Runny Babbit

Title: Runny Babbit
Author/Illustrator: Shel Silverstein
Publisher: HarperCollins; First Edition, First Printing edition (March 15, 2005)
Genre: Poetry
Readability Lexile: Ages 7 and Above
Summary and Target Audience:
This silly and nonsensical book will take readers through the world of switcheroo's- words and the world of Runny Babbit will come alive with the typical and entertaining illustrations of Shel Silverstein and his fabulous pen. In this madcap world, pea soup is sea poup, Capture teh Flad is Fapture the Clag and snow boots are bow snoots. Good luck with all of the wordplay! Great for children learning to decode in "small doses" as it can be overwhelming.  Children as early as seven and adults as old as eighty will have fun with all of the words in these poems.


Evaluation of the Text:


Good Story- Although silly, this text is still a good story filled with fun and funny characters.  Watch as the characters learn and grow in their upside down world.  The poems range from discussions about Runny Babbits home life with his mother to his relationship with his friends. These poems will keep you giggling all day!


Personalities match their actions- Because it is such a nonsense story book, the characters themselves are nonsense and backwards.  For example, his mother washes Runny Babbit and hangs him out to dry, and his friend comes and asks him what hie is doing and he says he's just hanging around.  All of the characters have their own upside down personalities to match the events of the poem.


What did the author want to tell me- To be frank, I believe the point was to honestly not have a point. There is no central or overlying theme other than to play with words and make nonsense poetry.  Having fun and being silly along with the ability and the fun that can be had from playing around with vocabulary and poetry would be the main themes from this text.


Literary Elements:

 Irony- A lot of the poems in this text are simply ironic due to the nature of the certain characters predicament or the conversations of the characters after or during the fact.  For example, the following poem is ironic because of the idea of hanging around or upside down and the fact that Runny Babbit is hanging from the line of wash:
Runny Meets Guddy:
Runny Babbit not all guddy
Makin' puddy mies
His wamma mashed him with the clothes
And hung him out to dry
Toe Jurtle said, "what re you doin'
So high agrove the bound?"
Runny Babbit sinned and gaid
"Oh, I'm just rangin' hound." 


Theme- As mentioned above, the theme is silliness and wordplay.  Runny Babbit experiences many diffeent scenarious with his friends and deals with the situations with a smile and a wink.  For example, Runny Babbit dresses up like a king and tells all his friends to "dow bound" and "riss his king" to which they say "no way you thilly sing."


Imagery- These poems, while short and sometimes a little difficult to decode, are still full of imagery.  When Shel uses his nonsense words to describe a situation and the reader says them out loud, the image pictured can be completely different than what the text is saying.  Such as the poem where Runny Babbit was asking his friends to bow down and kiss his ring and they replied with "thilly sing" the reader may imagine a song or something like a silly song since thilly is very close to the sound of silly.


Illustrations-
As mentioned on the four other posts on Shel Silverstein, the illustrations are awesome and fun and give the reader the ability to image the characters in their own way.


Mini-lesson:
Because this book is a play on words, I would use it to help the students with decoding.  Some of the students I was working with over the past year were practicing their decoding skills and were older and bored with worksheets.  What would be helpful would be to work through these poems together and say them out loud together and pick out the words that don't make sense.  Then to play with the beginning letter would also be helpful to solidify their understanding.
I also found the following lesson plan online which would be a great activity as well:

I teach Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook because I love the poetry style and illustrations of Shel Silverstein. This lesson can be used as part of a study of Shel Silverstein’s poetry or as a study of poetry in general. There is also a focus on decoding unknown words and with his style of poetry, it is fun and predictable. The children really enjoyed the word play and the illustrations—they especially enjoyed the character cards and the creation of their own "billy sooks."

OBJECTIVE
The students will learn and appreciate the style of an alternate form of poetry, demonstrate an ability to decode unfamiliar "words," such as "runny babbit," and use correct grammar and writing skills to write a "billy sook."
MATERIALS

• Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook by Shel Silverstein
• chart paper
• blank books, one for each student
  

SET UP AND PREPARE
Share the following background information with students:

Shel Silverstein (1930-1999). Shel said he never planned to be a writer of children’s books. “I would much rather have been a good baseball player or a hit with the girls. But I couldn’t play ball. I couldn’t dance. So I started to draw and write.” (Publishers Weekly, 1975). He also became a songwriter—writing “A Boy Named Sue” for Johnny Cash, “The Cover of the Rolling Stone,” for Dr. Hook, and “I’m Checking Out,” for the film Postcards from the Edge. He wrote songs, stories, and plays until his death in 1999. This book, Runny Babbit, was discovered by his children after his death and published by them in 2005.

Show students other books by Shel Silverstein. (See a list in Related Resources.) You could play some of the music Shel Silverstein wrote while students look through these books. (I found a CD, “Best of Shel Silverstein,” which has poetry readings as well as songs on it—fantastic!)

Write the following character names from the book on an 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper and make copies for the students: Runny Babbit, Millie Woose, Snerry Jake, Toe Jurtle, Wormy Squirm, Goctor Doose, Bumping Jean, Skertie Gunk, Ploppy Sig, Gillip Phiraffe, Rirty Dat, Calley At and Kittle Litten, Flutterby, Batty Meaver, and Franny Fog.
DIRECTIONS
After presenting the Shel Silverstein background information, read Runny Babbit, a Billy Sook in a shared reading session. Remove the book's cover and don't show any illustrations yet so as not to give the students too many clues.

Way down in the green woods
Where the animals all play,
They do things and they say things
In a different sort of way—
Instead of sayin’ “purple hat.”
They all say “hurple pat.”
Instead of sayin’ “feed the cat.”
They just say “ceed the fat.”
So if you say, “Let’s bead a rook.
That’s billy as can se,
You’re talkin’ Runny Babbit talk,
Just like mim and he.(p.4 & 5).

Reread the page and have the students join in the parts that speak Runny Babbit—“hurple pat," “ceed the fat," “let’s bead a rook," etc.

Pass out the lists of character names to individual students or groups of students. Invite students to rewrite the characters names in “regular language” and then illustrate each character to make 'character cards.' For example—Millie Woose is Willie Moose. The illustrations are then shared with the class.

Display these character cards as you read various poems from the book. Invite students to point to the character cards which depict the characters in the poems, then compare their illustrations with those from the book. This reading of the book may go on for several periods of time. Invite students to read the poems out loud after they are shared by the teacher.

Pay special attention to the words while reading and ask students what the word play is. For example: "Runny’s Rig Romance," is Runny has a firlgriend.

After a poem is shared, ask students what the author is telling us. A good beginning might be poems about reading…"Runny’s Heading Rabits," and "Runny’s Rittle Leminders." There are several that will cause chuckles with the students, such as "Runny Hets Gandsome," "Runny Bakes a Tath," "Runny’s Cat and Hoat," "Runny Stets Gretched," etc. The students can identify the characters, the actual words, and the content of the poems as they are shared with the class.


After the shared reading and enjoyment of the book, the students now use their writing workshop to create their own "billy sook." The students are asked to recall the patterns in the poems by Shel Silverstein. It would be great to "revisit" a favorite poem or two. Together they create a glorious word play poem. The students are then directed to pick up their pre-made writing books and begin their writing workshop. They may work on these books for several periods. Once completed, they are shared with classmates, fellow teachers, and parents.
SUPPORTING ALL LEARNERS
This lesson, I think, is best used as a whole class shared reading lesson, but could also be used in guided reading lessons. I think students with short attention spans would benefit from the variety in the lesson as well as the short poetry "stories."  ELL students would have some difficulty with this lesson as the word play may be too confusing for them. Students could be given several options as to the work they would perform with this lesson. Some could work on the billy sook or some could work on the poetry performance. 

