Blog 14: Dr. Suess

Book Selection: "The Lorax"
Author: Dr. Suess

While Dr. Suess seemed to publish book after book to wild success, "The Lorax" (published in 1971) was not met with rave reviews. Suess himself prides "The Lorax" as his best, but many critiqued it for its controversial message. "The Lorax" is a tale about a Once-ler who took it upon himself to create a very successful business producing Thneeds from the once plentiful Truffula Tree. As the Once-ler's business grows with each sale, the cautious Lorax begins to warn him that he is is speaking for the trees and begs of the Once-ler to stop. The Once-ler, crazy with greed, does not stop, but manages to grow his business larger and larger until no Truffula Trees exist. Of course this is very detrimental to the environment and the poor creatures relying on the trees are forced to find a new home. While it does take on a very serious message, the Lorax is simply doing his best to teach the Once-ler an important lesson. In the end, the Once-ler has learned and attempts to pass on his wisdom to others.

Though this book has received mixed reviews, I cannot help but love it. Likely I feel this way due to the fact that I am extremely aware of our need to conserve and recycle what we can to ensure that our planet maintains an inhabitable climate. I had not read this story from Dr. Suess until recently and have now determined that it is a story that must be shared and discussed with children of all ages. In fact, I know many adults who need to take about 10 minutes and read this "simple" children's book.



(1) What makes "The Lorax" didactic?
"The Lorax" has an underlying message that allows it to be teachable for moral reasoning. This message is conservation and appreciation for what is on our planet. We live in a society that takes and take and takes, but rarely takes time to appreciate what we have been given. If for one moment, we can help to instill in our children the importance of conservation and the importance of limiting yourself to needs, and not always wants, then we can help make our future just a tad bit brighter. It may sound unrealistic to think that one book can make a difference, but what is truly unrealistic is the fact that we expect our children to make the right decisions for our planet without taking time to teach them these ways of thinking.

(2) Are there any didactic children's books today? If not, why not?
There are of course didactic children's books being published today, however they are far and few between. Morality is something that writers seem to be straying away from as a topic in a very politically correct society. "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein teaches a parallel lesson to that of "The Lorax." In "The Giving Tree" a young boy develops a bond with a tree, but as the boy ages, he requires more and more of the tree to show that the relationship remains. In the end, the boy has taken so much from the tree that the tree is simply a stump in the ground. Teachers need to be talking about our environment and the importance of preserving it, because with each passing year, there becomes less and less to preserve.

Images courtesy of http://images.google.com.

Blog 13: Dr. Suess

Book Selection: "The Cat in the Hat"
Author: Dr. Suess

"The Cat in the Hat" is a classic for all time. On one wet day, when the sun would not shine, a cat in a hat drops by to entertain Sally and her brother. What the two do not realize is that the cat might bring more trouble than he is worth! When the cat nearly destroys the house, he decides to introduce two more characters to liven things up. Thing 1 and Thing 2 do not make the house any neater! Just when mother is about to arrive home, the cat comes through to help straighten up and save the day.

Although this is a basic, straight-forward story line, many have critiqued this book as being chaotic, yet others still find it enticing to the young reader. As mentioned in the prompt, there is a tension between "good sense and nonsense" in this book. Children cling to it because of the preposterous situation that the cat causes and teachers promote it due to the basic 225 vocabulary words that are repeated throughout.


(1) Is there a contemporary book that has the tension presented in "The Cat in the Hat?"

Of course it should be recognized that this is an opinion question and that it is very unlikely that most would agree in response. This being said, I have to say that there is not a modern book that could justifiably be compared to "The Cat in the Hat." The aforementioned tension between the problem and ease of solution can not be easily replicated as Dr. Suess has managed. Consequently, in my opinion, there are other books that I feel come close to captivating this element of drama that Dr. Suess presents.

"Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" by John Archambault and Bill Martin, Jr. is one of my favorite books of all time. This book has the same mesmerizing quality to it that I find present in "The Cat in the Hat." Not only is rhyme present in both stories, but they are both books that I see children memorizing and reciting word for word. Of course, "Chicka Chicka" fails to live up to the tension that is presented in Suess' book. While there is an underlying problem in "Chicka Chicka", it is solved simply and basically by the characters of the story without outside help or pressure.

Another book I considered in a relatively comparable league as "The Cat in the Hat" is "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day", which was written by Judith Viorst. While this story lacks rhyme and the mesmerizing qualities that both Suess and Martin's books had, it holds the element of "what is going to happen next?!" in a child's mind. Additionally, many children are able to relate to the things that happen to Alexander to their everyday lives. The illustrations in this book are black and white, which give the reader an opportunity to really focus in on what is being said. In fact, children take away a lesson from "Alexander" just as they could from "The Cat in the Hat."

(2) Does this book still appeal to children and why?
"The Cat in the Hat" will always hold appeal to children. Dr. Suess is legendary for the rhythmic beat of his books and the unfathomable things that happen in his stories. Younger readers also appreciate the element of rhyme in his books and love the fantastic illustrations that are provided in each tale. It would be very difficult for me to imagine a time when Dr. Suess did not hold a prominent place on a child's bookshelf. Many parents have also grown up with this story and are eager to share it with their own children first. It is evident that people are still intrigued by this story (even after 50+ years) as the 2003 movie featuring Mike Myers was relatively successful.


Images courtesy of http://images.google.com.

Blog 12: Book versus Movie

Book Selection: "Because of Winn Dixie"
Author: Kate DiCamillo
Jacket Illustration: Chris Sheban

Summary:

Ten year old India Opal Buloni (Opal) has just moved to Naomi, Florida with her father, "the preacher." While Opal is getting settled and trying to adapt to a life in a new town, her father is starting to preach in the old convenience store, which is now the residence of Open Arms Baptist Church of Naomi. When her father sends her to the local Winn Dixie to pick up macaroni and cheese, rice, and two tomatoes, Opal brings back more than her father bargained for. While in the store a rugged, evidently homeless, dog takes the store by storm as he knocks over nearly everything in the produce aisle. When the store owner screams to call the pound, Opal quickly steps up to say that he is her dog. Through quick thinking, she names him Winn Dixie and the dog follows her out of danger and to her home.

When Opal arrives home, her father is at first not enthused about a dog, however with very little convincing, he ends up telling Opal that she can keep him. Opal's father may be feeling guilt for making Opal move away from her friends, and in general he likely feels sorry for Opal because her mother left both of them when Opal was only three years old. As the summer progresses, Opal is thankful that she has Winn Dixie to keep her company. None of the children her age have any interest in becoming her friend. Two boys her age (Dunlap and Stevie Newberry) seem only interested in making rude comments to Opal and her interest in the elderly old lady, Gloria Dump, whom they believe to be a witch. Opal has also made friends with the librarian named Miss Franny, however she struggles to connect to Amanda Wilkinson, a girl about her age who frequents the library.

One day Opal and Winn Dixie see a bright red collar that would truly make Winn Dixie feel at home. When Opal goes into the pet shop, she meets Otis, the quiet shop attendant. In exchange for the collar, Opal agrees to work in the shop tidying up and sweeping floors. One day when Opal comes in to work, Otis seems to have all the animals in a trance as he plays his guitar. Otis admits that he was once jailed for playing in the public, but he claims that music is only good if it is listened to by people. As Opal schemes to help Otis make friends, Gloria Dump is also secretly working to help Opal become more accepting and open to friendship with children her own age. When Opal comes up with the idea of a summer party, Gloria insists that she invites the Newberrys and Amanda Wilkinson. When Winn Dixie goes missing, it is up to Opal and her father to bring him home. However, when they arrive back to the party, many surprises lay in store.



