Lindsey Cripe - 2nd Picture Book Review

Chaconas, Dori. Dancing With Katya. Atlanta: Peachtree Publishers, 2006. Print.

Anna is a girl with a younger sister named Katya who became sick with polio.  Since the polio weakened her muscles, she was unable to do her favorite thing with her sister which was to dance. After being taken away for over a month, Katya returned with braces on her legs which allowed her to slightly walk. She and Anna then realized that although she may not walk and dance perfectly, every day will get easier and easier. After reading this book, it was not what I thought it was going to be. Since the theme of my book review is on disabilities, I thought that this story was going to be about a little girl who was born with a disability. However, Katya experienced her disability at a later time. I felt that this book can show children that a life altering event can happen any moment of any do, such as Katya getting sick. However even though it can change things, it does not mean it has to be that way forever. It is always hard getting use to something at first (whether it’s something with you or a loved one) but with constant love, support, and patience, anything is possible.

Lang, Glenna. Looking Out for Sarah. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge Publishing, 2001. Print.

This is a story based on true events of a dog named Perry who helps guide his owner Sarah who is blind. The book explains how Perry takes directions from Sarah and helps her find her way all over town (they even walked from Boston to New York!). I feel that reading this story to children will allow them to see that no matter what happens in life whether you have an accident or a disability, that you will always have options for mobility. Sarah may not be able to see, but how amazing is it that a dog can be trained to be her eyes for her? I feel that this book would be great for children because it incorporates an animal, but also because they could very well see this in everyday life.

Lewis, Beverly. In Jesse's Shoes. Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers, 2007. Print.

This is an amazing story about a girl named Allie who has an older brother, Jesse, with a disability.  While she doesn’t get why she has to help her brother since she is the youngest and why other kids laugh at him, she notices how he gets easily intrigued and distracted by everything. Allie’s parents always told her that God made her brother special and she never really understood until she started looking at things from Jesse’s point of view. I really enjoyed this book because it gave great detail about what some kids go through when dealing with a disability. On Jesse’s side, it explained how he interprets his surroundings while his sister Allie always feels laughed at. I feel that this story will allow children to actually take a walk in Jesse’s shoes. It will give them reassurance that everyone, including themselves, are different and that there is nothing wrong with that.  I believe that it is important for children to know this because in school they will most likely see and have to interact with children who have disabilities and they should understand that they are in many ways just like they are.

Petrillo, Genevieve. Keep Your Ear on the Ball. Gardiner: Tilbury House Publishers, 2009. Print.

Davey was a new kid in school who happened to be blind. His new friends tried to do anything and everything to help Davey out, especially when it came to kick ball. Although Davey did well getting around on his own, he made his team lose in kick ball. However, his friends had a plan to help him use more of his hearing to guide him which helped him be more successful in the game. This book some what reminded me of Looking Out for Sarah because it does deal with both of the main characters being blind, is written in brail, but also discusses how they maneuver around their environment. I really enjoyed how the book shared that even if someone has a disability, they can still be independent and do things for themselves. I also liked how it showed the character using his other senses of touch and hearing to show that all of your senses are helpful and important. This would be great to read to children to show how everyone can work together into making anything possible.

Robb, Diane Burton. The Alphabet War: A Story About Dyslexia. Morton Grove: Albert Whitman & Company, 2004. Print.

Adam is a little boy who goes through school struggling to read because he has dyslexia. He later realizes that although he might not be able to read or write well, there are still so many things that he excels at. This would be a great book to read to children because it shows them that not everyone has the same talents. While one student may be an all-star athlete but can only draw stick figures, another student could be a fantastic artist who can’t shoot a free throw. I really enjoyed this book and feel like if someone wanted to use it in a class activity, you can go around and have each student share what his or her strengths are and even possibly demonstrate them to the rest of the class.

Jill N. Book Review #2

Numeroff, Laura. (2002). Laura Numeroff’s 10-Step Guide to Living with Your Monster. New York: Laura


Geringer Books.

Do you want a monster? Well this book tells you everything you need to know about bringing home your pet monster! From choosing your monster to tucking him in at night, you will be a well-informed monster owner after reading this book!

I thought this book was a very clever way to make monsters into something relatable and familiar—Numeroff makes taking care of a monster seem like taking care of a pet, which makes them seem less intimidating. I also enjoyed the “step” aspect of the story—it uses counting without being a math book.

An activity that you could do with this book would be to have each child create a “monster” using various art supplies, like tissue paper, pompoms, glitter, paint, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, etc. Then, they could go through the ten steps with their monster. In the classroom, you could set up stations for each step and do them each separately (or maybe two per day). It would be easy to set up a pretend vet’s office, have the kids name their monsters, make monster food, make a monster obstacle course, a pretend gas station, training camp, music center, bath time, and a bedtime station. The students would love to do these activities, and they would hopefully be less intimidated by the idea of monsters!

