Geisel Award and Honor Books

Geisel Award and Honor Books

Annotated Bibliography 

1. DiCamillo, K., & McGhee, A. (2012). Bink and Gollie. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

Bink and Gollie are two friends. They go skating, buy sock, and eat pancakes but they don't really agree on everything. For instance are the sock too bright? Is a fish really a good companion? This is a good early chapter book. Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee include little text on the each page. I appreciate that they use rich vocabulary like "use your gray matter". Parts of the text is also repeated. This helps early readers build fluency. Because it is a chapter book, young readers in primary grades will feel accomplished because they are stepping out of reading a typical picture book. 

2. Long, E. (2012). Up! Tall and High! New York, NY: GP Putnam's Sons.

This book would be a good choice for early childhood teachers in grades PreK-1st. Students would enjoy choral reading along with the teacher once they are familiar with the text. It is also a good book for emerging readers to read on their own. Each page has a simple sentence. If primary teachers are teaching sight words like I, am, or can, this book can be used in instruction. The interactive pages are also fun. It is like reading a pop up book when you are reading a page and guessing how the page will move to go along with the words. The pages are thicker than most pages found in picture books. I assume to make them durable for the little hands that will be turning and folding them.

3. Sullivan, M. (2013). Ball. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

What does your dog do when you are gone all day? This picture books shares with you a possibility. All the dog in this story wants is to find someone to play ball with him. This is a semi wordless picture book. The only word on the page is ball. Teachers can use it to teach author's tone and inflection.  Each way "Ball" is said is different than how it is said before. Using the pictures will help the reader knowhow to say the word. The dog also goes through a number of feelings. Students will have to infer how the dog is feeling based on the pictures and background knowledge. The teaser on the back covers tells you "One word says it all." In this case, it does.

4. Keller, L. (2016). We Are Growing. New York, NY: Disney Hyperion Books.

Gerald the elephant and Piggie introduce this book to readers. I have never seen a picture book start with characters that are not even in this story being told, but this one does. What an interesting way to get young readers hooked in the story. The characters come back at the end also. The pictures fill out both pages in the two page spread crossing the gutter. They are bright and colorful. The text grows as  the book goes on.  When the grass blades are saying something loudly or are using onomatopoeia the words are huge on the page. This font size change gives you a sense of how to read the words on the page.  The illustrations are attractive and comical. This is good thing considering the main characters are blades of grass. 

We Are Growing teachers readers that everyone has a role or a part in a community.  This book would be appropriate for a read aloud to a very young audience. 

5. Klassen, J. (2011). I Want My Hat Back. Sommerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

You know a book is good when a sequel is written. I Want My Hat Back is just such a book. A bear is looking for his missing hat and goes through the book asking various animals. Then it dawns on him that one of the animals he had asked, the rabbit, had his hat on his head. The bear solves his problem off page to a hilarious conclusion. 

This book is a great read aloud for primary grades. I know first hand. My mother was a "guest reader" for our district's celebration of Week of the Young Child.  She would go in to kindergarten classrooms and read a book. When she read this one, the kids loved it. They found it humorous that the bear ate the rabbit. Klassen's intended cliffhanger pleases his young audience.

The text is written in different colors according to who is talking. I think this must be intentional since there is no quotation marks. It reads kinda of like a play or reader's theater. Students could take turns reading if they chose to partner read. 

6. Adler, D. (2015). Don't Throw It to Mo. New York, NY: Penguin Young Readers.

Being small doesn't have to keep you from being a hero. The theme of this book is a great message for all young readers. Mo loves football. He is however small. Normally he sits on the bench next to the coach during games. One day he is given a chance to be the hero of the game and he prevails.

This is a leveled reader. It would do well in a first or second grade classroom with emergent to beginning fluent readers. I like it because the characters are African American. This is an example of how picture books can include other races with out the message of the book covering race or multicultural issues.

7. 

Willems, M. (2011). I Broke My Trunk. New York, NY: Hyperion Book.

In a book from this popular series, Gerald is trying to explain to Piggie how he broke his trunk. What should be a simple story turns into a "long and crazy story". Gerald gives other animals a ride on his trunk and the reader and Piggie assume that is the cause of his injury. Turns out is not not that dramatic. A trip caused the broken nose and Piggle soon finds out himself how easy that is to happen.

Like other Geisel Award and Honor books, this is very easy to read. It is catered to younger beginning readers. The text is large, written in speech bubbles, and is color coded to go with the characters.The font gets larger when the characters yell signalling to readers that their voices should rise. 

The pages are simple. This makes it easy to follow. The pictures are very basic too. They do not add a a lot to the story. But the story is a good one on its own.

8. Davis, E. (2018). Stinky. New York, NY: The Little Lit Library.

Stinky is a monster that lives in a smelly swamp. He likes his smell home, his smelly, food, and his smelly life. One day he notices a tree house in his swamp. He figures a child has built the shelter in his swamp and since he doesn't like kids, decides to scare him out of there. He puts his toad Wartbelly in the tree house to scare out the kid. Stinky thinks the kid would not like Wartbelly because kids do not like gross stuff. His plan backfires and the boy, Nick, likes the toad and renames him Daisy. Stinky is now on a mission to get his friend back from Nick. Several plans fail. Stinky steals Nick's hammer and he dresses up as a ghost. Nick doesn't seem to worry too much when his hammer goes missing. And the ghost doesn't scare him. When he discovers it was Stinky who was trying to scare him, Stinky runs off with Nick chasing him. Nick looses his hat in the chase. Stinky gets the hat and throws it down a pit. He begins to feel bad when he sees that Nick really did love the hat. He gets it from the pit and gives it back to the boy. Nick doesn't seem to mind that there is a monster around so they become friends.

