GORILLAS
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Simon, Seymour. 2000. GORILLAS. Harper Collins Publishers. New York: ISBN 0060230363.
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Prolific author, Seymour Simon, takes the reader into the forested areas of Africa to meet the three different species of gorillas. With the aid of fascinating natural photographs, Simon gives detailed descriptions of these gentle giant’s physical characteristics, daily routines, and behavior, especially caring for their young.
Simon also explains to his young readers about the danger these misunderstood animals are in because their land is being scooped up to build farms or obtain forest lumber. Poachers are guilty of killing entire families to obtain bushmeat, gorilla trophies, and baby gorillas to be raised as pets. As a preventative, Simon describes the organizations working to help the gorilla species survive.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
GORILLAS is written in child-assessable text that can almost be described as a narrative. Simon does not write a formal book of facts but what seems like a conversation with the reader explaining the lives of these shy, African dwelling anthropoids in a conversation-like style. The author shows the frightening-looking apes with their families in their habitat and depicts them with human-like traits. From cover-to-cover, Simon opens up the lives of the gorillas and gives the reader a glimpse into their daily lives.
The natural full page stunning photographs shown in the book are spellbinding. They show the personalities of these huge animals along with a description of their personalities. Young gorillas “do somersaults, climb trees, and slide down hills on their stomachs. They pretend at biting, chasing, tackling, and wrestling. They seem to have an all around grand time (p. 12)." The silverback, “despite his huge size is patient with the playful youngsters…He allows them to cling to him and pull his hair (p.14)."
Simon helps his reader understand his text by including comparisons. He describes the gorilla’s body as looking “much like a human’s head and body (p. 5).” He explains that mountain gorilla can weigh as much as "ten second-grade children (p.9)." They trot or canter like a horse and their arm spread is “about the distance from the floor to the ceiling in a house (p. 15).” Simon's writing is crafted with sentences such as: “A gorilla has a much bigger stomach than you do (p.10).” Many of the pages describe the similarities and comparisons between gorillas and themselves. This conversational writing style helps draw the reader into the book in a personal way.
Simon helps reader understand the importance of being socially conscience as he first describes the humanness of the Gorilla and their endangerment and then explains how scientists are working to protect their habitats and enforce laws against poaching.
Lacking in this book are text features one often sees in non-fiction text, such as: a table of contents, a map of the animal’s habitat, page headings, a glossary or an index. Simon does, however, help the reader understand the gentle creatures by using child-friendly text, photographs, and words described in context.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
School Library Journal - The extremely handsome, oversized color photos enhance the readable text and complement it perfectly.
Booklist - The combination of the text and photographs creates a striking, powerful impression. Good for browsing as well as reports.
Horn Book - While the stunning, highly expressive photographs dominate in space and impact, Simon's concise and child-friendly writing means that a fairly full picture of gorilla behavior . . . is amply conveyed...
Children's Literature - This book would be a fine addition to any science library or animal unit. One in a series of books published as a result of a collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution.
Kirkus Reviews – Simon leads the reader to understand how nearly human these gentle creatures are, thereby increasing the sense of obligation to save them by saving their forests. The photographs, most of which are closeups, capture how expressive gorilla faces can be. Who could resist their charm?
Seymour Simon has been honored by many awards for his work including the New York State Knickerbocker Award for Juvenile Literature; the Hope S. Dean Memorial Award from the Boston Public Library; the Eva L. Gordon Award, presented by the American Nature Society, for his contribution to children's science literature; and the Washington Post/Children's Book Guild Award for Non-fiction for the body of his work.
5. CONNECTIONS
Seymour Simon has written hundreds of books similar to GORILLAS. Consider having Simon as a featured author in the classroom gathering his books to read aloud and provide for independent/buddy reading.
Invite the children to read other books on gorillas, such as KOKO'S KITTEN by Dr. Francine Patterson and Ronald Cohn, or GORILLAS by Paul Burgel. The students can utilize a graphic organizer to add new facts to those already discovered.
Learn more about gorillas at the award winning author’s website:
http://www.seymoursimon.com/index.php/blog/tags/tag/Gorillas.
This site contains videos of gorillas in their natural habitat.
Interviews of Simon can be found on the Reading Rockets website at: http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/simon
Have the students create a poster of gorillas to convince poachers to stop the killing. Show the children how to look for appropriate photographs of the animals from the internet. Include facts obtained from Simon’s GORILLAS.
Place one of Simon's pages on an overhead. Have the children create their own headings for the text based on the main idea.
Have the children find out more about the Gorillas' habitats by looking for their homes on a map and learning more about these areas.
Introduce students to Simon's fiction books to show how research can also be integrated into this genre.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Sunday, July 4, 2010
An American PLAGUE: The True and Terrifying Story of the YELLOW FEVER EPOIDEMIC of 1793
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Murphy, Jim. AN AMERICAN PLAGUE: The TRUE and TERRIFYING STORY of the YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC of 1793. 2003. Clarion Books. New York: ISBN 0395776082
2. PLOT SUMMARY
“No one noticed” is the chapter title that begins this account of the Yellow Fever epidemic that devastated Philadelphia, the temporary nation’s capital in 1793. “About this time, this destroying scourge, the malignant fever, crept in among us,” is the quote by Mathew Carey, printed below the title that illustrates the denial that hit the city as their citizens, at first by the dozens, succumbed to this horrible disease. Murphy begins this true account of the beginning of the disease in diary form. On August 3rd, 1793, as President Washington combated efforts to send troops to aid France, the fever reared its ugly head when a French sailor fell ill and died. From here the plague spread like a snake through the insect infested, muggy, garbage filled, unsanitary city.
Chapter two begins with a description of the horrible symptoms of yellow fever, “Between agonized gasps and groans she muttered that her stomach felt as if it were burning up. Every ten minutes or so her moaning would stop abruptly and she would vomit a foul black bile.” As the darkness of the killer picked up its pace, citizens of the city who could afford to flee, did just that, including Washington and his cabinet. Those who were left to suffer the ravages of yellow fever were those who refused to leave their homes, were poor, or committed to helping the ill.
As doctors, like Benjamin Rush, clamored to find a cause and a cure, the heroes of the time, the free African-American citizens (Free African Society) of the city cared for the sick and dying. They carried bodies away from the city when no one else would. These brave men and woman were later vilified for their efforts.
By Wednesday, January 8, 1794, it was believed that the disease had disappeared. Absent residents returned to the city. Murphy details the changes that were made in Philadelphia to avoid a disaster like the one just suffered. No real count of the dead was recorded at the time, however it is estimated 10% of the city’s population of 50,000, up to 5,000 people, lost their lives to yellow fever.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Jim Murphy certainly researched the 1793 Philadelphia Yellow Fever outbreak thoroughly as he tells the chilling account of the plague that ravaged the city leaving thousands dead. Murphy paints a picture as if he were writing a novel of the devastation, hopelessness, and agony that ravaged Philadelphia. His book, written in diary form, gives an incremental account of the progress of the dreaded yellow fever as it spread across the helpless city.
The author gives an emotional account of the tireless work accomplished by those left in the city to care for the poor. He tells about the unfailing determination of the African American citizens and afterwards the victimization and unfair accusations made by others as the city repopulated itself after thousands abandoned their friends and loved ones to escape the disease. Murphy does an excellent job of relating the events in a factual way, yet leaves the reader feeling empathy for the brave souls and desperately ill patients left behind.
Murphy also includes an account of the politics of the day and how the city and nation were left almost paralyzed as the temporary capital was left without people in power. Laws prohibiting meetings being held anywhere but the capital made decisions for our nation impossible. The author brings these events to life through portraits and drawings of various characters and scenes portrayed in the book.
Each chapter begins with a title and a quote that gives insight into the events portrayed in the chapter and a quote from a witness of the time. There are also newspaper accounts of the proceedings at the beginning of each chapter which brings authenticity to the true story. Murphy’s novel leaves the reader with questions that may prompt students to look for more information about plagues or this particular yellow fever epidemic.
For ease of reading Murphy includes a table of contents, a map of the city including a key to depict the locations of the events in the book, illustrations along with a notes section describing the illustrations, a detailed list of sources, and an index.
This is a fascinating account of a dark time in our nation. I would definitely recommend this book to students able to comprehend the background and circumstances that permitted this event to happen. I would hesitate to offer this book to children too young because of the graphic descriptions of the illness and disposing of the dead. However, students of a certain maturity will have a lot of material available for discussion concerning the events explained in this book.
