Pinkney, Brian. 2003. Thumbelina. New York: Greenwillow Books.
A woman who wanted a child very badly wish for a child of her own. An old woman gave her a magic seed and when it bloomed there was a beautiful flower with a tiny child inside. The woman named her Thumbelina because she was no bigger than her thumb. She took very good care of her, until one day a toad kidnapped her and planned for her to marry his son. The toad put her in the middle of a pond, until the fish sat her free. She came upon a butterfly that she tied a sash too and swept her away into the forest. Thumbelina was content living among all of the beautiful flowers and warm sunlight, but when winter came she was hungry and very lonely. A field mouse took her in, but made her promise to help clean and tell stories. Her neighbor, a blind, rich, mole fell in love with her beautiful voice and wished to make her his wife. She reluctantly agreed and as the mole was taking her deep underground she came upon a bird, that he believed to be dead. Thumbelina felt sorry for the bird and brought a blanket of hay for the bird when she noticed that his heart was beating. She realized that the bird wasn't dead, but only cold from the harsh winter. She continued to take care of the bird until the spring, when she dug out a hole and set him free. The bird wanted Thumbelina to come with him, but she refused knowing that the mole and field mouse would be upset. On her wedding day, she walked outside to say goodbye to all of the things she loved like the flowers and the sun. She suddenly heard a bird chirpping and it was the swallow who had come to rescue her. She boarded upon his back and he took her to a field of beautiful flowers and to her amazement there were other timy people like her there. The King gave her his crown and asked her to be his wife. She couldn't refuse and knew that this would be the right husband for her. The flower people brought wonderful gifts to her and they lived happily ever after.
Pinkney retells and illustrates the story by Hans Christian Anderson in a magical way. The bright colors and soft lines demostrate how fragile and delicate Thumbelina can be, yet how strong she is to make such a long journey on her own. The simple vocabulary could be easily understood by most of the readers. This abridged version is a nice addition to any child folktale collection.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Little Scraggly Hair: A Dog on Noah's Ark
Cullen, Lynn. 2003. Little Scraggly Hair: A Dog on Noah's Ark. New York: Holiday House.
This story is about a scraggly haired dog a very long time ago. Back then, dogs had warm, dry noses and were not much use to humans. In fact, they saw dogs as ornery creatures who were only around to chase cats and dig up bones. Scraggly haired dog, was different though. He didn't much care for chasing cats and in fact he liked the way they purred, but they didn't want to have anything to do with him. He was a very lonely dog, and wanted nothing more than a little food and some companionship. One day he stumbled upon a man building an ark. He layed down and half expected to get shooed away, but the man named Noah did quite the opposite and gave him some food. Scraggly hair dog immediately wanted to please the man and helped him by fetching pieces of wood and tools to fulfill his wish of building a boat. God had told Noah to gather up the animals in pairs and bring them to the boat, and dog did just that. He nipped at the feet of the animals and dodged gigantic teeth of alligators. After the rain quit, Noah was so thankful for all of dog's help he bent down to pet him when he noticed that his nose was wet and cold. He decided to let him sleep in the house by the fire until his nose warmed up. To this day, dogs still have wet and cold noses and that is why they now get to sleep in warm houses.
This is such a wonderful twist to Noah's Ark. The characters are friendly, and readers can't help but fall in love with scraggly haired dog. The watercolor illustrations are are old fashioned and simple and contribute to the tale of the story. The dialect in which the characters speak is Appalachian, but makes the read aloud fun for the children. This tale of how a dog helped Noah, and became a household creature would make a great book in any child's collection.
This story is about a scraggly haired dog a very long time ago. Back then, dogs had warm, dry noses and were not much use to humans. In fact, they saw dogs as ornery creatures who were only around to chase cats and dig up bones. Scraggly haired dog, was different though. He didn't much care for chasing cats and in fact he liked the way they purred, but they didn't want to have anything to do with him. He was a very lonely dog, and wanted nothing more than a little food and some companionship. One day he stumbled upon a man building an ark. He layed down and half expected to get shooed away, but the man named Noah did quite the opposite and gave him some food. Scraggly hair dog immediately wanted to please the man and helped him by fetching pieces of wood and tools to fulfill his wish of building a boat. God had told Noah to gather up the animals in pairs and bring them to the boat, and dog did just that. He nipped at the feet of the animals and dodged gigantic teeth of alligators. After the rain quit, Noah was so thankful for all of dog's help he bent down to pet him when he noticed that his nose was wet and cold. He decided to let him sleep in the house by the fire until his nose warmed up. To this day, dogs still have wet and cold noses and that is why they now get to sleep in warm houses.
