Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings

http://www.amazon.com/Comets-Stars-Moon-Mars-Paintings/dp/0152053727

Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: 

Space Poems and Paintings 

Poet & Illustrator: 

Douglas Florian

Publishing: 

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

 2007

           Douglas Florian’s poetry book, COMETS, STARS, THE MOON, AND MARS, is a delight for both children and adults alike. The School Library Journal, in their starred review of the book, writes, “In both language and artwork, Florian strikes the perfect balance between grandeur and whimsy.”

          The book begins with a poem entitled “Skywatch” where the author invites the reader to think of exploring the night’s sky, to consider telescopes and constellations, and to have fun doing it.  Florian then takes us on a journey of outer space with this collection of twenty poems that range from the universe, galaxy, and our solar system, around all the planets (even the poor “fired” Pluto!) to comets, constellations, the black hole, and finally, “The Great Beyond”! At the end of the book, Florian provides the reader with “A Galactic Glossary” that provides more detailed information on each of the poem topics, to satisfy more curious and advanced readers. Further, the most astute of readers can utilize the final page, a selected bibliography that includes both Stephen Hawking and nasa.gov. 

         The poems were created using simple, short lines, often with a staccato rhythm that is brisk and zippy. Florian uses a great variety of meter and rhyme schemes to accent the topic of the poem, however he is abundant with whimsy and humor throughout, even while presenting scientific facts. The poems are often repetitive, which creates both an easy rhythm, and makes the poems especially accessible for children to read, understand and remember. It is clear that the author intended this book of poetry and art to be both a learning opportunity, and a chance to bask in creative wonder; to have fun - as can be seen in the clever humor of Pluto: "Pluto was a planet. / Pluto was admired. /Pluto was a planet. Till one day it got fired." The author also uses fun, dynamic shapes with the poems - for example the poem about the spiral galaxy is also in the shape of a spiral. 

            

http://www.the-best-childrens-books.org/Comets-Stars-the-Moon-and-Mars.html

        This book would work marvelously as a read-aloud due to the simple rhythms of the poems, but children can also get great joy and information from the illustrations. In this large-format book, each poem is set in a two-page spread of beautiful artwork, that continues the brilliant combo of wit and data. Florian created the book's artwork using vibrant gouache paint, collages of cutouts, and rubber stamps on primed brown paper bags, creating an eye-catching texture.  They are at once antique looking and uniquely modern, and provide a wealth of information to accompany each poem through the use of pictorial and worded labels. The artistic pages are also scattered with die-cut peepholes, which make exploring the book through the little windows and cut-outs as much fun as the author provides exploring outer space. 

         This book would be an excellent accompaniment to lessons about outer-space - it provides the art and poetry that can connect to the visual learners in the classroom as well as to children's creative instincts. There are so many crafts that children can do to learn further about space. For example, they can make a solar system model using a coat hanger and cut outs. Or, they can observe the moon every evening, and draw the shape as the moon goes through its monthly cycle. Just as this book can bridge the scientific concepts to artistic learners, it can also be used to bridge poetry and art for children who are more apt to be interested in science. 

         COMETS, STARS, THE MOON, AND MARS has won numerous awards including the Kirkus Reviews: Best Children's Books, 2007; a South Carolina Picture Book Award Nomination, 2008-2009; and the Horn Book Fanfare Best Book, 2007.

Florian, Douglas. Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings. Ill by Douglas Florian. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2007. ISBN 0-15-205372-7

The One and Only Ivan

The One and Only Ivan

Poet: Katherine Applegate

Illustrator: Patricia Castelao

Publishing: HarperCollins Publishers, 2012

"How Ivan confronts his harrowing past yet stays true to his nature exemplifies everything youngsters need to know about courage. … Utterly believable, this bittersweet story, complete with an author's note identifying the real Ivan, will inspire a new generation of advocates."
- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

        Ivan is a silverback gorilla who has spent 27 years in captivity, within the glassed cage of a dated circus-themed mall where people watch him at “two, four, and seven, 365 days a year.” Ivan is friends with a stray dog named Bob and Stella an aging elephant. Ivan spends his time making art using crayons to recreate objects in his world. When Ruby, a baby elephant arrives to replace the dying Stella, Ivan begins to see his condition, his situation, and his art in a new light.

        Ivan makes a promise to Stella that he won’t let the Ruby grow up in a cage. As Ivan remembers what it is to be a gorilla, he realizes he must make changes to secure a better life for Stella.