4. REVIEWS AND EXCERPT(S)
Kirkus Review – Starred Review - A mesmerizing, macabre account...powerful evocative prose... compelling subject matter...fascinating discussion...valuable lesson in reading and writing history. Stellar.
Publishers Weekly - Leisurely, lyrical tone...Murphy injects the events with immediacy...archival photographs...bring the story to life...comprehensive history."
The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books – Starred Review - solid research and a flair for weaving facts into fascinating stories...extensive and interesting...you'll have students hooked on history.
School Library Journal – Starred Review - History, science, politics and public health come together in this dramatic account...brings the 'unshakable unease' chillingly close.
BOOKLIST - diverse voices...representative images...Everywhere, Murphy is attentive to telling detail...Thoroughly documented...the work is both rigorous and inviting.
Horn Book - Nobody does juvenile nonfiction better than Murphy...transparently clear and well-paced prose...gruesome medical details...also plenty of serious history.
The Washington Post - superbly written...represents nonfiction at its best...extremely accessible and readable...captivating...an outstanding annotated bibliography...an excellent choice.
Awards:
2006 Garden State (NJ) Teen Book Award Nominee
2005 William Allen White (KS) Master List
2004 NYPL Books for the Teen Age List
2004 Notable Children's Book in the Language
2004 Boston Globe - Horn Book Award
2004 NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book
2004 ALA Best Book for Young Adults
2004 Notable Children's Trade Book in Social Studies
2004 Orbis Pictus Award
2004 Newbery Honor Book
2004 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award
2004 ALA Notable Children's Book
2003 School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
2003 Parent's Guide Children's Media Award
2003 National Book Award Finalist
2003 Voice of Youth Advocates Nonfiction Honor
2003 NY Public Library, 100 Titles for Reading
2003 Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book
5. CONNECTIONS
AN AMERICAN PLAGUE: The TRUE and TERRIFYING STORY of the YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC of 1793 lends itself to lively classroom discussions. A teacher might interest the students in other plagues and disasters that have beleaguered cities, states, and countries, such as AIDS.
Have students research the cause and cure of the yellow fever epidemic as we now understand and compare the findings to those described in the book.
The first two chapters can be accessed at the following website to introduce the book: http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3751212
Have students try their own hand at keeping a diary of their own lives, or city, state, and/or national events.
Have students research one of the characters described in the book and report to the class their findings.
Students may find similar books interesting, for example: FEVER, by Laurie Halse Anderson, BLIZZARD!, by Jim Murphy, HITLER YOUTH, by Bartoletti, and VOICE OF A NATION, by Russell Freedman.
Murphy, Jim. AN AMERICAN PLAGUE: The TRUE and TERRIFYING STORY of the YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC of 1793. 2003. Clarion Books. New York: ISBN 0395776082
2. PLOT SUMMARY
“No one noticed” is the chapter title that begins this account of the Yellow Fever epidemic that devastated Philadelphia, the temporary nation’s capital in 1793. “About this time, this destroying scourge, the malignant fever, crept in among us,” is the quote by Mathew Carey, printed below the title that illustrates the denial that hit the city as their citizens, at first by the dozens, succumbed to this horrible disease. Murphy begins this true account of the beginning of the disease in diary form. On August 3rd, 1793, as President Washington combated efforts to send troops to aid France, the fever reared its ugly head when a French sailor fell ill and died. From here the plague spread like a snake through the insect infested, muggy, garbage filled, unsanitary city.
Chapter two begins with a description of the horrible symptoms of yellow fever, “Between agonized gasps and groans she muttered that her stomach felt as if it were burning up. Every ten minutes or so her moaning would stop abruptly and she would vomit a foul black bile.” As the darkness of the killer picked up its pace, citizens of the city who could afford to flee, did just that, including Washington and his cabinet. Those who were left to suffer the ravages of yellow fever were those who refused to leave their homes, were poor, or committed to helping the ill.
As doctors, like Benjamin Rush, clamored to find a cause and a cure, the heroes of the time, the free African-American citizens (Free African Society) of the city cared for the sick and dying. They carried bodies away from the city when no one else would. These brave men and woman were later vilified for their efforts.
By Wednesday, January 8, 1794, it was believed that the disease had disappeared. Absent residents returned to the city. Murphy details the changes that were made in Philadelphia to avoid a disaster like the one just suffered. No real count of the dead was recorded at the time, however it is estimated 10% of the city’s population of 50,000, up to 5,000 people, lost their lives to yellow fever.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Jim Murphy certainly researched the 1793 Philadelphia Yellow Fever outbreak thoroughly as he tells the chilling account of the plague that ravaged the city leaving thousands dead. Murphy paints a picture as if he were writing a novel of the devastation, hopelessness, and agony that ravaged Philadelphia. His book, written in diary form, gives an incremental account of the progress of the dreaded yellow fever as it spread across the helpless city.
The author gives an emotional account of the tireless work accomplished by those left in the city to care for the poor. He tells about the unfailing determination of the African American citizens and afterwards the victimization and unfair accusations made by others as the city repopulated itself after thousands abandoned their friends and loved ones to escape the disease. Murphy does an excellent job of relating the events in a factual way, yet leaves the reader feeling empathy for the brave souls and desperately ill patients left behind.
Murphy also includes an account of the politics of the day and how the city and nation were left almost paralyzed as the temporary capital was left without people in power. Laws prohibiting meetings being held anywhere but the capital made decisions for our nation impossible. The author brings these events to life through portraits and drawings of various characters and scenes portrayed in the book.
Each chapter begins with a title and a quote that gives insight into the events portrayed in the chapter and a quote from a witness of the time. There are also newspaper accounts of the proceedings at the beginning of each chapter which brings authenticity to the true story. Murphy’s novel leaves the reader with questions that may prompt students to look for more information about plagues or this particular yellow fever epidemic.
For ease of reading Murphy includes a table of contents, a map of the city including a key to depict the locations of the events in the book, illustrations along with a notes section describing the illustrations, a detailed list of sources, and an index.
This is a fascinating account of a dark time in our nation. I would definitely recommend this book to students able to comprehend the background and circumstances that permitted this event to happen. I would hesitate to offer this book to children too young because of the graphic descriptions of the illness and disposing of the dead. However, students of a certain maturity will have a lot of material available for discussion concerning the events explained in this book.
4. REVIEWS AND EXCERPT(S)
Kirkus Review – Starred Review - A mesmerizing, macabre account...powerful evocative prose... compelling subject matter...fascinating discussion...valuable lesson in reading and writing history. Stellar.
Publishers Weekly - Leisurely, lyrical tone...Murphy injects the events with immediacy...archival photographs...bring the story to life...comprehensive history."
The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books – Starred Review - solid research and a flair for weaving facts into fascinating stories...extensive and interesting...you'll have students hooked on history.
School Library Journal – Starred Review - History, science, politics and public health come together in this dramatic account...brings the 'unshakable unease' chillingly close.
BOOKLIST - diverse voices...representative images...Everywhere, Murphy is attentive to telling detail...Thoroughly documented...the work is both rigorous and inviting.
Horn Book - Nobody does juvenile nonfiction better than Murphy...transparently clear and well-paced prose...gruesome medical details...also plenty of serious history.
The Washington Post - superbly written...represents nonfiction at its best...extremely accessible and readable...captivating...an outstanding annotated bibliography...an excellent choice.
Awards:
2006 Garden State (NJ) Teen Book Award Nominee
2005 William Allen White (KS) Master List
2004 NYPL Books for the Teen Age List
2004 Notable Children's Book in the Language
2004 Boston Globe - Horn Book Award
2004 NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book
2004 ALA Best Book for Young Adults
2004 Notable Children's Trade Book in Social Studies
2004 Orbis Pictus Award
2004 Newbery Honor Book
2004 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award
2004 ALA Notable Children's Book
2003 School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
2003 Parent's Guide Children's Media Award
2003 National Book Award Finalist
2003 Voice of Youth Advocates Nonfiction Honor
2003 NY Public Library, 100 Titles for Reading
2003 Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book
5. CONNECTIONS
AN AMERICAN PLAGUE: The TRUE and TERRIFYING STORY of the YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC of 1793 lends itself to lively classroom discussions. A teacher might interest the students in other plagues and disasters that have beleaguered cities, states, and countries, such as AIDS.
