Little Tree (Loren Long)

Title:  Little Tree

Author/Illustrator:  Loren Long

Goodreads Summary:

“In the middle of a little forest, there lives a Little Tree who loves his life and the splendid leaves that keep him cool in the heat of long summer days. Life is perfect just the way it is.

Autumn arrives, and with it the cool winds that ruffle Little Tree's leaves. One by one the other trees drop their leaves, facing the cold of winter head on. But not Little Tree—he hugs his leaves as tightly as he can. Year after year Little Tree remains unchanged, despite words of encouragement from a squirrel, a fawn, and a fox, his leaves having long since turned brown and withered. As Little Tree sits in the shadow of the other trees, now grown sturdy and tall as though to touch the sun, he remembers when they were all the same size. And he knows he has an important decision to make.”

Why I Loved It:

I was recently reminded of a paradoxical idea—All life is born out of darkness (Ann Voskamp, 1000 Gifts).   When you stop and think about it, there is so much truth in those words. 

Little Tree illustrates a closely related idea—You often have to let go to experience the fullness of life. This principle reminds me of the story of the young girl who cherished her cheap plastic pearl necklace too much.  Little did she know what was in store for her when she was willing to let go of it.  Read the full story here.

Isn’t that they way we often are?  Holding on for dear life to something. Letting go can seem overwhelming and impossible, just as the dark times in life often seem like a burden.  The other side of the dark though can be…life and blessing.

Little tree holds on to his browned leaves and refuses to go bare through the darkness and cold of the winter.  For many seasons and years, he holds on tight to his dry, dead leaves, resulting in him remaining stagnant.  When he finally looks around at the other trees, he realizes the cost of holding on. 

I do not buy many picture books because I can check them out whenever I want at the library.  However, this book is one I purchased for my personal library because of its profound and beautiful message.

First, I plan to use it with my writing classes.  One of the biggest barriers I have each new year is the students coming in with preconceived notions of writing and themselves as a writer. These are usually built on false premises. They must be willing to let go of some things to grow in their writing skills. 

Second, I plan to use it with my children.  Being that they are teens, I know there are going to be moments of difficulty letting go.  I want to have this book handy.

Finally, it is a reminder to myself.   When I begin holding tight to things in life, I have to let go and to let God. 

Like many other beloved picture books, such as  The Giving Tree and Oh! The Places You Will Go, Little Tree has a message relevant for all ages.  It is one we all need to be reminded of at times—we often must let go in order to move on or grow.  This idea can be applied to many moments in life—graduations, losses, changing schools, learning new concepts, getting hurt by others, and many other life stages.  

What moment do you see yourself using this book for?

Poetry Friday: Firefly July

Title:  Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems

Selected by:  Paul B. Janeczko

Illustrator: Melissa Sweet

Target Ages: All

Genre: Poetry Anthology

Publisher Summary: 

It takes only a few words, if they’re the right words, to create a strong image.  Whether listened to in the comfort of a cozy lap or read independently, the thirty-six very short poems in this collection show readers young and old that a few perfect words and pictures can make the world glow.

Evaluation:

This collection of seasonal poems includes selections from a wide variety of poets.  Some classics are included like “The Red Wheelbarrow” (Williams) and “Fog” (Sandburg), but most of them are from lesser-known authors.  Each poem is a little treasure of imagery and enchantment. 

Most of the poems are 25 words or less, making it easy to keep youngsters and relunctant readers engaged. The focus on a single, vivid image or idea is an effective building block for introducing and teaching poetry. 

With poems this concise, young writers are likely to feel more confident to try their hand at composing one themselves.  For teachers or parents who want to try the poem a day challenge, these works are perfect.  Reading one takes less than a minute. 

Melissa Sweet’s original watercolor, gouache, and mixed-media collage illustrations are an brilliant compliment to each poem.  She always has the perfect mix of color, texture, and image.

Firefly July is an excellent resource for teachers, parents, and poetry lovers. 

Sample Poems: 

Water Lily

My petals enfold stamens of gold.

I float, serene, while down below

these roots of mine are deeply stuck

in the coolest most delicious muck.

                  -Ralph Fletcher

Little Orange Cat

Little orange cat,

you prowl

like a small tiger

(stalking what?)

in the field

of white daisies

and shining

buttercups.