I would describe this as a graphic novel. The story is told in panels and each panel shows a different action from the characters. It is once again intended for your readers.There is not a lot of text per page bur there is a lot of pictures. The end covers at the begging of the book is a double page spread and shows a map. This would peak the interest of some readers I'm sure.

9. Lin,G. (2010). Ling & Ting. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.

This is a chapter book definitely appropriate for young readers who are just getting the hang of reading. There are simple sentences with repetitive actions on each page. This would help build fluency in young readers.

The book centers around twin sisters, Ling and Ting. They look exactly alike. But as you read, you begin to realize they are not the same in every way. Ling is a little bit more careful in her thoughts while Ting is not so perfect. The story builds in each chapter and there are some call backs in later chapters to character actions in earlier chapters. Primary students would enjoy reading this book and feel accomplished at being able to read a chapter book. 

10. Wheeler, L. (2007). Jazz Baby. New York, NY: Harcourt Inc.

Jazz Baby reads like a song. Categorize as an easy reader the words jump off the page and will have the readers sing as they read each line. The rhyming and beat throughout the story make it an appropriate book for early readers. Those elements will help them predict the words on each page. There are also tons of sound words in this book. Teachers can use this book to help jump start a brainstorm session on sound or music words. 

The premise of this story is there is a family that loves to sing, dance, and play music together. The text is written literally across the page. I guess to give the allusion that it is dancing  or moving. So if there are students who like to hum, tap, clap or etc, they will enjoy this story.

Jazz Baby

Wheeler, L. (2007). Jazz Baby. New York, NY: Harcourt Inc.

Jazz Baby reads like a song. Categorize as an easy reader the words jump off the page and will have the readers sing as they read each line. The rhyming and beat throughout the story make it an appropriate book for early readers. Those elements will help them predict the words on each page. There are also tons of sound words in this book. Teachers can use this book to help jump start a brainstorm session on sound or music words. 

The premise of this story is there is a family that loves to sing, dance, and play music together. The text is written literally across the page. I guess to give the allusion that it is dancing  or moving. So if there are students who like to hum, tap, clap or etc, they will enjoy this story. 

Ling & Ting

Lin,G. (2010). Ling & Ting. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.

This is a chapter book definitely appropriate for young readers who are just getting the hang of reading. There are simple sentences with repetitive actions on each page. This would help build fluency in young readers.

The book centers around twin sisters, Ling and Ting. They look exactly alike. But as you read, you begin to realize they are not the same in every way. Ling is a little bit more careful in her thoughts while Ting is not so perfect. The story builds in each chapter and there are some call backs in later chapters to character actions in earlier chapters. Primary students would enjoy reading this book and feel accomplished at being able to read a chapter book. 

Stinky

Davis, E. (2018). Stinky. New York, NY: The Little Lit Library.

Stinky is a monster that lives in a smelly swamp. He likes his smell home, his smelly, food, and his smelly life. One day he notices a tree house in his swamp. He figures a child has built the shelter in his swamp and since he doesn't like kids, decides to scare him out of there. He puts his toad Wartbelly in the tree house to scare out the kid. Stinky thinks the kid would not like Wartbelly because kids do not like gross stuff. His plan backfires and the boy, Nick, likes the toad and renames him Daisy. Stinky is now on a mission to get his friend back from Nick. Several plans fail. Stinky steals Nick's hammer and he dresses up as a ghost. Nick doesn't seem to worry too much when his hammer goes missing. And the ghost doesn't scare him. When he discovers it was Stinky who was trying to scare him, Stinky runs off with Nick chasing him. Nick looses his hat in the chase. Stinky gets the hat and throws it down a pit. He begins to feel bad when he sees that Nick really did love the hat. He gets it from the pit and gives it back to the boy. Nick doesn't seem to mind that there is a monster around so they become friends.

I would describe this as a graphic novel. The story is told in panels and each panel shows a different action from the characters. It is once again intended for your readers.There is not a lot of text per page bur there is a lot of pictures. The end covers at the begging of the book is a double page spread and shows a map. This would peak the interest of some readers I'm sure. 

I Broke My Trunk

Willems, M. (2011). I Broke My Trunk. New York, NY: Hyperion Book.

In a book from this popular series, Gerald is trying to explain to Piggie how he broke his trunk. What should be a simple story turns into a "long and crazy story". Gerald gives other animals a ride on his trunk and the reader and Piggie assume that is the cause of his injury. Turns out is not not that dramatic. A trip caused the broken nose and Piggle soon finds out himself how easy that is to happen.

Like other Geisel Award and Honor books, this is very easy to read. It is catered to younger beginning readers. The text is large, written in speech bubbles, and is color coded to go with the characters.The font gets larger when the characters yell signalling to readers that their voices should rise. 

The pages are simple. This makes it easy to follow. The pictures are very basic too. They do not add a a lot to the story. But the story is a good one on its own.

Don't Throw It to Mo

Adler, D. (2015). Don't Throw It to Mo. New York, NY: Penguin Young Readers.

Being small doesn't have to keep you from being a hero. The theme of this book is a great message for all young readers. Mo loves football. He is however small. Normally he sits on the bench next to the coach during games. One day he is given a chance to be the hero of the game and he prevails.

