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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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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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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Bears! Bears! Bears!

Written and Illustrated by: Bob Barner

Recommended for: Children Ages 4-8

Themes: Non-Fiction, Science

Summary:

     A wonderful and informative book about bears from around the world. Gives children some insight into the lives of bear cubs, their relationship with their mothers, and what it is that they eat. This books gives information to children about: Polar Bears, Sun Bears, Giant Pandas, Spectacled Bears, Black Bears, Moon Bears, Sloth Bears, and Grizzly Bears.

     Children will love the wonderful illustrations and learning that young bear cubs come in many different types and they do some of the same things that young children do. They also enjoy the map located a the back of this text that shows them where each type of bear lives within the world.

Suggestions for the Classroom:

     This text could be used in several different ways within the classroom: to aid in teaching students about mammals; to teach children more about bears; to show children that there are several different species of bears; as a pre-cursor to a zoo trip; and as a non-fiction pair to fictional text such as Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and The Bear Snores On.

*Pre-Reading Activities: Discuss with students that there are many different types of bears. Show them pictures of some different types of popular types of bears and see if they are able to identify the names of each (Polar Bear, Brown Bear, Black Bear, etc.). Begin filling in a KWL chart with the students about bears. Ask them to tell you diffent things that they know about Bears, write this under the K section of the chart. Then ask them to come about with a couple of questions about Bears that they may have (select only a few, 3-4, as I am sure that many questions will come up), record these under the W section of the chart.

*During Reading: Ask the students to tell you some of the different foods that the bears eat during the book? (honey, bamboo, fish, seals, etc.) Do they all have the same diet? (no) What are some of the activities that the bears completed in the book? (climbing, sleeping, cuddling), etc.)

*Post-Reading Activities: Show the students the map at the end of the book and discuss with them that each bear is located in different regions around the world. Give them pictures of Polar Bears, Black Bears and Grizzly Bears and a Map of North America to color. After the students finish coloring the pictures, model for them how to paste them onto their map to show where you can find each type located in North America (leave your map displayed for the children to refernce to). Give them time to paste their bears on their map, just as you had done.

About the Author/Illustrator:

     Bob Barner is the author and illustrator of many children's non-fiction books, including: Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!; Penguins, Penguins, Everywhere!; Stars! Stars! Stars!; Dinosaur Bones and Bug Safari. He has enjoyed drawing since the age of three and throughout his life he has written and illustrated over 25 children's books. He graduated from The Columbus College of Art and Design and has held jobs as a comic-strip Illustrator, and has worked as an art director in advertising agencies and in art studios. He now enjoys visiting schools and sharing his experiences and books with young children. He maintains his own website where visitors can learn more about him, complete jigsaw puzzles, view student work samples, and where teachers and administrators can contact him to speak at their schools.

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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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Saving the Ghost of the Mountain: An Expedition Among Snow Leopards in Mongolia

Written by: Sy Montgomery

Photographs by: Nic Bishop

Recommended for: Children Ages

Themes: Non-Fiction, Science, Social Studies

Summary:
      This book chronicles the journey of several widlife experts as they work to catch and track the white leopard in an attempt to save them from extinction. This book also give wonderful information about the country of Mongolia, as this is where this section of their expedition takes place. The author adds in information about the culture, lifestyle, topography and wildlife of Mongolia as he describes the mission of these experts.
     Children will enjoy learning about the culture of Mongolia. This book will give them a glimpse into what it would be like living in this Asian country. The book gives maps, to help children to understand where Mongolia is, as well as wonderful photographs of the people, animals and land in Mongolia. The information is presented in a way where it is interesting and not overwhelming to children, however, it would be best to break this book up into different sections in order to make it more manageable.

Suggestions for the Classroom:
     This book would be best used to support instruction on the cultures of Asia, that of Mongolia in particular. In addition, the book provides information about the wildlife of Mongolia, including: snow leopards, goats, camels, takhi (wild horse),yaks, etc.

*Pre-Reading Activities: Show children a map of the world. Point out to them where Mongolia is. If possible, show them a short video about Mongolia to peak their interest:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abKtXa-UCP8 or http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/planet-earth-camels-of-the-gobi-desert.html

*During Reading: In small groups, reading groups, create a book club where you will read with students different sections of the book each day (Chap. 1- Where is Mongolia, Chap. 2- About the Experts, Chap. 3- Culture of Mongolia, Chap. 4 - Trapping and Tagging, Chap. 5- Topography, etc). With the children, point out the important details (Book Talks) from each section using a graphic organizer. *You may want to select different books to go with different Book Club groups to give students opportunities to work with different levels and to provide a greater variety of information to be shared at its conclusion.

