#20- John Henry: Hammerin' Hero

20) John Henry: Hammerin' Hero

Retold by: Stephanie True Peters

Illustrated by: Nelson Evergreen

Stone Arch Books

2010

32 pages

Traditional Literature

         I bought this book at a Scholastic Warehouse sale because I love the story of John Henry. This one is written in graphic novel form, so I figured it's kind of hard to go wrong. Of course, the story of John Henry is that he was the strongest and fastest rail worker back in the old days. Everyone knew him for his strength. He enjoyed doing things the old way, and when his bosses brought out a new machine that would replace people's jobs, he went up against the machine and worked better, harder, and faster than the machine itself! Unfortunately, that is also what killed him.

        The illustrations in this book are phenomenal. It is written as a graphic novel, so it's appearance reads like a comic book. All the pictures are dark and really do a great job of showing action. Most of the panels are black and white with just a touch of color for the sky or an article of clothing, etc. It really helps keep you in the right time period. 

        I would use this book for all students. I think Kindergarteners would have a bit of trouble learning how to read a graphic novel, but once they did everything would be great. This book is great to make kids who don't usually like books enjoy reading. Since it is written as a graphic novel, you sometimes forget you are reading a book. This would also be great in a lesson on history and the time period of the railroad building. You could also incorporate slavery into the lesson.

#19- Sleeping Beauty

15) Sleeping Beauty

Penguin Books USA, Inc.

2000

54 pages

Traditional Literature

        I chose this book because I had always enjoyed the Disney version of Sleeping Beauty as a child. This one is essentially the same rendition. This is the story of a Princess who is in the wrong place at the wrong time. She is cursed to sleep for ever, and the only thing that can save her is true love's kiss. In keeping with the "happily ever after" tradition, Prince Charming comes along and rescues her from her slumber. There are lots more details in this version, however.

       The illustrations in this book are all very brightly colored. They are done using computer animation. Usually the illustrations do not fill up the whole page. The words are really the focus in this story, so the illustrations kind of fell to the back burner for me. They are still beautiful, though! They really add to the sense of magic.

        I would recommend this book for students from Kindergarten up to fifth grade. While the story is one that everyone knows, the high word count would make this a great book for older students to read. It would definitely be a read-aloud for younger ones. This would make a great after lunch read aloud for a classroom. It could be used in a fairy tale unit. I would use it to talk about the difference between a fiction piece of literature and a nonfiction piece of literature.

#18- Tarzan

18) Tarzan

Retold and Illustrated by: Victoria Saxon

Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.

2000

60 pages

Traditional Literature

        I chose this book because I have always loved jungle stories, whether it was Disney's Tarzan or George of the Jungle or National Geographic. This book chronicles the life of Tarzan, a boy who's shipwrecked parents were killed by wild animals. Tarzan was then raised by a gorilla family who took him in as their own. This book tells of all his adventures, even noting when he was discovered by Jane and her family and the little romance that blossoms between them.

        The illustrations in this book are beautiful. They were done using a computer animation software. Each spread contains one page with a vignette and the words of the book around it, and the other on the opposite page has a whole-page illustration with a border. The pictures are all very green, portraying the jungle motif clearly throughout the book. The animals are done in a cartoon-like fashion with little realism. 

         This book is appropriate for all ages, in my opinion. The story is interesting enough to keep the attention of most any student. This story could be used in a character education lesson about families and diversity. I could also be used in a jungle unit. I would use this book as a writing prompt to get the students thinking about what it would be like to be raised by another type of animal. Maybe a snake or a giraffe? There are many ways to turn this book.

#17- The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

17) The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Written by: William Joyce

Illustrated by: William Joyce and Joe Bluhm

Atheneum Books for Young Readers

2012

48 pages

Fantasy

        I chose this book because it inspired an Academy Award nominated short film. I know, it's a strange reason, but I had to read it! This is by far one of my top three favorite books. It tells the story of Morris Lessmore, a normal man who loved words. He wrote in his journal every day until a tornado came and scattered everything he knew around him. He was searching for his book pages when he noticed a woman flying by on a string of flying books. Thinking it was peculiar, one of the books told Morris to follow him! Naturally, he complied. He was taken to a library filled with flying, talking books. There, Morris lived until he was an old man with his books. He decided it was time to go. He flew away on his own string of books, while his own story caught the attention of a little girl. The story starts in the same way it ends, with the opening of a book.

         The illustrations in this book are absolutely mind blowing. They are painted in great detail. The texture is really what makes it stand out. The bushes and shadows, which would usually be a normal flat color, are brought to life by daubs of color that resemble a pointulism technique. Everything in the book is in black and white except the library, talking books, and those who have to do with the library. Creatively, the last page is a double page spread which looks like a young girl's hands placed on the book. 

