Dana Goodyear is fantastic (that's not something I feel very often about contemporary poets).
The Bowerbirds
As if we were leaving
the small forest tower that we built,
with a moss carpet and mosquito chandeliers,
and laughing at it.
I can’t believe you used that word—
in an argument, no less.
But we would never break this way,
loose, affectionate, wry.
You straighten,
add an ornament.
This is somehow part of our staying.
If you left, a black cape would flap
like a crow winging,
and I would make a hundred harried calls.
Comments
The overarching metaphor leaves the world of human beings--and their effects--behind for the forest (a suitable place to forget everyone else for your lover, and yourself). On the other hand, an inner metaphor--"moss carpet and mosquito chandeliers"--reminds us of the world from which the lovers seem to have figuratively escaped. Will they go back to real carpets and chandeliers? An argument seems to have dissolved into humor; the narrator reassures herself that this means their love is not going anywhere. Is the "ornament" more language, something funny? What's the word her lover used--did he come up with the "forest" metaphor? Is that's what's funny? At the end I think of Dracula (a bloodsucker, like the mosquitoes)--it's the way the black cape, the classic implement of a dramatic exit, turns into crow's wings. But if he's wearing a figurative cape, they already would have briefly left the world of the Bowerbirds, so that he could return to bird-world alone. Perhaps these funny metaphors aren't so promising--he can leave her without leaving them after all.
Roundup hosted by Kelly Fineman at Writing and Ruminating
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Building the Well-Read Child's Library: 10 Classic Picture Books
Today, I'm presenting my second installment of "Building The Well-Read Child's Library."
I absolutely love reading new books--new stories, new characters to fall in love with, new illustrationsm, but there's nothing like pulling out a story that I read when I was a child and reading it to my daughter. It brings back so many memories, and even though she can't quite understand them now, I am eager for the day when she will be able to. Some books are simply magical, can withstand the test of time, and can be enjoyed by many different generations.
Here are ten classic picture books that you may have read when you were young and that you will enjoy sharing with your child all over again.
Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
This story, first published in 1939, introduced us to a charming little character from France who appeared in many many more stories afterwards. While many say it's better suited for girls, I think little boys will also like the stories rhymes.
I absolutely love reading new books--new stories, new characters to fall in love with, new illustrationsm, but there's nothing like pulling out a story that I read when I was a child and reading it to my daughter. It brings back so many memories, and even though she can't quite understand them now, I am eager for the day when she will be able to. Some books are simply magical, can withstand the test of time, and can be enjoyed by many different generations.
Here are ten classic picture books that you may have read when you were young and that you will enjoy sharing with your child all over again.
Madeline by Ludwig BemelmansThis story, first published in 1939, introduced us to a charming little character from France who appeared in many many more stories afterwards. While many say it's better suited for girls, I think little boys will also like the stories rhymes.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
This classic story of the mischevious little bunny who gets into a heap of trouble in Mr. McGregor's garden is sure to be a hit with children. I remember associating Peter with my own little brother who always seemed to get into trouble and somehow manage to wiggle his way out of it.
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice SendakI admit that I didn't read this book until I was an adult, but once I did, I knew it was something I would have loved when I was little. Little Max gets sent to bed without supper, but fortunately for him, a forest full of wild things is waiting for him. It celebrates a child's imagination and will be enjoyed by girls and boys alike.
The Story of Babar by Jean De BrunhoffA classic tale of a little elephant who loses his mother, goes into the city, and becomes the talk of the town. I loved Babar and all of Jean De Brunhoff's funny illustrations.
The Complete Adventures of Curious George by H.A. Rey 60 years ago, children were introduced to this lovable monkey and the Man in the Yellow Hat. This first book sparked the creation of numerous books that continue to make the little monkey a familiar character in households today.
A Bear Called Paddington by Michael BondA nice British family, the Browns, meet a nice bear at a Paddington station with a sign around his neck that says, "Please look after this bear." So begins the story of a bear whose humor and whimsy have won the hearts of children for decades. When I was a child, I was drawn to Paddington Bear's charm.
Corduroy by Don FreemanAnother story featuring a bear as a character, Corduroy, a toy bear, comes alive and goes on a fun adventure in a department store at night when everyone has left. When I was a child, I used to imagine what it would be like to have the same experience as Corduroy and made up my own little stories in my head.
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee BurtonWhen technology like gasoline and diesel threaten the livelihood of Mike and his steam shovel, Mary Anne, they travel to the tiny town of Popperville to find work. This is one of those books that boys who love machines will really enjoy, but girls will also be interested in the story.
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett JohnsonAnother book that celebrates a child's imagination, Harold goes for a walk in the moonlight with a big purple crayon in his hand. He uses the crayon multiple times along the adventure to help him out and then to get him back home. Kids who love to draw and who like a little bit of magic will love this book.
Stone Soup by Ann McGovernAnn McGovern first retold this Chinese folktale in 1968. The story of a hungry young man who tricks an old woman who initially refuses him food into making a hearty soup. The first ingredient? Stones of course.
These picture books were just a few of my favorites when I was a child, and I look forward to sharing them with my daughter. What were some of your favorites?
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
The Girl in the Castle Inside the Museum by Kate Bernheimer, Illustrated by Nicoletta Ceccoli
The Girl in the Castle Inside the Museum by Kate Bernheimer, Illustrated by Nicoletta Ceccoli
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade (February 12, 2008)
This is a picture book unlike any book I've ever read. The premise is that there is a girl who lives in a castle inside a museum. The castle is encased in a glass globe, and when children come to the musem, they press their noses against the glass globe and get a glimpse of the girl in the castle. When the children leave at night, she gets lonely even though she is surrounded by beautiful things. At night she dreams of children her own size visiting her, and "sometimes the girl in the castle even dreams about you." Her solution for overcoming her loneliness is to hang a picture of you, the reader, on the wall beside her bed. The last line of the book, "Do you see her? She sees you." EEEK!
Jen Robinson sums it up the best when she says the book is "deliciously creepy." I really like it because it is different, and has an ethereal, dream-like aura that takes me to another world. Nicoletta Ceccoli's soft clay model, acrylic, and digital media illustrations are absolutely gorgeous, and in fact, they are the most beautiful illustrations I've seen in a picture book yet. They, along with the story, will captivate the reader.
Kate Bernheimer has hit a home run with her first children's book, and I will definitely look for more from her in future. I think many kids will love it, but I would be wary of reading it to smaller kids who may be a little frightened at the thought of the girl watching them. However, some kids totally eat stuff like this up, so I'll leave it up to you to decide whether or not it's the right choice for your child.
Other Blog Reviews:
Jen Robinson's Book Page
Book Buds KidLit Reviews
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade (February 12, 2008)
This is a picture book unlike any book I've ever read. The premise is that there is a girl who lives in a castle inside a museum. The castle is encased in a glass globe, and when children come to the musem, they press their noses against the glass globe and get a glimpse of the girl in the castle. When the children leave at night, she gets lonely even though she is surrounded by beautiful things. At night she dreams of children her own size visiting her, and "sometimes the girl in the castle even dreams about you." Her solution for overcoming her loneliness is to hang a picture of you, the reader, on the wall beside her bed. The last line of the book, "Do you see her? She sees you." EEEK!
Jen Robinson sums it up the best when she says the book is "deliciously creepy." I really like it because it is different, and has an ethereal, dream-like aura that takes me to another world. Nicoletta Ceccoli's soft clay model, acrylic, and digital media illustrations are absolutely gorgeous, and in fact, they are the most beautiful illustrations I've seen in a picture book yet. They, along with the story, will captivate the reader.
Kate Bernheimer has hit a home run with her first children's book, and I will definitely look for more from her in future. I think many kids will love it, but I would be wary of reading it to smaller kids who may be a little frightened at the thought of the girl watching them. However, some kids totally eat stuff like this up, so I'll leave it up to you to decide whether or not it's the right choice for your child.
Other Blog Reviews:
Jen Robinson's Book Page
Book Buds KidLit Reviews
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Dinosaur Lesson Plans and Activities
On Monday, I reviewed The Discovery and Mystery of a Dinosaur Named Jane by Judith Williams. It's about a group of palentologists who discover an amazing dinosaur while digging in Montana.
Dinosaurs seem to fascinate many children, so here are some lesson plans and other dinosaur-themed activities I found on the web if you want to teach your child more about dinosaurs.
Dinosaur Lesson Plans: A big list of activities and lesson plans for kids, including "How To Write a Funny Dinosaur Poem," and "Make a Sock-A-Saurus."
Dinosaur Mini-Unit for Kindergartners: Contents of this mini-unit include an introduction to fossils, palentologists, and dinosaurs; some really fun art activities; and more.
Dinosaurs seem to fascinate many children, so here are some lesson plans and other dinosaur-themed activities I found on the web if you want to teach your child more about dinosaurs.
Dinosaur Lesson Plans: A big list of activities and lesson plans for kids, including "How To Write a Funny Dinosaur Poem," and "Make a Sock-A-Saurus."
Dinosaur Mini-Unit for Kindergartners: Contents of this mini-unit include an introduction to fossils, palentologists, and dinosaurs; some really fun art activities; and more.
Dinosaur Prints: An art project where children can make and paint their own print of a dinosaur using a picture from a book or magazine.
Dinosaur Art Activities: A teacher shares three dinosaur-themed art activities she's completed with her students.
Dinosaur Bodies: A lesson from National Geographic for grades K-2 that encourages kids to think about and learn how animals used their bodies and how dinosaurs might have used theirs.
Dinosaur Detectives: A comprehensive lesson for children in grades 6-8 that helps them learn more about palentologists.
Note that I found TONS of information, so what I'm listing now is just a small sample of what's out there.
Monday, February 25, 2008
The Discovery and Mystery of a Dinosaur Named Jane by Judith Williams
Nonfiction Monday: The Discovery and Mystery of a Dinosaur Named Jane
by Judith WilliamsPaperback: 48 pages
Publisher: Enslow Publishers, Inc. (March 1, 2007)
Ever since I was a child, I was fascinated with dinosaurs and paleontology. I often wondered what it would feel like to be the scientist who discovered a dinosaur after grueling work. Well, The Discovery and Mystery of a Dinosaur Named Jane finally gives me some insight.
