Imaginary Menagerie (Julie Larios)

Title:  Imaginary Menagerie

Author: Julie Larios

Illustrator:  Julie Paschkis

Target Ages:  5-10

Genre:  Poetry Picture Book

Publisher Summary: 

Who is half gallop, half walk?

Who can turn you to stone with one look?

Whose voice do you hear in the splash on the shore?

         

Centaurs, mermaids, and other curious creatures populate these wondrous poems and paintings, inspired by a mythological world full of imagination and mystery.

Sample Poem:

“Phoenix”

Rising

from the ashes of her nest,

away she flies.

She is a bird that never dies.

Singer

and shape-changer,

she is a strange one:

Now a crane, now a drake,

now a turtle, now a snake,

now a swallow, now a swan—

she burns and is reborn.

And then she’s gone.

Evaluation:

This collection of poems is full of imagination and wonder.  Poet Julie Larios introduces young readers to well-known mythological creatures as well as several lesser-known ones.  The creatures included are dragons, mermaids, firebirds, centaurs, trolls, cockatrices, hobgoblins, sea serpents, thunderbirds, sphinxes, will o’ the wisps, gargoyles, nagas, and phoenixes.

Come for the poems, stay for Julie Paschkis’ stunning illustrations.  Using rich colors and exquisite detail, each one captures the beauty and essence of the highlighted creature(s) and builds on the descriptions in the poems.

Larios includes some further explanation of each creature in the author’s notes.   

Imaginary Menagerie is a fantastic introduction to many of the imaginary creatures mentioned in fairy tales, myths, legends, folk tales, and other literature. 

Activities and Extension Ideas for Lesson Plans:

• Art:  Students can use the descriptions of each creature to draw, paint, or otherwise create what they think it looks like.  
• Literature:  Read stories that include these mythical creatures.  For instance, Greek mythology often mentions centaurs (such as Chiron). In addition, there are several mermaid books like Sukey and the Mermaid and The Mermaid and the Shoe.
• Recitation:  Assign individuals or groups of students a poem to memorize.  Encourage student to dress up, to use props, and to show emotion as they recite it from memory.
• Research:  Older students can pick a creature to research.  Then, present the information to the class in a PowerPoint or poster board.
• Writing Idea #1:  Write a story about one or more mythical creature. 
• Writing Idea #2:  Create an original imaginary creature which includes a description, abilities, and special powers.  Then, write an origin story for it.
• Writing Idea #3: Rewrite a well-known story or myth with one or more mythical creatures.

For more Poetry Friday selections, head over to Reading to the Core and the Link Up.

Goldilocks and the Just Right Potty (Leigh Hodgkinson)

Title:  Goldilocks and the Just Right Potty

Author: Leigh Hodgkinson

Illustrator:  Leigh Hodgkinson

Target Ages:  1-4

Genre:  Fractured Fairy Tale Picture Book

Publisher Summary: 

Little Goldilocks wants to wear underwear—big-girl underwear that’s not too silly and not too frilly, but just right.  Then she needs to find the perfect potty.  But will she know what to do when she needs to go?  And will she get to the potty in time?

First Lines:

Once upon a time, there was a very little girl named Goldilocks who lived in the woods with her mommy and daddy.  Goldilocks was tired of wearing soggy diapers, so she decided it was time to wear BIG girl underwear. 

Evaluation:

 I am well passed potty training with my kids, but the fairy tale format caused me to pick up this book from a library display.  I am a sucker for a fractured fairy tale. 

I love the way the author used the format of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” in a realistic and creative way.  Instead of dealing with the obstacles in the bears’ home, this Goldilocks must learn how to understand her body’s cues for when to go potty, find a place to go that is “just right” for her, and accept sometimes she makes potty mistakes.  After some ups and downs, she learns to go on the potty.  Her parents praise her for being a clever girl.

The predictable format and structure as well as the child-friendly phrases are conducive to early childhood reading interaction.  After a couple readings, kids can “read along” with you.  For instance, they can predict (based on pictures and lead in prompts) phrases like “too frilly,” “too silly,” “too big,” and “too small.”  There are some other engaging words they will want to say along with the characters, such as “uh-oh,” “yay,” and “just right.”

The bright colors and vivid illustrations include things children love, like animals, rainbows, stars, hearts, and toys.  Goldilocks is pictured in everyday situations like playing with her toys, eating with her family (appears to be an allusion to the porage from the original fairy tale), and reading books.  Mom and dad are present, but the focus is on Goldilocks feeling empowered to understand her own body and to learn to read its cues. 

This book is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers, whether they are being introduced to the concept of potty training or struggling to perfect it. 