Have students research the cause and cure of the yellow fever epidemic as we now understand and compare the findings to those described in the book.
The first two chapters can be accessed at the following website to introduce the book: http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3751212
Have students try their own hand at keeping a diary of their own lives, or city, state, and/or national events.
Have students research one of the characters described in the book and report to the class their findings.
Students may find similar books interesting, for example: FEVER, by Laurie Halse Anderson, BLIZZARD!, by Jim Murphy, HITLER YOUTH, by Bartoletti, and VOICE OF A NATION, by Russell Freedman.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
YOU HAVE TO WRITE
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Wong, Janet S. 2002. YOU HAVE TO WRITE. Ill. Flavin, Teresa. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books. ISBN: 0689834098
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Janet Wong writes a verse picture book that speaks to everyone who writes, wants to write, or has to write. Her free verse poems entice, encourage, and give suggestions to reluctant writers which could dribble over to ideas for avid writers, too. She reminds readers they have a voice and something to say, no matter how insignificant the topic may seem. “No one else can say/what you have seen/and felt today--/but if you tell us well, very well, your stories will seem like our own.” She offers suggestions on each page that can be turned into a story, along with examples for the reader to “see.” From the ideas Wong coaxes the reader to put pencil to paper and just try. Drafts are woven together to create a good story.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Janet Wong explains to the reader in her notes about the author that she was a reluctant creative writer when she was young. She felt she had nothing to say, nothing exciting enough to tell. She finally determined her “regular, boring life (was) full of lots of things to…write about.” This realization sparked the idea for this book and is a brilliant, yet simple way to explain to writers, young and old, that their lives are important and they have a voice to be heard. Any teacher who has heard the words, “I can’t think of anything to write about!” will likely see a turnabout after this story is read aloud. This packed-full-of-ideas book will keep children running back to look inside for more ideas. As the poems take the reader through the “writing process,” what evolves are stories worth sharing. This book may be motivating to the reluctant reader and coax a story out of a budding author.
The illustrations in YOU HAVE TO WRITE are charming. Teresa Flavin’s gouache paintings are simple but so detailed a writer could gather ideas just by studying the scrap-book like pictures.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
School Library Journal - The simple realistic gouache paintings are rather ordinary but appropriate for the "writing from life" philosophy that is espoused
Kirkus Reviews - Coming up with new ideas is a common dilemma of many a writer, from budding elementary-school essayists to experienced novelists offers each young reader a personal idea portfolio of sorts in this poetic exploration of potential subjects for writing topics. The narrator's encouraging voice urges the students to "Reach inside. Write about the dark times. . . . Write about the bright times."
Booklist - It's the dreaded class task: write something! "You have to write. You hate to write." Wong's poetic text, which encourages kids to use their own experiences, is practical and also sometimes amusing. The with-it rhymes set the tone while gouache illustrations depict four diverse kids as they sift through the advice, thinking and envisioning. The direct, you-can-do-it approach will stimulate kids to write and also help them with that dismaying assignment.
ALA Book Links "Lasting Connections Book"
5. CONNECTIONS
Teachers may find this an inspirational book to begin a writing workshop, convincing children gently that they need only to look carefully at their daily lives and activities to realize they have stories to tell.
Teachers may create an anchor chart for the classroom with writing ideas for the children to access when writing using suggestions from YOU HAVE TO WRITE.
Children may keep their own topic list in their writing notebooks, draft books, or journals to draw from when writing. This book may inspire ideas for the students to add to their list.
Students may access Janet Wong’s website to learn more about her and her writing. She includes poems and stories, school visits, a bio, and how to contact her on this site: http://www.janetwong.com.
Students may also read an interview with Wong at the following website: http://www.papertigers.org/interviews/archived_interviews/jwong.html
The following websites give access to video “discussions” with Janet Wong. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9127137781586850860#
http://schoolwaxtv.com/janet-wong-you-have-write-meet-author
Wong, Janet S. 2002. YOU HAVE TO WRITE. Ill. Flavin, Teresa. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books. ISBN: 0689834098
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Janet Wong writes a verse picture book that speaks to everyone who writes, wants to write, or has to write. Her free verse poems entice, encourage, and give suggestions to reluctant writers which could dribble over to ideas for avid writers, too. She reminds readers they have a voice and something to say, no matter how insignificant the topic may seem. “No one else can say/what you have seen/and felt today--/but if you tell us well, very well, your stories will seem like our own.” She offers suggestions on each page that can be turned into a story, along with examples for the reader to “see.” From the ideas Wong coaxes the reader to put pencil to paper and just try. Drafts are woven together to create a good story.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Janet Wong explains to the reader in her notes about the author that she was a reluctant creative writer when she was young. She felt she had nothing to say, nothing exciting enough to tell. She finally determined her “regular, boring life (was) full of lots of things to…write about.” This realization sparked the idea for this book and is a brilliant, yet simple way to explain to writers, young and old, that their lives are important and they have a voice to be heard. Any teacher who has heard the words, “I can’t think of anything to write about!” will likely see a turnabout after this story is read aloud. This packed-full-of-ideas book will keep children running back to look inside for more ideas. As the poems take the reader through the “writing process,” what evolves are stories worth sharing. This book may be motivating to the reluctant reader and coax a story out of a budding author.
The illustrations in YOU HAVE TO WRITE are charming. Teresa Flavin’s gouache paintings are simple but so detailed a writer could gather ideas just by studying the scrap-book like pictures.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
School Library Journal - The simple realistic gouache paintings are rather ordinary but appropriate for the "writing from life" philosophy that is espoused
Kirkus Reviews - Coming up with new ideas is a common dilemma of many a writer, from budding elementary-school essayists to experienced novelists offers each young reader a personal idea portfolio of sorts in this poetic exploration of potential subjects for writing topics. The narrator's encouraging voice urges the students to "Reach inside. Write about the dark times. . . . Write about the bright times."
Booklist - It's the dreaded class task: write something! "You have to write. You hate to write." Wong's poetic text, which encourages kids to use their own experiences, is practical and also sometimes amusing. The with-it rhymes set the tone while gouache illustrations depict four diverse kids as they sift through the advice, thinking and envisioning. The direct, you-can-do-it approach will stimulate kids to write and also help them with that dismaying assignment.
ALA Book Links "Lasting Connections Book"
5. CONNECTIONS
Teachers may find this an inspirational book to begin a writing workshop, convincing children gently that they need only to look carefully at their daily lives and activities to realize they have stories to tell.
Teachers may create an anchor chart for the classroom with writing ideas for the children to access when writing using suggestions from YOU HAVE TO WRITE.
Children may keep their own topic list in their writing notebooks, draft books, or journals to draw from when writing. This book may inspire ideas for the students to add to their list.
Students may access Janet Wong’s website to learn more about her and her writing. She includes poems and stories, school visits, a bio, and how to contact her on this site: http://www.janetwong.com.
Students may also read an interview with Wong at the following website: http://www.papertigers.org/interviews/archived_interviews/jwong.html
The following websites give access to video “discussions” with Janet Wong. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9127137781586850860#
http://schoolwaxtv.com/janet-wong-you-have-write-meet-author
DINOTHESAURUS: Historic poems and paintings by Douglas Florian
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Florian, Douglas. 2009. Dinothesaurus. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9781416979784
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Author and illustrator, Douglas Florian, writes and illustrates a book about dinosaurs, focusing on the dinosaurs’ names and how they relate to the their personalities, eating habits, physical appearance, and intelligence (or lack thereof). Eighteen dinosaurs are delightfully described, plus a bonus poem on the inside flap of the book which serves as a preview of its contents. The beginning poem, “The Age of Dinosaurs,” provides information about the periods of time the dinosaurs lived. This helpful poem gives background to the poems living inside the book, as the eras are mentioned quite cleverly in the poems. In between the Minmi – MIN-me (named after the Minmi Crossing the Atlantic) and the Micropachycephalosarurs – mike-row-pack-ee-SEF-a low-SAW-rus (small thickheaded lizard), the reader will learn fun facts about the dinosaurs and their names.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
I have to begin by stating this book is fun, fun, fun to read. Even as an adult I caught myself reading a poem and taking my eyes right back to the top of the page to read it again (and again and again). They are that addicting. Florian’s poems are filled with rhythm and rhyme, the language that pleads to be read out loud. Even if you want to “read in your head,” your voice will simply come out of your mouth so your ears can hear these fun-packed, fact-crammed, pun-filled, humorous poems. They may inspire students to ponder the disappearance of dinosaurs and encourage young readers to ask questions, wonder, then bolt to a museum to learn more.