Compare/Contrast:
Wow. This book was quite incredible. I read it with a fervor and did not put it down until I was finished with it! I know that I am definitely going to read it to my third grade class next year as a read aloud. The story line is amazing and it seems to really capture the emotions of Opal. Additionally, it teaches some really valuable lessons about getting to know someone before you pass judgment upon them. The movie was also really good. Of course I am always partial to books as they provide more detail and background, but this movie was nearly as impressive as the book.

There were some glaring differences from the book to the movie. Some small details included Opal and Winn Dixie's appearance. In the book, Opal had red hair and freckles (just like her mom), but in the movie her hair was blond and the freckles were missing. Additionally, DiCamillo initially describes Winn Dixie as "big and ugly", while the Winn Dixie in the movie was big, he was not ugly and his coat of hair seemed decently maintained. Another difference I noticed was when Opal brought Winn Dixie home. In the book, the father was fairly open to the idea of a dog, however in the movie he told Opal "no" many times. In fact, the owner of the trailer park also demanded that the pound be called on poor Winn Dixie.



Positives also came from the movie that were not provided in the book. Usually this list is rather short (since I prefer books), however I think the director and screen writer did an excellent job adding in interesting parts to liven up the story. In the movie, Opal's father actually calls the pound on Winn Dixie. Winn Dixie is in the truck being ready to be sent away when Opal's father caves in and lets Opal keep Winn Dixie temporarily. In addition to this major difference, Annasophia Robb, the actress who played Opal, did a phenomenal job acting! Her expressions were genuine, yet remained child-like. My favorite part of the entire movie was when Miss Franny was telling Opal the story about the bear breaking into the library. Robb's expressions during this were priceless! Overall, on a scale of 1 to 10, the book would rank a 9 and the movie would rank an 8.

Images courtesy of http://images.google.com.

Blog 11: Book versus Movie

Book Selection: "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"
Author: Roald Dahl
Illustrator: Quentin Blake

Summary:
Charlie Bucket lives a meager life with his parents and both sets of grandparents. While they are poor, they are happy. In Charlie's town is an incredible chocolate factory run by Mr. Willy Wonka. Mr. Wonka used to have his factory open, but when other chocolatiers came in and began to siphon the secrets to his special sweets, Wonka closed his doors. Now a mysterious group of people help him run his chocolate factory and no one ever goes in or out the large iron gate. When an announcement is made that Wonka will allow five children (and their guests) inside the gates, the entire world is aflutter with excitement. To win, you just have to open the chocolate bar with the golden ticket! Charlie knows that he has no chance since his family can only afford one chocolate bar a year for Charlie's birthday. As winners begin to surface, the reader sees that the children selected are not necessarily the most worthy. First is Augustus Gloop, a greedy, overweight boy. Next comes Veruca Salt who is spoiled rotten by her parents. Violet Beauregarde is next. Violet typically chews gum, but she switched to chocolate when she heard about the contest. Last is Mike Teavee who, like his name, does nothing but watch television all day long.

On Charlie's birthday, Charlie is mildly disappointed to see that he receives only a chocolate bar when opening his candy. Grandpa Joe even gives Charlie ten cents of his own savings to go and buy another bar of chocolate. When they unwrap it together, they discover that it is yet again only chocolate. When Charlie comes upon a dollar bill in the street one day, he feels so fortunate and decides to buy a bar of chocolate for himself and food for his family with the rest of the money. Charlie buys one candy bar and then on a whim, decides to buy a second. When he unwraps the second candy bar he is astonished to find the last golden ticket! Charlie runs home to reveal the wonderful news to his family. He is allowed to bring 1 or 2 guests with him to the factory and chooses Grandpa Joe. When Charlie and the others arrive for the big day, they have no idea what is in store. Not only do they get to meet the mysterious factory workers (Oompa-Loompas), but they see a marvelous world of chocolate, candies, and magic!




