Round (Joyce Sidman)

Title:  Round

Author:  Joyce Sidman

Illustrator:  Taeeun Yoo

Target Ages:   3-6

Genre:  Realistic Fiction 

Publisher Summary: 

Look closely—

how many round

things do you see?

The sun?

The moon?

A rock?

A raindrop?

A seed?

Here is a charming, lyrical

look at why we love round

things, from the small

details of everyday life to

the vast and ancient forces

that shape our world.

First Lines:

I love round things.

I like to feel their smoothness.

My hands want to

reach around their curves.

I love to see round things grow.

Some start out round….

like a seed

or an egg,

waiting to hatch.

Evaluation: 

The soft, textured illustrations are calming and inviting.  Along with the poetic text, they celebrate the wonders of nature and the joy of exploration.  The most endearing part is the sweet relationship between father and child as they explore their world in all types of weather and times of day.

Round is the perfect read-aloud book for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners. 

Ideas for Extension Activities at Home or Lesson Plans for Teachers:

• Nature:  Go on a hike or walk.  Together, look for round things.  Older children can bring a notebook and draw pictures of what they see. 
• Writing:  Write out a simple sentence with a blank.  Example:  “Two round things are _______  and ________.”  OR “My favorite round thing is _______.”  Allow children to draw the items or write the words (with adult help).    
• Science:  Ask children why they think circles/round shapes are so common.  Information at the end of the book provides six insightful reasons.
• Art:  There are many circle art projects.  A few that look like fun are from the Artful Parent, Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds, and Reading Confetti.    
• Math:  Read this book when discussing shapes.  Chalk Talk has many excellent extension activities with shapes.
• Reader's Guide from the publisher. 

Visit Susanna Hill for Perfect Picture Book Friday. 

They All Saw a Cat (by Brendan Wenzel)

Title:  They All Saw a Cat

Author:  Brendan Wenzel

Illustrator:  Brendan Wenzel

Target Ages:  3 and up

Genre:  Picture Book

Awards:  Caldecott Honor Book

Publisher Summary:  When you see a cat, what do you see?  In this glorious celebration of observation, curiosity, and imagination, Brendan Wenzel shows us the many lives of one cat, and how perspective shapes what we see.

First Lines: 

The cat walked through the world,

with its whiskers, ears, and paws…

and the child saw A CAT,

and the dog saw A CAT,

and the fox saw A CAT.

Yes, they all saw the cat.

Evaluation: 

The striking multi-media pictures in They All Saw A Cat will thrill young readers while expanding their understanding of others. Each fascinating perspective can prompt a discussion. Children can evaluate why the artist made the cat look skinny in one picture and fat with an emphasis on his bell in another.  Also, the use of color varies greatly, making each illustration a feast for the senses and ripe for conversation.

On a concrete level, it is fascinating to get the vantage point of animals and insects. There are emotional differences (like how the mouse sees the cat as  monstrous) and physical ones (like the bee seeing in dots).  Also, the vantage point impacts the view: To the bird, the cat is a small speck, and to the flea, the cat is an enormous mountain. This book allows readers to imaginatively see life through another's perspective.  

On a more abstract level, the book prompts a deeper discussion on how perspective impacts perception.  This perspective can come from cultural, familial, community, and individual experiences.  It explains how two people can witness the same event, yet view it in a completely different way.  Because of the larger message, this book could be used to springboard a discussion with older children. 

For younger children, this abstract idea will be harder to grasp. However, they can begin to understand that an object, for instance, is not inherently good or bad, valuable or worthless.  It is about how we view it. 

They All Saw A Cat is simple, yet profound children's book. Overall, the illustrations and thought-provoking story make it worthy of your bookshelf.

Ideas for Extension Activities at Home or Lesson Plans for Teachers:

• Lesson Opener:  Show one or more pictures or objects that will likely get varied responses from the children.  Prompt the children for replies. Depending on the age of the children, they may raise hands to different prompts (like, dislike, or neutral), words, or pictures (smiley, sad, or neutral faces).   Tally the responses.  Spring board into the book by discussing how we all have different perspectives.

• Math:  Use the responses in the lesson opener to create a graph.

• Science Research: Learn how various creatures see objects.   

• Science Exploration: Using keen observation skills, discuss or draw nature finds. 

• Social Studies: Discuss how different perspectives impact how a person sees a situation or other person.  

• Writing: Write a simple sentence from the cat’s or other creature’s perspective. The cat saw the ____, the ______ and the ______.  Then, illustrate it the way you think the cat (or other animal) sees each one.

• Choral Reading: The repetitive text is ideal for choral reading or audience participation. 

• Reading: Limited, simple vocabulary for early reader practice.

• Art:  Complete a fun cat craft like the ideas here and here.

 For Perfect Picture Book Friday, visit Susanna Leonard Hill's blog. 

Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets (by Kwame Alexander)

Title: Out of Wonder:  Poems Celebrating Poets

Author: Kwame Alexander with Chris Colderley and Marjory Wentworth

Illustrator:  Ekua Holmes

Target Ages:  8 and up

Genre: Poetry Anthology

Publisher Summary:  Out of gratitude for the poet’s art form, Newbery Award–winning author and poet Kwame Alexander, along with Chris Colderley and Marjory Wentworth, present original poems that pay homage to twenty famed poets who have made the authors’ hearts sing and their minds wonder. 

Favorite Poem:

“Majestic”

Celebrating Maya Angelou

Rise

into the wonder

of daybreak.

Be a rainbow in the cloud.

Be a free bird on the back of the night wind.

Shine on, honey!

Walk with joy in your golden feet

over crystal seas

and purpled mountains.