What child does not like to read BIG words? In this book there are plenty. Florian helps the reader by providing a pronunciation guide for each dinosaur and a plethora of context clues to help young readers figure out those “really big words.” This author is leading the pack by placing non-fiction features in topical collections. Florian includes a table of contents, pronunciation guides, as well as a “Gloss Arysaurus” at the end of the book. The glossary includes a factual paragraph about each dinosaur. Finally, this book includes a list of museums, including descriptions, and a bibliography with a list for further reading.
The illustrations in this book tempt me to run out and buy watercolors, colored paper, colored pencils, paper bags, and STAMPS to create collage dinosaurs. The details in Florian’s pictures are so plentiful; the reader will study each page for minute features before turning to the next. The illustrations are memorizing and capture the essence of the dinosaur poems, and more. Once this book is completed, the pages will likely be flipped over to be read (and studied) again.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Publishers Weekly Starred Review - Florian's free-flowing, witty collection of poems and collages about dinosaurs is a giganotosaurus delight—perhaps his best work ever. The poems marry facts with a poet's eye for detail… Art and text will encourage aspiring paleontologists and poets to parse these pages again and again.
Library Journal School Starred Review - Set in spreads of dreamy dinosaur art, these 20 playful paleontologic poems overflow with wit and useful information. Created on paper bags with a variety of media, this collage art expands on the humor found in the verses…This smart marriage of dinosaurs and poetry will delight a wide audience.
Booklist Starred Review - Florian, whose previous picture-book poetry collections have covered the animal kingdom, from dogs and cats to lizards and pollywogs, takes a few evolutionary steps back in this exuberant verse roundup of prehistoric creatures. As usual, Florian’s blend of irresistible wordplay and collage art will draw children. The gleeful twists of language evident in the title continue throughout each of the selections spotlighting different species.
Bank Street Best Books of the Year
Beehive Award Master List
Bill Martin Jr. Picture Book Award Nominee
Junior Library Guild selection
CCBC Choices (Cooperative Children's Book Council)
Great Lakes Great Books Master List
Kentucky Bluegrass Award Master List
NCTE Notable
5. CONNECTIONS
This is a great book to be read out loud. Children will likely feel pure delight after hearing these poems and then reading them on their own. Echo and choral reading will assist even the most reluctant readers to attempt these poems, and most likely be successful.
A fun and informative activity would be to have students choose a dinosaur, and write their own poems. Provide materials to illustrate their poems using similar methods to Florian’s. These poems might me turned into a class book for all to enjoy. It will likely be a class favorite.
Have students find resources listed in the back of Dinothesaurus to learn more about dinosaurs.
This website: http://www.simonandschuster.com/multimedia?video=27792680001 can be accessed to hear Douglas Florian read a poem from DINOTHESAURUS. He also tells us that humongous is one word he overuses and tries to use it sparingly in his book.
Florian’s website and BlogSpot are also interesting ways for children to learn more about this great author. They can be found at: http://floriancafe.blogspot.com/ and http://www.douglasflorian.com/.
Other books by Florian that students are likely to enjoy include include COMETS, STARS, THE MOON AND MARS: SPACE POEMS AND PAINTINGS, MAMMALABGILIA, LIZARDS, FROGS, AND POLLIWOGS AND INSECTLOPEDIA.
Florian, Douglas. 2009. Dinothesaurus. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9781416979784
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Author and illustrator, Douglas Florian, writes and illustrates a book about dinosaurs, focusing on the dinosaurs’ names and how they relate to the their personalities, eating habits, physical appearance, and intelligence (or lack thereof). Eighteen dinosaurs are delightfully described, plus a bonus poem on the inside flap of the book which serves as a preview of its contents. The beginning poem, “The Age of Dinosaurs,” provides information about the periods of time the dinosaurs lived. This helpful poem gives background to the poems living inside the book, as the eras are mentioned quite cleverly in the poems. In between the Minmi – MIN-me (named after the Minmi Crossing the Atlantic) and the Micropachycephalosarurs – mike-row-pack-ee-SEF-a low-SAW-rus (small thickheaded lizard), the reader will learn fun facts about the dinosaurs and their names.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
I have to begin by stating this book is fun, fun, fun to read. Even as an adult I caught myself reading a poem and taking my eyes right back to the top of the page to read it again (and again and again). They are that addicting. Florian’s poems are filled with rhythm and rhyme, the language that pleads to be read out loud. Even if you want to “read in your head,” your voice will simply come out of your mouth so your ears can hear these fun-packed, fact-crammed, pun-filled, humorous poems. They may inspire students to ponder the disappearance of dinosaurs and encourage young readers to ask questions, wonder, then bolt to a museum to learn more.
What child does not like to read BIG words? In this book there are plenty. Florian helps the reader by providing a pronunciation guide for each dinosaur and a plethora of context clues to help young readers figure out those “really big words.” This author is leading the pack by placing non-fiction features in topical collections. Florian includes a table of contents, pronunciation guides, as well as a “Gloss Arysaurus” at the end of the book. The glossary includes a factual paragraph about each dinosaur. Finally, this book includes a list of museums, including descriptions, and a bibliography with a list for further reading.
The illustrations in this book tempt me to run out and buy watercolors, colored paper, colored pencils, paper bags, and STAMPS to create collage dinosaurs. The details in Florian’s pictures are so plentiful; the reader will study each page for minute features before turning to the next. The illustrations are memorizing and capture the essence of the dinosaur poems, and more. Once this book is completed, the pages will likely be flipped over to be read (and studied) again.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Publishers Weekly Starred Review - Florian's free-flowing, witty collection of poems and collages about dinosaurs is a giganotosaurus delight—perhaps his best work ever. The poems marry facts with a poet's eye for detail… Art and text will encourage aspiring paleontologists and poets to parse these pages again and again.
Library Journal School Starred Review - Set in spreads of dreamy dinosaur art, these 20 playful paleontologic poems overflow with wit and useful information. Created on paper bags with a variety of media, this collage art expands on the humor found in the verses…This smart marriage of dinosaurs and poetry will delight a wide audience.
Booklist Starred Review - Florian, whose previous picture-book poetry collections have covered the animal kingdom, from dogs and cats to lizards and pollywogs, takes a few evolutionary steps back in this exuberant verse roundup of prehistoric creatures. As usual, Florian’s blend of irresistible wordplay and collage art will draw children. The gleeful twists of language evident in the title continue throughout each of the selections spotlighting different species.
Bank Street Best Books of the Year
Beehive Award Master List
Bill Martin Jr. Picture Book Award Nominee
Junior Library Guild selection
CCBC Choices (Cooperative Children's Book Council)
Great Lakes Great Books Master List
Kentucky Bluegrass Award Master List
NCTE Notable
5. CONNECTIONS
This is a great book to be read out loud. Children will likely feel pure delight after hearing these poems and then reading them on their own. Echo and choral reading will assist even the most reluctant readers to attempt these poems, and most likely be successful.
A fun and informative activity would be to have students choose a dinosaur, and write their own poems. Provide materials to illustrate their poems using similar methods to Florian’s. These poems might me turned into a class book for all to enjoy. It will likely be a class favorite.
Have students find resources listed in the back of Dinothesaurus to learn more about dinosaurs.
This website: http://www.simonandschuster.com/multimedia?video=27792680001 can be accessed to hear Douglas Florian read a poem from DINOTHESAURUS. He also tells us that humongous is one word he overuses and tries to use it sparingly in his book.
Florian’s website and BlogSpot are also interesting ways for children to learn more about this great author. They can be found at: http://floriancafe.blogspot.com/ and http://www.douglasflorian.com/.
