Author: Joy Cowley
Illustrator: Joe Cepeda
Year: 1996
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Beginning Reader (ages 4-8)
Genre: Picture Book/Thanksgiving Story
Series Information: Not Part of a Series
Location: New York City
Time Period: Present Day (1996)
Plot: When Miguel's father sends Miguel a live turkey as a present, Miguel names the turkey Gracias and the two become fast friends. Miguel starts to get worried because everyone he meets says they want to eat his new friend for Thanksgiving dinner. SPOILER! When Gracias follows Miguel to church one Sunday, the Father sees Miguel's pet turkey, and he gives both Miguel and Gracias a blessing. The family decides they can't eat Gracias now that he's been blessed, and they decide to have turkey as a guest for dinner instead of as the main dish.
Comments: This is a cute story, even though the ending is obviously contrived and a bit of a logical stretch. The real appeal of the story actually lies not in the plot or even in the pictures, which are bright and fun, but in its accurate depiction of a Puerto Rican-American family. I like the fact that this family isn't eating beans and rice or tortillas for thanksgiving, but they're showing their American side by planning on eating turkey. A few Spanish words such as amigo, gracias, and padre are sprinkled throughout the text, and they are found in a nice glossary in the back of the book for quick reference.
Themes: Thanksgiving, Friendship, Pets, Family
Red Flags: Turkey-napping (like kidnapping, but with turkeys)
Multicultural Elements: Puerto Rican-American family
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Saturday, October 25, 2008
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
Author: Kate DiCamillo
Illustrator: Bagram Ibatoulline
Year: 2006
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Pages: 200
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)
Awards: 2006 Horn Book Award
Genre: Fantasy/Talking Toys
Series Information: Not Part of a Series
Location: Various Towns across America
Time Period: Several years throughout in the mid-1900s.
Plot: Edward Tulane is a china rabbit whose ears and tail are made of real fur. He is loved deeply by his wealthy owner, a girl named Abilene, but Edward doesn't think much of anyone other than himself. When Edward is accidentally thrown overboard on a ship headed for England, he begins an adventure unlike anything he has ever known. He is found by an old fisherman and taken home as a present for his lonely wife. He is discovered by a tramp and travels across the country. He is used as a scarecrow in a vegetable garden. He is given as a present to a poor little girl who is on her deathbed. Through all of these adventures, Edward listens to the people's stories, and he learns to think of others and love them individually. SPOILER! When Edward is shattered by a thoughtless store owner, he is taken to a toy repair shop. He sits on the shelf for many months, afraid to love again because it hurts too much. Then one day a woman and her daughter enter the shop. The woman is Abilene grown up, and she takes Edward home.
Comments: This book is now on my list of the best books ever written. The story is beautifully told in an otherworldly, dream-like style with lyrical prose. The pictures are individual works of art, and they compliment DiCamillo's writing style perfectly.
I have described this book as a work of art, and this is true, but it is also a very simple story that can be enjoyed by children as well as adults. It has a very simple message, as is summarized by an antique doll towards the end of the novel: "If you have no intention of loving or being loved, then the whole journey is pointless."
Readers who liked this story may also like The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams. Both stories not only include toy rabbits, but also deal with the theme of the power of love and are written in similar styles.
Themes: Pride, Love, Dealing with Loss
Red Flags: Death, Running Away from Home, Homelessness, Cruelness to Others
Illustrator: Bagram Ibatoulline
Year: 2006
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Pages: 200
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)
Awards: 2006 Horn Book Award
Genre: Fantasy/Talking Toys
Series Information: Not Part of a Series
Location: Various Towns across America
Time Period: Several years throughout in the mid-1900s.
Plot: Edward Tulane is a china rabbit whose ears and tail are made of real fur. He is loved deeply by his wealthy owner, a girl named Abilene, but Edward doesn't think much of anyone other than himself. When Edward is accidentally thrown overboard on a ship headed for England, he begins an adventure unlike anything he has ever known. He is found by an old fisherman and taken home as a present for his lonely wife. He is discovered by a tramp and travels across the country. He is used as a scarecrow in a vegetable garden. He is given as a present to a poor little girl who is on her deathbed. Through all of these adventures, Edward listens to the people's stories, and he learns to think of others and love them individually. SPOILER! When Edward is shattered by a thoughtless store owner, he is taken to a toy repair shop. He sits on the shelf for many months, afraid to love again because it hurts too much. Then one day a woman and her daughter enter the shop. The woman is Abilene grown up, and she takes Edward home.
Comments: This book is now on my list of the best books ever written. The story is beautifully told in an otherworldly, dream-like style with lyrical prose. The pictures are individual works of art, and they compliment DiCamillo's writing style perfectly.
I have described this book as a work of art, and this is true, but it is also a very simple story that can be enjoyed by children as well as adults. It has a very simple message, as is summarized by an antique doll towards the end of the novel: "If you have no intention of loving or being loved, then the whole journey is pointless."
Readers who liked this story may also like The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams. Both stories not only include toy rabbits, but also deal with the theme of the power of love and are written in similar styles.
Themes: Pride, Love, Dealing with Loss
Red Flags: Death, Running Away from Home, Homelessness, Cruelness to Others
Hatchet
Author: Gary Paulsen
Year: 1987
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (Simon & Schuster)
Pages: 195
Reading Level: Young Adult
Awards: 1988 Newbery Honor Book, Other Awards
Genre: Realistic Fiction/Adventure
Series Information: First book of the Brian Saga
Location: Canadian Wilderness
Time Period: Present Day (1987)
Plot: When the pilot of a two-seater plane suddenly has a heart attack and dies, Brian Robeson finds himself flying alone over the Canadian wilderness and unable to contact any help. He manages to land the plane in a lake, and is washed on shore with only the clothes on his back and the hatchet his mother gave him as a present a few hours before. For the first few days, Brian tries to do the absolute minimum to survive, convinced that a search and rescue team will come to his aid. As the days progress, however, Brian realizes that he is on his own and he learns to adapt to his new surroundings: creating a shelter, building a fire, making tools, finding food, and learning about his environment. SPOILER! A tornado runs through the area, ruining Brian's shelter and dragging the plane from the bottom of the lake to the shore. Careful to avoid the pilot's body, Brian goes through the contents of the plane in search of supplies. As Brian is rummaging through the things he found in the plane, he unknowingly trips an emergency transmitter that sends out a signal for help. Brian is rescued 54 days after he originally crashed.
Comments: This book was recommended to me by three different people over the course of one week. After reading it, I can see why. Every day, Brian has to fight for his life. He has to relearn how to do the simplest things—things we take for granted in today's society with today's technology. I'm not sure I could have lasted as long as Brian did, or that I could have figured out how to survive as well as he did.
I did have a few problems with the book, but they were very small:
1) I'm not sure this story could happen now, simply because of the strict airline codes of our post-9/11 world. Even though Brian is flying on a private two-seater plane, I'm not sure he would have been allowed to take a hatchet with him.
2) The "Secret" that Brian worries about isn't central to the plot, and never even gets resolved. I know Paulsen introduced the Secret as a means of showing that Brian is upset about his parents' divorce, but it's completely unnecessary and detracts from the survival theme of the book.These two problems are slight, however, and I don't think they should dissuade someone from reading this book. Suspend your belief in reality when you get to these parts and enjoy the ride—you'll be glad you did.