*Post-Reading Activities: At the conclusion of the Book Club have the students prepare some sort of visual representation of what they have learned, a poster, using the information that they have collected on their graphic organizers during your Book Talks.

About the Author:

     Sy Montgomery a graduate of Syracuse University, with three degrees in: Magazine Journalism from the Newhouse School of Public Communication; the French Language and Literature; and in Psychology. She has traveled extensively to do research for her books which center around the preservation and protection of animals. She has received several awards for her writing, including: the 2009 New England Independent Booksellers Association Nonfiction Award, the 2010 Children’s Book Guild Nonfiction Award, the Henry Bergh Award for Nonfiction (given by the ASPCA for Humane Education) and dozens of other honors.

About the Photographer:

     Nic Bishop moved around a lot as a child, the son of a Biology professor he was taught to love and respect the animals found around him in each place that they traveled to and lived in. He began taking photographs at the age of 9 and as an adult decided to pursue his degree in Biology as well. He decided to travel after receiving his degree and took his cameras with him to chronicle his journey around the world, which he later turned into his first book Untouched Horizons. He decided to get into providing photographs for children's books after seeing how children responded to his work and thinking back to his love for non-fiction books as a child.

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").

George Washington Carver: Teacher, Scientist, and Inventor

Written by: Lori Mortensen

Illustrated by: Niamh O'Connor

Recommended for: Children Ages 4-8

Themes: Non-Fiction, Science, Social Studies

Summary:

     A wonderful picture book that tells the life of young George Washington Carver, starting with his separation from his mother as a baby when they were both taken by slave steallers. This book shows children that since George was a boy he was always facinated with plants and helping people. Children are able to follow George's life through school and college and even as he bagan working at the Tuskeegee Institute in order to help poor black farmers. The book chronicles his reasons for making the peanut plant popular and what type of work he did testing out products to introduce all the ways that the peanut plant could benefit American farmers.

     Children will enjoy the opportunity to not only learn more about Carver's impact on the American society through his work with peanuts, but also in learning more about him as a man and why he chose to do the work that he has done. They will be sad to hear about how he how he was separated from his mother and how difficult it was for him to go to school. However, they will be very inspired by how he persevered to get the education that he always wanted and how he used his education to help other people. The illustrations in this book are beautiful and colorful. They are simple and follow the storyline, making it easier for the children to follow along with the story.

Suggestions for the Classroom:

     This book could be used in several different ways within the classroom: 1) as a resource when covering the achievements of famous African American's during Black History Month; 2) in discussing Plants, Peanuts, and Crops within a Science lesson; and 3) when discussing Slavery within America in conjunction with the Civil War.

*Pre-Reading Activities: Make a web with the class discussing all of the different things that you can eat that have peanuts in it (peanut butter, snickers bars, peanut brittle, etc.). Tell students that today we are going to read a stroy about George Washington Carver. He is the man who showed Americans all of the wonderful uses that a peanut has. Until he had invented it, peanut butter did not exist. People only used peanuts to feed their animals at the time. Review vocabulary on page 23 with the students before reading to introduce to them terms which they may not be familiar with.

*During Reading: Stop periodically to review with the students what is happening in George Washington Carver's life.Give them opportunities to give feedback about what is going on and how George may be feeling. Review the timeline and Did You Know? facts with the students which are on pages 22 and 23 in the back of the selection.

*Post-Reading Activities: Complete a Graphic Organizer with the students as you discuss the plot (StoryMan would work). Start with details about the main character. Make a new web with the students. Ask them this time to tell you character traits that they could associate with George Washington Carver. Them discuss the setting, and jot down ideas as the students provide them. Finally, add in the Problem and the Solution (farmer's crops weren't growing so George Washington Carver showed them that you could rotate crops and then the field's would produce plentiful crops again. Also, people could produce peanuts but there were not uses for them so George Washington Carver invented different uses for the peanut so that farmers would be able to get people to buy them).