The book begins with paleontologists and volunteers from the Burpee Museum of Natural History in Rockford, Illinois discovering a toe bone while digging in Montana. It was unfortunately, the end of their season, so they covered up the site where they were digging, hoping that no one else found the rest of the dinosaur until they could come back the NEXT YEAR!
Luckily, the site was untouched, and they were able to dig up the bones of a magnificent dinosaur who they named Jane. But what kind of Dinosaur is Jane? They believe she’s a tyrannosaur, but is she a nanotyrannus or an infamous T-Rex? Or is she a new species altogether? One thing is clear—this is an amazing discovery and the biggest one yet for the small museum.
Judith Williams gives a detailed description of the laborious work the paleontologists performed to successfully dig up the dinosaur bones. Readers even get a glimpse of the common tools paleontologists use. Once the bones are removed and transported back to the museum, readers learn all of the work that was involved with cleaning, repairing, and putting the bones together and all of the research required to determine what type of dinosaur Jane is.
What’s refreshing about this book is that it’s different than the typical kid’s book that features glorious images of dinosaurs and awe-inspiring facts. Instead, it’s a book that really focuses on the discovery of a dinosaur and gives readers insight into the hard work that’s involved in getting a magnificent dinosaur on display in a museum. Children will learn to respect this work along with the creature that one roamed the earth.
With interesting pictures and photographs of the dig site and of the work in progress, this is a great find for a kid who is interested in dinosaurs and paleontology. Heavier on text than pictures, it’s more suitable for a proficient reader.
Check out the rest of Nonfiction Monday submissions at Picture Book of the Day.
How Do You Know if Someone Can't Read?
I was in a local drugstore over the weekend, and while I was standing in line, a man at the photo center was dropping off film to be developed. At first, he told the attendant that he wanted to send it off because it was less expensive. When she handed him a form to fill out, he balked and immediately changed his mind and said he would like the one-hour photo processing instead. When she STILL gave him a form to fill out, he was visibly uncomfortable and asked her to help him because he had left his glasses in the car. Here's the bad part: she told him she was busy and asked him to go get his glasses. He literally looked stricken. As a former reading tutor, I knew all too well that he didn't know how to read, and he wasn't about to admit that to her. I offered to help him fill out the form, which just asked him for his name, phone number, and photo preferences. It only took 5 minutes, and he was very grateful.
There are people everywhere, adults and children alike, who don't know how to read. There are adults who somhow managed to get through school without knowing how to read. My first reading student was a 25 year old woman with a high school diploma. Why this happens is way too complicated for a simple blog post, but many people have undiagnosed learning disabilities, and teachers chose to let them slide by instead of taking them the time to get the help they needed. Others were not afforded the opportunity to attend quality schools.
But the amazing thing is that people who can't read are masters at hiding it. They are ashamed to admit that they can't read and find ways to get other people to help them out. Their number one excuse? "I lost my glasses...can you help me out with this?" I can't seem to find any formal studies out there to back this up right now, but this is what all of my students told me.
Now, the man in the pharmacy didn't know how to read, but I didn't point that out to the cashier. I simply offered to help him fill out the form, and I did not mention to him that I was onto him. It goes without saying that the cashier was extremely rude and should have never been in the type of position where you have to help people, but that's not my point.
What IS my point here? You may be in a similar situation one day, and if you notice someone is struggling, take five minutes to help him/her out.
My only question here is that I WANTED to offer this guy help with reading. I wanted to point him to our local library that has a robust literacy program, but I didn't know how to do it without offending or embarrassing him. When I was a tutor, my students came to me for help and said they'd heard about the tutoring program through people in their community. How do we get people who can't read to seek help? How do we let them know there are programs out there to give them the help they need?
There are people everywhere, adults and children alike, who don't know how to read. There are adults who somhow managed to get through school without knowing how to read. My first reading student was a 25 year old woman with a high school diploma. Why this happens is way too complicated for a simple blog post, but many people have undiagnosed learning disabilities, and teachers chose to let them slide by instead of taking them the time to get the help they needed. Others were not afforded the opportunity to attend quality schools.
But the amazing thing is that people who can't read are masters at hiding it. They are ashamed to admit that they can't read and find ways to get other people to help them out. Their number one excuse? "I lost my glasses...can you help me out with this?" I can't seem to find any formal studies out there to back this up right now, but this is what all of my students told me.
Now, the man in the pharmacy didn't know how to read, but I didn't point that out to the cashier. I simply offered to help him fill out the form, and I did not mention to him that I was onto him. It goes without saying that the cashier was extremely rude and should have never been in the type of position where you have to help people, but that's not my point.
What IS my point here? You may be in a similar situation one day, and if you notice someone is struggling, take five minutes to help him/her out.
My only question here is that I WANTED to offer this guy help with reading. I wanted to point him to our local library that has a robust literacy program, but I didn't know how to do it without offending or embarrassing him. When I was a tutor, my students came to me for help and said they'd heard about the tutoring program through people in their community. How do we get people who can't read to seek help? How do we let them know there are programs out there to give them the help they need?
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Blogs That Make My Day
Wow…I thought I had posted this weeks ago, but as I was looking through my posts, it was still in draft form. I was so excited to receive my first award, I can’t believe I failed to publish my reaction and pass on the love.
Sabrina at Breeni Books awarded me the “Blogs that Make My Day Award.”
Here’s what she had to say: “As a homeschooling mom, I'm always looking for new ideas in children's literature. The Well-Read Child offers detailed reviews and lesson planning links.”
Here are just a few of the blogs that really make my day:
Jen Robinson’s Book Page
Jen is passionate about reading, literacy, and helping parents help their kids grow up loving books. On her blog, Jen gives detailed and thoughtful reviews of children’s books at all reading levels. She also offers a wealth of literacy tips and resources to help kids learn to enjoy reading. Finally, Jen sends out a weekly Growing Bookworms Newsletter that includes the week’s book reviews and literacy and reading updates from her blog. Subscribe if you haven’t already!
Susan at Wizards Wireless discusses children’s books, comic strips, and all things Harry Potter. I’m a huge fan of Harry Potter and love it when Susan posts about clues and other stuff that I missed in the series. It makes me want to read the books all over again. In addition, Susan does a great job of letting her readers participate in her blog by offering lots of fun polls. She also discusses much more, so check it out.
Kelly Herold runs this blog, a companion piece to the online monthly journal, The Edge of the Forest, that showcases children's literature. At Big A little A, you can expect thoughtful and comprehensive reviews on a variety of children's and young adult books, updates in the kidlit community, weekly roundup of reviews in the press, and much more. Kelly is a major force in the Kidlit community--in addition to heading up The Edge of the Forest, she organizes Poetry Friday and is a Cybils co-founder. (I'm sure I'm missing something here.) Her passion for children's literature and reading is evident, and I urge you to check out Big A little a if you haven't already.
The Class of 2k8 is the blog for a community of middle grade and young adult authors whose first novels are being released in 2008. Here, you can learn more about the authors and their books, get recent news, and even play fun games like they featured this week. If you want to get to know and support up and coming authors, the Class of 2k8 blog is the place for you.
Mom Blogs
dkMommy Spot
As a new mommy, I am always looking for ways to live a healthier lifestyle and give my daughter the healthiest, chemical-free options out there. At dkMommy Spot, Diane talks about natural remedies, herbs, and healthy cooking. She also keeps us up to date with relevant news, gives book recommendations, and much more. dkMommy Spot is a must read for all parents who are dedicated to offering their children the healthiest alternatives. Oh, and FYI, Diane runs another blog, Carp(e) Libris, where she features excellent book reviews from small presses.
Crunchy Domestic Goddess
In the same vein as dkMommy Spot, Amy, mother of two, gives all sorts of tips for leading a healthier, more natural, greener lifestyle. She also gives lot of breastfeeding tips as well as advice for women who want to have a natural birth.
Crabmommy tells it like it is and then some and provides a lot of comic relief, especially when I've had a particularly tough day being a mommy. On her blog, she chronicles her adventures with her three-year-old Crabtot and is not afraid to say what all of us moms have probably thought at one point or another. Thank you Crabmommy, for your courage! ;)
Saturday, February 23, 2008
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe Tops Parents' Favorite Children's Book List in UK
From the UK Telegraph:
Over 4,000 parents in the UK were asked to name the best children's books of all time. C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe from the Chronicles of Narnia series topped the list, and Roald Dahl was by far the favorite author with six books making the top 50.
Here's a rundown of the top 10:
Over 4,000 parents in the UK were asked to name the best children's books of all time. C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe from the Chronicles of Narnia series topped the list, and Roald Dahl was by far the favorite author with six books making the top 50.
Here's a rundown of the top 10:
1. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, C S Lewis
2. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle
3. Famous Five Series, Enid Blyton
4. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
5. The BFG, Roald Dahl
6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6), J K Rowling
7. The Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
8. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
9. Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
10. The Gruffalo, Julia Donaldson
Check out the rest of the top 50 here.
I'm most intrigued that The Very Hungry Caterpillar, a picture book made it to the number two spot--a great testament to Eric Carle's work. It's also interesting that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was the ONLY Harry Potter book to make the top 50 and that Captain Underpants rounded out the list, coming in at number 50.
I'm making a note to read more of Julia Donaldson's, since four of her books are on the list, and I would have liked to have seen The Velveteen Rabbit on the list. What are your thoughts?
Friday, February 22, 2008
Prey by Lurlene McDaniel
Prey
by Lurlene McDanielReading Level: Young Adult
Pages: 208
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (February 12, 2008)
Thus far, I've only reviewed books that I've really liked, so you may be thinking, "does Jill like every book she reads?" Of course not. I've read plenty of children's books I don't like but have decided not to review them because I really didn't think I had much to say except that they were just okay. I lead a team of writers at a communications firm and know how important it is to give constructive feedback to help writers grow. As a writer myself, I know what it feels like to receive wishy-washy, vague feedback. I need to know what needs work so I can improve, make it the best piece possible, and apply the same lessons to my next piece. So, in my opinion, if I read a book and don't have something constructive to say except I didn't like it, that's a useless review. That's why up until now I've intentionally chosen not to review books about which I had mixed feelings.