Stein, David Ezra. (2007). Monster Hug. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons.

Two monsters wake up and start their day together. They play baseball, hide-and-seek, they splash and make art, they play games, eat and make music, and then their parents send them to bed! In a day full of adventure, these monsters don’t miss a thing!

This would be a really fun opportunity to have students write their own stories. They could start with waking up in the morning, and then draw and write all the things they would like to do during the day. It would help increase literacy and text to illustration connections, and the kids would have to draw pictures to help elaborate on their text. Then, the class could have a story sharing event, where the parents are invited to listen to the students share their work. It would be a wonderful unit that would build confidence and help the students practice their communication skills through writing and speaking.

Regan, Dian Curtis. (2009). Monster Baby. New York: Clarion Books.

When the Olivers find a basket on their doorstep, they decide to take in the baby and adopt it. Then they find out that the baby is a monster! Olly grows very quickly and learns some important life lessons, and he and his family meet some new neighbors whose daughter is a perfect match for Olly!

One fun activity for students to do after reading this book would be to write a tall tale. The story could be included as part of a larger tall tale unit, and the students could each write a tall tale, making themselves into monsters or any unbelievable character. Goals for this unit would be to use proper grammatical structure, conventions of storytelling, and telling a tall tale as though it is true. It would also be fun to act the stories out, creating costumes and props, to help the students more completely portray their ideas. Students could take inspiration from Olly and other tall tale characters that they study during the unit. The plays could be recorded and then turned into a class DVD of tall tale plays.

Emberley, Rebecca, Adrian and Ed. (2009). There Was an Old Monster. New York: Orchard Books.

This story is modeled on There Was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly. It is a fun new interpretation of a classic children’s story. A monster decides to eat some pretty disgusting things, and in the end, there is a surprise. It is set to music on www.scholastic.com/oldmonster and the song is performed by the author’s daughter.

The first activity that students can do with this book involves music. You could bring in instruments like wood blocks, maracas, castanets, and other rhythm instruments for the kids to use to play along with the song. Also, you could bring in old coffee containers and make them into big “feet” and the students can use them to stomp around during the song. This would get the kids up and moving during the story and allow them to express themselves freely. Second, you could do a story retelling activity, in which you provide a paper with all of the animals in the story, but they are out of order. The students could color and cut out the pictures, and then glue them on construction paper in order. Again, this story makes monsters something fun and non-threatening for kids to interact with.

Willems, Mo. (2005). Leonardo the Terrible Monster. New York: Hyperion Books.

Leonardo is a monster, but the other monsters are so much better than him. He can’t scare anyone, not even the most pitiful, sad kid around. Then, Leonardo comes up with another plan: he won’t be a terrible monster anymore. He’ll try something new.

A great activity to use with this book is to do a lesson on friendship. You can read the story as an introduction, and then do some video modeling where the kids watch appropriate friendship strategies. Then, as a class, they can generate a chart, with one side for good friends and one side for not-so-nice friends. The students can fill in the characteristics that fit on either side of the chart, and then they can read the story again, this time identifying the nice things that Leonardo does. This will promote social development and help students understand social rules and norms.

Jessica H. second book review

Long, Melinda. How I became a pirate. San Diego: Harcourt, 2003. Print.

                One day while at the beach with his family, Jeremy Jacob spots a pirate ship. He tries to tell his parents, but they are too busy and Jeremy ends up having a pirate adventure!

                For me, this book was a little too predictable, starting with the front cover. The illustration on the front cover clearly depicts a stereotypical pirate (pirate hat, missing teeth, ear ring, red jacket, beard, and a parrot…the only thing missing is an eye patch and a hook). The book continues on with the stereotypical adventure.  Jeremy’s parents are too busy to notice him because his mother is taking care of the baby (typical female role) and the father is trying to put up the umbrella (maybe he didn’t read the directions?) so Jeremy runs off on a pirate adventure and his parents never notice. Overall, this book is way to stereotypical and predictable for me, but a child may like it because it deals with pirates and a child actually gets to become a pirate; a child can easily use their imagination and have a similar adventure.

Mcnamara, Margaret. Too Many Cooks (Ratatouille). New York: Disney, 2007. Print.

                The rats are working hard in the kitchen in order to prepare their food perfectly. Their challenge is to impress the world’s toughest food critic, can they do it?

                I thought this book was adorable, and not only because I love Disney. This book is a great way for younger children to relate to the movie on a level they can better comprehend. I really liked the illustrations in the book; you can easily relate them to the characters in the movie and know who they are. The illustrations are also fun and colorful, perfect for younger children. There are some French words and cooking terms used in the book, but they are all explained in a section in the back which is also colorful and easily relatable for children. This book would be perfect to use in the classroom as part of a French culture lesson because of the terms, or as part of a cooking unit (or even for children who help their parents cook) or as a tie-in with the movie.

