter what they have been through with their experiences they will always stick together. I really appreciate how it teaches and puts a strong emphasis on family values. They have faith, hope, and dreams and are determined to make all of them happen. This would be a great book to read if a student needs some encouragement or motivation. It makes me feel grateful for what I have in my life.

Why do we laugh? Questions children ask about the HUMAN BODY by Terry Martin

This is a fun book with a lot of interesting facts for children to learn. Some of the basic questions such as why do I lose my baby teeth, why do I have eyelashes, or why does my heart beat faster when I run are answered. It simplifies answers to many of these common questions. The set up of how they display each fact is in no particular order. It sometimes has a fact at the top, left, and right of the pages. Other times it has two facts on the left and one on the right. It also has facts at the bottom on certain pages. Basically, it is scattered all over. I think it adds excitement to the pages. I like that around each fact is a picture that relates to that particular question. I noticed that when they talk about hiccups, hunger, and thirst they have pictures of all healthy snacks such as fruit, vegetables, turkey sandwiches, salad, juice, and water. I think this helps promote healthy learning and healthy eating. I also like the fact that there is a lot of diversity on each page. There are children of different ages as well as different ethnicities.

It is always great to see candid photos which this book brilliantly emphasized. These children look genuinely happy about what they are doing and how they are exploring. The words are nice and big and easy to read. However, the inside of the cover page is just the opposite. It is a picture of a crowd of people but it is extremely blurry and I cannot make out a single thing. I’m not sure if it is supposed to represent the confusion children have about the human body but that is my best guess. If it were up to me I would have changed the inside cover page to maybe be a picture of the inside of the human body to give the readers a mini science lesson so they know where things are such as the lungs and heart.

Animal Babies by Ann O. Squire

Animal babies is a book that describes animals before they are born, how they are born (hatched or delivered live), and what the parents do after they have their baby or babies. When they talked about babies who were left to fend for themselves as soon as they were born I felt a judgment towards the parents of those animals. I assumed they were cold hearted with no feelings or emotion. I do wonder what these animals are thinking when they leave their babies to fend for themselves. Since it is so unnatural in our culture it is hard to fathom that it is normal to leave your baby as soon as it is born.

Also, I actually learned a few terms reading this book. I never knew that a baby kangaroo is called a joey. I also never knew what a precocial and an altricial were. A precocial is a newborn animal that needs little or no help from their parents. An altricial is a newborn animal that depends on their parents for food, warmth, and protection. However, most of the information I was familiar with and I think is important information for children to learn. There were a lot of words on each page and the words were big and easy to read. I would change the ending and add a conclusion or a summary. It ended with a bunch of new information and almost seemed a bit too abrupt. The pictures are very helpful and very well coordinated with the readings on each page. Every image was especially lifelike. Also, I loved the definitions as well as the index they created. A lot of questions children may have throughout the book can be answered in the back of the book. Overall, it was a very enjoyable book to read. There is a lot of useful knowledge that children can gain from reading all these neat facts in this book.

The Babysitters Club by Ann M. Martin

This was a surprisingly excellent graphic novel. I had never read a graphic novel before and was expecting it to be quite difficult to read. I mean, not having the descriptive details that are in regular novels made me question the ability a graphic novel has to be successful in telling a story equal to or better than a novel with only words. In actuality, it was fairly easy to read compared to some regular novels. The scenes flew by. There were times when I liked the images painting a picture for me but at other times I had wished that I could have painted my own picture in my mind. Since I have read one of the regular Babysitter’s Club novels, it was nice that I was able to compare or contrast it to The Babysitter’s Club graphic novel. I wished there were more details in the graphic novel version, maybe as a side note or foot note. However, I’m sure the point is to leave a lot of room open for interpretation. On the other hand, there were other ways I was able to use my imagination in this graphic novel. For instance, when I saw a picture of the little boy yelling and read what he was saying I could immediately picture in my head how he was moving his mouth, what his face looked like, and how angry he really was. Formulating a still image was obviously already done for me so all I had to do was make the picture come alive in my mind. If there were no drawings I would have had envisioned the characters in color. Instead, I see them as colorless characters. I am curious as to why the author and illustrator chose to make everything black and white. I, personally, would have liked to seem some color to give it more special effects to make everything look more lively and vivacious. I very surprised but, nonetheless, incredibly impressed the power and impact a graphic novel had on me. I am curious as to what other graphic novels have to offer.