Last weekend, I read Lurlene McDaniel's new Young Adult novel, Prey, and I DO have something constructive (at least I think so) to say about it. It's a story about a female high school history teacher, Ms. Lori Settles who seduces her teenage student, Ryan Piccoli. We seem to be obsessed with real-life cases like this in this country. Probably the most infamous of these teachers is Mary Kay Letourneau who had two children with her teenage student and ended up marrying him when she finished her jail sentence. And then the 25-year-old teacher Kelsey Peterson made national news back in November when she was caught in Mexico with her 14-year-old student. As a former teacher myself, I am incredulous when I hear stories like this. Questions run through my head: Why would someone in such a professional and influential position do this? What was she thinking? What happened to this woman that would cause her to act this way?
I was naturally intrigued when I received a review copy of Prey. Perhaps this would answer some of my questions and get more into the head of these female predators. Prey alternates between the point of view of three characters: Ryan, Ms. Settles, and Honey, Ryan's longtime friend who is secretly in love with him.
The book gets off to a promising start. We learn from the very beginning that Ryan is intentionally Lori's target. From the very first day of school, she knows that, "he'll be the One" (p. 15). Upon reading this, I felt a chill and was eager to continue reading. However, I felt the seduction happened way too quickly, and Ryan's situation didn't seem realistic. His father is a traveling salesman and is out of town four days of the week. A housekeeper cleans the house, but doesn't live there and hardly pays any attention to Ryan when she is there. It almost seems too easy for Lori to manipulate him and too easy for them to get together.
Writing in first person is challenging and probably one of the most difficult tasks to pull off well. Successfully writing from the first person point of view of multiple characters is extremely difficult (I'm thinking of Faulkner here, who I believe was a master at this). I applaud McDaniel for taking a risk here. I was interested in the relationship between Honey and Ryan and then Ryan and Lori, but McDaniel never really went deep enough with the characters. While Honey's character was needed to describe Ryan's friend's and family's concern about his sudden change in behavior, I often felt she was just an aside, an interrupter of sorts, especially when her chapters disrupted the flow and momentum of the novel.
In addition, at some points, McDaniel didn't seem to capture the teenage voice in a believable way. For example, at one point in novel, Ryan hears that a coach at the school has been asking Lori out. When Lori picks him up for a tryst, he confronts her. Here's how he describes his feelings to the reader, "Rain is pelting the windows, sluicing in long noisy rivers along the glass, like a knife cutting through my heart. The windows are fogged, moist from our breath and the heat of anger. Hot wetness swells behind my eyes. I'm acting like a jerk, but I can't help myself. I have to know the truth about her and Coach" (p. 76).
To me, language like this coming from a 15/16 year old seems inauthentic, while at other times, he's completely thinking like a teenage boy. McDaniel did, however, make Lori Settles seem to be the most authentic and consistent of the characters. We see what's going on in her mind, what makes her tick, and her deliberate plot to seduce him.
Oh, and let me address the white elephant in the room: how were the sexual encounters portrayed? McDaniel tastefully describes the seduction and subsequent encounters. Without going into detail, she leaves much to the imagination and doesn't get too graphic. But don't get me wrong--we are talking about a teacher having sex with a teenage boy. It's in the book, but I was never shocked or offended or thought McDaniel went too far. Given the sensitive subject matter, I'll leave it up to you to decide whether or not you think it's appropriate for your teen, and I would only recommend this for teens.
Overall, Prey was a good story on surface level, but it lacked the depth, consistency, and authenticity that would have made it a great story. McDaniel herself admits in the author's note that this is not typical of her writing, and I commend her for stepping outside of her comfort zone. I also admire her for addressing such a serious issue and hope that teenagers who read the book will be able to spot the warning signs if their friends start to behave differently and secretively.
Poetry Friday: The Voice by Thomas Hardy
This week's Poetry Friday host is Big A little a
Thomas Hardy is better known for his novels, but he was an accomplished poet as well, and his prose was suffused with a poet's sensibilities. Here's a poem that I've always loved for the way the last stanza breaks its form as an indication of despair--both the narrator and the poem falter, can barely go on.
Thomas Hardy is better known for his novels, but he was an accomplished poet as well, and his prose was suffused with a poet's sensibilities. Here's a poem that I've always loved for the way the last stanza breaks its form as an indication of despair--both the narrator and the poem falter, can barely go on.
The Voice - by Thomas Hardy
Woman much missed, how you call to me, call to me,
Saying that now you are not as you were
When you had changed from the one who was all to me,
But as at first, when our day was fair.
Can it be you that I hear? Let me view you, then,
Standing as when I drew near to the town
Where you would wait for me: yes, as I knew you then,
Even to the original air-blue gown!
Or is it only the breeze in its listlessness
Travelling across the wet mead to me here,
You being ever dissolved to wan wistlessness,
Heard no more again far or near?
Thus I; faltering forward,
Leaves around me falling,
Wind oozing thin through the thorn from norward,
And the woman calling.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
10 Board Books for Building the Well-Read Child’s Library
I’m happy to be presenting the first installment in my new weekly feature, “Building the Well-Read Child’s Library,” where I’ll give you 10 recommendations for books that will help you build the foundation of your child’s library. Read more here. 
On the Day You Were Born
by Debra Frasier
This is the book that inspired me to start The Well-Read Child and the first book I wrote about. Read my story here. The book describes how the sun, moon, animals, and spirits of the earth prepared themselves for the birth of the baby in the book and welcomed her/him into the world. It would make a wonderful gift for expectant parents, and kids will love to hear about the day they were born.
Board books are a wonderful way to help you instill the joy of reading in your child from a very early age. They give babies and toddlers the opportunity to explore books without the risk of ruining them.
At 11 months old, my daughter LOVES her board books. Just last night, she sat down in the floor for 30 minutes and was flipping through them, biting them, and “talking” to the pages.
Copyright 2008
Jill Tullo, The Well-Read Child
Today, I’m recommending 10 board books for your baby’s library. I can’t begin to tell you how much I love board books. Those of you with infants and toddlers know that “gentle,” is not in their vocabulary…just ask my poor dog who kindly puts up with my daughter’s ear pulling and pouncing. Books are no exception—give babies a book or magazine, and it will be covered in drool and be missing pages in mere seconds.
Thankfully, someone out there came up with an idea to bind books on sturdy cardboard that could withstand the abuse of not-so-gentle children—pure genius I say. The best part is that many childhood classics are available in board book format to make these stories more accessible to younger children, and many bookstores have their own sections just for board books.
Here are 10 board books that we love in our house and that I think would give you an excellent start to building your child’s library.
On the Day You Were Born by Debra FrasierThis is the book that inspired me to start The Well-Read Child and the first book I wrote about. Read my story here. The book describes how the sun, moon, animals, and spirits of the earth prepared themselves for the birth of the baby in the book and welcomed her/him into the world. It would make a wonderful gift for expectant parents, and kids will love to hear about the day they were born.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Eric Carle’s classic story of a caterpillar who eats a number of foods, builds a cocoon, and emerges as a butterfly, is available in board book format. This is a favorite in our house, and since my daughter was a tiny little thing, she’s been fascinated with the big yellow sun near the beginning of the book. Now, she enjoys poking her fingers through the holes the caterpillar makes in all of the food items.
Guess How Much I Love You
This book never fails to give me the warm fuzzies as a father and son pair of rabbits proclaim their love for each other. My favorite line comes at the end when the little rabbit says to his father, "I love you right up to the MOON.” This is a great book for a father to read to his child.
Where Is Baby's Belly Button?
I’m a big fan of Karen Katz’s vibrant illustrations and cherub-faced characters, and this interactive book is no exception. A peek-a-boo book of sorts, it encourages children to lift flaps and find the baby’s body parts (hands, toes, belly button). This is a fun way to introduce body parts.
Moo Baa La La La
I love Sandra Boynton’s whimsical illustrations, and this very entertaining board book features animals and the noises they make, but which animals say, “La la la?” You and your child will have so much fun making the different animal noises, and it’s a great way to teach your child about different types of animals.
Good Night, Gorilla
This book is just way too cute, and your child will get a kick out of it. A watchman at a zoo bids goodnight to a gorilla who pickpockets his keys, unlocks his cage, and follows the watchman through the zoo. As the watchman bids goodnight to all of the animals, the gorilla lets them out of their cages, and they all follow him home.
Daddy Kisses
I apparently have a weakness for daddy and baby affection, and I love this adorable book that features a number of father animals kissing their babies. With lots of opportunities for kisses, you and your child will have a lot of fun with this book.
Mommy Hugs
I can't leave mommies out! A perfect companion book to Daddy Kisses, Mommy Hugs explains how a variety of mommy animals hug their babies. For example, “mommy cat hugs her kitten with a nuzzle.”
Goodnight Moon
A classic book about a little bunny rabbit who is getting ready for bed and says goodnight to everything around him. Parents who have trouble getting their little ones go to bed swear by this book. One mom I know reads the book to her son and then walks around his own room saying goodnight to everything in the room.
Baby Cakes
This book is very cute and gives lots and lots of opportunities for you to interact with your baby, from kissing him/her on the nose to a smooch on the toes. This is a great book for quality bonding time, and a perfect way to send your little one off to sleep.
Board books are a wonderful way to help you instill the joy of reading in your child from a very early age. They give babies and toddlers the opportunity to explore books without the risk of ruining them.
At 11 months old, my daughter LOVES her board books. Just last night, she sat down in the floor for 30 minutes and was flipping through them, biting them, and “talking” to the pages.
There are so many more wonderful board books out there, and it was difficult to choose just ten. I'd love to hear your recommendations!
Copyright 2008
Jill Tullo, The Well-Read Child
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
No! That's Wrong! by Zhaohua Ji and Cui Xu
No! That's Wrong!
by Zhaohua Ji and Cui Xu.Oh my...Kane/Miller has brought us a delightful book from China!
A pair of ruffly red underpants blows off a clothes line and lands near a little white rabbit who immediately places them on his head. "It's a hat," he says. The text at bottom corrects him, "No, that's wrong. It's not a hat." But the rabbit doesn't seem to listen and goes about placing the underpants on the heads of other animals. It takes a donkey to set him straight and let him know he's wearing underpants on his head.
But, if the donkey is right, and they really ARE underpants, where does his tail go?