This is a leveled reader. It would do well in a first or second grade classroom with emergent to beginning fluent readers. I like it because the characters are African American. This is an example of how picture books can include other races with out the message of the book covering race or multicultural issues. 

I Want My Hat Back

Klassen, J. (2011). I Want My Hat Back. Sommerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

You know a book is good when a sequel is written. I Want My Hat Back is just such a book. A bear is looking for his missing hat and goes through the book asking various animals. Then it dawns on him that one of the animals he had asked, the rabbit, had his hat on his head. The bear solves his problem off page to a hilarious conclusion. 

This book is a great read aloud for primary grades. I know first hand. My mother was a "guest reader" for our district's celebration of Week of the Young Child.  She would go in to kindergarten classrooms and read a book. When she read this one, the kids loved it. They found it humorous that the bear ate the rabbit. Klassen's intended cliffhanger pleases his young audience.

The text is written in different colors according to who is talking. I think this must be intentional since there is no quotation marks. It reads kinda of like a play or reader's theater. Students could take turns reading if they chose to partner read. 

We Are Growing

Keller, L. (2016). We Are Growing. New York, NY: Disney Hyperion Books.

Gerald the elephant and Piggie introduce this book to readers. I have never seen a picture book start with characters that are not even in this story being told, but this one does. What an interesting way to get young readers hooked in the story. The characters come back at the end also. The pictures fill out both pages in the two page spread crossing the gutter. They are bright and colorful. The text grows as  the book goes on.  When the grass blades are saying something loudly or are using onomatopoeia the words are huge on the page. This font size change gives you a sense of how to read the words on the page.  The illustrations are attractive and comical. This is good thing considering the main characters are blades of grass. 

We Are Growing teachers readers that everyone has a role or a part in a community.  This book would be appropriate for a read aloud to a very young audience. 

Ball

Sullivan, M. (2013). Ball. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

What does your dog do when you are gone all day? This picture books shares with you a possibility. All the dog in this story wants is to find someone to play ball with him. This is a semi wordless picture book. The only word on the page is ball. Teachers can use it to teach author's tone and inflection.  Each way "Ball" is said is different than how it is said before. Using the pictures will help the reader knowhow to say the word. The dog also goes through a number of feelings. Students will have to infer how the dog is feeling based on the pictures and background knowledge. The teaser on the back covers tells you "One word says it all." In this case, it does.

Up! Tall and High!

Long, E. (2012). Up! Tall and High! New York, NY: GP Putnam's Sons.

This book would be a good choice for early childhood teachers in grades PreK-1st. Students would enjoy choral reading along with the teacher once they are familiar with the text. It is also a good book for emerging readers to read on their own. Each page has a simple sentence. If primary teachers are teaching sight words like I, am, or can, this book can be used in instruction. The interactive pages are also fun. It is like reading a pop up book when you are reading a page and guessing how the page will move to go along with the words. The pages are thicker than most pages found in picture books. I assume to make them durable for the little hands that will be turning and folding them.

Bink & Gollie

DiCamillo, K., & McGhee, A. (2012). Bink and Gollie. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

Bink and Gollie are two friends. They go skating, buy sock, and eat pancakes but they don't really agree on everything. For instance are the sock too bright? Is a fish really a good companion? This is a good early chapter book. Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee include little text on the each page. I appreciate that they use rich vocabulary like "use your gray matter". Parts of the text is also repeated. This helps early readers build fluency. Because it is a chapter book, young readers in primary grades will feel accomplished because they are stepping out of reading a typical picture book. 

The Dark-Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural

McKissack, P. (1992). The Dark Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural. New York, NY: Alfred K Knopf, Inc.

This is a collection of spooky stories set in the backdrop of the southern states. Most of the stories deal with a protagonists, who are black, exacting revenge on antagonists, who are white.  The revenge comes after the black characters have died due to the white characters' selfishness or evilness. It comes in the form of hauntings by the ghosts of these protagonists.  Slaves escaping from plantation, men being wrongly blamed by the KKK, slaves creating voodoo dolls to harm their masters, these are some of the plots in these stories. There are some stories that deal with childhood fears like haunted chicken coops, evil spirits entering houses, and imaginary conjured brothers. The settings take the readers from pre emancipation to the civil right era.  This book won Author's Award for the year. The writing isn't that spectacular. It is pretty straight forward with not a lot of build up but they are short stories. If they were longer they could be their own novel.  I was expecting something a lot more suspenseful but this was written over twenty-five years ago.  My expectations for spooky have been shaped by a lot of paranormal and horror films over the years. It is a change to see African-Americans get revenge on racist characters. 

Coretta Scott King or King Honor Books

Coretta Scott King or Coretta Scott King Honor Books

Annotated Bibliography 

1.  Woodson, J. (2012). Each Kindness. New York, NY: Nancy Paulsen Books.

There is a new girl in Chole's class. She has older worn clothes. Chloe and her friends act rudely towards here not inviting her to play with them and ignoring her attempts at initiating a friendship. Pretty soon the new girl Maya just plays by herself. Then one day she doesn't show up to school. Chloe's teacher teaches a lesson on kindness and Chloe realizes she has been less then nice to the new student. She waits to make it up to Maya but she never returns and the teacher later informs them that Maya's family has moved. Chloe realizes she will never get a chance to make it up to Maya.

This book is told from the  first person point of view. Young readers will be able to identify with the narrator having regrets about her behavior. Most children have done something to someone that they wish they could take back. Some young people may identify with the other character Maya because they were once a new person in a class. Even though we don't get to see Maya's thoughts we can sympathize with someone being rejected by others. This would be a good book to read aloud during Kindness week at elementary schools. Counselors could find it useful when teaching lessons on how to make friends or how to be a good friend.