        I would recommend this book for students from second grade up to sixth grade. I read it to my first grade practicum class last semester and there was a lot that was over their heads. This book makes for a great read aloud after lunch or to settle the kids back down. It also would be a great writing prompt for the kids to write their own fantasy story. This book could be used in a lesson about libraries as well. I love it for it's appreciation of books and the power of stories.

#16- Penguin and Pinecone

16) Penguin and Pinecone

Written and Illustrated by: Salina Yoon

Scholastic, Inc

2012

32 pages

Fantasy

        I chose this book because it seemed so cute! I was right. It is a story of a little Penguin who finds  this object he isn't sure about. When he asks his Grandpa, he tells him it is a pinecone that belongs in the forest. Penguin decides he needs to take Pinecone back to his home, sadly. They are such good friends! Penguin leaves Pinecone in the forest, wrapped up in a scarf. He hopes to come back and find out that the pinecone has grown big and strong. He does just that, except the pinecone became a tree! It is a precious story.

        The art in this book is done digitally using Adobe Photoshop. It appears to be done in some kind of crayon, though. The illustrations are very simplistic, adding to the storyline. The colors are very wintery; there are lots of blues and whites. Some pages are double page spreads, others have frames on a single page, while still some have up to four illustrations on a single page. Everything is very cohesive.

        I would suggest this book for students up to about the third grade. It is kind of juvenile for older students. This book would be great to leave out for the children to read during the winter months. It would also be great to use in a character education lesson on friendship. I would probably use it in a lesson on plants and how they grow from seeds. The pinecone would bee the seed that grew into a tree. There are plenty of follow up activities you could do as well.

#15- A Giant Crush

15) A Giant Crush

Written by: Jennifer Choldenko

Illustrated by: Melissa Sweet

Scholastic, Inc

2011

22 pages

Fantasy

       I chose this book because I did a book order around Valentine's Day and it looked very cute. It is the story of a bunny who is working on a Valentine's gift for his giant crush. It chronicles the struggle he faces when he thinks his crush has a crush on someone else. It also describes the joy in finding out his crush really does like him! It's a really precious story. I could see the younger kids being all worked up and saying "EW!" a lot.

        The illustrations are beautiful in this book. The end pages are done in solely craft supplies. There is a tape roll, some paper, glue, glitter, and other things we use to make Valentines. The pictures are done in watercolor and outlined in pen. Everything is done in a slightly sloppy style, which reinforces the idea of Valentine's Day with young children. There is a lot of the color red.

        I think this book would be good for Kindergarten to about third grade. It's a little juvenile for the older students. This book would be good to leave around the class during February for the children to read on their own. You could also use it as an intro to a Valentine making activity. I would probably use this book as a read aloud on Valentine's Day. It doesn't have a whole lot of meat to it, but I think it is a good piece of quality literature nonetheless. 

#14- Do You Do A Digeridoo?

10) Do You Do A Digeridoo

Written by: Nick Page

Illustrated by: Sara Baker

Make Believe Ideas

2008

34 pages

Poetry

 

        I chose this book because of the awesome cover illustrations, and because it seemed to have something to do with music. I soon found out that it did! This book is about a man who walks into a music store looking for an instrument called a digeridoo. He continually asks the store owner if he has one, while describing all the kinds of things he could do with it, as the store owner continually replies, "No, we digeridon't." At the end, the store owner finally finds one, but alas, the customer has changed his mind. It is a hilarious read.

 

        The illustrations in this book can only be described as comical. They are super busy, with so many details to look at on every page. They are also super colorful, making everything easily distinguishable.The pictures were done in bold watercolors and outlined with pen. Sometimes the text is part of the illustration, and other times it is in it's own negative space.

  

        I would suggest this book for up to about third grade. The repitition is a little juvenile for older elementary students. I recently read the book to my Kindergarten practicum class and they loved it! This book would be great to use in a poetry unit. It could also be used in tandem with a Dr. Suess unit, because of the parallels between this book and Green Eggs and Ham. I would use this book in a lesson on musical instruments. There are at least five different instruments in every illustration. Children don't get exposed to things like that as much anymore and I would love to take some time to show my students something musical.

 

 





#13- When I Grow Up

13) When I Grow Up

Written by: Al Yankovic

Illustrated by: Wes Hargis

Scholastic, Inc.

