Ten Seeds

Written and Illustrated by: Ruth Brown

Recommended for: Children Ages Birth-5

Themes: Science, Math, Character Education (Responsibility)

Summary:

     Ten Seeds tells the story of a little boy who has planted ten flower seeds in his garden. However, throughout the story the the seeds, seedlings, shoots and plants are picked out or trampled by a slue of animals and people one by one until just one flower is left. At the conclusion of the story the flower drops ten seeds so that the whole cycle may start again.

     Children will enjoy this counting book, counting down from ten to one, and watching the seeds as the grow into a flower. They will be sad to see some of them do not make it but will be able to make connections to this process and what they may have seen in their own gardens or those in their neighborhoods. The pictures are simple yet realistic, and will really draw the children into the story.

Suggestions for the Classroom:

     This story is wonderful to use with children when discussing plants and how the grow from seeds. It will be interesting for them to see that not all seeds will make it to being made into plants and that even though many animals help them to survive, there are also accidents that keep them from maturing.

*Pre-Reading Activities: Discuss with students all of the things that plants need to grow: food, water, light, and oxygen. Explain to them that most plants make their own seeds, and with help from the wind and bees they are able to spread these seeds to help new plants grow. Tell them, that they are going to listen to you read a book today and learn more about how plants grow.

*During Reading: Discuss with students the changes that are taking place among the different plants as they grow. Give them opportunities to make connections with times that they have seen plants grow as well as time where they have seen plants get trampled.

*Post Reading: Give students an opportunity to plant their own flower seeds in a cup. Explain to them that we are going to keep them in a safe place to keep them from getting trampled so that they can grow into flowers. Ask them what other things the plant may need: food, water, sunlight, and oxygen. Explain how we can give them these things: oxygen: all around us in the room; light: we will put them in the window to get sunlight; food: we will plant them in potting soil which will feed them the nutrients in the soil; and water: we will have someone in the class water them each day as a job.

Let the students take their flowers home once they have sprouted to share with their families, remind them to keep them in a safe place.

About the Author/Illustrator:

     Ruth Brown was born in England, her family moved to Germany after the war but Ruth returned to England in 1953. She was always talented when it came to drawing, and began attending Art College at the age of 16. She earned a National Diploma in Design in 1961, and then became an Asssociate at the Royal College of Art in London, where she met her husband, Ken Brown, also a student at this college. She orignially worked for BBC doing children's programming but eventually got her start illustrating children's books for other writers. In 1978 she published her first children's book, which she authored, through the encouragement of a friend (Crazy Charlie).

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Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse

Written by: Marilyn Singer

Illustrated by: Josee Masse

Recommended for: Children Ages 4-10

Themes: Fiction, Poetry, Fairy Tales/Fantasy

Summary:

     This book is filled with wonderful poems about Fairy Tale characters, such as: Cinderella, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, and the Ugly Duckling. Each poem is acompanied by an second poem writen in reverse.

     Children will enjoy reading each poem and then reading it then in reverse, often in the perspective of another character from the same fairy tale. In one poem you hear about Red Riding Hood's thoughts as she picks flowers, when the poem is them told in reverse you get the wolf's thoughts as he sees the young girl picking flowers. The illustrations are beautiful and not overly elaborate, reminicent of those from the fairytales that they know and love. The will be drawn to both the style of the poems and the characters of the poems.

Suggestions for the Classroom:

     This would be a wonderful selection to use to introduce young children to poetry through the use of familiar fairytale characters. It is also an exciting twist on poetry to use with children in grades 2-5 to challenge them as writers.

*Pre-Reading Activities: Explain to children that not all poems have to have rhyming patterns. Often, we also refer to poems as a verse. Tell the children that today you are going to read them some unique verses that star some familiar characters. Tell them that you want them to see if they can figure out what is so special about the poems that you are going to read.

*During Reading: Refrain from asking the students questions, give them time to listen and see if they can identify that the second poem is written in reverse.

*Post-Reading: Ask if anyone has figured out what makes these poems special, if they are having trouble then show them the page as a hint. Once they get that the poems are written in reverse, share with them a few more of the selections (have them identify from which character's perspective each version is being told). You can then follow up this activity by challenging your students to write a reversible poem of their own.

About the Author:

     Marilyn Singer writes picture books, novels for kids, poetry, non-fiction, fairy tales, fiction for young adults, and mysteries. She grew up on Long Island and has received dergrees form both Queens College and New York University in English and Communications. She began her career teaching High School English in New York City Schools but quickly began to making a career in writing and has since writen over 80 books for children and young adults. She feels that writing in so many different genres challenges her and keeps her from getting bored.

Marilyn currently lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband Steve; their standard poodle Oggi, seen in the home page photo; a cat named August ; two collared doves named Jubilee and Holiday; and a starling named Darling. Her interests include ballroom/Latin dancing, dog training, reading, hiking, bird-watching, gardening, playing computer adventure games, and going to the movies and the theatre. She's also a major Star Trek fan.

About the Illustrator:

     Josee Masse lives in the country near Montreal, where she studied Graphic Arts. Josse has been drawing almost all of her life and worked as a Graphic Designer for three years before becoming an illustrator for children's books. She enjoys her job and tackling the challenges of conveying difficult subjects.

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All the World

Written by: Liz Garton Scanlon

Illustrated by: Marla Frazee

Recommended for: Children Ages 4-8

Themes: Fiction, Poetry, Multi-culturalism, Character Education

Summary:

     A wonderful rhyming poem that points out that all around the world there are people doing similar things. While the words in this poem are beautiful, it is really the pictures that tell the story. Through each section, children are able to see different cultures and different places.