                  -Charlotte Zolotow

November Night

Listen…

With faint dry sound,

Like steps of passing ghosts,

The leaves, frost-crisp’d, break from the trees

And fall.

                  --Adelaide Crapsey

Fog

The fog comes

on little cat feet.

It sits looking

over harbor and city

on silent haunches

and then moves on.

                  -Carl Sandburg

For more poetic inspiration, visit Random Noodling for this week’s Poetry Friday round up.

Poetry Friday: Here’s a Little Poem (collected by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters)

Here’s a Little Poem:  A Very First Book of Poetry (collected by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters) would make a nice addition to a family or preschool class library.  The anthology is divided into 4 sections—self, family (including pets), outdoors, and bedtime.  The poems focus on daily activities, relationships, and observations from a young child’s perspective.  I adore Polly Dunbar’s illustrations.  Most pages depict several visual “scenes” from the poems in vivid colors and lively actions.  Many of the poems are from beloved poets and authors, such as Lee Bennett Hopkins, Langston Hughes, Marilyn Singer, and Robert Louis Stevenson.  Here are a couple of my favorites.

“Dressing Too Quickly” (by Jill Townsend)

Too many buttons.

What a long zip.

Velcro to fasten.

Mind you don’t slip.

Dress more slowly.

You’ll fall in a minute!

You’ve one trouser leg

And two legs in it.

“After A Bath” (by Aileen Fisher)

After my bath

I try, try, try

to wipe myself

till I’m dry, dry, dry.

Hands to wipe

and finger and toes

and two wet legs

and a shiny nose.

Just think how much

less time I’d take

if I were a dog

and could

shake, shake, shake.

For other wonderful poems and reviews visit Teaching Authors for the Poetry Friday Round Up.

NonFiction Monday: The Story of Snow (by Mark Cassino & Jon Nelson)

We are in the month of January, the middle of winter.  We had our first little bit of snow last week, so this NonFiction Monday selection is the perfect tie in for many teachers and parents around the country. 

The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter’s Wonder (by Mark Cassino with Jon Nelson):

Part narrative, part science lesson Cassino and Nelson reveal the secret life of a snow flake.  I say “secret” because it is largely microscopic.  The story commences on “a winter day, high up in the sky, in a cloud that is very, very cold.”  Interestingly, snow begins with a speck—but not of water.  These specks are much smaller than the eye can see.  They are common things like sea salt, plant pollen, volcanic soot, and, even, leave bacteria that float high in the sky from the winds below.  This speck becomes the center of the snow crystal.  Drawings help depict the process the flake goes through until it is fully “born.”  The authors’ provide close up pictures of snowflakes to illustrate their text on the types (stars, plates, or columns) and variations (twins, rimes, and clumps).  The book concludes with instructions and tips for catching and observing snowflakes. 

Evaluation:

The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter’s Wonder is a fascinating read!  A vast majority of the information in the book was new to me.  Cassino and Nelson do well to explain the concepts in a way that is relatable to people of all ages.  The close up shots of the various glittery and graceful snowflakes are spectacular.  Best of all, the book encourages children’s own scientific exploration of nature and the world around them.  I recommend this book for ages 7 and up. 

Visit The LibrariYAn for more wonderful non-fiction recommendations from around the blog-o-sphere.

Picture Book (Early Reader Series): Brownie & Pearl (Cynthia Rylant)

Brownie and Pearl, by Cynthia Rylant, is series perfect for early and new readers.  The main characters are Brownie (a little girl) and Pearl (her orange and black cat).  The adorable duo experience everyday life together, showing emerging independence.  The two-page spreads are usually limited to one scene in the experience of the book with 1-4 sentences, primarily made up of sight and foundational words for reading.  Here is an example:

Brownie likes the party.

She plays games.

She eats cake.

She eats ice cream.

One of my favorite parts of this series is the illustrations by Brian Biggs.  The characters are depicted in a sweet and lovable manner.  Brownie is always smiling and Pearl looks content and curious.  The colors are bright and colorful with lots of yellows, pinks, teals, and purples—colors most little girls love. 

Young girls, in particular, will be drawn to Brownie and Pearl’s adventures.  The sentence structure allows for early reading success.  The values of independence, optimism, curiosity, friendship, and kindness are shown throughout.  Here are a couple of the books I read:

Brownie and Pearl Hit the Hay   

Together they go through a typical bedtime routine:  bathing, dressing, and snacking.  Then, Brownie reads Pearl a book.  When it is time to “hit the hay,” they go up to bed with no fussing or delaying.  They curl up as a “happy little bed ball” and go to sleep.