         Inspired by a real captive gorilla, The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate is written in halting free verse, with the author utilizing words and rhythm carefully and sparingly. The cadence of the poetry both complements the words of Ivan and also serves as a parallel to the sparse environment Ivan is forced to live in:  

“Humans waste words. They toss them like banana peels and leave them to rot.

Everyone knows the peels are the best part.”

       

        The halting half sentences had the effect of forcing the patience of Ivan onto me, as the reader, forcing me to do with less. Even Castelao’s illustrations are used sparingly within the book.

           This novel could easily be paired with related books dealing animals and unlikely friendships, animals in captivity and more. In fact, themes within the story of unlikely friendships, sense of belonging, animal rights, family and responsibility, make the story work well within the context of a variety of connections. Activities might range from creating an evolution-based “family tree” to researching the habitats of gorillas and comparing that to the real-life habitat of the gorilla that was the inspiration for story.

            The novel has won numerous awards. In 2013 alone it won the Newberry Medal, the American Library Association Notable Books for Children Award, and the Christopher Book Award. It was also nominated for the Great Lakes' Great Books Award, and the Bluebonnet Award.

Applegate, Katherine. The One and Only Ivan. Ill. by Patricia Castelao. (New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, 2012).

The Lion and the Mouse

                   

The Lion and the Mouse 

Author & Illustrator: Jerry Pinkney

Publishing: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2009

            In this nearly wordless adaptation of the classic Aesop fable, The Lion and the Mouse, author and illustrator Jerry Pinkney helps the reader to understand within his or her’s own personal framework.

              In this story, as in the classic tale, the mouse begs the lion to release him without harm. The lion, seemingly amused, allows the mouse to scamper away. Later, when the lion is trapped by human net, the mouse helps the lion escape by chewing away at the ropes.

           The timeless message of grace and reciprocity is made more relevant to the reader’s experience by Pinkney’s flawless execution of expressive and realistic characters using pencil, watercolor, and colored pencils, which add distinct levels of human personification to the animals. Pinkney uses his scarce and carefully chosen words to further hone in on the direction and feeling of the story. The onomatopoetic “who who whoooo” of the owl warns of impending danger, and the painful and incensed "RRROAARRRRRRRRRRR" of the lion when captured is shrewdly paneled to appear above the mouse, quickly scampering to save him. The background, sometimes depicted as the grand and sweeping African Serengeti, reminds the reader that this story’s context is nature, where food chain is of utmost importance. At other times, Pinkney’s background is left blank, allowing the reader to focus only on the expression and emotion of the page.

          Students reading this book can connect with cause and effect by suggesting and playing out other potential outcomes to the story. The book could also serve as an excellent opening in examining the relationship between the powerful and seemingly powerless. Students might be asked to reflect on how they might make a difference – as a child to an adult and as a citizen in the world.

         This book won the 2009 School Library Journal Best Books of the Year, the 2010 Indies' Choice Book Award, the 2009 Publishers Weekly Best Children's Books, and the 2010 Caldecott Medal, as well as being a on the bestseller on such lists as New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and Amazon.com.

References

Pinkney, Jerry. The Lion and the Mouse. Ill. by Jerry Pinkney. New York, NY: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2009.

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs

Book Title: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs

Author: Jon Scieszka

Illustrator: Lane Smith

    

           This is the story of a misunderstood wolf, who had the misfortune of being at the wrong place, at the wrong time…or that’s what he would have us believe. Most children are familiar with the traditional three little pig’s story, but perhaps they have never thought to look at the situation from the wolf’s perspective. Spoofing the conventional fairy tale, author Jon Scieszka, recounts the wolf’s side of the story while illustrator Lane Smith breathes it to life using shadowy watercolors. shifty

Unjustly defamed by the sensationalism-stalking media, Scieszka recounts in first-person narrative style the events surrounding the disappearance of the pigs. 

          Smith’s dark tones and enigmatic illustrations deepen the effect of unfolding drama and heighten the sense that perhaps the wolf, at times depicted with seemingly boneless, slippery attributes, is not being entirely forthcoming in his tale.

