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Otis With his expressive headlight eyes and nimble tires, Otis is more than just a special tractor. He is a hard worker, a dedicated companion, and a creative problem-solver. His playful games of leapfrog (over hay bales) and ring-around-the-rosy (with the ducks) demonstrate his love of farm life. When the farmer brings a lonely baby calf to the barn, Otis’s comforting sounds bring calm and security to the creature, and the two become fast friends. His putt-puff-puttedy-chuff sound expresses affection, determination, and a sense of adventure. Just saying those words brings a smile to the reader’s face! |
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Andy Shane and the Queen of Egypt Andy Share and the Queen of Egypt is an easy-to-read, slightly slapstick and engagingly fun read. When Andy Shane’s grandmother presents him with a scarab beetle encased in plastic, he knows which country he will choose for his culture fair project. But when he arrives at school he finds Dolores Starbuckle dressed as the Queen of Egypt, the trouble begins. Both of them can’t do a project on Egypt! But Dolores thinks they can work together and pulls out all the stops in her creative arsenal to finally convince Andy. In the end, teamwork wins out and both children celebrate in their own creative ways. Black and white illustrations by artist Abby Carter are scattered throughout the text, adding an extra layer of playfulness. Broken into four short chapters, this zany tale is sure to delight young readers who just may find themselves on its pages. |
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A Big Cheese for the White House: The True Tale of Tremendous Cheddar There are many golden nuggets of history that get lost, but thanks to Candace Fleming’s picture book, A Big Cheese for the White House: The True Tale of a Tremendous Cheddar, the amazing accomplishment of the people of Cheshire is not. In the early 1800’s every cow in the area contributed milk for a 1235-pound wheel of cheese as a gift for President Thomas Jefferson. The true facts are outlined on the back page. Fleming’s characters have engaging and often humorous personalities. Elder John is optimistic and gives the town the energy it needs to keep going while Phineas Dobbs can only see the problems. The reader is soon cheering the town on to success as they milk the cows, press the curds and age the cheese. S.D. Schindler’s watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations add to the sense of playfulness and his cartoon like artwork integrates well with the witty text. A Big Cheese for the White House is a fun elaboration of an historic event. A wonderful way to make history accessible to children of all ages, this picture book is a good reminder that any event can make a good story.
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The Donkey of Gallipoli: A True Story of Courage in World War I It’s always a treat when history can be condensed into digestible moments and when events that didn’t make the front page get the attention they deserve. Jack was an ordinary boy growing up in England. Always on the lookout a golden opportunity, he gave donkey rides for a penny a turn during the summer. Fast forward to the battlefields of Gallipoli, Turkey, during World War I. Jack is working as a stretcher-bearer when he meets Duffy, the donkey, and again sees a golden opportunity for working together. Together Jack and Duffy save more than 300 men over the course of 24 days and Duffy soon earns the nickname ‘Bahadur’, the bravest of the brave. The Donkey of Gallipoli: A True Story of Courage in World War I is based on their true story. Folksy type illustrations done in gouache take the reader from the bright blue shores of South Shields, England to the rusty browns of the Turkish front. A colorful glossary of terms, a map and descriptions of the real people portrayed in this picture book story are presented on the last few pages. The battle of Gallipoli was monumental in the lives of Australians, but we rarely hear about it in our history books and classrooms. The Donkey of Gallipoli: A True Story of Courage in World War I is a good way to tell the story.
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Singing Crickets Singing Crickets takes the reader through the life cycle of the cricket in a fun and rhyming way. Hearing with their knees, shedding their skin, growing wings – all the important facts in a life of a cricket are compiled in such a way that children can easily grasp the concepts. Richard M. Houseman from the department of entomology at the University of Missouri acted as a consultant, lending credence to the scientific viability of the text, and the soft and colorfully detailed illustrations demonstrate that illustrator Tess Feltes is an acute observer of nature. Singing Crickets is a great beginning science text about observation, life cycles and insects. . It joins author Linda Glaser’s nonfiction picture book Dazzling Dragonflies: a Life Cycle Story as a welcome addition to any elementary classroom. |
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Little Blue Truck Written in a simple rhyming format, Little Blue Truck is a charming story of friendship between barnyard animals and a tractor. When the little truck has trouble pulling a dump truck out of the mud, his animal buddies help save the day. Sounds like “Beep!” and “”Honk!” on each page offer young readers easy ways to participate in the telling of the story and gouache illustrations painted in rich autumn colors and active brush strokes invite the reader in to the story in a tangible way.