Brownie and Pearl Step Out

Brownie and Pearl are invited to a birthday party.  Brownie feels nervous and shy as she walks to the birthday child’s door.  Pearl isn’t though.  She goes right in the kitty door, urging Brownie to knock.  When she overcomes her fear, she realizes everyone is excited she has arrived.  Brownie and Pearl have a fun time at the party. 

  

Brownie and Pearl Take a Dip

It is a hot, summer day.  Brownie and Pearl decide to cool off in the pool.  Brownie puts on her swimsuit while Pearl finds the beach ball.  Outside, they fill up a small kiddie pool.  They both splash around in the pool until they are nice and cool.  They finish off their fun laying out in the sun to dry off.

Picture Book: Not a Buzz to Be Found: Insects in Winter (by Linda Glaswer):

The secret winter lives of insects are exposed in Not a Buzz to Be Found:  Insects in Winter.  Author Linda Glaswer writes in a gentle poetic language that reveals the mysteries surrounding the whereabouts of insects like woolly bear caterpillars, honeybees, ants, black swallowtail butterflies, ladybugs, and others.  The concise, straightforward text is ideal for young readers.  It provides essential information while engaging them in the language.  Here is an excerpt:   

If you were a gall fly in winter,

You’d still be a baby living in a gall.

You’d chew a little opening to get out in spring. 

But all winter you’d stay in that small round ball. 

The illustrations (by Jaime Zollars) wonderfully parallel the text while also depicting the seasonal activities of children, connecting the lives of people with those of insects/nature.  As the children play amongst the fall foliage, wooly bear caterpillars are close by curled up sleeping under a blanket of leaves or as a boy and girl have a snowball fight, the field cricket are safely under the Earth—waiting for spring.  The pictures capture well the colors and textures of the seasons. 

The book ends with the arrival of spring and reemergence of the insects:

Then slowly, slowly the air grows warmer.

And just as slowly the days grow longer.

You feel a change in the air

and so do insects everywhere.

Some wake up.  Some hatch.

Some fly north.  Some grow wings.

It’s time to zip and buzz and fly.

Winter is over.  At last, it’s spring. 

I recommend Not a Buzz to Be Found:  Insects in Winter for readers ages 4-10.  

Teaching Opportunities:

• Unit Study:  Include as part of a unit study on insects or seasons
• Comparison/Contrast:   Compare and contrast one to one (ants to ladybugs) or groups; ask questions such as:  Which ones hibernate underground?  Which ones emerge as babies?  Which as adult?  Which ones sleep under leaves or parts of trees?  Which ones migrate?
• Writing:  Write a journal entry from the perspective of one of the insects or one of the children discovering some hibernating
• Research & Writing:  Research an insect not included to learn how it survives the winter; then write a poetic stanza like the ones in the book (try to have at least two lines rhyme)
• Language:  Identify rhymes—true and slant—and onomatopoeia

This post is linked up with Science Sunday at Adventures in Mommydom.  Click HERE for more great posts on science activities.  

Picture Book (Science): Prairie Storms (by Darcy Pattison)

Summary of Prairie Storms (by Darcy Pattison):  

The prairie grasslands are explored in this ecosystem adventure.   Month by month the various seasonal storms and other weather conditions are depicted and accompanied by expressive lines.  Here is an excerpt: 

"Rain and rain and rain and--it's a flashflood!  Walls of water crash through the prairie dog town.  Deep in the muddy burrows, prairie dog families hunker, safe in pockets of air--until the waters go down."

Readers get a glimpse of the lives of a number of prairie animals, such as prairie chickens, ground hogs, prairie dogs, red foxes, cougars, bald eagles, bison, burrowing owls, and lesser earless lizards.  This celebration of the American grassland habitat is sure to leave an impression. 

Evaluation:

As with all of Sylvan Dell’s amazing titles, Prairie Storms incorporates a mixture of science and language enrichment opportunities.  The striking illustrations (by Kathleen Rietz) are spring boards for discussing the attributes of both the seasons and the diverse weather portrayals.  Each two-page spread is labeled with the month for opportunities to discuss the spelling, which season it belongs to, and typical weather during that time.  There is a nice mix of more commonly known animals with lesser known ones, allowing vocabulary and visual recognition skills to be expanded.  The lyrical lines are well-written and appealing.  I recommend this book for ages 4-8.  