This is such a wonderful twist to Noah's Ark. The characters are friendly, and readers can't help but fall in love with scraggly haired dog. The watercolor illustrations are are old fashioned and simple and contribute to the tale of the story. The dialect in which the characters speak is Appalachian, but makes the read aloud fun for the children. This tale of how a dog helped Noah, and became a household creature would make a great book in any child's collection.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Dona Flor: A Tale About a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart
Mora, Pat. 2005. Dona Flor: A Tale About a Giant Woman With a Great Big Heart. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Dona Flor was a beautiful girl, who grew into a beautiful woman. Her mother showed her so much love that she flourished into a giant that could speak every language. Because she was so big, people would make fun of her. They later learned that her only desire was to help and protect her friends. Soon, the villagers became fond of her and she took care of them by preparing tortillas every morning, making toys, and reading to the children in the shade while they played all over her soft body. And, so when the village was being haunted by the sound of a very large puma the villagers went to Dona Flor for help. They were too scared to come out of their houses for fear of danger from the puma. Since Dona Flor was friends with all of the animals and spoke their language, she decided to go to them for help. They told her to look upon the mountaintop and she will find her answer. Up there she found a cute little puma roaring into a long, hollow log which roared into the valley. The puma liked hearing how load his roar was and would fall down upon his back laughing. Dona Flor thought he was a little pumita and began to scratch him behind his ears until he began to purr. She brought pumita home with her and let him sleep on her big toe on a bed of clouds.
The beautiful watercolor illustrations bring to life the sweet and bold Dona Flor. Readers understand how people could make fun of her size, yet learn how helpful it could be to have a giant as your friend. Dona Flor can make giant tortillas children can use a rafts and pluck stars from the sky so that the villagers can find their way home at night. Throughout the book, spanish terms are used and children can relate to this cultural tale.
Dona Flor was a beautiful girl, who grew into a beautiful woman. Her mother showed her so much love that she flourished into a giant that could speak every language. Because she was so big, people would make fun of her. They later learned that her only desire was to help and protect her friends. Soon, the villagers became fond of her and she took care of them by preparing tortillas every morning, making toys, and reading to the children in the shade while they played all over her soft body. And, so when the village was being haunted by the sound of a very large puma the villagers went to Dona Flor for help. They were too scared to come out of their houses for fear of danger from the puma. Since Dona Flor was friends with all of the animals and spoke their language, she decided to go to them for help. They told her to look upon the mountaintop and she will find her answer. Up there she found a cute little puma roaring into a long, hollow log which roared into the valley. The puma liked hearing how load his roar was and would fall down upon his back laughing. Dona Flor thought he was a little pumita and began to scratch him behind his ears until he began to purr. She brought pumita home with her and let him sleep on her big toe on a bed of clouds.
The beautiful watercolor illustrations bring to life the sweet and bold Dona Flor. Readers understand how people could make fun of her size, yet learn how helpful it could be to have a giant as your friend. Dona Flor can make giant tortillas children can use a rafts and pluck stars from the sky so that the villagers can find their way home at night. Throughout the book, spanish terms are used and children can relate to this cultural tale.
Horse Hooves and Chicken Feet: Mexican Folktales
Philip, Neil. 2003. Horse Hooves and Chicken Feet: Mexican Folktales. New York: Clarion Books.
This book comprised of 14 Mexican Folktales brings insight to Mexican culture for any of its readers. Stories include folktales titled The Flea, The Story of the Sun and the Moon, The Hog, and Cinder Juan, which closely resembles the American tale of Cinderella. Each story is approximately one to five pages in length accompanied by a vibrant illustration depicting a scene from the folktale. The reader will find the Notes on the Stories section extremely useful and any educator will consider this a goldmine. Each story is broken down by collector of story, origin of story, and a somewhat interpretation of the folktale. It also give useful information such as where other versions of this same story is published. Hoorse Hooves and Chicken Feet: Mexican Folktales is a great read for anyone interested in Mexican culture and traditions.