This was an Coretta Scott King Author Honor book. Ms Woodson tells a important story in a way that children can understand. The pictures are pretty also. The cover shows a girl standing by herself. She looks alone and sad. The readers can tell this won't be a happy story. Using the title and cover, teachers can have a good discussion on predictions. "Why is the girl alone? What does it mean by Each Kindness? Was someone unkind to the girl on the cover?" Some illustrations are a two page spread but there isn't a lot going on in the picture. I think this helps narrow the readers focus on the subject. For instance on the page where Maya is jump roping, she is the only thing on the two pages. This exemplifies that she was really alone. No one was playing with her. The last page as well has one character in a scene spread over a double page spread. Chloe is small compared to the whole scene of the pond and trees around her. This helps the reader understand how lonely she feels while remembers how unkind she treated Maya. I thinks it shows her in a state of self reflection and that she is not happy with herself.

2.  Rohmer, H., Chow, O., Viduare, M. (1988). The Invisible Hunters/Los Cthwesazadores Invisibles (Stories from South America). New York, NY: Children's Book Press

This book was a honored due to the illustrations. The artwork is bold and reminds me of art that would be found in a museum. After looking at it longer, I think the illustrations remind me of cave drawings.  The pictures don't include detailed faces. Just dark silhouettes going through motions.

The story focuses on a group of hunters in Nicaragua. They are looking for wild pig to hunt. They run into a magical vine that they discover can make them invisible if they are holding it. The hunters realize they can use this to their advantage while hunting. The vine said they may use pieces from it to help hunt as long as they promise not to sell the meat and only use sticks to hunt not guns. They promise. Their hunt goes well and the people of the village are fed well. They come to understand the power of keeping their promises to help others prosper.

Then the Europeans come and influence the hunters to sell them the meat. Soon their greed at getting meat for the Europeans gets the better of them and they forget what they promised the vine and begin to hunt with guns to get more meat quickly. The meat supply runs scarce and there isn't enough to feed the village. The hunters turn ugly to the villagers they use to help.  The hunters have forgotten their promise to the Dar and have forgotten that there are more fortunate if they help others in their community rather than looking out for themselves. 

One day they return from a hunt and the villagers turn from them. The elders tell them they are invisible even though they are no longer holding on to the vine. They return to the vine and ask for help but get none. Now they are invisible and are kicked out by the village as the elders tell them they are no longer welcome. They now are said to roam up the river begging to be visible again.

Other than the obvious message on how it is not good to be self serving, this story also explains the negative influence the Europeans had on native or indigenous people. The natives had survived for many years by living in a community that relied on different people to do different roles. When people do not do their roles the community does not survive. The Europeans coming in and changing the religion, beliefs, and rituals of the people in these groups caused them to weaken. When Europeans came in and invaded those groups already weak could not survive. 

Teachers could use this to teach citizenship lessons as well as show history. It makes it real simple to see how a change in people can affect others. This book is also bilingual. It would be nice in a school or classroom library at a dual language, ESL, or bilingual school.

3.  Steptoe, J. (1987). Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters. New York, NY: Amistad, Harper Collins.

A take on the traditional Cinderella. This one is based in an African village. Mufaro has two daughters Manyara and Nyasha who are both very pretty but opposites in every other way. Manyara is mean to her sister, making sure to only do it when her dad is not watching. She teases her telling her that one day she will be queen and her nice younger sister will be her maid. Nyasha, the nice younger sister, is unbothered by her sister's negativity. She sees the good and beauty in everything even in a snake that shows up in her garden one day. 

One morning a message comes from the nearby city that the king is looking for a wife. Mufaro believes either one of his daughters are worthy to be queen. He tells them to prepare to go to the city tomorrow.  Manyara sneaks away during the night trying to get to the king first. In a forest, she runs into a small boy and refuses to give him food when he asks. She then meets a woman who tries to give her advice. Manyara doesn't care to take the woman's advice to heart and laughed at a grove of trees and ignored a man with his head under his arm. 

Then next morning the wedding party that Mufaro put together notices that Manyara has disappeared. They go on towards the city to meet the king without her. Nyasha encounters the same people her sister did earlier but she being nice reacts differently. She gives the young boy food, gives the old woman some sunflower seeds, and doesn't have the same encounter the same reaction from the grove of trees. When she sees the city she is in awe of its beauty. Then her sister runs up to her and their father horrified. Manyara tells them there is a five headed snake who scared her by telling her of all her rudeness.  Nyasha continues on anyway and sees the snake from the garden. He tells her that he the king and he was the young boy in the forest as well as the old lady. Because Nyasha had been kind to them, the king would marry her. 

The wedding preparations were made. Nyasha married the king and Manyara became her maid. 

This was also a recipient of the illustrator award. The pictures are gorgeous and would delight young children during a read aloud. They help tell the story.  As a teacher, I have used this story when teaching how to compare and contrast different text. Teachers can also use it to show how authors include evidence in text to show character traits. It as a good story that has stood the test of time of being a worthy story that entertains young people. It is also a worthy book because of its diversity in characters. The African characters and setting offer diversity to children's literature.

4.  Hruby Powell, P. (2014) Josephine The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker. San Francisco, CA Chronicle Books.