Other books by Florian that students are likely to enjoy include include COMETS, STARS, THE MOON AND MARS: SPACE POEMS AND PAINTINGS, MAMMALABGILIA, LIZARDS, FROGS, AND POLLIWOGS AND INSECTLOPEDIA.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
STOP PRETENDING: What happened when my big sister went crazy
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sones, Sonya. 1999. STOP PRETENDING: What happened when my big sister went crazy. New York: Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 0-06-028386-6
2. PLOT SUMMARY:
This spellbinding recount of a young girl’s experiences when her older sister was stricken with a mental illness is based on true events from the author’s life. One horrifying Christmas Eve, 13 year-old Sonya's life came to a halt when her 19-year-old big sister, best-friend, and steadfast confidante, suffers a nervous breakdown. In her verse novel, Sones relates through heartrending poems how deeply she admired her sister and what a loss it was when her sister lost herself.
This novel delves into the emotions of anxiousness (going crazy herself), guilt (feeling ashamed of her sister for going crazy), bewilderment (the parents she knew by heart turn dramatically different toward her and each other), confusion (what caused her sister to go crazy?, “or maybe it was something/ I did”), longing (she remembers the months leading up to the “snap", loss of control (she demands her sister stop pretending she’s crazy), anger (as the fear of her friends finding out what really happened THAT night and turn their backs on her, came true), longing (for the sister she could count on), and finally hope (when her sister shows signs of healing along with the rest of the family). Sones draws the reader in to experience these emotions using flashbacks from the past and heartbreaking narrative verses in the present.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSYS
This autobiographical prose novel is a page turner and should definitely hold appeal for teen readers (and ‘old’ readers alike). Sonya Sones wrote from the perspective of a young teenager; and because her first “draft” came from her own writing she kept from that dark period of her adolescent life, her heartfelt poems ring with emotion and truth. Sones chose her words so carefully; anyone who has endured watching a loved one disappear in front of their own eyes could fall into the poetry and find a kindred spirit. Some of the poems written in free verse recounting Sones compelling experiences and emotions could stand alone, however, brought together tell a story of torment, resilience and hope.
The language in Sones' poems are filled with imagery. Her opening verse describes her entire family cuddled together in a hammock on a “moondappled” beach, as they “swayed together as one.” Her second verse “My Sister’s Christmas Eve Breakdown” describes her sister’s fall from reality and the aftermath of that day: That day/I sank into/ the wall, wondering what/these three people were doing in/my house. When a new boy comes to school the description of their first date begs the readers to remember their own: Our eyes/are glued to the/screen/but our thoughts are glued/to the spot where our elbows are/touching"
The rhythm of the poems range from short, emotion-charged and snappy, to longer and more thought provoking. Each one is so well crafted the reader ends the book feeling as though he or she knows each member of the protagonist’s family and the torment, fear and feeling of helplessness that comes with a loved one gone insane. Near the end of the book the poems become more hopeful down to the last one that recounts the family playing a game of Scrabble where the rules are tossed away and words like “SPIDOSAL” become acceptable. Sones last word played, BETTER, offers the reader the hope that the worst of times are over and life is looking up.
The audience for this book is apt to relate to the author’s feelings and find a connection with the emotions and personal experience described so expressively. It is an opportunity for students to experience a story written in narrative form using poetry. Even readers who have not felt the devastation mental illness brings to a family are likely to feel empathy for families who live through the horror and loss of a loved one no longer recognizable.
Sones includes an author’s note to explain her personal connection to her writing. She tells about the hundreds of journals she has kept throughout her life and her reluctance, at first, to share her sister’s story. Her sister was extremely supportive of her efforts because “she hopes the book will be used to open up discussions about mental illness.” Sones also includes names of organizations and numbers that can be called to receive help if the reader is concerned about the mental health of themselves or a loved one
4. REVIEWS AND EXCERPT(S)
Children’s Literature - This is one of the most beautiful and most disturbing books aimed at young people that I have ever read. Beautiful not just in its use of free verse, but in the use of language and images that brings even mundane subjects to life…For anyone who has actually had this experience, the book can only be read in short doses; for anyone who hasn't, it's a fantastic view of a world we would probably not want to be a part of.
Klaitt - The poetry is compelling. It is so heartfelt: the pain and confusion of a young teenager when her family life dissolves into chaos because of mental illness.
Kirkus – (The poems) take on life and movement, the individual frames of a movie that in the unspooling become animated, telling a compelling tale and presenting a painful passage through young adolescence. The form, a story-in-poems, fits the story remarkably well.
School Library Journal: An unpretentious, accessible book that could provide entry points for a discussion about mental illness-its stigma, its realities, and its affect on family members.
Christopher Award for Best Children's Book
Claudia Lewis Award for Poetry
Myra Cohn Livingston Poetry Award
Gradiva Award for Best Poetry Book Berliner Kinder Prize in Germany
Chosen an American Library Association 2000 Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
Chosen an American Library Association 2000 Best Book for Young Adults
5. CONNECTIONS
To a budding genre that includes Karen Hesse's Out of the Dust (1997) and Virginia Euwer Wolff's Make Lemonade (1993), this book is a welcome addition (Kirkus Reviews). Another book that would pair nicely with this book is AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS, by Gennifer Sholdenko. It is the account of a young teen named Moose who cared for his sister, Natalie. She had autism at a time when medical professionals did not understand the disorder.
This would be an excellent book to spark discussion about mental illnesses and help students understand what Sones' sister desires, [that people would have] “a better understanding of this disease, so they would treat its victims with more compassion.”
Modeling a poem written in free verse for the students and giving them opportunities to do the same may turn the most reluctant writers into famous poets.
Sonya Sones has an excellent website at http://sonyasones.com/. Here she includes links to her bio, frequently asked questions, writers only, and great books.
Sones, Sonya. 1999. STOP PRETENDING: What happened when my big sister went crazy. New York: Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 0-06-028386-6
2. PLOT SUMMARY:
This spellbinding recount of a young girl’s experiences when her older sister was stricken with a mental illness is based on true events from the author’s life. One horrifying Christmas Eve, 13 year-old Sonya's life came to a halt when her 19-year-old big sister, best-friend, and steadfast confidante, suffers a nervous breakdown. In her verse novel, Sones relates through heartrending poems how deeply she admired her sister and what a loss it was when her sister lost herself.
This novel delves into the emotions of anxiousness (going crazy herself), guilt (feeling ashamed of her sister for going crazy), bewilderment (the parents she knew by heart turn dramatically different toward her and each other), confusion (what caused her sister to go crazy?, “or maybe it was something/ I did”), longing (she remembers the months leading up to the “snap", loss of control (she demands her sister stop pretending she’s crazy), anger (as the fear of her friends finding out what really happened THAT night and turn their backs on her, came true), longing (for the sister she could count on), and finally hope (when her sister shows signs of healing along with the rest of the family). Sones draws the reader in to experience these emotions using flashbacks from the past and heartbreaking narrative verses in the present.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSYS
This autobiographical prose novel is a page turner and should definitely hold appeal for teen readers (and ‘old’ readers alike). Sonya Sones wrote from the perspective of a young teenager; and because her first “draft” came from her own writing she kept from that dark period of her adolescent life, her heartfelt poems ring with emotion and truth. Sones chose her words so carefully; anyone who has endured watching a loved one disappear in front of their own eyes could fall into the poetry and find a kindred spirit. Some of the poems written in free verse recounting Sones compelling experiences and emotions could stand alone, however, brought together tell a story of torment, resilience and hope.
The language in Sones' poems are filled with imagery. Her opening verse describes her entire family cuddled together in a hammock on a “moondappled” beach, as they “swayed together as one.” Her second verse “My Sister’s Christmas Eve Breakdown” describes her sister’s fall from reality and the aftermath of that day: That day/I sank into/ the wall, wondering what/these three people were doing in/my house. When a new boy comes to school the description of their first date begs the readers to remember their own: Our eyes/are glued to the/screen/but our thoughts are glued/to the spot where our elbows are/touching"
The rhythm of the poems range from short, emotion-charged and snappy, to longer and more thought provoking. Each one is so well crafted the reader ends the book feeling as though he or she knows each member of the protagonist’s family and the torment, fear and feeling of helplessness that comes with a loved one gone insane. Near the end of the book the poems become more hopeful down to the last one that recounts the family playing a game of Scrabble where the rules are tossed away and words like “SPIDOSAL” become acceptable. Sones last word played, BETTER, offers the reader the hope that the worst of times are over and life is looking up.
The audience for this book is apt to relate to the author’s feelings and find a connection with the emotions and personal experience described so expressively. It is an opportunity for students to experience a story written in narrative form using poetry. Even readers who have not felt the devastation mental illness brings to a family are likely to feel empathy for families who live through the horror and loss of a loved one no longer recognizable.