Primavera, Elise. Louise the big cheese and the la-di-dah shoes. New York: Simon & Schuster for Young Readers, 2010. Print.

                Louise is a little girl who has a very big problem, all she wants is a pair of la-di-dah shoes like her sister, but all she gets is the brown squeaky ones. How will Louise ever be a big cheese without her la-di-dah shoes?

                I was attracted to this book starting with the cover, it involves shoes everywhere and glitter (pretty cool!). As I continued to read the book, I figured out that the illustrations were actually my favorite part. The end pages, first of all, are very cute and creative if you just take the time to sit and read them. My favorite illustration takes place in the shoe store when Louise’s mother buys her the ugly brown shoes, which are called Trainers: Jimmy Choo Choo, there is also a sign by a familiar type of boots with their name (UGGLY) displayed prominently. I would not use this book as a read aloud, a book like this with so many detailed illustrations really needs to be sat down and looked at.

Goode, Diane. The Most Perfect Spot. Harper Collins, 2006. Print.

                Jack thinks that he has found the perfect spot for him and his mama to have a picnic. However, suddenly, things keep happening!

                For me, this was funny in a realistic kind of way. Jack starts out by being all cute and innocent by making his mother breakfast in bed and wanting to take her on a picnic; he knows the perfect spot. However, when Jack and his mom get to the park, they seem to encounter a lot of interruptions. This book was appealing to me because it shows the reality of life. Things don’t always go as planned and you have to learn to roll with the punches, which Jack finally figures out. I would use this book in a classroom perhaps in a lesson contrasting with a fairy tale with happy ever afters and all that jazz or to let students know that it is okay to not have everything go perfect; you can still have a good day. 

 Tomie., De Paola,. Stagestruck. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2005. Print.

                Miss Bird’s class is putting on the play Peter Rabbit and Tommy is sure that he will get the part of Peter, but when he won’t stop talking; Miss Bird gives the part to someone else! Tommy doesn’t know if he will ever get the attention he wants, until he gets an idea.

                I have mixed feelings about this book. First of all Miss Bird is a horrible name for a teacher and she’s not very nice! In the book, she tells Tommy to be quiet, gives his part to someone else (and tells him in front of everyone!) and doesn’t say anything to Tommy after the show. Tommy is a pretty clever kid; he figures out that if Miss Bird is going to take his part away then he’s going to be a drama queen on stage.  The kid who was playing Peter just could have easily stolen the show. But I guess in the grand scheme of obedience and good children, Tommy should have done what he was told and been a good, quiet little rabbit. I would use this book in the classroom to foster a debate between students on whether what Tommy did was right or wrong. This would be a good way to get students to get involved and discuss the book openly. 

Jessie Treadway Review 2

O'Brien, Robert C. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks, 1971. Print.

This Newberry winner is a fascinating story with multiple levels of interest for readers of all ages. It tells the story of a widowed mouse and her four children as they struggle for survival in their winter home as spring approaches. Despite her youngest song falling ill, Mrs. Frisby must move her family to their summer home or risk being plowed over by the farmer’s tractor. Looking everywhere for help, she turns to her late husband’s friends: the rats of NIMH.

I remembered the movie as a child and even then I remember the most basic lesson from the book: a mother’s love. Every child, human or animal, can relate to the never-ending love a mother has for them. The risks Mrs. Frisby takes time and time again while trying to save her family shows the great lengths parents will go for their children. Also the fact that the heroine of the story is a mother is unique since most protagonists are singular characters without ties to others and mothers are generally seen as side figures to the main character of the child in children’s literature. By showing the mother as a brave figure set out to save her children against terrible dangers, children may alter their perspective they have toward mothers.

As the reader matures they can now understand the concept of the rats of NIMH and their story. The description of the rats being captured and experimented on brings about real issues that are still being fought over today. Is it wrong to test on animals drugs we want to test on humans but are not sure if they are safe? Can animals feel pain the same way people do? Telling this story from the animals’ perspective brings about difficult questions and emotions within the reader upon the realization that experimenting on lab rats is common practice.

With regards to what age this novel would be appropriate for I feel that the youngest would be 4th or 5th grade but I feel even high school-aged students would be interested. It would fit in nicely in political science classes discussing animal rights. Or when learning about different kinds of rodents it would be fun to read a book from their perspective about what their lives are really like.

Overall this book brings about emotion in the reader. We learn about love, bravery, pain, death, and the sadness that come with. By making the characters animals, it distances the intensity of the story enough for the reader to feel empathy without depression.