Along the way, the story introduces a number of adjectives and opposites. For example, the "hat" is too small for an elephant, but too big for a fox, and it's simply amazing, magnificent, incredible...you get the drift.
I really can't think of anything that's much funnier than a bunch of animals with hilarious facial expressions wearing underpants on their heads, and children will laugh out loud at this book and its illustrations. I can just imagine them yelling, "No! That's Wrong," as they turn the pages. Even the back end papers will elicit giggles as readers see a number of animals incorrectly wearing articles of clothing and other objects on their bodies.
If you're looking for a funny book that will make your child (and you) laugh and also introduce some new vocabulary words along the way, this would make an excellent choice.
Release date: March 1, 2008 (available now!)
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
New Feature: Building The Well-Read Child’s Library
New feature alert! New feature alert!
Since I started this blog a few months ago, parents have been asking me to give them book recommendations to help them build their child’s library.
On my blog, I mostly feature books that have been recently released for a number of reasons.- First, tons of wonderful new books are released all of the time, and I want to give you recommendations for some great new picks.
- Second, publishers send me review copies of new book, and I want to help authors raise awareness for some books that I think are great and that may get lost in the shuffle.
- Finally, many of the older books that I love don’t need my help and are familiar to many readers. I don’t want to waste your time talking about books you already know about.
However, there are so many wonderful books out there that I think would form an excellent foundation for every child’s library, so I’m going to start featuring a weekly top ten list, giving you ideas for building your child’s library.
I plan on researching, asking librarians and booksellers, and spending some quality time in bookstores and libraries to find excellent books you and your child will cherish.
As always, I love to hear what you and your child/children enjoy, so I welcome any and all recommendations and feedback. Just shoot me an email or leave a comment.
I’m going to start this week with the top ten board books for babies. Look for my post on Thursday. I hope you enjoy!
Additional Resources on Immigration
Yesterday, I reviewed Island of Hope and Sorrow: The Story of Grosse Île, part of Lobster Press's Canadian Immigration Series. As I mentioned in my review, it would make a great book for anyone wanting to learn or teach about immigration, Canadian history, epidemics, and more.Here are some additional ideas, resources, and book recommendations for teaching more about immigration.
Family History Project
Get kids involved by having them tell their own family's history. This can be as simple as writing a small paper or drawing a family tree to a more involved project with interviews, family member profiles and photos, and profiles of the countries their family members are from. I can even imagine posters all over a classroom, enabling kids to "show off " their families and heritage.
Online Immigration Lesson Plans and Resources:
Mr. Donn's Immigration Lesson Plans and Activities: A wealth of activities for elementary to high school students. Some links are broken, but the ones that do work look interesting.
Interactive Tour of Ellis Island: I had way too much fun with this site from Scholastic that features audio, video, and photographs.
Port of Entry Lesson Plan: An interesting lesson for students in grades 6-12. Students become historical detectives as they learn about immigration in the United States.
Books:
Ages 4-8
Hannah is My Name
This book tells the story of a Taiwanese family who has immigrated to San Francisco. We follow Hannah as she starts school, learns English, and adjusts to life in a new country.
The Name Jar
This book follows Unhei (pronounced Yoon-hye), a young Korean girl who has just immigrated to the United States as she struggles with selecting a new name or sticking with her birth name which means "grace." As a former ESL teacher, this story is all too familiar, and I wish I would have had it in my classroom when I was teaching.
The Keeping Quilt 
I'm a long time fan of this book and of Polacco's work. In this true story, a quilt is made from the clothing of a Russian-Jewish immigrant family and is passed along from generation to generation, from the time Polacco's Great-Gramma Anna arrives from Russia to the present. We see the quilt being used for many things along the way: a tablecloth, swaddling for newborn babies, and much more.
At Home in a New Land 
This story follows Swedish boy, Carl Erik as he adjusts to a new life in Minnesota in the mid-1800's. A good choice for beginning readers, we see Carl Erik face ridicule from his classmates and struggle with the pressure of providing food for his family.
Annushka's Voyage
written by Edith Tarbescu and illustrated by Lydia DabcovichThis is the story of Annushka and her younger sister who leave Russia with their father and move to New York. We follow their journey on a crowded ship to their arrival at Ellis Island. This is an especially moving story that had me experiencing a range of emotions.
At Ellis Island: A History in Many Voices
illustrated by Walter Lyon Krudop
Better suited for kids in the 7-10 range, this book features the voices of a number of immigrants. The most compelling, I think, is the true story of 10-year old Sura who fled the genocide in Armenia in the early 20th century.
Ages 9-12
Home of the Brave
This is gut-wrenching story of a Sudanese boy who witnessed the murder of his father and brother. Leaving his mother behind to live with his aunt in Minnesota, we see the boy go through the gamut of emotions as he faces racism, lives with guilt, and adjusts to a new life. I highly recommend this book, especially since it puts a face on what's happening in the world today.
Capstone Press's You Choose Series
There are three new books about immigration in this interactive series "choose your own adventure" style. I'm including these books because I think they will be a hit with kids and appeal to reluctant readers.
Chinese Immigrants in America: An Interactive History Adventure
From publisher: "Describes the experiences of Chinese immigrants upon arriving in the
German Immigrants in America: An Interactive History Adventure
From the publisher: "Describes the experiences of German immigrants upon arriving in
Coming to America: The Irish: An Interactive History Adventure
Written by Elizabeth Raum (Kevin Kenny Contributor)
From the publisher: "YOU are a young Irish immigrant moving to
Young Adult Selections
The Arrival written by Shaun Tanthe only words in this book are from an invented alphabet. In the book, an immigrant leaves his family behind to start a new life in a new country. Haunting, emotional, hopeful…these are only a few words to describe this captivating book.
Remix: Conversations with Immigrant Teenagers
written by Marina Budhos 
This book features Budhos' interviews with 20 immigrant teenagers across the country. A moving book that tells the teenagers' first hand accounts of struggling with being different, adjusting to a new culture, and fitting in with their peers.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Island of Hope and Sorrow: The Story of Grosse Île written by Anne Renaud
I'm glad to be taking part in the fourth Nonfiction Monday roundup, hosted at Picture Book of the Day.
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 24 pages
Publisher: Lobster Press (May 25, 2007)
I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know very much at all about Canadian history, so I was excited when I received a copy of Island of Hope and Sorrow: The Story of Grosse Île
Organized into different time periods, the book tells us the story of the island, from its first use as a quarantine station for cholera in the early 1800’s to a biological weapons research site during WWII to its opening to the public as a historic site in 1988. Perhaps the most compelling part of the book is the story of Grosse Île’s function as a quarantine site and hospital to care first for European immigrants with cholera and then immigrants struck with typhus as they traveled to Canada on cramped and unsanitary “coffin ships” in attempt to escape the Irish Potato Famine. Located 50 km from
In addition to the main narrative, the book is loaded with images, journal entries, timelines, posters, and more that give readers a better idea of life on Grosse Île. In addition, a “History Note” sidebar on nearly every page gives tidbits of historical information.
Presenting a human face to immigration, this would make an excellent choice for anyone wanting to learn or teach about immigration, Canadian history, epidemics, and more.
Lookout for the second book in the Canadian Immigration Series: Pier 21: Stories from Near and Far
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata
Kira-Kira
2005 Newbery Medal Book
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Reading level: Ages 10-14
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Aladdin (December 26, 2006)
Kira-Kira is my second book finished for the Young Adult Challenge hosted at Thoughts of Joy. Before I get into the review, I just want to say how much I’m enjoying getting back into Young Adult literature after quite a long hiatus. Aside from the Harry Potter series, I went many many years without reading YA literature, and I’m so glad this blog has inspired me to start reading this genre again. Now, on with the review.
Kira-Kira is the story of the Japanese-American Takeshima family, told from the point of view of Katie, the youngest daughter. We learn in the opening passage of the story that Kira-Kira means “glittering” in Japanese, and that it was Katie’s first word, taught to her by her older sister Lynn. It’s obvious from the beginning that Katie adores
Born in Iowa to Japanese immigrants, Katie and Lynn have a nice childhood, but everything changes when the family’s oriental food store goes out of business, and they move to Georgia to become factory workers in a poultry processing plant. It’s here that Katie realizes for the first time that she is different. Shunned by the white Georgians, the Japanese community in
This heart wrenching story is one that I will soon not forget. Cynthia Kadohata expertly gets into the mind of a girl Katie’s age who has to deal with some very adult situations but does not quite understand them. An example of this is when
“I cried and cried. For a while as I cried I hated my parents, as if it were their fault
We also see racism, prejudice, and the unfair treatment of the factory workers through Katie’s eyes. While some have criticized this book and being slow and uninteresting for young adults, it would have been right up my alley when I was younger. Certainly, it’s not for every kid and may appeal more to girls than boys, but it’s a story that I think will impact many. It was completely deserving of its 2005 Newbery Medal win.
What Other Bloggers Are Saying:
In Spring it is the Dawn: "It was a moving story and I enjoyed hearing it through the voice of young Katie. It might not be full of action but it kept me turning the pages, wanting to read on about the family’s problems and how they coped with them. I came to care about the family, especially the sisters, and wanted to see how things turned out." (read more...)
If you have a review of Kira-Kira, leave a comment with the link, and I'll post it here!
Friday, February 15, 2008
Matthew Arnold: Romantic Modern (Poetry Friday)
In 1851, Matthew Arnold became a school inspector, a job he had until just two years before his death in 1888. This job initially required a great deal of travel over long distances--something that had only recently been made possible by the development of the rail system. So while Arnold thought of his job as "drudgery," it allowed him to see more of England than any writer before him. And when Arnold was not working, he invariably was writing.
Fittingly, Arnold's poetry is often seen as transitory between Wordworthian romanticism and a more pessimistic modernism. And personally he was also reputed to be a hybrid of the two. As a conversationalist he was exciting and witty; as a writer he was serious and melancholic. G. W. E. Russell called him "a man of the world entirely free from worldliness and a man of letters without the faintest trace of pedantry."
One of the products of Arnold's literary itinerancy is "Dover Beach" thought to be one of the first poetic examples of modernism. The poem makes its own journey from a peaceful, romantic landscape to a modern crisis of faith: the traditional certainties recede with the sea. The final holdouts against this withdrawal are lovers--lonely in their own way, with nothing left to believe in but each other.