Compare/Contrast:
While the story line is basically the same for both the book and the movie, there are slight differences that set the two apart. For example, in the movie, Grandpa Joe once worked in Willy Wonka's factory, but there is no mention of this in the book. Additionally only one guest is allowed in with the winner in the movie, but two guests are allowed to go in the book. Another stark difference is the overall personality of Willy Wonka. In the book, Wonka seems as if he really would like to prevent these catastrophes from happening to the children, however in the movie, he almost challenges them to do the things that he knows will cause them harm. An additional difference is how we see Veruca Salt disappear. In the book, she is vanquished by squirrels who deem her a "bad nut." However, in the movie, she is sent away as a "bad egg" by golden hens. Interestingly enough, in the remake of the movie (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) Veruca again meets up with the squirrels instead of the hens.




Another experience that is mentioned in the book, but it slightly different than in the movie is the Fizzy Lifting Drinks. In the book, Wonka tells Charlie and Grandpa Joe of the power of these drinks, but neither one drinks any. In the movie, likely to add some action to the plot, Charlie and Grandpa Joe take a sip and find themselves floating toward the ceiling and a giant, deadly fan. Together they must figure out how to get back to the ground before it is too late. There are additional difference between the movie and book such as the prominence of the character Slugworth. In the book, he is merely mentioned, however in the movie, he plays a part in trying to discover secrets of the factory.



Overall, there are many differences, but also many things that remained the same between the book and the movie. To be able to see yet another version of this story through a second movie (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) was also quite interesting. It was quite strange to see how the two different actors (Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp) played the same character. In preference, I would rank the book an 8, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Wilder) a 7, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Depp) a 5.

Images courtesy of http://images.google.com.

Blog 10: Book versus Movie

Book Selection: "Holes"
Author: Louis Sachar
Jacket Art: Vladimir Radunksy

Summary:
Holes is story about a young man named Stanley Yelnats (spelled the same backwards and forwards!) who is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Stanley is walking under an overpass when a pair of sneakers fall from the sky. Normally, Stanley may have just ignored the sneakers, however his father (also Stanley Yeltnats) is a struggling inventor who is trying to come up with a way to rid smelly sneakers of their stench. Stanley starts home with sneakers just in time for a police officer to discover him and accuse him of stealing the sneakers from an orphanage who was about to auction them off. It turns out that these sneakers belonged to Clyde Livingston, a famous baseball player. As punishment, Stanley is given two choices, he could either go to jail or go to Camp Green Lake. Seeing that Stanley's family could never afford camp, he chose camp.

Upon arriving at the camp, Stanley meets several other boys who go only by the nicknames X-Ray, Armpit, Zero, Magnet, Squid, and Zigzag. After only a few days Stanley is deemed "Caveman." At the camp, the boys must dig one hole each day out in what used to be the lake, but is now just a dry wasteland. Each hole must be five feet wide and five feet deep. While this is very difficult for Stanley at first, he soon becomes accustomed to it. When Stanley finds a metal cylinder with the initials "KB" on it, he gives it to X-Ray (the leader) and The Warden soon has the boys digging longer hours. It is evident to Stanley that they are digging for something, he is just unsure what.

Throughout the story, we discover that Stanley's family has been plagued with a curse that his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather earned. Stanley's distant grandfather was given a task to carry Madame Zeroni up a mountain to drink from a stream in exchange for the supplies to allow him to marry the girl of his dreams. When he failed at this, Madame Zeroni left a curse upon him and the rest of his decedents from that point on. What (our) Stanley does not realize is that the Zero he meets at camp is a decedent to Madame Zeroni and that he will have an opportunity to break the curse and find a buried treasure belonging to the first Stanley Yeltnats.