     Children will enjoy the illustrations and making connections to them as they listen to the poem. Each and every illustration help the children with their comprehension as they go hand-in-hand with the words of the poem. The illustrations aide the children in making connections to the theme of the poem: that we are all living under the same sky and are the same despite our differences.

Suggestions for the Classroom:

     This is a beautiful book to use to discuss with children that although our classroom is filled with children from differnt cultures, we all have many similarities. It will also help them to connect to children all around the world who also go to school, visit the beach, and watch the birds fly by.

*Pre-Reading Activities: Show students two pictures of children of different culture who are in different places, for example: one being of a white child sitting on the beach playing in the sand and another being of a mexican child standing in an outdoor market. Ask children to tell you what is the same or is similar about the two pictures (both are children and they are outside). Record their anwers using a Venn Diagram. Now ask them what is different or is a difference between the two pictures (the color of their skin, and one is in the sand while the other is on a street). Again, record their answers on the Venn Diagram.

*During Reading: Allow time for students to take in the illustrations as you read the poem. Ask some questions to the students, pointing out the different characters/cultures included in the illustrations. Give them opportunities to share connections that they make: text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world.

*Post-Reading Activities: Give students a piece of white paper and ask them to draw a picture of something that is the same everywhere in the world (they can use examples from the book). Model this for them by drawing a sunset. Use the story starter: All over the world ____________ (All over the world the sun sets), and encourage them to write a sentence to go with their picture.

About the Author:

     Liz Garton Scanlon grew up in Wisconsin and Colorado, but currently lives in Austin, Texas. She describes herself as a mother, and author and a teacher. Scanlon says that she has always loved reading and traveling, that and her daughters have been her inspiration for writing childrens books. Which she says that she enjoys because it makes her happy, gives her hope, and she feels that writing for children brings out the best in her. When she isn't writing or traveling, Scanlon enjoys playing cards on the floor, spending time with her children, yoga, and taking her old white dog for walks. She also maintains her own blog which she invites her fans to visit.

About the Illustrator:

     Marla Frazee currently lives in Los Angeles, California with her husband, three sons, a dog and a cat. Frazee states that this is the town where she was born and where she has lived her whole life, as many people insist that she must be from New York. Not only did she graduate from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, she has also taught children's book illustration there for 20 years. She works out of a small studio cabin under an avacado tree in her backyard.

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The Carnival of the Animals

Created by: Camille Saint-Saens

Verses by: Jack Prelutsky

Illustrated by: Mary GrandPre

Recommended for: Children Ages 4-11

Themes: Fiction, Poetry, Science

Summary:

     A set of animal poems created to amuse and bemuse children. Complete with wonderfully ornate illustrations, The Carnival of the Animals is a wonderfully entertaining selection of poems. Each poem integrates facts about the animal with fanciful tales of excitement and fantasy. This book comes complete with a CD where children and adults alike can listen to the poems read aloud as well as the compositions put together by Saint-Saens to portray each animal (following each poem). This book also includes a note to parents and teachers in the back to explain Saint-Saens idea for the book, to expose children to classical music in an interesting way, as well as a list of possible activities to accompany the book.

     Children will enjoy both the poems and illustrations in this book. The author of the verses uses a complex vocabulary, which may make it difficult for them to read independently, however the CD will help the students to follow along and not struggle with unfamiliar vocabulary. Each poem is unique and amazing in its own right; children will be left wanting more as they read and listen about each animal.

Suggestions for the Classroom:

     This book can be used in a varitey of different grade levels, as a read aloud for younger children and independently for older and more experienced readers. This book could be used for Music teachers to discuss the mood of the music or instruments that are being played. It could also be used with young children to practice the skill of visualizing. Pre-school children may enjoy acting out the animals as the music plays. Lastly, this book would be wonderful to use with students in upper-Elementary grade levels to practice fluency and in performing using poetry.

*Pre-Reading Activities: Discuss with students the importance of using adjectives when writing poetry. Explain that adjective are describing words and that they help others to visualize your characters within your story or poem. An example of an adjective would be: obnoxious. Obnoxious means: offensive or unpleasent. I may say: The donkeys are both obnoxious and absurd (ridiculous). Both obnoxious and absurd are adjectives that describe the donkeys. Today we are going to listen to a poem and I want you to close your eyes as you listen.

*During Reading: Monitor students to see if they follow the direction to keep their eyes closed as they listen to the first poem: The Lion.

*Post-Reading: Ask students to open their eyes. Explain that you will have them listen to the poem once again, followed by a piece of music. Tell them that you would like them to draw a picture of the Lion using both the poem and the music as a guide. Give them some time, you can decide on what specific amount due to your time constraints and each class differs in how long they will work before getting bored. After the students have finished you could extend this activity in a few different ways: (1) give students an opportunity to pick one of the poems from the book and practice it, they can all perform them at a later date and maybe even draw an illustration to go along with their performance; and (2) ask the students to write their own animal themed poem making use of adjectives, have them read it to another student who will then illustrate the poem for them.

About the Composer/Creator:

     Camille Saint-Saens was born in Paris in 1835, and began piano lessons at the age of two-and-a-half. He composed his first musical piece at the age of 3 and by the time that he was 7 he was studying with Pierre Maledin. While his work was not given justice in his homeland, in England and the United States, Sait-Saems was considered Frace's greatest living composer well into the Twentieth Century. Though he is known for his compositions for The Carnival of Animals, he only allowed the pieces to be played twice while he was still alive; for fear that the all-to-human characteristics and humor of the pieces would ruin his reputation as a serious composer. Sadly, Saint-Saens passed away in 1921 but his music still lives on and is available to young children through this CD and book.