Despite its sadness, there are few things I love more than this transition: the way Arnold suddenly focuses on and magnifies one part of a romantic landscape--the metamorphosis of a calm sea into the "grating roar" of pebbles and then into the "ignorant" clash of armies. The lovers are a sad attempt to return to the steadfastness of the cliffs, their "tranquil" containment of water. The distinctly modern element here is the change in the meaning of the natural world, and where it is that we seek our solace. Viewed through the lens of "certitude," the world is a kind of foundation--a testament to collective belief; viewed otherwise it is dangerous and unsettled, and we are left only with the fragility of human bonds.
Trivia: in what famous science fiction novel does this poem appear?
The tide is full, the moon lies fair
Upon the straits; on the French coast the light
Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of England stand,
Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay.
Come to the window, sweet is the night air!
Fittingly, Arnold's poetry is often seen as transitory between Wordworthian romanticism and a more pessimistic modernism. And personally he was also reputed to be a hybrid of the two. As a conversationalist he was exciting and witty; as a writer he was serious and melancholic. G. W. E. Russell called him "a man of the world entirely free from worldliness and a man of letters without the faintest trace of pedantry."
One of the products of Arnold's literary itinerancy is "Dover Beach" thought to be one of the first poetic examples of modernism. The poem makes its own journey from a peaceful, romantic landscape to a modern crisis of faith: the traditional certainties recede with the sea. The final holdouts against this withdrawal are lovers--lonely in their own way, with nothing left to believe in but each other.
Despite its sadness, there are few things I love more than this transition: the way Arnold suddenly focuses on and magnifies one part of a romantic landscape--the metamorphosis of a calm sea into the "grating roar" of pebbles and then into the "ignorant" clash of armies. The lovers are a sad attempt to return to the steadfastness of the cliffs, their "tranquil" containment of water. The distinctly modern element here is the change in the meaning of the natural world, and where it is that we seek our solace. Viewed through the lens of "certitude," the world is a kind of foundation--a testament to collective belief; viewed otherwise it is dangerous and unsettled, and we are left only with the fragility of human bonds.
Trivia: in what famous science fiction novel does this poem appear?
DOVER BEACH
By Matthew Arnold
The sea is calm tonight,The tide is full, the moon lies fair
Upon the straits; on the French coast the light
Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of England stand,
Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay.
Come to the window, sweet is the night air!
Only, from the long line of spray
Where the sea meets the moon-blanched land,
Listen! you hear the grating roar
Of pebbles which the waves draw back, and fling,
At their return, up the high strand,
Begin, and cease, and then again begin,
With tremulous cadence slow, and bring
The eternal note of sadness in.
Sophocles long ago
Heard it on the Agean, and it brought
Into his mind the turbid ebb and flow
Of human misery; we
Find also in the sound a thought,
Hearing it by this distant northern sea.
The Sea of Faith
Was once, too, at the full, and round earth's shore
Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled.
But now I only hear
Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar,
Retreating, to the breath
Of the night wind, down the vast edges drear
And naked shingles of the world.
Ah, love, let us be true
To one another! for the world, which seems
To lie before us like a land of dreams,
So various, so beautiful, so new,
Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light,
Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain;
And we are here as on a darkling plain
Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight,
Where ignorant armies clash by night.
1867
Click here for the Poetry Friday roundup, hosted by Hip Writer Mama
Interview with Catherine Ipcizade
I recently had the opportunity to interview Catherine Ipcizade (pronounced ip-chi-zah-deh), author of recently released 'Twas the Day Before Zoo Day, a very cute book written in verse adapted from 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.
Read my review here.
Thanks, Catherine, for taking the time to talk!
What inspired you to write 'Twas the Day Before Zoo Day?
A few things actually inspired me to write the book. Watching my own kids and the kids in my son's classroom "eat up" information about animals was exciting. They'd pick up any book that had an animal on the cover and devour it. But I quickly realized books fell into one of two categories--either they were exaggerated fiction or they were strictly non-fiction. All too often, the kids would pick up a book expecting one thing and be disappointed with too much "over their head" information. So I decided to do something a little different--to put a clever twist on non-fiction and to create a factually correct but entertaining book about animals. Sylvan Dell was the perfect publisher for the book because their books inform while entertaining.
Do you have a favorite zoo animal or a favorite zoo? Did you use a specific zoo(s) for inspiration when writing 'Twas the Day Before Zoo Day?
Ooh! Good question! I DO have a favorite zoo animal--giraffes! I've learned so much about them. For example, did you that giraffes have slimy, blue tongues that can reach 18 inches in length? And did you know that one the reasons their tongues are blue is to prevent them from getting a sunburn, since they spend so many hours eating each day? :)
In answer to your zoo question, I love all zoos. I think, no matter how big or small they are, they all have something special to offer and teach us. However, in my own area, I love the San Diego Zoo. You can't beat the setting and the wide array of animals. In some way, all the zoos I've visited throughout the my lifetime (San Diego Zoo, Orange County Zoo, Santa Ana Zoo, Phoenix Zoo, etc) provided inspiration for the book. All you have to do is take a walk around the zoo or take the tram tour and you'll see amazing things--lazy rhinos "tanning n the sun," monkeys hanging every which way, zebras in groups, appearing to "talk," etc. Once, at the San Diego Zoo, we passed a group of monkeys frolicking in the grass. One mother monkey was holding her baby and looking at the tram in this, "stay away, folks" kind of way. It reminded me that all creatures protect their young...and that message found its way into 'Twas the Day Before Zoo Day!
What was your first impression of the illustrations when you first saw them?
I adored the illustrations from the start. I had envisioned bright, bold illustrations for this book, and Ben Hodson couldn't have done a more amazing job. I was particularly amazed with the animal facial expressions--he captured the essence of the story flawlessly and added such clever twists to the text!
What do you love about writing? What is it about children's books you love?
I love writing because I loved reading. As a child, I read everything I could get my hands on--I'd even sneak hardware catalogs out of the Sunday paper and read them under my covers at night with a flashlight when I couldn't find anything else--it's true! Personally, I love to write because it's a creative release for my soul. I love writing children's books because they allow children to imagine themselves somewhere else, with character like themselves or completely different than themselves. Children's books are magical--writing them allows me to remember what it's like to be a kid, to imagine without boundaries.
What authors and/or books have influenced you the most?
When I was a kid myself, I couldn't get enough of Dr. Seuss. I must have read One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish
about a million times. In elementary school, I loved the Serendipity books, and those little Beatrix Potter books. As I got older, I became entranced with Island of the Blue Dolphins
, by Scott O'Dell, A Wrinkle in Time
by Madeleine L'Engle, and Little Women
, by Louisa May Alcott. And Judy Blume books! Oh, I devoured them every chance I got--brilliant! All decidedly different, these books had one thing in common--they reached me somehow, on some level, enough that they somehow became a part of me.When you're not writing, what can we find you doing?
Besides writing, I'm the mom to two lovely kids, ages seven and four. I'm also back in school, working toward my Master's Degree in Education. In my spare time, you'll often find me with my camera, taking lots and lots of pictures, or in my kitchen--this writer LOVES to cook!
What can we expect to see from you next?
Ooh, lots of things are in the works. I just had three books released from Capstone Press (African Animals: Giraffes
; African Animals: Lions 
; African Animals: Zebras
), which were a lot of fun to write. I'm currently submitting a picture book about a mischievous elf in a library and switching genres a bit to work on a novel-in-verse for middle-grade readers. I'm also working on some greeting cards for the adult market--the life of a writer is never dull!Thanks for hosting me. It's been wonderful "chatting" with you.
No, thank YOU Catherine, and best wishes!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Ma! There's Nothing to Do Here! by Barbara Park; illustrated by Viviana Garofoli
Ma! There's Nothing to Do Here! A Word from your Baby-in-Waiting by Barbara Park; illustrated by Viviana Garofoli
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (January 22, 2008)
When I was pregnant with my daughter, I often talked to her when I felt a kick, roll, or other movement. “What’s going on in there, baby girl? Are you playing soccer? Doing gymnastics?” It was fun to make up these funny scenarios and helped me “humanize” this child I hadn’t yet seen except via ultrasound where she kind of resembled Skeletor. Other expectant mothers I knew did similar things, and I’m sure I would have appreciated Barbara Parks’ latest book, “Ma! There’s Nothing to Do Here!” that’s told from the perspective of a child in utero about to be born.
The cramped child is quite bored with nothing to do. There are “No puppies. No toys. No girls…zero boys. Not a sandbox or swings…Or those monkey bar things. Not a park or a zoo.” The child imagines what life will be like when he/she is finally born and will have lots of stuff to do; even growing hair sounds like fun.
Parks' whimsical, rhyming text and Garofoli’s funny and vibrant illustrations will make expectant parents chuckle and even feel the warm fuzzies when the baby mentions listening to its mother’s “happy heart clock.” And children who are getting ready to be big brothers or sisters will be sure to laugh out loud, especially at the visual of the baby riding in a canoe and unsuccessfully playing peek-a-boo with himself/herself. You may have to explain the “bungee cord” joke if you haven’t talked about it already.
I like to give books for baby shower gifts, and this is one I’m definitely adding to my list.
Speaking of which, do you have any books you love to give to new or expectant parents?
Other Blog Reviews:
Comics in the Classroom
Three Silly Chicks
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Children's Books About Voting, Elections, etc.
I went to my polling place this morning to cast my vote for the presidential candidate, and I was a little depressed at the turnout. I live in a highly populated area, and when one person is standing in line in front of me, it makes me wonder why people choose not to vote. I always make an effort to vote, partly because I know it's my civic duty and I want to make my voice hear and partly because I want to honor all of the hard work of so many people who fought so hard to get women the right to vote.
I also wondered what children's books were out there on the topic of voting, elections, suffrage, etc.
Here's what I found:
Vote!
by Eileen Christelow
From Booklist: "The words are straightforward, the art whimsical and creative, and two darling dogs provide color commentary on the action. The frame story is a mayoral election in which the mother of a young, African American named Angela Johnson is one of the candidates. The book follows the action from political rallies, fund-raisers, and debates through the election, ending with a successful recount. Along the way, all the pertinent questions are asked and answered: What is voting? Why doesn't everyone vote? Who decided who can vote?"
