Genre 3 Poetry

.

The Llama Who Had No Pajama: 100 Favorite Poems

Bibliography

Hoberman, Mary Ann. 1998 The llama who had no pajama: 100 favorite poems. Ill. by Betty Fraser. San Diego: Harcourt Brace & Co. ISBN 0152001115

Summary

Mary Ann Hoberman has 100 of her enjoyable poems gathered with illustrations by Betty Fraser. The poems are of interest to children of all ages. They include topics of swinging, birthdays, brothers, insects, and animals. The strategically placed illustrations help tell the poetic stories and add a great deal to the book.

Critical Analysis

This individual poet compilation book is perfect for children. Hoberman not only capitalizes on children's interests, but she also masterfully uses rhyme, rhythm, and alliteration to give children opportunities to fall in love with playing with their language. She writes poetry riddles and plays with words such as "botamus" in the hippopotamus poem. The book is saturated with fun rhyming words such as squiggly, wiggly, jiggly, higgly, and piggly in the worm poem. The readers are drawn into the poems through the use of onomatopoeia with alliteration such as "crash, clatter, and clacket" of the trash can in the raccoon poem. The drawings by Betty Fraser help children visualize the poems, especially when the poem is about an animal or insect they may not be familiar with. Some illustrations are so interwoven with the words that they become a part of the poem. The book includes a "Table of Contents" for the well organized topics and an "Index of First Lines."

Review Excerpts

Horn Book - "This collection of some forty years of Hoberman verse is a charmer. The poems - peppy verses immediately identifiable as Hoberman's by their use of alliteration and repeated words and lines - seem to cover every subject under the sun; all are dependably child-centered." 
Booklist - "Poems drawn from Hoberman’s previous works, published between 1957 and 1981, are packaged to delight a new generation."

Connections

Use the poems to lead into class work such as studies about amphibians, insects, and mammals.

Use poems as an introduction to poetry writing.

Read a poem a day - for fun.

Use poems to teach rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, riddles, opposites, etc.

Read other books by Mary Ann Hoberman. 

• A House is a House for Me: ISBN 0142407739
• The Seven Silly Eaters: ISBN 0152000968
  
• The Cozy Book: ISBN 0152019561

1998 National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA)

Best Books of the Year - Child Magazine

Riddle-icious

Bibliography
Lewis, J. Patrick. 1996. Riddle-icious Ill. by Debbie Tilley. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
ISBN 0679940111


Summary
Patrick J. Lewis has written an entertaining book which combines poetry and riddles for children. Children who cannot solve the riddles from the words can look at the illustrations by Debbie Tilley or see the answer which is written backward at the bottom of the page. The book is entertaining because of the clever poetic riddles and the humorous illustrations which accompany them.

Critical Analysis
Lewis and Tilley combine their talents to create an amazing book of poetic riddles. Even though the book has been written for children, people of all ages will enjoy it. A few riddles may be outdated for today's young child such as the television riddle which includes an antenna reference which states "Has two long ears but cannot hear, Has one big eye but cannot see, Has no tongue but talks all day." The illustrations help convey the meaning of the riddles. Illustrations help children create images for the words of the riddles such as the denture lawn mowers devouring the corn on the cob. The rhythm in the poems flows naturally, sometimes using rhyme. The riddles are filled with personification as the alphabet becomes twenty-six soldiers and the traffic light is a hangman. The metaphors with rich imagery are a clever part of the riddles. The book is made complete by the humorous illustrations which provide clues to help the readers solve the riddle-icious riddles.


Review Excerpts
Kirkus Review - "Far superior to most riddle books in merit and for the visual humor in the colorful ink-and- watercolor illustrations."

Publishers Weekly Children's - "Readers are likely to return to these clever spreads even after they've solved all the puzzles."

Connections
Students create their own riddles or poem riddles using personification and metaphors. They may work with a partner and create illustrations for the poems. 
Read other books by J. Patrick Lewis:

• Edgar Allan Poe's Pie: Math Puzzlers in Classic Poems. ISBN 9780547513386
• Riddle-Lightful: Oodles of Little Riddle Poems. ISBN 9780679887607
• Hippopotamusn't: And Other Animal Poems. ISBN 9780785723844
  

Read about the author: http://www.jpatricklewis.com/kids.shtml

The Firefly Letters

Bibliography

Engle, Margarita. 2010. The firefly letters: a suffragate's journey to Cuba. New York: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 9780805090826

Summary

Three women in Cuba in 1851 all have a voice in this novel in verse. Elena is a pampered, protected girl living with her parents, her slave girl, and a Swedish women's rights pioneer whose freedoms to travel, roam, and think for herself provide great conflict to Elena's way of thinking. Their very different lives and ways of thinking converge as they realize the need for freedom and equality for all. 