About the Author:

    Jack Prelutsky admits that as a child he never did like poetry and he likens it to a teacher who made it "about as exciting to liver". Instead he loved to draw pictures and later in his life began to write poems to go with his pictures. While others fell in love with his poems, they unfortunately did not fall in love with his pictures. He has proudly written poetry for 30 years and continues to inspire children with his poems (I imagine that this is his audience due to the experience he had as a child with poetry) Prelutsky maintains and interactive website that caters to both children and adults, complete with: poems, letters he has received, a biography, pictures of his family, sports trading cards that he has made which are complete with poems, and lesson plan ideas for teachers.

 

About the Illustrator:

     Mary GrandPre is most widely recognized for her work illustrating the Harry Potter series, however she has also worked on six childrens books and is currently working on her seventh. Her work is widely recognized and has also been used for magazine, advertising, and editorials. Mary GrandPre also as a visonary in the environmental/scenery department for the animated movie Antz. Her illustrations are beautifully ornate and are anything by simple.

 

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Amelia Bedelia's First Day of School

Written by: Herman Parish

Illustrated by: Lynne Avril

Recommended for: Children Ages 4-8

Themes: Fiction, Character Eduation, Children with Special Needs

Summary:

     Young Amelia Bedelia embarks on her exciting first day of school. Unfortunately, young Amelia gets herself into all sorts of sticky situations as she takes everything she hears literally, such as: glue yourself to your seat Amelia. Young readers can follow Amelia as she confuses name tag; sit wherever you like; when you hear your name, say it; keep your nose in a book; sing like birds; and many more school experiences gone wrong.

     Children will enjoy pointing out Amelia's mistakes as seeing the silly pictures that show Amelia's foolish actions. The illustrations are fun, engaging, and humorous and should keep the young readers actively engaged and wanting more.

Suggestions for the Classroom:

     This would be a wonderful book to use to talk with students about how some children may have more trouble following directions than others. It also is a wonderful way to introduce that we can help others to do the right thing through being careful and thoughtful in what we say.

*Pre-Reading Activities: Talk with students about the rules that you have within your classroom. Explain to the students that sometimes it is easy to do what your being asked to do and sometimes it is more difficult. Explain to them that sitting on the carpet can be difficult to do for a long time, after a while you start feeling uncomforable and you want to move around or you see something interesting and you sit on your knees to get a better look. Explain that some children have more trouble with this than others. Tell the students that you are going to read a story today about a child who has trouble finding directions.

*During Reading: Have students point out some of the mistakes that Amelia Bedelia makes on her first day of school. Have them make some connections as they read to times where they too have been confused or excited and had trouble doing what it was they were supposed to be doing.

*Post-Reading Activities: Discuss with the students ways in which they can help each other in a kind way and record them on a chart/board. Some examples are: someone is sitting on their knees and you can't see-tap them on the sholder and ask them to sit on their bottom; or Hector keeps yelling out-tap him on the sholder and ask him to raise his hand and wait his turn; etc. Emphasize that it is best to be patient and to use your manners when helping others to do the right thing.

**Within our classrooms we all have the impulsive student that can be a constant disruption. It is important that we teach our students to be tolerant and kind and to help that student to make the right choices. While Amelia Bedelia makes mistakes and takes things literally, she is also impulsive and can teach the children about this problem. It is important to point out how patient her classmates are with her and that everyone makes mistakes.

About the Author:

     Herman Parish is the nephew of Amelia Bedelia creator, Peggy Parish, and has continued her legacy of Amelia Bedilia books.  He has added 19 children's books to the Amelia Bedelia series with his most recent additions being set in Amelia's childhood, in contrast to his aunt's books about her adult life. He currently lives in Princeton, New Jersey and enjoys speaking at conferences to librarians and educators.

About the Illustrator:

     Lynne Avril has illustrated over 65 childrens books, and currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her dog Stetson. She has spent most of her life working as a freelancing graphic artist, and continues to also do magazine work, and creatiepainting which she displays in the Paulina Miller Studio Gallery in Pheonix.

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In the Wild

Written by: David Elliott

Illustrated by: Holly Meade

Recommended for: Children Ages 4-8

Themes: Fiction, Science, Poetry

Summary:

     In the Wild is a wonderful collection of poems about wild animals. They will find poems about: the lion, the elephant, the giraffe, the zebra, the rhinocerous, the sloth, the jaguar, the panda, the tiger, the orangutan, the kangaroo, the buffalo, the wolf, and the polar bear.Each poem gives the reader more details about each animal using rhythm and rhyme.

     Children will love the symplistic and wonderful illustrations of each animal and their habitat. They will be interested in learning about the natural habitats of these animals that they are used to seeing at their local zoo. They will enjoy looking for and finding the rhyming patterns and reading the poems aloud to one another.

Suggestions for the Classroom:

     This would be a wonderful book to share with students when discussing poetry as well as for discussing the habitats of animals and making distinctions between domesticated animals (pets) and wild animals. This book would help children to understand that a zoo is not the natural habitat of these animals, but is instread used as a tool to teach us about these animals and to protect and preserve their species for future generations.

*Pre-Reading Activities: Discuss with students the term habitat; explain to students that a habitat is the natural home environment of a plant or an animal. Explain that we describe animals that live outside of homes and farms as wild animals. Tell them that we will be visiting the zoo, where we will be able to see some wild animals, that are kept there so that we may learn more about them and to keep them safe. Explain to the students that the zoo tries to make the homes for their animals as close to their natural habitat as possible. Tell them that we will be reading today about some of the animals that they may see at the zoo and ask them to listen for words that describe their habitat within the poems.

