The Bookworm’s Books: March 2012

Monday, March 12, 2012

Three Pebbles and a Song

Three Pebbles and a Song

Author: Eileen Spinelli

Illustrator: S. D. Schindler

Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers

29 Pages

Children’s Fiction/ Fantasy

I chose to read this book because the little mouse on the cover looked as if he was having the time of his life and I also thought it was odd that he was wearing clothes! In this book Moses and his family are all gathering food in preparation for the snow that is coming. His mother, father, and sister are all busy gathering food and Moses knows that he should be too; however, he cannot resist singing and dancing along with the wind and juggling pebbles by the creek. Before Moses realizes what has happened, the snow starts to fall and all he has gathered is three pebbles to juggle with. Soon, being stuck inside their home starts to make Moses’ family bored and then Moses remembers his pebbles! Soon his entire family is singing, dancing, and juggling all through winter and Moses is the only one to notice that spring has arrived!

The illustrations in Three Pebbles and a Song look three dimensional and were completed using gouache, watercolors, colored inks, pastels, and chalk on marbleized paper. Each illustrations is life like and the texture of each object from the leaves to the mice to the snow seems very real to the reader. The text placement is formal and the white and black text contrast very well with the dark colored pages. The colors that the illustrator used reflect the mood of the characters; first the colors are darker and muted and soon the colors become lighter and more vibrant as Moses and his family gets closer to spring.

This book is appropriate for children from the ages of five to eleven years old. Most children of any age will enjoy reading about Moses and his family. Children will also enjoy reading and exploring the world that Moses lives in. Teachers can use this book when introducing fiction and fantasy genres to their classroom and show the difference between fiction and nonfictions books. Overall, I enjoyed this book tremendously and I believe it has a good meaning!

Dream Big Little Pig!

Dream Big Little Pig!

Author Kristi Yamaguchi

Illustrator: Tim Bowers

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

29 Pages

Children’s Fiction/ Fantasy

The title of this book is so catchy and the illustrations on the cover are so amusing that most any girl would want to pick this book up and read it! Poppy, the little pig, dreams of becoming a star… a star ballerina, a star singer, and a star model and with her family and friends encouraging her, Poppy believes she can become all of those things. However, slowly the ballerinas, singers, and models turn Poppy down and tell her to find something else to do. Poppy gets very discouraged and then she remembers her family and friends. So the very next day they all go out and see an ice skating rink. Poppy decides she wants to be a star ice skater. And so she tries very hard and with the encouragement of her family and friends she makes it!

The illustrations in Dream Big Little Pig! seem to be completed with gouache paintings and mixed media. The illustrator uses negative space to highlight the illustrations and bright colors that are throughout this book. The text placement is rather formal with the text wither on top or underneath the illustrations. The illustrations also highlight the view point of the illustrations, in some illustrations the view point is higher and in others the reader seems to be looking up to the characters in the book. The illustrator also uses spot art throughout the book to highlight certain scenes from the text.

This book would be appropriate for any girl from the age of four to ten years old. Both boys and girls can enjoy this book; however, girls would be more inclined to read the book. Teachers of most any grade could use this book as a read aloud to introduce a fantasy fiction lesson and also to encourage students to be positive and try their best at everything!

Here Comes the Big, Mean Dust Bunny

Here Comes the Big, Mean Dust Bunny!

Author and Illustrator: Jan Thomas

Publisher: Beach Lane Books

35 Pages

Fiction/ Fantasy

When I chose to read this book it was simply because of the bright colors on the cover and throughout the pages; I did not really look at the subject of the book until later. I then learned that this book was about dust bunnies! In this fantasy picture book, dust bunnies are brought to life and start to rhyme, play, and deal with bullies. Ed, Ned, Ted, and Bob are rhyming dust bunnies that are happy until the big, mean dust bunny comes in, sits on them, and chases them. Then all of a sudden the cat sits on the big, mean dust bunny! However, Ed, Ned, Ted, and Bob do not leave the big, mean dust bunny; instead, they tug on him until he is fluffy again. Afterwards all of the dust bunnies are happy and go on playing their games.

The illustrations in this book are bright, vibrant, and cheerful. The characters look to be created with mixed media with no negative space left on the pages. Each page is colored brightly and the text is contrasted in white or black coloring. The text has very informal placements throughout the book. The dust bunnies are two dimensional with shadows on the pages and rigidity lines. The composition of the illustrations is quite simply with only the five main characters on the pages. Small details such as the texture of the dust bunnies were left out of the illustrations.

This book is appropriate for beginning readers that are perhaps five to six years old. Younger children would most likely enjoy looking at the brightly colored illustrations and also the hearing the rhyming words read aloud. Most teachers could use this book to introduce rhyming words in kindergarten. Teachers could also use this book in character education and teach how to always be there for someone else that might need you.

