Second Book Review

Schwartz, Amy. Bea and Mr. Jones. Orlando: Harcourt, 2006. Print.

Bea & Mr. Jones, written and illustrated by Amy Schwartz

Bea Jones and her father switch places for the day, with Bea going to work at the ad agency and her father going to kindergarten.

I remember enjoying this book as a child, so I decided to revisit it.  I found it very enjoyable as an adult and it is definitely a book I would recommend.  The idea of a child and parent switching places for the day is fun for kids to think about.  I greatly appreciated that this book did not have a “grass is greener on the other side” ending, but that Bea and her father each “[find] their proper niche in the world” (Schwartz 24). 

The illustrations are black and white, but very detailed.  They definitely are an important part of the story, as they help convey the characters’ attitudes and body language.  I especially liked the illustration of the kindergarten teacher, Miss Seymour sighing and swooning at Mr. Jones as he rescues a child from a tree. 

This book could spark discussions on future career possibilities and what each student thinks their niche in the world will be.  This book could probably best be used in the classroom with younger grades, probably 2^nd grade or younger, although students of any age would find the story humorous. 

Wiesner, David. June 29, 1999. New York: Clarion, 1992. Print.

June 29, 1999, written and illustrated by David Wiesner

Holly Evans sends vegetable seedling into the sky on May 11^th.  When giant vegetables reach Earth on June 29^th, Holly wonders how it happened.

I chose this book after seeing Tuesday by David Wiesner passed around in class.  Unlike Tuesday or Flotsam, also by David Wiesner, June 29, 1999 has text accompanying the illustrations.  The illustrations are still the major focus of the book though, and they are beautiful and imaginative. 

The story is creative and definitely reminiscent of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, written by Judi Barrett and illustrated by Ron Barrett.  It is very imaginative and discussions about the students’ thoughts on extraterrestrial life could accompany this book well.  They could draw pictures or write stories about what else they think the space aliens’ life is like. 

Wiesner, David. Flotsam. New York: Clarion, 2006. Print.

Flotsam, written by David Wiesner

Told only through illustrations, a boy finds an underwater camera that washes up on the beach. 

This is another book by David Wiesner that I chose to read.  I was really interested in the fact that it has no text, but the story is told only through illustrations.  I ended up loving this book; it is one that I would definitely buy for myself or classroom or to give as a gift. 

Since there is no text, students who are not reading yet for any reason would enjoy it.  I think children who are ELL would especially like this book.  It would be a great accompaniment to a science or biology lesson about the beach (although it does get a little imaginative with the activities of the fish). 

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

Stagestruck, written and illustrated by Tomie DePaola

Tommy wants to play Peter Rabbit in the spring play.  Even though he gets a small role instead, he still steals the show.

I chose this book because I have always liked Tomie DePaola’s style.  His illustrations are always excellent, just as they are in this book, and they definitely contribute to the story.  Honestly, I did not really enjoy this book as much as some of Tomie DePaola’s other books.  I found that Tommy did not really feel sorry for stealing the show, even though he apologizes to his classmates and teacher.  Some kids though, who enjoy attention and being on stage could definitely relate to Tommy.

This book would be great to introduce children to acting.  This book could be read before having your students perform their own play.  They could even read Peter Rabbit and make it into a play to perform in the classroom.

Hest, Amy, and Amy Schwartz. The Purple Coat. New York: Four Winds, 1986. Print.

The Purple Coat, written by Amy Hest and illustrated by Amy Schwartz

Even though Gabrielle always gets a navy blue coat, she wants a purple coat this year.  She still needs to convince Mama, who wants to stick with tradition.

This is another great book illustrated by Amy Schwartz.  I like that it introduces the concept of going to a tailor, in this case Gabrielle’s grandfather, to buy clothes, instead of buying them ready-made at a store.  There are also other elements in this book that children may not be familiar with, such as riding subways.

I think this book would work well to start discussions on compromising with others during disagreements.  Kids could think of ways that they could compromise situations through acting out different scenarios.

Elizabeth Seiler-First Book Review

Browne, Anthony. Into the Forest. Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick, 2004. Print.

Into the Forest, written and illustrated by Anthony Browne

A young boy’s father goes missing the day before he is asked to take a cake to his grandma.  Disobeying his mother he takes the quick path through the woods, crossing paths with fairy-tale characters.

I originally picked up this book, because I have enjoyed other Anthony Browne books, especially those about Willy the Chimp.  As I can recall, I had not previously read this particular book.  Anthony Browne’s illustrations are extremely detailed, often with little “clues” or pictures that provide interest.  The cover is a mostly black and white illustration of a forest, with a young boy walking on a path in the woods.  If you look closely though, you notice that the boy’s shadow looks like a rabbit and there are little objects in the woods like a frog, an apple, and a castle.  These details are found throughout the book and could provide interest for both adults and children. 