*During Reading: Have students tell you what words they can use to describe the habitats of the different animals using what they heard in the poem as well as through the illustrations.

*Post-Reading Activities: Give the children an opportunity to draw a picture of their favorite animal from the sotry and to write a sentence about their habitat in their writing journals. Use the story starter: ____________ live where it is____________ (ex: Lions live where it is warm and grassy).

About the Author:

     David Elliott originally wanted to become an opera singer, but after many years of practice and schooling her realized that he just wasn't that good at it. He has worked as a singer in Mexico, an English teacher in Libya, a cucumber-washer in Greece, and a popsicle-stick-maker in Israel. These days he works writing children's books, something he came about by chance as everytime he sat down to write his character always seemed to be around nine years of age. He states that his work is usally funny and imaginative and he hopes to inspire and transport children to new placesby sparking their imaginations through his work.

About the Illustrator:

     Holly Meade has provided the illustrations for over 30 children's books. She enjoys attending workshops in areas such as: drawing, painting, printmaking, basket making, and fabric design. Over the past seven years she has been working with woodcuts, a medium that she became interested in after attending a workshop at Haystack Mountain School in 2002.

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Mostly Monty: First Grader

Written by: Johanna Hurwitz

Illustrated by: Anik McGrory

Recommended for: Children Ages 4-8

Themes: Fiction, Science, Character Education, Special Needs

Summary:

     Mostly Monty is the story of first-grade student Montgomery Gerald Morris as he struggles with trying to make friends and fit in with his classmates. Monty has asthma and this keeps him from doing the things that other students enjoy, like: running outside, owning a pet, and joining in sports teams. Monty is very bright and loves to read, in fact he reads at a fourth grade level. Monty struggles a bit, at first, with the perceptions of being a first grader; as he tries to check out a non-fiction book at the library and not a picture book and the librarian tells him that he will have to wait a few years. Monty finds that it is easy to make connections with the adults at the school and learns more about himself through these relationships. Throughout the book, Monty learns to be more comfortable with himself and to celebrate all the wonderful things that he can do. He is able to embrace what it means to be Monty and ends up making friends by sharing his wonderful learning techniques.

     Children will enjoy this story because they will find that it is easy to make connections to Monty and his experiences within the first few pages. The book is split into sections, which makes it manageable for young students to maneuver throughout the chapters. Children will enjoy learning about Monty and his struggles to manage his asthma and to connect to his peers and be comfortable with himself. They will also enjoy celebrating with Monty when he finally finds a way to make friends through doing what it is that he enjoys, reading.

Suggestions for Classrooms:

     Mostly Monty would be an excellent selection to use for a classroom Read Aloud, covering a small section with the students each day. Monty also explores the lifecycle of a caterpillar as it turns into a moth and facts about kangaroos, integrating some Science into this selection. Children will also learn a great deal about how responsible Monty is as he begins his quest to retrieve lost objects which were forgotten an left behind by his peers and his insights into lying and wasting food.

*Pre-Reading Activities: Discuss the medical condition of Asthma with the students. Explain to them what and inhaler is and that it is used to help children who have trouble breathing by making it easier for their lungs to take in oxygen. Tell them that as a class, we are going to be reading about a student who has asthma.

*During Reading: Read through a section of the book each day and allow the students to make connections with what you are reading: text-to-text, text-to-self, and text-to-world.

*Post-Reading Activities: After reading each section, have children complete a Reader's Response in their writing journals. Day 1: How would you feel if you came to school on your first day of school to find out that your teacher's name is Mrs. Meany?; Day 2: How would you feel if you had to use an inhaler in front of the class and everyone was staring at you?; Day 3:Write about a time when someone told you that you could not do something that you really wanted to do, how did that make you feel? Continue to do this with each section to encourage the students to make connections to the text and to Monty as a character. When you finish reading the book, encourage the students to write their last entry as an advertisement for the book, encouraging others to read it too by explaining why they like it.

About the Author:

     Johanna Hurwitz cannot think back to a time where she did not enjoy reading books. She explains that she also began her love for writing early on and wrote her first book at the age of nine, complete with illustrations that she ellicted from a classmate. However, Hurwitz was married with children of her own before she had any of her work published. Her first series, The Riverside Kids was loosely based on her own family. While she, and noone else in her family, ever had asthma she chose to write about a child with asthma because she saw that noone else had. Monty bears some of her own characteristics, including her love for reading and researching.

About the Illustrator:

     Anik McGrory lives with her husband, children and two dogs in Tarrytown, NY. She enjoys traveling and has lived in many different parts of the world. On her website she talks about the process that she takes when making her illustrations, from stick figure-like sketches to her finished paintings. Her step-by-step layout of how she makes her illustrations is very detailed and would be helpful for children who are interested in learning more about the process.

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Mighty Monty: More First-Grade Adventures

Amazing Monty: More First-Grade Adventures

The Carrot Seed

Written by: Ruth Krauss

Illustrated by: Crockett Johnson

Recommended for: Children Ages 4-8

Themes: Fiction, Science, Character Education

Summary:

     A story about a young boy who plants a carrot seed and is hopefully that it will grow, even though everyone else tells him that it won't. He continues to protect his seed by picking the weeds around it and keeping it watered and watching with hope that it will grow. Then one day the carrot grows, just as he thought it would.

