Now You See Them, Now You Don’t: Poems About Creatures That Hide (David L. Harrison)

Title:  Now You See Them, Now You Don’t:  Poems About Creatures That Hide 

Author: David L. Harrison

Illustrator:  Giles Laroche

Target Ages:  5 and up

Genre:  Nonfiction Poetry

Publisher Summary:

Some animals hide to hunt for food, and others hide to avoid becoming dinner.  It’s easy to see why a disappearing act is important for many animals. 

From the octopus to the polar bear, and from the praying mantis to the hawk, discover how and why many animals cleverly camouflage. 

Sample Poems:  Click on illustrations to make larger and to read the poems.

Evaluation:

What initially drew me to this collection were the illustrations after I saw some samples in an online review.  Fortunately, the vivid colors, varied textures, multi-dimensional artwork are even more stunning in person. Each two-page spread brilliantly illustrates the theme of the book from the flounder blending into the sand on the ocean floor to the copperhead snake hidden between layers of leaves to the American Alligator floating at the edge of the river waters.  Adults and children will enjoy looking at the pictures over and over. 

The nineteen poems in the collection blend science and art seamlessly.  A wide variety of creatures from the octopus to the owl to the walking stick to the American bullfrog are highlighted.  The rhythm, rhyme, and alliteration create a lovely read-aloud experience.  Lines like “The octopus is slyly shy./It’s hard to spot it lurking by” and “Without a scent,/the slightest trace,/to give away/its hiding place” are smooth and pleasant to the ear. 

I highly recommend Now You See Them, Now You Don’t:  Poems About Creatures That Hide.   The interconnectedness of illustrations and text as well as the perfect blend of science and art make it a memorable and beautiful collection.

Activities and Extension Ideas for Lesson Plans:

• Predicting:  Show an illustration.  Allow children to discuss their observations.  Then, encourage them to predict which animal it will be about (if more than one on the page) and to guess how the animal uses camouflage.  
• Science:  Use poems as a springboard to teach about animals, their habitats, and habits (especially use of camouflage). 
• Animal Classes:  Introduce children to animal classes.  Older ones can learn about the characteristics of each one and identify other animals in the same class.  Use this book with a unit on mammals, reptiles, amphibians, sea life, insects, or birds.
• Animal Food Chains:  Identify and draw the parts of one or more animal food chains represented. 
• Classify:  Classify animals based on their use of camouflage (to catch prey, to avoid prey, or both) or if they are hunters or prey. 
• Language:  The poems use ample rhyme and alliteration.  They would be perfect for a lesson—formal or informal—on either topic.
• Context Clues:  Write a poem on the board or on paper without the title.  Read it together.  Then, allow the students to use context clues to guess which animal the poem is describing.   (If the name of the animal is in the poem, cover it or leave a blank.) 
• Poetry Models:  Use one or more poems as models to create original poems with students (or they can work independently).  “Ghost Crab” is written using a list of words to describe what he “knows” like “scurry, hide, dig, hole.”  In addition, “Copperhead” is a letter written in poetic form from the perspective of the snake.  Write poems about what another animal “knows” or from different animal’s point of view in the form of a letter.

Visit Teach Dance for Poetry Friday!

Visit Susanna Hill for Perfect Picture Book Friday!

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? 06/27/16

I am working on a list of favorite books on animal habitats and one on undesirable behaviors common in early childhood.  Not sure what to call that last list.  It is on areas like temper tantrums and feeling grumpy.  Any creative ideas on a title for the list?

I need to start some new chapter books this week. Here are a few I am considering…

Somewhere Among

A Tangle of Knots

The Great Hunt

Fish in a Tree

Love That Dog

Visit This Week’s Posts…

10 Picture Books That Will Make You Smile (and Laugh)

Author Spotlight: Chris Gall

Poetry Friday:  Firefly July

Chicken Lily

The Wrong Side of the Bed

Fairy Tale Spotlight: Far Out Fairy Tale Graphic Novel Series

A Few of My Favorite Picture Books From My Weekly Library Run…

Dear Yeti by James Kwan

Two young hikers search for Yeti.  When they cannot find him, they begin to leave him letters.  Even though Yeti is shy, he communicates back—in his own way.  The hikers run into mean grizzly bear.  However, Yeti reveals himself  in time to help out his new friends.  Dear Yeti is a sweet book about friendship and adventure.    

I Don’t Like Snakes by Nicola Davies and Luciano Lozana

A young girl lives in a household of snake lovers. She is not too keen on them though because they are slithery and scaly.  Besides, who wouldn’t be creeped out by their flicking tongues and unblinking eyes?  Her family asks questions about her fears and teaches her several fascinating facts about snakes, such as types of slithers, why they flick their tongues, and how they catch their prey. Will the facts change her mind about these creeping creatures?