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One Tractor: A Counting Book In this Lilliputian scenario, a little boy’s toy pirates come alive and join him on a continuous adventure with all kinds of vehicles including those that glide, sail and roll. More than a simple counting book, the watercolor images in One Tractor drive the story and give children the opportunity to read both words and pictures as they count the objects and machines on each page. This wonderfully imaginative approach to numbers told with very few words is sure to be a favorite read-aloud and will have a special appeal to boys. |
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Jack's House Inspired by author Karen Magnuson Beil’s own puppy, Jack’s House is a fun way to introduce the simple steps in building a house. Jack, the dog and foreman of the construction job, is very efficient and gets the job done. The unexpected twist at the end along with Mike Wohnoutka’s engaging acrylic illustrations add a playfulness to this retelling of a classic tale. Reminiscent of books like The Napping House and There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, each progressive page repeats the actions of the pages before (“This is the dump truck that hauled the two trees… where the roof was nailed… where the walls were bricked…) making the text easier for young readers to ‘read’ along. Full of unabashed joy with the dog winning out over the master in the end, this picture book is the perfect read for boys who like tractors or any other big machine with levers, wheels or control sticks. |
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Gabriella's Song I am one of those people who sings just about anywhere, and Candace Fleming’s award winning picture book, Gabriella’s Song, strikes just the right chord. Young Gabriella hears music in the ordinariness of everyday; in the street sellers’ chatter (“hot pie hot”, “fresh fresh fish”!), in the rhythm of the tethered boats (“bump de bump bump”) and in her mother’s call (“amore mio”!). Soon the music of the world has become a part of her, and Gabriella can’t help but put it all into her song. It touches everyone she encounters throughout the day and each person hears something different in the melody. It doesn’t take long before Gabriella’s song has become a part of the heartbeat of Venice. Giselle Potter’s flat ink, watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations transport the reader to the old-world charm of Venice, Italy. Endpapers dance with music hanging on the line and the reader can’t help but smile at the joy that crescendos off the pages. An author’s note at the front outlines a bit about the background of music in Venice and a letter from the author at the back tells the reader where the inspiration for the story came from. Gabriella’s Song is the perfect book for elementary classrooms studying about Venice, music teachers wanting to open up the world to students and anyone who wants to open their eyes to the music of the world. |
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Lucia and the Light I live in a world of eternal sunshine (in the summer) and long days of darkness (in the winter) in the high mountains of the far north, the land where Phyllis Root has set Lucia and the Light. In this story, trolls have captured the sun so they can live without fear; they turn to stone in the light. Fortunately Lucia is a bit cleverer than the trolls and finds a way to trick them into giving up their treasure. Many cultures have myths, fables and legends to explain natural phenomenon, and in Lucia and the Light, Root has transformed this Norwegian inspired tale into a simple story that pulls the reader along in Lucia’s quest and ultimate victory. This would make a wonderful read-aloud on one of those long dark days of winter. Mary Grand Prè’s shadowy, muted colors evoke cold and wintry blasts from the page and she once again captures the magic we have come to know and love from her Harry Potter cover illustrations. Root’s distinctive language is also very evocative in phrases like “the baby cooed and grew fat by the hearth” or “the frost covered the nail heads in the walls and the wind sneaked in through the cracks and tossed the last of the flour in the barrel around.” Those of us who have experienced winter can taste the cold wind and rejoice with Lucia and her mother when the sun finally returns to its rightful place in the sky. |
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Rainstorm Almost every child has looked out the window on a rainy day and longed to be outside. Toys and books sit idle on the shelf but still that child wonders what to do. In this wordless picture book by Barbara Lehman (Caldecott Honor winner for The Red Book in 2005) a boy wanders aimlessly around his big house during a gloomy day, alone and bored. When he finds a key that eventually unlocks a trunk leading to a secret passage and another world, he discovers that play is only limited by his imagination. Rainstorm is the sort of text that could be used in a variety of ways. Young readers will enjoy telling their own story as they interpret the illustrations. Older readers can write down what they see in either in the entire story or in a particular image. Wordless picture books are great tools for English Language Learners as well, and the concept of rain hindering play is universal. Lehman’s watercolor, gouache and ink illustrations are colorful, emphasizing the simple lines and shapes. The story they tell is magical, and to every child holds the promise of unknown adventure.