Note: Shel Silverstein uses the word “butt” in a poem which might bother some readers. He also uses “sea poup”, which is pea soup.
LESSON EXTENSION

Students may now select a poem to memorize and present to their classmates/parents in a poetry reading format.  Students learn their favorite poems, practice their poetry sample, amplifying and projecting their voices. They may make masks and props to enhance their presentations. The students may choose to perform one of their own compositions in addition to any of those from Shel Silverstein.

Related Resources
Other books by Shel Silverstein:
Uncle Shelby’s ABZ Book
Lafcadio the Lion Who Shot Back
The Giving Tree
Where the Sidewalk Ends
The Missing Piece
A Light in the Attic
Falling Up
Runny Babbit

CD—Best of Shel Silverstein

www.music.msn.com/artist/?artist=16071948   
www.shelsilverstein.com
http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/silverstein.htm




 

The Giving Tree

Title: The Giving Tree
Author/Illustrator: Shel Silverstein
Publisher: HarperCollins; 35th anniversary edition (October 20, 1999)
Genre: Short Story
Readability Lexile: Ages 6 and above
Summary and Target Audience:
This heartwarming story will have you at the edge of your seat with the tale of the tree and the young boy.  What begins as a perfect relationship turns to a sad story of growing up and the search for happiness.  In the end the tree has given everything to the now old man and has nothing left but a stump.  Needless to say the young boy, now an old man, has nothing left in him other than to sit in the peaceful company of the tree.  This story is about giving of yourself and is a great story for anyone of all ages.  It reminds the young to enjoy their youth and helps the old to remember that sometimes life isn't about searching for happiness; it may be that happiness is found in quiet serenity.

Evaluation of the Text:

Main character overcome a problem- With this story there are the two main characters, the boy and the tree.  The tree has the nature of wanting to give the boy everything he desires so he will be happy but the only thing it wants in return is for the boy to be near.  In the end, after giving completely of itself, the tree is happy when the boy, now an old man, comes to spend time with the stump and they are happy together in peace.

Did I feel I was in the time and place- The author does an amazing job of using very little text to make you feel as though you are in the place of the tree.  The image of the lone tree in the pen illustration allows for the reader to use their imagination and put themselves in the forest with the tree and the little boy.

Transcends stereotypes- Although this story focuses on a person taking from a tree all that it has it transcends the idea of giving in that it shows the extent at which someone or something can give.  It allows for the reader to reflect on themselves without lecturing or boring the reader and without putting a culture or event in mind.

Literary Elements:

Resolution- The resolution to this story is kind of hard to handle, at least personally.  The idea of giving so much that all that is left is a stump which is then still shared is beyond me.  At the end, after the tree has given all of itself, the boy, now an old man, comes back to see the tree:
And after a long time
the boy came back again.
"I am sorry, Boy,"
said the tree," but I have nothing
left to give you -
My apples are gone."
"My teeth are too weak
for apples," said the boy.
"My branches are gone,"
said the tree. " You
cannot swing on them - "
"I am too old to swing
on branches," said the boy.
"My trunk is gone, " said the tree.
"You cannot climb - "
"I am too tired to climb" said the boy.
"I am sorry," sighed the tree.
"I wish that I could give you something....
but I have nothing left.
I am just an old stump.
I am sorry...."
"I don't need very much now," said the boy.
"just a quiet place to sit and rest.
I am very tired."
"Well," said the tree, straightening
herself up as much as she could,
"Well, an old stump is good for sitting and resting
Come, Boy, sit down. Sit down and rest."
And the boy did.
And the tree was happy.

Symbolism- Some may see this as a story of taking from the earth all that the earth has to offer and that we shouldn't be taking ungratefully in search of happiness that will never be obtained.  The idea that we should be happy in the peace of the forest can be seen as a symbol of Environmental groups.
"Cut down my trunk
and make a boat," said the tree.
"Then you can sail away...
and be happy."
And so the boy cut down her trunk
and made a boat and sailed away.
And the tree was happy
... but not really.

Tragic Dilemma- The dilemma in this story is how to feel about the events that are happening to the tree.  All the tree wanted to see was the young boy happy and it gave all of itself, and then some, to do so.  Even at the end, when it has nothing left, it still offers itself to the boy to make him happy, which then makes the tree happy.  The other dilemma is that the tree's happiness is seeing the boy happy.
"Well, an old stump is good for sitting and resting
Come, Boy, sit down. Sit down and rest."
And the boy did.
And the tree was happy.

Illustrations:
Again, Shel Silverstein is a genius.  He is able to capture the story and the characters in amazing form with only pen illustrations.  This, as always, makes the characters relatable and easy to understand in that the reader can create their own tree and boy in their head which helps them remember the story in better form.

Mini-lesson:
Depending on the age of the students you are working with, there can be multiple activities you can do with this story.  One would be to create a giving tree of the classroom and discuss as a class what your students give to their teachers, their school and their family using descriptive language and then reflect on these givings in a short story form of how they can then return the giving by their actions and words.

The Missing Piece Meets the Big O

Title: The Missing Piece Meets the Big O
Author/Illustrator: Shel Silverstein
Publisher: Harper & Row; 1st edition (May 6, 1981)
Genre: Short Story
Readability Lexile: Grades 1-2

Summary and Target Audience:
This short story is about a shape who cannot find its match.  No other shapes will fit it just right and it can't seem to make itself more attractive without making a fool of itself.  One day it meets The Big O who tells the shape to make it on its own because The Big O doesn't have any room for it.  So the shape begins to roll and rolls all of its sharp edges off until it becomes whole.  Great story for children and families of all ages.  Especially wonderful at the teenage years when attending a new school or high school and trying to find their place.

Evaluation of Text:

Good Story- This is a wonderful story. Although short, it makes a strong point of making yourself whole by working only on yourself and that no one else can make you fit.  It keeps the reader guessing and would be appropriate for all ages.  The shapes are general and nonspecific and it also addresses the issue of growing.

Characters seem real- Although the main characters are shapes, they are relatable.  The shape who is trying to find a match with another shape is a little piece of all of us at one point or another.  The Big O is also a piece of each of us because at one point or another we worked hard to become who we are today.

Language was appropriate- The language in this story is conversational and understandable.  Shel Silverstein does a great job of choosing and describing the feelings of the inability to fit in with easy to understand sentences and descriptions.

Literary Elements:

Symbolism-  The symbolism of the shapes as people was very compelling.  When the little triangle finds its shape that it completes at one point and then all of the sudden starts to grow and can no longer complete the other shape was very meaningful.  I could relate to the feeling of finding someone who fits with you perfectly and then out of nowhere something happens and you grow when not expecting to and suddenly you are no longer a perfect match.

Dramatic- The drama throughout the story of the shape was extremely real.  Although just shapes the shapes and their descriptions of one another was again, very relatable.  The drama of the small triangle finally finding The Big O and then The Big O not having any place for it was stunning.

Crisis- The crisis throughout the story was the finding of self.  The triangle had the need to fill someone elses shape and in the end, after meeting The Big O who didn't need anyone to be complete, started working on itself and made its edges round and rolled with The Big O in the end. Such a touching tale!

Illustrations:
Again, Shel Silverstein is brilliant with his illustrations.  The shapes have some expression but overall are very simple and don't move very much.  However, somehow he is able to capture the text with the illustration in such a way that the pictures come to life.