Presidential Elections: And Other Cool Facts by Sly Sobel
From Amazon.com: "Which three pairs of relatives have been U.S. presidents? What is the electoral college? What's a caucus? How often has the vice president become president? The answers to these and many other questions about the presidential elections are revealed in this quick, friendly read..."
The Ballot Box Battle (Dragonfly Books) by Emily Arnold Mccully
From School Library Journal: "History, the subtle and not-so-subtle oppression of women, and the redoubtable character of Elizabeth Cady Stanton are made real and alive in this colorfully illustrated story set in the summer of 1880."
A Long Way to Go: A Story of Women's Right to Vote by Zibby O'Neal
From School Library Journal: "A wealthy New York City household is disrupted when 10-year-old Lila's very proper grandmother is arrested for picketing the White House for women's suffrage. The year is 1917, the U. S. is at war, and the general feeling is that President Wilson has enough on his mind without the rantings of these outspoken society women."
Fannie Lou Hamer: Fighting for the Right to Vote (African-American Biographies)
by Laura Baskes Litwin
From Amazon: "A biography of the civil rights activist who devoted her life to helping blacks register to vote and gain a national political voice."
The Fifteenth Amendment: African-American Men's Right to Vote by Susan Banfield
From Amazon: Examines the Amendment which gave African-American men the right to vote and discusses the struggle that took place to regain this right when it was denied.
So, tell me...why do you vote? Do you do anything to teach your children about the importance of voting? Are there other books out there you love?
I also wondered what children's books were out there on the topic of voting, elections, suffrage, etc.
Here's what I found:
Vote! by Eileen ChristelowFrom Booklist: "The words are straightforward, the art whimsical and creative, and two darling dogs provide color commentary on the action. The frame story is a mayoral election in which the mother of a young, African American named Angela Johnson is one of the candidates. The book follows the action from political rallies, fund-raisers, and debates through the election, ending with a successful recount. Along the way, all the pertinent questions are asked and answered: What is voting? Why doesn't everyone vote? Who decided who can vote?"
Presidential Elections: And Other Cool Facts by Sly Sobel
From Amazon.com: "Which three pairs of relatives have been U.S. presidents? What is the electoral college? What's a caucus? How often has the vice president become president? The answers to these and many other questions about the presidential elections are revealed in this quick, friendly read..."
The Ballot Box Battle (Dragonfly Books) by Emily Arnold Mccully
From School Library Journal: "History, the subtle and not-so-subtle oppression of women, and the redoubtable character of Elizabeth Cady Stanton are made real and alive in this colorfully illustrated story set in the summer of 1880."A Long Way to Go: A Story of Women's Right to Vote by Zibby O'Neal
From School Library Journal: "A wealthy New York City household is disrupted when 10-year-old Lila's very proper grandmother is arrested for picketing the White House for women's suffrage. The year is 1917, the U. S. is at war, and the general feeling is that President Wilson has enough on his mind without the rantings of these outspoken society women."
Fannie Lou Hamer: Fighting for the Right to Vote (African-American Biographies)
by Laura Baskes Litwin
From Amazon: "A biography of the civil rights activist who devoted her life to helping blacks register to vote and gain a national political voice."
The Fifteenth Amendment: African-American Men's Right to Vote by Susan Banfield
From Amazon: Examines the Amendment which gave African-American men the right to vote and discusses the struggle that took place to regain this right when it was denied.
So, tell me...why do you vote? Do you do anything to teach your children about the importance of voting? Are there other books out there you love?
Monday, February 11, 2008
Nonfiction Monday: Let's Go! The Story of Getting From There to Here by Lizann Flatt, illustrated by Scot Ritchie
Let's Go!: The Story of Getting from There to Here
- Reading level: Ages 4-8
- Hardcover: 40 pages
- Publisher: Maple Tree Press (September 28, 2007)
Sometimes when traffic is heavily jammed on the highway during my morning commute, I take an alternate route to my Alexandria, VA office past George Washington's Mt. Vernon Estate. That leg of my route is only eight miles long and takes about 15 minutes, but I often wonder how long it took Washington to travel the same distance to do business in Alexandria. Certainly, the roads weren't paved and he didn't have a car. Did he encounter danger along the way? Who traveled with him? It makes me appreciate the fact that technology has enabled us for the most part to travel great distances quickly and safely. But it took quite a while and numerous inventions and innovations to get us where we are today.
Let's Go!: The Story of Getting from There to Here
Without overwhelming readers in detail, Let's Go!: The Story of Getting from There to Here
For example:
"A noise up above! Machines in the air! Propeller planes skipped through the skies. Landing on lonely lakes like giant geese, bushplanes buzzed in with supplies and the mail. "
With details down to the type of clothing people wore during the time period, children will enjoy all of Scot Ritchie's vibrant illustrations that provide an even clearer picture of the different types of transportation and the people who used it. Children will also have fun finding the dog that appears in each spread.
The back of the book features a "Did You Know" section with even more information.Let's Go!: The Story of Getting from There to Here
Other Blog Reviews:
Miss Rumphius Effect
Saturday, February 9, 2008
The Week Ahead
In the upcoming week, I'm going to be offering a variety of reviews plus an author interview.
Monday: I will be reviewing Cybil Nonfiction Picture Book Finalist, Let's Go!: The Story of Getting from There to Here by Lizann Flatt. From Amazon: This book takes us on an amazing journey across our continent and through time to discover all the methods humans have used to get from one place to another.
Tuesday: I'll offer up some learning resources for Let's Go.
Wednesday: I'll be reviewing Ma! There's Nothing to Do Here! A Word from your Baby-in-Waiting by Barbara Park. Expectant parents and siblings will get lots of laughs from this book written from the perspective of a baby about to be born.
Thursday: I'll give more book recommendations for expectant parents and for children who are getting ready to become a big brother or big sister.
Friday: First, I'll review the 2006 Newbery Medal Book, Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata. This is a touching story for young adults about the life of a Japanese-American family in the 1950's.
Next, I'll be featuring my recent interview with Catherine Ipcizade, author of 'Twas the Day Before Zoo Day.
Find my review here.
Finally, I'll be taking part in Poetry Friday, hosted at Hip Writer Mama.
Hope to see you next week!
Monday: I will be reviewing Cybil Nonfiction Picture Book Finalist, Let's Go!: The Story of Getting from There to Here
by Lizann Flatt. From Amazon: This book takes us on an amazing journey across our continent and through time to discover all the methods humans have used to get from one place to another.Tuesday: I'll offer up some learning resources for Let's Go.
Wednesday: I'll be reviewing Ma! There's Nothing to Do Here! A Word from your Baby-in-Waiting
by Barbara Park. Expectant parents and siblings will get lots of laughs from this book written from the perspective of a baby about to be born.Thursday: I'll give more book recommendations for expectant parents and for children who are getting ready to become a big brother or big sister.
Friday: First, I'll review the 2006 Newbery Medal Book, Kira-Kira
by Cynthia Kadohata. This is a touching story for young adults about the life of a Japanese-American family in the 1950's.Next, I'll be featuring my recent interview with Catherine Ipcizade, author of 'Twas the Day Before Zoo Day.
Find my review here.Finally, I'll be taking part in Poetry Friday, hosted at Hip Writer Mama.
Hope to see you next week!
The Turtle and the Deep Blue Sky by Elizabeth and Eric Zimmer
The Turtle and the Deep Blue Sky
written by Elizabeth Zimmer; illustrated by Eric ZimmerReading level: Ages 3 and up
Publisher: Fulcrum Publishing (September 2007)
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be someone else for just a little while? Perhaps you've wondered what it's like to be an animal. I know I have, and that's the premise of The Turtle and the Deep Blue Sky, the debut picture book of husband and wife team Elizabeth and Eric Zimmer.
It all starts when a turtle who is feeling rather bored and uncomfortably hot in his bulky shell longs to "feel the cool breeze that was moving the clouds above." He borrows wings from a flamingo who begins to feel vulnerable without her wings and borrows quills from a porcupine. So begins a series of trades between animals who enjoy their new features until they see their old features on other animals and develop an appreciation for what they were born with.
Kids will be sure to laugh out loud at the silliness of a fish wearing peacock feathers, a porcupine wearing wool, and more. This charming story would make a great read aloud for younger kids and allows for many discussion opportunities, from animal features to feeling comfortable in your own skin. It also makes me eager to see what's next from the Zimmers who live "in an old sugar beet factory with their young son, Finn."
Friday, February 8, 2008
Poetry Friday: Auden's SEPTEMBER 1, 1939
(Jill has kindly asked me to guest-blog for her--I'm honored and hope you enjoy today's Poetry Friday selection-- Wes).
On September 1, 1939, Hitler invaded Poland and kicked off WWII. The following poem is Auden's response. It has received a lot of attention because of its eerie resonance with September 11: the juxtaposition of New York City, September, tall buildings, death, and war. It has also been criticized for sentimentality and "moral equivalence."
I'm touched especially (although many of course will be offended) by the idea that there is a premonition of violence and authoritarianism in the ambition and bustle of the city: "the lie of Authority\Whose buildings grope the sky". But then there are, despite the darkness of the poem, quasi-hopeful juxtapositions: "Ironic points of light"; "despair" and "affirmation"; "Eros" and "dust."
SEPTEMBER 1, 1939
by W.H. Auden
I sit in one of the dives
On Fifty-second Street
Uncertain and afraid
As the clever hopes expire
Of a low dishonest decade:
Waves of anger and fear
Circulate over the bright
And darkened lands of the earth,
Obsessing our private lives;
The unmentionable odour of death
Offends the September night.
Accurate scholarship can
Unearth the whole offence
From Luther until now
That has driven a culture mad,
Find what occurred at Linz,
What huge imago made
A psychopathic god:
I and the public know
What all schoolchildren learn,
Those to whom evil is done
Do evil in return.
Exiled Thucydides knew
All that a speech can say
About Democracy,
And what dictators do,
The elderly rubbish they talk
To an apathetic grave;
Analysed all in his book,
The enlightenment driven away,
The habit-forming pain,
Mismanagement and grief:
We must suffer them all again.