The book starts out starts out with the sudden disappearance of the boy’s father, something that would make any young child scared.  The illustrations are stark, reflecting the apprehension of having a missing parent.  Children would have fun identifying the different fairy-tale characters the boy meets and look for other details about the characters in the illustrations.  The book could be slightly scary, but when the boy reaches his grandma’s house all is well.  This is reflected by the full-color, happy illustrations.

This book could tie in with any lesson about fairy tales, showing how they can be incorporated or made into spin-offs.  It can also be used to show a child that while things may seem scary, they will end up turning out fine.

Hoban, Russell, and Lillian Hoban. Bread and Jam for Frances.  New York: HarperCollins, 1993. Print.

Bread and Jam for Frances, written by Russell Hoban, illustrated by Lillian Hoban

Frances is a picky eater who only likes bread and jam.  After having to eat bread and jam for every meal, Frances realizes that variety is the spice of life.

I remember enjoying the Frances books as a young child, so I thought I would revisit them.  I found the story funny and charming and the full-color illustrations of the badger family are a beautiful complement.  I really liked the many songs Frances makes up throughout the book.  She can also be somewhat sassy, although never in a rude way.  I also found the descriptions of the enormous and detailed lunches very appetizing:  “a thermos bottle with cream of tomato soup…and a lobster-salad sandwich on thin slices of white bread…celery, carrot sticks, and black olives, and a little cardboard shaker of salt for the celery.  And two plums and a tiny basket of cherries.  And vanilla pudding with chocolate sprinkles and a spoon to eat it with” (Hoban and Hoban 31).

This story would be great for any child who is a picky eater, hopefully showing them that eating the same food at every meal becomes boring.  Children could think of foods that they did not used to like, but enjoy now.  In the spirit of Frances kids could make up songs about their favorite foods.  It could also accompany a lesson on different foods that people eat around the world. 

 Hoban, Russell, and Lillian Hoban. A Birthday for Frances. New York: HarperCollins, 1995. Print.

A Birthday for Frances, written by Russell Hoban, illustrated by Lillian Hoban

It is Frances’ little sister’s birthday tomorrow, but Frances is not sure whether se will give her a present or not.

This is another book about Frances and her family.  I enjoyed this book, just like Bread and Jam for Frances.  Again, Frances’ spunky attitude and songs and the illustrations were delightful, and the dialogue was amusing.  Many children would relate to the jealousy Frances feels because it is her sister’s birthday.  This story shows that even when you feel jealous because it is someone else’s special day, you can feel better if you do the right thing.  For this reason it is a great book to lead a discussion on feelings and sibling rivalry. This book could also accompany a lesson on birthday celebrations.  

Barrett, Judi, and Ron Barrett. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. New York: Atheneum, 1978. Print.

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, written by Judi Barrett, illustrated by Ron Barrett

A grandfather tells his children a bedtime story about the town of Chewandswallow, a place where the weather brings the food, snowing mashed potatoes and raining soup.  When the weather takes a turn for the worse, the people must make a decision.

This is another story that I loved as a child.  It has recently been made into a digitally animated movie, although I have not seen it.  The book starts out slowly, introducing the children and their grandfather.  I really became interested when Grandpa began telling the bedtime story.  The idea of the weather bringing in the food is fun and interesting.  The illustrations are detailed, showing people collecting food while on the go, roofless restaurants, and the unusual sanitation department.  When the weather gets worse and the food gets bigger the illustrations become even better with giant pancakes and donuts.

This book would be another fun accompaniment to a lesson on food.  It is imaginative and different.  Although I have not seen the movie it might be interesting to have children compare the book and movie. 

Potter, Beatrix. "The Tale of Tom Kitten." Beatrix Potter, the Complete Tales. Ed. Frederick Warne. London, Eng.: Penguin, 1997. 147-58. Print.

The Tale of Tom Kitten, written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter

Three kittens get into mischief before their mother’s tea party.

Although I remember Peter Rabbit and some of the other Beatrix Potter books well from childhood, I do not remember reading The Tale of Tom Kitten.  I read this as part of a treasury of all of Beatrix Potter’s tales, so it was a much larger volume than the smaller books she is known for although the illustrations and words are still printed in their smaller size.  I enjoyed this story about the mischievous kittens and as always, I loved the illustrations which really seemed to capture the characters’ personalities. 

Overall it is a very sweet, short book that I feel young children would enjoy.  It is important to note that the mother cat smacks the kittens for being naughty, which some parents might find inappropriate in a children’s story.  This story includes many great vocabulary words, such as affronted, repose, and tucker, which could lead to discussions on vocabulary of the past and vocabulary in different countries such as England.  The beautiful watercolor illustrations could also easily accompany an art lesson, in which students could paint common animals like kittens and ducks.