      Children will enjoy the simple and predictable pattern of the story. This pictures are also simple and will allow children to feel as though they can read the story independently. They will enjoy the happy ending and the wonderful picture of the gigantic carrot that grows from the little seed.

Suggestions for the Classroom:

     This is a wonderful book for teaching children about persistence and believing in themselves. It teaches them to keep working hard and believing in themselves, even when others may put them down. This book can also be used to assist with teaching a Science lesson about plants and what they need to grow.

*Pre-Reading Activities: Discuss the parts of a flower with students (stem, roots, leaves and flowers) and what all living things need to grow in comparison to what all living plants need to grow (food, water, shelter and sun).

During Reading: While you are reading the book give students opportunities to make connections with the little boy (modeling for them ways in which to make good connections. Such as, Have you ever grown something? (I like to grow flowers in my garden, I plant new seed and small flowers each year just like the little boy: text-to-self)  and Have you ever felt that you could do something, even when other people told you that you couldn't? (I read a book called Amazing Grace, the other children told her that she couldn't be Peter Pan because he is a boy but she practiced anyway and got the part: text-to-text)

Post-Reading Activities: Have students plant a seed, tend to it, and watch it grow (using a clear plastic glass, soil, seeds, and water). The students will enjoy taking care of their plant and watching it grow. This will teach them to be responsible for their plant in order to help it grow.

About the Author:

     Ruth Krauss and Crocket Johnson were married in 1941 and collaborated on several children's books, including: TheCarrot Seed, How to Make the Earthquake, Is This You?, and The Happy Egg. Krauss wrote many children's books but also was an author of theatrical poems targeted for an adult audience. 

About the Illustrator:

     Crockett Johnson was the pen name of David Johnson Liask, who worked both as a writer and illustrator of children's literature. He is also famous for being the creator of the Barnaby cartoons that were in the daily newspaper but did hand over this job to Jack Morely and Ted Ferro in 1946. In the later part of his career, Johnson found a love for geometric shapes and painted over 100 canvas paintings using these shapes.

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The Bear Snores On

Written by: Karma Wilson

Illustrated by: Jane Chapman

Recommended for: Children Ages 4-8

Themes: Fiction, Fantasy, Science, Character Education

Summary:

     This is a story about a bear who is hibernaing for the winter. While he is sleeping in his den, several animals come in to get out of the storm to get warm and dry again. They make a fire, tea and popcorn and even begin to dance but the bear continues to sleep. The bear finally wakes up, after a tiny flake of pepper flys onto his nose. He is very grumpy about being woken up but mostly about being left out of all of the fun. His new friends quickly explain that they will be happy to make more and they stay and enjoy the fire and snacks together.

     Children enjoy being introduced to the new animals throughout the story and the anticipation about the bear waking up. The enjoy making connections to the characters and talking about: how the smell of food wakes them up so why does it not wake the bear? and sleeping through all of the fun. They also enjoy the part of the book where the bear finally wakes up and are surprised when he does not yell at the other animals. young children enjoy the repitition, as they start to feel that they can read the book on there own after hearing it several times. The illustrations are beautiful and make it easier for the children to understand what is going on in the story and to make predictions.

Suggestions for the Classroom:

*Pre-Reading Activities: Show the students the cover of the book, pointing out what you see on the cover (bear, mole, gopher, raven, mouse, rabbit and badger) in order to point out the characters which will be introduced throughout the book. Explain to students that this book is a Fantasy book, that the events in the story tell us this because they can not really happen.Tell them to look for details that tell you that this is a fantasy as you read.

*During Reading: Ask students questions as you read about the events that are happening in the bears den. Who made the fire? What are they eating? Where is the bear? Why is the bear sleeping so much? etc.

*Post-Reading Activites: Ask students to tell you what happened in the story. Ask them to give you details from the story that tell you that it is a fantasy. Ask students to write a sentence about the bear in his cave and include a picture.

About the Author:

     The Bear Snores On is just one of the Karma Wilson's Bear series, which also include: Bear's New Friend, Bear Wants More,Bear Feels Sick, Bear Feels Scared and Bear Stays up for Christmas. Karma Wilson grew up in the wilds of Northern Idaho with her mother, who was also a writer. She explains that she spent her days outside playing and reading and often doing both at the same time. While she didn't plan on being a writer, something she though boring, her interest in children's picture books and her children inspired her to give it a try. The Bear Snores On became her first published children's book and has paved the way for many more. She now lives on a small ranch in  Montana with her husband, their three children, a cat, two dogs and four horses.

About the Illustrator:

     Jane Chapman has illustrated The Bear Snores On and Bear Wants More, both by Karma Wilson, and Mommy Mine by Tim Warnes. She currently resides in Southwestern England with her husband, Tim, and their son Noah.

Hopper's Easter Surprise

Written by: Kathrin Siegenthaler and Marcus Pfister

Illustrated by: Marcus Pfister

Recommended for: Children Ages 7-12

Themes: Fiction, Holidays, Seasons, Science

Summary:

     A young Artic Hare, Hopper, struggles with wanting to be something other than an Artic Hare. His mother explains to him that in the Spring his hair will turn brown like the Easter Bunny, sparking Hopper's interest. After his mother tells him more about the Easter Bunny, (that he is fast as the wind, and brave, and leaves eggs as gifts) Hopper longs to be like the Easter Bunny. He decides to prove to his mother that he too is brave by looking for a fox, and lucklily he escapes this problem by camoflaging himself in the snow. His quest leads him to making a new friend, a brown hare, who also decides that it would be fun to be an Easter Bunny. They decide to ask the hens for some eggs to take home and decorate. However, they end up falling and cracking the eggs and going home feeling sad and defeated. To their surprise, the Easter Bunny has left them a large egg and Momma says that he wanted them to decorate it. They go to sleep and dream of all the wonderful ways that they can decorate their egg.