This books takes readers through the life of the star Josephine Baker. I will admit I am a little bias with this subject I even named by dog after her. The book starts with her being born poor in St. Louis and moves on to her fame in Europe. She helped her mother wash clothes but was fascinated with the black vaudeville shows. She became part of the act when she joined The Jones Family and then at thirteen became a part of The Dixie Steppers touring with them. She was relegated to being their dresser. They traveled across the racial divided south and Josephine got to see segregation and experience in by performing not being able to visit white only theaters. After The Dixie Steppers stopped touring, she went to New York to be part of the first all-black show on Broadway. However she did get picked to be part of the show. She ended up being a dresser again. Josephine still learned all the dances and waited for an opportunity. When a dancer didn't show up she filled in and stole the show. She went on to dance in other shows but still was upset at the laws in the United States that wouldn't let her eat with white people and made her enter through back doors. Eventually she was invited to go to Paris and be part of La Revue Negre. Josephine found success in Europe charming everyone. She fame brought wealth. She still could not get respect in America. During World War II Josephine helped by joining the Parisian Red Cross and eventually became a spy to help defeat the Nazis. She performed for US soldiers and demanded that the black troops be allowed to sit in the front with the white troops. She married three times and during her third marriage she adopted twelve children from across the world. Showing how strong of a believer she was in in loving all. Raising the large family and extravagant spending led to her becoming broke. Josephine had to begin to tour again. This time she was welcomed in America. She still loss her house and had to depend on the the kindness of some of her friends to help her and her family. She ended up dying after celebrating a return to the Paris stage.

Josephine Baker was born in St. Louis poor and not expected to rise to much. This story is illustrates how her determined nature was the catalyst to her to overcome racism. The book includes direct quotes along with text written in verse. This biography is an easy read aloud for primary grades to understand and it's written in a manner that will keep their attention. I like the change in font between the author's verse and the direct quote. Putting Josephine's words in cursive seems appropriate since she was such a elegant figure. Like all Coretta Scott King Award winners and honorees this is a worthy book to include in a library that strives to be inclusive.

The book was an Illustrator Honor book.  The pictures are rather simple and "elementary" in nature. But it would appeal to younger students. There isn't a lot of other details added to each page.  And if Josephine is the focus of the text then she is the main picture also.  I like this style of drawings. They are sophisticated but still a little goofy just like the real Josephine Baker.

5.  Andrews, T. (2015). Trombone Shorty. New York, NY: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.

An autobiography on the life of Troy Andrews. Troy writes how he became known as Trombone Shorty. He was born in New Orleans raised in the Treme neighborhood known for its rich culture. He got his musical talent honestly. Many in his family were musicians.  He found a old trombone and began to use it. He and his friends joined in the parades through out the city. A chance encounter with Bo Diddley at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival set the course for Andrews' stardom. He now has his own band and helps other kids with musical dreams like he once had. 

This book was honored for its illustrations. It is no mistake that Bryan Collier used different mediums to create the illustrations. There are drawings, cut outs, magazine or newsprint clipping all put together to make one picture after next. New Orleans' food and music were created by combining different styles to make something new.  Consequently,  I think the illustrator made a conscious choice to create the pages by combing different elements. Thus making the pictures a tribute to what makes New Orleans great.

6. Nelson, M. (2014). How I Discovered Poetry. New York, NY: Dial Books.

This is a collection of poems written as a narrative of the author's or poet's life as a young girl in the 1950s trying to find a place to fit in; trying to find her purpose in life. At first, I thought they were all true but in her note at the end she says some of the poems are fictionalized but still based on her life experiences none the less. They read like a young girl going through military moves and daydreaming about life possibilities. They also read like a young black girl going through what life is life for an educated young a black girl; too black for white kids not black enough for the black kids. She doesn't miss anything in her memories of growing up black. It is hard being the only black student or child surrounded my white children. Almost every black child has been asked to have their hair touched.  Dealing with uninformed children and "well meaning" teachers is a hard task and it stays with young African-Americans; proof shown in that Nelson was still affected by it enough to write about it as an adult.

This was an Author Honor book. It is beautifully written. I wouldn't include it in a primary library, but I would in a middle and or high school library.  Teachers of fourth and fifth graders could read some of the poems to show examples of narrative poetry or poems written from the first person point of view.

7. Giovanni, N. (2005). Rosa. New York, NY: Henry Holt.

Rosa is an historical account of the day that Rosa Parks was arrested. Many student read a short blurb about her refusing to give up her seat to a white man but this gives more to her story. It may be fictionalized but it does explain her motivations as well as the motivations of others that lead the civil rights movement.

Rosa was a seamstress who was on her way home to cook dinner for her husband. She was sitting in a seat she had every right to sit in. She was arrested for standing up for what she felt was unjust. This book shows how such a simple gesture had a ripple effect on the city, state, and country.

Teachers could use this book for the obvious black history connection. As a civics lesson, teachers can show that just because something is a law doesn't make it right. It also is a good mentor text to show personal narratives. Every body has a story on a event from their life. Students do not need to write their whole life story to have something interesting to share.

I also think it is interesting that Nikki Giovanni left the actual arrest out of the story. She doesn't need to include it since her audience knows what happens and how Rosa's story ends. It is an interesting way to introduce to young student writers to not spend so much time on what the reader already knows.  Get to the point of the story.

This was a Illustrator Award Winner. Each picture takes about 3/4 of the two page spread. The text runs down the left or right side of the edge. This allows the pictures to be the focus if the book is used as a read aloud. The colors are not bright. They are rather muted with a lot of mustard and earth tones. The subject matter isn't a happy point in the Untied States' history so maybe that is why bright colors were not used.