My Pen by Christopher Myers

The author takes the idea of the power of the pen to new levels. He illustrates just some of the ways a pen through art or words can make a differences. This book is sure to help young people feel empowered to action. It ends with this quote, “There are millions of pens in the world and each one has a million worlds inside it.  So if you have a pen, see what you can do—Let those worlds inside your pen out.” 

Ollie’s Class Trip by Stephanie Calmenson & Abby Carter

This humorous call-and-response text teaches social skills and positive classroom behavior.  It is ideal for teachers preparing young children for a class field trip.

Among a Thousand Fireflies by Helen Frost and Rick Lieder

Frost’s beautiful free verse poem gives readers insight into the life of fireflies (lightening bugs). The stunning photographs by Lieder perfectly compliment the poem.  You will never look at fireflies the same way again. 

For more reading inspiration, visit Unleashing Readers for It’s Monday, What Are Your Reading?

Author Spotlight: Chris Gall

I discovered Chris Gall’s work only recently when I came across one of his Dinotrux’s books. Struck by his amazing style, I checked out several of his other books.

Chris Gall has been working as an illustrator for more than 20 years.  With close to a dozen picture books published so far, he has already made an indelible mark on the industry. Working as both author and illustrator on most of his books, he has shown innovative vision and extraordinary talent. His style has similarities to other beloved illustrators like David Wiesner, Steven Kellogg, and Chris Van Allsburg.

Like Wiesner, he has an amazing imagination. Gall brings the ordinary and the fantastic, mashes them together, and creates a captivating experience. For example, in Dear Fish he takes the ideas of pen pals and company visiting to hyperbolic and astonishing levels. Substitute Creature begins with every day occurrences in the classroom and moves them to outrageous flights of fancy.

Like Kellogg, he utilizes every space, including end, copyright, and title pages. Gall uses his illustrations as much as the text to move the storytelling forward and make little detours of humor. For instance, in The Revenge of the Dinotrux the bots escape after being “civilized” by school and books. Left in the tracks is the book Escape from Alcatraz. Also, there are often bits of irony and pun included. In Dear Fish, puns are abundant, such as when a school of fish invades a classroom and swordfish help a carpenter with his work. 

Like Van Allsburg, he is a profound storyteller.  Gall’s stories are not about animals or Dinotruxs.  Instead, his characters are often metaphors or symbols. The unruly Dinotruxs symbolize undesirable behaviors often found in children like impatience, thoughtlessness, and selfishness. Dog vs. Cat represents a blended family though it could be more universally connected to learning to get along with others. 

Gall’s illustrations are bold. They often have a three-dimensional appearance.  Sometimes, he employs techniques commonly found in graphic novels like blocking and multiple scenes on a page. A variety of mediums work together to create each illustration.  He frequently uses more traditional means like clay-engraved art or colored pencils with digital effects. Other books have revolutionary tools. Dinotrux was created using bearskins and stone-knives while Substitute Creature utilized bat wings, toad juice, and the bundled whiskers of a black cat. :)

Finally, his books often have a twist at the end. In Awesome Dawson the final scene depicts Dawson using one of his inventions to help in an alien invasion while Dinotrux simply has the eyes of one of the bots flash on. These types of endings prompt a discussion of inference and provide opportunities for creative writing. 

Like a great literary fiction, there are layers and layers to unpack in his books.   Look closely at the illustrations as well as their interconnectedness with the text. Chris Gall's books will surprise you with new insights and small treasures with each reading.

Dear Fish

Peter Alan writes a letter to the fish, places it in a bottle, and throws it out to sea. The next morning he wakes up to find the fish have taken him up on his offer to visit. They are everywhere—in the bathtub, at the baseball game, in the yard, and at the rodeo.  After numerous disruptions, he writes the fish another letter to encourage them to go back home.  Eventually, life returns back to normal.  Until, Peter Alan finds a note on the beach. This one is from the fish! 

Teaching Connections:  Puns (primarily in the illustrations), Onomatopoeia, Strong Verbs, Letter Writing, Inference 

Awesome Dawson

Dawson spends all his time repurposing toys and household items into new imaginative and useful creations.  Hating to do chores, he comes up with a solution—that ends up causing so much trouble, he wishes he was at home doing chores!  Dawson stops the “monster” machine, but he does not stop coming up with ways to make chore time go more quickly and efficiently.  

Teaching Connections: Simple Machines, Robotic, STEM, Recycling, Problem Solving, Inference

Substitute Creature

When a riotous class gets an unexpected substitute teacher, they think it is an opportunity for mischief and mayhem. Their substitute is not what they expected—nor what the audience thinks either. As he presents hard cases from past classes of daydreamers, doodlers, and paste-eaters, the audience is treated to highly imaginative and disastrous consequences that ensue.  Students are not fully convinced though until the substitute creature reveals his own past delinquency. 