     Children will enjoy this story and Hoppers quest to become the Easter Bunny. The pictures extend the story by giving the children opportunites to see how Hopper out-smarts the fox and how being both brown and white works to his advantage. They will feel connected to Hopper and his feelings about wanting to try something new, to be somethings else. Young children are very adventurous and curious about other animals and will enjoy learning more about hares and why they change color.

Suggestions for the Classroom:

     This is a wonderful book to use in conjunction with the early days of Spring and in preparation for Easter. However, it also lends itself to teaching children about how some animals are able to camoflage themselves in order to protect themselves from predators, a connection to their Science curriculum.

*Pre-Reading Activities: Ask students to share what they know about Spring: The snow melt, grass begins to grow, flowers bloom, birds sing, butterflies fly around, Easter is coming, etc. Record their answers on the board/chart paper.

*During Reading: Focus on the pictures as you read, give children a chance to talk about what they see. Why do you think that the hare has white hair? Point out that hares change color to camoflage themselves, to protect them from predators. How does being brown help the Easter Bunny hide from the hawk? Point out that the dirt below is brown and that from up high it is hard for the hawk to see the bunny, just as people look like ants when looking down from an airplane. How did Hopper hide from the fox? Try to get children to use the word camoflage which they learned earlier in the lesson. Also, encourage children to make connections as you read.

*Post Reading: Give students a blank Easter Egg template and some crayons, markers or paints. Ask them to create their very own Spring themed Easter eggs using ideas that they came up with before reading the book, using chart as a reference and the last two pages of the book (Easter egg pictures).

About the Author/Illustrator:

      Marcuse Pfister  and Kathrin Siegenthaler collaborated to write Hopper's Easter Surprise which is one of many of Hopper's tales: Hopper, Hopper Hunts for Spring, Hopper's Treetop Adventure, Hang on Hopper. Pfister is also the author of the very popular children's book The Rainbow Fish. Pfister lives in Berne Switzerland with his wife and three children, the same town where he was born and raised. Not only is he a well accomplished write, but Pfister also illustrates many of his own books, including Hopper's Easter Surprise. He creates many of his illustrations by using water color paints and uses a transparent overlay to indicate where he would like foil stamping, if any, added to his illustrations during the production process.

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The Little Red Hen

Illustrated by: Linda McQueen

Recommended for: Children Ages 4-8

Themes: Fiction, Folktales, Character Education

Summary:

     In this version of the folktale, the little red hen spends her days busy caring for the home which she shares with a goose, a cat, and a dog. Red Hen finds some wheat which she plants in the garden and tends to all on her own. She asks for help throughout the story but the goose is always too busy gossiping, and the cat is too vain and busy preening, and the dog is always to tired. Each time that the Red Hen asks for help the others refuse or ignored her. So on top of doing all the cooking and cleaning, little Red Hen ended up doing all of the work herself. However, after the Red Hen has finished making a cake out of the flour made from the wheat, the goose, the cat, and the dog all want a piece. The Red Hen tells them that she will eat it all herself since noone wanted to help to tend the wheat, or cut it, or hall it, make it into flour, or bake the cake. After this, the cat, the goose and the dog are all much more helpful in doing the chores.
     Children will enjoy this folktale and comparing the different characters. They will be able to follow the pattern of the story with the Red Hen asking for help and her friends always saying no. The illustrations are simple and help with understanding of the story. Children will enjoy how little Red Hen develops as a character and the lesson that she teaches her friends at the story's conclusion.

Suggestions for the Classroom:
     This book would be a wonderful selection to use when teaching children about folktales, in discussing ssequence of events, plot and character development. For my sample activities, I will discuss using this version of the folktale in comparison to another version of the same tale which is illustrated by Amy Rosenburg in order to show children that when stories are handed down from generation to generation they often change a little, a characteristic of folktales.
*Pre-Reading Activites: Remind children that folktales are stories that are passed down from generation to generation and sometimes the story changes depending on who is telling it. Demonstrate this quickly with the students by playing the game of telephone (works best if they are in a circle). Whisper a sentence to the first child and have them whisper it to the child on the right of them until the last child whispers the sentence back to you (for example: The gray bear had a bug in his hair). With any luck the sentence will have changed by the time it gets back to you (The bear had a bug on him). Write on the board/chart paper what sentence you started with and what you finished with. Discuss if the new sentence changed the meaning even though some of the words change (this will vary in your descriptions.
*During Reading: Read the version of The Little Red Hen illustrated by Linda McQueen to the students.
Point out as you read what the dog, the cat and the goose are doing in comparision to the Red Hen.
Read aloud the version of The Little Red Hen illustrated by Amye Rosenburg to the students. Point out as you read what the gog, the cat and the goosse are doing in comparison to the Red Hen.
*Post-Reading Activities: Have the students compare the characters in the first version of the story to those in the second version using a Venn Diagram. Point out to students that the differences in the story do not change the meaning or the ending to the story. Explain that often Folktales are told in different versions as they are told by one person and then to another and another just as we did before we read the book (when we said "The gray bear had a bug in his hair" and it changed to "The bear had a bug on him").

I Know a Shy Fellow Who Swallowed a Cello

Written by: Barbara S. Garriel

Illustrated by: John O'Brien

Recommended for: Children in Grades Pre-K -2

Themes: Fiction, Music

Summary:

     The musical version of I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, I Know a Shy Fellow Who Swallowed a Cello is an entertaining story about a young man who swallows instruments. However, in this version after swallowing several different instruments the young fellow does not die. Instead he begins to cough each up, one at a time, with the instruments playing each time he opens his mouth.