The Five Senses: Treasures Outside by Jane Belk Moncure

The first thing I noticed was the inside cover pages. They instantly grabbed my attention. It was so colorful and bright. There are kids exploring the world in all kinds of ways. It just puts an exciting start to the beginning of the story.
I was delighted to see when they were teaching the senses that they compared and contrasted them to animals. Knowing the importance of our senses is very important for children to know. Not taking care of our senses and possibly losing only one of our senses can have a dramatic and devasting impact on our life. I actually did not even realize until reading this book that there were certain areas on the tongue that taste sweet things, another area for sour, as well as salty, and bitter. That's a neat fact! I really enjoyed this book because it was relatable to me. I without doubt believe this is a book children need to read. This book makes learning fun and encouraging wanting to learn more about the senses. I absolutely loved the illustrations. I liked that each page was a continuation of walking through the museum. Also, it was wonderful watching the different ways the professor taught the little girl about each of the five senses. It has hands-on experiments that you can try in the safety of your home! It was a great way to end the book. I can promise that I will have a book like this in my classroom or I will at least use one of these experiments as an in-class activity.

Homework by Arthur Yorinks

This is a funny story where the homework supplies come alive at night. They all work together to do Tony’s homework while he is sleeping. He has no idea how the essay got there but he copies it over with his handwriting and hands it in. Although the story involves homework and Tony attending school, I don’t see it as any educational value or including a moral lesson. I thought it was a fun story though. As a kid, I always liked movies and books that had characters that came alive at night or if someone says the magic word like abracadabra. It makes the hamster wheel in my head spin and puts no limits on any innovative thoughts that the story brings. It obviously doesn’t teach Tony to do his homework but it does make you wonder what he was thinking when his homework was done when he woke up. I commend the illustrator for adding bugged out eyes and arms in the pens, pencil, and eraser when they came alive. This added plenty of emphasis to their expressions. I liked that the inside of the cover pages connected with the subject matter. It had pen splotches everywhere just like how it looked on Tony’s homework.

The ending seemed a bit abrupt. I think I would have appreciated the book more if it had a more conclusive ending. We don’t find out if the homework supplies come alive again or what happens to Tony. There are so many unanswered questions that it started to make the book less and less exciting to read. It is not something I would recommend to others unless there is a sequel that can paint me a better picture telling more about what Tony is thinking, feeling, and doing.

Look at Seeds and Weeds by Rena K. Kirkpatrick

This is a great informational book that gives a deeper look into seeds and all the contributing factors that affect the growth of the seed. There is a lot of fun, interesting facts. I like how at the end there was a quiz to see what you have learned. This way, if you might have missed or forgotten something you could go back and look for the answer. I actually learned a lot. I never knew the names of many of these plants such as nettles, tufted vetch, and old man’s beard. I never realized how much valuable information you could squeeze into one children’s picture book, until now. I was fascinated with the way they used the information to guide children and be safe when eating things with seeds. I think it is very important that children know the dangers of eating unknown fruits and berries. Some of them are poisonous. On one page it showed the process of growing bean seeds. This brought back a lot of memories from when I was in second grade and we did this in our science class. I remember how much fun I had after I saw it growing out of the pot. I was so excited that when I got home I wanted to plant seeds everywhere! Of course, my mom wouldn’t let me plant seeds all over the yard but she let me help her plant flowers. I remember feeling like a good helper and was proud of myself. Also, my mom was able to shave off some of the workload of planting onto me. I didn’t mind. This book brought back good memories. I like the illustrations and how they display where and how the weeds and plants grow. It gave me a real view on how big, short, thin, or wide a weed or plant can be in relation to the ground.

However, I wish they would have shown the end result during the times they did the experiments. For example, they showed the process of planting three seeds in a pot with soil and another pot with soil containing fifteen seeds. They explained that the one with many seeds will not have enough room to grow healthy. However, they didn’t show what happened after planting the seeds to prove that either pot had anything growing out of the soil. Overall, it was a lot of information which can be very useful especially in an elementary school classroom. I think a lot of young girls would like this if they dream of having their own garden one day.