Usborne Illustrated Grimm's Fairy Tales

Usborne Illustrated Grimm’s Fairy Tales

Ruth Brocklehurst and Gillian Doherty

Illustrator: Rafaelle Ligi

Publisher: Usborne Publishing

303 Pages

Fairy Tales/ Traditional

I chose to read this book because I just love fairy tales and the illustrations seemed so magical that I had to read this book. Usborne Illustrated Grimm’s Fairy Tales contain fifteen fairy tales that are both well known and not so popular. Tales such as Snow White and Rose Red that I have never heard of before are included in this book as well as the well known tales such as Little Red Riding Hood and Sleeping Beauty. There are many fairy tales that are included in this wonderful book and each tale is unique and wonderfully written.

The illustrations in Usborne Illustrated Grimm’s Fairy Tales are colorful, two dimensional, and match each fairy tale perfectly. The colors reflect that the illustrations were completed using watercolors and are muted with light hues. The illustrator chose to not only include full pages of art but also spot art on many of the pages that breaks up the long passages of text. The text is in both very formal and formal placements and in some cases the text is even informal. Overall, the illustrations flow perfectly with the text and the story lines of each fairy tale.

This book would be appropriate for children anywhere from three to eleven years old. Most younger children will enjoy looking at the pictures and listening to the stories whereas most older children will enjoy actually reading the fairy tales for themselves. Teachers of most any grade can use this book in their classroom to teacher parts of literary history or to aid in allowing children’s imaginations to grow and develop. This book can be used as an introduction to a writing assignment about fairy tales as well. This was an extremely enjoyable book and most any teacher of younger grades would enjoy sharing this book with the entire class.

The Tortoise and the Hare

The Tortoise and the Hare: A Retelling of Aesop’s Fable

Author: Mark White

Illustrator: Sara Rojo

Publisher Picture Window Books

24 Pages

Fable/ Traditional

I chose to read this book because it was one of my favorite fables when I was young. In this fable, the rather slow tortoise challenges the fast hare to a race, betting that he will beat the hare. The hare believes that he has won the race when he gets very far ahead of the tortoise so he eats a snack and takes a quick nap in the shade. However, while the hare was resting, the tortoise was steadily getting further ahead. And so the tortoise wins the race because the hare thought he was going to beat the tortoise and wasted his time.

The illustrator of this book used watercolors to paint each illustration. The illustrations have muted colors and rather simple lines. The illustrations are not textural and seem one dimensional. The text placement is formal with the text on top of most of the pages. The illustrator does not use much negative space throughout this book; however, the illustrations remain the focal point of each page.

This book is appropriate for children of all ages but mostly younger children between three and six years old. Younger children would enjoy looking at the illustrations and being read to since this book is not as long as other books. Teachers could use this book in their classrooms as character education and teach students how to pace themselves instead of rushing through their work. This book would be wonderful to read to students as they enter a new grade to simply remind them of good work habits to keep in mind.

The Lion and the Mouse

The Lion and the Mouse: A Retelling of Aesop’s Fable

Author: Mark White

Illustrator: Sara Rojo

Publisher: Picture Window Books

24 Pages

Folklore/ Traditional

As I was looking through the folklore and fable section of the library, I saw this book and realized that I had never heard of this tale. Being ever so curious, I decided that since I had never heard this fable before that I would read it now! A mouse in a jungle is hunting food when he stumbles upon a lion taking a nap. The mouse tries to sneak away; however, the lion wakes up and catches him proclaiming that he will now become his snack. The little mouse pleads with the lion and the lion allows the mouse to go free. Because of his gratitude the mouse promises his help whenever the lion needs it, but the lion just laughs. Later, the mouse gets to help the lion by freeing him from a trap. The mouse and the lion become friends and realize that no matter how small, kindness is a great gift.

The illustrations in this book were completed by painting with gouache. The illustrations are more two dimensional and highlight the many textures in the jungle; the lion looks as if he has actual fur and the leaves seem to have a smooth texture. The colors in this book vary from the different pages; however, all of the hues are rather muted and not very bright or extravagant. The illustrator of The Lion and the Mouse uses no negative space and the text contrasts nicely with the colorful pages.

This book would be more appropriate for younger children that are possibly four to six years old. Most teachers of any grade could correlate this book into their curriculum using character education objectives. This book could also be used in while students are studying the different animals that live in jungles and forests around the world. Students of all ages must be reminded of the wonders that simple kindness can do and this book is a wonderful example of kindness.

Blue Lipstick

Blue Lipstick

Author and Illustrator John Grandits

Publisher: Clarion Books

42 pages

Concrete Poetry/ Children’s Poetry

I chose to read Blue Lipstick because of the very interesting title. The thought of reading concrete poems was not very appealing to me; however, after reading Blue Lipstick, I was surprised at how fun it could be. Blue Lipstick is about an adolescent girl and the many struggles that she faces from her brother, to her parents, to playing on the volleyball team, to what she will do to impress the boy she likes, all written in concrete poems. This book is funny yet blatantly truthful about how young girls feel as they are growing into young women.

The illustrations in Blue Lipstick are the poems since most all of the poems are concrete poems. The medium that was used was a Macintosh G4. The illustrator chose to use a simple color palette of white, black, and blue. The illustrator also uses a great deal of negative space and very informal text placement. The negative space that the illustrator incorporated into Blue Lipstick highlights the poems and gives the reader a clear direction in which to start reading the odd shaped poems.

