A Happy Meeting

Firefly July

A Year of Very Short Poems

Written by: Joyce Sidman

Illustrated by: Melissa Sweet

Candlewick Press, 2014

47 pages

Poetry

This book includes thirty-six short poems involving aspects from all four seasons. One that I thought was cute was A Happy Meeting. This short poem presents us with a description of what happens when rain collides with dirt. Something so simple, but yet so creative. Kids will love it!

The illustrations were done in watercolor, goauche, and mixed media. The colors are very vivid and bright. Lines are presented in all forms. The texture varies with each poem, but they all exhibit softness to a certain degree. 

I chose English Language Arts as my subject and second grade as my level. I would have my students write their own simple poems on how they see the uniting of rain and dirt.

  

If the Shoe Fits

Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal

A Worldwide Cinderella

Written by: Paul Fleischman

Illustrated by: Julie Paschkis

Henry Holt and Company, 2007

32 pages

Traditional Fiction

With the death of Cinderella's father comes living with her evil stepmother and two stepsisters. When Prince Charming hosts a ball, Cinderella is forbidden to go because of her duties as a maid. She does not let this stop her. Her very own Fairy Godmother and animal friends come to her rescue and she ends up going to the ball. In her hurry to get home before her stepmother and stepsisters, one of her glass slippers slips off. We all know this version of Cinderella, but do we know Mexico's, Korea's, Iraq's, Russia's, Iran's, India's,Ireland's, Zimbabwe's, Germany's, Appalachia's, Laos', Indonesia's, China's, Japan's, France's, or Poland's?

The illustrations were done in Winsor & Newton gouaches, which is a type of watercolor paint that contains an added white powder to create a more opaque finish. They are very bright and colorful. Both straight and curved lines are present, all of which are bold. The texture appears to be smooth.

I chose Social Studies as my subject and second grade as my level. I would use this as a diversity project and have the students study on their version of Cinderella. I would have them prepare posters that represent their versions and how they differ from at least one other culture's.

 

Two Outta One

That Book Woman

Written by: Heather Henson

Illustrated by:David Small

Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2008

40 pages

Historical Fiction

 

 

Cal is no scholar-boy. He likes to help his Pap out and do things boys do. He does not seem to understand why his sister loves reading as much as she does; it only frustrates him because she does not help outside. They do not live close to a school, so his sister likes to try and be the teacher for the both of them. The Book Woman, as she is known, comes every two weeks and trades out books with his sister. This Book Woman comes rain or snow. Cal begins to wonder why it is so important.

 

 

The illustrations are done in ink, watercolor, and pastel chalk. The color scheme is neutral, with colors such as brown, gray, blue, yellow, and white. The texture feels both soft and gritty; the lines are what gives it that gritty look. There are both straight and curved lines. You can see how the lines were done with chalk.

 

 

I chose Social Studies as my subject and first grade as my level. We would study on past forms of transportation (horses), apparel, and recreation(reading) as seen in the writing and illustrations of this book. I would do a dress-up day and have them dress according to the time this book was set in and we would read books about this time and do fun activities such as comparing and contrasting past and present attributes.

 

 

  

Gone But Not Forgotten

Bone Dog

Written and Illustrated by: Eric Rohmann

Roaring Brook Press, 2011

32 pages

Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Gus and his dog Ella grew up together; they were best pals. One day Ella tells Gus that she is getting older and her time is drawing near, but that she would always be with him no matter the circumstances. Ella passes and Gus is devastated; he does not have the desire and strength to carry on, but he does. One spooky Halloween night, Gus is walking home from trick-or-treating and is suddenly surrounded by a hungry group of skeletons. Will Ella keep her promise to always be there for Gus?

The illustrations were drawn first and then he finished them with the use of woodcut. They are colorful with a soft texture. The lines are both straight and curved; they are bold and help to define characters and objects.

I chose English Language Arts as my subject and Kindergarten as my grade. I would have the children take turns telling of a time that their pet was there for them. I would also allow them to draw a picture of them with their pet. I might even do a show-and-tell along with this book; the children could either bring a picture or stuffed animal that represents their pet.

  

And Off We Go

Captain Ren's Trip to Mars

Written by: Bel Richardson 

Illustrated by: Mykyta Harets

Bookbot, 2018

12 pages

Science Fiction

Captain Ren prepares to fly his rocket to Mars to discover whether there has ever been life there or not. He takes off and eventually lands on the surface of Mars. He gears up and grabs his tools to test for life. What will Captain Ren's findings reveal about this planet?

The illustrations in this book are very colorful. Lines are used to define the edges of all objects in the story; there are both straight and curved lines. The texture is soft and smooth. It appears that the illustrations were done in digital media.

I chose Science as my subject and Kindergarten as my grade level. I would bring materials to the class to allow for the children to create their own rockets. I would allow them to take turns flying their rockets to help them understand how they fly and to possibly spark their interests.

  

On a Mission

Mars Rover Rescue (Epic Space Adventure)

Written by: Andrew Rader

Illustrated by: Galen Frazer

Storybook Genius, 2017

60 pages

Science Fiction

This fun crew of space explorers are ready for any tasks sent their way. While in space, they get called back to Earth to receive the mission of searching for a lost rover on Mars. They load and fuel up the rocket, and then...TAKE OFF! With so much land to cover, will they be able to find that one rover? With teamwork and cooperation, anything is possible with this crew.

The illustrations are done in digital media. The colors are not only bold, but they are realistic as to what I would imagine Mars looking like. The texture is gritty.

I chose English Language Arts as my subject and Kindergarten as my grade level. This book tells the story while presenting the alphabet in a fun way at the same time. I would use this in my classroom to help my students better themselves in identifying letters and how they can be used.

 

Rosa Refused

Rosa

Written by: Nikki Giovanni

Illustrated by: Bryan Collier

Henry Holt and Company, 2005

40 pages

Nonfiction

Rosa Parks was just Rosa Parks until one word was spoken: no. Rosa, along with the rest of her community were tired of segregation and wanted no part of it. On this particular day described in the book, Rosa got her job done early and was excited to get home and surprise her husband with meatloaf. She gives her dime to the bus driver and walks to the back where the "colored" had to sit/stand. All seats were taken there, so she went and sat in the neutral section where both races were allowed to sit. When approached by the bus driver to give up her seat so a white person could sit down, Rosa refused.

The artist used watercolor and collage to bring the illustrations to life. The illustrations are boldly colorful. The characters are very life-like and real. The texture seems soft with a little grit. Facial expressions and body languages are illustrated well; you can read every emotion. 

I chose Social Studies as my subject and fourth grade as my level. I would have my students study on Rosa Park's story for a couple of days and I would have them re-enact it in class. I would have them do this to obtain a better understanding of how big of a deal this action was and how real it was.