Page, Gail. How to Be a Good Dog. New York: Bloomsbury, 2006. (Toddlers-5; 6-8)
“‘You’re a good dog, Bobo. Come, let’s get you a treat.’” These words from Mrs. Birdhead are always anticipated by Bobo, a big white dog who does his very best to please his owner. However, in his attempts to be a “good dog,” Bobo often slips up. Between eating cake and cookies on the couch to tracking muddy paw prints throughout the house, Bobo’s behavior has Mrs. Birdhead sending him out to the doghouse. Cat finds that she misses Bobo and decides to teach the dog about being good. After a few simple lessons on how to shake, fetch, heel, etc., Bobo feels prepared to prove himself to Mrs. Birdhead, but once again he messes up! Thankfully, Mrs. Birdhead can only be angry for a short time as Bobo quickly shows off his new skills.
Children as young as three years old asked for this story to be read aloud again and again. Children found the book to be “totally funny.” For example, second graders enjoyed the “humanistic mannerisms of the dog.” Children who owned dogs really connected with this story and were inspired to tell their own tales about their dogs learning tricks. The double-page acrylic illustrations are perfect for group reading.
Gail Page lives in Brooksville, Maine with her dog, Gimpel. ASHLEY ROEMER
Park, Linda Sue. The Firekeeper’s Son. Illus. Julie Downing. New York: Clarion Books, 2004. (9-12)
From the sea to the palace, a fire is lit atop each mountain to show that there is peace throughout the land. As the village firekeeper, Sang-hee’s father understands the importance of being in control of the mountain closest to the water, but Sang-hee would really love to see soldiers, if only just once. During one sunset, Sang-hee notices no flame and runs up the mountain to find his father on the ground with a broken ankle. The responsibility is now left to Sang-hee to start the fire to show there is peace in his village. Downing’s pastel and watercolor realistic paintings vary between wide perspectives and emotional close-ups. The cool shades contrast with the warm golden sunsets and fires on top of the mountains.
Two things kept readers and children engaged: the illustrations and the message. They commented on the beautiful colors and the watercolor used to make the pictures. The facial expressions on the main character really helped to enhance the story. There were many messages that could be taken from this book. One reader thought it showed the importance of peace and peace-keeping; another said that it was a good message on resisting temptation for personal satisfaction. Teachers commented that this was a good book to learn more about Korea. An author’s note provides additional information on the history of the bonfire signal system in Korea.
Linda Sue Park lives in Rochester, New York, and Julie Downing is from the San Francisco Bay area. SEAN LEWIS/BRITTANY LAZUR
Parker, Neal Evan. Captain Annabel. Illus. Emily Harris. Camden: Down East Books, 2005. (6-8; 9-12)
From the time she is four years old, Annabel has loved the sea. As she works alongside her father, Annabel begins to fix up an old sailboat, which her father names “Annabel.” As she grows into an adult, her desire and expertise in sailing grows as well. After a long time away from home, Annabel becomes homesick, so she sails back to her father as captain of a tugboat, named “Papa.” The full-color, double-spread paintings detail the Maine coast and the various ships at sea.
As children ages six through nine listened to this story, they enjoyed seeing Annabel grow up. They were also very eager to see the illustrations, particularly the many different ships. One teacher reported that the special relationship between the father and daughter “touched the hearts” of her students. Readers also enjoyed talking to their students about the lesson of thanking others for what they have been taught, as Annabel did at the end of the story.
Author Neal Evan Parker grew up sailing in New England and is devoted to traditional sailing craft. Illustrator Emily Harris lives with her husband in Roslindale, Massachusetts. ASHLEY ROEMER
Patricelli, Leslie. The Birthday Box. Cambridge: Candlewick Press, 2007. (Toddlers-5)
“What’s better than getting a brand-new toy as a birthday gift? Playing with the box it came in!” A child with his striped party hat and white diaper points to a big, polka-dot present from Grandma. After ripping off the ribbon and wrapping paper, the child soon discovers a box. The big smile on the toddler’s face jumps off the page as he plays with the new box. When the climbing and hugging are over, the child decides to open the box and finds a new stuffed puppy. The remainder of the story captures the imaginative journey the two friends take together with their new box. After flying through the sky and sliding down a snowy hill, the child ends the day’s events by telling the puppy a story. As the two pals are cuddled together inside the box, the child finishes the story, “Today is my birthday, and I got a box!”