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Where's My Mummy? Not too scary and just scary enough. When you read to a child who loves the delicious shiver of monsters and secrets, but doesn’t like to be scared, this is the right choice. Fun to read out loud, full of onomatopoeia and repetition, you can “Flap flip flap / Whap whap WHOO / flap flip FLOO” your way through this book. Baby Mummy wants to play one last game of Hide-and-Shriek before he goes to bed, but when Mama Mummy doesn’t find him quickly enough he sets out to find her. Instead, he finds monsters in the swamp who care more about making sure Baby Mummy brushes his teeth and washes behind his ears. The unexpected occurs with every page turn—just when you’re ready for Baby Mummy to find the next monster in his search, he happens upon something that truly scares him … and will make every child laugh out loud. The story is full of evocative word choices, such as “the spookery woods,” and the varying sentence length allows the reader to build tension and anticipation. Manders has responded to the text with a Baby Mummy who is just this side of adorable and a Mama Mummy who will be welcomed by any bedtime traveler. His spookery woods are filled with gnarled trees and spider webs, but his monsters are the best. Surely this book will be a favorite night after night. |
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Rain Romp: Stomping Away a Grouchy Day Written by Jane Kurtz Illustrated by Dyanna Wolcott Greenwillow, 2002 ISBN 9780060298050 Have you ever been grouchy and not wanted to get out of bed? Every child knows what that feels like. In Rain Romp, author Jane Kurtz helps her young protagonist find the cure. Once out of bed she discovers that a little puddle splashing quickly chases away those rainy day blues, and that they run even faster when mom and dad come out and splash a little too. Kurtz’s descriptive style works well with Wolcott’s gouache and water illustrations that easily convey a cloudy day with their soft muted tones. Rain Romp is also a story about family, and the love that is shared when parents and children do things together. A great read aloud for young classrooms or bedtime cuddling, Rain Romp is a gentle reminder that warmth doesn’t always have to come from the sun. |
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To Be Like the Sun Written by Susan Marie Swanson Illus. by Margaret Chodos-Irvine Harcourt, 2008 ISBN 9780152057961 As the sun warms the ground and melts the remaining snow, my mind contemplates the wonder of growth. Grass will soon turn green, trees will bud, plants will emerge from the soil. The scientific explanations aside, awe fills me when I ponder the marvel of what grows from a tiny seed. Such is the case with the narrator in Susan Marie’s bright book. The young girl talks to the striped sunflower seed before she hoes the earth, knowing “all the instructions are written in” its heart. As the rain chatters to seeds, as the stem pokes out of the ground, as she gives the plant water from the garden hose, the child is astonished with the sunflower’s growth toward the sun. When other living plants transform into the golden hues of autumn, she questions whether all those seeds are heavy with the stored sunlight. And as the seeds rock in the feeder surround by cardinals and oak leaves, the photograph of the sunflower blossom hangs on her refrigerator, reminding her in winter that a though a sunflower seed “is smaller than a word,” it worked hard “to be like the sun.” Beautifully told, this cyclical story does more than share the process of sunflower growth. Through the narrator’s eyes, the speculation about a seed’s abilities to anticipate the future, to tell its unique story, are simply articulated. The artist’s unique print-making style brings vibrancy to the progression of the flower’s development. From her careful cradling of the lone seed in Spring to her outstretched arms below the tall, fully-blossomed flower, the girl’s concern is conveyed in the well-designed, vivid art. Use this story to share the miracle of growth with readers who, too, are growing in their understanding of botanical processes. |
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Pitching in for Eubie Written by Jerdine Nolen Illus. by E.B. Lewis Armistad, 2007 ISBN 9780688149178 Okay, add another picture book (this makes four) to my list of short books that can make you cry. Jerdine Nolen’s Pitching in for Eubie, illustrated by E.B. Lewis is a quiet story about love and commitment. Eubie, the eldest daughter in the family has been accepted to college. She’s even gotten an academic scholarship! But the amount the family must pay toward her room and board seems insurmountable. There is a moment of elation when the acceptance letter arrives, follow by stunned silence. Papa breaks the silence, declaring: “We can do it! We can raise that money if we all pitch in! We have the whole summer. After all…dreams are meant to come true.” Okay, I teared up again just thinking about this poor family committing to their eldest daughter—a girl! Lily, the baby of the family at about eight or so years old, wants to help, too. But what can she do? She tries several options and none work out. It means a lot to Eubie that Lily is trying so hard. Daddy’s working Sundays, Mama’s taking in sewing, brother Jacob gets a job in town, so Lily has to do more at home: feed the chickens, do the dishes. But this just isn’t enough to satisfy Lily. In the end, there’s a wonderful solution. And it comes about as a result of Lily’s determination to help her sister. This isn’t just a book about the importance of family and the satisfaction that comes from helping someone else. It’s a book about stating to the universe your intentions, and having those intentions met in a way that you couldn’t originally see. |