Into this neutral air
Where blind skyscrapers use
Their full height to proclaim
The strength of Collective Man,
Each language pours its vain
Competitive excuse:
But who can live for long
In an euphoric dream;
Out of the mirror they stare,
Imperialism's face
And the international wrong.
Faces along the bar
Cling to their average day:
The lights must never go out,
The music must always play,
All the conventions conspire
To make this fort assume
The furniture of home;
Lest we should see where we are,
Lost in a haunted wood,
Children afraid of the night
Who have never been happy or good.
The windiest militant trash
Important Persons shout
Is not so crude as our wish:
What mad Nijinsky wrote
About Diaghilev
Is true of the normal heart;
For the error bred in the bone
Of each woman and each man
Craves what it cannot have,
Not universal love
But to be loved alone.
From the conservative dark
Into the ethical life
The dense commuters come,
Repeating their morning vow;
'I will be true to the wife,
I'll concentrate more on my work,'
And helpless governors wake
To resume their compulsory game:
Who can release them now,
Who can reach the dead,
Who can speak for the dumb?
All I have is a voice
To undo the folded lie,
The romantic lie in the brain
Of the sensual man-in-the-street
And the lie of Authority
Whose buildings grope the sky:
There is no such thing as the State
And no one exists alone;
Hunger allows no choice
To the citizen or the police;
We must love one another or die.
Defenseless under the night
Our world in stupor lies;
Yet, dotted everywhere,
Ironic points of light
Flash out wherever the Just
Exchange their messages:
May I, composed like them
Of Eros and of dust,
Beleaguered by the same
Negation and despair,
Show an affirming flame.
Check out the rest of the poetry friday roundup at AmoXcalli
On September 1, 1939, Hitler invaded Poland and kicked off WWII. The following poem is Auden's response. It has received a lot of attention because of its eerie resonance with September 11: the juxtaposition of New York City, September, tall buildings, death, and war. It has also been criticized for sentimentality and "moral equivalence."
I'm touched especially (although many of course will be offended) by the idea that there is a premonition of violence and authoritarianism in the ambition and bustle of the city: "the lie of Authority\Whose buildings grope the sky". But then there are, despite the darkness of the poem, quasi-hopeful juxtapositions: "Ironic points of light"; "despair" and "affirmation"; "Eros" and "dust."
SEPTEMBER 1, 1939
by W.H. Auden
I sit in one of the dives
On Fifty-second Street
Uncertain and afraid
As the clever hopes expire
Of a low dishonest decade:
Waves of anger and fear
Circulate over the bright
And darkened lands of the earth,
Obsessing our private lives;
The unmentionable odour of death
Offends the September night.
Accurate scholarship can
Unearth the whole offence
From Luther until now
That has driven a culture mad,
Find what occurred at Linz,
What huge imago made
A psychopathic god:
I and the public know
What all schoolchildren learn,
Those to whom evil is done
Do evil in return.
Exiled Thucydides knew
All that a speech can say
About Democracy,
And what dictators do,
The elderly rubbish they talk
To an apathetic grave;
Analysed all in his book,
The enlightenment driven away,
The habit-forming pain,
Mismanagement and grief:
We must suffer them all again.
Into this neutral air
Where blind skyscrapers use
Their full height to proclaim
The strength of Collective Man,
Each language pours its vain
Competitive excuse:
But who can live for long
In an euphoric dream;
Out of the mirror they stare,
Imperialism's face
And the international wrong.
Faces along the bar
Cling to their average day:
The lights must never go out,
The music must always play,
All the conventions conspire
To make this fort assume
The furniture of home;
Lest we should see where we are,
Lost in a haunted wood,
Children afraid of the night
Who have never been happy or good.
The windiest militant trash
Important Persons shout
Is not so crude as our wish:
What mad Nijinsky wrote
About Diaghilev
Is true of the normal heart;
For the error bred in the bone
Of each woman and each man
Craves what it cannot have,
Not universal love
But to be loved alone.
From the conservative dark
Into the ethical life
The dense commuters come,
Repeating their morning vow;
'I will be true to the wife,
I'll concentrate more on my work,'
And helpless governors wake
To resume their compulsory game:
Who can release them now,
Who can reach the dead,
Who can speak for the dumb?
All I have is a voice
To undo the folded lie,
The romantic lie in the brain
Of the sensual man-in-the-street
And the lie of Authority
Whose buildings grope the sky:
There is no such thing as the State
And no one exists alone;
Hunger allows no choice
To the citizen or the police;
We must love one another or die.
Defenseless under the night
Our world in stupor lies;
Yet, dotted everywhere,
Ironic points of light
Flash out wherever the Just
Exchange their messages:
May I, composed like them
Of Eros and of dust,
Beleaguered by the same
Negation and despair,
Show an affirming flame.
Check out the rest of the poetry friday roundup at AmoXcalli
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Hiromi's Hands: Supplemental Learning Resources
There are a number of directions you can go with Hiromi's Hands,
the true story of one of the first female sushi chefs in the United States (see my review here). I pulled together a few web resources that teach more about Japanese culture.Japanese Poetry:
Japanese History and Geography:
Japanese Cuisine:
- Japanese Food & Etiquette (for 2ndGraders)
- Sushi and Sashimi Glossary
- Sushi Masters
- How to Make Sushi (I'm not brave enough to try, but you may be!)
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Hiromi's Hands by Lynne Barasch
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 30 pages
Publisher: Lee & Low Books (March 2007)
Whenever I go into a sushi restaurant, I always admire the art of sushi making and the dedication of the sushi chefs who so carefully practice their craft. I have not however, ever seen a female sushi chef, so when I received a copy of Hiromi's Hands
Told from the point of view of Hiromi, the story starts in Japan when her father was a young boy apprenticed to a sushi chef. After many years of training and practice, he gets the opportunity to be a sushi chef in the United States, where he settles, meets his wife, and has a daughter, Hiromi. Hiromi's father works very long hours, and when she gets older, she convinces her father to take her along to the fish market and then to his restaurant. Soon, she's a sushi chef in training and eventually becomes one of the first female sushi chefs in the United States.
Along the way we learn a little about Japanese culture and traditions as Hiromi attends Japanese school on the weekends. We also learn what hard work it takes to become a sushi chef. Lynne Barasch's ink and watercolor illustrations of yummy sushi make me hungry, but I would have liked to have seen real pictures of the Suzuki's, especially since Hiromi is a lifelong friend of Barasch's daughter.
Overall, this is a good book that many children will enjoy and would make a good choice for introducing Japanese culture and also introducing stories of successful women who dared to break the mold.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain Learning Resources
Whether you're a teacher presenting a lesson on the Cold War, the Berlin Wall, or totalitarian regimes or a parent wanting to give your child an engaging historical autobiography to read, The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain 
As I mentioned in my review, I think older kids (9 and up) would get the most benefit and understanding out of the book, but don't let that sway you from telling the story to younger kids. I even recommend using it as a supplementary resource for teenagers who are learning about the Cold War. Don't let the fact that it's a "picture book" sway you from using this with older kids because the colors and presentation are mature, and there is a great deal of basic information about the era.
Here are a few learning resources you can use to expand upon the book.
First, check out this teacher's guide from Peter Sis's website.
Next, here some websites where you can get more information about the Cold War and the Berlin Wall:
Finally, here are a few books for children age 9 and up:
- When the Wall Came Down: The Berlin Wall and the Fall of Soviet Communism (New York Times Books)
- Escape to West Berlin
- The Fall Of The Berlin Wall
- Spying And the Cold War
- The Cold War (20th Century Perspectives)
Monday, February 4, 2008
Sweethearts Blog Tour: Interview with Sara Zarr
I recently had the opportunity to read and review an advanced reader copy of Sweethearts and interview the author, Sara Zarr. Her first novel, Story of a Girl , was a 2007 National Book Award Finalist, and I predict her second novel, Sweethearts, will win even more. It's truly amazing...See my review here.
A special thanks to Sara for so thoughtfully answering my questions:
The Well-Read Child (TWRC): In Story of a Girl, Deanna is an outcast at school, and in Sweethearts, Jenna and Cameron were both school outcasts when they were younger, all for different reasons. Why have you chosen to make your main characters unpopular kids who've faced some very tough situations in life? Are you basing these characters on people you've known in your own life?
Thanks so much Sara for taking the time to talk about Sweethearts.
Other stops on the tour:
(I'll be updating throughout the week, so let me know if I've missed you!)
January 28: Kate Messner
February 1: Shelf Elf
February 4th: The Well-Read Child
February 5th: Big A little a
February 6th: Interactive Reader
Other blog reviews:
A Patchwork of Books
Big A little a
Bildungsroman
Booktopia
Bookami
Bookshop Girl
Charlotte's Library
Jen Robinson’s Book Page
Kate Messner
Kids Lit
Teen book review
The Page Flipper
Young Adult (&Kids) Book Central
Shelf Elf
A special thanks to Sara for so thoughtfully answering my questions:
The Well-Read Child (TWRC): In Story of a Girl, Deanna is an outcast at school, and in Sweethearts, Jenna and Cameron were both school outcasts when they were younger, all for different reasons. Why have you chosen to make your main characters unpopular kids who've faced some very tough situations in life? Are you basing these characters on people you've known in your own life?
Sara Zarr (SZ): The older I get and the more conversations I have with people about the experience of adolescence, the more I realize that virtually everyone feels like an outcast at some point in their childhood or teen years---even the kids we look at from the outside and identify as popular or as fitting in. I definitely felt that way, even though I didn’t personally experience any prolonged or extreme ostracizing. That feeling, whether or not it’s based in reality, seems so universal…almost biologically innate. I’m interested in exploring that feeling, so my stories tend to externalize it to make it more concrete. From the concrete I can delve into the more abstract and emotional parts of it. So to answer the latter part of your question: yes and no. I based those feelings of isolation on my own experience and what I’ve observed in others, but neither Jenna/Jennifer nor Deanna were based on anyone real.
TWRC: How did the idea for Sweethearts come to you?
TWRC: What is your favorite scene in Sweethearts?
TWRC: Do you identify with any of the characters in the book?
TWRC: What do you hope your readers get out of Sweethearts?
