Nonfiction: Solar System

Solar System
Gregory Vogt
Scholastic Inc.
Copyright 2001
48 pages
Nonfiction

This story is all about our solar system. The book is separated into sections. Each planet gets its own section where they are described in detail. Components such as the stars, asteroids, comets, and moons are also mentioned in their own sections. At the end there is a glossary with all of the different vocabulary used throughout the book.

All of the pictures in the book are photographs. Some are taken from satellites in space. Some of the pictures are taken based on vibrations that give an idea of what the surface of the planet may look like. Venus is an example of a planet that is photographed in this way. I loved the pictures and found them very interesting!

This would be a great introduction to a science lesson on the solar system. The students could do a project on the entire solar system or just a single plant or element of the solar system. You could also do a creative writing lesson on what planet they would go to if they were an astronaut and why. A math lesson could be implemented by the students using the different charts showing the measurements of all the planets. They could compare the sizes of all the planets. This book has not been awarded any medals.

Multicultural: The Zuni

The Zuni
Petra Press
Compass Point Books
Copyright 2002
48 pages
Multicultural

This book is all about the Zuni tribe. The book discusses the Ancient People and the Zuni villages. It also talks about how they farmed in the desert and the way of the spirits. It goes on to talk aobut how they had to fight the Spanish and how they had to find a new way to live. In the end it talks about how they revuilt their homeland and what Zuni life is like today. There is a glossary, a section with some other interesting facts, important dates, and some resources you can use to learn more about the Zuni people at the back of the book.

The pictures are very beautiful.  I loved all of the colors! There are a mixture of photographs and drawings. The drawings are all done by the Zuni people so I would think that they are done with some sort of oil paint. There are also many pictures of maps.

This book would be wonderful to introduce a lesson on the Native American culture. They could do their own art projects based on the Native Americans drawings in the book. You could also do a math lesson on maps. The students could also make a time line based on the important dates in the book. This book has not been awarded any medals.

Multicultural: Greek Immigrants 1890-1920

Greek Immigrants 1890-1920
Rosemary Wallner
Capstone Press
Copyright 2003
29 pages
Multicultural

This book is about Greek Immigrants. It discusses the early Greek immigrants and about who they were. It goes on to discuss life in the old country and why the Greek people immigrated to America. Then, it discussed the trip over and the challenges they faced. In the end, it talks about the Greeks arrival and how they survived in America. It also talks about how the Greeks tried to maintain their traditions. At the end, it talks about some celebrities that are of Greek descent.

The pictures are all photographs. They are all black and white photographs. I found the pictures to be very informational. There are also many pictures of maps. That helped me to be able to see the distance the Greek immigrants had to go in order to reach America.

This would be a wonderful book to read to introduce a lesson on Greek culture. It would give the students an idea of how other people live in other parts of the world. It could also be a good book to use for a research project where the students find a celebrity they know who is of Greek decent and write about that person. It would make it more relevant to them and would also be a good writing lesson. You could also do a math lesson where the students measure on a map how long the journey was for the Greek immigrants. Thhis book was not awarded any medals.

Multicultural:Hanukkah Bear

Hanukkah Bear

Eric A. Kimmel

Mike Wohnoutka

Holiday House

Copyright 2013

15 pages

Multicultural

This book is about a bear who awakes from his winter slumber to the smell of potato latkes. He finds himself at Bubba Brayne’s house who does not hear or see well anymore. Bubba Brayne mistakes bear for the Rabbi who is to come visit later on for their Hanukkah celebration. The bear and Bubba Brayne partake in all sorts of Hanukkah tradition. They even eat all of the potato latkes! Will Bubba Brayne ever realize that her companion is really a bear? Read Mike Wohnoutka’s Hanukkah Bear to find out!

The illustrations in this book are so much fun! The pictures were created with acrylic paint. I love how the bear is portrayed as an actual character and not just an animal. There are no distinct lines in the pictures. There are a mixture of cool and warm colors throughout. I loved that there was no empty space on the pages and that it looks as though the text was typed right onto the pictures.

This book would be a great introduction to a lesson on Hanukah. It would give the students an idea of how some other cultures celebrate Christmas. It would also be a good science lesson where the students could make their own potato latke’s using the cafeteria’s kitchen. It could also be a good introduction to a history lesson and how Hanukah came about. This book was not awarded any medals.

