If you like the patterns in If You Give a Pig a Pancake or ...a Mouse a Cookie, then you're about in time for the new If You Give a Cat a Cupcake. Author Laura Numeroff has a new book coming out September 30. You can find out a little more about the story and preorder online at Barnes & Noble.
After reading about BigUniverse.com in one of my posts, Jennifer Nelson commented in about a similar site she'd found called LookyBook <http://www.lookybook.com/>. She says, this interactive site allows children and parents to read entire picture books. The books can be reviewed, rated, shared, put on a bookshelf and purchased. The best part about LookyBook is the fact that it is free!
AUTHOR: Dr. Seuss, Theodor Seuss Geisel
AGES: 4 – 8 years old
REVIEW: The Lorax, even though controversial, is a great book for children to read. It is important for them to understand the value of taking care of our world at a young age. The story begins when a boy wanders into an area where everything is dark and lonely and where very few living things live. At this time, the Once-ler appears and begins telling the boy how the town was once beautiful, lively, and full of animals. The Once-ler notices a neat tree and uses it to create a thneed. The Lorax protests the cutting down of the tree. However, the Once-ler sells his first thneed and sees a new business. The Lorax continually warns the Once-ler about the pollution his business is creating. Everything is fine for this thneed-selling business until the last Truffala tree is cut down. Everyone leaves the town, and the Once-ler is by himself in this town. The Once-ler realizes he has a seed left and gives it to the boy and tells him to go plant a tree. For a plot summary, please visit amazon.com.
The point of the story is, first of all, plant new trees as you cut them down. This is evident when the Once-ler leaves the boy the one remaining seed. The authors are saying that no matter how bad a situation can get that we can still make a difference, even if it is just one tree at a time. We have to start somewhere. They also make the point that we should do what we can to protect living creatures in the area, even if it may be inconvenient for a company. The Once-ler could have listened to the Lorax and taken a few minor changes to save the nearby animals without a major sacrifice on his behalf.
The story also hints about the importance of property rights. Furthermore, Jonathan Adler states in his blog that “the Lorax is easily seen a story about property rights…and the inevitable environmental consequences of poor institutions.” I see his point of view, and even though we do not know who owns the trees, environmental regulations should have been in place. Even if the Once-ler owned the land, he has a responsibility to protect the surrounding environment. Today, regulations are in place to discourage the abusive practices.
I like a post by Rogers Sweeny that states “a person who really wanted to make money would have cut down only some of the trees, then planted more so he could harvest them later and make money for years and years to come.” The point is well-made and is a good model for any lumbering company. People should not let laziness or greed lead them to such actions that the Once-ler took. Visit Mr. Sweeny's comment to read the complete post. The video-version of The Lorax is a great resource and can be seen at Google Video.
Guest Blogger: Matthew T. is a graduate student at the University of Memphis who is pursuing degrees in teaching and accounting. Matthew has gained and still is gaining experience as a tutor at the University of Memphis and Southwest Tennessee Community College. He currently volunteers at local children’s homes in the Memphis area and in children’s ministries at his church. He ultimately plans to teach high school mathematics. Matthew is a student in Dr. Anna Clifford's IDT 7061 course, Spring 08.
AUTHOR: Dr. Seuss
AGES: 5-12 years old
REVIEW: Oh, the Places You’ll Go! is a poetic journey about a young boy in his pajamas who faces life challenges, the good and the bad. Although the story is written for children, anyone can apply Seuss’ message that life is a voyage of ups and downs. This book addresses various life issues such as success, failure, choices, happiness, sadness, determinism and patience. For a more in depth summary, visit Barnes and Noble.
I received this book for a high school graduation present. Laughing at the idea of receiving a children’s book at the age of 18, I soon realized the relevance to my life at the time. Preparing to enter a new stage in life, Oh, the Places You’ll Go! gives an honest yet encouraging outlook on life’s journey. With his poetic devices, Dr. Seuss engulfs his audience into a journey full of world-winds. By personally speaking to the reader (i.e. “Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away!), Seuss places the responsibility of making decisions into the hands of his audience. To read another review visit Powell's Books.
To find out more about the author and his books, check out Dr. Seuss’ Seussville, where children can explore the wonderful world of Dr. Seuss and even travel to different places.
Guest Blogger: Queria M. is a sixth grade teacher at a local middle school. A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Queria earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Washington University in St. Louis. She loves reading to her students and applying themes to real-world situations. Oh, the Places You’ll Go! is one of her all time favorite books. The simple yet meaningful language describes life’s journey from childhood to adulthood.
AUTHOR: David Shannon
AGES: Preschool to early elementary
REVIEW: David Goes to School by David Shannon is one in a series of David books. What I love about this book is the humor the author uses to portray the character of David. David is a very mischievous child who hears the word No a lot. (There is actually a book written in this series that is called No David!) Even if you have a very well-behaved child, your child will be cracking up at this book. Everyone knows someone like David! The book is very well illustrated and is a perfect book to use in easing anxiety with starting school.