Critical Analysis

Newbery Honor-winning author Margarita Engle immediately captures the reader's attention in this verse novel. Juveniles, young adults, and adults will all be captured by the voices of three women from very different backgrounds as we learn about life in Cuba, the life of a slave, and the walk of a women's rights pioneer. Elena states, "I find the Swedish lady's freedom to wander all over the island without chaperone so disturbing that I can hardly bear her company." Swedish Frederika describes the diabotical beauty of Cuba tainted by the ugliness of slavery in words such as, ". . . this beautiful island where - if not for slavery - I could think of the palm trees and winter sun as true evidence of Eden rediscovered." The flow from one voice to the other is natural and the organization allows the reader to follow the thought processes of all three women as well as the male slave who occasionally has a voice. The reader shares in their experiences through brilliant use of imagery. Sights, smells, sounds, or tastes are often described such as when Cecilia recalls her mother's wails when she is taken from Africa. Celecia recalls, "I remember a wide river and gray parrots with patches of red feathers . . . In the silence of the night I still hear my mother wailing."  Engle includes figurative language with similies such as "feels like we have wings," but it is the rhythm and sound of the voices as they share their thoughts and feelings which make this a book which cannot be put down until it is finished.

Reviews Excerpts 

Starred Kirkus Reviews - "Engle’s poetry is a gossamer thread of subtle beauty weaving together three memorable characters who together find hope and courage."

Connections 

Study women's suffrage movement including pioneer, Fredrika Bremer.

Discuss Cuban culture in 19th Century.
Discuss slavery and children born into slavery.
Read award winning book, The Surrender Tree, by Margarita Engle. ISBN 0805086749

Awards:

2011 Amelia Bloomer List 

2011 Notable Children's Book 

2011 Belpre Author Honor Book

Genre 2 Traditional Literature

The Gingerbread Man

 

Bibliography

Kimmel, Eric A. 1993. THE GINGERBREAD MAN. Ill. by Megan LLoyd. New York: Holiday House. ISBN 0823408248

Summary 

Eric Kimmel retells this well known fairy tale with accompanying colorful artwork which gives young children a clear picture of the story. An old man and an old woman bake and decorate a gingerbread man. After they finish, the gingerbread man runs away and the couple and many animals try to catch him. The gingerbread man repeatedly tells in a rhythmical rhyme to each animal that he cannot be caught. Lloyd's drawings share that as the dog, cow, horse, and sow, unsuccessfully chase him. All of that changes when the gingerbread man meets the fox who uses trickery rather than a chase. Kimmel inserts a cheery ending with the thoughts that the gingerbread man may return when another pan of gingerbread men is made.

Critical Analysis
This cumulative tale is portrayed not only in the retelling by Kimmel, but in the magnificent drawings by Megan Lloyd. The artwork fills entire pages to become a part of the story telling. The setting and the lines depicting movement of the animals, the gingerbread man, and the couple help the reader imagine the chase on the farm. The rhyme and rhythm of the gingerbread man's jingle sticks with children as they hear it each time a new animal joins the chase. "I'll run and run as fast as I can. You can't catch me. I'm the gingerbread man!" What could be a sad ending is not, as Kimmel and Lloyd supply a happy ending reminding children that the gingerbread man may return when another pan of gingerbread is made.

Review Excerpts

School Library Journal - "Lloyd's illustrations work in tandem with the text to create verve and motion while maintaining a "fresh-from-the-oven" appeal. Her engaging art works beautifully with Kimmel's retelling to keep both eye and action moving across each page, thus enhancing the story's pace."

Connections

Make a pan of gingerbread men and have children help decorate them. 

Students sequence events in story. They may draw the various animals who join the chase, mix them, and then sequence properly.

Students role play parts using masks.

Read other versions of the story to compare the characters, setting, plot, etc.