This book comprised of 14 Mexican Folktales brings insight to Mexican culture for any of its readers. Stories include folktales titled The Flea, The Story of the Sun and the Moon, The Hog, and Cinder Juan, which closely resembles the American tale of Cinderella. Each story is approximately one to five pages in length accompanied by a vibrant illustration depicting a scene from the folktale. The reader will find the Notes on the Stories section extremely useful and any educator will consider this a goldmine. Each story is broken down by collector of story, origin of story, and a somewhat interpretation of the folktale. It also give useful information such as where other versions of this same story is published. Hoorse Hooves and Chicken Feet: Mexican Folktales is a great read for anyone interested in Mexican culture and traditions.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Fabian Escapes
McCarty, Peter. 2007. Fabian Escapes. New York: Henry Holt and Company.
Hondo the dog and Fabian the cat both live in a nice little home. After Hondo gets home from his walk Fabian escapes out the window to experience the neighborhood and Hondo remains inside and manages to have his own adventure. Fabians smells the flowers and makes new friends while Hondo eats crackers from the baby and gets to play dress up with one of the children. At the end of the day Fabian returns and Hondo welcomes him home. Peter McCarty both wrote and illustrated this book using pencil on watercolor paper. The illustrations are both magical and whimsy. The pages are an off-white color which contributes to the older feeling of the text.
Hondo the dog and Fabian the cat both live in a nice little home. After Hondo gets home from his walk Fabian escapes out the window to experience the neighborhood and Hondo remains inside and manages to have his own adventure. Fabians smells the flowers and makes new friends while Hondo eats crackers from the baby and gets to play dress up with one of the children. At the end of the day Fabian returns and Hondo welcomes him home. Peter McCarty both wrote and illustrated this book using pencil on watercolor paper. The illustrations are both magical and whimsy. The pages are an off-white color which contributes to the older feeling of the text.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Move Over Rover
Beaumont, Karen. 2006. Move Over Rover. Orlando, Florida: Harcout, Inc.
Rover, the dog, is in his doghouse all alone and chewing on a bone when suddenly it begins to rain. The cat, the raccoon, the squirrel, and many other animals convince Rover to let them squeeze into the tiny, yet warm and dry doghouse. All of the sudden they smell something foul and notice the skunk is trying to join them. They immediately run out of the doghouse leaving the skunk in the only dry place. After the storm, the animals look for Rover when they notice that he is all alone in his warm and dry doghouse.
The rhythmic and flowing words in this book almost make it impossible not to sing as you are telling this story. The repeating pattern for each animal entering the doghouse make it fun and predictable for any young child. The illustrations are large, bold, and clearly magnify the expressions and stories of each animal. Early in the story, the images foreshadow what will happen by displaying small images of the skunk "checking out" the warm and dry doghouse. This book would be a must have in any young child's collection.
Rover, the dog, is in his doghouse all alone and chewing on a bone when suddenly it begins to rain. The cat, the raccoon, the squirrel, and many other animals convince Rover to let them squeeze into the tiny, yet warm and dry doghouse. All of the sudden they smell something foul and notice the skunk is trying to join them. They immediately run out of the doghouse leaving the skunk in the only dry place. After the storm, the animals look for Rover when they notice that he is all alone in his warm and dry doghouse.
The rhythmic and flowing words in this book almost make it impossible not to sing as you are telling this story. The repeating pattern for each animal entering the doghouse make it fun and predictable for any young child. The illustrations are large, bold, and clearly magnify the expressions and stories of each animal. Early in the story, the images foreshadow what will happen by displaying small images of the skunk "checking out" the warm and dry doghouse. This book would be a must have in any young child's collection.
Henry's First-Moon Birthday
Look, Lenore. 2001. Henry's First-Moon Birthday. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
Jenny and GninGnin, her grandma, are preparing for a very special day. It is her brother's first month birthday, or his first-moon, as it is called in Chinese. Together they prepare soup, make tea, decorate banners and get the house ready for all of the visitors. As friends and relatives begin to arrive, Jenny's job is to make sure that her cousins do not wake baby Henry, although she can't resist and pinches him when no one is looking. Everyone is very impressed with how well Henry looks and how he is such a wonderful baby. Jenny can't wait to tell him how wonderful his first-moon birthday was and how lucky he was to have her in charge.