Themes: Survival, Divorce
Red Flags: Plane Crash, Description of Injuries, Instances of Peril, Dead Body
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Bats at the Library
Author/Illustrator: Brian Lies
Year: 2008
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Beginning (ages 4-8)
Genre: Picture Book/Fantasy
Series Information: Sequel to Bats at the Beach
Location: Public Library at Night
Time Period: Present (2008)
Plot: When a window is left open at the local library, a bunch of bats race to the library to check out the library's latest offerings. Some of the younger bats who have never been to the library start misbehaving—playing tag, making shadow puppets, making photocopies of themselves, and playing in the drinking fountain. But when story time starts, everyone gets pulled in by the stories until daylight comes and the bats must leave before the librarian catches them.
Comments: Maybe it's because I'm a library nerd, but I loved this book! Although the text is cute and has a fun rhyme, the real appeal is in the pictures. They pull you right in. They actually give the bats a lot of personality. I laughed aloud at the thought of the bats playing with the Xerox machine (Possibly because of the time a guy came up to me when I was working at the reference desk and asked me how to operate the copier. He blushed as he explained that he needed to Xerox his face for an art class.). The story time pictures, however, are the best part of this book. Characters and scenes from famous children's stories are changed slightly to incorporate bats. This makes it a fun book for older children to guess which stories the bats are reading.
Themes: Libraries, Story time, Reading, Bats
Red Flags: None
Year: 2008
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Beginning (ages 4-8)
Genre: Picture Book/Fantasy
Series Information: Sequel to Bats at the Beach
Location: Public Library at Night
Time Period: Present (2008)
Plot: When a window is left open at the local library, a bunch of bats race to the library to check out the library's latest offerings. Some of the younger bats who have never been to the library start misbehaving—playing tag, making shadow puppets, making photocopies of themselves, and playing in the drinking fountain. But when story time starts, everyone gets pulled in by the stories until daylight comes and the bats must leave before the librarian catches them.
Comments: Maybe it's because I'm a library nerd, but I loved this book! Although the text is cute and has a fun rhyme, the real appeal is in the pictures. They pull you right in. They actually give the bats a lot of personality. I laughed aloud at the thought of the bats playing with the Xerox machine (Possibly because of the time a guy came up to me when I was working at the reference desk and asked me how to operate the copier. He blushed as he explained that he needed to Xerox his face for an art class.). The story time pictures, however, are the best part of this book. Characters and scenes from famous children's stories are changed slightly to incorporate bats. This makes it a fun book for older children to guess which stories the bats are reading.
Themes: Libraries, Story time, Reading, Bats
Red Flags: None
Saturday, October 18, 2008
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
Author: Avi
Year: 1990
Publisher: Orchard Books
Pages: 210
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)
Awards: 1991 Newbery Honor Book, 1991 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, many others
Genre: Adventure
Series Information: Not part of a series
Location: The Seahawk, a ship on the Atlantic Ocean
Time Period: Summer of 1832
Plot: Thirteen year-old Charlotte Doyle is the sole female passenger onboard the Seahawk, which is making a two month-long sea voyage from England to Providence, Rhode Island. When Charlotte she arrives at the port, she immediately becomes suspicious of what is going on when various members of the crew advise her to get off the ship before it is too late. Unable to turn back, Charlotte finds herself in the middle of a feud between the cruel Captain Jaggery and his vengeful crew. SPOILER! When the captain tries to blame Charlotte for his cruel deeds, including the murders of two members of the crew, Charlotte attempts to atone and regain the crew's trust by joining them. After going through many adventures including being dismasted during a hurricane, the captain is accidentally killed and Charlotte is named the honorary captain of the ship. When she arrives home and tells her father of her adventures, she is punished for making the story up. Charlotte longs to be free again, and runs away from home to become a sailor.
Comments: Avi takes a fresh new look on the theme covered by classics such as Treasure Island and Moby Dick. The adventures and intrigue of the novel give it a very fast pace, and I found it easy to get through. There were plot twists aplenty, and most of them were original enough to catch me off guard. There are also handy diagrams and definitions of seafaring terms in the back that I found useful. The fact that the main character of this high adventure story is a girl is refreshing, but was also one of the problem points of the book for me. Because this book tries to be historically accurate in every other sense, some of the things Charlotte did in the book were hard for me to accept. Would she really suddenly become so tough that she could perform daring deeds during a hurricane? After she arrived home, would she really crave freedom from oppression so much that she would run off to become a sailor for the rest of her life? Would the men on the ship really allow Charlotte to do such things? This is a small complaint, however, and one that is easily forgotten when the reader lets him or herself get caught up in the narrative of the story. Read this book for the action, for the adventure, and for the plot twists, and you won't be disappointed.
Themes: Sailing, Adventure, Gender Roles, Loyalty
Red Flags: Murder (but not too descriptive), Mutiny, and Instances of Peril
Multicultural Elements: Charlotte's friend Zachariah is a black sailor from Africa.
Year: 1990
Publisher: Orchard Books
Pages: 210
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)
Awards: 1991 Newbery Honor Book, 1991 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, many others
Genre: Adventure
Series Information: Not part of a series
Location: The Seahawk, a ship on the Atlantic Ocean
Time Period: Summer of 1832
Plot: Thirteen year-old Charlotte Doyle is the sole female passenger onboard the Seahawk, which is making a two month-long sea voyage from England to Providence, Rhode Island. When Charlotte she arrives at the port, she immediately becomes suspicious of what is going on when various members of the crew advise her to get off the ship before it is too late. Unable to turn back, Charlotte finds herself in the middle of a feud between the cruel Captain Jaggery and his vengeful crew. SPOILER! When the captain tries to blame Charlotte for his cruel deeds, including the murders of two members of the crew, Charlotte attempts to atone and regain the crew's trust by joining them. After going through many adventures including being dismasted during a hurricane, the captain is accidentally killed and Charlotte is named the honorary captain of the ship. When she arrives home and tells her father of her adventures, she is punished for making the story up. Charlotte longs to be free again, and runs away from home to become a sailor.
Comments: Avi takes a fresh new look on the theme covered by classics such as Treasure Island and Moby Dick. The adventures and intrigue of the novel give it a very fast pace, and I found it easy to get through. There were plot twists aplenty, and most of them were original enough to catch me off guard. There are also handy diagrams and definitions of seafaring terms in the back that I found useful. The fact that the main character of this high adventure story is a girl is refreshing, but was also one of the problem points of the book for me. Because this book tries to be historically accurate in every other sense, some of the things Charlotte did in the book were hard for me to accept. Would she really suddenly become so tough that she could perform daring deeds during a hurricane? After she arrived home, would she really crave freedom from oppression so much that she would run off to become a sailor for the rest of her life? Would the men on the ship really allow Charlotte to do such things? This is a small complaint, however, and one that is easily forgotten when the reader lets him or herself get caught up in the narrative of the story. Read this book for the action, for the adventure, and for the plot twists, and you won't be disappointed.
Themes: Sailing, Adventure, Gender Roles, Loyalty
Red Flags: Murder (but not too descriptive), Mutiny, and Instances of Peril
Multicultural Elements: Charlotte's friend Zachariah is a black sailor from Africa.
Does My Head Look Big in This?