           Alexander Wolf would have the reader believe he was but innocently attempting to borrow a cup of sugar from his neighbors, the pigs, when an unfortunate sneeze (after all, he had a terrible cold) crumpled the poorly built homes. What was the wolf to do with the ham dinners (a.k.a. deceased little pigs) left among the rubble of straw and sticks? “Think of it as a cheeseburger just lying there,” he says. Needless to say, he had a first, then a second helping. When the third pig insulted his grandmother, Wolf "got a little crazy." By the time authorities arrived at the third little pig’s home, Wolf was upset and the reporters misinterpreted events into the story we know today.

            The moral of the story that every event has more than one perspective, can be made with students by asking them to retell a traditional story from the antagonists perspective. For example, how would Hansel and Gretel be depicted by the witch who lived in the gingerbread house? Students can be asked to make up different stories and then act them out for the group. Carolyn Phelan of the American Library Association suggests that the book "encourages kids to leap beyond the familiar, to think critically about conventional stories and illustration, and perhaps to flex their imaginations and create wonderfully subversive versions of their own stories" ("True Story of the Three Little Pigs" 2013).

            This story was one of the "Top 100 Picture Books" of all time in a 2012 School Library Journal Poll, as well as an ALA Notable Book. 

References

Amazon.com, "The True Story of the Three Little Pigs." Last modified 2013. Accessed September 22, 2013. http://www.amazon.com/True-Story-Three-Little-Pigs/dp/product-description/0140544518/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books.


Scieszka, Jon. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. Ill. by Lane Smith. New York, NY: Viking Press, 1989. ISBN-10: 0140544518

Beautiful Blackbird

Book Title: Beautiful Blackbird

Author & Illustrator Ashley Bryan

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing , 2003 

 “This telling, by the master storyteller, just aches to be read aloud; the lively rhythms keep the simple folktale rollicking along.” (Kirkus Review, 2002)

Beak to beak, peck, peck, peck
Spread your wings, stretch your neck.
Black is beautiful, uh-huh!
Black is beautiful, uh-huh!

In this inspiring retelling of a fable from the Ila-speaking people of Zambia, author and illustrator Ashley Bryan skillfully employs rhythm and playful illustrations to express the theme of celebrating of the diverse beauty of life.

Using vibrant cut-out collage illustrations and rhythmic poetic style, Bryan conveys the story of how all the other birds declare Beautiful Blackbird the most beautiful bird because his feathers "gleam all colors in the sun." The other birds, each shaped and colored differently, ask the blackbird if he will paint them with blackening brew so they will be as beautiful as Blackbird. In response, Blackbird warns, “Color on the outside is not what’s on the inside.” Still, Blackbird uses a feather brush to give the other birds “small, large, close, far-apart dots and short and long stoked strips.” As Blackbird paints the other birds, both Bryan’s illustrations and text becomes bolder, larger and brighter. This, in addition to Bryan’s rhyme, alliteration and action words affects a growing sense of festive celebration and I found myself even reading at a quickened pace. Ultimately all birds have some sort of black markings (which reflect the all the colors), and the blackbird has the colors of the other birds on his own wings. As a metaphor, culture is made more beautiful as it accepts, celebrates and adopts what makes another culture beautiful; the most beautiful culture being the one that reflects the beauty of all.

The message in the story of how beauty can at once be unique and one’s own but can also be shared and celebrated with others, transcends to children and adults alike. Connections can be made with lessons surrounding diversity and celebrating both uniqueness and commonalities. For example, cut outs of birds could be decorated using a variety of materials then compared for likeness and differences. The book could also be used as an opening to have a dialog about how black is often portrayed as negative or scary, and to ask children how they feel about themselves and the color of their own skin.

Beautiful Blackbird is the 2004 Coretta Scott King Awards winner, as well as the 2005 Bluegrass Award.

References: 

Bryan, Ashley. Beautiful Blackbird. Ill. by Ashley Bryan. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing , 2003. ISBN 0-689-84731-9

Kirkus Review, "BEAUTIFUL BLACKBIRD." Last modified December 01, 2002. Accessed September 11, 2013. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/ashley-bryan/beautiful-blackbird/.