Historical Fiction:Unspoken

Unspoken

Henry Cole

Scholastic press

Copyright 2012

18 pages

Historical fiction

This story does not contain any words. The pictures tell the story. A little girl finds a pair of eyes in her father’s corn. The girl feels compassion for those eyes and brings them food water and supplies. The girl ends up going on a journey with the stranger on the underground railroad. Will they make it? Open Henry Cole’s Unspoken to find out!

The illustrations in the book are absolutely breath taking. There are no words but they are not even needed. The pictures do more than just tell the story; they bring it to life. The pictures are done in lead sketches. It is all just in black and white.

Since this book does not have any words, it would be a good introduction to a writing lesson where the students could write their own words to go along with the story. The book could also be a good lesson on character education and what the girl might have been thinking throughout the book and what the students would do in that situation. The book could also be used as a history lesson talking about African American’s struggle for freedom. Also, it could be used as a lesson for the Underground Railroad. This book was not awarded any medals.

 

Nonfiction: We the People The story of our Constitution

We the People The story of our Constitution

Lynne Cheney

Greg Harlin

Simon and Schuster

Copyright 2008

30 pages

Nonfiction

This book lays out the story of how our constitution came to be. It goes through all of the events that led up to it. It also discusses all of the people who had a hand in writing it. Throughout the story, it gives direct quotes that were said by the men who wrote our constitution.

The illustrations were very beautiful. They really brought history to life. The pictures were done with various water media on watercolor paper. There are mostly cool colors used with a pop of red or orange here and there. There were not really any distinct lines throughout.

This book would be a wonderful way to introduce a lesson on the history the constitution. It could also be used to discuss the history of the United States in general. You could also do a lesson on different historical figures such as George Washington. You could do a math lesson by measuring the different routes the soldiers had to take to the different wars and battles. This book was not awarded any medals.

Multicultural: S is for Shamrock An Ireland Alphabet

S is for Shamrock An Ireland Alphabet

Eve Bunting

Matt Faulkner

Sleeping Bear Press

Copyright 2007

18 pages

Multicultural

This book is a typical ABC book but each letter has something to do with the Irish culture. With each letter, there is a word and a fact about what that word has to do with Ireland. It covers topics from Ancient Ireland all the way to their letter “z” which to them sounds like “zed”. Other topics covered were the Blarney Stone, the Irish journey to America. The information in this book was wonderful and very kid friendly!

I really enjoyed the illustrations in this book! I loved how the lines created texture throughout the pictures. The medium seems to be ink sketches colored in with water colors. I loved that there was no empty space on the page. It was all filled with colorful artwork.

This book could be used to do a lesson on other cultures. The book has a lot of very enlightening information. It could also be used as history lesson on Ireland and how they came to America. It could also be used as a math lesson where the students measure on a map how far away Ireland is from other countries such as the United State. This book was not awarded any medals.

Nonfiction: Volcanoes

Volcanoes
Lily Wood
Scholastic Inc.
Copyright 2000
48 pages
Nonfiction

This book is all about volcanoes. It is filled with all kinds of interesting facts. It discusses all of the different places all over the world that volcanoes can be found. It also discusses all of the different types of lava. At the end there is a glossary of all of the volcano specific vocabulary as well as an index. At the very end are some suggested ways to use this book.

The illustrations throughout this book are very informative. If you have no prior knowledge of volcanoes, these pictures give you a great visual to understand what the look like and what they do. The illustrations are all real life photographs. I really enjoyed looking at all the pictures. I feel that the students would enjoy this as well.

This book would be a good science lesson. The the kids could create a volcano of their own. This could also be used as a history lesson where the kids learn about where the first volcanoes formed. It could also be used as a math lesson where the students compare the sizes of the volcanoes. This book has not been awarded any medals.
 

Historical Fiction: Coming Home A Story of Josh Gibson, Baseball's Greatest Home Run Hitter

Coming Home
Nanette Mellage
Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu
Bridge Water Books
Copyright 2001
15 pages
Historical Fiction

This book is written from the perspective of Josh Gibson's biggest fan. He tells of how in that time, 1930, that there was segregation. This held true for baseball as well. There was the major league and the negro league. Josh Gibson played for the negro league. The boy takes great pleasure in going to watch Josh Gibson play with his pop. He watches Josh's career unfold and experiences the talent of what many people consider the best hitter in history.