Mini-lesson:
Because the finding of self is so strong in this text I would have to do a lesson on being yourself.  What would be great would be to do this reading as a read-aloud and to have the students create a poem or a story about themselves and what their edges are and how and who they "roll" with.  It would be a wonderful "working on self" kind of activity and give the students an opportunity to look within themselves and reflect in a creative and safe environment.

A Light in the Attic

Title: A Light in the Attic
Author/Illustrator: Shel Silverstein
Publisher: Harpercollins; (1981)
Genre: Poetry
Readability Lexile: All Ages!
Summary and Target Audience:
This poetry book is one of my all time favorites.  It is full of fun and nonsense poetry with some rhyming and other poetic qualities.  Shel Silverstein tells us all about reflections, messy rooms, blame  and being tired in a laughable form that is appropriate for all ages.  Although I probably wouldn't begin this type of poetry until possibly Kindergarten students will love the short and exciting ways of creating memorable poems and enjoy  the sketches created on each page.


Evaluation of the Text:

Culturally Appropriate- Because all of the pictures are in black pen there are no colors and the characters range from animals to people who all look generally the same which is enticing for any reader.

Offensive Language- This collection of poems doesn't offer any degrading vocabulary .  However, be careful if sharing the poems with the younger students.  Some of the poems can be touchy and because of the maturity of the age of students you are working with there needs to be some monitoring so they are not using the poems or illustrations inappropriately.

Language- What I love about this collection is the various language.  Some of the conversations between characters is very casual while personal thoughts of characters may be portrayed in a more modern or proper manner.  The variety is wonderful, however, and really appeals to students creativity.

Literary Elements:

Theme- The main theme of these poems is looking at events that happen in everyday life with a little humor.  Some of the poems become personal or have an uplifting message but most are silly and reflect some irony in life.  For example, the poem "Tired" is about a character who is tired from the strenuous activity of laying in the grass which I absolutely adore.  "I've been lying here holding the grass in its place, Pressing a lead with the side of my face, Calling the fish to swim into my nets, And I've taken twelve thousand and forty-one breaths, And I'm TIRED!"

Conflict- The following poem is about the problem of nail biting. In this poem the character decides to look at the positives of the situation and use it as justification for biting his nails:
Some people manicure their nails,
Some people trim them neatly,
Some people keep them filed down,
I bite 'em off completely.
Yes, it's a nasty habit, but
Before you start to scold,
Remember, I have never ever
Scratched a single soul.
Characterization- The characters range from a variety of different situations and all look at life from a different angle which is what makes this book so much fun.  What I liked best was the variety of characters and the variety of opinions these characters had.  For example, to warm your heart, there is the poem of "The Little Boy and the Old Man:" 
Said the little boy, "Sometimes I drop my spoon."
Said the old man, "I do that too."
The little boy whispered, "I wet my pants."
"I do that too," laughed the little old man.
Said the little boy, "I often cry."
The old man nodded, "So do I."
"But worst of all," said the boy, "it seems
Grown-ups don't pay attention to me."
And he felt the warmth of a wrinkled old hand.
"I know what you mean," said the little old man.

Illustrations:
As mentioned above, all of the illustrations are done by Shel Silverstein and do not posses any color which is fantastic and appealing to everyone.  The characters are a variety of different sorts and although sometimes his pictures may be seen as a little dark they do tend to focus on the humor side of the poem on the page.  Each poem has an illustration which gives a look at the poem.

Mini-lesson:
For a minilesson using some of these poems I would try teaching a lesson using the poem "The Fly is in" which is a scaffolded poem.  I would present this lesson and have the students use short ideas to explain an object that is in, on, under and bothering them at the current moment.  This would give the students an idea for how poetry can sometimes be organized and the creativity and fun that can be used with poetry.
The fly is in
The milk is in
The bottle is in
The fridge is in
The kitchen is in
The house is in
The town.
The flea is on
The dog is on
The quilt is on
The bed is on
The carpet is on
The floor is on
The ground.
The worm is under
The ground is under
The grass is under
The blanket is under
The diaper is under
The baby is under
The tree.
The bee is bothering
The puppy is bothering
The dog is bothering
The cat is bothering
The baby is bothering
Mama is bothering
Me.

Walk Two Moons

Title: Walk Two Moons
Author: Sharon Creech
Publisher: HarperTeen (December 23, 2003)
Genre: Chapter Book
Readability Lexile: Grades 3-6
Summary and Target Audience:
Sal is a young girl living with her grandparents.  She entertains them with a story about Phoebe Winterbottom and in the telling of this strange story she learns about herself as well as explores the world of those around her.  Desperate to be reunited with her Mother this story is funny, heartwarming, sad, lonely and everything in between. She experiences all that makes life sweet including learning about her own grandparents and their life together.  This story is one of my favorites!  The audience for this book could be anyone from Grade 2 and beyond, but mainly targeted at young women because the main character is a young girl.

Evaluation of the Text:

Good story-  This story ranks on my top 10 books in my library.  I rediscovered it when I was in High school and do a yearly reading of Walk Two Moons and Chasing redbird (although Walk Two Moons is still my favorite).  What makes this story amazing is the transformation of the main character, Sal.  She begins telling this story that the reader is not quite sure of the validity of, and learns about herself through the process.  She recognizes her strengths and weaknesses and learns all about love of family and loss in one book.

Did I feel as though I was there- The author Sharon Creech does such a spectacular job of using descriptive language.  When I read the book for the first time I was lost in Sal's world.  It is one of those stories where you loose track of time and space and you are so utterly involved that you become Sal in the story and experience everything with her.

What is the author trying to tell me-  There are too many themes and messages to go over in a short blog like this, but I will focus on one which is my favorite. Sal learns to "Take a walk in someone else's shoes," before she judges or thinks negatively of them.  She learns this from her mother who Sal is madly trying to find and discover why she is no longer with Sal.

Literary Elements: 

Conflict- The largest conflict in this story would be the finding of self.  Sal is trying to discover where her mother is but in her search of finding her mother she is really learning about herself.  Is she a lost country girl?  Or can she become a woman of the world?  Is she like her Grandma?  Will she learn to love like her Gram and Grandpa do?  What is the meaning of the Phoebe story to Sal?

Symbolism- The symbolism in this story is intense.  While Sal is accompanying her grandparents on a 6 day travel to retrace her mothers steps in Idaho.  The symbolism of this trip is the grieving process that Sal goes through- from denial, to anger to finally acceptance of where and how her mother has gone.  The symbolism of the story of Phoebe may also be a part of this, but it is up to the reader to decode the second story within the story.  The grieving process is also mirrored through the relationship of her grandparents who are entering old age.

Situational Irony- There's a tone of different situations that become ironic in this story.  One of my favorites is just the full name of Sal- Salamanca Tree Hiddle.  She struggles with this name as she knows it was meaningful to her mother whom she is desperately trying to reconnect with.  The story takes place on the trip to Idaho which is fun to imagine in of itself- two grandparents and their grandchild on an adventure that even leads them to a Pow-wow.

Mini-lesson:
I struggled with coming up with an idea for a mini-lesson for this story.  I had never thought of applying it to the classroom before.  I do like the idea of a story within a story and relating the two stories together to intertwine and I remember trying to practice writing a story within a story in Elementary School.  For the upper elementary grades this would be a great story to work on the skill of story within a story especially in a small group of students who are either below grade level or above.