This cultural story describes the the traditions of the first-moon birthday through the eyes of a young girl. Readers can learn about Chinese culture such as making red eggs to welcome the baby and hanging a gold chain and coins around the baby's neck. Lenore Look, the illustrator, manages to brightly fill each page with bright, cheery colors. The child-like illustrations give us even more insight to the special event through the eyes of the young girl. This would be a great book to use in teaching children about ways different cultures celebrate birthdays.
Jenny and GninGnin, her grandma, are preparing for a very special day. It is her brother's first month birthday, or his first-moon, as it is called in Chinese. Together they prepare soup, make tea, decorate banners and get the house ready for all of the visitors. As friends and relatives begin to arrive, Jenny's job is to make sure that her cousins do not wake baby Henry, although she can't resist and pinches him when no one is looking. Everyone is very impressed with how well Henry looks and how he is such a wonderful baby. Jenny can't wait to tell him how wonderful his first-moon birthday was and how lucky he was to have her in charge.
This cultural story describes the the traditions of the first-moon birthday through the eyes of a young girl. Readers can learn about Chinese culture such as making red eggs to welcome the baby and hanging a gold chain and coins around the baby's neck. Lenore Look, the illustrator, manages to brightly fill each page with bright, cheery colors. The child-like illustrations give us even more insight to the special event through the eyes of the young girl. This would be a great book to use in teaching children about ways different cultures celebrate birthdays.
Every Friday
Yaccarino, Dan. 2007. Every Friday. New York: Henry Holt and Company.
Every Friday is a fantastic story about a young boy and his father spending time together and enjoying each other's company. On Fridays the boy and his father leave the house rain or shine, cold or sunny, and head to the local diner for breakfast. On the way, even though it seems everyone else is in a rush, they take their time and enjoy taking in their surroundings. The boy and his father both cherish the ritual of spending quality time together on these special mornings. The illustations are so powerful in this book, that words are barely needed to tell the story. The cartoon-like images take up the entire page and contributes to the feel good sensation of this book. Although, the book was published in 2007, the illustrations and strong family bond seem to make the reader feel like they are reading something from earlier in this century.
Every Friday is a fantastic story about a young boy and his father spending time together and enjoying each other's company. On Fridays the boy and his father leave the house rain or shine, cold or sunny, and head to the local diner for breakfast. On the way, even though it seems everyone else is in a rush, they take their time and enjoy taking in their surroundings. The boy and his father both cherish the ritual of spending quality time together on these special mornings. The illustations are so powerful in this book, that words are barely needed to tell the story. The cartoon-like images take up the entire page and contributes to the feel good sensation of this book. Although, the book was published in 2007, the illustrations and strong family bond seem to make the reader feel like they are reading something from earlier in this century.
The Other Side
Woodson, Jacqueline. 2001. The Other Side. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Clover and Annie are very similar girls, but their lives are seperated by a long wooden fence. Clover and Annie's parents tell them that they should never cross the fence and to always stay on their own side. Clover is black and Annie is white. Clover was curious about the other girl and wondered why she always sat upon the fence. One day after a long period of rain, Clover was brave enough to walk over and introduce herself. Annie explained that her mom said never to go to the other side, however she never said anything about sitting on the fence. After that point, the girls sat on the fence, watched the world, and became fast friends. One day they imagined someone coming and breaking down the barrier. E.B. Lewis' beautiful watercoloring brings the characters and emotions alive for the reader. Each page consists of large colorful artwork depicting the setting and characters' actions. Although, this book deals with racial tensions it has been written through the eyes of a little girl and proves the point that friendship is blind.
Clover and Annie are very similar girls, but their lives are seperated by a long wooden fence. Clover and Annie's parents tell them that they should never cross the fence and to always stay on their own side. Clover is black and Annie is white. Clover was curious about the other girl and wondered why she always sat upon the fence. One day after a long period of rain, Clover was brave enough to walk over and introduce herself. Annie explained that her mom said never to go to the other side, however she never said anything about sitting on the fence. After that point, the girls sat on the fence, watched the world, and became fast friends. One day they imagined someone coming and breaking down the barrier. E.B. Lewis' beautiful watercoloring brings the characters and emotions alive for the reader. Each page consists of large colorful artwork depicting the setting and characters' actions. Although, this book deals with racial tensions it has been written through the eyes of a little girl and proves the point that friendship is blind.
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