What the No Good Baby is Good For by Elise Broach

This is such a cute picture book story. This little boy, who is about four years old, thinks his baby sister is no good. This is because he couldn’t be loud when she was sleeping. He had to share his things. She cried and cried when he wanted to do something quiet like read or watch a movie. Lastly, she put everything in her mouth and wrecked things. It sounds to me like sibling jealousy. I’m sure John was used to having all of the attention and now he has to compromise his time and activities with his baby sister. This is certainly something that many families have to deal with when adding a new family member. It takes time and the adjustment isn’t always easy. I admire the mother and how she handled John. She was always very calm and respectful of John’s emotions and really encouraged him to express his feelings. Also, when the baby did something good she pointed it out to John in hopes that he would reconsider his negative thoughts about his sister. In my opinion, the mother’s patience and understanding is beyond a doubt what helped this transition go smoothly. It looks like the illustrations were made from watercolors. Some of the pages almost look like they were moving. It was well coordinated with words on each page. It is a very witty and comical storyline. I believe this book can be very beneficial to young children because of the direction they took throughout the story to make it more family oriented.

You and Me: We're Opposites by Harriet Ziefert

It is a fun-loving book that helps children to learn in an exciting way about opposites. It has opposites to describe things they are doing as well as adjectives that describe each of their characteristics. There are countless opposites out there and when is a better time then now to learn them? The images on each page do a great job emphasizing and distinguishing opposites. The whole book stayed with the idea of being in a forest while the animals were talking to each other. It was great seeing how excited the animals were to learn and talk about opposites. I’m not sure what kind of colors or techniques were used but all the images were comparable to a cartoonish style. Also, since this is geared toward younger children, I loved that they went wild with using vibrant colors. It really brightened up the pages and made them cheery!

You Can't Eat Your Chicken Pox, Amber Brown by Paula Danziger

This is a cute story that tells a tale about making the best of what the situation is. Amber is set to travel to London to have the best vacation of her life. Unfortunately, soon after she arrives she gets the chicken pox. She is bummed at first but I love that she quickly gets over it and doesn’t let it bring her down. She even gets stuck in the elevator and instead of getting upset she makes the most of it and deems it an exciting story to tell others about. Her loyal friend Justin is a great friend to make her smile and lean on even when going through a tough time such as dealing with her parents divorcing, her father moving to a different country, and getting the chicken pox while on vacation.

This is fun book to read. Once I opened the book I noticed that it is a series book. I am curious to see how similar the other Amber Brown books are. I wonder if they all tie together in some way or just have the character, Amber Brown, as the only commonality. I am not familiar with the culture and terminology in London so this is a great beginner’s guide in learning some of the basics of the language over there. For example, they explain that a bathroom is called a loo and standing in line is called standing in a queue. I have never been to London before but it appears that they have a slightly different style of dressing. While I was reading this book, I felt the sense I was actually in London with Amber watching her because she describes things so vividly. Many of the experiences Amber had were fairly realistic and are, in fact, happening in a lot of people’s everyday lives. It is especially applicable to children who have had to deal with anything from family, social, to personal issues. I love how she took what happened in her life and reacted to it in such a positive and optimistic way. It brings inspiration to the reader which is what I greatly appreciate about this book.

Ruby's Wish by Shirin Yim Bridges

This is a true story that takes place in China around the late 1800’s. This little girl, Ruby, writes a poem in school about how boys are treated better than girls. Surprisingly, even during that time period, it catches her father’s attention. I was taken off guard when Ruby’s father approaches her and questions her about it. Since families were very strict and hitting was aloud, I was worried for her safety. I imagined the sound of his voice to be very domineering and frightening, especially if I was a young child. However, I was pleasantly surprised with both Ruby and her father. Ruby, was honest, and told her father she didn’t think it was fair that her brothers were able to go to college and she was not. I think her father realized that it meant everything to her. I think it also shows that honesty is the best policy. Even though her father is intimidating, Ruby was brave enough to ask for what she wanted and deserved. I am proud of her. I could tell that her father was too. In fact, he enrolled her as one of the first few women to attend college. She got her wish! Now that she spread her wings all she has to do is fly! It is pretty exciting that Ruby’s granddaughter wrote this book. It is like getting a brief history lesson. The illustrations even matched the time period. There were a lot of brown and neutral colors. Not one of my favorite illustrations but it got the messages across.