Cover Picture Source: 

http://abcsofreading.blogspot.com/2011/05/beautiful-blackbird.html

Illustration Source: 

http://abcsofreading.blogspot.com/2011/05/beautiful-blackbird.html

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Author: Viorst, Judith

Illustrator: Cruz, Ray

Publication Year: 1977

Publisher: JTG of Nashville 

"Of all the books out there that deal with schadenfreude, none do it quite so well as Alexander... He’s the Charlie Brown of picture books." -- Elizabeth Bird, Library School Journal

           In this 35 year old classic, Judith Viorst spins a tale about Alexander, a good natured kid who seems to be trying his best but his luck is just cannot cut it out for him on a day he deems as the "terrible, horiible, no good, very bad day." Alex's day begins with him waking up only to discover he has gum in his hair and as soon as he gets out of his bed he trips over his skateboard. Throughout the day, bad things just keep happening to him, he drops his sweater in the sink and it gets all wet, he winds up with a lousy cereal prize, and he has to sit in the middle passenger seat on the way to school. Once at school his teachers disapproves of his drawings, his singing, and counting. He has trouble with his friend, doesn't get a dessert at lunch, gets muddy, and called a crybaby, and yet even as a victim of all such circumstances, is punished. His day simply just won't seem to get better! The shifting settings of the story from messy bedroom to the breakfast table with siblings and the school cafeteria, are all places universally familiar among most school-age kids. These are the settings where many school-age kids find the rigors and challenges of childhood. Children can all relate to a bad day and understand the frustration of what it feels like when life is not fair, yet even with
Alexander's deplorable day, readers can also see that perhaps his life is not so bad after all. Through it all readers can still point out what Alexander does have, a functional and supportive family, a good school, he has a warm bed, etc. Perhaps the teachable moment for Alexander is perspective. If Alexander had a different, more positive perspective, the day may have not been so terrible, but as soon as Alex wakes up he states that he could "tell that this was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, bad day."
               The illustrator, Ray Cruz, offers a visual display that is both humorous and revealing. Ray Cruz's pen and ink illustrations of Alexander very humanly depict the the snares and entanglement of what it feels like to be a frustrated kid who is with sloppy with gum-stuck hair, frumpy posture, guarded crossed arm posturing, and smug with a tortured look on his face. This is not a story for silly cartoon characters - Cruz offers slipshod pen and ink crosshatch to match the haphazard of Alexander's day, as well as his attitude. 

       Children and adults love this story as it does not offer a cartoon-bright version of reality, but a humrous and believable look at what it feels like to suffer a really bad day. This book is centered in realism; Alexander seems real, his problems seem real, and Cruz's illustrations further enhance the readers' ability to empathize with just having a bad day. 

               Parents and teachers can use this book to help children explore how to deal their with their emotions when bad things happen, and how to see the good things within the bigger picture of life. One extension activity that can be done after reading this book is that children can write, draw, or tell about their own terrible, horrible, no good very bad day. They should start in the morning when they woke up, and continue to write, draw, or tell about the terrible happenings until the time that they finally went to bed ("Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Extension Activities" 2013). Another activity children can do is to act out the story as a play - plenty of laughs will be had as the children recount all the terrible things that happened that day. This book can work as a discussion for older children as well, perhaps by pairing the book with a contrasting quote such as "seize the day." If Alexander's "terrible, horrible, no good very bad day" was the choice words he chose to set his course of day, perhaps students can come up with other words that Alexander could have chosen to change his perspective in order for him to have a better day.

References:

Bird, Elizabeth. Library School Journal, "Top 100 Picture Books." Last modified June 18, 2012. Accessed September 9, 2013. http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2012/06/18/top-100-picture-books-8-alexander-and-the-terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad-day-by-judith-viorst-illustrated-by-ray-cruz/.

Scholastic, "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Extension Activities." Last modified 2013. Accessed September 9, 2013. http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/alexander-and-terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad-day-extension-activities.

Viorst, Judith. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Ill. by Ray Cruz. Nashville: JTG, 1995. ISBN-10: 0689711735

Cover Source:

http://www.abaenglish.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/alexander-and-the-terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad-day-book-cover-600x455.jpg

Illustration Source: 

http://ranthecircus.wordpress.com/2013/04/29/alexander-and-the-terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad-day/

City Dog, Country Frog

Title: City Dog, Country Frog 

Author: Mo Willems

Illustrator: Jon J Muth 

Publisher: Hyperion Book CH

First Edition: June 8, 2010

        

           This bestseller children's storybook stars one city dog, and one country frog. The story begins with a dog who is referred to as City Dog, a dog from the city, that takes a visit to the countryside. The dog meets an unlikely friend, Country Frog. Country Frog seems easy going, and quickly accepts City Dog as a friend. Even though City Dog and Country Frog are from different places both come to enjoy learning to play each other's games over the City Dog's seasonal visits to the countryside.