This book would be appropriate for older children and young adolescents. Teachers of younger children could use this book as a great example of what concrete poems look like; however, younger children would not understand all the poems and what some of the poems say. It would be better for most teachers in elementary grades to simply chose a few poems from this book to share with their class about what concrete poems are and how they look. This book is not very appropriate for younger children; however, I truly enjoyed reading the amusing poems.

This Is The House That Jack Built

This is the House That Jack Built

Author and Illustrator Simms Taback

Publisher G.P. Putman’s Sons

25 Pages

Nursery Rhyme/ Children’s Poetry

This book stood out to me because of the book’s cover. The cover has many dark colors with bright text that just stands out from the book. Looking at the book, I decided to read it because it looked as if it would be amusing and fun to read. This is the House That Jack Built starts with a piece of cheese and manifests into a tongue twister story about what is in the house that Jack built. The words are meant to be read fast and with inflection so that the reader enjoys reading the book aloud.

The illustrations in this book have deep, dark hues. Black is also a predominant color throughout this book. Throughout this book there is absolutely no negative space. The illustrations are cartoon like and include real aspects such as the labels on the cow’s body that name each part. The pages are colored and then the text is a different color that contrasts with the page and stands out beautifully. The text placement is very informal and all over the pages. The composition of the illustrations reflects the fun nature of this book because there really is not one focal point on each page. The illustrator seems to want the reader to take in every part of the illustration and have fun reading the poem.

This book would be appropriate for younger students because of the fun nature of the book. Students would also enjoy seeing the cartoon-like illustrations. Teachers could use this book for teaching older children, such as students in the third and fourth grades, how to read with inflection and also the different types of poems. Teachers could also use this book in the classroom to introduce poetry and the many forms of poetry to young students that are possibly in kindergarten. This book was so very amusing and fun to read and though it has not won any awards to is a great book to share with any classroom.

Guyku A Year of Huiku for Boys

Guyku A Year of Huiku for Boys

Author Bob Raczka

Illustrator Peter H. Reynolds

Publisher Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

40 pages

Children’s Poetry

I chose to read this book because of the title. It is rare that boys are interested in reading at all, so I was surprised to see a poetry book written with boys as the focus. In Guyku the author takes the reader on a journey through the life of a boy for one year. The haikus in Guyku are amusing and funny. Some of the haikus ask questions and others give imaginative explanations to simple things such as why a snowman melts. Each season of the year is highlighted with different activities that boys can do during that particular season.

The text placement of Guyku is formal; however, the text is handwritten so the book does not feel very formal. The illustrations were completed using watercolors and digital colors. There is also a great deal of negative space throughout the book which highlights the illustrations and their simplicity. The illustrations use blue and green hues; however, the intensity of the colors is rather dull. The colors that are used coincide with the season in which the poems were written about. For example; the fall illustrations are done with mostly brown hues whereas the spring illustrations were done with mostly green hues. The illustrator matched the words of the poem with the colors that represent each season.

Guyku can interest almost any boy between the ages of six and eleven because of its amusing haikus. This book would also be appropriate for younger boys that are being read to or learning to read. Most teachers could use this book to teach their classes about haikus and hoe they are formatted. Teachers could also use this book as a way to interest young boys into reading different literature or interest them into reading anything. This book has not received any awards; however, it will become a part of my future classroom library.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

The Neighborhood Mother Goose

The Neighborhood Mother Goose

Author: Nina Crews

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

63 pages

Nursery Rhymes

As I was choosing poetry books and looking at the many different covers, I chose this particular book because it looked unlike any other Mother Goose storybook I have ever seen. Instead of the usual soft colors that are on and in nursery rhymes, this book has deep, vibrant colors. In The Neighborhood Mother Goose, the author chose many well known nursery rhymes such as “Hey diddle diddle!”, “Pat-a-cake Pat-a-cake”, “The itsy-bitsy spider”, and “Jack and Jill”. However, unlike any other nursery rhyme book, this book contains illustrations of real people playing out the rhyme. In all, the author chose to publish forty one nursery rhymes. Each page of this book contains a different nursery rhyme that many children grow up learning.

The illustrations in The Neighborhood Mother Goose are done using photographs. The subjects in the photographs are mostly small children that are acting out the nursery rhyme on that particular page. The text is set in a formal placement and the colors of the illustrations are rich, deep, and vibrant. The reader of this book is really drawn in by the colors of the photographs. There is absolutely no negative space in this book; all of the pages are filled with illustrations. Many of the illustrations are focused on the child or children in the picture. The Neighborhood Mother Goose uses many different colors; however, the overall intensity of the book seems to be cooler with more blues and greens contained in the illustrations.

This book is more appropriate for younger children that are between two years old and five years old. Preschool teachers could use this book in their classrooms and allow the students to explore the different illustrations on each page. Most teachers of elementary students could use this book to teach students about the different cultures around the world and the many differences between urban and rural areas. Most teachers could also use this book when teaching students about rhyming words and the many forms of poetry. Overall, this book is very interesting simply because of the illustrations. Most all students know the nursery rhymes, but exposing children to the interesting illustrations will help their imaginations grow.

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