The Gingerbread Cowboy ISBN 9780060778637 

The Gingerbread Pirates ISBN 978-0060778637 

The Library Gingerbread Man ISBN 9781602130487

The Three Pigs 

Bibliography

Wiesner, David. 2001. The Three Pigs. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0618007016

Summary 

The story begins like the traditional Three Little Pigs, but when the wolf blows the house, he blows the pig right out of the colorful story frame. The other two pigs also escape and they all ride on a paper airplane made from a page of the book to fairy tales where they are joined by the cat from "Hey, Diddle Diddle" and the dragon they rescue. As the pigs escape through a library of stories, they finally end up back home and even the words and letters of the page are discombobulated. Do not fear, though, the pigs live happily ever after at home with the dragon and the cat with its fiddle. The wit of Wiesner in creating this clever story and beautiful drawings will be loved by young and old alike. The pigs' expressive eyes and the ever changing details in the story provide a book which will be read again and again.

Critical Analysis 

The story line of The Three Pigs provides the typical good and bad characters, but the story line takes a new twist when the pigs escape the wolf and their original story for other tales with a color and look of their own.  Wiesner’s cleverness in having the pages come alive and out of the story for the characters to hide under and ride on enables the readers to expand their imagination and by doing so unlocks the reader’s mental framework. The theme is no longer about laziness or work ethic. The color and picture style changes each time the pigs enter a new tale. The pigs, themselves, morph into a new look which matches the tale. Rather than traditional narration, the pigs have speech balloons and seem to come out of the story giving a feeling that they are real. Wiesner also utilizes absence by having blank pages which provide readers opportunities to imagine and predict where the pigs are going after their paper airplane crashes. Wiesner, a Caldecott Medal winner, provides a delightful story with artwork which is as clever as it is brilliant.

Review Excerpts

The Horn Book Review - "Obviously there’s a lot going on here, but once you get your bearings, this is a fantastic journey told with a light touch."

The Horn Book Magazine - "Wiesner’s marvelously comical and just plain beautiful book demonstrates how far a good old story can take an artist inspired by its essential spirit." 

Kirkus Reviews - Starred "With this inventive retelling, Caldecott Medalist Wiesner (Tuesday, 1991) plays with literary conventions in a manner not seen since Scieszka's The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales (1993)."

The New York Times - “Wiesner’s dialogue and illustrations are clever, whimsical and sophisticated.”

School Library Journal - “Witty dialogue and physical comedy abound in this inspired retelling of a familiar favorite.”
  

Connections 

Read other versions of The Three Little Pigs. Compare and contrast with Wiesner's book.

Read The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig ISBN 9780689815287. Discuss characters.

Read Eric A. Kimmel's The Three Tamales. ISBN 9780761455196. Compare and Contrast.

Read (and and talk about) all three of Wiesner's Caldecott Medal books:

• The Three Pigs 
• Flotsom ISBN 9780618194575
• Tuesday ISBN 9780395870822

Collaborate to write a creative ending for The Three Little Pigs or other traditional tales.

Awards

Caldecott Medal 2002

The Ugly Duckling

Bibliography

Pinkney, Jerry. 1999. THE UGLY DUCKLING. New York. Morrow Junior Books. ISBN 068815932X

Summary

Jerry Pinkney's adaptation and illustrations of Han Christian Anderson's classic tale brings home the message that never grows old. The words and the watercolor drawings help the reader envision the naturistic surroundings where the duck has a sixth egg which does not look like the others. The duckling is belittled and bullied and never fits in. When spring comes, he sees a flock of beautiful birds doing what he longs to do, floating on the water. He joins them but he still feels insecure due to his ugliness. He still thinks of himself as the ugliest ever, but then he sees his image mirrored in the pond and realizes he had become a beautiful swan. The children who come to the pond say he is the most beautiful of all.

Critical Analysis

This classic provides many sensory images through the words and in the drawings. The ugly duckling goes through many situations which children may be able to identify with. Children may share the feelings of prejudice toward the one who looks differently. By the end of the story, Pinkney gives the moral to stay patient when things seem bad; situations may change and the end result may seem even better having come through the pain and suffering. At first, Pinkney's illustrations may appear to the young reader to be dull and lack a certain colorful vividness even though this is a Caldecott award winning book. As the story continues, however, the reader realizes that the illustrations contribute to the warmth and good feelings of the story. As the illustrations aid the viewer is seeing the transformation of the ugly duckling into a beautiful swan, the readers understand the difficulties and the tribulations that one must go through before their time of glory comes.