Young listeners definitely related to this simple story of the creativity children find with a box and enjoyed personalizing the story with their own experiences. Leslie Patricelli’s bright acrylic illustrations with thick black outlines appealed to readers and listeners—even one and two-year-olds. One reader noted after reading to a two-year-old: “Kids can relate to the content in this book. When the puppy came out of the box, the child pointed and bounced up and down. When the baby and the puppy were pretending to fly, the child’s arms were in motion, stretched out as though she were flying.”
Leslie Patricelli lives with her husband and three children in Seattle. ASHLEY ROEMER
Pedersen, Janet. Houdini: The Amazing Caterpillar. New York: Clarion Books-Houghton Mifflin, 2008. (6-8)
Named after the famous magician, Houdini the caterpillar has his own magical acts inside a school classroom. Houdini loves to entertain audiences—from shedding his skin, to crawling across a high-wire stick, to shredding and devouring an entire leaf in a few seconds! However, when new animals come to the classroom—a turtle and a spider—the children are not as excited for Houdini. Houdini gets an idea for the best act ever: metamorphosis. He goes into his cocoon, and the children watch in anticipation until he finally breaks free into a beautiful butterfly. An entertaining and educational text, the reader will learn about the stages of metamorphosis (with additional informational in the book’s back matter) while journeying along with Houdini’s charming character.
Using ink, watercolor, and digital media, Pedersen creates bold, sketch-like, dark outlined illustrations that bring the story to life. An endless variety of perspectives fill this book—from vignettes, to single page spreads, to three-quarter page spreads, to full-page spreads—making each page a surprise. Pedersen’s rich palette of colors and thick brushstrokes, along with detailed facial expressions and intricate detailing, animate and enliven the characters and each scene.
Children loved this fun spin on the life cycle of the butterfly. They stretched close to the book, showed excited facial expressions, pointed to details in the illustrations, helped turn the pages of the book, laughed spontaneously, and asked questions about both the book and the science material in it. Teachers appreciated the educational aspect of the story and the comparison to the historical magician.
Janet Pedersen, who performs her own magic with watercolors and liquid inks, lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York. KATIE CLAUSEN
Pinkney, Jerry. Little Red Riding Hood. New York: Little, Brown, 2007. (Toddlers-5; 6-8)
Following closely to the Grimm’s version of “Little Red Riding Hood,” Pinkney illustrates a beautiful retelling of the classic tale. When the African American girl is sent off to care for her ill grandmother, she “crunch-crunches” through the snow with chicken soup and raisin muffins in hand. Many forest animals are cleverly hidden among the trees and brush of the woods, that is, except, for the prowling wolf. Using his kindest voice, the wolf talks with the young girl and is able to rush ahead to Grandmother’s house, even though he “had a mind to eat her up at once.” After devouring the Grandmother and disguising himself, it isn’t long before Little Red Riding Hood is eaten as well. As in the classic ending, the woodcutter ends the wolf’s life and cuts out the woman and child, returning them to safety.
Readers of all ages found the illustrations, done in pencil, watercolor, gouache, and ink, to be very beautiful. A group of kindergarten students nudged closer to see the pictures when hearing the story read aloud. Many students sat on their feet to get a better view.
Adults thought the vocabulary of this story was great for young students. Unique words such as faring, kindling, nightcap, and wretched expanded the vocabulary of young children
Jerry Pinkney lives with his wife in Croton-on-Hudson, New York. ASHLEY ROEMER
Pitzer, Susanna. Not Afraid of Dogs. Illus. Larry Day. New York: Walker, 2006. (Toddlers-5; 6-8)
It’s not often that you hear about a young boy actually being afraid of dogs. Daniel stresses how brave he is since he is not afraid of anything! He’s not afraid of spiders, snakes, or even thunderstorms, and although his sister teases him for being afraid of dogs, he explains that he just doesn’t like them! He weathers his sister’s teasing until one day his courage is put to the test. He comes home to find that his aunt has dropped off her pet puppy, Bandit, for his family to dog-sit. Daniel immediately sprints to his room and refuses to come out. Eventually Daniel just has to use the bathroom. As he peaks out of his bedroom frantically looking to see if Bandit is looming around the corner, he hears a loud thunderstorm. “I’m the bravest boy of all, even thunderstorms don’t scare me!” Just as Daniel shuts the bathroom door behind him, he hears a loud howl coming from behind the toilet bowl. Daniel realizes that his biggest fear has an even bigger fear! He shows true courage by comforting the little puppy and staying by Bandit’s side through the rest of the storm. Full page pen and ink illustrations with watercolor and gouache washes successfully portray Daniel’s fear and then his calmness as he snuggles with the puppy.