Pie in the Sky

Title: Pie in the Sky
Author/Illustrator: Lois Ehlert
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books (April 1, 2004)
Readability Lexile: Pre-K-1st Grade
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Summary and Target Audience:
This story is about a child who moves into a new house and is told that he has a pie tree growing in the yard.  He watched it through the season, looking for the pies and paying close attention to the colors of all of the different animals and leaves of the tree.  He watches the tree transform into fall and the cherries begin to grow and then the animals join in the feast.  They pick the cherries and make cherry pie.  This is a wonderful book with great illustrations and a recipe included in the back for baking cherry pie.  This book would be suitable for ages Pre-K to 2nd Grade and would make for a great interactive lesson making pie!

Evaluation of the Text:

Is this a story that could really happen-Yes, this story could really happen.  Watching the trees transform in the different seasons is so fun and interesting.  This book pays special attention to the critters who also enjoy the tree which makes for even more things to look for on the trees outside your window.

Did the character seem real- The animals certainly were real.  Although the depictions of them were not actual photographs, the representation of them and the behaviors they exhibited were definitely life-like and real.  The child looking for the pies to grow on the trees was definitely life like as well.

Did I feel like I was in that time/place- Yes, I felt involved in the story.  The pictures were made from colorful cut-outs and different combinations of drawings as well as textured paper.  I also liked that  the colors changed with the seasons and the author spent considerable time with detail.

Literary Elements:

Climax- The reason I enjoyed this book was because I was curious while paging through what the reasoning for calling the tree a "pie tree" was going to be.  There could be many different interpretations of the name "pie tree."  The author chose to represent a pie tree as a cherry tree. the climax was the introduction of the tee and the illustration of the transformation of the tree as well as the animals the tree housed and the finale of making a cherry pie at the conclusion of the story. "at last Dad says it's time for us to pick cherries. We're going to make a pie!"

Theme- I enjoyed the theme of togetherness and working together harmoniously which I believe is what the text was trying to get across.  The author spends a lot of time in small text that blends with the pages describing what he/she sees which is repetitive but helpful in determining what type of season it is and what type of animal the reader should be looking for.

Symbolism- In the story the author uses the illustrations and the "I Spy" text as a representation and helpful clue in what season the tree is experiencing at the moment.  "I see a raccoon's black mask, black toes, black nose and eye, and the lime green glow of fireflies.  But no pies."

Illustrations:
The author/illustrator uses a variety of mediums in her collage illustrations, including acrylic and watercolor paints, colored pencils, crayons and pastels, and several types of paper. Each spread is an amazing work of art on its own, filled with beautiful birds, lush cherries, and vividly colored scenery. Pictures are exquisitely designed and laid out. Each spread includes a piece of the ongoing story (in large, bold font) and an "I spy" section that details items for children to look for (in smaller type, using more extensive vocabulary).

Mini-lesson:
This text, while short, encompasses so many different possibilities for all ages.  It can be used as a read-aloud or an independent or small group read with students looking for the smaller text in an "I Spy" form.   It can be used in the younger ages to help with the distinction of the season, older ages with the descriptive language and use of colorful language or to teach a class how to cook a pie.  What would be really neat would be to use this book multiple times throughout the year for the various reasons: In the fall to practice using descriptive language and the distinction of the seasons, in the winter you could make the pie and work on the ingredients and tie it to a math lesson and count how many "descriptive words" the author uses on each page, and in the spring as a project to describe all the new wildlife that the students are seeing after the cold, harsh winter. Possibilities are endless!

Pete the Sheep-Sheep

Title: Pete the Sheep-Sheep
Author: Jackie French
Illustrator: Bruce Whatley
Publisher: Clarion Books; New title edition (September 12, 2005)
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Readability Lexile: Kindergarten-2nd Grade

Summary and Target Audience:
This story is about a sheep shearer and his sheep who come int a town of three other shearers who simply do not want to share.  Shaun uses his sheep to heard the other sheep as well and the three other goofy shearers get jealous and their sheep go to Shaun for all their shearing needs.  The three shearers become annoyed and run Pete and his Sheep off the property so Shaun and Pete the Sheep open a sheep-shearing barber shop.  All the sheep start going there, as well as the three shearers dogs, and the three men decide to help Pete out at his hop instead o fighting. The audience for this book may be children anywhere from the ages of kindergarten to 2nd grade, especially students who like to learn about sheep!

Evaluation of the Text:

Good story- I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was entertaining and the characters had fun names that would be fun for a read aloud.  It also had a great message of accepting differences again and going with the flow which is so important. However, I read some other reviews online about this book which said the complete opposite and besides the illustrations it had no substance. Purely all about opinion!

Characters grew- Not only did Shaun and Pete the Sheep grow as characters and try new things as far as joining this small club of shearers but they also were able to move on from a not so positive situation and create their own store which brought in all sorts of different fun.  They even dealt with the issue of exclusion when they told the shearers dogs they couldn't be styled because it was sheep only.  They changed this rule, however which showed growth as well.  The shearers and their dogs grew from anger and resentment at this new character to humility and acceptance when they chose to help Shaun in his new shop.

Illustrations are nonstereotypical-  This is where I believe the text falls short.  There were no women in this story and all the men were white.  The sheep were white as well but some of them had slight distinctions.  The author is from Australia and I believe that is where the story was meant to be based out of.

Literary Elements:

Characterization- The characters in this text are different, which I think is why I liked it.  I wasn't sure if there was an underlying message other than the idea of accepting people who are different.  Shaun and Pete the Sheep are definitely different than the three shearers and their dogs and because they do things differently they are ostracized.  The story comes full circle when the shearers and their dogs get to try things a new way at the end. "In the end, it all worked out happily. Ratso could shear sheep styles that were almost as good as Shaun's Bog Bob specialized in sheep dog styles. And Bungo learned hot to speak to the clients."

Conflict-The conflict in this story seems to be the fear of change.  The three shearers have been doing things "their way" for what seems like a lifetime and when some new kid comes in and shakes things up their not quite sure how to react."That sheep-sheep is nothing but a troublemaker! He has to go!" cried Big Bob and Ratso. "If Pete goes, I go," said Shaun."

Point of View- The point of view of the story is from a narrator's perspective.  What is interesting is that the differences of the shearers are not only the way that they talk, sheer and treat their animals but also the way they dress.  The opinion of the new shearer towards the new shearer was interesting and I wam not quite sure if there is a GLBT undertone in the story.

Illustrations:
I love the illustrations in this book! The pencil sketched with the watercolors are truly fantastic.  The expressions on the faces of all of the animals and shearers are priceless and I liked that the three shearers who did not want to change look mostly alike except for a few small differences.  I also liked that Shaun looked different then all of them and that the author took some time to make the illustrations fun and related directly to the text.

Mini-lesson:
Because of the repetitive nature of this book it would be fun to do an interactive read-aloud and have the students hold up fingers if they think there is something "unfair" happening in the book.  With this recognition of issues in the story the conversation can then begin on how to change these differences or opinions on differences.  A story could be made by each student on what kind of shop they would create if given the opportunity or what they did to be proactive when they felt they were being left out.

Pocket for Corduroy

Title: Pocket for Corduroy
Author/Illustrator: Don Freeman
Publisher: Viking Juvenile (March 6, 1978)
Genre: Chilren's Picture Book
Readability Lexile: Ages 3-8
Summary and Target Audience:
The adventures small Corduroy continue in this new tale.  Corduroy is brought with to the laundromat and sees that he does not have a pocket.  He desperately wants one and goes searching throughout the laundromat without the knowledge of Lisa.  Without knowing where Corduroy went, Lisa and her mother are forced to leave because it is closing time.  Corduroy spends the night at the laundromat having adventures and exploring and Lisa returns to save him from a pile of soap while taking the time to repair his lost button.  This is suitable for ages 3-8 and anyone who may have liked the first book in this series.

