Module 2 Caldecott Medal Winners/Picture Books

Module 2 Caldecott Medal Winners/Picture Books

June 9-15, 2014

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The Pigeon Wants a Puppy! by Mo Willems

Bibliography: 

Willems, M. (2008). The pigeon wants a puppy! New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children.

Summary: 
Pigeon the main character of this book is rather insistent on getting his wish for a puppy. He throws a temper tantrum only to find when his wish is granted that he really is afraid of the puppy. The puppy is not at all what he was imagining with the size and the slobber. He quickly shifts his attention to another wish.

Impressions: I loved this book. The emotions of the pigeon are relatable. I love the end how he realized he didn't really know what he was asking for at all.

Reviews:

"Up until now, the plight of the pigeon has been the strain and disappointment of a dream deferred: he didn't get to drive the bus, he didn't get to eat his whole hot dog, he didn't get to stay up late. Alas, thought, our pigeon is a romantic who won't stop wishing, and now he's wishing for a puppy. Broad hints that indicate he has no idea what to do with a puppy (I"I promise I'll water it once a mont") will start the giggles, but this time the real humor is reserved for the pigeon's getting what he wants instead of not getting it and realizing too late that it wasn't what he thought it would be like at all. To the range of emotions this one=eyed pigeon has been so articulate in conveying- he's been coy, he's been mad, he's been disappointed- Willems adds here wistful romantic fascination, complete with a kicked-up foot, clasped wings, and droopy eyelids, and affect fear, which nearly chases our bird off the page. The puppy seems benign enough with his friendly smile and waggy pink tongue, but his size relative to the pigeon gets the message across, and the pigeon's transfer of dreamy affection to a wish for a walrus puts us back on more familiar ground- if you're gonna dream, dream big enough that you are not bothered by te possibility that thee dream might come true. This is another hit for our favorite blue daydream believer. KC

Coats, K. (2008). The pigeon wants a puppy! Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 61(9), 405. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/223703595?accountid=7113

Suggestions for Use: 
This book could be used with young preschoolers when studying the letter P. They can talk about Pigeon and Puppy beginning with that letter, also it is a good example for teachers and librarians to point out Pigeon's behavior and is it appropriate.

Module 2 Caldecott Medal Winners/Picture Books

June 9-15, 2014

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Locomotive by Brian Floca

Bibliography: 
Floca, B. (2013).  Locomotive. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Summary: This is a beautifully illustrated book. It gives the history of the railroad across America. The illustrations are used to educate the reader on the parts of the train, the cities the trains go through as well as the landscape across the nation. It is well written and illustrated. The front and back cover gives more detailed information, maps and illustrations about the history of this time period and the design of how steam powers the engine.

Impressions: I found this to be an interesting book and enjoyed it. It was a lengthy book but the content was rich as well as the illustrations that explained the text so well it was not too much.

Reviews:

So, how much do you want to know about America's first transcontinental railroad? Just the general picture? Then follow Floca's poetic account of the fictional journey of a mother and two children riding coach class from Omaha to San Francisco just weeks after the line's completion. There's plenty to see out the window on the four-day trip, from the ever-changing landscape, to the newfangled telegraph poles, to the pitch-black tunnels and vertiginous drop from the trestle over Dale Creek. Step outside at the frequent stops to take on water, fuel, or a new engine and observe the hubbub that keeps the steam train rolling, and the makeshift towns that spring up to service travelers. If you need to know more about the "how" of steam travel, consult the annotated front endpapers that display the full route and the way the Union and Central Pacific lines came to connect; linger to browse the UP advertisements. Not enough? Take lots of time to study the cutaway and exploded details of the steam engine itself on the back endpapers (next to the CP time and fare schedule), and if you're truly among the nerdiest of train nerds, go back and compare the engines underway in the main text with the innards in the diagram. Still not sated? Floca holds forth in a dense concluding note on everything from the social history of rail travel to innovations that made running the trains safer for the crews. And if you don't care to read a word of text, be sure watch your fellow passengers packed cheek-by-jowl on the stiff bench seats, checking out the "convenience," pondering the suspect chicken dinner in a stopover diner, or, if they're luckier than you, headed for the Pullman sleeper and a good night's rest.

Bush, E.(2013). Locomotive by Brian Floca (review). Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books67(2), 89. The Johns Hopkins University Press. Retrieved June 20, 2014, from Project MUSE database.

Suggestions for Use: 
This book would be great for students studying American history to use for research. Not only for American History but when studying types of fuel. This book would help students who are visual learners to understand the process better. Students could then write a report or draw their own illustration.