Towards the end, two pages fold out to extend the size of the book. The content of these pages is the the nonviolent protest of bus boycott. The pages stretch to show how long the walkers stretched through the city.

8. Copeland, M. (2014). Firebird. New York, NY: G. P. Putnam's Sons.

2015 must have been the year to celebrate dance. Books on Misty Copeland and Josephine Baker won awards or honors. This book is a story meant to motivate. The subtitle explains Ballerina Misty Copeland Shows a Young Girl How to Dance Like the Firebird. Misty convinces a brown skinned dancer that she can be a star dancer just like herself. She explains that it takes hard work, practice, and determination to rise to the top of your field. 

The pictures stretch across the page. Christopher Myers shows the dancer with extended legs and arms emphasizing the long lines of a dancer. The text is short on each page. This book would be good for students to read themselves. Teachers could use this to show figurative language in stories. 

9. Weatherford, C. (2006). Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom. New York, NY: Hyperion Books.

While the title implies this book is about Harriet Tubman leading slaves to freedom, it is more about her own escape. Harriet was born a slave, and one night the Lord tells here it is time for her to be free. She risks her life and health hiding from slave catchers and dogs and walking for long periods of times through tough terrain sometimes barefoot. Harriet's strength and faith keep her going even when she doubts herself and ability. There are people that help her along the way, but we never see them as Harriet is the focus of the book. Once she arrives to her destination, she comes to the conclusion that she must return to help free her family. We know that she returns many times to free others. She becomes a conductor in the Underground Railroad. 

The pictures are gorgeous. But I wouldn't expect anything else from Kadir Nelson. This is why he won the Illustrator Award for this book.  What I noticed is that with the exception of 2 pages, most of the  pictures are dark. Harriet is shown predominately in the dark or in shadows. This makes sense because she was escaping from slavery and that usually wasn't done in the daytime. Slaves had to sneak out in the cover of darkness. It is not until Harriet reaches Philadelphia that we see her drawn in bright colors. 

It is written in narrative mixed with verse. The words of Harriet are in italics much like they are lyrics. Which may imply that she is singing them. Slaves did sing quite a bit to hide their plans from slave masters. The words of God are large and written across the page. This shows the reader the importance of the message and the messenger.

Moses is another book suitable intermediate grades for African American History month. Primary teachers may find it good for read alouds but they will have to do a lot of explaining. 

10 McKissack, P. (1992). The Dark Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural. New York, NY: Alfred K Knopf, Inc.

This is a collection of spooky stories set in the backdrop of the southern states. Most of the stories deal with a protagonists, who are black, exacting revenge on antagonists, who are white.  The revenge comes after the black characters have died due to the white characters' selfishness or evilness. It comes in the form of hauntings by the ghosts of these protagonists.  Slaves escaping from plantation, men being wrongly blamed by the KKK, slaves creating voodoo dolls to harm their masters, these are some of the plots in these stories. There are some stories that deal with childhood fears like haunted chicken coops, evil spirits entering houses, and imaginary conjured brothers. The settings take the readers from pre emancipation to the civil right era.  This book won Author's Award for the year. The writing isn't that spectacular. It is pretty straight forward with not a lot of build up but they are short stories. If they were longer they could be their own novel.  I was expecting something a lot more suspenseful but this was written over twenty-five years ago.  My expectations for spooky have been shaped by a lot of paranormal and horror films over the years. It is a change to see African-Americans get revenge on racist characters.

Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom

Weatherford, C. (2006). Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom. New York, NY: Hyperion Books.

While the title implies this book is about Harriet Tubman leading slaves to freedom, it is more about her own escape. Harriet was born a slave, and one night the Lord tells here it is time for her to be free. She risks her life and health hiding from slave catchers and dogs and walking for long periods of times through tough terrain sometimes barefoot. Harriet's strength and faith keep her going even when she doubts herself and ability. There are people that help her along the way, but we never see them as Harriet is the focus of the book. Once she arrives to her destination, she comes to the conclusion that she must return to help free her family. We know that she returns many times to free others. She becomes a conductor in the Underground Railroad. 

The pictures are gorgeous. But I wouldn't expect anything else from Kadir Nelson. This is why he won the Illustrator Award for this book.  What I noticed is that with the exception of 2 pages, most of the  pictures are dark. Harriet is shown predominately in the dark or in shadows. This makes sense because she was escaping from slavery and that usually wasn't done in the daytime. Slaves had to sneak out in the cover of darkness. It is not until Harriet reaches Philadelphia that we see her drawn in bright colors. 

It is written in narrative mixed with verse. The words of Harriet are in italics much like they are lyrics. Which may imply that she is singing them. Slaves did sing quite a bit to hide their plans from slave masters. The words of God are large and written across the page. This shows the reader the importance of the message and the messenger.

Moses is another book suitable intermediate grades for African American History month. Primary teachers may find it good for read alouds but they will have to do a lot of explaining. 

Firebird

Copeland, M. (2014). Firebird. New York, NY: G. P. Putnam's Sons.

2015 must have been the year to celebrate dance. Books on Misty Copeland and Josephine Baker won awards or honors. This book is a story meant to motivate. The subtitle explains Ballerina Misty Copeland Shows a Young Girl How to Dance Like the Firebird. Misty convinces a brown skinned dancer that she can be a star dancer just like herself. She explains that it takes hard work, practice, and determination to rise to the top of your field. 