Evaluation of the Text:

Is this a good story- The story, in my opinion, isn't anything special.  It is easy to read but I did not enjoy the dialogue he had with himself and Lisa.  He was very staunchy and wish-washy with what he thought and although I loved the first book of Corduroy this one wasn't something to write home to mom about. the story did include various characters, a problem, some interesting situations, but other than that there wasn't any excitement.

Characters seem real- Lisa, the little girl who bought Corduroy, seems very real in the affection she has towards her bear.  The mother also seems very real in that she has forgotten how important the small stuffed animals in our lives become.  Corduroy was kind of believable in that he is always getting lost but the concept of a bear leaving its "rightful owner" to explore doesn't really fit the bill for me.


What did the author want to tell me- I believe the theme of this story was that if you would like something all you need to do is ask.  Had Corduroy explained how he felt about not having a pocket, Lisa would have gladly helped him and he wouldn't have been left in the laundromat.

Literary Elements:

Exposition-  The author does not go into a great deal of background information because it is assumed that the reader has read the first book, Corduroy.  Lisa is a young girl who purchased the toy bear in a department store whom no one had wanted to buy in a very long time.

Tone- The tone of this story is explorative in my opinion.  There is no great danger but many different things to explore in the laundromat.  If students haven't ever been in one this would be a good introduction.  "He landed paws first in an empty laundry basket. "This must be a cage, he said peeking through the bars."

Setting-  The setting for this story is the laundromat, as mentioned above.  Corduroy experiences all of the different items in the laundromat, including a soap box, laundry basket, and being washed by a stranger. ""Before he knew it, Corduroy was being tossed together with all the sheets, shirts, shorts and slacks... inside the dryer."

Illustrations:
The illustrations for this text are quite enjoyable.  for each page the author has taken the time to give the characters some life and expression which helps with the story.  He also did a very nice job of depicting the various elements of a laundromat and including different characters one may run itno there including a caretaker.

Mini-lesson:
This would be a great book to read on the first few days of school or during a share and tell time.  Students could bring in one of their favorite items and write a story about an adventure their stuffed animal may have been on when they were gone (purely imaginative, of course).  They could practice writing it from the stuffed animal point of view.

Ella Takes the Cake

Title: Ella Takes the Cake
Author/Illustrator: Carmela and Steven D'Amico
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books (September 1, 2005)
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Summary and Target Audience:
Ella may be little, but she still wants to be a big help.  Only, her mother says she is too small to slice the cakes, too young to bake the cookies... how is she supposed to do anything important?  She finally gets the chance when her mother asks her to make a big cake delivery, but she is met with certain events, including running into her troublemaker friend Belinda Blue, that threaten to stop her successful completion of delivering the cake on time and in one piece.  She has a bumpy ride but makes it safely and is given more responsibility when she returns to the store.  The target audience for this story would be students grades K-2 who like suspenseful stories.  Ella is relatable and helpful.


Evaluation of Text:

The main character overcame a problem- Ella was nervously excited about delivering this cake to the people who were expecting it at a certain time.  However, she is met with difficulty in more than one situation when she interacts with some of the other animals in the town.  She is able to overcome these problems and works through them while completing all the extra tasks as well as delivering the cake right on time.

Did it seem natural- The only issue I had with this story is that Ella does not stand up for herself or say no.  I know a lot of students especially who are people pleasers and it is ok to help others when you can but I thought the story was lacking a voice for Ella.

The author wanted to tell the audience in the story- I believe the idea was that it is possible to be helpful as well as accomplish the task you set out to accomplish.  However, as mentioned above, there is a certain point where it becomes important to stand up for yourself as well.

Literary Elements:

Characterization- The character of Ella is a very sweet, helpful animal of some sort.  She sweeps her mothers floor until there "isn't a crumb on it" and makes sure to do everything she can to make the bakery they work at run smoothly.  However, her mother tells her she is too young to do the baking and some of the other projects.  This is a feeling students will definitely be able to relate to.

Setting- The setting of this story takes place in "Little Village for nearly a year."  The beautiful illustrations depict a town on a peninsula and near a very large body of water.  When going on her adventure Ella starts at the bakery and travels the whole town in order to deliver the big cake.

Complication- Belinda, a very troublesome character, complicates the process of Ella completing the task of delivering the cake to the lighthouse when she climbs in: "As Ella passed the fire station, she spotted Belinda sitting on the curb. "I'll make room," said Belinda, squeezing in."

Illustrations:
As mentioned above, the illustrations in this text are amazing and very colorful.  The characters in the story are almost elephant shaped without the long nose and colored gray.  The jacket and first page of the book depict a gorgeous map of the town from a bird's eye view with all of the places Ella visited while taking her cake to the lighthouse.  The text is either on a plain white page or in between some of the illustrations.

Mini-lesson:
Since I had such a problem with Ella being walked over, I would use this as either a whole class read-aloud or a small group read-aloud.  We would discuss what makes a good friend and draw pictures or write sentences.  Then we could make a diagram of what makes us special and if we would have done anything differently in the story than Ella did.  We could create our own "Ella's" and make a book of good friendships and the good in each of us.

The Wolf's Chicken Stew

Title: The Wolf's Chicken Stew
Author/Illustrator: Keiko Kasza
Publisher: Puffin (April 16, 1996)
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Readability Lexile: Preschool-2nd Grade
  Summary of Text and Target Audience:
Wolf loves to eat almost more than anything else in the world.One day he has a terrible craving for chicken stew.  he spots a chicken who seems just right, but then he thinks how much more stew there will be if he fattens her up before dining himself.  So he goes home and begins to cook all kinds of scrumptious meals for the chicken to eat.  A big surprise was in store for the wolf when he finally visited Mrs. Chicken- he had been feeding her 100 chicks! This is a great story for Preschool-2nd Grade because of the fun voices that can be represented and the repetitive and predictable sequence of events.

Evaluation of Text:

The character grew- The big bad old wolf, although very preoccupied with the fattening of his meal throughout a majority of the story, makes a significant viewpoint change when he brings the last meal to fatten up his chicken and realizes he has been feeding a band of small chicks who immediately take to Mr. Wolf and brand him with the name of Uncle Wolf.  Mr. Wolf leaves the chicken's house feeling enamored with the little chicks and says he will bake them something for the next day.

Theme worthwhile- In my opinion, the theme of the story was even the best laid plans may not be what you expect.  The story is entertaining and the wolf gets the surprise of finding out he is feeding all of this chickens' chicks with the food she was supposed to be eating to fatten her up for his stew.  His heart then turns from a heart of stone to a heart of gold as he plans his next meal to feed the little chicks.

Personality/Action Match- In this story, the hen was the oblivious and object of the wolf's need to eat.  we don't know what is happening to her while the wolf is making all of these plans.  However, when she opens the door she continues to act surprised and oblivious and unaware that the wolf was trying to fatten her up to eat her.  The wolf is maniacal and devious and he secretly plans all of these meals and leaves them on the door.  On the night of the planned attack he creeps up to the door only to be surprised by the warmness and the kindness of the chicken and her chicks.

Literary Elements:

Style- The style of writing was very simple sentences with very little description.  The wofl does have some dialogue as well as the chicken and her chicks, and the wolf goes from very refined language of, "Eat well, my pretty chicken. Get nice and fat for my stew!" to "Aw, shucks, maybe tomorrow I'll back the little critters a hundred scrumptious cookies!"

Climactic- The story begins with an exciting beginning as the wolf plans to eat the chicken in the first few pages but reflects and becomes greedy and decides to cook for the chicken to make her fatter so he has more stew for himself.  The anticipation again builds as he cooks 100 pancakes, doughnuts and a 100 pound cake to feed the chicken.  On the night of his planned attack he is stunned to find he has been feeding her family and becomes Uncle Wolf.