Module 1 Introduction to Children's Literature/Classic Children's Literature

Module 1 

June 2-8 2014

Classic Picture Book Category

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Blueberries For Sal

by Robert McCloskey

Bibliography: 

McCloskey, R., Jordan, O., & Sable, D. (1988). Blueberries for Sal. Weston, CT: Weston Woods.

Summary:

In Blueberries for Sal the author shows a comparative view of how a mother and a child, whether human or animal are similar in their will to survive in nature. It shows the relationship of a mother to a child in the way the child follows the mother, how the mother is responsive to the sound of the child and how predictable a child's behavior is to a mother. The story was beautifully laid out by the setting on the mountain, the choice of activity in picking blueberries and mother and child relationship. 

Impressions: 
I found this book a simplistic but enjoyable book to read. It had depth to me in that it compared the two different mothers and children in a related task that was common to humans and animals. I thought it was interesting how he showed the close proximity of nature and humans sharing the same resources. I think the illustrations really enhanced the story showing Sal and her mother on one side of the mountain and the little bear and her mother on the other side and then the view of both of them with the wrong mother on the mountain. I like that there was no fear represented in the book with the interaction between Sal, her mother and the bears.

Reviews:

What happens when Sal and her mother meet a mother bear and her cub? A beloved classic is born!

Kuplink, kuplank, kuplunk! Sal and her mother a picking blueberries to can for the winter. But when Sal wanders to the other side of Blueberry Hill, she discovers a mama bear preparing for her own long winter.  Meanwhile Sal's mother is being followed by a small bear with a big appetite for berries! Will each mother go home with the right little one?

With its expressive line drawings and charming story, Blueberries for Sal has won readers' hearts since its first publication in 1948.

"The adventures of a little girl and a baby bear while hunting for blueberries with their mothers one bright summer day. All the color and flavor of the sea and pine-covered Maine countryside."
-School Library Journal, starred review. Retrieved from: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blueberries-for-sal-robert-mccloskey/1100222924?ean=9780140501698

Suggestions for Use:

I think this book would be great resource for kids when studying about changes that have been made from past to the present. The pictures are beautiful and they show how time has changed. A comparison of this book with how the same activity would look today might be an interesting project. The students could compare and contrast the elements in the story to today and create a presentation.

Module 1 

June 2-8 2014

Books About Reading Category

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Miss Smith's Incredible Storybook

by Michael Garland

Bibliography:

Garland, M. (2003). Miss Smith's incredible storybook. New York: Dutton Children's Books.

Summary: This book is a about a boy named Zack who is starting a new school year. His new teacher, Miss Smith, comes in and he sizes her up to see if it is going to be a good year or not. Quickly the author shows how Miss Smith makes stories come alive with how she reads books. Zack loves the class and has never before enjoyed reading so much. There is trouble that happens when the Principal fills in for Miss Smith. Zack tries to save the day by revealing the solution, but in the end Miss Smith is the hero.

Impressions:
I thought this was a great book. The illustrations really finished the story. The text depended on the illustration to explain what it was saying. I like the character Miss Smith. She was the type of teacher that could really get the audience so involved that they felt they were in the story. I also like how the illustrator depicted Miss Smith. It matched Zack's first comment concerning her being different than the rest.

Reviews:
Gr 1-4-Zack's exciting new teacher has a magic storybook. When she opens it up and reads aloud, the characters pop out and bring the tales to life right before the students' eyes. But Miss Smith's book isn't for everybody, and when stuffy Principal Rittenrotten has to fill in for her one morning, the dragon, princess, and knight that materialize from the pages send him from the room in a panic. The only way to make them disappear is to finish their respective stories, but Zack's classmates keep beginning new ones instead, until the school is overrun with Goldilocks, the Mad Hatter, and other such characters, seen vividly cavorting across the full-page spreads. Fortunately, Miss Smith shows up just in time and returns them to the safety of the book's pages, leaving the principal confused and her students forever in her debt. The lively, bright illustrations have a glossy, computer-generated quality that young readers will appreciate. Miss Smith wears a black leather jacket and a lapel button advertising "The Clash," and has a punk-rock hairdo. A satisfactory addition to most collections.-Catherine Threadgill, Charleston County Public Library, SC Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information. School Library Journal Retrieved From: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/miss-smiths-incredible-storybook-michael-garland/1101050418?ean=9780142402825

Suggestions for Use: I think this book would be great to read to a class in the beginning of the year as an introduction to find out student's interest.  The librarian could read the story and then asked if there was such a book what story would you want to be included and why? Students could blog this entry from the library blog so other students could later comment and contribute as they too possibly read the same story.