Many children who listened to the story did not understand how anyone could be afraid of such a cute little puppy. In addition, the story created a bit of suspense as some of the children could not see how young Daniel could overcome his fears. The story inspired other students to admit they were also afraid of dogs or other animals. One first grade class liked the book so much that they “wanted to bring it to the library to get the librarian to order it.”
Author Susanna Pitzer lives in New York City. Larry Day lives in Downers Grove, Illinois with his wife and two sons. CHRISTINE FALZON
Plourde, Lynn. A Mountain of Mittens. Illus. Mitch Vane. Watertown: Charlesbridge, 2007. (Toddlers-5; 6-8)
Every morning before school, Molly’s parents remind her not to forget her mittens, and Molly reassures her parents that she won’t forget. Unfortunately, as various events take place at school, Molly and the other children begin to forget their mittens. “Mittens, mittens. My, oh, my! A mountain of mittens, piled up high.” Parents try all sorts of ways to keep their children from forgetting their mittens at school—Velcro, yarn, and even duct-tape. Despite the efforts of parents and teachers, the school ends up with a huge “mountain of mittens.” The principal, Mrs. Folly, finally puts her foot down and orders Molly and the other students to search the huge pile for their lost mittens. Children greatly enjoyed the story’s comic ending.
Students related to losing their mittens and finding creative ways to try to keep track of them. They liked the great pictures and rhyming names. Students also enjoyed searching for Molly and her mittens in the various watercolor and ink illustrations.
Author Lynn Plourde lives with her husband in Winthrop, Maine, and illustrator Mitch Vane lives in Melbourne, Australia. ASHLEY ROEMER
Posada, Mia. Guess What Is Growing Inside This Egg. Minneapolis: Millbrook Press, 2007. (6-8)
With catchy rhymes, readers are asked to solve the mystery of what animal babies will hatch from their shells. For example, to describe sea turtles, Posada writes: “Their mother crawled from sea to land to bury these soft eggs in the sand.” The rhythmic phrases are paired with factual information about the various animal babies presented in the story. Posada uses a double-page spread to create a guessing game for each animal with only a small hint of the animal inside the egg. When the various animals are revealed, detailed facts provide further information. A final spread shows the inside of a duck’s egg from the fourth to twenty-sixth day and the incubation periods for the other animals in the book.
Children in the mid-elementary grades loved this book. The clues within the story got the students predicting and thinking, and the many facts presented related well to the science topics the students were studying. The anticipation of guessing and seeing what was in the eggs was fun for many students. The children also enjoyed the realistic, full-page illustrations throughout the book. At the end when the actual size of each egg was presented, many students were left “oohing” over the pictures.
Mia Posada, who studied art at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, lives in Oakdale, California, with her husband and children. ASHLEY ROEMER
Prelutsky, Jack. Good Sports: Rhymes about Running, Jumping, Throwing, and More. Illus. Chris Raschka. New York: Knopf, 2007. (6-8; 9-12)
Good Sports is a collection of seventeen brief, untitled poems describing the experiences that individuals feel while playing sports. In full-page watercolor and ink illustrations, Raschka expertly uses various brush strokes to show true athleticism. Elongated limbs show how a gymnast contorts her body upon a balance beam while strokes of different shades of blue display a swimmer cutting through the water. The poems speak of the ups and downs, winning and losing, and the sheer emotion that an everyday athlete experiences. Whether its baseball, soccer, basketball or gymnastics, the rhymes create an atmosphere that both an excelling athlete and a happy klutz can share. On one page a football player tells about how much he loves football as he falls into the end zone to score. On the other half of the page, the same athlete speaks negatively about the game after he’s tackled and fumbles the pigskin. This book is an excellent read for those who enjoy running, jumping, throwing, and having fun while playing games. With all the excitement contained in these poems, reading aloud this text is a wonderful way to send students out to recess!