You can review the summary of the book at Barnes and Noble's site. You can also read an article published about the book from Publisher's Weekly. You can check out information about the author, David Shannon on the following two websites: http://www.scholastic.com/titles/authors/david_shannon.htm & http://www.cbcbooks.org/cbcmagazine/meet/davidshannon.html .
Guest Blogger: This review was written by Heather C. Heather is a part-time stock broker whose love for teaching children has sparked her passion to go back to Graduate school and pursue a master’s in Elementary Education. She is currently finishing up her classes and will be student teaching in the spring of 2009. She has two children who she adores and loves to read and play with. She mainly reads children’s picture books at the time since her children are 2 and 3. David Shannon is among her top five favorite children’s authors. Heather can not wait to start teaching and plans to incorporate children’s literature into every subject! Heather is a student of Dr. Grant's IDT 7061 course in Spring 08.
AUTHOR: Patricia McKissack
AGES: 5 - 8 years old
REVIEW: Flossie & the Fox is a tale of empowerment. A notorious and wily fox meets his match when he encounters an equally witted little girl in the woods. Flossie, who is delivering eggs to a neighbor, refuses to be afraid of this sly critter until he can offer proof that he is the fox her grandmother warned her about. Back to Books also has a short summary.
This story is set in the rural South and reminds me of the simpler days, before television and video games, when my grandfather and I would catch lightning bugs, fish and walk around the homestead. We worked during the day and would spend the evenings talking about infamous relatives and competing in telling the most outlandish yet believable stories. Like the tales of master Storytellers, this story has a message; a young girl uses her brains to beat the fox’s brawn.
This story does contain old southern vernacular you may not want your child to learn and racial/social stereotyping, yet it could serve as an opportunity to discuss these matters with your child. Good media offers another view on this book.
For more about the author and her books, check out The AuthorVisit blog.
Guest Blogger: Matt M. is administrator of a satellite campus at Jackson State Community College and loves reading bedtime stories to his daughter. Bedtime stories are a fond memory from my childhood and I am carrying on the tradition, from Disney to our own made up stories, we cover it all. I was trained to teach a myriad of subjects at the secondary level but now only use those skills at homework time. Matt is a student in Dr. Grant's IDT 7061 class.
AUTHOR: Mo Willems
AGES: 2 – 6
REVIEW: Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity is the sequel to Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale. In Knuffle Bunny Too, our half-pint heroine Trixie is off to preschool with Knuffle Bunny for show and tell, but she finds out he's not so "one-of-a-kind." For a complete synopsis of the story, check out Books Recommended by Robin's post.
What I like most about the Knuffle Bunny stories is the portraits of Trixie's dad. In Knuffle Bunny, the dad somehow allows Trixie to leave/lose Knuffle Bunny at the laundromat. In Knuffle Bunny Too, the dad has to make a middle-of-the-night exchange not dissimilar to an FBI hostage negotiation. I think I may like how Willems handles the dad, because I believe dads get treated like second class parents in many publication. So, author Willems portrays the dad a the humorous one that somehow is expected to create miracles.
Like the original Knuffle Bunny, Knuffle Bunny Too was also awarded a Caldecott Honor Book. You can find out more about Knuffle Bunny and Mo Willems' books at his site, where there is artwork, updates and information about sites for his book tour.
This so rocks! The American Library Association and the Association for Library Service to Children announce that The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick won the Caldecott Medal for picture book this year. In an earlier post, I reviewed The Invention of Hugo Cabret and advocated for it to win the Caldecott medal. I wasn't sure, however, it the judges would consider it a complete picture book. Read About.com's notice of the winner, and they include a synopsis of the book as well. At the homepage for Hugo Cabret, you can find out more about the history of the author, the history of the book and the history in the book. You can also watch a slideshow for the opening sequence of illustrations in the book.
Janice Harayda at One Minute Book Reviews does an excellent job of reviewing the novel. She gave it an 'A' for packaging and a 'C' for writing. I liked it a lot more. But what I like even more about Janice's review is that right below the review she includes s reading group guide to Hugo Cabret. Awesome! Michele Norris, one of the voices of NPR, also offers up a review of Hugo Cabret. This one has a audio podcast, illustrations from the book and an excerpt.
If you would like to find out more about the Caldecott Medal, then check out About.com's article or to the ALA/ALSC's page for Caldecott for a list of winners back to 1938.
AUTHOR: Jez Alborough
AGES: Preschool (6 months – 5 years)
REVIEW: This is quickly becoming one of my favorite books. It is currently my two-year-old's favorite. We read it at least once a day.
This picture book is an endearing story about a very young monkey who can't find someone to hug. One word ("HUG") is used throughout the story. After observing other animals hugging, the monkey begins to cry. When his mommy finds him, he's overjoyed and shares his appreciation with others.
The artwork and story are both very cute. My daughter enjoys figuring out whether Bobo the little monkey is thinking, feeling sad or feeling happy. My four-year-old enjoys reading the word on each page, too.
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