Author: Randa Abdel-Fattah
Year: 2005
Publisher: Orchard Books
Pages: 360
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Realistic Fiction/High School
Series Information: Not part of a series
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Time Period: Present (2005)
Plot: Eleventh grader Amal is an Australian-Palestinian who has decided to display her dedication to her faith by wearing the hijab full time. But how can she convince those around her that being true to the tenets of her faith does not mean she needs to be an outcast to society? How can she overcome the prejudices people have about her faith? On top of these issues, Amal has to deal with the regular problems any normal teenager has to deal with: school, boys, bullies, friends, parents, neighbors, self-image, and more. SPOILER! At the end of the year, Amal understands more about who she is, who she wants to become, and the role religion plays in her life.
Comments: Randa Abdel-Fattah had a hard job cut out for her: how does one write a novel about a girl dealing with her Muslim beliefs in a post-9/11 world without hitting readers over the head with this fact? Yet Abdel-Fattah succeeded in her goal admirably. While Amal does have to deal with prejudice, that is just one theme in the story. Greater themes include the value of friendship, discovering who you want to be, and chasing your dreams. I felt like I could relate with Amal on a number of issues, one of them even being the aspect of explaining (and sometimes defending) your beliefs to those who do not believe as you do. I also learned more about the Muslim culture, which would probably help readers remove fears about Muslims and their beliefs. This is a well-written book that I would recommend to both young adults and adults alike.
Themes: Religion, Muslim Culture, Friends, Self-Image, Growing Up
Red Flags: Family issues, Discussion of a woman's role in society, A girl running away from home, Discrimination, Smoking
Multicultural Elements: Australian, Muslim
Year: 2005
Publisher: Orchard Books
Pages: 360
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Realistic Fiction/High School
Series Information: Not part of a series
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Time Period: Present (2005)
Plot: Eleventh grader Amal is an Australian-Palestinian who has decided to display her dedication to her faith by wearing the hijab full time. But how can she convince those around her that being true to the tenets of her faith does not mean she needs to be an outcast to society? How can she overcome the prejudices people have about her faith? On top of these issues, Amal has to deal with the regular problems any normal teenager has to deal with: school, boys, bullies, friends, parents, neighbors, self-image, and more. SPOILER! At the end of the year, Amal understands more about who she is, who she wants to become, and the role religion plays in her life.
Comments: Randa Abdel-Fattah had a hard job cut out for her: how does one write a novel about a girl dealing with her Muslim beliefs in a post-9/11 world without hitting readers over the head with this fact? Yet Abdel-Fattah succeeded in her goal admirably. While Amal does have to deal with prejudice, that is just one theme in the story. Greater themes include the value of friendship, discovering who you want to be, and chasing your dreams. I felt like I could relate with Amal on a number of issues, one of them even being the aspect of explaining (and sometimes defending) your beliefs to those who do not believe as you do. I also learned more about the Muslim culture, which would probably help readers remove fears about Muslims and their beliefs. This is a well-written book that I would recommend to both young adults and adults alike.
Themes: Religion, Muslim Culture, Friends, Self-Image, Growing Up
Red Flags: Family issues, Discussion of a woman's role in society, A girl running away from home, Discrimination, Smoking
Multicultural Elements: Australian, Muslim
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Flotsam
Author/Illustrator: David Wiesner
Year: 2006
Publisher: Clarion Books
Pages: 40
Reading Level: Beginner (ages 4-8)
Awards: 2007 Caldecott Medal, 2006 Parents' Choice Gold Award, 2007 Quill Book Award
Genre: Wordless Picture Book/Graphic Novel/Fantasy
Series Information: Not part of a series
Location: The Beach and the Ocean
Time Period: Present Day (2006)
Plot: A boy playing at the seashore finds an old underwater camera has washed to shore. The boy can't believe his eyes when he develops the film inside the camera. SPOILER! The camera has been taking pictures of weird undersea adventures: robotic fish, storytime-reading octopi, aliens on a sightseeing trip, etc. The boy is most astonished when he finds a picture that proves many other people have seen these pictures as well. He takes a picture of himself with the camera, and throws it out to sea again, spreading the story on to other people around the world.
Comments: What an interesting story! Told in a wordless graphic novel format, it is the detail of the pictures that clue one in on the storyline. Because of this, older children who understand the importance of plot and detail will appreciate this story a lot more than youger children who merely look at the odd pictures.
Themes: Cameras, Underwater Adventures, Sending messages to people around the world.
Red Flags: None
Year: 2006
Publisher: Clarion Books
Pages: 40
Reading Level: Beginner (ages 4-8)
Awards: 2007 Caldecott Medal, 2006 Parents' Choice Gold Award, 2007 Quill Book Award
Genre: Wordless Picture Book/Graphic Novel/Fantasy
Series Information: Not part of a series
Location: The Beach and the Ocean
Time Period: Present Day (2006)
Plot: A boy playing at the seashore finds an old underwater camera has washed to shore. The boy can't believe his eyes when he develops the film inside the camera. SPOILER! The camera has been taking pictures of weird undersea adventures: robotic fish, storytime-reading octopi, aliens on a sightseeing trip, etc. The boy is most astonished when he finds a picture that proves many other people have seen these pictures as well. He takes a picture of himself with the camera, and throws it out to sea again, spreading the story on to other people around the world.
Comments: What an interesting story! Told in a wordless graphic novel format, it is the detail of the pictures that clue one in on the storyline. Because of this, older children who understand the importance of plot and detail will appreciate this story a lot more than youger children who merely look at the odd pictures.
Themes: Cameras, Underwater Adventures, Sending messages to people around the world.
Red Flags: None
My Friend Rabbit
Author/Illustrator: Eric Rohmann
Year: 2002
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Beginner (ages 4-8)
Awards: 2003 Caldecott Medal
Genre: Almost Wordless Picture Book
Series Information: Not part of a series
Location: Not mentioned
Time Period: Present Day (2002)
Plot: When Rabbit gets Mouse's airplane stuck in a tree, Rabbit keeps coming up with new ways to help that just seem to make the problem worse. No matter what trouble Rabbit gets Mouse in, they are friends and Mouse forgives him.
Comments: This cute story about friendship is almost wordless. The pictures tell the story of Rabbit's hare-brained schemes, and the words kind of act like book-ends to the plot told in pictures. Almost the same dialog is used at the beginning of the story as is used at the end. It's a clever means of showing Rabbit's antics is fun and refreshing, and children should enjoy it.
Themes: Friendship
Red Flags: None
Year: 2002
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Beginner (ages 4-8)
Awards: 2003 Caldecott Medal
Genre: Almost Wordless Picture Book
Series Information: Not part of a series
Location: Not mentioned
Time Period: Present Day (2002)
Plot: When Rabbit gets Mouse's airplane stuck in a tree, Rabbit keeps coming up with new ways to help that just seem to make the problem worse. No matter what trouble Rabbit gets Mouse in, they are friends and Mouse forgives him.
Comments: This cute story about friendship is almost wordless. The pictures tell the story of Rabbit's hare-brained schemes, and the words kind of act like book-ends to the plot told in pictures. Almost the same dialog is used at the beginning of the story as is used at the end. It's a clever means of showing Rabbit's antics is fun and refreshing, and children should enjoy it.