2011

26 pages

Poetry

 

        I chose When I Grow Up because it is a question that is relevant to all children. "What do you want to be when you grow up?" has to be on the list of Most Asked Questions for all students. Al Yankovic does a surprisingly great job of telling the story of a young boy who is very enthused to share his life plan with his classmates. His teacher begins to get a bit restless as he continues on and on about all the things he wants to be when he grows older, but at the end of the book is left with a picture he drew for her with himself as a teacher. The boy explains that his great-grandpa is one hundred and three, and has done many jobs. Since he's only eight, he feels like he has some time to do all the things he wants to do. He does provide some great uncoventional job ideas.

 

        The illustrations in this book are done with watercolor and pen. Each page is a new adventure, with the first few pages showing the classroom the little boy is in. As we progress through the occupations, there become more and more illustrations on a single page. All of the illustrations are comical in some way. You can look at a picture and tell that the little boy is very enthusiastic about his future jobs.

 

        This book is great for all ages I believe. It is a great segway to talk about different occupations. It does actually have a few normal ones, amonst the other quirkier professions. This book would also fit into a poetry lesson. I would use this book as a writing prompt for my class. I would tell them to listen as I read the book, and then we would begin a journal entry on what we would want to be when we grew up. You could take it many different directions.

 



#12- Jazz Age Josephine

12) Jazz Age Josephine

Written by: Jonah Winter

Illustrated by: Marjorie Priceman

Scholastic, Inc.

20012

38 pages

Poetry

 

 

        I chose this book because I'm a little more than a little obsessed with the Jazz Ages. I ordered it from Scholastic on a whim, and absolutely adore it! I didn't realize it was written in poetry until it came in.This book is about Josephine Baker, a singer, dancer, and actress who overcame adversity towards African Americans to make it big in show business both in America and in Paris, France. The book retells Josephine's life in an almost songlike form, which is very fitting for the theme of the book.

 

       The illustrations in this book are nothing short of wild. They are done in watercolor and perfectly match the time period. They are all a bit characature-like, not as realistic as most. The illustrator did a great job of keeping things interesting by swapping between a double page spread and a single page spread. Each page has a whole new theme, making the book impossible to get bored with.

 

        I would reccomend this book for elementary school students of any age. Even with older grades, this could be used in a research project. It could also be used in a poetry lesson. Of course, the most obvious is to use this book in a lesson on history. There are many things you could encorporate: black history, the jazz age, entertainment through the years, and many other things. I woud love to suggest this book to some of the little superstar girls in my class, though. :)

 

 



#11- KiKi's Hats

#11- KiKi's Hats

Written and Illustrated by: Warren Hanson

Tristan Publishing

2007

32 pages

Poetry

 

        I chose this book because my mother suggested it to me after she read it to her Sunday School children at church. This is a precious book that teaches children about the joy of giving. An old lady name KiKi enjoys making hats. She knits them by hand and has quite a pile going on. It all begins with one little girl asking if she can have one of KiKi's hats. Of course, KiKi says yes, but on one condition! She must also take a hat to give to a friend. This begins a trend. Soon the girl and her friends are back, hatless, because they enjoyed giving so much. News spreads all around, and KiKi continues to make hats for whoever needs them. The book gives several different examples of people needing care who recieved hats. At the end of the story, we are told that KiKi's pile of hats got so large, it took her right up to Heaven, where she is still knitting caps for anyone who wants to have one and give a few.

 

        I love the illustrations in this book for many different reasons. They are super colorful! Each of KiKi's knitted hat has a different color and pattern. The pictures are drawn with pen and marker, then colored in with paint and marker. For anything knitted, a computer generated "knit" texture is applied. It was a really nice touch and helps the kids understand what "knit" looks like. There is a green piece of string that appears on every page, "stringing" the book together.

 

        This book is perfect for children and adults of all ages because of the message behind it. You are never too old to learn about giving. KiKi's Hats would be a great book to use in a poetry or rhyming words unit. You could also use it in a character education lesson on giving or sharing. My favorite use for this book is to read it before you begin a community service project at school. We always did canned foor drives and I think a book like this would be a great intro for the students to understand just what they are raising food for.

 

 



#10- Aliens in Underpants Save the World

10) Aliens in Underpants Save the World

Written by: Claire Freedman

Illustrated by: Ben Cort

Scholastic, Inc.

2009

26 pages

Picture Book

            I chose this book because the title contains the word “underpants”. You’re laughing at me, I know, but titles like this one are a great way to get children who don’t normally want to read into the experience. It is about a group of aliens who love underpants. They realize there is a meteorite headed for Earth, which is also their underpants supply! They step into action immediately, stealing many underpants from the unsuspecting humans on Earth. After stitching them together, they form a huge boundary to send the meteorite the other way. The aliens save Earth with our underpants!