Unlovable by Dan Yaccarino

This starts out as a sad story about a tiny dog, Alfred, who feels unlovable because everyone thinks he is small and ugly. He finally met a dog that liked him just the way he was. I think this is a great book to represent someone gaining confidence in them self. The poor little dog felt like he had to pretend he was something he wasn’t in order to feel like he was lovable. When, in fact, I believe he needed to first accept himself for who he was. I wish I could have just swooped up the little doggy in my arms and gave him a big hug and a kiss. I felt sorry for him but was so happy to see that he realized he didn’t have to pretend to be something he was not. I am so glad he found someone that liked him for him. When I look at the illustrations it appears that all the other animals are all giving Alfred dirty looks or brushing him off. The illustrator does a great job painting a picture of everyone’s actions and mannerisms. Everyone else looks so mean but not sweet little Alfred. If I could jump in the book and talk to Alfred I would tell him that these other animals are just a bunch of bullies. There is no reason they should be making fun of Alfred. He didn’t do anything to them. I really got into this book because I can relate it to some of the unnecessary drama that happens in upper elementary, junior high, and high school. I think the animals that were picking on Alfred should have been reprimanded or had other consequences such as being put in a cage as a timeout. However, the focus is probably supposed to be more towards Alfred and his emotional and mental growth with his self-esteem and confidence. I praise him for how far he can. The ending was the best part. Of course, it probably would not have been the best part if we hadn’t known how he started out. I love little Alfred.

Zoom! Zoom! Zoom! I'm off to the Moon! by Dan Yaccarino

This is a wonderful little rhyming book about a boy who goes to the moon. He is such a happy, adventurous young boy. His imagination runs wild as he puts his spacesuit on, jumps in the rocket, and lifts off into space. It’s interesting that most of the illustrations on each page look cartoonish but certain elements of it make it look like a painting. I don’t like the way the illustrator tries to make it all blend together. I know it is done on watercolor paper but it doesn’t work for me. I do, however, love the image of the little boy in his spacesuit, especially when he sees his humungous shadow on the moon. That made me grin a bit.

I thought the illustrations were very big, bright, and bubbly. To me, that says she is trying to attract a young audience. On the other hand, many people, any age, are fascinated by giant pictures and bright colors. It is a fairly simple read for younger children. I like the number counting it includes during take-off because it adds educational value to it while having fun reading it. They had a cute and clever way of displaying the publishing and copyright information. It was typed up in the shape of a spaceship which added to the theme of the story. Overall, it is a very catchy phrased story that almost makes me want to sing the words aloud.

Fireman Small: Fire Down Below! by Wong Herbert Yee

This is a delightful story about a fireman, names Fireman Small, who is very small in size but there is nothing else small about him. He has a huge heart and enormous strength. However, all he needs is some sleep. Since the firehouse has a water leak in the ceiling Fireman Small is forced to check into a hotel that is actually very noisy. Soon, the hotel catches on fire. Fireman Small puts out the fire and then is forced to go back to the firehouse to try to sleep. Instead, this time, he has all the hotel guests with him. I see it as a story about Karma. At least, that is what I learned from it. Fireman Small helped save these guests from the fire and gave them a place to stay. In return, they stayed quiet and let him finally sleep while holding an umbrella over his head to prevent the water leak from dripping on him. The illustrations themselves are incredibly funny. Fireman Small miraculously jumps 10 feet in the air, a hippo gets stuck in the bathtub, and even everyone being crammed in at the firehouse made me chuckle. It is hilarious that Fireman Small is the only human and all the animals talk and have human jobs. I really enjoyed reading this story because it shows teamwork and everyone working together. I would certainly recommend this book to children.

A Chair For My Mother by Vera B. Williams

This is an ironically heartfelt story about a hardworking family whose house burnt down. It sadly left them with nothing but a charcoal burnt house. The funny thing is that instead of being engulfed in sadness, it makes you smile when you read it. It really touched me at the end when they finally bought the chair and then take turns sharing it. Additionally, it was amazing to see the community coming together to donate anything they could to help this family get back on their feet.

This family was very brave after everything had happened. Everyone managed to keep her spirits up while they and worked together to save up enough money to buy a beautiful, fat, soft armchair, since the old one was destroyed in the fire. At least no one got injured or died in the fire. The most important thing was that everyone was ok. Although there was a deep tragedy that happened, I never once got the impression that this fire defined them. I appreciate that they focus on how lucky they are rather than their misfortunes. It says a lot about their character. This book sets a wonderful example about being appreciative for what you have instead of what you don’t have. Everything else will work itself out.

This is definitely something I would consider having in my classroom. It teaches a good lesson. Also, the illustrations are quite unique. Each page has a picture but with a different border. It actually looks pretty remarkable because if the picture is of people outside on a sunny day then the border has a similar theme which is of clouds and suns to border around it. It brightens up the page. Furthermore, it creates a nice contrast and makes the pictures pop.