Children identified with the variety of sports represented in the poems and they were extremely excited to turn each page and find out what sport would come next. The children also loved the humorous illustrations accompanying each individual poem. One child was so excited after each sport was discussed that he would get up to show the sporting equipment he owned. This read aloud enticed children to get up and go out to play.
Author Jack Prelutsky, named the first Children’s Poet Laureate of the United States, lives in Seattle along with his wife. Chris Raschka, winner of the 2006 Caldecott Medal, resides in New York on Manhattan’s Upper West Side with his wife and son. CHRISTINE FALZON
Prince, Joshua. I Saw an Ant on the Railroad Track. Illus. Macky Pamintuan. New York: Sterling, 2006. (Toddlers-5)
“Well, I saw an ant on the railroad track. The rail was bright. The ant was black. He was walking along, tickety-tack. (That’s the sound of an ant on a railroad track.)” With rhythm and rhyme, Jack the switchman tells the story of saving a small ant from being crushed by a huge freight train. “Now what to do? Think quick! Think, Jack! Before that train and ant go whack!” Just when it seems all hope is lost, the ant quickly makes his escape from the roaring train as he makes a beeline for Jack’s lunch. Bold, double page illustrations depict great detail and varying perspectives, some from the viewpoint of Jack and some from the traveling ant.
Young children enjoyed this story and its illustrations. One librarian who read the book to a group of preschoolers responded: “In poetry, the author [tells] a suspenseful story with an ending that please[s] the listener.” The fast-paced rhythm of the story kept the attention of children. One teacher noted: “Some children clapped at the end when the ant was saved. They liked how the switchman shared his lunch with the ant.”
Author Joshua Prince, who is married and has three children, lives in Westport, Connecticut. Illustrator Macky Pamintuan was born and raised in the Philippines but now lives in San Francisco. ASHLEY ROEMER
Pulver, Robin. Author Day for Room 3T. Illus. Chuck Richards. New York: Clarion Books, 2005. (6-8; 9-12)
Third graders at Lerner Elementary prepare for an extraordinary visitor, author Harry Bookman. To get ready they not only read his books, but also draw pictures, make up songs, and perform skits about his books. Letting their imaginations go they dream up that he’s rich, that he drives a fast car, and that he is every bit a superstar. While the teachers assure them that authors are just the same as anyone else, the students meet the new author and realize this isn’t true. Harry Bookman is anything but ordinary—he’s a monkey. Yet their visitor doesn’t fail to deliver as he keeps the students engaged and entertained throughout. Without her glasses the librarian simply assumes Mr. Bookman is odd and continues with the festivities. All the while the children try to keep up with the active author as he frolics through the school. Only when an animal talent agent comes to take the visitor away does the real Harry Bookman arrive, but no one believes an ordinary man like him could be an author. Richly-detailed watercolor and colored pencil illustrations are just exaggerated enough to capture both the absurdity and realism of the situation.
This story kept children laughing and bouncing along with Harry Bookman. The silly illustrations entertained throughout but carried enough realism that students identified with the characters. Pulver does include serious advice for schools looking forward to an author visit in a note at the end of the book.
Author Robin Pulver lives in Pittsford, New York, and illustrator Chuck Richards resides in Ames, Iowa. TARVER MATHISON
Rabin, Staton. Mr. Lincoln’s Boys: Being the MOSTLY True Adventures of
Abraham Lincoln’s Trouble-Making Sons, TAD and WILLIE. Illus. Bagram
Ibatoulline. New York: Viking, 2008. (9-12)
While Abraham Lincoln was working endless hours leading the country
during the Civil War, his sons, Tad and Willie, were busy being
mischievous, playful rebels. The two boys chased their pet goat on the
White House lawn, played pranks on the staff, and pinched the
president’s cheeks and pulled on his long nose during meetings with
generals. While everyone else found their behavior childish and
irritating, Abraham Lincoln simply smiled and replied, “‘Let the
children have a good time.’” As this story unfolds, Tad and Willie play
with a toy soldier named Jack, staging battles and pretending Jack is a
spy for the enemy. When the boys do not want to give Jack the death
penalty, they rush to their father’s office to ask for a pardon. Abraham
Lincoln chuckles and asks if Jack has any friends. The boys say no, and
the president replies, “‘I will be his friend,’” and signs a pardon for
the toy solider. This touching, humorous story about the two lively,
curious Lincoln brothers is a joy to read and is historically
significant, capturing both the humor and wisdom of Abraham Lincoln and
his family.