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Tatanka and the Lakota People Illus by Donald F. Montileaux So. Dak. St. Historical Society Press, 2006 ISBN 9780974919584 Almost every culture and religion in the world has stories that explain creation, and in this short picture book Donald Montileaux has artfully addressed one portion of the Lakota creation myths. Written in both English and Lakota, Tatanka and the Lakota People tells the story of how Tatanka the buffalo came to the Lakota from the people of the Great Plains. “The Great Spirit Skan, who grew out of Stone after the Earth was made, created our ancestors”. Storytelling is an oral tradition and was used to explain things that otherwise could not be explained; how the earth was made, where people came from, the power of the sun. This story is written as a narrative, and it is easy to imagine a grandfather sitting around the campfire with his grandchildren telling them the way it once was. Nature is personified and has the power to give life and grant favors. The flat-two dimensional style of the illustrations emulates traditional buffalo hides painted by the Lakota and were originally paintings commissioned for the Oyate Tawicoh’an exhibit at the Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre, South Dakota. This beautifully simple book honors the Lakota people and their traditions and is a good way to introduce Native American myth to the classroom. “To help us, Tatanka came to earth as a great shaggy beast. He was willing to give up his life so we could have food, shelter, and clothing.” |
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Mother Goose's Little Treasures Written by Iona Opie Illus by Rosemary Wells Candlewick, 2007 ISBN 9780763636555 There once was a woman, a countrywoman, who told stories. No specific individual has ever been successfully identified as the real Mother Goose, but author Iona Opie could be her modern equivalent. Opie’s earlier Mother Goose collections, My Very First Mother Goose and Here Comes Mother Goose, have been widely popular, paving the way for this newest edition. In Mother Goose’s Little Treasures this world-renowned authority on children’s rhymes, playground games and guardian of Mother Goose’s tales has gathered together some of the more obscure and unknown snippets Mother Goose’s songs and nursery rhymes. The leaves are green, the nuts are brown; Illustrator Rosemary Wells’ rabbits dominate the watercolor and gouache character palate, making the texts of these tales playful, universal and timeless. A nicely bound book in that square hardcover format that is fun and easy for readers to hold, this delightful treasure is a great source of tongues twisters, jump rope rhymes and an exploration into the musical rhythm of words. A great read-aloud and a must for any library. |
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Maple Syrup Season Written by Ann Purmell Illustrated by Jill Weber Holiday House, 2008 ISBN 9780823418916 I have tapped Maple trees in the spring in Minnesota’s north woods, but it was in my cousin’s back yard and we only took sap from a few trees. Ann Purmell and Jill Weber have teamed up once again to paint a much larger picture of a family’s commercial maple syrup production in Maple Syrup Season. As in their earlier book Christmas Tree Farm, we follow the process from start to finish, from farmyard to grocery story shelf. The entire Brockwell family is involved in the maple syrup operation. Grandpa drills the holes in the maple trees, the ladies hammer in the spouts and the children clean the holes and hang the buckets. Anyone who thought maple syrup came from a grocery store shelf will read wide eyed as they discover it first starts as tree sap, tapped (taken from the tree) in the early spring. Processed (boiled down) in a sugar house it eventually ends up as the syrup we pour on our Saturday morning pancakes. The folk style illustrations are playful with lots to look at and recurring animal characters. Painted in gouache, Caran D’Ache, gesso, and with Saran plastic wrap for texture, the cool colors will remind anyone living in a northern climate of the cold winter months. The text itself paints a verbal picture of the winter cold with phrases like “claps mittened hands”, “wind blows freezing air” or “Hayden’s cheeks are mapley wet”. Did you know that a maple tree must be over 40 years old before it is mature enough to tap its sap? Did you know that the season for tapping the trees lasts only 4-6 weeks from early February to late April? Did you know that 4-5 taps yield 40 gallons of sap which boil down to only 1 gallon of syrup? The back two pages are chock full of Maple Syrup Facts including the history, legends and a glossary illustrated with picture sound bites from the book. Maple Syrup Season would be a great read-aloud in an elementary classroom, leaving plenty of room for discussion. |