Sones includes an author’s note to explain her personal connection to her writing. She tells about the hundreds of journals she has kept throughout her life and her reluctance, at first, to share her sister’s story. Her sister was extremely supportive of her efforts because “she hopes the book will be used to open up discussions about mental illness.” Sones also includes names of organizations and numbers that can be called to receive help if the reader is concerned about the mental health of themselves or a loved one
4. REVIEWS AND EXCERPT(S)
Children’s Literature - This is one of the most beautiful and most disturbing books aimed at young people that I have ever read. Beautiful not just in its use of free verse, but in the use of language and images that brings even mundane subjects to life…For anyone who has actually had this experience, the book can only be read in short doses; for anyone who hasn't, it's a fantastic view of a world we would probably not want to be a part of.
Klaitt - The poetry is compelling. It is so heartfelt: the pain and confusion of a young teenager when her family life dissolves into chaos because of mental illness.
Kirkus – (The poems) take on life and movement, the individual frames of a movie that in the unspooling become animated, telling a compelling tale and presenting a painful passage through young adolescence. The form, a story-in-poems, fits the story remarkably well.
School Library Journal: An unpretentious, accessible book that could provide entry points for a discussion about mental illness-its stigma, its realities, and its affect on family members.
Christopher Award for Best Children's Book
Claudia Lewis Award for Poetry
Myra Cohn Livingston Poetry Award
Gradiva Award for Best Poetry Book Berliner Kinder Prize in Germany
Chosen an American Library Association 2000 Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
Chosen an American Library Association 2000 Best Book for Young Adults
5. CONNECTIONS
To a budding genre that includes Karen Hesse's Out of the Dust (1997) and Virginia Euwer Wolff's Make Lemonade (1993), this book is a welcome addition (Kirkus Reviews). Another book that would pair nicely with this book is AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS, by Gennifer Sholdenko. It is the account of a young teen named Moose who cared for his sister, Natalie. She had autism at a time when medical professionals did not understand the disorder.
This would be an excellent book to spark discussion about mental illnesses and help students understand what Sones' sister desires, [that people would have] “a better understanding of this disease, so they would treat its victims with more compassion.”
Modeling a poem written in free verse for the students and giving them opportunities to do the same may turn the most reluctant writers into famous poets.
Sonya Sones has an excellent website at http://sonyasones.com/. Here she includes links to her bio, frequently asked questions, writers only, and great books.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
TOASTING MARSHMALLOWS: CAMPING POEMS
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
George, Kristine O’Connell. 2001. TOASTING MARSHMALLOWS: CAMPING POEMS. Ill. by Kate Kiesler. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 061804597X
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Award winning author and poet, Kristine O’Connell George, centers this memorizing compilation of her poems around the joy of camping and the magical mystique of the outdoors. The poems are focused through the eyes of a young girl. George’s first poem is tent-shaped and it is about, of course, setting up a tent. From here the world opens up to the animals: a timid doe with ears of velvet, a chipmunk “in a flash of furry,” a “mosqueeeeeeeeeeeeeo,” an unmindful moose “with a bit too much of everything,” an owl “pleating the night,” and finally a spider spinning “looping silky lines.”
The camping experience does not stop here. Sprinkled in between the descriptions of the animals are warm campfires, marshmallows toasting slowly to perfection, night noises, and an eavesdropping moon. There is fishing at dawn, rowing with mom, stepping silently across the forest floor, and, too soon, hiding special rocks to look for upon their return after “pulling up stakes.” Home once again; our young camper hides her soft flannel shirt, smelling of pine and campfire and forest moss in her bottom drawer, where scents hold special memories, until her next cherished camping trip.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
I have gone camping in my youth, and this poem brought back poignant memories of campfires and s’mores. But, even if I had never experienced hammering stakes into the ground to set up a tent at the lake, I could imagine what it would be like through George’s poems. Some poems have rhythm, others have rhyme, and some are narrative. But all encompass language that brings to life the quiet thrill of a family camping trip. Each one has perfect lines of text, carefully placed on the page, determined by the tone and mood desired by the author. Getting dressed in a sleeping bag is fun and funny. “By Myself ,” with its repetitive text coaxes the reader to reflect, the illustration of the child, her back against a tree, “silent as stone.” The poem from which this book of poems is titled, TOASTING MARSHMALLOWS, rhymes and begs to be read out loud; but not as loudly as “Two Voices in a Tent at Night;” a poem written for choral reading.
The acrylic illustrations are realistic, yet somehow dreamlike, drawing the reader’s eyes to every detail: the glow of a campfire shining on sleepy faces, a crooked path through a field of heavy grass, choppy waves flopping ashore as the campers run for cover, and a rowing boat, “pulling an island across a lake.” Each painting is unique to its poem. Each poem unique to its illustration.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Kirkus Reviews - Altogether, an engaging trip.
Horn Book Review - The pleasure and surprise of going camping are conveyed in …brief poems. . . .Richly colored paintings enhance the verses.
Children's Literature - One can almost see the starlit night, taste the marshmallows, and hear the buzzing insects as words and illustrations combine in this unique collaboration.
School Library Journal - Starred Review - Whether playful or profound, the exquisitely crafted poems reverberate with eloquent yet effortless language, while the radiant acrylic artwork hints at the awe-inspiring mysteries of nature. A child-focused sense of wonder...the poems are varied and inventive, replete with marvelous images and universal truths...…A terrific idyll for summertime sharing, even for confirmed couch potatoes.
Booklist Starred Review - Infused with the wonder and thrill of living outdoors, these are direct, satisfying poems that will engage kids at school, across the curriculum, or at home…The painterly art is a pleasure to look at. It’s almost photographic reality gives children the feeling of being right in the picture. A good introduction for children who have never been camping and a nice remembrance for those who have.
Publisher's Weekly Starred Review, "...This volume by George and Kiesler is as delicious as a roasted marshmallow treat. George's poems shine, the images clear and startling. A "panther cloud crosses the sky"; after a storm, "confetti of birds"...dance another rain shower." A concrete poem in the shape of a waning moon is exquisite: "Tipping/ a slender/ silver ear,/ Moon tries/ to pretend/ she isn't listening/ to our/ secrets." Readers definitely want S-mores."
Awards
2002 – Myra Cohn Livingston Poetry Award CLCSC for Excellence in Children's Poetry
NCTE Notable Children’s Book in Language Arts
Book Links: A Lasting Connection
2002 School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books for Children
Nominated for the Texas Bluebonnet Master List, Kentucky Blue Grass award, and the Indiana's Young Hoosier's award.
2002 Children’s Literature Choice
5. CONNECTIONS
Most children love being outdoors. Teachers can find books similar to TOASTING MARSHMALLOWS: CAMPING POEMS, and take them there in a book. Kristine O’Connell George has a teacher friendly award winning website that offers companion books from her selection such as HUMMINGBIRD NEST, with additional support such as:
Read more about her award winning poem book,
Learn More About Hummingbirds, Read a poem from HUMMINGBIRD’S NEST,
A Teacher’s Guide to Hummingbird Nest: A Journal of poems,
A review of the book
The Table of Contents.
An additional book from Georges’ collection that would make an excellent companion book is THE OLD ELM TREE SPEAKS: TREE POEMS. This portion of her website offers all of the above including a link to celebrating Arbor Day (ideas, more links, and resources).
Another paired selection to read along with TOASTING MARSHMALLOWS; CAMPING POEMS might include WHEN WE GO CAMPING, by Margriet Ruurs and illustrated by Andrew Kiss. In addition, S IS FOR S'MORES, by Helen Foster James, illustrated by Lita Judge, is a delightful companion text that tells, "where to go (camping) and what to do when you get there."
There is nothing more inspiring than to just walk the children (of any age) outdoors and let them experience for themselves the wonder of nature and the beauty of the Earth in the simplest of places. Encourage them to use all their senses: listen for birds and bees and the sounds of nature, watch the grass lean sideways in a field, touch the bark of a tree, smell the scent of wildflowers, and make paths of their own in silence.