     Children will love the predictable pattern that the old fellow follows in swallowing the instruments as well as the alternative ending given. They will also enjoy the wonderful illustrations which show the fellows shape changing as he swallows each illustration.

Suggestions for the Classroom:

     This would be an excellent book to read in conjunction with I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly to add a musical component to your read alouds. Children will enjoy opportunities to act out the sounds that the instruments make or motions of playing them with you as you read.

*Pre-Reading Activities: Introduce some musical instruments to the students using pictures and musical clips (if available), demonstrating how they are played. Tell them that we will be reading a story today and when we read about each instrument we will stop and pretend that we are playing that instrument.

*During Reading: Throughout the story, as each instrument is introduced pause and have students mimic you as you make the motions of playing the instrument (as previously decided upon). Allow time to pause at the end of page for children to raise there hands and comment on the story (look at that picture, you can see the cello in his belly).

*Post-Reading Activities: Ask students to share with an elbow partner their favorite part of the story, one being the speaker and the other the listener. After about 45 seconds, ask them to switch roles and have the other partner share. After the second partner has shared, give some of the students an opportunity to share what was their partners favorite part of the story (students can mimic the instruments during this share time if it goes with their selection).

About the Author:

     Barbara S. Garriel writes books about music for elementary and middle school students. She maintains a website where you can read about her books and learn more about her. In addition to writing books, Garriel travels to schools, libraries and museums to teach children about writing. She has worked previously as a teacher in Long Island, New York and she enjoys writing because it gives her extended opportunities to share with children her passion for reading, writing and music.

About the Illustrator:

     John O'Brien has illustrated over 40 children's books, both fiction and non-fiction. His illustrations can be found in the Who Was... biography collection, such as:Who Was Thomas Alva Edison, Who Was Marco Polo, and Who Was Elvis Presley. He lives in New Jersey and his illustrations can also be found weekly in the New Jersey section of the New York Times. O'Brien can also be found working as a lifeguard for the North Wildwood Beach Patrol, lifeguarding is a job that he has had since 1970. In his free time he enjoys drawing, going out on his paddlewheel boat, playing the banjo and has even recently begun to play the bagpipes.

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I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly

I Know and Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie

Amazing Grace

Written by: Mary Hoffman

Illustrated by: Caroline Binch

Recommended for: Children Ages 4-8

Themes: Fiction, Character Education

Summary:

     Grace is a young girl with a wonderfully creative imagination. She loves to read stories and make believe that she is the characters. Grace often will act out the parts of her favorite characters from these stories with her friends, family, and even while all alone. When Grace finds out that her class will be putting on the play Peter Pan she decides that she wants to play the part of Peter. However, Grace's classmates tease her that she cannot be Peter because she is a girl and she is black. Grace is very disheartened by their comments but continues to prepare for the auditions with the encouragement of her family that she can be anything that she wants to be. Grace ends up getting the part of Peter and the encouragement of her classmates after they she how perfect Grace is at playing the part of Peter.

     Children will love the wonderful illustrations included in this story which show Grace as a playful and happy child. They will be compelled to cheer her on when the other students doubt her ability to play Peter. The story and the pictures reflect a multicultural classroom which can be reflective of many public school systems in America at this time. Children will love to see Grace persevere despite the comments made to her by others putting her down. This story teaches children to believe that they can achieve anything with hard work and practice.

Suggestions for the Classroom:

     This book would be a wonderful selection to read to students as both a Character Education piece as well as for discussing Character and Plot.

*Pre-Reading Activities: Discuss with students that when we read stories, often the main character faces some kind of problem. What it is that they do to solve that problem is called the solution. For instance: If I came to school today and forgot my pencil that would be a problem. Ask the students, what could I do to fix this problem (borrow one from a friend, ask the teacher to borrow one, etc.) and record their answers on a t-chart (one side listing problems and on the other side solutions). Give them a second problem: I can't find my favorite eraser (ask a friend to help you look, use another one, borrow one from someone else). 

     Explain to children that today we are going to read a story and the main character is going to face a problem. Ask them to listen for what she does to solve her problem, that is called the solution.

*During Reading: Stop throughout the story to give students opportunities to express how they think Grace is feeling. Pay attention to: how she may feel when the other students are telling her that she can't play Peter in the play? when her Grandma takes her to the ballet? when she auditions for the play? when she finds out what part she got.

*Post-Reading Activities: Go back to the t-chart that you created with the students before you began reading. Ask the children to tell you what problem Grace had and record it on the left side of your chart. Then ask the students to tell you her solution, or how she solved her problem, and record it on the right side of your chart. Discuss with the students the character Grace, what about her makes her so special or Amazing as the title suggests. If time permits, give the students time to complete a character chart writing down Grace's character traits.

About the Author:

     Mary Hoffman currently lives in West Oxfordshire and enjoys writing books for children and teenagers, including picture books as well as fantasy and historical novels. She explains on her website that she grew up with two older sisters and even taught herself how to read before she began school herself. Hoffman also describes that like Grace she loved to act out the stories that she read and she even wrote plays for her and her friends to act out. I would imagine that her character Grace has much of the same characteristics as she did when she was a young child. Hoffman explains that her husband is half-Indian, likely a reason that she has chosen to write her books with a focus on many cultures.