Themes: Friendship
Red Flags: None
Kitten's First Full Moon
Author/Illustrator: Kevin Henkes
Year: 2004
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Pages: 40
Reading Level: Beginner (ages 4-8)
Awards: 2005 Caldecott Medal, many others
Genre: Picture Book/Realistic Fiction
Series Information: Not part of a series
Location: Anywhere, USA
Time Period: Present (2004)
Plot: When Kitten sees a full moon in the sky, he thinks it's a little bowl of milk. He tries many different antics to get to it, all to no avail. SPOILER! When Kitten finally gives up and returns home, he finds a bowl of milk waiting for him.
Comments: This book is a great one for young children. The pictures are in black and white, but they are well done, showing the action of Kitten without being too busy or distracting. Kitten is cute and curious and mischievous. The text is also fun, repeating the line: "Still, there was the little bowl of milk, just waiting." I would have thought that picture books need to have bright colors to engage children's interest, but the engaging plot and rambunctious character bring a lot of energy to the story on their own.
Red Flags: None
Year: 2004
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Pages: 40
Reading Level: Beginner (ages 4-8)
Awards: 2005 Caldecott Medal, many others
Genre: Picture Book/Realistic Fiction
Series Information: Not part of a series
Location: Anywhere, USA
Time Period: Present (2004)
Plot: When Kitten sees a full moon in the sky, he thinks it's a little bowl of milk. He tries many different antics to get to it, all to no avail. SPOILER! When Kitten finally gives up and returns home, he finds a bowl of milk waiting for him.
Comments: This book is a great one for young children. The pictures are in black and white, but they are well done, showing the action of Kitten without being too busy or distracting. Kitten is cute and curious and mischievous. The text is also fun, repeating the line: "Still, there was the little bowl of milk, just waiting." I would have thought that picture books need to have bright colors to engage children's interest, but the engaging plot and rambunctious character bring a lot of energy to the story on their own.
Red Flags: None
Joseph Had a Little Overcoat
Author/Illustrator: Simms Taback
Year: 1999
Publisher: Viking
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Beginner (ages 4-8)
Awards: 2000 Caldecott Medal
Genre: Picture Book/Realistic Fiction
Series Information: Not part of a series
Location: Yehupetz,Poland
Time Period: Hard to determine—1900s?
Plot: Joseph is a farmer in the Polish countryside. When his overcoat gets too worn, he turns it into a jacket, then a vest, the list goes on and on. SPOILER! In the end, Joseph is left with nothing, and he ends up writing a book about it "which shows you can always make something out of nothing."
Comments: Based on a Yiddish folk song which is included in the back of the book, this book can work on two levels. The text is very simple and the repetitious pattern of the words and the surprise ending/moral would be enjoyable to beginning readers. The artwork, however, is a very busy collage which would be offputting to young children, but entertaining to older ones.
The thing that appealed most to me was the fact that each time Joseph makes a new piece of clothing, a cutout of the new garment can be found in the page. These holes in the pages are so craftily done that they blend into the pictures, and it's hard to tell where they are. My favorite cutout was probably the first one, possibly because of the surprise element, but also because it would have been the hardest one to make. A rooster and a turkey with tailfeathers splayed out proudly strut across the page. On the next, a woman wearing a shawl with the same pattern as the birds' tailfeathers can be found.
Red Flags: None
Multicultural Elements: Joseph and this friends are Polish Jews.
Year: 1999
Publisher: Viking
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Beginner (ages 4-8)
Awards: 2000 Caldecott Medal
Genre: Picture Book/Realistic Fiction
Series Information: Not part of a series
Location: Yehupetz,Poland
Time Period: Hard to determine—1900s?
Plot: Joseph is a farmer in the Polish countryside. When his overcoat gets too worn, he turns it into a jacket, then a vest, the list goes on and on. SPOILER! In the end, Joseph is left with nothing, and he ends up writing a book about it "which shows you can always make something out of nothing."
Comments: Based on a Yiddish folk song which is included in the back of the book, this book can work on two levels. The text is very simple and the repetitious pattern of the words and the surprise ending/moral would be enjoyable to beginning readers. The artwork, however, is a very busy collage which would be offputting to young children, but entertaining to older ones.
The thing that appealed most to me was the fact that each time Joseph makes a new piece of clothing, a cutout of the new garment can be found in the page. These holes in the pages are so craftily done that they blend into the pictures, and it's hard to tell where they are. My favorite cutout was probably the first one, possibly because of the surprise element, but also because it would have been the hardest one to make. A rooster and a turkey with tailfeathers splayed out proudly strut across the page. On the next, a woman wearing a shawl with the same pattern as the birds' tailfeathers can be found.
Red Flags: None
Multicultural Elements: Joseph and this friends are Polish Jews.
Tracks in the Snow
Author/Illustrator: Wong Herbert Yee
Year: 2003
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Beginner (ages 4-8)
Genre: Picture Book/Realistic Fiction
Series Information: Not part of a series
Location: Anytown, USA
Time Period: Present (2003)
Plot: A young Asian-American girl finds some tracks in the snow and follows them all around the countryside. SPOILER! In the end, the girl discovers that the tracks lead to her house—they are HER tracks from the day before.
Comments: This was a cute story that captures the fun of discovering the world around you. The rhyming text with the chanting refrain makes children guess along with the little girl what it is she might see as she keeps following the tracks.
Red Flags: None
Multicultural Elements: Asian-American
Year: 2003
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Beginner (ages 4-8)
Genre: Picture Book/Realistic Fiction
Series Information: Not part of a series
Location: Anytown, USA
Time Period: Present (2003)
Plot: A young Asian-American girl finds some tracks in the snow and follows them all around the countryside. SPOILER! In the end, the girl discovers that the tracks lead to her house—they are HER tracks from the day before.
Comments: This was a cute story that captures the fun of discovering the world around you. The rhyming text with the chanting refrain makes children guess along with the little girl what it is she might see as she keeps following the tracks.
Red Flags: None
Multicultural Elements: Asian-American
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Author/Illustrator: Jeff Kinney
Year: 2007
Publisher: Amulet Books/Harry N. Abrams Inc.
Pages: 217
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)
Genre: Realistic Fiction/Pseudo Graphic Novel
Series Information: First of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series
Location: Anywhere, USA
Time Period: Present Day (2007)
Plot: Greg Heffley is starting his sixth grade year at his local middle school, and he’s starting a journal as well. The adventures and problems he faces throughout the year, along with accompanying pictures, are recorded in the journal.
Comments: This book me laughing out loud! It also seemed to give a good representation of middle school life. From the horrors of P.E. class to the bullies who have hit their growth spurts to the general problems associated with growing up and figuring out your place in the world, it’s all in this book. The illustrations were funny and they helped move the story along. This book is easy to read and engaging, which makes it a great option to give to boys who are reluctant readers.
I can’t help including one of my favorite parts, which may help give everyone an idea of how this book is written. Warning! It reveals my twisted sense of humor as well! In this chapter, Greg has filled out a general form to speed up his Christmas thank-you note writing:
“Dear Aunt Loretta,
Thank you so much for the awesome pants! How did you know I wanted that for Christmas? I love the way the pants looks on my legs! All my friends will be so jealous that I have my very own pants. Thank you for making this the best Christmas ever!
Sincerely, Greg”
Themes: Bullies, Friendship, Families, Middle School Boys
Red Flags: General light boyish behavior
Year: 2007
Publisher: Amulet Books/Harry N. Abrams Inc.