Compare/Contrast:
I truly enjoyed reading "Holes." I had read other stories by Louis Sachar in the past and loved them and was not disappointed with this one either! I am a hard judge when comparing books to movies because 99% of the time, the book is always better than the movie. Of course, this is only my opinion but with that opinion, this book is no different. The details that Louis Sachar provides during the book are exquisite. I can truly image how Stanley was feeling as he dug his first hole or discovered that Zero was a relative to Madame Zeroni. Another reason why I am always more partial to the books is because as I read, I develop a picture of what each of the characters look like and how each scenario plays out. When I watched the movie, I was surprised to see that Stanley was not overweight as Sachar had described in the book. Other details were also left out of the movie that I am sure were excluded due to time restraints and story fluidity. However, I would much rather have more details than not enough.


This being said, I think that the director and script writer did a suitable job transferring Sachar's story onto the big screen. Zero was one character that was exactly as I had pictured him when I saw the movie. Additionally, I think the elements that the movie provided that the book could not likely brought more of a younger audience to the movie than the book would have been able to. One example of this was the musical aspect of the movie. Additionally, the part of The Warden was played to a tee and she was just as menacing as I had hoped she would be. Overall, if I were to rate the book and movie on a scale of 1 to 10, I would give the book a 9 and the movie a 7.


Images courtesy of http://images.google.com.

Blog 9: Caldecott versus Newbery

What is the difference between the Newbery Award and the Caldecott Award?

On June 22, 1921 Frederic Melcher, the dean of American publishing, proposed that an award be given to the most outstanding children's book author for the previous year. The Newbery Medal was named after John Newbery, who was a bookseller in the 18th century. This award was given to "encourage original, creative work in the field of books for children" (American).

Pictured above is Frederic Melcher, Dean of American Publishing.

After several years of recognizing authors, Frederic Melcher decided that an award should be given to profound illustrators of children's books as well. The Caldecott Medal is awarded by the Association for Library Service to Children to honor an artist with the "most distinguished American picture book for literature" (American). This award was named after Randolph Caldecott, who was an English illustrator in the 19th century. In addition to medal winners, each year there are at least two honor books listed as well. The Caldecott Medal was first awarded in 1938 (to Dorothy P. Lathrop) and has been given every year since.


Originally, the two awards were chosen by the same committee and until 1977 a book winning in one category could not win in another. There are specific criteria for choosing both Newbery and Caldecott award winners. However, for both, the winner must be a United States citizen. For the Caldecott Award, the book must meet requirements for being a picture book. Such requirements include providing the child with a visual experience and that the book target children under the age of 14. Further criteria can be found at www.ala.org that specifies what could be considered "distinguished".

It is evident that neither award could be deemed "better" than the other because they are awarded for two totally different skills. The Newbery is awarded for brilliance in children's writing, while the Caldecott awards children's illustrators who do phenomenal work. It would be unfair to judge these two categories together since the skills needed to succeed in both are vastly different.

Sources:

American Library Association. "Caldecott Award." Retrieved on May 30, 2008 from http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/caldecottmedal/caldecottmedal.cfm.

Blog 8: Coretta Scott King Award

Book Choice: "The First Part Last"
Author: Angela Johnson
Jacket Photographer: John Healy

(1) "The First Part Last" is an emotional story about a boy named Bobby growing up in New York City. On his sixteenth birthday, Bobby finds out that his girlfriend Nia is pregnant. The story flashes between the present and the past. At first the reader is only aware that Nia is absent from Bobby and the baby, Feather's, life. The reader sees the hardships that Bobby faces being a single father at such a young age. In the end, we discover that Nia has not left Bobby and Feather, but sadly is in a irreversible, persistent vegetative state. Even though I felt so sad to read that Nia would likely not ever be able to contribute to her child's life, it pleased met to think that Bobby took responsibility for Feather and decided to raise her on his own.

(2) I think this book could serve as a motivator for other teens and young adults who find themselves in similar situations as the one Bobby was in. Although Bobby did not always make good choices, he ended up doing what was best for his child. This is something I think most people can relate to, because regardless of what you do in your life, most people want their children to lead better lives than their own. Likely, my positive reaction to this book stems from the fact that I like to maintain an inkling of hope in all situations, no matter how hopeless they seem.