Ibatoulline’s illustrations are created with delicate realism and
tenderness, some frames bleeding out to the edge, others single-page
spreads, and others as artistic vignettes. Ibatoulline’s ability to
capture Abraham’s Lincoln’s dignified character and grace is phenomenal;
he expresses the emotion behind every wrinkle and smile with delicate,
short, gentle, descriptive lines and a soft blending of edges.
Ibatoulline’s choice of earth tones and graphite pencil detailing
captures both intimate moments and energetic scenes of the Lincoln
family.
With historical worth and artistic illustrations, this book is the
perfect read aloud for upper elementary students. During the story
children displayed intent attention, nudged closer to the book, asked
questions, and commented that they could relate to the two Lincoln boys.
Many students loved the realistic pictures, appreciated the energetic
humor of the boys, and enjoyed hearing about children in the White House
and seeing a different, witty side of Abraham Lincoln. Teachers noted
that the book was a good choice for reading about the president’s family
during the stressful time of the Civil War. The back matter includes an
author’s note describing the historical accuracy of the book,
background information on the main characters, a selected bibliography,
and a list of additional resources.
Abraham Lincoln is a favorite historical figure of author Staton Rabin
who lives in New York. Bagram Ibatoulline, lives in Gouldsboro,
Pennsylvania. He was born in Russia and studied at the State Academic
Institute of Arts in Moscow. KATIE CLAUSEN
Radzinski, Kandy. What Cats Want for Christmas. Chelsea: Sleeping Bear
Press, 2007.
(6-8)
It’s easy for children to think of a long list of things they would like
to get for Christmas, and cats have a lot of things in mind as well!
Readers can follow along closely with the text and illustrations in this
story to capture the light humor of the cats’ requests. Each Christmas
wish is in the form of a letter. For example, Lucy would like something
sweet, that goes “tweet, tweet.” Gracie wants a “big silver dish filled
with little silver fish.” Other feline characters write letters to
Santa to request a new hairdo or a loving home. The realistic
illustrations are presented on double page spreads with unique borders.
Readers commented that the illustrations of the cats were realistic,
clever, and beautifully done. Children enjoyed the rhyming words in
each letter, and they also liked the various names of the cats. As for
the cats’ requests, many children laughed a lot and liked how the cats
wanted specific gifts that related to dogs, such as the letter from
Oscar. “Dear Santa, Can you send me some fleas? . . . for my neighbor’s
Pekingese.”
Author and illustrator Kandy Radzinski lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma with her
husband Mark, son Ian, and two dogs, Kirby and Mozie. ASHLEY ROEMER
Recorvits, Helen. Yoon and the Christmas Mitten. Illus. Gabi
Swiatkowska. New York: Frances Foster Books-Farrar, Straus and Giroux,
2006.
(6-8)
Yoon, a young girl from Korea, is excited to learn from her teacher and
classmates about American traditions in the winter season. With delight
Yoon shares the new information about Mr. Santa Claus and his elves with
her parents. Yoon’s father tells her, “‘We are Korean. Santa Claus is
not our custom.’” Her mother says, “‘We are not a Christmas family. Our
holiday is New Year’s Day.’” As Yoon learns more and more about the
Christmas holiday and its traditions, she struggles to understand why
her parents are so against the new ideas. After trying to convince them
about the variety of Christmas traditions, Yoon stands up against the
argument that it is “‘not the Korean way.’” Yoon tells her father, “‘You
have also told me that America is our home now. Are we not both Korean
and American?’”
Second and third grade students found this to be a good story for the
holiday seasons as it helps people be aware of various cultures and how
each one celebrates. Adult readers sensed that the students felt the
emotions of Yoon as she wished to celebrate Christmas. One teacher noted
that this story was great for reading aloud to English language
learners. Many live in dual cultures and could understand the feelings
of Yoon as she discussed new issues with her parents. Many students also
liked this story for the way in which the child character was able to
teach her parents about new traditions. Third grade students appreciated
the soft textured, impressionistic illustrations. Overall, students and
teachers felt this was a “very good Christmas story.”