Know your beauty

is a thunder

your precious heart unsalable.

Be brave,

Like a new seed bursting

with extraordinary promise.

Shine on, honey!

Know you

are phenomenal.

            --Kwame Alexander

Evaluation: 

Out of Wonder:  Poems Celebrating Poets is an eclectic collection of poems ranging in style and theme.  Spanning the world and history, a variety of voices and poetic styles are included.

Part I celebrates the poetic style of writers like e.e. Cummings, Basho’, Langston Hughes, and Robert Frost.  For instance, Basho’ wrote Haikus.  “Contemporary Haiku,” a celebration of his poetry, is written in Haiku stanzas.  Langston Hughes is known for his rhythm and rhyming couplets.  “Jazz Jive Jam” is composed to mimic those features.

In the next section, Part II, the poems incorporate the feelings and themes of the poets.  Pablo Neruda’s poems focus on the natural world.  The poem dedicated to him, “The Music of the Earth,” contains beautiful lines like “where my words linger and accumulate like rocks blurring in the cold rain.”  Similarly, Judith Wright work is concerned with nature as well as Aboriginal land rights.  “Tambourine Things” pays homage to these motifs with phrases, such as “Remember that the shadows once belonged to the elders” and “Hold the relic to your ear; listen to the ancient silence.”   

Finally, Part III shares “with the world—in words—how awesome [the authors] feel about the poet and the poem.”  Many favorites are celebrated here—Gwendolyn Brooks, Sandra Cisneros, Rumi, Maya Angelou, and more. 
 

Ekua Holmes’ vibrant illustrations add to the splendor and allure of each poem.  The colors are rich and bold.  Her mixed media layered collages bound off the page, complimenting and extending the motifs and meaning of the poems.

The book ends with biographical information for each featured poet.  It includes basics on their inspiration, motifs, and style.  Clearly, this book is a must-have for teachers.  The format and poems encourage imaginative exploration of the authors and poetry, making it ideal for poetry units or creative writing. 

I highly recommend Out of Wonder:  Poems Celebrating Poets.

Activities and Extension Ideas:

Candlewick Press Teacher’s Guide

Visit Journey Through the Pages for this week's Poetry Friday.

Give Bees a Chance (Bethany Barton)

Title:  Give Bees a Chance

Author:  Bethany Barton

Illustrator:   Bethany Barton

Target Ages:  4-8

Genre:  Non-Fiction

Publisher Summary:

What do you do when you see a bee?

a.  Flap your arms and run in figure eights.

b.  Dash inside and lock all the doors and windows.

c.  Pull out your industrial-size can of bug spray and aim for the stripes.

d.  Hold out your honey bear-shaped bottle, bow, and give thanks.

If you chose a, b, or c, then this book is for you!  (If you chose d, buy this book for your bee-phobic friends!)

Give Bees a Chance is for anyone who doesn’t quite appreciate how extra special and important bees are to the world, and even to humankind.

First Lines:  This is my best buddy Edgar.  We love all the same things—like board games, strawberries, dinosaurs, honey, and of course…bees!  
Except that I don’t really like bees. 

Memorable Lines:  Just approach a bee like you would a dog you don’t know.  Don’t get too close and don’t try to touch it.  Unless you're a flower, it should lose interest and fly away.  And if more people like you give bees a chance they might just have, well…a chance to make the world a sweeter place.

Evaluation: 

Give Bees a Chance goes beyond the typical juvenile non-fiction picture book I have read on bees.  I learned new information, like the fact that they’re 25,000 different kinds of bees and that honey is actually bee barf. (Still want some on your biscuit?)  Many key areas are covered like types of bees, their anatomy, their history, their honey-making process, and their vital contribution.  Despite the educational aspect, it reads like a fun picture book rather than a dull textbook.  

The illustrations are amusing and informative.  There is a journal-like feel with a handwritten text, carton-style sketch drawings, and comic-style panels—ranging from casual encounters with bees to close ups of their anatomy to a missing poster.

The story is written as a dialogue between a young protagonist and his fearful friend.  While the protagonist does most of the speaking, he is never seen on the pages.  The focus is on the friend who is afraid of bees after being stung by one.  The tone is often dramatic and humorous which is makes the informative aspects more engaging.

The language and presentation are child-centric, but the format is unique.  It is set up as an argument.  The fearful boy states an objection, his friend refutes it with illustrations, facts, and an extra dose of patience. (The author, Bethany Barton, has a similar book for spiders.)  As a case is made for why bees are not only beneficial, but also not malicious, his friend’s fears and misconceptions slowly diminish.

Many children (and adults) are apprehensive about bees, making Give Bees a Chance a perfect picture book for those who are mildly afraid or completely terrified.  It is entertaining and educational, ideal for the classroom or home reading. 

Ideas for Extension Activities at Home or Lesson Plans for Teachers:

• Science:  Plant flowers and flowering plants that attract bees.  Many bee colonies are dying off.  Providing plants that do not use harmful pesticides help save them.
• Learn more about Beekeeping:  Watch Youtube videos together or visit a local bee farm.  The more informed children are, the less likely they will be afraid.
• Taste Test:  Sample different types of honey from raw to honeysuckle to Manuka.  Encourage the children to use describing words for the tastes.  For a class or large group, make a chart illustrating the number of children who chose each type as their favorite.
• Internet:  Many bloggers have provided some fun and educational ideas, such as Suzie, Growing with Science, and The Tool Box.

For other great nonfiction book suggestions, visit Kit Lit Frenzy for the Nonfiction Picturebook Challenge.

Visit Susanna Leonard Hill's blog for Perfect Picturebook Friday.