The illustrations are wonderfully done. I really enjoyed the story that they told. The illustrations look to be done in water color. There are no distinct lines throughout the illustrations. There are mostly cool colors in the pictures.

This book could be used in a lesson on famous athletes. It could also be used to introduce a lesson on the history of sports. It could be used as a writing lesson where the students could write about their favorite sport or the athlete they look up to most. It could also be a book to use to talk about African American rights. This book was not awarded any medals.

Historical Fiction: The Silent Witness A True Story of the Civil War

The Silent Witness A True Story of the Civil War
Robin Friedman
Claire A. Nivola
Houghton Mifflin Company
Copyright 2005
15 pages
Historical Fiction

This book is about a young girl Named Lula McLean who lives in Manassas, Virginia in 1861. She grew up with her mother, father, sisters, brother, and rag doll. Her story begins as Fort Sumter is bombarded by soldiers under command of General Pierre G.T. Beauregard. The book goes on to talk about how the war affects Lula's life. She ends up having to move from the home she grew up in. Who, in the end, is the silent witness? Read Robin Friedman's A Silent Witness to find out!

The illustrations are really beautiful. You can tell that this book is set in earlier time period. The medium of the illustrations are water colors as well as gauche. There are both warm and cool colors throughout the story but most are cool. There are no sketched lines throughout; it is just the paint and gauche.

This would be a wonderful book to use to introduce a lesson on the civil war. It brings the view of a young child to the surface which would be relatable to the students. It could also be used as a writing lesson where the students could write about what they think the civil war would look like through their eyes. You could also do a math lesson and measure on a map the distance the troops had to travel. This book has not been awarded any medals.

Poetry: Color Me a Rhyme

Color Me a Rhyme
Jane Yolen
2000
Boyd Mills Press
24 pages

Reading Color Me a Rhyme gets you lost in a world of nature and color. It brings a different view of every day things. You are surrounded by nature every day but Jane Yolen shows it in a new light. It made me appreciate it in a new way.

The illustrations were photographs. I loved all of the colors. Although they were real, sometimes it did not seem like they were. There were cool and warm colors throughout. It really made you feel like you were emersed in nature.

Color Me a Rhyme  could be used for a science lesson. It could have to do with studying leaves and plants. It could also be used as an art lesson and they could color their own rhyme. It could also be a lesson about what they see when they look outside. This book does not have any awards.

Poetry: Where the Sidewalk Ends

Where the Sidewalk Ends
Shel Silverstien
Copyright 2004
Harper Collins
183 pages
Poetry

This collection contains many silly poems appropriate for all ages. I love that the first poem is titled Invitiation. It kind of sets the tone for the rest of the poetry. It is light and easy to read. I have always loved poetry and really enjoyed this particular collection! I would recommend it to anyone!

All of the illustrations are ink sketches. There is no color throughout the book, it is all black and white. There is also a lot of blank space on the pages. Sometimes there is only the short poem with a small illustration on the page. I love how the illustrations bring the poem to life.

This collection would be great motivation for children to write their own poetry. There poems such a Rain that could be used to teach a lesson on weather. There is also a poem Boa Constrictor that could be used to teach a lesson on reptiles! Another that would be a good lesson is called Invention. It could be read prior to a science lesson and the students could invent something of their own. This book does not have any awards.

Poetry: Dream

Dream
Susan V. Bosak
15 Top World Illustrators(Wayne Anderson, James Bennett, Christian Birmingham, Mike Carter, Raul Colon, Leo and Diane Dillon, Zhong-Yang Huang, Robert Ingpen, Steve Johnson, Lou Fancher, Michele Lemieux, Barbara Reid, Shaun Tan, Bruce Wood)
Copyright 2004
TCP Press
16 pages
Poetry

The poems are written in free verse which I really enjoyed. They are separate poems that depict a child growing up and how their dreams change. Their favorite colors change, thier goals change, and their hopes change. Throughout the book, there are quotes from famous speakers and poets such as Emily Dickenson and Martin Luther King Jr. It was a very inspirational group of poems!

I am absolutely obessed with the illustrations in this poetry book! There are so many different mediums used as there are fifteen different illustrators to the book. One that I cound particulary interesting was done out of clay. There are several that are multimedia as well. I also really enjoyed one that was a pencil sketching. The illustrations really bring a unique quality to the poems making them come to life in a way I have never seen before. I really enjoyed them!