My Parenting Potty Training Experience: 

Around the mom-table you may hear about  “advanced” kids fully trained at 12 or 18 months. However, those situations are extremely rare. The average age for being fully potty trained is 3 years old, meaning some master it before but about just as many master it after.  Do not fret if your child is not an early potty master.

Do not compare your child’s progress (or lack thereof) to others’.  I made that mistake with my first child.  Fortunately, she got the BM down early, but peeing on the potty did not interest her.  I pushed her.  She pushed backed.  One day, I put her on the potty.  She did nothing, so I put big girl panties on her.  A couple minutes later, she was standing watching TV.  She nonchalantly peed in her spot.  I quit pushing.  A couple days before she turned 3, she decided on her own she was tired of wet diapers.  She was fully potty trained. 

I did not push my son.   He was a child that was always on his own milestone schedule.  It took him slightly longer to be fully trained, about 3 years, 4 months.  I barely remember his experience because I did not push and stress.  I encouraged, but waited patiently.

Bottom Line: Whether you stress and push or you relax and wait, your child will eventually be potty trained.  In the grand scheme, it does not matter if it is 24, 36, or 40 months. 

Activities and Extension Ideas:

Potty Training Milestones

30 Best-Ever Potty Training Tips

Potty-Training Games

Potty Training Charts HERE, HERE, and HERE

5 Ways to Keep Toddlers Entertained While Potty Training

Do you have any potty training advice?  Tell us in the comments.

Visit Susanna Hill's Blog for more Perfect Picture Book Suggestions.

Fairy Tale Spotlight: Far Out Fairy Tale Graphic Novel Series

Understanding visual cues is often an overlooked literacy skill. In our contemporary world, students must be able to construct meaning from visual as well as written texts as a result of the rapid advances in technology. Graphic novels help emerging and developing readers with visual literacy. Like many picture books, the illustrations are vital to fully comprehending the story. Children can be instructed on perspective, framing, style, color scheme, and other visual clues to gain a greater understanding of the text’s meaning.   

Far Out Fairy Tales is a series for young readers. It is an excellent introduction to graphic novels. Each book includes a visual question section to challenge readers to look more closely at the relationship between the text and the illustrations.

This series is also for the fractured fairy tale lover. Many readers will enjoy seeing their favorite tales reimagined using modern elements like super heroes, robots, ninjas, and video games. An overview of the original story is presented at the end as well as some comparisons between the traditional and new tale.

Currently, there are 4 books in the series.

Red Riding Hood, Superhero

Otis Frampton

While taking a tour of Area 54 with her grandmother, the President of the United States, little Ruby Topper discovers a mysterious little alien carrying a red hood. When Ruby dons the crimson cape and cowl, it grants her AMAZING SUPERPOWERS! But will her newfound abilities be enough to save the White House -- and her grandmother -- from the rampaging Big Bad Wolf-Bot?

Ninja-rella

Joey Comeau/Omar Lozano

Cinderella's stepmother and two stepsisters treat her like dirt. Each and every day, they force her to clean their clothes, cook their meals, and only give her rags to wear and crumbs to eat. But each night, in secret and in shadows, Cinderella trains to be a ninja! More than anything, Cinderella yearns to become the Prince's personal bodyguard. When the opportunity to prove her worth to the Prince finally arrives in the form of an invitation to a royal costume ball, Cinderella's stepmother won't let her go! But this time around, Ninja-rella isn't going to take ""no"" for an answer . . .

Snow White and the Seven Robots

Louise Simonson/Jimena Sanchez

Far, far away, on a distant planet called Techworld, a little girl named Snow White is born. Created by the planets smartest minds to be the perfect scientist, Snow immediately shows a knack for working with electronics. The Queen, fearing for her crown, exiles Snow White so she cannot grow up and take the Queens place as the most intelligent person on the planet. However, Snow White's willingness to help those in need -- especially the downtrodden robots of Techworld -- earns her many friends, and they are all quite eager to help her cause.

Super Billy Goats Gruff

Sean Tulien/Fernando Cano

Once upon a time, three billy goats named Gruff were traveling to the hillside to snack on some green grass -- when they suddenly find themselves trapped inside a video game! The good news: the three billy goat brothers become SUPER billy goats! One becomes a Warrior, one becomes a Ninja, and one becomes a Wizard. The bad news: the green field of grass is gone -- and in its place is Hillside Castle, a dangerous dungeon filled with creepy-crawlies and fantastical foes! Can the goats make their way through the castle to get their grass -- or will the toothsome troll named Final Boss feast on them for his lunch?

*The individual book summaries are from Amazon.