Pages: 217
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)
Genre: Realistic Fiction/Pseudo Graphic Novel
Series Information: First of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series
Location: Anywhere, USA
Time Period: Present Day (2007)
Plot: Greg Heffley is starting his sixth grade year at his local middle school, and he’s starting a journal as well. The adventures and problems he faces throughout the year, along with accompanying pictures, are recorded in the journal.
Comments: This book me laughing out loud! It also seemed to give a good representation of middle school life. From the horrors of P.E. class to the bullies who have hit their growth spurts to the general problems associated with growing up and figuring out your place in the world, it’s all in this book. The illustrations were funny and they helped move the story along. This book is easy to read and engaging, which makes it a great option to give to boys who are reluctant readers.
I can’t help including one of my favorite parts, which may help give everyone an idea of how this book is written. Warning! It reveals my twisted sense of humor as well! In this chapter, Greg has filled out a general form to speed up his Christmas thank-you note writing:
“Dear Aunt Loretta,
Thank you so much for the awesome pants! How did you know I wanted that for Christmas? I love the way the pants looks on my legs! All my friends will be so jealous that I have my very own pants. Thank you for making this the best Christmas ever!
Sincerely, Greg”
Themes: Bullies, Friendship, Families, Middle School Boys
Red Flags: General light boyish behavior
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Snowbear Whittington: An Appalachian Beauty and the Beast
Author: William H. Hooks
Illustrator: Victoria Lisi
Year: 1994
Publisher: Macmillan
Pages: 56
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)
Genre: Picture Book/Fairy Tale (Beauty and the Beast)
Series Information: Not part of a series
Location: Appalachian Region, United States
Time Period: Unknown—1800s?
Plot: A poor father picking Christmas roses for his youngest daughter, Nell, incurs the wrath of a large white bear. To save her father, Nell agrees to go to the bear's castle in his place, where she discovers that her host, Snowbear Whittington, is under a witch's spell so that he is a bear by day and a human by night. SPOILER! Nell goes back home to take care of her sickly father and accidentally reveals Snowbear’s secret. Doing so causes Snowbear to turn into a bear permanently in three days’ time. In those three days, Nell scours the forest, hoping to find him before it becomes too late. With the help of an old woman, three trinkets, and a white dove, Nell finds Snowbear and declares her love, at last undoing the spell so they can live happily ever after.
Comments: I have always liked the tales of East of the Sun and West of the Moon and Beauty and the Beast. If one thinks about it, they are actually very similar tales. This Appalachian version of Beauty and the Beast actually seems more like the missing link between these two stories rather than an alternate version of Beauty and the Beast. One thing I didn’t mention in the plot summary was the fact that like in East, the white bear wanders the woods looking for someone who can wash spots Nell has made in his shirt. Unlike East and more like Beauty, Nell isn’t the one who cleans the shirt, but she is the one who declares her love for Snowbear, and it is that love that breaks the spell. Such a complicated story (and the fact that the illustrations aren’t as prevalent as they are in most picture books) may be too much for younger children to handle, but I think older readers who know the other fairy tales will enjoy this version.
Red Flags: None
Illustrator: Victoria Lisi
Year: 1994
Publisher: Macmillan
Pages: 56
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)
Genre: Picture Book/Fairy Tale (Beauty and the Beast)
Series Information: Not part of a series
Location: Appalachian Region, United States
Time Period: Unknown—1800s?
Plot: A poor father picking Christmas roses for his youngest daughter, Nell, incurs the wrath of a large white bear. To save her father, Nell agrees to go to the bear's castle in his place, where she discovers that her host, Snowbear Whittington, is under a witch's spell so that he is a bear by day and a human by night. SPOILER! Nell goes back home to take care of her sickly father and accidentally reveals Snowbear’s secret. Doing so causes Snowbear to turn into a bear permanently in three days’ time. In those three days, Nell scours the forest, hoping to find him before it becomes too late. With the help of an old woman, three trinkets, and a white dove, Nell finds Snowbear and declares her love, at last undoing the spell so they can live happily ever after.
Comments: I have always liked the tales of East of the Sun and West of the Moon and Beauty and the Beast. If one thinks about it, they are actually very similar tales. This Appalachian version of Beauty and the Beast actually seems more like the missing link between these two stories rather than an alternate version of Beauty and the Beast. One thing I didn’t mention in the plot summary was the fact that like in East, the white bear wanders the woods looking for someone who can wash spots Nell has made in his shirt. Unlike East and more like Beauty, Nell isn’t the one who cleans the shirt, but she is the one who declares her love for Snowbear, and it is that love that breaks the spell. Such a complicated story (and the fact that the illustrations aren’t as prevalent as they are in most picture books) may be too much for younger children to handle, but I think older readers who know the other fairy tales will enjoy this version.
Red Flags: None
Jack and the Animals
Author: Donald Davis
Illustrator: Kitty Harvill
Year: 1995
Publisher: August House Littlefolk
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Beginner (ages 4-8)
Genre: Picture Book/Folk Tale (The Bremen Town Musicians)
Series Information: Not part of a series
Location: Appalachian Region, America
Time Period: Undetermined
Plot: Jack heads out into the world to seek his fortune. He runs into a cow, a dog, a cat, a donkey, and a rooster who are all sad because they are too old to be useful any more. Jack invites the animals to join him on his journey. SPOILER! When night approaches, Jack and his friends find a robbers’ hideout and they break in to eat the robbers’ food. As they are finishing, one of the robbers come back. Jack and the animals blow out the candles and hide throughout the house. As the robber approaches each animal the animal attacks, and the robber runs from the house and tells his friends that the cottage is full of monsters. Jack shows the sheriff the robbers’ loot, and as a reward the sheriff gives it to Jack. Jack and his friends live in the cottage in comfort for the rest of their days.
Comments: This was a fun new version of the Bremen Town Musicians—a story I thought I knew pretty well. I especially liked the pictures, which helped show what the robber was imagining he was experiencing.
Themes: Friendship, Seeking Fortune, Triumph of Good over Evil
Red Flags: Some animal violence
Illustrator: Kitty Harvill
Year: 1995
Publisher: August House Littlefolk
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Beginner (ages 4-8)
Genre: Picture Book/Folk Tale (The Bremen Town Musicians)
Series Information: Not part of a series
Location: Appalachian Region, America
Time Period: Undetermined
Plot: Jack heads out into the world to seek his fortune. He runs into a cow, a dog, a cat, a donkey, and a rooster who are all sad because they are too old to be useful any more. Jack invites the animals to join him on his journey. SPOILER! When night approaches, Jack and his friends find a robbers’ hideout and they break in to eat the robbers’ food. As they are finishing, one of the robbers come back. Jack and the animals blow out the candles and hide throughout the house. As the robber approaches each animal the animal attacks, and the robber runs from the house and tells his friends that the cottage is full of monsters. Jack shows the sheriff the robbers’ loot, and as a reward the sheriff gives it to Jack. Jack and his friends live in the cottage in comfort for the rest of their days.
Comments: This was a fun new version of the Bremen Town Musicians—a story I thought I knew pretty well. I especially liked the pictures, which helped show what the robber was imagining he was experiencing.
