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.