Helen Recorvits lives in North Scituate, Rhode Island, while illustrator
Gabi Swiatkowska resides in Brooklyn, New York. ASHLEY ROEMER
Rosenthal, Amy Krouse. Little Hoot. Illus. Jen Corace. San Francisco:
Chronicle Books, 2008.
(Toddlers 5; 6-8)
Little Hoot is a happy owl except for one thing, being an owl means he
has to stay up late and play. “‘All my friends get to go to bed so much
earlier than me!’” he complains. But his father explains that to be a
wise owl, you must stay up late. So Little Hoot does everything he can
think of—plays swords, climbs the jungle gym, builds a fort, and jumps
in the leaves. Finally, the time comes when he gets to go to bed. When
Mama Owl goes to tuck him in and read him a bedtime story, Little Hoot
is already fast asleep. Children and parents alike are bound to
appreciate this innovative, humorous twist on the universal problem of
bedtime.
Corace’s simplistic, colorful illustrations, rendered in ink and
watercolor, are filled with liveliness and animation. Using a background
of white, Corace adds cartoon style characters on the simple, flat
space to create energetic pictures. Corace uses thin, broken lines to
detail the owl’s faces and bold reds, greens, and yellows to capture the
audacity and spirit of Little Hoot. A notable technique is his use of a
broken line to capture Little Hoot’s movements.
This book was an entertaining, interactive read aloud. Children nudged
closer to the book, showed intent attention, chanted and repeated
phrases, traced lines on the illustrations with their fingers, pointed,
helped turned pages of the book, and asked for the story to be read
again. Many teachers appreciated the humor in this book, commenting that
it was fun to read for both the child and adult. One teacher noted that
the book’s vocabulary was appropriate for younger readers, and
commented that children related the book to their own lives, wishing
that they were owls so they could stay up late and play!
Amy Krouse Rosenthal is a Chicago-based writer. Jen Corace, who has a
BFA in illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design, lives in
Seattle, Washington. KATIE CLAUSEN
Rostoker-Gruber, Karen. Rooster Can’t Cock-a-Doodle-Doo. Illus. Paul
Rátz de Tagyos. New York: Dial Books, 2004.
(Toddlers-5; 6-8)
Rooster woke up with a sore throat and no chance of waking up Farmer
Ted. He asks the hens, the cows, the sheep, and the pigs for advice on
how to wake up the farmer. None of them know what to do. Finally,
Rooster devises a plan to get Farmer Ted’s attention. By the time he
gets up, there is barely any daylight left to do all the work so the
animals all pitch in to finish the chores. Tagyos’ illustrations in
pencil, ink, and marker add another layer of humor to the text.
This book was enjoyed by many children who commented on the
illustrations, the storyline, and especially on the play on words. Words
like “eggz-hausted” and “udder-ly” were very funny to the children as
well as to the readers. Readers commented on how the illustrations
enhanced the story and helped to explain the story beyond the text. They
also felt that the story provided children with a good message about
working together to get things done. Children asked for the book to be
read again and again.
Karen Rostoker-Gruber lives in New Jerkey, and Paul Tagyos lives in New
Rochelle, New York. SEAN LEWIS/BRITTANY LAZUR
Rubin, Adam. Those Darn Squirrels! Illus. Daniel Salmieri. New York:
Clarion Books, 2008.
(6-8; 9-12)
Old Man Fookwire doesn’t like much, only colorful birds and painting.
Every year when the birds fly south for the winter, he grows very sad.
One day he has an idea. He builds beautiful birdfeeders and fills them
with seed so the birds will stay with him. However, the squirrels soon
discover the birdfeeders and take them over. Old Man Fookwire is furious
and puts the birdfeeders high up on a clothesline. The squirrels are
smart and determined and devise a plan to get the food. Old Man Fookwire
then builds a fortress around the birdfeeders, but the squirrels stay
up all night and find a way to the birdfeeders. One night, the squirrels
look into Old Man Fookwire’s house, and they realize he is lonely.