            The illustrations in this book are super colorful. There is underwear everywhere, of all different types! It is clear that the illustrator got to have fun with this book. The pictures take up the whole page. They are done in paint. The illustrator used great detailing. Some of the space ships even have “I heart underpants” bumper stickers on them!

            I would recommend this book as a read aloud for any primary grade. It’s inevitable, kids love underpants. The book is a good laugh. Since it is in poetic couplets, this book could be used in a poetry lesson. It could also be used in a lesson about fantasy or a space lesson. I would probably use this book during a poetry unit at the end of the day as a relaxer before the children go home. It was a fun book to read!

#9- When A Dragon Moves In

9) When A Dragon Moves In

Written by: Jodi Moore

Illustrated by: Howard McWilliam

Scholastic, Inc.

2011

28 pages

Picture Book

            I picked this book up because I’m slowly realizing my book preferences as a girl, and felt like I should buy a book for the boys in my future classes. It turned out to be a great book for either gender! It is about a family who goes to the beach for a day. The little boy builds a perfect sandcastle, and imagines all the things that would happen if a dragon moved in. His dragon gets him in trouble for different things all day long, and he finally gets fed up. They go home and the little boy vows to never build a perfect sandcastle again…until tomorrow. We find out that really, there wasn’t a dragon, the little boy is just misbehaving and blaming it on his “imaginary friend”.

            Each picture in the book really captures the “beachy” feel. The illustrations in the book are drawn with a pencil and then colored with acrylic paint. Everything is very colorful and gives a cartoon representation of all characters and activities. Some pictures take up an entire page. Other pages contain two, three, or four different illustrations. That kept the book interesting!

            I would use this book in a classroom up to fourth grade. It is a little too juvenile for older students, but would be a good read aloud for younger ones. They could even read it during free reading. It is a good story to help teach the fantasy genre. You could use it in a lesson about chronological order, as well.

#8- E-Mergency!

8) E-Mergency!

Written by: Tom Lichtenheld and Ezra Fields-Meyer

Illustrated by: Tom Lichtenheld

Scholastic, Inc.

2011

36 pages

Picture Book

            This book looked neat to me because of the focus on the letter “E”. I came to realize, the focus is on ALL the letters in the alphabet. The story is about the letters all living in a house together. The letter “E” gets hurt and is out of commission for a while. The doctors say the only cure is to let her rest. The letters spread the word all over the country about “E”, and decide that the letter “O” will be used instead. Still, “E” isn’t getting any better. The letters realize that the narrator is still using the letter “E”. They yell at him, and when he stops, “E” is immediately on her feet again!

            The illustrations in this book were made to almost look like a comic book. There are speech bubbles everywhere. The colors are vibrant and exciting. Each page is sketched with a pencil, then pastels and paint.  The letter characters are actual letters with arms, legs, and faces.

            I would recommend this book for students from first grade to fifth grade. The replacement of the letter “E” with “O” may confuse some little ones still learning to read, I’m afraid. It is a great book to leave in the classroom for the kids to read on free time. It is very engaging because of the challenge in deciphering the replaced letter words. Also, there are words everywhere you look! It would also be a great book to read for prediction, and in a lesson about the letter “E” or the letter “O”. I love this book because of the creativity behind the concept. 

#7- The Brave Little Owl

7) The Brave Little Owl

Written by: Penny Little

Illustrated by: Sean Julian

Scholastic, Inc.

2012

31 pages

Picture Book

            Honestly, I was attracted to this book because I love owls. If you see the cover of the book, they’re just so cute! (I am a girl, thus, I cannot refuse a cute animal book.) This book is about a family of owls who are deciding what to get their Grandmother for her birthday. The baby owl decides that she wants to learn to fly for her present. Her grandfather teaches the young owls in a group, and baby owl struggles to learn. She tries and tries, and even with encouragement from other forest friends, she cannot learn to fly. Finally, her Grandpa comes back and helps her fly just in time for her Grandma’s birthday celebration.

            The illustrations in this book are, more than anything, plain old cute. They are painted cartoons with many details. Each illustration takes up a whole page, and each page is a different color. This helps keep the reader’s interest peaked. The words in the story are sometimes printed to match the word itself. For example, the word “falling” would slightly run down the page. That was also a neat element.

            I would recommend this book for children up to about second grade. The vocabulary is not very challenging, and is probably a good read aloud for young children. This book would be good to leave out for the students to read on their own in first or second grade. You could use this book in a character study about bravery or encouragement. It would also be good to read if your school system celebrated Grandparent’s Day. It’s always a good book to read after lunch to settle the children back down. While the plot was fairly generic, the illustrations make this book an interesting book for the classroom.