Situational Irony- As mentioned in almost every paragraph above, the wolf is met with a different situation than is expected and the ending chosen of having the wolf become a part of the family is much more appropriate than the alternative.

Illustrations:
The illustrations in this text are amazing- they are fun and beautifully done! The characters are very expressive which makes for an even more entertaining text.  The expressiveness of the wolf in particular is fun to look at because he goes from a creepy animal hiding behind a tree to quite bashful at the end of the story after being called Uncle Wolf.

Mini-lesson:
For this story, I would focus on predicting.  The wolf has some very predictable and repetitive language which makes for an amazing read-aloud.  The dialogue during the story would also be fun to do with the students and have them practice using their different voices for the wolf and the chicken as well as the chicks for the younger grades.

Once Upon a Twice

Title: Once Upon a Twice
Author: Denise Doyen
Illustrator: Barry Moser
Publisher: Random House (August 25, 2009)
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Readability Lexile: Kindergarten-3rd Grade


Summary and Target Audience:
What will happen to the brave mouse Jam when he breaks the rules and goes on a moonlit adventure... against the advice of elder mice?  Will he live to tell the tale?  Follow Jam on his risky adventure through the tall grass and see if he lives to tell the tale of his moonlit adventure to the younger members of his mouse clan.  The audience for this story would be anyone from Kindergarten to 3rd Grade.  This story was hard to define for an audience because it contains so many rhyming and nonsense words that students may be confused at the language.  However, the reaction on the faces of the children you decide to read it to will be priceless because of the climactic events in the story!

Evaluation of the Text:

Did I fell like I was in that time and place- For the most part I was there with Jam going through the tall grasses and fleeing from the dangers of the night marsh.  However, the language, as mentioned before, was tricky and complicated in some spots so that I used my imagination to visualize what it might have looked like.

Characters portrayed as individuals- The part that I most enjoyed is when Jam, the main character, went against the advice of his elder mouse mates to see if all of the warnings he had been told were true because it was believable and most of us have done something just to test the waters to see if all of the warnings we have been told are true.  We have been the curious George in some facet of our life! That is what makes us individuals and set apart from the "mouse clan," even though they prove to be correct in the end.

Illustrations authentic- Although this is a children's book the illustrations were almost too real for me to look at.  The mice were very life-like, especially as the illustrator depicted Jam as he got older talking to the younger mice about his adventure.  Although mice do not grow beards the visual of them getting wrinkly and old was pretty pointed.

Literary Elements:

Rhyming/Nonsense Language- As mentioned before, the author does a fantastic job of giving the feeling of eeriness as Jam goes on his adventure through the murky and dark pond by using nonsense and rhyming words such as, "The knot of mice comes quick undone; The rest resume their furtive run. Jam starts for home, but then, for fun..."

Conflict- The reason this book makes for such a fun read-aloud, although may be seen as too dark for younger readers, is because of the conflict Jam runs into by not listening to his elders.  They warn him of the dangers of going into the pond by himself, but for kicks Jam decides to entertain the adventure and breaks all the rules.  His conflict leaves him almost eaten by the naughty snake; "There's a roil!- a coil!- a lash!  Ssssssnake attacks! Mousling dashes! Startled squeak-eeek! A final Splash! Alas. Silence descends like mud a-deep."

Setting- The setting for this story is in a small and dark marsh with a dangerous pond that instills the mouslings with fear of being dinner for their prey.  The illustrations allude to the darkness of the night as well as all the other animals in the pond who watch helplessly as one mouse, Jam, tries to beat the odds of being dinner.

Illustrations:
As mentioned throughout this review, the illustrations are eerily creepy however somewhat realistic.  The mice are portrayed by age and the elder ones sport a very fashionable beard as well as wrinkles that gave me goosebumps.  The text is in yellow which appealed to the creepy tale and the page is filled with detail as well as an omnipresent moon.

Mini-lesson:
Upon writing this review, I would use this story for all ages around Halloween time.  It would be used as a read-aloud and predictions could be made about what will happen to little Jam as he disobeys his elders.  The next activity could be drawing an illustration or writing a story on personal experiences of disobeying adults in the lives of our students and what happened- were the adults right?  Did they avoid danger?  Will this change how they listen in the future? This book would be great for an interactive discussion and sharing as well.  Be careful, though.  It is kind of a spooky story!

Herman the Helper

Title: Herman the Helper
Author: Robert Kraus
Illustrator: Jose Aruego & Ariane Dewey
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (April 15, 1987)
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Readability Lexile: Preschool-1st Grade

Summary and Target Audience:
This story is about a very helpful octopus who lives in the sea and helps the young, old, friends and enemies with their daily troubles in the ocean.  The story plants the seed for building helpful behaviors and the unselfish acts of helping those around you.  It also includes some dialogue and hints at manners and please as well as thank you.  The audience for this text could be anywhere between ages preschool to first grade.  It would make a great story for a read-aloud at the beginning of the year for how to help other students around you.

Evaluation of the Text:
The main character overcame the problem- although Herman, the octopus, did not have any major problems of his own those around him were struggling with things such as freeing his brothers and sisters from the mouth of a sleeping fish and helping his dad hide so he could catch other fish for dinner.  This was an interesting book which I was intrigued by because of the different situations the author chose to depict.  It may bring up some interesting conversations on animal habits and habitats.

Characters fit the setting- all of the animals in the story fit the setting of the sea or ocean.  Herman, the main character, was an octopus and he had many friends he was helping in the ocean such as his octopus relatives (mom, uncle, dad, brothers and sisters) as well as sea horse friends and sea turtle friends.

The theme was worthwhile- although while I read it I was waiting impatiently for a climax or major event the overall theme of helping others and helping yourself without being asked or told was definitely worthwhile.  As mentioned before this would be a great read-aloud for the first day of school and making your own list in the younger classrooms of how to be helpful to others like Herman.

Literary Elements:

Personification- Herman the octopus not only embodied the personality of a helpful young person but also embodied other personalities such as positive, happy and hopeful as well as exchanging dialogue with the other animals like wishing his dad luck while he hunted after he helped him hide.

Style- The style the author chose to write in was very simple sentences.  "He helped his friends," was one of the sentences in the book.  Most of the sentences started with, "He helped..." and then who he helped.  The author also chose short dialogue between the characters such as, "Ouch!" and "Take it easy, Herman."  The animals almost always thanked Herman for his help as well.

Theme- As mentioned before, the theme for this story was being helpful to others.  Herman helps all of his friends and even some of his enemy sharks with their daily woes and then helps himself to food at the end of the story.

Illustrations:
The illustrations for this text are very colorful and detailed.  The pictures of the various animals are depicted in a cartoon-like style and the appropriate under-the-sea setting is placed with various rocks and water color blue for the ocean or sea.  This is a great book to explore with a young students because there are so many different attributes of the pictures to look at as well as reading their dialogue to one another.

Mini-lesson:
As mentioned before, with this story I would use it as a read-aloud in the first few days of school.  You could introduce it and create a poster as a class on how to be helpful to others, what to say in return when someone helps you and how to be gracious when being helpful.  The poster could say, "Helpful Herman" and have a list created by the students on small cut-out octopuses or a sea background created by the class as a whole and have all the ideas you came up with as a class listed on the octopuses.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Title: The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Author/Illustrator: Eric Carle
Publisher: Philomel; 40 Pop Anv edition (March 10, 2009)
Readability Lexile: Preschool-1st Grade

Summary and target Audience:
A young caterpillar is perplexed with the constant need to fed himself.  This classic and interactive book not only leads us on the path of a young insect trying to find his way through food and days of the week but also keeps us entertained with the beautiful illustrations and fun story line. The audience for this book can be children from the ages of Preschool to First Grade.