(3) This story is evidence that love can join a family together. Love for your child will make you do things you never thought you were capable of. I especially liked that Bobby moved to Ohio near his brother to raise his child in an environment that would be much healthier for the baby. This was yet another example of how parents try and make their children's lives better than their own.

Image courtesy of http://images.google.com.

Blog 7: Newbery Award

Book Choice: Kira-Kira
Author: Cynthia Kadohata
Cover Photograph: Julia Kuskin



(1) Kira-Kira simply means "glittering" in Japanese. "Kira-Kira" is how big sister, Lynn, interprets the world for little sister, Katie. Lynn and Katie are as close as sisters can be growing up. The family works very hard to save money so that they can one day afford a home of their own. When the family moves to a tiny town in Georgia where only 41 Japanese people live, Lynn helps Katie see that not all people are accepting of people who are different. These two best friends grow and learn together, all the time Katie is looking up to her big sister. When Lynn starts to become ill frequently, Katie begins to notice a change in her family. When Lynn is diagnosed with lymphoma, Katie cannot fathom that she may die. This is a heart-wrenching story of a Japanese family loving, learning, and coping together to survive.

(2) I have mixed emotions for this story. Kira-Kira is an amazing story with a powerful message. Although both of the characters are relatively young, they do amazing and caring things for one another throughout their lives. I was absolutely in tears at the end of this book. I know this because I could so readily relate to Katie's feelings. I had an aunt who died from lymphoma and I can only imagine how my mother and aunts felt at that time.

(3) This book is an excellent source for teens and young adults who are looking for ways to cope with illness and death. Even though Lynn does not survive, it is evident that she will never truly be gone, because she will live on through her sister. While Cynthia Kadohata has written several other books, ("Weedflower", "Cracker!: The Best Dog in Vietnam", and "Outside Beauty") I have not had the opportunity to read them. I would be more than willing to read other stories by Kadohata if they are as pleasing as "Kira-Kira."

(4) The most insightful aspect of this book is the fact that children can endure so much hardship and still persevere. While most adults realize that children are "hardy", when you read stories such as this one, you realize that though living conditions may be poor, poverty may be rampant, and disease may strike, children can still come through and turn out "ok." I think this is especially important for teachers to remember.

Image courtesy of http://images.google.com.

Blog 6: Newbery Award

Book Choice: "Ella Enchanted"
Author: Gail Carson Levine
Cover Art: Mark Elliott

(1) I love "Ella Enchanted". I have read other twists on Cinderella's story (such as Wicked by Gregory Maguire), but none is as heart warming as Ella's story. Levine's rendition of this tale doesn't differ much from the original telling other than one major factor. Ella must be obedient. My imagination ran wild thinking about how horrible it would actually be to not be able to refuse a command. This new element was my favorite part of this book. Each time Ella was commanded to do something dreadful, I winced on the inside. Gail Carson Levine definitely has an amazing imagination.

(2) It is quite possible that I took a fancy to this book for several reasons other than the fact that it is an incredible tale. For one, I do have a fascination with Cinderella's story. While many author's have recreated her life in a variety of ways, I think Ella's story is the best I've heard. An additional influence might be that Gail Carson Levine visited my school last year. She was an amazing and animated speaker that my students truly enjoyed. After reading Ella, I am even more curious about her other stories.

(3) When Gail Carson Levine visited our school, she spoke about how she gets many of her story ideas from fairy tales and then transforms them into something more. I am curious to read "Fairest," which is her interpretation of Snow White.

Image courtesy of http://images.google.com.

Blog 5: Caldecott Award

Book Choice: "The Man Who Walked Between the Towers"

Author: Mordicai Gerstein

Illustrator: Mordicai Gerstein

(1) This is an incredible story detailing an event in history when Philippe Petit tight-rope walked between the two towers in New York City. Mordicai Gerstein does an excellent job drawing the reader in with the story plot. Additionally, the illustrations are very captivating. Another fascinating element to this story are the fold out pages that show true perspective of how high up the towers really were. One of my favorite illustrations (below) is the aerial photo of Philippe walking across the tight-rope. It makes the height even more evident as the size of the cars below are very small.