Themes: Friendship, Seeking Fortune, Triumph of Good over Evil
Red Flags: Some animal violence
The Musicians of Bremen
Author/Illustrator: Niroot Puttapipat
Year: 2005
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Beginner (ages 4-8)
Genre: Picture Book/Folk Tale
Series Information: None
Location: German Countryside
Time Period: Early Seventeenth Century
Plot: Four old animals—a donkey, a dog, a cat, and a rooster—threatened by their masters with death, set out for the town of Bremen in the hopes of becoming musicians. Along the way they find a house full of robbers and break into the house, scaring the robbers away. SPOILER! When one robber comes back in the dead of night, the animals fight together to kick him out again. Unsure of what attacked him, the robber tells his friends that the house is haunted, and the robbers leave permanently. The animals live in the cottage together in peace and in comfort for the rest of their days.
Comments: This version of the famous Grimm’s fairy tale stays pretty close to the original, except for the fact that the author added more musical elements. Specific composers of the early Seventeenth Century are listed. Also, the book is set up like the Donkey is telling the other animals the story.
Themes: Friendship, Music, Triumph of Good over Evil
Red Flags: The old masters of the animals threaten to kill them.
Year: 2005
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Beginner (ages 4-8)
Genre: Picture Book/Folk Tale
Series Information: None
Location: German Countryside
Time Period: Early Seventeenth Century
Plot: Four old animals—a donkey, a dog, a cat, and a rooster—threatened by their masters with death, set out for the town of Bremen in the hopes of becoming musicians. Along the way they find a house full of robbers and break into the house, scaring the robbers away. SPOILER! When one robber comes back in the dead of night, the animals fight together to kick him out again. Unsure of what attacked him, the robber tells his friends that the house is haunted, and the robbers leave permanently. The animals live in the cottage together in peace and in comfort for the rest of their days.
Comments: This version of the famous Grimm’s fairy tale stays pretty close to the original, except for the fact that the author added more musical elements. Specific composers of the early Seventeenth Century are listed. Also, the book is set up like the Donkey is telling the other animals the story.
Themes: Friendship, Music, Triumph of Good over Evil
Red Flags: The old masters of the animals threaten to kill them.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
The Dragon Prince: A Chinese Beauty and the Beast Tale
Author: Laurence Yep
Illustrator: Kam Mak
Year: 1997
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Beginning Reader (ages 4-8)
Genre: Picture Book/Fairy Tale (Beauty and the Beast)
Series Information: Not part of a series
Location: Southern China
Time Period: Long Ago
Plot: On his way back from the market, a poor Chinese farmer is captured by a dragon who refuses to let him go unless the farmer will give the dragon one of his daughters as a wife. Six of the farmers’ daughters refuse, but the youngest, Seven, agrees to the deal. The dragon carries Seven away to his castle in the sea, and asks her if she is frightened by him. Seven replies that she is not scared of him, stating, “the eye sees what it will, but the heart sees what it should.” SPOILER! At these words, the dragon confesses that he has been testing Seven’s faithfulness and he transforms into a handsome prince. Seven and the dragon prince live happily together until Seven becomes homesick. When the dragon prince allows Seven to go home for 10 days, Seven’s sister, Three, becomes very jealous. Three pushes Seven in the river and returns to the dragon’s home claiming to be Seven. The dragon is not convinced by the ruse, however, and he searches the world for Seven until he finds her being nursed to health by a kind old woman. Three is sent back to her family in shame, and the dragon prince, Seven, and the old woman all live in the palace under the sea happily ever after.
Comments: Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite fairy tales, partly because it teaches people to look at a person’s heart instead of focusing on their looks. I liked that this version of the story enhanced this message and made both of the characters in the story live up to the same expectations.
The pictures in this book are beautiful and bright. Although there are many of them, there are pages filled simply with text. Because of this, although this book is listed as being appropriate for beginning readers, I would say it is more appropriate for older children than it is for younger children.
Moral: “the eye sees what it will, but the heart sees what it should.”
Red Flags: None
Multicultural Elements: Chinese
Illustrator: Kam Mak
Year: 1997
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Beginning Reader (ages 4-8)
Genre: Picture Book/Fairy Tale (Beauty and the Beast)
Series Information: Not part of a series
Location: Southern China
Time Period: Long Ago
Plot: On his way back from the market, a poor Chinese farmer is captured by a dragon who refuses to let him go unless the farmer will give the dragon one of his daughters as a wife. Six of the farmers’ daughters refuse, but the youngest, Seven, agrees to the deal. The dragon carries Seven away to his castle in the sea, and asks her if she is frightened by him. Seven replies that she is not scared of him, stating, “the eye sees what it will, but the heart sees what it should.” SPOILER! At these words, the dragon confesses that he has been testing Seven’s faithfulness and he transforms into a handsome prince. Seven and the dragon prince live happily together until Seven becomes homesick. When the dragon prince allows Seven to go home for 10 days, Seven’s sister, Three, becomes very jealous. Three pushes Seven in the river and returns to the dragon’s home claiming to be Seven. The dragon is not convinced by the ruse, however, and he searches the world for Seven until he finds her being nursed to health by a kind old woman. Three is sent back to her family in shame, and the dragon prince, Seven, and the old woman all live in the palace under the sea happily ever after.
Comments: Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite fairy tales, partly because it teaches people to look at a person’s heart instead of focusing on their looks. I liked that this version of the story enhanced this message and made both of the characters in the story live up to the same expectations.
The pictures in this book are beautiful and bright. Although there are many of them, there are pages filled simply with text. Because of this, although this book is listed as being appropriate for beginning readers, I would say it is more appropriate for older children than it is for younger children.
Moral: “the eye sees what it will, but the heart sees what it should.”
Red Flags: None
Multicultural Elements: Chinese
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Author: Sherman Alexie
Illustrator: Ellen Forney
Year: 2007
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Pages: 230
Reading Level: Young Adult (grades 7-10)
Awards: 2008 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, 2007 National Book Award for Young People's Literature
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Series Information: Not part of a series
Location: Wellpinit, WA, an Indian reservation; and Reardan, WA
Time Period: Present Day (2007)
Plot: Arnold Spirit (a.k.a. Junior) lives on an Indian reservation in the Spokane, Washington area. When Arnold takes his teacher’s advice to transfer to a school that isn’t on the reservation, Arnold suddenly finds himself friendless and in a strange environment. The people on the reservation regard him as a traitor, while the people in his new school are unsure how to treat him. The book follows Arnold as he overcomes this challenge and many others, gains confidence in himself, and dares to make a better life for himself.
Comments: I began wondering what type of book I was reading when, ten pages into the book, Arnold described how his father had to shoot the family dog because he couldn’t afford to take it to the vet. Was this book going to be one of the most depressing things I had ever read? This book does continue on in a similar vein: Arnold’s best friend refuses to speak to him. The reservation turns against him when he transfers to a white school. People Arnold is close to die. Arnold even battles with himself in wondering if he is betraying his tribe by wanting more out of his life than they can give him. Yet, through it all, Arnold never gives up hope. He cracks jokes. He draws cartoons to deal with his grief. He makes friends and discovers new talents. It all combines to give a very realistic, heartwarming view of life that anyone can relate to. The illustrations in the story are also fun, and they help lighten the tension while helping the reader relate to and understand Arnold at the same time.
Because of the language in this book, I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone. The narrator is a 14 year-old boy, and he shares many of his 14 year-old thoughts. However, those willing to deal with the language and subject matter will find a simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking tale that’s worth reading.