Teaching Connections:  Inference, Irony, Creative Writing, Poetry, Rhyme, Hyperbole

Cat vs. Dog

Cat and Dog are far from being two peas in a pod. Dog is a playful mess.  Cat is seriously organized. Their idea of fun could not be more different. When trying to co-exist peacefully doesn’t work, it becomes an all out war.  An unexpected event prompts a truce though.  Will the peace last?   

Teaching Connections: Sibling/Step-Sibling/Friendship Relationships, Problem Solving, Puns, Hyperbole

DinoTrux

Dinotrux, part-truck, part dino demolition dynamos, ruled the world millions of years ago. Rude Rollodon, greedy Garbageadon, and edgy Dozeratops were just a few of the disruptive Dinotrux.  Ironically, they are so uncivilized that even the cave people are fussing at them! A terrible storm causes most of Dinotrux to rust and sink down, down, down into the mud.  The smart ones migrate south where they slowly lose their misbehaving ways and ancient features. Now they are always on the job and never quit working hard.  A prehistoric discovery may change everything though!

Teaching Connections:  Manners, Dinosaurs, Onomatopoeia, Irony

Revenge of the Dinotrux

After spending decades in a museum being poked, prodded, and mistreated, Tyrannosaurus Trux leads the other Dinotrux out into the modern world. Reminiscent of a Godzilla take-over (with lots of humor and irony), they wreak havoc on the town. The mayor sends them to school to learn “how modern trucks behave.”  School seems to be helping to tame their wild ways…at least until they are on the loose again. When the Dinotrux are tracked down deep in the woods, everyone is afraid to see what is causing all the commotion.  

Teaching Connections:  Manners, Dinosaurs, Onomatopoeia, Irony, Problem Solving

Gall has two new books premiering later this year. Nanobots will be released in August 2016. The Ninjabread Man with author C.J. Leigh is due out September 2016.

The Day the Crayons Quit (Drew Daywalt)

Title:  The Day the Crayons Quit      

Author:  Drew Daywalt

Illustrator:  Oliver Jeffers

Target Ages: 2-6

First Lines:  “One day in class, Duncan went to take out his crayons and found a stack of letters with his name on them.”

Publisher Summary:  “Poor Duncan just wants to color.  But when he opens his box of crayons, he finds only letters, all saying the same thing:  We quit!  Beige is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown.  Blue needs a break from coloring all the water, while Pink just wants to be used.  Green has no complaints, but Orange and Yellow are no longer speaking to each other.  What is Duncan to do?” 

Evaluation:  Readers will never look at a box of crayons the same way!  Each crayon has a personality and a problem, making for a humorous and imaginative read.  The letters are written in crayon using a child-like handwriting.  The pictures sprinkle a little digital art in, but they mostly look like something a child drew and color. This approach to storytelling is engaging and inventive.  I highly recommend The Day the Crayons Quit and its sequel The Day the Crayons Came Home.

The Day the Crayons Came Home Publisher Summary:  “Boy, Duncan’s crayons sure are a colorful bunch of characters.  Having soothed the hurt feelings to one group who threated to quit, Duncan now faces a whole new group of crayons asking to be rescued.  From Maroon Crayon, who was lost beneath the sofa cushions and then broken in two after Dad sat on him; to Turquoise, whose head is now stuck to one of Duncan’s stinky socks after they ended up in the dryer together—each crayon has a woeful tale to tell and a plea to be brought home to the crayon box.” 

Activities and Extension Ideas for Lesson Plans:

Younger Students

• Identify the colors.
• Discuss the colors of objects both on the page and in real life.
• Point out the parts of a letter (greeting, body, salutation, signature).
• Write a letter to someone/something together—either imaginatively or realistically.
• Practice the proper way to care for and to store crayons and other supplies.

Older Students

• Practice the letter-writing format by writing to a friend or family member.
• Write an imaginative letter from the perspective of a crayon color, other household object, or character.
• Teach about the literary technique of personification and use these books to apply the concept to.
• Read through each letter carefully.  Pick one character quality or emotion that each color depicts like sassy, optimistic, frustrated, or sad.
• Identify the tone of each letter and how the author creates it.
• Evaluate the problem that each crayon has and how it is solved (see Duncan’s new picture).
• Take a class survey on one or more aspects such as the color each student uses most and/or which letter is their favorite.  Make a class graph that depicts the responses.

Visit Susanna Hill for Perfect Picture Book Friday where you will find suggestions from around the web for story time in your classroom or home.