(2) It is very likely that my positive reaction to this story stems from the tragedy that occurred on September 11, 2001 destroying the twin towers. The fact that someone managed to walk between them before they were destroyed is amazing and I am pleased that someone was able to record this event in history!

(3) This would be a fabulous story to share with students when discussing 9/11. It can bring another connection for students to these buildings that they did not previously have. Additionally, the technique Mr. Gerstein used to illustrate this book is very different from other Caldecott winning books, however it is still quite amazing.

Images courtesy of http://images.google.com

Blog 4: Caldecott Award

Book Choice: "Olivia"

Author: Ian Falconer

Illustrator: Ian Falconer

(1) What more can you say about "Olivia" other than it is a precious young read for children of all ages. This story is about young Olivia, a pig, who lives with her mommy, daddy, and brother, Ian. Like most children (pigs or not), Olivia has tons of energy that she must get out throughout the day. Olivia loves to do many things like sing, play dress-up, frighten her brother, and build sandcastles! The illustrations are done primarily in black and white with only Olivia's clothing being colored (red). This story is very relatable for many children who drive their parents crazy! A good message is found in the end when the mommy says to Olivia, "You know, you really wear me out. But I love you anyway." Adorable Olivia replies, "I love you anyway too." 

(2) Olivia is such a lovable character that it would be quite difficult for many to object to this series of books. In fact, Olivia has become so successful that many other titles have followed in her footsteps such as "Olivia Helps with Christmas," "Olivia...and the Missing Toy," and "Olivia Saves the Circus." The young piglet finds herself in a multitude of situations that she somehow always to charm her way out of without injury! 

(3) While this is the first "Olivia" book of the series, I personally believe it is the best. I have read several other Olivia stories bY Ian Falconer and none seem to capture the true spirit of a child like the original. Compared to other children's picture books, this one ranks towards the top!

Images courtesy of http://images.google.com

Blog 3: Caldecott Award

Book Choice: "Flotsam"

Author: David Wiesner

Illustrator: David Wiesner

(1) The cover of this book is quite eye-catching when initially seen. The bright red fish is zoomed in on a camera and all the reader sees is a large eyeball (see picture above). When I opened this book to read it, I was startled at the fact that there were actually no words to accompany the story. The only written words were at the very beginning on the inner book-flap detailing the definition of flotsam to be "something that floats." I did not particularly care for the book because there were no words and while the illustration did tell a story, it was far more open to your interpretation than a simple reading of a picture book. However, the illustrations were quite beautiful and their meaning was much more open to your imagination's evaluation of it. While at first many of the things illustrated in the book could happen, the events soon turned into much more fictionally based art. For example, in one illustration (below), a small colony lives on the back of a turtle.

(2) Since the time that I could read, I have usually preferred stories that give direction written out word for word. In other words, I don't care for this book as much because of my tendency to prefer story books over picture (only) books. 

(3) I have read several of David Wiesner's books including "The Three Pigs" and "Tuesday." I must admit that I prefer "The Three Pigs" over both "Tuesday" and "Flotsam." This is primarily due to the illustrations in "The Three Pigs" being so ornate and almost three-dimensional. Also, the fact that I am familiar with that story-line helps me to focus on a specific direction Mr. Wiesner is trying to direct his audience.

(4) Admittedly, I did not know what flotsam actually meant until reading this book. Now after reading the inner flap and discovering that it means "something that floats", I will always be able to associate this definition as "floats some!"