The pictures stretch across the page. Christopher Myers shows the dancer with extended legs and arms emphasizing the long lines of a dancer. The text is short on each page. This book would be good for students to read themselves. Teachers could use this to show figurative language in stories. 

Rosa

Giovanni, N. (2005). Rosa. New York, NY: Henry Holt.

Rosa is an historical account of the day that Rosa Parks was arrested. Many student read a short blurb about her refusing to give up her seat to a white man but this gives more to her story. It may be fictionalized but it does explain her motivations as well as the motivations of others that lead the civil rights movement.

Rosa was a seamstress who was on her way home to cook dinner for her husband. She was sitting in a seat she had every right to sit in. She was arrested for standing up for what she felt was unjust. This book shows how such a simple gesture had a ripple effect on the city, state, and country.

Teachers could use this book for the obvious black history connection. As a civics lesson, teachers can show that just because something is a law doesn't make it right. It also is a good mentor text to show personal narratives. Every body has a story on a event from their life. Students do not need to write their whole life story to have something interesting to share.

I also think it is interesting that Nikki Giovanni left the actual arrest out of the story. She doesn't need to include it since her audience knows what happens and how Rosa's story ends. It is an interesting way to introduce to young student writers to not spend so much time on what the reader already knows.  Get to the point of the story.

This was a Illustrator Award Winner. Each picture takes about 3/4 of the two page spread. The text runs down the left or right side of the edge. This allows the pictures to be the focus if the book is used as a read aloud. The colors are not bright. They are rather muted with a lot of mustard and earth tones. The subject matter isn't a happy point in the Untied States' history so maybe that is why bright colors were not used.

Towards the end, two pages fold out to extend the size of the book. The content of these pages is the the nonviolent protest of bus boycott. The pages stretch to show how long the walkers stretched through the city.

How I discovered Poetry

Nelson, M. (2014). How I Discovered Poetry. New York, NY: Dial Books.

This is a collection of poems written as a narrative of the author's or poet's life as a young girl in the 1950s trying to find a place to fit in; trying to find her purpose in life. At first, I thought they were all true but in her note at the end she says some of the poems are fictionalized but still based on her life experiences none the less. They read like a young girl going through military moves and daydreaming about life possibilities. They also read like a young black girl going through what life is life for an educated young a black girl; too black for white kids not black enough for the black kids. She doesn't miss anything in her memories of growing up black. It is hard being the only black student or child surrounded my white children. Almost every black child has been asked to have their hair touched.  Dealing with uninformed children and "well meaning" teachers is a hard task and it stays with young African-Americans; proof shown in that Nelson was still affected by it enough to write about it as an adult.

This was an Author Honor book. It is beautifully written. I wouldn't include it in a primary library, but I would in a middle and or high school library.  Teachers of fourth and fifth graders could read some of the poems to show examples of narrative poetry or poems written from the first person point of view. 

Trombone Shorty

Andrews, T. (2015). Trombone Shorty. New York, NY: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.

An autobiography on the life of Troy Andrews. Troy writes how he became known as Trombone Shorty. He was born in New Orleans raised in the Treme neighborhood known for its rich culture. He got his musical talent honestly. Many in his family were musicians.  He found a old trombone and began to use it. He and his friends joined in the parades through out the city. A chance encounter with Bo Diddley at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival set the course for Andrews' stardom. He now has his own band and helps other kids with musical dreams like he once had. 

This book was honored for its illustrations. It is no mistake that Bryan Collier used different mediums to create the illustrations. There are drawings, cut outs, magazine or newsprint clipping all put together to make one picture after next. New Orleans' food and music were created by combining different styles to make something new.  Consequently,  I think the illustrator made a conscious choice to create the pages by combing different elements. Thus making the pictures a tribute to what makes New Orleans great.

Josephine The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker

Hruby Powell, P. (2014) Josephine The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker. San Francisco, CA Chronicle Books.

This books takes readers through the life of the star Josephine Baker. I will admit I am a little bias with this subject I even named by dog after her. The book starts with her being born poor in St. Louis and moves on to her fame in Europe. She helped her mother wash clothes but was fascinated with the black vaudeville shows. She became part of the act when she joined The Jones Family and then at thirteen became a part of The Dixie Steppers touring with them. She was relegated to being their dresser. They traveled across the racial divided south and Josephine got to see segregation and experience in by performing not being able to visit white only theaters. After The Dixie Steppers stopped touring, she went to New York to be part of the first all-black show on Broadway. However she did get picked to be part of the show. She ended up being a dresser again. Josephine still learned all the dances and waited for an opportunity. When a dancer didn't show up she filled in and stole the show. She went on to dance in other shows but still was upset at the laws in the United States that wouldn't let her eat with white people and made her enter through back doors. Eventually she was invited to go to Paris and be part of La Revue Negre. Josephine found success in Europe charming everyone. She fame brought wealth. She still could not get respect in America. During World War II Josephine helped by joining the Parisian Red Cross and eventually became a spy to help defeat the Nazis. She performed for US soldiers and demanded that the black troops be allowed to sit in the front with the white troops. She married three times and during her third marriage she adopted twelve children from across the world. Showing how strong of a believer she was in in loving all. Raising the large family and extravagant spending led to her becoming broke. Josephine had to begin to tour again. This time she was welcomed in America. She still loss her house and had to depend on the the kindness of some of her friends to help her and her family. She ended up dying after celebrating a return to the Paris stage.