Evaluation of the text:

This is a great story- children whom I have worked with love this book.  They like the idea of a caterpillar, an insect most have seen, can eat all of that food and turn into a beautiful butterfly.  Especially in the springtime when students are getting antsy for summer this book brings joy and happiness into the classroom.

The main character overcame a problem- although some do not interpret this book in this particular way, I do.  I like the idea of a character who doesn't understand why they are so hungry but feel the need to eat and eat and eat.  The transformation that occurs is beautiful and special.  Little ones especially who are growing in their young age and hungry all the time as well as very tired from all their growing can relate to thee feelings of never being full but needing to eat to make a transformation.

The author wanted us to see- I believe the author was not only helping students with counting which is why all of the food comes in series but also to see the transformation of a butterfly and to understand that although we do not always understand what is happening to our bodies we are all beautiful butterflies.

Literary Elements:

Climax:  In this story the caterpillar makes the transformation from small egg on a leaf to hungry caterpillar to cocoon to beautiful butterfly.  The series of events the insect goes through is a true climactic story.  The height of climax is on Saturday when he eats one of each tasty treat and the following day only eats part of a leaf.  What will happen next??

Third Person Limited Omniscient: 3rd person pronouns again, but perspective is limited to ONE character's thoughts, feelings, vantage point. Can not know anything in story other than what the one character
knows.  All we know as the audience is how the caterpillar is feeling about the events it is experiencing and how that affects it as an insect.  We do not hear anyone elses opinion on what is happening in the story when it first comes out of the egg for example.

Tone:  The overall tone of this work of literature is hopeful in my opinion.  Not only does the caterpillar make this transformation on its own but is able to overcome the feelings of having eaten too much with a smart decision to eat a few bites of leaf to then make the transformation into its cocoon. When the caterpillar emerges it is gorgeous and happy.

Illustrations:
The illustrations of this text are fantastic.  They are bright and colorful as well as interactive.  In each of the items of "food" the caterpillar consumes there is a small hole to illustrate it eating the item.  The pictures are not only fun to play with and read out loud but also relate very well to the short text which explains the amount of food the caterpillar ate as well as the day of the week which would be helpful for our younger readers.

Mini-lesson:
If using this in a Kindergarten classroom I would make a story book for the kids using the different foods that the caterpillar ate.  I would have choices of different items to represent the number and the day of the week or have them illustrate their own to demonstrate their knowledge of numbers.  The possibility with this text are endless!
Here is a great website I found with a ton of different lesson plans for all grades using this text:
http://www.madison.k12.sd.us/Gracevale/MDU-unit.htm

The Best Beekeeper of Lalibela

Title: The Best Beekeeper of Lalibela: A Tale from Africa

Author: Cristina Kessler

Illustrator: Leonard Jenkins

Publisher: Holiday House (June 30, 2006)

Readability Lexile: Grades 1-3

Children's Picture Book

Summary and Target Audience:

Young Almaz, who lives in a mountain village in Ethiopia, loves the honey she buys in the market. She wants to keep bees and make her own honey, but the men laugh at her: "That's men's work, little girl." Encouraged by the local priest, she proves them wrong, devising a way to put a piece of honeycomb in a container to keep away the water and the ants and draw in the bees.

I would use this with children in the classroom in Grades 1-3.  Another great read-aloud!

Evaluation of Literature:

This is a great story- not only does this book inspire young ones to "prove their elders wrong" and find a more innovative way of doing things but also gives hope to the girls in the classroom to do all the things the boys get to do.  It is so easy to get caught up in the gender differences in the classroom and this book truly inspires teachers as well to give equal opportunity to the boys and girls in their classroom.

Growing characters- Almaz is a fantastic growing character.  She is met with defiance when she wants to become the best beekeeper in her town especially among the men.  So she finds a solution and has the sweetest honey and the longest lines in the market.  When her solution is met with another difficulty she finds a way to overcome the ants that have invaded her hive and tries all sorts of new innovations until she finds the perfect solution.

Culture portrayed- the African culture is portrayed in this beautifully illustrated book.The scenery and characters are vivid and detailed with a hint of mystery.  The story gives an opportunity to show the strength of the African women.

Literary Elements:

Analogy- to describe the different experiences Almaz is having with her beekeeping adventure the author uses descriptive language and analogies to help the reader visualize the items: "Almaz let the honey drip down her finger like a string of golden diamonds and into her mouth."

Metaphor- the author also uses metaphors to capture the experiences Almaz has with the bees and the honey: "Her arms and legs were the bark on the tree."

Foreshadowing- from the beginning of the book the author hints at Almaz and the bees and what they will become in the future.  With her endurance and determination the reader learns quickly that Almaz is not one to give up and will find a way to have her bees and honey: "For months they chuckled each time Almaz passed their tree, saying to one another, 'She's learned her lesson.' But they didn't know Almaz."

Illustrations:

As mentioned before, the illustrations are amazing.  They are bright and colorful with depictions of all sorts of characters and animals that were involved in the story.  The test is almost a little difficult to find with all of the different colors and bright strokes across the page to show the background and the setting in Africa.

Mini-lesson:

This story is great to teach perseverance and women's rights.  You could tie this story into a history lesson on civil and women's rights and talk about other events in history that women weren't allowed to be in just because of their gender.  I would love to teach a history lesson using this book as a reference or starting out point.

Not Me!

Title: Not Me!

Author/Illustrator: Nicola Killen

Publisher: Egmont USA (October 12, 2010)

Children's Picture Book

Readability Lexile: Preschool-1st Grade

Summary and Target Audience:

Jake, Jane, Bertie, Paul, Louise and Jess the Pup are on an adventure of making a mess.  The kids all take turns making messes in the house and it's a guessing game of who it is leaving water all over the floor or driving a dirty bike across the rug.  At the end, the only innocent character left is the dog who refuses to clean up. 

In my opinion, children from preschool even up to 1st grade.  It would be a great book for a read aloud in a classroom.

Evaluation of Literature:
Could this story really happen- this story with the children could really happen.  However, most likely they would not be alone in a house causing a mess without any adult figures.  The plot of younger children making a mess could really happen and I'm sure you could find students in the class who have made a mess in their own house.
Theme worthwhile- as far as the theme it was a little difficult to put a finger on the point of the story.  The children in the story were making a mess and pretending they didn't make it.  At the end the author alluded to the fact that the children then cleaned it up.  However, I think the rhyming and predicting was the reason for writing the story.
Characters as individuals- the characters were all given their own two pages and portrayed as individuals.  However, at the end they were all a group again as they were pictured in the beginning of the book.  They each had their own outfit and particular props that identified them.

Literary Elements:
Assonance- For every character, there is a rhyme of their action with their name: "Who's been playing in the rain?  Not me! said Jane." ("rain" and "Jane")
Foreshadowing- In the beginning of the book there are pictures of all the characters and their names.  They each have specific outfits and props that help in identifying who is making the mess.  For example, Jake is carrying a dinosaur and on the first page there is a missing cake and a dinosaur is sitting in its spot.
*The story is very short with very little text

Illustrations:
The illustrations are fun and very detailed.  The characters faces don't show a ton of expression but as mentioned before the illustrations hold clues to who is making the mess on the next page.  It also has clues on the page as to what the next mess is going to be. The messes made are full of color and detail and completely above and beyond fantastic to give some great clues.