Images courtesy of http://images.google.com

Blog 2: Caldecott Award

Book Choice: "So You Want to Be President?"
Author: Judith St. George
Illustrator: David Small

(1) This Caldecott Award winning book is quite literally made up of caricatures of presidents of the past. The illustrations are clear interpretations of what presidents such as George Bush, William Howard Taft, Andrew Jackson, and most of the other previous presidents look like. It was actually quite amusing! Additionally, the writing was quite clever and humorous. For example, one of the good things about being president is, "The President doesn't have to eat yucky vegetables. As a boy, George Bush had to eat broccoli. When George Bush grew up, he became President. That was the end of broccoli!" Most kids can relate to this feeling! Interesting facts are also presented in this story such as the number of presidents to be elected with the names of William (4), John (4), George (3), and James (6). Other quite amazing facts fill the remainder of the book and the illustrations could keep both young and old enchanted. There is even a brief summary toward the end of the book detailing each of the presidents. Try as I might, I have no complaints for this picture book!

(2) Facts always fascinate me. Facts that are grouped together neatly with hilarious illustrations are even more fascinating.

(3) While I haven't read any books written by Judith St. George or illustrated by David Small before, I do have a collection of historical books on government as I teach government in my class. This book definitely puts a more exciting spin on facts about the presidency. I plan to add it to my collection this summer!

(4) The presentation of these facts are in clever ways that I think most students would be able to recall many. For example, it will be difficult for me to forget that eight presidents were born in log cabins or that John Quincy Adams referred to his years as president as "The four most miserable years of my life!"

Images courtesy of http://images.google.com/

Blog 1: Caldecott Award

Book Choice: "Gone Wild: An Endangered Animal Alphabet"
Author: David McLimans
Illustrator:David McLimans









(1) Before initially choosing this book, I was browsing through book titles and was intrigued by this one. Once I viewed the cover and a brief synopsis, I knew this was as book I had to "check out." One unique attribute to McLiman's picture book is that all the illustrations are done in simple black and white. In fact, there really aren't too many fancy details to these illustrations. What is innovative is the fact that McLimans takes each letter of the alphabet (A-Z) and creates an impression of that animal while still displaying that animal. For example, "A" represents the Chinese Alligator, which originates in China and is critically endangered. The "A" illustration is of an A, however the letter is formed with a distinctive alligator jaw and a tail. Another example might be the letter "G", which represents the swan goose (originate in deltas, lakes, marshes, streams and is also critically endangered). See the attached photograph (to left) as an example of the artist's talent in simulating these creatures.

One element of this book that I did not enjoy as much was the fact that the information about each creature was fairly basic and simplistic. The formating allowed only a box of bulleted facts about each creature. I would have preferred to see a few sentences detailing more information about these unique animals.

(2) I suppose another reason I was initially drawn to this book was because I have always been intrigued by "alphabet books." For example, one of my very favorite books is "The Z was Zapped" by Chris Van Allsburg. This is likely why I truly enjoyed this book as I did. Due to the type of book that this is, I would have had the same reaction to this book regardless of time, day, or season!

(3) Comparatively speaking, I do tend to compare all alphabet books to Van Allsburg's "The Z was Zapped." I teach third grade, but even my eight and nine year olds love that book. "Gone Wild: An Endangered Animal Alphabet" ranks very high on my alphabet book experiences. I do like the fact that the author/illustrator was able to enlighten the reader with facts about each species. As previously mentioned, more information about each would have been preferable. I have not yet read other books by David McLimmons, so I have no basis to compare upon.

(4) One bit of insight I gathered after reading this picture book is the fact that you can truly interest students in topics such as endangered species with books such as this. Additionally, I had no idea that some of the species Mr. McLimmons listed were endangered. Surprising animals to make the list include the swan goose, snow leopard, spotted owl, black rhinoceros, and the zebra! The book also provides websites toward the back to find out more information on endangered species.


Images courtesy of http://images.google.com/

Greetings!

Hello to all of my fellow Library Media Specialist friends! This is my first attempt at a blogspot! This page should provide you with multiple reading journals from a variety of books and subjects! If you have any questions, feel free to email me at neesa.howard@wku.edu.

Enjoy the blog! :)