About the Illustrator:

     Caroline Binch lives in West Cornwall with her two cats and a dog. She says that her illustrations are inspired by people and places around her. She likes to focus her writing and illustrations on the positive aspects of life rather than the negative ones. This is most likely why she chose to illustrate the book Amazing Grace as it portrays a positive message to young children to never give up and to work hard to accomplish their dreams. Binch states that she enjoys spending her free time relaxing doing yoga, taking walks, dancing with the music up loud, and laying in the grass enjoying the day.

The Zoo at Night

Written by: Martha Robinson

Illustrated by: Antonio Frasconi

Suggested for: Children Ages 4-8

Themes: Fiction, Poetry, Science

Summary:

     The Zoo at Night is a poetry picture book that explains to children what happens to the animals at the zoo at night. The book show children while some animals sleep at night, just as they do, others stay up howling at the moon, flying or playing. This book teaches children more about the sleeping patterns of animals, as some are nocturnal. The illustrations are dark, yet colorful, giving the children the perspective of what the animals would actually look like in a night sky.

     Children will enjoy learning more about these animals and on exploring the illustrations.

Suggestions for the Classroom:

     This book would be an excellent selection to read with children after visiting the zoo. This book can connect the experience with the Science curriculum in connection to the animals found at the zoo.

*Pre-Reading Activities: Give students an opportunity to share some of the experiences that they had on their visit to the zoo, such as: what types of animals did they see? (make a list on the board/chart paper for children to refer to during writing activity) what were the animals doing? and what is something that they learned about the animals? Point out that while we were there that some of the animals were sleeping. Ask the students why they think that the animals were sleeping (they are tired, they are taking a nap, etc.) Ask the students, "Have you ever wondered what the zoo animals do at night?" Give them some time to respond and make predictions.

*During Reading: Point out that some of the animals are awake during the night. When do you think they sleep? Do you remember seeing that animal at the zoo today? Was it awake or asleep? Why might this animal be awake at night instead of during the day? Point out that they may hunt their pray when the prey is sleeping, they play when temperatures are cooler, etc.

*Post-Reading Activities: Give students an opportunity to write in writing journals about their trip to the zoo. They can use the story starter: Today at the zoo I saw... Students will complete their journal entry with a picture.

About the Author:

     The Zoo at Night is the first children's book written by Martha Robinson. Robinson lives in Los Angeles, California with her husband and has two grown sons. She works as a Professor of Law and Loyola Law School.

About the Illustrator:

     Antonio Frasconi has illustrated over 100 books and is well-known for his woodcuts. He grew up in South America after his parents fled from Argentina during World War I. His mother always encouraged his artistic ability and said that it was a gift from God and that he was meant to do big things. Frasconi moved to the United States after World War II and has become a successful illustrator, artist, and professor here in America.

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Twimericks: The Book of Tongue-Twisting Limericks

Written and Illustrated by: Lou Brooks

Recommended for: Children Grades 2-4

Themes: Non-Fiction, Poetry

Summary:

     Twimericks is a wonderful collection of limerick poems that are designed to also be tongue-twisters. Brooks begins the book by first explaining what limericks, tongue-twisters, and twimericks are. The poems which he includes are wonderfully fun and tricky.

     Children will enjoy reading these poems and practicing them again and again outloud. Brooks' illustrations are fun and wonderfully match his poems. Several of the poems are also a wonderful mixture of fun and gross topics, such as: Frankly, Frank Fankley where Frank ends up with Hank's dirty hanky. Each poem has its own unique topic and word patterns.

Suggestions for the Classroom:

     This book can be used in the classroom in conjunction with a unit on Poetry as well as for fluency practice for the children. These limiricks with a tongue-twister spin help to teach children to slow down and think about what they are reading. They are almost impossible for readers to get right on the first try. Their light and jovial tone helps to draw in the interest of the children and will keep them from getting bored. Children will enjoy trying the several times in a challenge to get the who thing right. They are wonderfully creative and are a great inspiration for young writers.

*Pre-Reading Activity: Introduce Limericks to children. Explain the pattern that they follow using the song Hickory Dickory Dock. Display the song on a large piece of chart paper, board, or a SmartBoard. Read the song to them once and then read it all together. Have students pick out rhyming pairs. Use two different color highlighters to highlight rhyming pairs, in order to point out the AABBA pattern that Limericks follow. Explain to students that in one of their centers today, preferably a teacher led center, they will be practicing reading some Limericks today.

*During Reading: Give students the opportunity to pick out one of the limericks from the book to practice. Have copies of the poems ready for the students so that they do not have to share the book (photocopies or several copies of the book itself). I would let the students select a poem that they would like to practice, to give them more of a choice to pick out what seems interesting to them. As they read, have them circle words which they are having trouble with or find challenging. Individually conference with each child to help them with challenging words and to give them an opportunity to practice with you where you can give feedback early on.

Give students additional opportunities to practice reading their selection to a partner.

*Post-Reading: Ask students to come up with their very own limerick in their writing journals and to draw a picture to illustrate their poems. Students can later type up of write out a final draft of their poems which they can make into a new book for the classroom.

Twimericks Website

About the Author:

     Lou Brooks is a a self-taught writer and illustrator. He has done illustrations for books, magazines and newspapers and also enjoys writing books, playing in an all-cartoonist band, surfing, and has even worked previously as a stand up comic. Brooks is also famous for his redesign, in 1985, of the manolpoly character with the top hat and moustache. He maintains his own blog , a Twimericks website, and provides illustrations for many successful magaize companies, such as: Time and Newsweek, and illustrating for advertisements for companies such as: Coca-Cola, Verizon and CBS. His art has even been animated for TV by Nickelodeon, HBO, and MTV.