George, Kristine O’Connell. 2001. TOASTING MARSHMALLOWS: CAMPING POEMS. Ill. by Kate Kiesler. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 061804597X
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Award winning author and poet, Kristine O’Connell George, centers this memorizing compilation of her poems around the joy of camping and the magical mystique of the outdoors. The poems are focused through the eyes of a young girl. George’s first poem is tent-shaped and it is about, of course, setting up a tent. From here the world opens up to the animals: a timid doe with ears of velvet, a chipmunk “in a flash of furry,” a “mosqueeeeeeeeeeeeeo,” an unmindful moose “with a bit too much of everything,” an owl “pleating the night,” and finally a spider spinning “looping silky lines.”
The camping experience does not stop here. Sprinkled in between the descriptions of the animals are warm campfires, marshmallows toasting slowly to perfection, night noises, and an eavesdropping moon. There is fishing at dawn, rowing with mom, stepping silently across the forest floor, and, too soon, hiding special rocks to look for upon their return after “pulling up stakes.” Home once again; our young camper hides her soft flannel shirt, smelling of pine and campfire and forest moss in her bottom drawer, where scents hold special memories, until her next cherished camping trip.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
I have gone camping in my youth, and this poem brought back poignant memories of campfires and s’mores. But, even if I had never experienced hammering stakes into the ground to set up a tent at the lake, I could imagine what it would be like through George’s poems. Some poems have rhythm, others have rhyme, and some are narrative. But all encompass language that brings to life the quiet thrill of a family camping trip. Each one has perfect lines of text, carefully placed on the page, determined by the tone and mood desired by the author. Getting dressed in a sleeping bag is fun and funny. “By Myself ,” with its repetitive text coaxes the reader to reflect, the illustration of the child, her back against a tree, “silent as stone.” The poem from which this book of poems is titled, TOASTING MARSHMALLOWS, rhymes and begs to be read out loud; but not as loudly as “Two Voices in a Tent at Night;” a poem written for choral reading.
The acrylic illustrations are realistic, yet somehow dreamlike, drawing the reader’s eyes to every detail: the glow of a campfire shining on sleepy faces, a crooked path through a field of heavy grass, choppy waves flopping ashore as the campers run for cover, and a rowing boat, “pulling an island across a lake.” Each painting is unique to its poem. Each poem unique to its illustration.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Kirkus Reviews - Altogether, an engaging trip.
Horn Book Review - The pleasure and surprise of going camping are conveyed in …brief poems. . . .Richly colored paintings enhance the verses.
Children's Literature - One can almost see the starlit night, taste the marshmallows, and hear the buzzing insects as words and illustrations combine in this unique collaboration.
School Library Journal - Starred Review - Whether playful or profound, the exquisitely crafted poems reverberate with eloquent yet effortless language, while the radiant acrylic artwork hints at the awe-inspiring mysteries of nature. A child-focused sense of wonder...the poems are varied and inventive, replete with marvelous images and universal truths...…A terrific idyll for summertime sharing, even for confirmed couch potatoes.
Booklist Starred Review - Infused with the wonder and thrill of living outdoors, these are direct, satisfying poems that will engage kids at school, across the curriculum, or at home…The painterly art is a pleasure to look at. It’s almost photographic reality gives children the feeling of being right in the picture. A good introduction for children who have never been camping and a nice remembrance for those who have.
Publisher's Weekly Starred Review, "...This volume by George and Kiesler is as delicious as a roasted marshmallow treat. George's poems shine, the images clear and startling. A "panther cloud crosses the sky"; after a storm, "confetti of birds"...dance another rain shower." A concrete poem in the shape of a waning moon is exquisite: "Tipping/ a slender/ silver ear,/ Moon tries/ to pretend/ she isn't listening/ to our/ secrets." Readers definitely want S-mores."
Awards
2002 – Myra Cohn Livingston Poetry Award CLCSC for Excellence in Children's Poetry
NCTE Notable Children’s Book in Language Arts
Book Links: A Lasting Connection
2002 School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books for Children
Nominated for the Texas Bluebonnet Master List, Kentucky Blue Grass award, and the Indiana's Young Hoosier's award.
2002 Children’s Literature Choice
5. CONNECTIONS
Most children love being outdoors. Teachers can find books similar to TOASTING MARSHMALLOWS: CAMPING POEMS, and take them there in a book. Kristine O’Connell George has a teacher friendly award winning website that offers companion books from her selection such as HUMMINGBIRD NEST, with additional support such as:
Read more about her award winning poem book,
Learn More About Hummingbirds, Read a poem from HUMMINGBIRD’S NEST,
A Teacher’s Guide to Hummingbird Nest: A Journal of poems,
A review of the book
The Table of Contents.
An additional book from Georges’ collection that would make an excellent companion book is THE OLD ELM TREE SPEAKS: TREE POEMS. This portion of her website offers all of the above including a link to celebrating Arbor Day (ideas, more links, and resources).
Another paired selection to read along with TOASTING MARSHMALLOWS; CAMPING POEMS might include WHEN WE GO CAMPING, by Margriet Ruurs and illustrated by Andrew Kiss. In addition, S IS FOR S'MORES, by Helen Foster James, illustrated by Lita Judge, is a delightful companion text that tells, "where to go (camping) and what to do when you get there."
There is nothing more inspiring than to just walk the children (of any age) outdoors and let them experience for themselves the wonder of nature and the beauty of the Earth in the simplest of places. Encourage them to use all their senses: listen for birds and bees and the sounds of nature, watch the grass lean sideways in a field, touch the bark of a tree, smell the scent of wildflowers, and make paths of their own in silence.
Monday, June 21, 2010
SCHOOLYARD RHYMES: KIDS OWN RHYMES FOR ROPE JUMPING, HAND CLAPPING, BALL BOUNCING, AND JUST PLAIN FUN.
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Selected by Judy Sierra. 2005. SCHOOLYARD RHYMES: KIDS OWN RHYMES FOR ROPE JUMPING, HAND CLAPPING, BALL BOUNCING, AND JUST PLAIN FUN. Ill by Melissa Sweet. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0-375-92516-3
2. PLOT SUMMARY
This book is filled with more than 50 rhymes from my childhood. I thought we invented them as children. Imagine my dismay when I read a book filled with my beloved poems. Most of them I remembered reciting as a young girl. Some of the verses are different than the ones I chanted, showing how these variations change from area to area. These chants are perfect for jump roping and hand clapping, as I experienced them eons ago. Some of them are a bit naughty, making them even more beloved to children. Of COURSE “Men go to Jupiter to get more stupider,” and the classic:
I’m rubber, and you’re glue.
Everything you say about me
Bounces off me and sticks to you...
will be recited by children as long as authors like Judy Sierra put them in print and pass them down. Children love to insult each other with rhymes; and this is the perfect book to teach them about rhythm and rhyme while they have permission. Sierra is right; this book is meant to be read out loud.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The rhythm of the poems is catchy and just plain fun. Sierra includes an introduction to her book that explains that some of the poems in her book have been around for 150 years. Poems an adult reader hasn’t thought of in years come back to memory as if they were recited yesterday. The reader will probably learn new verses he or she didn’t know existed. The placement of the print on the pages is as fun as the rhymes themselves.
Melissa Sweet does an amazing job on her illustrations. Who wouldn’t have fun illustrating,
Did you ever, ever, ever in your bow-legged life
Meet a bow-legged sailor and his bow-legged wife?
Sweet has fun with her illustrations when she rewrites them in the shape of jump ropes, clotheslines, tree trunks, frame borders, apple sticks, and flower stems trailing through the pages. Readers turn the pages up and over to read her text as it loops around. Her characters are childlike and she uses bright colors for the clothing, background, borders and the characters themselves. This book is just delightful and so much fun for adults to read with the younger generation.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Publishers Weekly - Schoolyard Rhymes: Kids' Own Rhymes for Rope Skipping, Hand Clapping, Ball Bouncing, and Just Plain Fun by Judy Sierra contains 50 rhymes perfect for recess or after-school play, such as the familiar "Miss Mary Mack."
School Library Journal - Sierra has selected some of the funniest and most memorable schoolyard rhymes available in this appealing collection…Kids will also howl over other offerings that may be new to this generation: The rhythms and nonsense rhymes are irresistible, compelling memorization and participation in the fun. Tried-and- true wordplays will tickle young readers…Sweet's animated watercolor-and-collage illustrations fill the pages with expressive faces, thin lines of verse shaped into jump ropes and borders, and hilarious interpretive scenes from the rhymes. This is a definite winner, as it will be enormously popular with children.