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Mother Goose: Numbers on the Loose The Dillons have turned their talented collaborative artwork towards illustrating this unique collection of Mother Goose rhymes, all having to do with numbers. Readers will find plenty of old classic verses like Baa, Baa Black Sheep, and Fly Away Jack, Fly Away Jill, the blackbird finger game. But the Dillons have also scrounged up some fun, lesser known counting games, sayings and poems, like the one about Gregory Griggs who had 27 different wigs, and a counting rhyme that walks you through the stages of life: 1 for anger, 2 for birth, 3 for a wedding, 4 for a birth. The illustrations, despite their sometimes silly subject matter, have a friendly clarity preschoolers will appreciate, and many incorporate the numbers and letters mentioned into the text. The pictures reference clothing and accessories of Mother Goose (buckles, striped stockings, pointy-toed slippers and animated animals) without seeming overly historical or archaic. Besides, striped leggings seem entirely appropriate for characters on roller-skates chanting, “Spin, spun muskidun, Twiddle ‘em, Twaddle ‘em, 21.” This collection of number rhymes would be a fun invitation to wordplay for new English speakers, both immigrant and native born. For these readers, these rhymes are just the thing needed to boost their language skills and number recognition, to provide an enticing introduction to the culture of children created by children, and to counter the empty drone of advertisements and pop songs that fill kids’ ears. |
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Greedy Apostrophe: A Cautionary Tale What kind of trouble can you get into if you are an apostrophe with a mind of your own? All the punctuation marks wonder where they will be assigned when they report to the hiring each hall each morning. Eagerly they repeat the Punctuation Oath; “on my honor I promise to work with words, phrases and sentences” But not the Greedy Apostrophe. He’s not happy being told what he can and can’t do and like any willful child decides to “just show them” I’m afraid the Director of Punctuation has his hands full. Greedy Apostrophe: A Cautionary Tale is a fictional look at a non-fictional question “Just where IS an apostrophe supposed to go?” Former Head Start teacher Jan Carr playfully instructs the reader on the various uses of punctuation marks through the daily assignments handed out. “I have a DANGER sign in an construction site that needs an exclamation point and quotation marks for the interviews they’re doing (over at the newspaper)” the Director instructs. The Greedy Apostrophe is assigned the simple task of being a possessive and the other punctuation marks know this means trouble. Illustrator Ethan Long’s (www.ethanlong.com) colorful background pages provide the perfect palate for his cartoon like characters; pink, green and orange question marks with big curious eyes and exclamation points eagerly and excitedly carrying on conversations. Quotation marks are dressed as identical twins and of course the red, willful Greedy apostrophe with his big bushy eyebrows looks like trouble. If punctuation marks have personalities, are they easier to remember? A good exercise for young readers would be to have them do just that; draw various punctuation marks and give them personalities. Carr uses the Chicago Manual of Style and Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary to verify her grammatical facts and on the last page provides a quick list of the proper ways to use an apostrophe. Unfortunately, the protagonist of this tale forgot to read the instructions and to this day remains at large, inserting himself in places he doesn’t belong. Readers are instructed to remove him whenever he is not where he is supposed to be. |
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The Frog Prince I love it when the illustrations are as much a part of the story as the text, when they are so riveting they pull you in and let you wallow around in them, soaking up every detail. Anne Yvonne Gilbert’s illustrations in The Frog Prince are reminiscent of award winning illustrators Paul O. Zelinsky (Rapunzel) and Gail de Marcken (The Quiltmaker’s Gift). Skin has texture, dresses have multiple patterns, and facial expressions are often a window into a character’s thoughts. Author Kathy-Jo Wargin puts a new spin on The Brothers Grimm classic text about an enchanted frog that needs the kindness of a princess to break the spell that enchants him. The princess is playing with her favorite golden ball when she drops it into a well (other versions call the body of water a lake, a pond, or a stream). The frog promises to return it if the princess makes him a member of her household. Her promise is true only until he gives her back her ball; then she does everything she can to avoid the frog and the promises she made to him. In this version of The Frog Prince, the focus is not only on the princess and the frog, but also on the father. The king plays an important role, reminding his daughter of her duty and the importance of keeping promises. Many will find their interactions with each other familiar. In the end this spoiled child listens to a parent’s wisdom and learns that kindness reaps its own rewards. Though a small imprint, Mitten Press is turning out some high quality books and The Frog Prince is no exception. For more information, teacher and parent guides, and free downloads go to www.mittenpress.com. |