Teaching Opportunities:

Sylvan Dell has developed a FREE 52-page across the curriculum teaching guide to help you with some of teaching ideas above and many more in areas like geography, science, language-arts, and math.  The book page also includes various quizzes and other resources. 

Picture Book: A Pocketful of Posies, A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes

It is Poetry Friday!  This week's host is Alphabet Soup. 

Amidst the dozens and dozens of collections of nursery rhymes available, illustrator Salley Mavor has created a remarkable, one-of-a-kind experience in Pocketful of Posies: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes.   Beginning with morning rhymes and ending with bedtime ones, a whole gamut of daily experiences are explored.  Mavor masterfully weaves the well-known with the unfamiliar.  For instance, on one layout a town is pictured where the rhymes “Pat-a-cake,”  “Cobbler, cobbler, mend my shoe,” and “Polly, put the kettle on” are all intertwined.   In another instance, a rain scene fluidly depicts “Rain, rain go away,”  “There was an old woman lived under a hill,” and “Rain on the green grass.” 

Here are a couple of the lesser known rhymes:

I eat my peas with honey.

I’ve done it all my life.

They do taste kind of funny.

But it keeps them on my knife.

Molly, my sister,

And I fell out,

And what do you think

It was all about?

She loved coffee

And I loved tea,

And that was the reason

We couldn’t agree!

One of my favorites is a bit of a riddle describing the seasonal cycle of a tree:

In the spring I look gay

decked in comely array,

In summer more

clothing I wear.

When colder it grows,

I fling off my clothes,

And in winter

quite naked appear.

The BEST part of this collection is the illustrations!  Salley Mavor used great care and detail in her unique fabric relief technique.  The embroidered scenes use wool felt, hand-sewn dolls, and appealing embellishments to create brilliant multi-dimensional scenes.   The soft colors and rich textures make the pictures pop off the pages!   Each stunning layout is a treasured work of art.  

Reading and memorizing nursery rhymes build important literacy skills for later reading success.  I highly recommend Pocketful of Posies: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes for ages infant to 6. 

Picture Books: The Story of Easter (non-fiction)

In honor of Easter, I have three non-fiction selections about the origins of the holiday.   Each book has something a little different to offer.  The First Easter is a great initial book for young children.  In The Story of Easter, I learned about the connection of bunnies and eggs to the holiday.  Finally, Jesus brings Christ’s life in full color and grandeur while using the words of the Scriptures.

The First Easter (ages 0-6) by Lois Rock 

Beginning with Palm Sunday and ending with Pentecost, The First Easter covers the highlights of Jesus’ final week and the launch of the Christian church after his ascension.   The main points of the narrative are included, using straightforward language for young listeners.  The juvenile cartoon illustrations are delightful and suitable for the target audience.  The First Easter offers an understandable introduction to basis of this key holiday and of the Christian faith.

The Story of Easter (ages 6-10) by Aileen Fisher  

A concise but faithful narrative of Jesus’ life and final week is the focal point.   The Story of Easter goes on to explain how non-biblical traditions became part of the holiday.  For instance, because Easter Sunday takes place in the spring, other seasonal traditions were incorporated into it by ancient and medieval people.  The egg, for instance, was the symbol of new life in the ancient world.  It was the custom to give eggs as gifts during spring festivals, and they are a ritual food eaten in the Passover.  Various cultures decorated eggs, which is how the Easter egg came to be.  Bunnies, also, became part of the Easter tradition because they represent new life, a crucial aspect of Christianity and spring.  Other customs are also briefly described.

Jesus (ages 6 and up) by Gennady Spirin  

This selection is not specifically about Easter.  Passages of the King James Bible are beautifully illustrated in paintings that combine “both stylized and realistic features and iconic symbolism typical of the early Renaissance artists.”  The specifics covered in the text are:  His birth, His baptism, His boyhood experience in the temple, His temptation, His first miracle, the Sermon on the Mount, His transfiguration, raising of Lazarus from the dead, the last supper, His crucifixion, His resurrection, and His ascension.  The stunning illustrations and the brief overview of Christ’s life make this book an ideal read during the Easter holiday by believers wanting to remember His life and sacrifice or unbelievers who desire to learn about the holiday or figure.