TWRC: Why do you write young adult books? Have you ever thought about writing for other age groups?
TWRC: Where do you write?
TWRC: What other books or authors have influenced you the most?
Thanks so much Sara for taking the time to talk about Sweethearts.
Other stops on the tour:
(I'll be updating throughout the week, so let me know if I've missed you!)
January 28: Kate Messner
February 1: Shelf Elf
February 4th: The Well-Read Child
February 5th: Big A little a
February 6th: Interactive Reader
Other blog reviews:
A Patchwork of Books
Big A little a
Bildungsroman
Booktopia
Bookami
Bookshop Girl
Charlotte's Library
Jen Robinson’s Book Page
Kate Messner
Kids Lit
Teen book review
The Page Flipper
Young Adult (&Kids) Book Central
Shelf Elf
The Wall : Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis
Nonfiction Monday!The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain (Caldecott Honor Book)
by Peter SisReading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 56 pages
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (August 21, 2007)
Imagine a life where you could only draw what the government said you could draw. A life where you couldn’t listen to music or read books of your own choice, you couldn’t grow your hair long, and you were asked to report your parents if they said anything negative about the government.
This was what life was like for Peter Sis and countless others who grew up in Cold War Era Czechoslovakia under Soviet rule.
Through journal entries, captions, and the story of a boy who loves to draw (Sis), we get an account of the Cold War era from 1948 to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The boy in the book is allowed to draw anything he wants at home, but when he starts school, he can only draw what he’s told to draw. We learn how easy it is to brainwash children who are encouraged to report their parents if they hear them say anything against the government. To Sis, this is the way life is until he gets wind of things he isn’t allowed to know about: rock ‘n roll music, the Beatles, Elvis Presley. We then learn what it’s like to be oppressed, to be denied freedom and get glimpses of Sis’ dreams to be free.
Sis’ graphic-novel like book effectively conveys tone through color. With black and white sketches, the only splashes of color are communist red and the colors in the boy’s drawings. During the Prague Spring of 1968, the colors in the book brighten, demonstrating hope and cheerfulness—colors of freedom. But they quickly go back to the black and white drawings when the totalitarian regime comes back in full force.
A stirring book, I recommend this for older kids who are able to grasp the seriousness of the content and even high school students who are studying the Cold War.
See the rest of the Nonfiction Monday roundup at Picture Book of the Day.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Coming Up This Week
It's going to be a very busy week at The Well-Read Child.
On Monday, I'll be sharing my recent interview with Sara Zarr, author of Story of a Girl and Sweethearts. Sweethearts was officially released on February 1st, and Sara had a lot of very interesting answers to my questions about the book. See my review here.
Also on Monday, I will offer up a review of Peter Sis' The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain as part of Nonfiction Monday, hosted at Picture Book of the Day.
On Tuesday, I'll share some learning resources to accompany The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain , and on Wednesday, I'll post my review of Hiromi's Hands, the true story of Hiromi Suzuki, one of the first female sushi chefs in the United States.
On Thursday, check in to find some learning resources to accompany Hiromi's Hands.
Finally, on Friday, I'll feature a review of The Turtle and the Deep Blue Sky, a tale of animals who trade wings, feathers, wool, etc.
I'll also be participating in Poetry Friday hosted at AmoXcalli. Will I still be in a Yeats kind of mood, or will I offer up something else? We'll just have to see because I don't even know yet.
I hope you'll stop by this week!
On Monday, I'll be sharing my recent interview with Sara Zarr, author of Story of a Girl and Sweethearts. Sweethearts was officially released on February 1st, and Sara had a lot of very interesting answers to my questions about the book. See my review here.
Also on Monday, I will offer up a review of Peter Sis' The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain
as part of Nonfiction Monday, hosted at Picture Book of the Day.On Tuesday, I'll share some learning resources to accompany The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain
, and on Wednesday, I'll post my review of Hiromi's Hands, the true story of Hiromi Suzuki, one of the first female sushi chefs in the United States.On Thursday, check in to find some learning resources to accompany Hiromi's Hands.
Finally, on Friday, I'll feature a review of The Turtle and the Deep Blue Sky
, a tale of animals who trade wings, feathers, wool, etc.I'll also be participating in Poetry Friday hosted at AmoXcalli. Will I still be in a Yeats kind of mood, or will I offer up something else? We'll just have to see because I don't even know yet.
I hope you'll stop by this week!
New York Times Bestselling Picture Books of the Week
- High School Musical: All Access
by N. B. Grace, and
- Henry's Freedom Box
written by Ellen Levine, illustrated by Kadir Nelson
1. Flamingos on the Roof
written and illustrated by Calef Brown
Calef Brown's quirky illustrations and nonsensical poems come together to form something I think is delightful and will make kids laugh out loud. After all, who can resists lines like this? "Boogie to the banjo./Bop to the bongo./Freeze like an igloo./Stomp like a buffalo in the Combo Tango"
Huh? Exactly.
2. Gallop!: A Scanimation Picture Book
written and illustrated by Rufus Butler Seder
Gallop moved down a spot in its 11th week on the list. If you haven’t seen this book yet, I urge you to check it out. This book is amazing! By flipping through you book you can see a horse galloping, an eagle soaring, and many other animals in movement. The content rhymes and has funny replies that will leave your child laughing.
3. Smash! Crash! 
Scieszka’s newest book remains at #3 in its third week on the list. Smash! Crash! kicks off Scieska’s Trucktown series for preschool/kindergarten-aged children. If you have a child in your life who loves trucks and who loves to smash things together, he/she will be delighted as Jack Truck and Dump Truck Dan smash and crash through the town.
written and illustrated by Kevin O'Malley
This zany, pun-filled book follows the adventure of Chicken and George as they set out to follow Chicken's dream. I thought it was cute and chuckled a number of times, but younger children may not fully understand or appreciate all of the puns like, "You must be yolking," and "What are you--a comedi-hen?"
5. Star Wars: A Pop-Up Guide to the Galaxy
by Matthew Reinhart
This cool collectible moved up three spots in its 15th week on the list. If you have a Star Wars fan in your life (or you are one yourself), this would make a great gift.6. Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity
, written and illustrated by Mo Willems
Knuffle Bunny Too is the follow up to Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale 
7. The Arrival
With its fourth appearance in the top 10, the only words in this book are from an invented alphabet. In the book, an immigrant leaves his family behind to start a new life in a new country. Haunting, emotional, hopeful…these are only a few words to describe this captivating book.
8. Zen Ties
9. First the Egg
written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger 
This Caldecott Honor Book and Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book moved down 7 spots this week. In my opinion, this is another must have for a small child in your life. Through die-cuts and rich, vibrant illustrations, Seeger presents a series of “first/then” scenarios (egg/chicken; tadpole/frog; seed/flower).
10. The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain
written and illustrated by Peter Sis 
The third Caldecott Honor Book on the list this week, The Wall debuts in the sixth spot. In this fascinating autobiographical picture book, Sis recounts his childhood growing up in Cold-War era
Friday, February 1, 2008
Poetry Friday: Another Dose of Yeats
Okay, so I'm on a Yeats kick this month. Something about his poetry just inspires me, makes me reminisce, and makes me just....sigh.
Here's another favorite
The Indian to His Love
The island dreams under the dawn
And great boughs drop tranquillity;
The peahens dance on a smooth lawn,
A parrot sways upon a tree,
Raging at his own image in the enamelled sea.
Here we will moor our lonely ship
And wander ever with woven hands,
Murmuring softly lip to lip,
Along the grass, along the sands,
Murmuring how far away are the unquiet lands:
How we alone of mortals are
Hid under quiet boughs apart,
While our love grows an Indian star,
A meteor of the burning heart,
One with the tide that gleams, the wings that gleam
and dart,
The heavy boughs, the burnished dove
That moans and sighs a hundred days:
How when we die our shades will rove,
When eve has hushed the feathered ways,
With vapoury footsole by the water's drowsy blaze.
Source
I was all prepared to write a reaction, a response, an analysis, but you know, sometimes you just want to savor the words...that's what good poetry is all about.
Check out the rest of the Poetry Friday roundup at Karen Edmisten's blog.
Here's another favorite
The Indian to His Love
The island dreams under the dawn
And great boughs drop tranquillity;
The peahens dance on a smooth lawn,
A parrot sways upon a tree,
Raging at his own image in the enamelled sea.
Here we will moor our lonely ship
And wander ever with woven hands,
Murmuring softly lip to lip,
Along the grass, along the sands,
Murmuring how far away are the unquiet lands:
How we alone of mortals are
Hid under quiet boughs apart,
While our love grows an Indian star,
A meteor of the burning heart,
One with the tide that gleams, the wings that gleam
and dart,
The heavy boughs, the burnished dove
That moans and sighs a hundred days:
How when we die our shades will rove,
When eve has hushed the feathered ways,
With vapoury footsole by the water's drowsy blaze.
Source
I was all prepared to write a reaction, a response, an analysis, but you know, sometimes you just want to savor the words...that's what good poetry is all about.
Check out the rest of the Poetry Friday roundup at Karen Edmisten's blog.
Alphabet of Insects by Barbie Heit Schwaeber
I'm wrapping up my "bug book" week with Alphabet of Insects by Barbie Heit Schwaeber, illustrated by Katy Bratun, Thomas Buchs, Allen Davis, John Paul Genzo, Kristin Kest, Katie Lee, Larry Mikec, and Daniel J. Stegos
- Reading level: Ages 4-8
- Hardcover: 40 pages
- Publisher: Soundprints (October 10, 2007)
Along with beautifully detailed and lifelike illustrations is a rhyming stanza describing the featured insect on the page. The rhythm and interesting facts will keep children entertained and engaged.
For example:
"H is for Harlequin Cabbage Bug
This insect is a stinkbug
And here's how you can tell:
If you get too close you'll know
it has an awful smell. "
This is particularly effective for beginning readers and read alouds.
What makes this book even more unique and engaging are the mixed media illustrations by a variety of artists. The details and true-to-life colors will make children squirm in delight.
In the back of the book is a glossary with even more information, and you also get a full-size poster and a sing-along CD.
This would make a great book for children who are learning the alphabet and/or interested in learning more about insects.
Other books in the Smithsonian Alphabet Series:
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