This book of poems would be a great way to introduce free verse. It would also be a good way to have the students write their own free verse poetry and about their hopes and dreams that they have for when they get older. There are also many references to historical figures such as Albert Einstien and Charlie Chaplin. You could easily use this collection to teach a history lesson on any of these figures and the dreams they had to make them who we know them to be today.

Poetry: A Child's Treasury of Best Loved Poems

A Child's Treasury of Best Loved Poems
Many Authors
Teddy Edinjiklian and Ernie Eldredge
Copyright 2004
32 pages
Poetry

This collection is made up of many classic poems. There are some I am familiar with such as Mary had a Little Lamb and Three Little Kittens. There also were some that were new to me such as My Shadow and The Sugar Plum Tree. There are many poems that both young boys and girls woud enjoy. I even enjoyed them myself!

The illustrations vary from poem to poem. Sometimes the poem and pictures are separate. Other times the text is within the illustrations. The illustrations look to be done with pastels. The colors are a mixture of warm and cool. I love how the poems are brought to life and how much the ilustrations personify the characters in the poems.

There are so may classroom connections within this collection. One in particular called Good Night and Good Morning could be used to have a science lesson about what makes day and night happen. There are also many animal poems that could go along with a lesson about animals. You could also do a solar system lesson using Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. This book does not have any awards.

Fantasy: Angelina, Star of the Show

Angelina, Star of the Show
Katharine Holabird
Helen Craig
Copyright 2004
Pleasant Company Publications
Fantasy
13 pages

We meet Angelina as she is oing on a sailing trip with her grandparents. She is very excited to perform later in the night and wants to keep her costume on during the sailing trip. Her grandparents urge her to change to help out with the sailing but she would rather practice and keep her costume on. Angelina ends up spilling oil on her costume which ruins it. She also realizes that she has not been much help withthe sailing. She is so upset and does not know what to do about her costume. Will Angelina be ale to find a new costume in time for her performance? Read Katharine Holabird's Angelina, Star of the Show to find out!

The illustrations are done in what looks like ink sketches. The lines are done in such a way that you can see the texture of the fur on the mice. The color looks to be done with water colors. There is no empty space on the page. It looks like the text was printed right onto the illustrations.

You could use this book for a History lesson to discuss sailing. You could also do a lesson about art and introduce dance. You could also teach about character education and about what Angelina could have done differently to prevent the mess up of her costume. Also, there could be a math lesson where the students have to interpret a map covering all the places Angelina and her grandparents sailed. This book does not have any awards.

Fantasy: Olivia

Olivia
Author and Illustrator: Ian Falconer
Copyright 2000
Simon and Schuster
Fantasy
40 pages

We are introduced to Olivia and find that she is very active. She is good at wearing people out, even herself! We find out about what she does every day. We find out that she has a brother and lives with her mother and father. We also find out about what she does on sunny and rainy days.

The illustrations are mostly black and white. There is a pop of red on most pages. There is also a lot of empty space on most of the pages. The medium seems to be ink sketches. I love how the illustrations portray Olivia's energetic personality.

This book could be used as a writing lesson prompt. The students could write a story about themselves, their families, and what they like to do. You could also teach a lesson on weather and discuss sunny and rainy days. You could also teach a lesson on daily routines using this book. This book has a Caldecott Medal award.

Fantasy: Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type
Author: Doreen Cronin
Illustrator: Betsy Lewin
Simon and Shuster
Copyright 2000
Fantasy 
32 pages

Farmer Brown has a problem! On his farm Farmer Brown has some cows. They have found a type writer and have been writing him letters asking for favors. Farmer Brown won't hear any of it! After the cows and other barn yard go on strike because Farmer Brown won't meet their demands, he starts to rethink his decision. What does Farmer Brown do? Read Doreen Cronin's Click, Clack, Moo:Cows That Type to find out!

The medium used to create the illustrations looks to be water colors. Even the lines seem to be made with water colors. I loved how the illustrations gave the animals life like characteristics. There were warm and cool colors throughout the book. 

This story could be used as an introduction to a writing lesson. The teacher could read this book prior to talking about writing letters. It could also tie into a history lesson about type writers and who invented them since this may be a foreign thing to many young students. You could also have a lesson about farm animals and what happens on a farm.