About the Author:
     Lori Mortensen lives in Northern California with her husband, three children and her cat, Max. She graduated with her Bachlor of Science degree from Bringham Young University with a major in Dance and a minot in Art and she later received her Master's degree in Dance Education. However, Mortensen states that she has always been an avid reader enjoying the way that reading a book had helped her to escape into many different adventures. She adds that writing is her true passion and she enjoys writing both picture books and chapter books for children and juvenilles. She has also written stories and articles for popular children's magazines, such as : Highlights, Ladybug, and The Friend. Check out her website to learn more about her and her books.

 

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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When Will it be Spring

Written and Illustrated by: Catherine Walters

Recommended for: Children Ages 3-7

Theme: Science

Summary:

     A young bear cub, Alfie, anxiously waits for his first Spring to come. While hibernating with his mother for the winter, Alfie is restless for Spring to arrive and is afraid that he will oversleep. He is looking so hard for the things his mother describes that he keeps tricking himself into thinking that he sees these signs of Spring. Each time Alfie wakes up his mother from her slumber, she quickly learns that he was mistaken and he is put back to bed. One final time, Alfie wakes up to see that Spring has finally arrived but he quickly falls asleep in a field of flowers.

     This is a perfect book to read after a long winter, like those that we have here in Central New York. Children are eager, just like little Alfie, to see the first signs of Spring and to get out into the warm sunshine. Children in pre-school and kindergarden will be likely to have some of the same misconceptions as Alfie in thinking that Spring has come. The children will enjoy making predictions and reading on to see if they were correct. They very much will enjoy the ironic ending, where Alfie finally falls to sleep after seeing that Spring has come.

About the Author:
     Catherine Walters has written several books about Alfie Bear, including: Are You There, Baby Bear?; Time to Sleep, Alfie Bear; Where Are You, Alfie Bear; Let's Play, Alfie Bear; and Play Gently, Alfie Bear. She has also written The Magical Snowman and Max and Minnie. When Will it be Spring? has also been published in a Spanish version.

Suggestions for the Classroom:
*Pre-Reading Activities: Discuss with children: What type of things make you think of Spring? Write their thoughts down on the board/paper (butterflies, flowers, sunshine, etc.).
*During Reading: Give students the opportunity to make predictions about what Alfie sees through the cave door (using sticks with the students names would be helpful to give each student a chance to share).
*Post-Reading Activities: Have students draw a picture of their favorite activity to do on a beautiful Spring Day.

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Spanish Version

Sticky Burr: Adventures in Burrwood Forest

Written and Illustrated by: John Lechner

Recommended for: Children Ages 9-12

Genre: Fiction, Science, Graphic Novel, Informational Text

Summary:

     In this graphic novel we follow the story of Sticy Burr as he struggles to be accepted by the other Burrs. This is a wonderful story about a young burr who enjoys music and art and is teased by his peers, lead by Scurvy Burr, because he doesn't spend his days on adventures that stem from being stuck to things. As a child reads this book they learn that Sticky Burr really does not enjoy being stuck to things, and the trouble that it gets him into. He emurges as an unlikely hero at the end of the book and gains the respect of all the burrs as well as the lightning bugs.

    Throughout the story, Lecher gives readers lessons about the animals and objects that make up the characters in his book. These introductions provide factual information that not only enhance the readers knowledge about its content but also about animals and objects that they will at some point of their lives likely have contact with. The vocabulary used by Lecher throughout the book is challenging and the comic book design of the book can be hard to follow. I would suggest this book to who like to be challenges and who are able to use context clues and additional sources to help with vocabulary that they are unfamiliar with.

     Children will enjoy reading this story because it is a mixture of both factual information as well as fantasy. I believe that it will appeal most to young boys through its comic book layout. Many children will identify with its theme of an outcast who saves the day. The main characters ability to overcome his fears and to help his friends provides them with the predictable and positive outcome that they expect in their stories. This book will hold their interest, and even though they may predict that Sticky Burr will save the day, they will be surprised at the twists and turns that Sticky Burr encounters throughout his days journey.
Suggestions for the Classroom:
     This book would be wonderful to use, with a collection of other graphic novels and comic books, to introduce to children the skills that they will need in order to be successful in reading books of this format. Several copies of this book, along with other lower-level comics, could be used for children to work with independently after a mini-lesson on how to read graphic novels.