Review Excerpts Kirkus Reviews - "Outstanding illustrations and some new characters make Pinkney’s retelling of a familiar tale memorable."

Publishers Weekly - Pinkney's (Rikki-Tikki-Tavi) supple, exquisitely detailed watercolors provide a handsome foil to his graceful adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen classic. 

School Library Journal Book Review Stars -  “the appeal of this tale is as strong today as it was 150 years ago, and Pinkney has done an admirable job of repackaging it for a new generation. "

Connections

Discuss patience.

Read other books with similar themes such as Leo the Late Bloomer ISBN 0-06-443348-X

Use for an attention grabber for lessons about bullying, discrimination, or multi-culturalism.

Randolph Caldecott Medal Honor Book 2000 United States
2X2 Reading List, 2000 - Texas 

The Best Children's Books of the Year, 2000
The Children's Literature Choice List, 2000 

United States Notable Books for Children, 2000 

Millions of Cats by Wanda Ga'g

Millions of Cats 

Bibliography 

Ga'g, Wanda. 1928. Millions of Cats. New York: Coward-McCann, Inc. ISBN 0698206371 

Summary

The black and white illustrations keep the focus of Wanda Gág’s story on the cats in this delightful children’s book. An old man and woman are lonely and decide they need a cat. The man goes to find one, but cannot choose one because all the cats are so pretty. He heads home with billions and trillions of cats following him. The cats are asked to decide which one will be kept, and they fight and destroy each other as each claims to be the prettiest. One humble kitty is left, and it is loved and nurtured and becomes the prettiest cat of all.

Critical Analysis 

This classic children’s picture book from 1928 has a plot and illustrations which continue to capture the interest of children eighty years after it was written. The conflict is believable to the imagination of children, and the resolution is a happy one while subtly giving a message about humility winning over vanity. Rhyme and rhythm are sprinkled in the story and provide catchy lines for children to enjoy and repeat. One wonders why color has not been added to the illustrations of such a long lasting book as children would love the various beautiful colors of the cats. Maybe it is not illustrated anew due to the violence of the cats destroying each other. Some people may find that part of the story offensive and the black and white simple illustrations preferred over what would be an unpleasant colorful page.

Review Excerpts

School Library Journal's "100 Books Which Shaped the Country: "Considered by many to have ushered in the age of the modern picture book, this Newbery Honor winner is characterized by innovative design and a strong storyteller’s cadence.”

Connections 

Conduct a "Cat" Inquiry Learning project.

Discuss care and treatment of cats and pets.

Study "Cat" family including tiger, lion, and cheetah. 

Read The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister, ISBN   978-1558536. Contrast the differences.

Read The Ugly Duckling by Jerry Pinkney. ISBN 978-0688159320 Compare the similarities.  

Newbery Honor Winner 

SLJ Top 100 Picture Books

1958 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award

A Ball for Daisy

Bibliography

Raschka, Christopher. A ball for Daisy. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2011. ISBN 9780375958618

Summary

The characters, setting, and plot are all revealed through the illustrations in this wordless Caldecott Medal winning picture book. The fun-loving white dog enjoys his red ball at home and at the park - until the other dog comes along, gets the ball, and bites it too hard bursting the source of fun. The illustrations brilliantly convey the sadness of the dog until the next visit to the park. The other dog and its owner appear with a new blue ball. All play together and leave having more than they had at first. Now they have not only the ball to play with, but also a friend.  

Critical Analysis

The simple drawings are warm and inviting to capture the heart of the "reader" of the illustrations. The use of the red and blue ball on neutral colored drawings helps children to follow the main idea and create the story. The dog's moods which are clearly conveyed through the drawings, may be moods which the children themselves can identify with. The dog sleeps with the ball, plays with it, and is saddened after it is broken. The resolution conveys a message that may help a child feel comforted when something goes wrong.

Review Excerpts

Kirkus Reviews, Starred - "Rarely, perhaps never, has so steep an emotional arc been drawn with such utter, winning simplicity."

School Library Journal, Starred, Best Book of the Year - "Raschka's genius lies in capturing the essence of situations that are deeply felt by children."

Horn Book Magazine, Starred - "Noteworthy for both its artistry and its child appeal."

Caldecott Medal Winner

Connections

Use book for language learners (English or foreign language) to tell a story.

Use the book for Language Experience Approach (LEA.)

Students may create a play or tape for the book.

Students collaborate to make and share their own wordless books using magazines and/or colors. 