Traditional: Jack and the Beanstalk

Jack and the Beanstalk
Retold and illustrated by Paul Galdone
Houghton Mifflin Company
Copyright 1974
Traditional Literature
15 pages

This story is about Jack. His mother gives him money to go and buy a goose. however, Jack buys what is supposed to be a magic bean. His mother is very displeased. Jack goes and plants the seed. The next morning, the bean has turned into a bean stalk so high that Jack cannot even see the top of it! He climbs the stalk all the way to the top to find a house. He knocks and a girl answers. She tells him that he must go because a giant lives there and he will surely eat him. What will happen to Jack? Read Paul Galdone's Jack and the Beanstalk to find out!

The illustrations look to be done in ink sketches. The lines are not continuous but broken up to show texture. The illustrations look to be colored with water colored paints. There is a mixture of warm and cool colors throughout the book.

This story could be used in a science lesson. The students could each receive a different kind of magic bean. They could grow it and research to try and figure out what their magic bean as grown to be. This book could also be used in a math lesson. They could do an activity where they have to measure the beanstalk. You could also use beans as a manipulative during a math lesson that has to do with the story.

Traditional: Red Riding Hood

Red Riding Hood
Retold and Illustrated by James Marshall
Puffin Books
Copyright 1987
Traditional Literature
15 pages

This story is about Little Red Riding Hood. Little Red Riding Hood has gone to take her grandmother her favorite treat because she is not feeling well. To do so, she must go through the dark woods. Along the way, she meets a wolf. She knows that she is not supposed to talk to strangers, but the wolf has such nice manners! Since the wolf is so well mannered, she invites him to join her. Little does she know, the wolf has a wicked plan all his own! What will happen to Little Red Riding Hood? Will she make it to her grandmother's house? Read James Marshall's Red Riding Hood to find out!

The illustrations are done in ink sketches. The lines are smooth and curved. The color of the illustrations is done in water-colored paints which are color-separated and reproduced in full color. The colors used are both warm and cool.

This book could be used as a math lesson on measuring and reading a map. You could have Little Red Riding Hood's house and her grandmother's house on a map. There could be a scale saying how many miles equals an inch and they could use a ruler to determine how many miles it takes for her to get to her grandmother's house. You could also use it as a math/science lesson on cooking. You could use measurements to make a dessert and maybe use the cafeteria kitchen to bake it. You could talk about the certain degrees you need to cook it and the transformation of the different ingredients to make a whole new dessert. This would also be a good book to read if you were discussing stranger danger and the students could make posters about stranger danger awareness with a Little Red Riding Hood theme.

Traditional Literature: Anansi the Spider

Anansi the Spider
Adapted and Illustrated by Gerald McDermott
Scolastic Inc.
Copyright 1972
Traditional Literature
20 pages

This story is about Anansi the spider. He has six sons. Each son has a special talent and a name to go along with the special talent. One day Anansi goes on a journey but becomes lost and falls into trouble! The six sons use their special talents to bring their father home. How will their father Anansi ever repay his sons for their help? Read the story to find out!

The illustrations in this story are made of arrangements of geometric shapes. The artwork in the story is pre separated into four colors. The type is Helvetica and the book is printed by offset. The colors used throughout the story are warm colors such as red and orange. It is very vibrant and the bold lines make the pictures pop off the page.

This story could be used across the curriculum as a science lesson on spiders. Also, it could be used as a math lesson. You could have a map set out that shows Anansi's journey and the students could use a ruler to measure the distance between each destination. This book could also be used as an art project where the students create their own spider using different geometric shapes and then they can make up a special talent for their spider and name it. This book was awarded a Caldecott Honor award.

Snowmen at Christmas
Author: Caralyn Buehner
Illustrator: Mark Buehner
Scholastic
Copyright 2005
16 pages
Picture book

I chose this book because I love seasonal books and this has been one of my recent favorites. In the beginning of the story, it is Christmas Eve and a child has made a snowman. The child wonders how snowmen celebrate Christmas. The story goes on to explore all of the things a snowman might do to celebrate Christmas.

The illustrations look as though they were painted. There are a lot of cool colors used to depict a snowman's Christmas celebration. I love how you can almost see the lights twinkling on the trees and houses. There is no empty space in the illustrations. Every part of each page is filled with snowmen celebrating!