*Pre-Reading Activities:Model reading cartoons or comic strips with students. Discuss how to decide the order in which to read talking bubbles when there are more than one in a square. Explain to students what a Graphic Novel is. Ask students, what do you think is appealing to people about Graphic Novels? (With any luck you will have a nice convesation about how they are like picture books but more challenging) Model with students by sharing some of the comic strips from the Sunday newspaper.

*During Reading: As students are reading, ask them to keep a journal entry noting what they find challenging about graphic novels and what they find interesting about graphic novels ( a two-column chart). They can also jot down any questions that they have as they read.

*Post-Reading Activities:Think-Pair-Share: Have each student pair with another partner (not necessarily having had to have read the same exact book) and discuss the notes that each made on their two-column chart. Ask them to decide whether they feel that Graphic Novels are (1) too difficult to read or if they are (2) interesting and fun. Give the students time to pick their top three reasons, from their charts and discussions, to suppport their case. Give each partnered group to make a case for their side of the debate as they share with the group.

     After each paired group has had an opportunity to present, have the students take a vote: Are Graphic Novels (1) too hard to follow or are (2) interesting and fun. If there is time, or on another day, give the students an opportunity to make their own graphic novel with their partner.

About the Author/Illustrator:

    John Lechner grew up with six brothers and sisters in a home where the Arts were stressed in their importance. He has always enjoyed music, drawing and writing. One of his many jobs is writing and illustrating his own books, which includes his Sticky Burr series. However, Lechner also works as an animator, musician, puppeteer and an interactive designer. He has even started his own interactive website where visitors can see his movies, view interactive storybooks, and play games that he has designed.

Purchase or Read Reviews of Sticky Burr: Adventrures in Burrwood Forest

Snowflake Bentley

Written by. Jaqueline Briggs Martin

Illustrated by. Mary Azarion

Caledecott Award Winner - 1999

Recommended for Children Ages 4-8.

Genre: Non-Fiction, Science, Biography

Summary:

     This book tells the story of Willie Bentley, who as a child becomes facinated with snowflakes and how each is unique and beautiful in their own rite. Despite how others view his quest, Willie devotes his life to taking photgraphs to share the beauty that he has found in his snowflakes with others. Willie Bentley spends many hours trying to find the right environment to take his photographs. This is an arduous task, being that he has to deal with a fragile muse: broken flakes and melted flakes.

     This story teaches children to celebrate their differences and to look for the right opportunities to shine and sparkle. Children in Central New York will enjoy listening to this story as they can relate to the joy that Willie Bentley experiences as he catches his snowflakes and relate that to their own feelings of excitement about the first snowfall of the year. They will have the opportunity to learn something new, that snowflakes are all different one from the other and will enjoying exploring the validity of this claim.

Pre-Reading Activities:
     Discuss with students what is means to explore: to become familiar with by investigating or experimenting. Activate their prior knowledge of the topic by brainstorming with them the things that they investigate and the reasons why using a t-chart.

During Reading:
     Ask the students : Why Willie is interested in investigating snowflakes? Why is Willie's family is not supportive of his snowflake research? What would you do if you were Willie and your family did not support you? How do you think that Willie feels? Was Willie's research important? What did Willie learn about snowflakes? Why did he want to share his research with others?
Post Reading Activities:
     Go back to the t-chart that we made before reading and add snowflakes to the chart as well as Bentley's reasons for investigating them. Allow students some time to look at W. A. Bentley's books and write a letter to Bentley discussing with him their reaction to his books and his biography. If time, also allow them to  design their own snowflakes and then write words about themselves on their snowflakes; showing how each flake is different just as they are all unique.

About the Author:
     Jacqueline Briggs Martin lives in Ithaca, NY with her huband who is a professor at Cornell. Her son and daughter are now grown and starting families of their own but she credits them as her inspiration for writing children's books. Martin states that she has always had a love for words and wanted to create stories that would appeal to adults and children as they read together.

About the Illustrator:
     Mary Azarian won a Caldecott Medal for her in illustrations in Snowflake Bentley.She began her interest in working with wood cut prints as a fourth grade student, and after a few years of working with a press, and  has returned to using this medium primarily for her illustrations and prints. Azarian uses her wooden forms to make her black and white prints and then hand paints the color aspects of her illustration, a technique that is rare in her line of work. She credits her prints inspiration to her life living on a farm in Vermont with her husband and three sons.

Read Reviews and/or purchase the book

To purchase books of Willie Bentley click the following links:

Snowflakes in Photographs

Snow Crystals