The Great Monster Hunt (Norbert Landa)

Story Summary for The Great Monster Hunt:  

A peculiar noise—"pshh pshh!"—from under the bed wakes Duck up!   She is too frightened to peer underneath to see what is making the sound, so she runs for help.  Pig is outside fishing.  Duck tells him she hears a “pshh pshh, grrr!” sound under her bed.  Pig dashes off to find someone strong to help them.  When he spots bear in the forest, he tells him about the “pshh pshh, grrr, bang bang!” sound under Duck’s bed.  Bear decides they need to find someone loud enough to chase the creature away.  They seek out Wolf who suggests they find someone clever—Owl—after hearing the ominous “pshh pshh, grrr, bang bang! wham wham.”    Owl hears the sound with a “grrrrowl” added on.  He is quick to declare,  “Duck is in great danger!”  The group confers and decides that it must be a monster under the bed.  They bring various items—rope, a small net, pokey things—to catch the alleged monster.   When they arrive, all is quiet at Duck’s house.   They fear they are too late!  The door creaks open.  It is Duck!  The animals reveal that she is danger because there is a monster under her bed!  She asks how they know.  Pig answers, “Because it goes pshh pshh, grrr, bang bang, wham wham, grrrrrowl!”   The animals charge into the room!  As they cautiously creep toward the bed, they hear a “pshh pshh” sound.   They pull up the dust ruffle...and gasp…it’s just a snoring mouse! 

Evaluation:

I sought out The Great Monster Hunt after enjoying Sorry! by the same author, Norbert Landa.   The charming pictures in both are from the illustrator, Tim Warnes.  The Great Monster Hunt is a suspenseful and humorous narrative, ideal for bedtime or classroom reading.   One of the fun aspects of this story is how a simple noise becomes exaggerated until it is nearly unrecognizable.  Each character adds an element to it until it sounds much worse than it is in reality—much like a game of telephone.   Ironically, it is the “wise” owl who is convinced that the sound comes from a monster which intensifies the situation even further.  Similarly, the “strong” bear brings kitchen utensils as weapons, demonstrating a more benevolent nature.  These ironies and character inconsistencies could be discussed as part of story’s characterization.  Elements of suspense can also be examined.  Ask students:  How does the author build up suspense?  Is it effective?  Finally, onomatopoeia should be pointed out and discussed briefly.  Children can brainstorm other examples or provide additional “scary” sounds. 

The Pout-Pout Fish and the Big-Big Dark (Deborah Diesen)

  
Story Summary:

In his second underwater adventure, Mr. Fish enthusiastically sets out to help Ms. Clam recover her missing pearl.   He dives through the water, searching the ocean floor closely inch by inch.  As he gets to a ledge, a hidden voice urges him to set out further to sea.   Mr. Fish swims a little deeper, but his heart goes “flit-flutter.”   Trying to muster up courage, he recites to himself this mantra:

I’m FAST as a sailfish.

I’m STRONG as a shark.

I’m SMART as a dolphin…

But I’m scared of the dark.

Deeper and deeper, he explores the ocean floor.  Each time he emerges on a new level, he is roused by a quiet whisper and his personal mantra.   As he finds himself face to face with his greatest fear—darkness, his bravery begins to wane.  The now familiar whisper (Miss Shimmer) asserts that he can do it!  She cheers him on with her own song:

Two are FASTER than a sailfish.

Two are STRONGER than a shark.

Two are SMARTER than a dolphin…

Two are BIGGER than the dark!

Together they swim deep into the darkness.   With a little light from Mr. Lantern, they locate Ms. Clam’s pearl and reward Mr. Lantern for helping them out.  The whole gang gathers around Ms. Clam to celebrate the finding of the pearl and the joy of friendship.   Together than affirm, “We are bigger. Yes. BIGGER. Always Big, Big, Bigger, than the dark!” 

Evaluation: 

The introduction in The Pout-Pout Fish post outlines my thoughts on the language, illustrations, and character.  There are several essential motifs that are worthy of exploring in The Pout-Pout Fish in the Big-Big Dark. The most obvious is the fear of the dark that many children (and adults J) experience.  Use this book as a spring board to discuss that fear (or any fear) and how Mr. Fish overcomes it (as well as other strategies for overcoming fears).  Also, this book is about keeping promises.  The protagonist perseveres despite his worries until he fulfills his vow.  Finally, it is a lesson in friendship.  Mr. Fish helps Ms. Clam.  Miss Shimmer and Mr. Lantern assist Mr. Fish.  A whole gang of friends come to celebrate the recovered pearl. 

New Preschool Book Series by Stuart J. Murphy

During a recent library trip, I saw two brand new books (ages 2-6) by Stuart J. Murphy:  Percy Plays It Safe and Good Job, Ajay!   The vibrant colors and adorable characters prompted me to check them out.  Both books are part of a new preschool series whose purpose is to aid children in developing life skills that are crucial for success at home, in school, and on the playground.   The books conclude with discussion questions and a visual aid that reinforces critical life skills. 

At the website devoted to this new series, you can view more information and videos describing the characters, the books, and the objectives.    There are currently two other books in the series:  Emma’s Friendwich and Freda Plans a Picnic. 

Good Job, Ajay!  (Emotional Skills:  Building Confidence)  

Ajay loves playing ball, but he has difficulty throwing it well.   Percy and Freda come over to help him practice.  To build up his confidence, they reminisce about other tasks he initially was apprehensive to try, such as talking to a teacher and swimming in a pool.  His friends remind him of the steps he took to overcome his fears to enjoy those activities.  With the help and encouragement of his friends, Ajay continues to practice throwing the ball until he masters the skill. At the end of the book, a simple Venn diagram illustrates how children build confidence.  In addition, there are discussions questions about Ajay’s feelings, interactions, and choices.   Finally, connections are made to the listeners’ personal experiences on trying new activities and building confidence. 

Percy Plays It Safe (Health and Safety Skills:  Playground Safety) 

Percy plays at the park nearly every day.  He loves to swing, to slide, and to run while imagining he is a monster.   Unfortunately, he does not always play safely on the equipment or carefully around others.  He inconsiderately bumps into others on the monkey bars and runs through children’s creations in the sandbox.  He also crawls up the slide and goes does head first!  Percy does not think about the consequences of his actions or the rules at the park.   When he gets hurt jumping off a swing, he is finally willing to stop and to reflect on his actions.  The next day Percy does all his favorite activities, but he learns how to do them safely and considerately.  At the end of the book, do and don’t pictures are side by side for children to talk about.  In the discussion questions about Percy’s experience, it is suggested that the listeners act out how to play in prudent ways and to discuss how to play safely. 

For information on Stuart J. Murphy’s educational Math Series, check out this previous blog entry.