Up, Up, Up! It's Apple Picking Time by Jody Fickes Shapiro

A family with a little boy and girl drive to an apple-orchard where their grandparents live. They grow, pick, and sell all kinds of apples. It reminds me of when I was a kid and how excited I would get to help my grandma in the kitchen. I felt so special and these kids are so happy to be a part of this and help their grandparents in the orchard.

It brings back the warm memories of tradition. Grandma and Grandpa pass down some excellent recipes to make with apples. I like how they call the smell of apples in an orchard “apple-orchard perfume.” It makes my smelling senses kick in and imagine what it would really smell like.

It’s a great lesson in learning several different types of apples. The pictures almost look like paintings because the colors look like brush strokes. The beautiful illustrations make it appear to be a very sensory rich environment. It is a wonderful family story.

I Love The Rain by Margaret Park Bridges

This is about two girls who are waiting for the bus for school. It is pouring rain outside and one girl cannot stand the rain. The other girl is absolutely in love with the rain and starts sharing with the other girl some of the joy she receives when it rains.

There were great metaphors in this book. When the girls were on the bus they said there were people tap dancing on the roof. I like the fact that there is an actual picture of a bunch of feet dancing on the roof. Other than that illustration, I didn’t care for much of the imagery in this book. The colors were too smudged together. Of course, I guess that’s what you get when it’s raining. So, if that is what they were going for then I guess it makes sense. However, I think it was exaggerated a bit too much for my liking.

Then again, I loved the mood change in one of the girls. She went from being bummed out because of the rain to falling in love with it! I think that tells readers to make the most out of the situation you have been given. I am also very fond that it encourages making believing the rain drops turn into imaginative objects. It leaves a lot open to interpretation which can draw a child’s curiosity and make learning fun.

Moongame by Frank Asch

Moongame is a story about Little Bird who teaches Bear how to play hide and seek. Bear, thinking the moon is alive, took what he learned from Little Bird and played hide and seek with the moon. It just so happens that when it is the moon’s turn to hide, a cloud hides the moon. Then, when Bear can’t find the moon he asks his animal friends to help him. Bear finally gives up and says, “You win!” Soon after, the big cloud slowly moves, uncovering the moon.

I adore this book. It gets your imagination going when they involve the moon in the games as if it were a real live thing. The warm colors against the moon really make the moon stand out. Also, the simple, fluffy drawings make the story look like a cartoon. I like the clarity in the illustrations because it is attractive for young readers.

It is also an easy-going, slow moving, yet, exciting adventure. I’m glad the story showed Bear asking for help after he was worried his friend, Moon, was lost. The fact that he wasn’t afraid to ask for help when he needed it most tells me a lot about his character. He is a caring and kind bear. Moreover, he had good friends as well because they were there for Bear when he needed them. I always like the books when animals can talk because I think it gets kids’ creative minds spinning and puts no limits on their imagination.

Mrs. Pig's Night Out by Ros Asquith and Selina Young

Mrs. Pig's Night Out describes a mother pig who leaves her children with their dad for the night so she can enjoy an evening with her friends. However, once she leaves, Mr. Pig falls asleep and the kids make the house a mess. The illustrations were phenomenal and truly captured the image that I would want to see while I was reading the words on a particular page. It kind of reminded me of Goldilocks and the Three Bears because they had a Big Piggy, Middle Piggy, and Little Piggy.

I quickly noticed that when Big Piggy wanted to watch Pig Parade on TV he used a persuasive technique that I find common in children. He said “mom always lets me watch it.” How can you say no to that? What if they are telling the truth? What do you do if it’s past their bedtime and the show’s on? What if they are lying? If you are the dad, you would most often want to be consistent with your parenting between the two of you. If mom does usually let Big Piggy watch Pig Parade then you would probably say yes. On the other hand, if the child is lying, you wouldn’t know that so you probably would take a chance and let them watch it, just in case. More time than not, the child wins and has officially manipulated you to staying up later than their bedtime or watching a show mom never said they could watch.

It was a very relatable story to real life families. I was engaged in the book from the beginning to the end. It was cute and quite funny. I actually found myself laughing out loud when Mrs. Pig came home. Mr. Pig tried to hide all the craziness that went on while she was gone. You could tell when Mrs. Pig got home she knew what had happened but acted as if she was oblivious to everything. There were pictures the children drew of Mr. Pig sleeping, the kids didn’t brush their teeth, they never changed out of their clothes, and Little Piggy wasn’t tucked in. In the end, I was left with the message that moms have eyes everywhere and they always know.