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Ballerina Dreams Get out the Kleenex! Ballerina Dreams (Fiewel and Friends, $16.95) by Lauren Thompson is such a charming, heartwarming, bittersweet book that you cannot fail to be moved. Physical therapist Joann Ferrara wanted to help children with cerebral palsy and related conditions to experience a rite of passage for many young girls: a ballet recital. Four years ago, she began teaching a ballet class as a supplement to her physical therapy. Ballerina Dreams follows Abbey, 4; Monica, 5; Nicole, 3; Shekinah, 5; and Veronica, 7, from practice to stage perfection. Despite displaying the hearts of prima ballerinas, their physical challenges in balance, strength, and coordination are daunting. Though each girl has her own (dressed in black) helper who aids her in her stretches, extensions and twirls, each one worked hard to be able to do things like stand independently, even for a moment. The performance centers on celebrating each dancer’s unique personality and achievements. Winning photos by James Estrin, silky prose by Thompson, all are designed to give you a backstage pass to a very special performance. If you live in |
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Rabbit’s Gift Circle stories delight children as they discover how one event or character passes into the next event of the story, finally completing the loop. Rabbit and an extra turnip he finds in the snow are the elements that carry out the perfect circle in Rabbit’s Gift, a fable from the Chinese culture. Knowing a single turnip is plenty for him, Rabbit butts a second turnip to Donkey’s door, thinking Donkey might need more to eat. His tracks back home are hidden by the falling snow. Because Donkey has found a potato, she carries the turnip to Goat. Goat’s cabbage is enough for him, so he delivers the turnip to Deer, who has discovered a carrot. Concerned about Rabbit being unable to find food in the snowstorm, Deer takes the turnip to Rabbit’s door. Each animal’s footprints are hidden in the snow, and none of them knows who to thank for the food! Rabbit has the perfect idea: he shares the turnip with his three friends in the moonlight. The repetition of text (“tracks disappeared in the falling snow”), combined with the circular story, makes the book an excellent read-aloud selection. A bright yellow bird follows the animals’ deeds on each page of this softly illustrated book. Double-page spreads show the transportation of the turnip, while boxes show each animal finding the gift. The Chinese characters for rabbit, donkey, goat, and deer, are included in art boxes on the pages corresponding to that animal. The author’s note explains the fable’s history in world cultures. |
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Calavera Abecedario: “On a rooftop patio in For years Don Pedro Linares and his family have created magical papier-mache skeletons (calaveras) as part the fiesta of el Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Inspired, author/illustrator Jeanette Winter created Calavera Abecedario: A Day of the Dead Alphabet Book. Skeletons dance across the pages in this visually exciting picture book, having a fiesta of their own on the last few pages. The acrylic and pen illustrations glow on black backdrops and immediately engage the reader with their intense color. The narrative begins with a brief background on how to make Calaveras out of wheat paste and brown paper; an activity easy to transfer to the classroom. The second half of the book devotes a page to each letter of the alphabet. Even though the accompanying word is in Spanish, the illustrations give the reader a good idea of how that word is defined; i.e. Candelera (candlemaker), Huevera (egg seller), and Zapetero (shoemaker). Almost all the words used are different occupations and a glossary is found at the end of the book. The Author’s note provides a brief description about various FIESTAS (celebrations) in Calavera Abecedario is a great addition to any unit on language or culture. Younger students can create a simple alphabet picture book based on the illustrations. Older students can use the images of the Calaveras to learn more about work and life in a Spanish speaking country. This is also a simple and captivating way to introduce an historic Day of the Dead tradition. |
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Christmas Tree Farm I live on an actual Christmas tree farm so have the advantage of watching seedlings grow into mature trees, but most children only see live Christmas trees in empty Dairy Queen lots or artificial ones in stores and shopping malls. Christmas Tree Farm is an excellent way to make the Christmas tree growing process real and gives children of all ages a better understanding of what it takes to have a Christmas tree during the holiday season. The story follows a young boy and his grandfather throughout the year. Together they plant seedlings in the spring, prune and shape the trees in the summer and ride the tractor in the fall to select the right ones. Great word pictures like “snow sprinkles”, air that “nips my nose” and “gloves that are sticky with pine sap” help paint the picture of the process. The bright and playful gouche, acrylic and collage illustrations offer a bird’s eye view, literally popping the text off the page. When the Christmas Tree Hut opens for business the reader feels welcome. Did you know that the first American Christmas tree lot was set up on a street corner in |
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