I think this book would be appropriate for any grade. I think it would be a great book to talk about winter and Christmas. I think it would be a good writing prompt as well as drawing prompt. You could read the book and then have students write about what their snowman would do on Christmas Eve. The student could then do an art project and draw a picture to go along with their writing response. This book does not have any awards.

Knuffle Bunny
Author and Illustrator: Mo Willems
Hyperion Books for Children
Copyright 2004
15 pages
Picture Book

In the beginning, Trixie goes with her dad to the laundromat. They have fun together on the way there. On the way home, Trixie becomes upset for reasons unknown to daddy. When they arrive home mommy asks where Knuffle Bunny is. they return to the laundromat to search for the stuffed animal. To Trixie's delight, they found it!

The pictures in this book are very unique. The pictures of the characters are illustrations and they are pasted onto a real life scenery for the background. I thought this was a neat way to bring reality into the book. The background pictures are black and white so it brings out the actual illustrations.

This book would be appropriate for the younger grades. It could be a good conversation starter for young children to discuss if they maybe have a special stuffed animal. They could also write a journal response that talks about whether or not they have ever lost it and where it ended up being. This could also be a lesson about problem and solution. The problem being that she is upset. The solution being that her precious stuffed animal is at the laundromat and they need to go and retrieve it.This book has been awarded a Caldecott medal.

This Monster Cannot Wait!
Author and Illustrator: Bethany Barton
Penguin Young Readers Group
Copyright 2013
Picture book

I chose this book because patience is always a good topic to cover with elementary students. Stewart's parents are taking him for his very first camping trip. He  cannot wait. He is very impatient and tries everything he can to make the time go faster. In the end, he learns to be patient and realizes that it is worth it.

I love the illustrations and how it is made evident just through the pictures that Stewart is having trouble coping with having to wait for his camping trip. I love that most of the picture are empty white space. It really makes the rest of the illustrations really pop! I also enjoyed how the illustrations were given subtitles.

This book would be appropriate for all ages. It could be used to talk about the value of patience. You could talk about times when they had to be patient and what they did to help pass the time. It could also be used to talk about camping and what you do when you go camping.While talking about camping, you could introduce nature and things that Stewart might see on his camping trip. This book does not have any awards.

Leaf Man
Author and Illustrator: Lois Ehlert
Harcourt Inc.
Copyright 2005
18 pages
Picture Book

In the story, the narrator finds a leaf man in their yard. They go on to say that the next day he was gone and she wonders  where he could have ventured off to. They go through all the possibilities. Then, the narrator says that maybe when you go outside, you might have a leaf man waiting for you.

I absolutely loved the illustrations in this book. The browns and oranges and texture made the leaves come to life. The pages were also given texture across the top which added a lot to the illustrations. The illustrations are made of actual leaves and die-cut pages.

This book would be appropriate for any elementary grade. It would be a good book to help discuss fall and seasons changing. It would also be good to do an art activity. It could also be used for a science type lesson where the students have to identify different leaves from the different types of leaves. The students could make things out of leaves or create their own leaf man. This book does not have any awards.

The Pout-Pout Fish
Author: Deborah Diesen
Illustrator: Dan Hanna
Copyright 2008
Farrar Straus Giroux
16 pages
Picture Book

The cover of this book caught my eye. The story is about Pout-Pout Fish and how he cannot smile. His sea creature friends try to help him but it is no use. He just can't smile! Then something special happens. Pout-Pout fish realizes that he can smile after all!

The illustrations in this book are so colorful and fun! I believe that they are water color paintings throughout. There are many warm and cool colors used to make the sea creatures come to life. I definitely felt the underwater vibe as I witnessed the Pout-Pout fish turn his frown upside down!

I think that this book would be appropriate for kindergarten through third grade. This book could be a good introduction to emotions. Also could be used for talk about having a good or bad attitude and how it affects your day. You could talk about what makes them "pout"  and what makes them smile. This book would also be a good underwater conversation starter. This book does not have any awards.

The Day the Crayons Quit
Author: Drew Daywalt
Illustrator: Oliver Jeffers
Penguin Young Readers Group
Copyright 2013
17 pages
Picture books

I chose this book because it seemed like an interesting way to introduce colors. In the story, Duncan goes to get his crayons because he wants to color. In their place, he finds a stack of letters. The letters are written by his crayons telling them why they are not happy. In the end Duncan finds a way to make all of the crayons happy.