Themes: Friendship, Families, Overcoming Trials, Pursuing the American Dream
Red Flags: light Swearing, Drinking, Death, light Sexual References/Slang
Multicultural Elements: Native Americans
Illustrator: Ellen Forney
Year: 2007
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Pages: 230
Reading Level: Young Adult (grades 7-10)
Awards: 2008 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, 2007 National Book Award for Young People's Literature
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Series Information: Not part of a series
Location: Wellpinit, WA, an Indian reservation; and Reardan, WA
Time Period: Present Day (2007)
Plot: Arnold Spirit (a.k.a. Junior) lives on an Indian reservation in the Spokane, Washington area. When Arnold takes his teacher’s advice to transfer to a school that isn’t on the reservation, Arnold suddenly finds himself friendless and in a strange environment. The people on the reservation regard him as a traitor, while the people in his new school are unsure how to treat him. The book follows Arnold as he overcomes this challenge and many others, gains confidence in himself, and dares to make a better life for himself.
Comments: I began wondering what type of book I was reading when, ten pages into the book, Arnold described how his father had to shoot the family dog because he couldn’t afford to take it to the vet. Was this book going to be one of the most depressing things I had ever read? This book does continue on in a similar vein: Arnold’s best friend refuses to speak to him. The reservation turns against him when he transfers to a white school. People Arnold is close to die. Arnold even battles with himself in wondering if he is betraying his tribe by wanting more out of his life than they can give him. Yet, through it all, Arnold never gives up hope. He cracks jokes. He draws cartoons to deal with his grief. He makes friends and discovers new talents. It all combines to give a very realistic, heartwarming view of life that anyone can relate to. The illustrations in the story are also fun, and they help lighten the tension while helping the reader relate to and understand Arnold at the same time.
Because of the language in this book, I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone. The narrator is a 14 year-old boy, and he shares many of his 14 year-old thoughts. However, those willing to deal with the language and subject matter will find a simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking tale that’s worth reading.
Themes: Friendship, Families, Overcoming Trials, Pursuing the American Dream
Red Flags: light Swearing, Drinking, Death, light Sexual References/Slang
Multicultural Elements: Native Americans
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Yo! Yes?
Author/Illustrator: Chris Raschka
Year: 1993
Publisher: Orchard Books
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Beginning Reader (ages 4-8)
Awards: 1994 Caldecott Honor Book
Genre: Picture Book/Realistic Fiction
Series Information: Not Part of a Series
Location: Anywhere, USA
Time Period: Present (1993)
Plot: Two lonely characters, one black and one white, meet on the street and become friends.
Comments: This book is cleverly put together. Each page has a maximum of two words on it, and most of those words are only comprised of three letters. Despite this, the pictures and text combine to create a cute scenario of two very different people finding things in common and becoming friends. A great book for very beginning readers.
Themes: Friendship
Red Flags: None
Multicultural Elements: African-American
Year: 1993
Publisher: Orchard Books
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Beginning Reader (ages 4-8)
Awards: 1994 Caldecott Honor Book
Genre: Picture Book/Realistic Fiction
Series Information: Not Part of a Series
Location: Anywhere, USA
Time Period: Present (1993)
Plot: Two lonely characters, one black and one white, meet on the street and become friends.
Comments: This book is cleverly put together. Each page has a maximum of two words on it, and most of those words are only comprised of three letters. Despite this, the pictures and text combine to create a cute scenario of two very different people finding things in common and becoming friends. A great book for very beginning readers.
Themes: Friendship
Red Flags: None
Multicultural Elements: African-American
Fortunately
Author/Illustrator: Remy Charlip
Year: 1964
Publisher: Parents’ Magazine Press
Pages: 21
Reading Level: Beginning Reader (ages 4-8)
Genre: Picture Book/Almost Wordless Book
Series Information: Not part of a series
Location: Trip from New York to Florida
Time Period: Present (1964)
Plot: Ned encounters all sorts of problems as he journeys from New York to Florida for a birthday party.
Comments: What a creative idea for a book! This book repeats the same words over and over again, but it does so in such a clever manner that it keeps you guessing as to what is going to happen next. For example: “Fortunately a friend loaned him an airplane/Unfortunately the motor exploded/Fortunately there was a parachute in the airplane/Unfortunately there was a hole in the parachute.” I’ll leave you hanging there so you’ll want to read the book too. A fun book for young children as well as older children.
Red Flags: Brief instances of peril
Year: 1964
Publisher: Parents’ Magazine Press
Pages: 21
Reading Level: Beginning Reader (ages 4-8)
Genre: Picture Book/Almost Wordless Book
Series Information: Not part of a series
Location: Trip from New York to Florida
Time Period: Present (1964)
Plot: Ned encounters all sorts of problems as he journeys from New York to Florida for a birthday party.
Comments: What a creative idea for a book! This book repeats the same words over and over again, but it does so in such a clever manner that it keeps you guessing as to what is going to happen next. For example: “Fortunately a friend loaned him an airplane/Unfortunately the motor exploded/Fortunately there was a parachute in the airplane/Unfortunately there was a hole in the parachute.” I’ll leave you hanging there so you’ll want to read the book too. A fun book for young children as well as older children.
Red Flags: Brief instances of peril
Voices in the Park
Author/Illustrator: Anthony Browne
Year: 1998
Publisher: D.K. Publishing, Inc.
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Beginning Reader (ages 4-8)
Genre: Picture Book
Series Information: Not part of a series
Location: A park in Anytown, USA
Time Period: Present (1998)
Plot: A trip to the park is told in four different voices, giving different perspectives of the same incident. The trip to the park is told by a wealthy mother, her bored son Charlie, a father looking for work, and his rambunctious daughter Smudge.
Comments: Although this book has many benefits, I’m not sure I would recommend it to the age group it was written for. The simple language and bright pictures make this seem like the perfect book for a young child who is just learning to read. It also has a cute message about how people need to be tolerant of each other and about how we can choose our own attitudes. However, the backgrounds of the pictures carry a somewhat subversive tone to them. When the mother worries about where her son went, all of the trees in the background start screaming with her, and when she leaves the park a tree bursts into flames. The father passes a frowning Mona Lisa and a begging Santa Claus on the way to the park, and sits and reads a paper with Munch’s The Scream on the front cover. Charlie is bored, and his mother’s hat can be found in almost every picture in his part of the book. Smudge is chipper, so all of her pages are brighter than the rest of the story, and random objects such as fruits are found in the background. Also, the characters are anthropomorphic gorillas, which adds to the subversive tone of the book. While children will probably enjoy looking for all of the random objects and trying to find the families’ dogs in every picture, the subversive undertones of the pictures were a little too much for me. I think the meanings of some of these objects will go over the heads of the age range this book is written for.
Themes: Friendship, Point of View
Red Flags: The pictures in this book don’t seem to match the age range of the text (see Comments).
Year: 1998
Publisher: D.K. Publishing, Inc.
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Beginning Reader (ages 4-8)
Genre: Picture Book
Series Information: Not part of a series
Location: A park in Anytown, USA
Time Period: Present (1998)
Plot: A trip to the park is told in four different voices, giving different perspectives of the same incident. The trip to the park is told by a wealthy mother, her bored son Charlie, a father looking for work, and his rambunctious daughter Smudge.