Mini-lesson:
The rhyming is fantastic as well as the prediction in this book.  I would use it as a read-aloud and then have the students work on their own story of the messes they have seen using rhyming words and illustrations.

Erika-San

Title: Erika-San

Author/Illustrator: Allen Say

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children; First Edition edition (January 26, 2009)

Children's Picture Book

Readability Lexile: Grades 3-5

Summary and Target Audience:

Erika is fascinated by a picture in her grandmother's house of a cottage in Japan.  She learns Japanese in school and finds a teaching job in a remote island.  She studies to learn how to perform a tea ceremony for a friend who after a year becomes her husband. 

This story is a good modern-day fairytale for 3rd-5th Grade.

Evaluation of Literature:
This story could really happen- the author does a great job of making the story real and having a plot that could happen in real life even though it is not based on a true story. The plot and series of events could most definitely happen.
Felt like the time and place- the authors description of the cities the main character Erika went to and being so excited to go visit a  foreign place are things that students dream about on a daily basis.  I felt involved in the story and the illustrations helped me put a picture in my head of what it all looked like from her perspective.
Nonwhite characters- while the main character was a white female the book did a good job of making sure that the other characters were portrayed in a positive way.  As far as being factual and honest to their culture I am not sure.  I have heard of tea ceremonies and I did enjoy that it showed growing Japan with all of the technology while still showing the culture there.  I really liked that it was a female character as well even though the woman came from the U.S.  However, the second character, Aki-san, wasn't as complex as the main character and didn't show a lot of emotion like Erika did. 

Literary Elements:
Allegory- the painting in the beginning of the book is an allegory throughout the book and is used to symbolize her grandfather and her hopes and dreams for the future. It is seen again at the end of the book when she is having tea with Aki-san and later purchases the tea house to live in with him as husband and wife. "Erika would remember the picture all through her life."
Analogy- Erika has to take a bullet train to her destination in Japan and says she feels like she's in a space station.  This helped to visualize what it would look like if you visited a station like this in Japan.  "Erika struggled to the bullet train platform.  Now I'm in a space station, she thought.  And here comes the rocket."
Foreshadowing- at the beginning of the book the author makes sure to spend time describing her looking at the picture of the cottage in Japan and making multiple references to it throughout her journey.  When she goes on a bike ride, a build-up is made to let the reader know the house or something that reminds her of home will be seen. "As they walked toward it, a cottage appeared.  Erika covered her mouth with a hand."

Illustrations:
The illustrations were detailed and beautiful.  They captured the event on the opposite page and were a very good representation of the story.  The characters were depicted in action scenes and the scenery varied from watercolors and general, sweeping mountains to very detailed Japanese houses.

Mini-lesson:
The pictures were really fantastic and the story set up a great plot for teaching modern-day fairy tales.  It could also be used for prediction and setting up a story with a main theme with a central object.

Sugar Cookies

Title: Sugar Cookies, Sweet Little Lessons on Love

Author: Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Illustrators: Jane Dyer and Brooke Dyer

Publisher: HarperCollins, October 2009

Readability Lexile: Ages 4-8

Children's Picture Book

Summary and Target Audience:

This story is about making cookies and using the cookie process to talk about character attributes.  It defines words that are associated with love.  From letting your best friend have the last cookie (selfless) to waiting to lick the bowl together (considerate) here is a book for anyone who wants to say I love you.
The audience for a book like this is tricky.  While it does have some great definitions that teach some great lessons about being a "good" person the words chosen are debatable and some parents would not be comfortable having these lessons taught at school.  It is more for personal conversations between students and their parents.
*Has some advanced vocabulary that may be useful for slightly older children such as unrequited.

High Quality Literature:
This is a good story- it was a new way of defining words of character and I really enjoyed the relatable cookie making process that helped kids put into terms words they may be hearing at home or around school.  "Constructive means that if the cookie tastes funny, I'm going to be honest and tell you.  I think you mixed up the salt and sugar."
Illustrations- the illustrations are unfortunately not very diverse.  It is mostly Caucasian children with their moms and dads and some smiling and generic animals.  There were a few different characters but they were few and far between. The animals were all very well dressed as well as the characters.  Some of the characters acted out the vocabulary words as well.
Setting- the setting was generic as well.  Some was outside, some at a table in the kitchen, some at a cookie stand.  None of the settings were very relatable or life-like. I wasn't very impressed with where they were all pictured.

Literary Elements:
Analogy- the whole book was an analogy.  While making cookies there is constant reference to the meaning of the word and how to compare that to sugar cookies and activities that involve sugar cookies. "Heartbroken, my heart feels sad and hurt, like a crumbling cookie."
Metaphor- Throughout the analogy of the book there are metaphors in the definition of each word that help the reader even more in identifying meaning. "Adore means I think you're simply delicious. Oh, I could just gobble you up."
Personification- used in this book again in that the animals all wear clothes and are showing human emotion.  The goat, for example, is holding her heart and has a very loving look on her face while trying to show "adore" on the previous page.

Illustrations:
As mentioned before, the illustrations are not anything special.  The animals are extremely generic and the watercolors, while beautiful, aren't anything that help the reader picture the scene.  The characters are mainly Caucasian with the A-typical family as well as the animals.  There are only two diverse characters, one pictured with a mom who's face is not full profile while another does not have a parent figure with her.

Mini-lesson:
This book would be great for definitions of terms.  However, the types of terms may be advanced for some students or unfamiliar because some terms of love for different cultures are much different than the main stream.  It would help to open up discussion on all terms of endearment.  You could create a word wall of different types of words that build character in all different cultures.

Moo Who?

Title: Moo Who?

Author: Margie Palatini

Illustrator: Keith Graves

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Publication Date: September18, 2007

Readibility Lexile: Ages 4-8

Children's Picture Book

Target Audience:

Children ages Preschool-1st Grade

Hilda Mae Heifer has lost her moo after getting bonked in the head with a cow pie- she searches the farm in search of what she is and learns she is not a cat, hen, pig or duck and finally finds her identity when she finds her "moo" once again.

High Quality Literature:
This is a great story- it involves multiple characters and has a good plot involving fun animal noises and would start great conversations for finding out who you are in the world.
The characters grow- not only does Hilda have friends who help her discover who she is but also who she is not.  She tries out multiple different skins and finds that as a cow she is the happiest.
The character overcame the problem- not only did Hilda find out who she was she was able to do it in a fun and entertaining way.  It was an easy read with sounds that could be used for a read-aloud.

Literary Elements:
Personification- like it says in our Through the Eyes book this story has great personification.  Hilda has a very relatable personality and great expression brought to life by the illustrations.  She is pictured as a large cow with very distinct red hair and a big nose.  She never appears to be sad when she can't remember who she is but is confused.
Assonance- the whole book is not in rhyme but the characters have some rhyming lines which makes for a nice flow and develops some great vocabulary.  ("Who?" answered Hilda. "Me? Moo?" "Moo, yes, that is what you do." said Duck.)
Metaphors- this book is full of little metaphors and figures of speech which would be great to talk about in the classroom. "Yup. It was lights out for Hilda Mae Heifer."

Illustrations:
The illustrations were very fun in this book.  The illustrator did a fantastic job of using some watercolors and making the characters very vivid and lifelike.  Their emotions are "written on their face" and he does a great job of illustrating what it would look like if Hilda had "webbed feet like a duck" or "chased a ball of yarn like a cat."

Mini-lesson:
I would use this text to talk about rhyming words and prediction.  I would also talk about voice and have the students come up with their own characters who can't find their identity.  It would also be great for a beginning lesson and having them create their own story of what would happen if they lost their identity and what the thing that means most to them would be.