After they hold a secret squirrel meeting, they decide to give Old Man
Fookwire a gift to make up for taking all of the birdseed. When Old Man
Fookwire opens the door the next morning, the squirrels are all in
disguise with colorful, flapping birds’ wings! Old Man Fookwire smiles
in amusement and gets out his paints to capture the moment.
Salmieri reflects the story’s whimsical, dynamic nature with watercolor,
gouache, and colored pencil. The conglomeration of media sources
creates artistic textures that will excite the reader’s eye and inspire
them to touch the pages. To depict cartoon-like representation, Salmieri
uses sketch-like, detailed brushstrokes and simple perspectives. The
palette of colors chosen is pastel and muted, mirroring the
light-hearted tone of the text. Salmeieri’s use of exaggerated facial
features is notable. For example, to capture the quirky nature of Old
Man Fookwire’s character, he elongates the nose and minimizes the ears.
Appealing to children in kindergarten through fourth grade, this book
was a perfect read aloud. Students were enthusiastic about the
illustrations, nudged closer to the book, bounced with anticipation,
laughed, clapped, helped turn the pages, told family and friends about
the book, and chanted and repeated “Those darn squirrels!” Teachers
commented on the artistic interaction of the text and illustrations and
noted that there were many chances for the children to predict what
would happen next. One teacher appreciated how the story displayed a
variety of emotions and another noted that the language connected to
many students.
Adam Rubin is a copywriter, comedy writer, and a performer in Chicago,
Illinois. Daniel Salmieri, a graduate of the University of the Arts in
Philadelphia, lives in Brooklyn, New York. KATIE CLAUSEN
Ruurs, Margriet. Wake Up, Henry Rooster! Illus. Sean Cassidy. Brighton:
Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2006.
(6-8)
Henry is not an ordinary rooster. Rather than waking up just before dawn
to help the rest of the farm get out of bed, Henry likes to sleep in.
When his father has to leave town for the Roosters’ Union Convention,
it’s up to Henry to see that the farmer, his family, and the animals all
wake up on time. Henry’s mother wakes him up every morning, but Henry
has a hard time getting out of bed and yawns are mixed in with the
morning cock-a-doodle-do. With late nights of playing cards with the
goats and popping corn with the pigs, it gets more and more difficult
for Henry to wake up the farm. After a disastrous morning of waking up
everyone late and causing all sorts of trouble, Henry struggles to learn
how he can redeem himself. With the advice of the wise old goat, Henry
uses his talent of staying up late to stay up all night in order to
perform the early morning job.
Students in second grade laughed at how Henry partied with the other
farm animals. The students also picked up on some of the play on words,
such as “horsed around,” when Henry played with the horses. Teachers
found this book to be a great problem-solving story for primary age
students, who enjoyed suggesting ways Henry could get more sleep.
Margriet Ruurs, who was born in the Netherlands, lives in Oregon. Sean
Cassidy lives near Orangeville, Ontario with his wife and daughter.
ASHLEY ROEMER
Ryder, Joanne. Toad by the Road: A Year in the Life of These Amazing
Amphibians. Illus. Maggie Kneen. New York: Henry Holt, 2007.
(6-8)
A great, creative book for introducing the study of amphibians, Toad by
the Road has a wonderful collection of poetry and nonfiction text that
students truly enjoyed. The poems are grouped into four sections based
on the four seasons. Illustrator Maggie Kneen has used watercolor in
soft, natural shades to create double-page spreads that introduce the
seasons, followed by smaller illustrations, beside or below the poems in
each seasonal sectional. Amidst the rhyming, rhythmic poetry, smaller
font is found at the bottom of most pages, providing readers with
interesting facts about the lives of toads and their habitats during the
changing seasons.
First and second grade students liked the “beautiful mixture of poetry,
fun, and non-fiction.” Teachers commented that the story informed and
entertained in a unique and creative way. This book fit in perfectly
with a second grade classroom that had just finished a unit on the Frog
and Toad series and poetry. The second graders reviewed rhyme, stanza,
beats, and rhythm, and really enjoyed the added facts in the story.
Author Joanne Ryder lives in Pacific Grove, California with her husband
and writer, Laurence Yep. Illustrator Maggie Kneen is from Cheshire,
England. ASHLEY ROEMER