Comments: Although this book has many benefits, I’m not sure I would recommend it to the age group it was written for. The simple language and bright pictures make this seem like the perfect book for a young child who is just learning to read. It also has a cute message about how people need to be tolerant of each other and about how we can choose our own attitudes. However, the backgrounds of the pictures carry a somewhat subversive tone to them. When the mother worries about where her son went, all of the trees in the background start screaming with her, and when she leaves the park a tree bursts into flames. The father passes a frowning Mona Lisa and a begging Santa Claus on the way to the park, and sits and reads a paper with Munch’s The Scream on the front cover. Charlie is bored, and his mother’s hat can be found in almost every picture in his part of the book. Smudge is chipper, so all of her pages are brighter than the rest of the story, and random objects such as fruits are found in the background. Also, the characters are anthropomorphic gorillas, which adds to the subversive tone of the book. While children will probably enjoy looking for all of the random objects and trying to find the families’ dogs in every picture, the subversive undertones of the pictures were a little too much for me. I think the meanings of some of these objects will go over the heads of the age range this book is written for.
Themes: Friendship, Point of View
Red Flags: The pictures in this book don’t seem to match the age range of the text (see Comments).
Sit, Truman!
Author: Dan Harper and Cara Moser
Illustrator: Barry Moser
Year: 2001
Publisher: Harcourt
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Beginning Reader (ages 4-8)
Genre: Picture Book/Realistic Fiction
Series Information: One of the books Moser wrote with his family
Location: Any town, America/Barry Moser’s house
Time Period: Present Day (2001)
Plot: Truman is a very disobedient dog who is always told what to do by his owners. Examples of text include: “Stop drooling, Truman!” “No Mail for you, Truman!” “No dancing, Truman!” “Go fetch, Truman!” etc., etc., etc.
Comments: This is a very fun book. Most of the comments I have for this book were made previously on My Dog Rosie, but this book seems a little simpler. Instead of full-on sentences, the book consists of commands that children will love to yell along with their parents. The watercolors are bright and fun, and children will enjoy Truman’s antics.
Red Flags: None
Illustrator: Barry Moser
Year: 2001
Publisher: Harcourt
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Beginning Reader (ages 4-8)
Genre: Picture Book/Realistic Fiction
Series Information: One of the books Moser wrote with his family
Location: Any town, America/Barry Moser’s house
Time Period: Present Day (2001)
Plot: Truman is a very disobedient dog who is always told what to do by his owners. Examples of text include: “Stop drooling, Truman!” “No Mail for you, Truman!” “No dancing, Truman!” “Go fetch, Truman!” etc., etc., etc.
Comments: This is a very fun book. Most of the comments I have for this book were made previously on My Dog Rosie, but this book seems a little simpler. Instead of full-on sentences, the book consists of commands that children will love to yell along with their parents. The watercolors are bright and fun, and children will enjoy Truman’s antics.
Red Flags: None
My Dog Rosie
Author: Isabelle Harper
Illustrator: Barry Moser
Year: 1994
Publisher: Blue Sky Press
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Beginning Readers (ages 4-8)
Genre: Picture Book/Realistic Fiction
Series Information: One of the books Moser wrote with his family
Location: Any town, America/Barry Moser’s house
Time Period: Present Day (1994)
Plot: When Grandpa (Barry Moser) goes to his art studio to work, his granddaughter looks after Grandpa’s dog, Rosie.
Comments: I have looked at a lot of Barry Moser books recently. I appreciate his artistic quality in his illustrated versions of such books as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Frankenstein, and Moby Dick, but this is something else entirely. While Moser’s books for an older audience are done in wood cut and have a dark and unsettling tone, the books he writes with his family are usually bright watercolors full of joy. Children will like talking about all of the fun things Moser’s real-life granddaughter does with Rosie, including feeding Rosie, playing fetch, and giving Rosie a bath.
Red Flags: Moser’s granddaughter is only wearing a pair of underwear.
Illustrator: Barry Moser
Year: 1994
Publisher: Blue Sky Press
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Beginning Readers (ages 4-8)
Genre: Picture Book/Realistic Fiction
Series Information: One of the books Moser wrote with his family
Location: Any town, America/Barry Moser’s house
Time Period: Present Day (1994)
Plot: When Grandpa (Barry Moser) goes to his art studio to work, his granddaughter looks after Grandpa’s dog, Rosie.
Comments: I have looked at a lot of Barry Moser books recently. I appreciate his artistic quality in his illustrated versions of such books as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Frankenstein, and Moby Dick, but this is something else entirely. While Moser’s books for an older audience are done in wood cut and have a dark and unsettling tone, the books he writes with his family are usually bright watercolors full of joy. Children will like talking about all of the fun things Moser’s real-life granddaughter does with Rosie, including feeding Rosie, playing fetch, and giving Rosie a bath.
Red Flags: Moser’s granddaughter is only wearing a pair of underwear.
Jump! The Adventures of Brer Rabbit
Author: Joel Chandler Harris
Illustrator: Barry Moser
Year: 1986
Publisher: Harcourt Brace
Pages: 40
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)
Genre: Southern Folktale/Trickster Tales (Brer Rabbit)
Series Information: The First of the Jump! series illustrated by Barry Moser
Location: Deep South, North America
Time Period: 17 or 1800’s? Not Specified
Plot: Five different stories of Brer Rabbit’s cleverness and trickery are found in this book. Children can learn how Brer Rabbit out-smarted his enemies Brer Wolf, Brer Fox, and Brer Bear. They can also see Brer Rabbit get a taste of his own medicine when he is out-smarted by Brer Terrapin in a Tortoise and the Hare-esque tale that also involves trickery on the part of Brer Terrapin. The end of the book contains a song as well: Hominy Grove.
Comments: The Brer Rabbit stories may be appealing to young readers since it is Brer Rabbit and Brer Terrapin, the smallest of the animals in the community, who end up using their brains to pull a trick on those who are bigger and stronger than they are. Moser’s watercolor illustrations are fun, but they are not on every page, which makes this a book for older children who are patient enough to simply listen to the story.
Red Flags: This book encourages trickery, which some parents may not want their children to read.
Illustrator: Barry Moser
Year: 1986
Publisher: Harcourt Brace
Pages: 40
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)
Genre: Southern Folktale/Trickster Tales (Brer Rabbit)
Series Information: The First of the Jump! series illustrated by Barry Moser
Location: Deep South, North America
Time Period: 17 or 1800’s? Not Specified
Plot: Five different stories of Brer Rabbit’s cleverness and trickery are found in this book. Children can learn how Brer Rabbit out-smarted his enemies Brer Wolf, Brer Fox, and Brer Bear. They can also see Brer Rabbit get a taste of his own medicine when he is out-smarted by Brer Terrapin in a Tortoise and the Hare-esque tale that also involves trickery on the part of Brer Terrapin. The end of the book contains a song as well: Hominy Grove.
Comments: The Brer Rabbit stories may be appealing to young readers since it is Brer Rabbit and Brer Terrapin, the smallest of the animals in the community, who end up using their brains to pull a trick on those who are bigger and stronger than they are. Moser’s watercolor illustrations are fun, but they are not on every page, which makes this a book for older children who are patient enough to simply listen to the story.
Red Flags: This book encourages trickery, which some parents may not want their children to read.
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