         After City Dog and Country Frog become good friends from all the dog and frog games they played through the spring and summer, Country Frog is shown to have grown tired by the fall. City Dog asks to play a dog or frog game, but Country Frog suggest they play "remember-ing games" to recount all of the fun that they had playing together in the past season. When City Dog returns for his country visit in the winter, he is unable to find Country Frog. Instead of dog and frog games or reminiscence of, Jon Muth illustrates the City Dog's contemplation of Country Frog's whereabouts with landscape scenes of blue snow carpeted atop the countryside. When spring arrives once again the City Dog takes his country visit. While missing his Country Frog friend, City Dog makes a new friend, Country Chipmunk in the manner that only the spirit of his former friend can convey, with a big fat easy frog smile.

           Jon Muth sets his story in the serene rolling meadows of the countryside. Muth's watercolor illustrations capture the nature of seasons . The grass is green, the trees are tall and abundant, the sky is blue, the creek water splashes and reflects. Everybody can relate to the rotation of the setting, through the four seasons - summer, spring, fall, winter ... and the final reemergence of spring, as well as the implications of the cycle of life through the four seasons - of birth of a friendship, of a new life, through the growth and happiness, through times of slowing down and reflection, and inevitably, the winter of life. Still inevitably, spring emerges once again, giving children a happy ending to the story.

         The story's theme revolved around the cycle of life, the cycle of nature, and the cycle of friendship. Indeed, even after the disappearance of the frog in winter, the beautiful character of the frog shone through with the dog's newly developed sense of calm - as can be seen through Jon Muth's illustration of the dog's expansive frog-like smile in the end, when he is now so easy to befriend just anybody. "The understated episodes acknowledge the transitory nature of the seasons and of life itself" (Publishers Weekly, May 24, 2010) Additionally, the meaning of each season is understated, and most pages including delicate assonance and alliteration: "City Dog didn't stop/ to admire the green, green grass;/ he ran straight for/ Country Frog's rock".

            Jon Muth's illustrations accompany the story with harmony. The soft watercolors perfectly capture the mood of each season, and create a soft glow to the story. In spring the green is minty and bright, the reflections of the water are clear, the flowers are soft pink dots. Summer's watercolors are less airy, a more dense green, and the frog sat on a giant grey and brown rock when finally he was tired out from the dog games. The beauty of Muth's watercolors become more profound in fall, as the oranges and browns sweep the country view, the reflection on the water is also orange, and blue, and the dog and frog have quiet reflection time. When the dog comes back to the countryside in winter, the snow is white, grey, blue, and puffy, and the skies are pink and yellow. As the dog looks and looks for the frog, Muth's watercolors become more melancholy  - vast expanses of purple snow sweep across the pages, sans text, sans frog; quite sad. Spring again, and the bright pink and green colors of course have emerged, taking us full course through nature's story.

            Because this story flows through the natural seasons of the year, expansion activities can be easily created using this nature/seasons theme. Younger audience members can practice sorting. In this activity, a table is places with many seasonal objects - sunglasses, flip-flops, pumpkin, coat, scarf, etc. Children can choose one object and place it within the correct season- four corners of the room can be labeled spring, summer, winter, fall. ("City Dog, Country Frog: RIF Extension Activities for Educators" 2012). Another activity that children can do as an extension of this story is to enhance their science learning by exploring other natural aspects of the four seasons, and can create crafts of the four seasons.

          City Dog, Country Frog won the 2010 Publishers Weekly Best Children's Books as well as the 2011 American Library Association Notable Books for Children.

References:

Publishers Weekly, "City Dog, Country Frog." Last modified May 24, 2010. Accessed September 8, 2013. http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-4231-0300-4.

Reading is Fundamental, "City Dog, Country Frog: RIF Extension Activities for Educators" Last modified 2012. Accessed September 8, 2013. http://www.rif.org/documents/us/City-Dog-Country-Frog_RIF-Extension-Activities-for-Educators.pdf.

Willems, Mo. City Dog, Country Frog. Ill. by Jon J Muth. New York, NY: Hyperion Press , 2010. ISBN 1-4231-0300-9

Picture Source: 

http://mowillemsdoodles.blogspot.com/2011/10/av-club-on-city-dog-country-frog.html