School library Journal Starred Review - Sierra’s text has a wacky verve and enough lever asides and allusions to familiar characters to satisfy bibliophiles of all ages…Browns cheerful, full-color illustrations…are rich in pattern, texture, and nuance –
bibliophiles = collector of books
Booklist Review - Sierra has selected 50 traditional playground chants and rhymes for inclusion in this illustrated collection…Sweet's comical, mixed-media art adds to the wackiness of the rhymes, with jump ropes commanding a prominent position, whether used by children or pickles or bears. Text is frequently incorporated into the pictures; verses are printed on ropes and on the stripes of flags.
Horn Book Review - This picture book rejoices in the rhymes of childhood -- not the adult-approved Mother Goose nursery rhymes but the sometimes spiteful, always zesty rhymes chanted by children themselves. Many of the verses have a strong beat because of their use as jump-rope rhymes or clapping games… (The rhymes) mingle together, loosely grouped on the pages by topics such as bubble gum or underwear. Those who know childhood humor will not be shocked that many of the poems do feature underwear and insults. Melissa Sweet goes for a comic style with her watercolor and pencil art, which suits the rhymes well...Kids will enjoy this celebration of naughtiness and childhood fun.
Kirkus Review - Drawing on her Ph.D. in folklore, Sierra has compiled an upbeat selection of dozens of schoolyard rhymes and funny poems, complemented by Sweet's charming illustrations in watercolor and fabric collage. The collection includes many old clapping games and jump rope rhymes that have been around for generations, as well as familiar short chants and funny verses. The illustrations bring a fresh focus to the collection with a sophisticated design …There are many available collections of children's traditional rhymes, but this one uses bright colors, great illustrations and pleasing design elements to reach out to contemporary children.
Booklist, Starred Review - Sierra’s handy way with a rhyming text… (is) full of images that will amuse children…There are tons of things to look at, all in sunny colors.
5. CONNECTIONS
This book screams to make connections. Children can and will build fluency by reading these poems over and over again. A teacher should take the students out to the playground and jump rope, clap hands, and bounce balls to the rhythm of these poems. Schoolyard Rhymes begs children to write their own verses to the poems in the book.
To add to this collection a teacher might also search for:
ANNA BANANA: 101 JUMP ROPE RHYMES, by Joanna Cole ISBN 10-06897114/13:978-0688971145
MISS MARY MACK: AND OTHER CHILDREN’S STREET RHYMES, by Joanna Cole and Stephanie Calmenson, ISBN 13-978-0874831566
DOUBLE DUTCH; A CALEBRATION OF JUMP ROPE, RHYME, AND SISTRHOOD, by Veronica Chambers. Hyperion Books for Children. October 2002. ISBN 0-786-80512-9
Article – Jump Rope Rhymes…in the Classroom? Journal Article by Rita Buchoff; Childhood Education, Vol. 71, 1995
Selected by Judy Sierra. 2005. SCHOOLYARD RHYMES: KIDS OWN RHYMES FOR ROPE JUMPING, HAND CLAPPING, BALL BOUNCING, AND JUST PLAIN FUN. Ill by Melissa Sweet. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0-375-92516-3
2. PLOT SUMMARY
This book is filled with more than 50 rhymes from my childhood. I thought we invented them as children. Imagine my dismay when I read a book filled with my beloved poems. Most of them I remembered reciting as a young girl. Some of the verses are different than the ones I chanted, showing how these variations change from area to area. These chants are perfect for jump roping and hand clapping, as I experienced them eons ago. Some of them are a bit naughty, making them even more beloved to children. Of COURSE “Men go to Jupiter to get more stupider,” and the classic:
I’m rubber, and you’re glue.
Everything you say about me
Bounces off me and sticks to you...
will be recited by children as long as authors like Judy Sierra put them in print and pass them down. Children love to insult each other with rhymes; and this is the perfect book to teach them about rhythm and rhyme while they have permission. Sierra is right; this book is meant to be read out loud.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The rhythm of the poems is catchy and just plain fun. Sierra includes an introduction to her book that explains that some of the poems in her book have been around for 150 years. Poems an adult reader hasn’t thought of in years come back to memory as if they were recited yesterday. The reader will probably learn new verses he or she didn’t know existed. The placement of the print on the pages is as fun as the rhymes themselves.
Melissa Sweet does an amazing job on her illustrations. Who wouldn’t have fun illustrating,
Did you ever, ever, ever in your bow-legged life
Meet a bow-legged sailor and his bow-legged wife?
Sweet has fun with her illustrations when she rewrites them in the shape of jump ropes, clotheslines, tree trunks, frame borders, apple sticks, and flower stems trailing through the pages. Readers turn the pages up and over to read her text as it loops around. Her characters are childlike and she uses bright colors for the clothing, background, borders and the characters themselves. This book is just delightful and so much fun for adults to read with the younger generation.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Publishers Weekly - Schoolyard Rhymes: Kids' Own Rhymes for Rope Skipping, Hand Clapping, Ball Bouncing, and Just Plain Fun by Judy Sierra contains 50 rhymes perfect for recess or after-school play, such as the familiar "Miss Mary Mack."
School Library Journal - Sierra has selected some of the funniest and most memorable schoolyard rhymes available in this appealing collection…Kids will also howl over other offerings that may be new to this generation: The rhythms and nonsense rhymes are irresistible, compelling memorization and participation in the fun. Tried-and- true wordplays will tickle young readers…Sweet's animated watercolor-and-collage illustrations fill the pages with expressive faces, thin lines of verse shaped into jump ropes and borders, and hilarious interpretive scenes from the rhymes. This is a definite winner, as it will be enormously popular with children.
School library Journal Starred Review - Sierra’s text has a wacky verve and enough lever asides and allusions to familiar characters to satisfy bibliophiles of all ages…Browns cheerful, full-color illustrations…are rich in pattern, texture, and nuance –
bibliophiles = collector of books
Booklist Review - Sierra has selected 50 traditional playground chants and rhymes for inclusion in this illustrated collection…Sweet's comical, mixed-media art adds to the wackiness of the rhymes, with jump ropes commanding a prominent position, whether used by children or pickles or bears. Text is frequently incorporated into the pictures; verses are printed on ropes and on the stripes of flags.
Horn Book Review - This picture book rejoices in the rhymes of childhood -- not the adult-approved Mother Goose nursery rhymes but the sometimes spiteful, always zesty rhymes chanted by children themselves. Many of the verses have a strong beat because of their use as jump-rope rhymes or clapping games… (The rhymes) mingle together, loosely grouped on the pages by topics such as bubble gum or underwear. Those who know childhood humor will not be shocked that many of the poems do feature underwear and insults. Melissa Sweet goes for a comic style with her watercolor and pencil art, which suits the rhymes well...Kids will enjoy this celebration of naughtiness and childhood fun.
Kirkus Review - Drawing on her Ph.D. in folklore, Sierra has compiled an upbeat selection of dozens of schoolyard rhymes and funny poems, complemented by Sweet's charming illustrations in watercolor and fabric collage. The collection includes many old clapping games and jump rope rhymes that have been around for generations, as well as familiar short chants and funny verses. The illustrations bring a fresh focus to the collection with a sophisticated design …There are many available collections of children's traditional rhymes, but this one uses bright colors, great illustrations and pleasing design elements to reach out to contemporary children.
Booklist, Starred Review - Sierra’s handy way with a rhyming text… (is) full of images that will amuse children…There are tons of things to look at, all in sunny colors.
5. CONNECTIONS
This book screams to make connections. Children can and will build fluency by reading these poems over and over again. A teacher should take the students out to the playground and jump rope, clap hands, and bounce balls to the rhythm of these poems. Schoolyard Rhymes begs children to write their own verses to the poems in the book.
To add to this collection a teacher might also search for:
ANNA BANANA: 101 JUMP ROPE RHYMES, by Joanna Cole ISBN 10-06897114/13:978-0688971145
MISS MARY MACK: AND OTHER CHILDREN’S STREET RHYMES, by Joanna Cole and Stephanie Calmenson, ISBN 13-978-0874831566
DOUBLE DUTCH; A CALEBRATION OF JUMP ROPE, RHYME, AND SISTRHOOD, by Veronica Chambers. Hyperion Books for Children. October 2002. ISBN 0-786-80512-9
Article – Jump Rope Rhymes…in the Classroom? Journal Article by Rita Buchoff; Childhood Education, Vol. 71, 1995
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