The medium used for the illustrations, and appropriately so, are crayons! The illustrations look to have been done by a child. The use of colors and blank space gave them a child like feel. I thought the illustrations brought the colors to life and made them into characters with attitudes in the story. I loved it!

This book would be appropriate for younger grades. I think that this book would be a great way to introduce colors. It has so many examples for each color so that students would be able to relate certain objects to certain colors. This book could also be used to talk about favorite colors and colors around them. I think that this book would be a neat one to use to make a class book and have the kids use all of the different colors to make their own illustrations. This book does not have any awards.

Octopus Alone
Author and Illustrator: Divya Srinivasan
Penguin Group
Copyright 2013
17 pages
Picture book

I was drawn to this book because of the colorful illustrations on the cover. In the story, the octopus is shy and wants to be alone. She goes to great lengths to accomplish this, even missing out on a lobster dinner. Eventually she ends up far from home and is all alone she enjoys this at first but begins to miss her friends. She then returns home and is thankful for all the other sea creatures.

The artwork in this book is so colorful. It makes you feel as though you are experiencing the story from deep in the sea. The medium seems to be water colors. This makes the underwater theme that much more prevalent. I really enjoyed the illustrations. They added so much to the story!

This book could be enjoyed by any elementary grade. I think this would be a good book to read to inspire a writing topic on times when they want to be alone or what they like to do when they are alone. On top of that, you could discuss ways to make somebody they know who is shy feel more comfortable. It would also bring light to different sea creatures they may be interested in learning more about.This book does not have any awards.

The Dark

Author: Lemony Snicket

Illustrator: Jon Klassen

Little, Brown and Company

Copyright 2013

19 Pages

Picture book

                I picked this book because a fear of the dark is common in many children. I thought this book may lighten that fear for my students. In the story, Laszlo shares his house with the dark. It tells us about all the places the dark stays during the day and how it comes out at night. When the dark gets Laszlo out of bed one night to show him something, we find that in the end, the dark was not so scary after all.

                The illustrations are very simple in and there is a lot of empty space which is black to depict the darkness. I love at the end when there is the pop of yellow to signify the light. The cool light colors of the house and everything else contrasts nicely with the dark space and makes the personification of the dark that much more prevalent making the dark a character of its own.

                This book would be appropriate for younger grades. I think that maybe around Halloween time it would be a good story to read. It shows how the dark can be seen as a friend rather than something frightening.It could teach the difference between day and night and you could do a writing topic on what the students think the dark does during the day. To look at it from a scientific view, it could also lead to a discussion about electricity and light bulbs as well. This book does not have any awards.

Courage

Bernard Waber

Houghton Mifflin Company

Copyright 2002

32 pages

Picture book

                I chose this book because the title hit home with me. As a younger child, courage did not always come easy to me and I feel that is probably something that I will have in common with my future students. The story goes through and just gives many examples and situations in which courage can be displayed. The emphasis is on how even if it is a small act of courage, you are still brave for trying.

                The art work in the story was wonderful. There was a mix of drawing and painting throughout. The cool colors made for a calming experience while reading about things that may make a child nervous or anxious. The somewhat cartoon quality made them amusing as well.

The theme of courage is relevant for any age. I think this book could be used to start a discussion or a writing topic on a time when they had to have courage. It could also be used to discuss different historical figures and whether or not they showed courage. They could talk about a family member or friend they may look up to because they have courage and how they show it. This book does not have any awards.

A Sick Day for Amos McGee

Author: Philip C. Stead

Illustrator: Erin E. Stead

Roaring Book Press New York

Copyright 2010

15 Pages

Picture book

                I was first drawn to this book because of the title. In the story, Amos gets up and takes us through his day. He is a zoo keeper so he goes to take care of the animals. It tells of all the activities he does with all of the animals and what needs the animals have. The next day, Amos wakes up feeling under the weather. He does not show up at work so the animals decide to go take care of him.

                 I really enjoyed the illustrations throughout the story. They were very simple and sketched in pencil. I enjoyed that while simple, she still had some color here and there to make certain things pop off the page. She used a lot of cool colors to illustrate the story.

                I think that this book would be appropriate for kindergarten through third grade. This book could be used to address washing hands and other precautions for not getting sick and staying healthy. It could also spark a conversation about animals or going to the zoo. It could also lead into a discussion about daily routines and things the students do every day in order to get ready for school or for their day. This book was awarded with the Caldecott medal for outstanding illustrations.