See other illustratons by Raschka at website for National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, Abilene, TX http://nccil.org/experience/artists/raschkac/ and in books such as The Hello, Goodbye Window, Yo! Yes? and Charlie Parker Played Be Bop.

May use the "You Tube" video with an older art class as Raschka talks through the process of making books.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8x5GYm-jHHM  or  http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=uQhhFjk-nEw&feature=endscreen

 Tomás and the Library Lady

Bibliography

Mora, Pat, and Raúl Colón. Tomás and the library lady. Ill by Raúl Colón. New York: Knopf :, 1997.

Summary
Spanish speaking Tomás is in Iowa with his family of migrant workers when he discovers the library and the librarian. He is offered not only a place for cool relief, but a love for books which correlates with the love for storytelling from his abuelito (grandfather). When Tomás and his family plan to leave and return to Texas, the librarian gives Tomás a book  to go with the other gift she has already given him - the love of books and reading. This is a true story about the man who became the Chancellor at the University of California at Riverside and it is an authentic experience of second language learners.

Critical Analysis  
The characters are realistic and true to the culture of the Hispanic migrant workers. The richness of the family love and encouragement is portrayed in a positive manner to encourage Hispanic children. Spanish speaking children will enjoy the simple words in their mother tongue which are translated to English in a realistic dialogue. Tomás is sad to leave the Iowa library and librarian, but the resolution leaves the reader happy. The gold, orange, and brown earth tone colors  in the illustrations of Raúl Colón contribute to the feeling of warmth and love as the illustrations allow children to connect with the story.

This story is so realistic that when this Iowa writer read the book to her husband who was an Hispanic child field worker, he thought she was making it up. Besides other realistic occurrences of the book, his life had been also greatly affected by a librarian. True to culture? Yes, and a perfect book for a library and a home.

Review Excerpts

Kirkus Aug 1, 1997

Connections 

Celebrate Dia de los ninos/los libros and read Book Fiesta; ISBN 0061288772

Enjoy a Mexican meal and mariachi music.

Immerse class in classroom atmosphere of unknown language being spoken.

Set up Cultural display of items from Mexico.

Have English language learner adult speak to the class.

Read other books by Pat Mora including:

A Library for Juana: The World of Sor Juana Ines; ISBN 0375806431

Abuelos; ISBN 1554981018

A Birthday Basket for TIa; ISBN 0689813287
Book illustrated by Raul Colon - Don't Forget, God Bless Our Troops; ISBN 144245735X

1997 Americas Award for Children and Young Adult Literature Commended Title

1997 Notable Books for Children, Smithsonian

1998 Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award

1998 Teachers' Choices Award from IRA

1999-2000 Texas Bluebonnet Master List Title

Blog for Future Module:

Eyes of the Emperor


Bibliography

Salisbury, Graham. Eyes of the emperor. New York: Wendy Lamb Books, 2005. ISBN 0307523152

Summary 

Eddie Okubo is a United States Japanese American who was born in Hawaii. At age 16, he lies about his age and joins the military. Then Pearl Harbor is bombed and he and his Japanese friends begin a long journey of being in the United States Army, but distrusted because of their race. They spend time in an internment camp in Wisconsin before being sent to Cat Island, Mississippi to be the bait for dogs which are being trained to hunt down enemy Japanese by their scent. 

Critical Analysis

Review Excerpts

Connections

Study history of Hawaii including the immigrants who came to the islands and the interactions with native Hawaiians. Create a presentation about Hawaii becoming a state.

Study and discuss internment of Japanese Americans. Read other books and articles on the subject. 

Study the Japanese-american military groups including 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the most awarded company in U.s. military history. What were their roles? 

Study the Cat Islands and surrounding Mississippi areas and what happened to them after Hurricane Katrina. 

Debate animal cruelty considering animals being used for science, medicine, or as in this book, military.

Awards: 

2005 Best Books of the Year, Kirkus Reviews
2005 Parent’s Choice Silver Honor Award
2006 Notable Social Studies, Trade Books for Young People
2006-2007 Texas Tayshas High School Reading List
2006 ALA Best Books for Young Adults
2006 ALA Notable Book
2006 New York Public Library Best Books for the Teen Age
2006 Capitol Choices, Noteworthy Books for Children 
2006 PEN USA Literary Award (finalist) 
Booklist Top Ten Historical Fiction Books for Youth 2005-2006