Josephine Baker was born in St. Louis poor and not expected to rise to much. This story is illustrates how her determined nature was the catalyst to her to overcome racism. The book includes direct quotes along with text written in verse. This biography is an easy read aloud for primary grades to understand and it's written in a manner that will keep their attention. I like the change in font between the author's verse and the direct quote. Putting Josephine's words in cursive seems appropriate since she was such a elegant figure. Like all Coretta Scott King Award winners and honorees this is a worthy book to include in a library that strives to be inclusive.

The book was an Illustrator Honor book.  The pictures are rather simple and "elementary" in nature. But it would appeal to younger students. There isn't a lot of other details added to each page.  And if Josephine is the focus of the text then she is the main picture also.  I like this style of drawings. They are sophisticated but still a little goofy just like the real Josephine Baker. 

Mufaro's Beautiful Daughter

Steptoe, J. (1987). Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters. New York, NY: Amistad, Harper Collins.

A take on the traditional Cinderella. This one is based in an African village. Mufaro has two daughters Manyara and Nyasha who are both very pretty but opposites in every other way. Manyara is mean to her sister, making sure to only do it when her dad is not watching. She teases her telling her that one day she will be queen and her nice younger sister will be her maid. Nyasha, the nice younger sister, is unbothered by her sister's negativity. She sees the good and beauty in everything even in a snake that shows up in her garden one day. 

One morning a message comes from the nearby city that the king is looking for a wife. Mufaro believes either one of his daughters are worthy to be queen. He tells them to prepare to go to the city tomorrow.  Manyara sneaks away during the night trying to get to the king first. In a forest, she runs into a small boy and refuses to give him food when he asks. She then meets a woman who tries to give her advice. Manyara doesn't care to take the woman's advice to heart and laughed at a grove of trees and ignored a man with his head under his arm. 

Then next morning the wedding party that Mufaro put together notices that Manyara has disappeared. They go on towards the city to meet the king without her. Nyasha encounters the same people her sister did earlier but she being nice reacts differently. She gives the young boy food, gives the old woman some sunflower seeds, and doesn't have the same encounter the same reaction from the grove of trees. When she sees the city she is in awe of its beauty. Then her sister runs up to her and their father horrified. Manyara tells them there is a five headed snake who scared her by telling her of all her rudeness.  Nyasha continues on anyway and sees the snake from the garden. He tells her that he the king and he was the young boy in the forest as well as the old lady. Because Nyasha had been kind to them, the king would marry her. 

The wedding preparations were made. Nyasha married the king and Manyara became her maid. 

This was also a recipient of the illustrator award. The pictures are gorgeous and would delight young children during a read aloud. They help tell the story.  As a teacher, I have used this story when teaching how to compare and contrast different text. Teachers can also use it to show how authors include evidence in text to show character traits. It as a good story that has stood the test of time of being a worthy story that entertains young people. It is also a worthy book because of its diversity in characters. The African characters and setting offer diversity to children's literature. 

The Invisible Hunters/Los Cazadores Invisibles

Rohmer, H., Chow, O., Viduare, M. (1988). The Invisible Hunters/Los Cthwesazadores Invisibles (Stories from South America). New York, NY: Children's Book Press

This book was a honored due to the illustrations. The artwork is bold and reminds me of art that would be found in a museum. After looking at it longer, I think the illustrations remind me of cave drawings.  The pictures don't include detailed faces. Just dark silhouettes going through motions.

The story focuses on a group of hunters in Nicaragua. They are looking for wild pig to hunt. They run into a magical vine that they discover can make them invisible if they are holding it. The hunters realize they can use this to their advantage while hunting. The vine said they may use pieces from it to help hunt as long as they promise not to sell the meat and only use sticks to hunt not guns. They promise. Their hunt goes well and the people of the village are fed well. They come to understand the power of keeping their promises to help others prosper.

Then the Europeans come and influence the hunters to sell them the meat. Soon their greed at getting meat for the Europeans gets the better of them and they forget what they promised the vine and begin to hunt with guns to get more meat quickly. The meat supply runs scarce and there isn't enough to feed the village. The hunters turn ugly to the villagers they use to help.  The hunters have forgotten their promise to the Dar and have forgotten that there are more fortunate if they help others in their community rather than looking out for themselves. 

One day they return from a hunt and the villagers turn from them. The elders tell them they are invisible even though they are no longer holding on to the vine. They return to the vine and ask for help but get none. Now they are invisible and are kicked out by the village as the elders tell them they are no longer welcome. They now are said to roam up the river begging to be visible again.

Other than the obvious message on how it is not good to be self serving, this story also explains the negative influence the Europeans had on native or indigenous people. The natives had survived for many years by living in a community that relied on different people to do different roles. When people do not do their roles the community does not survive. The Europeans coming in and changing the religion, beliefs, and rituals of the people in these groups caused them to weaken. When Europeans came in and invaded those groups already weak could not survive. 

Teachers could use this to teach citizenship lessons as well as show history. It makes it real simple to see how a change in people can affect others. This book is also bilingual. It would be nice in a school or classroom library at a dual language, ESL, or bilingual school. 

Each Kindness

Woodson, J. (2012). Each Kindness. New York, NY: Nancy Paulsen Books.

There is a new girl in Chole's class. She has older worn clothes. Chloe and her friends act rudely towards here not inviting her to play with them and ignoring her attempts at initiating a friendship. Pretty soon the new girl Maya just plays by herself. Then one day she doesn't show up to school. Chloe's teacher teaches a lesson on kindness and Chloe realizes she has been less then nice to the new student. She waits to make it up to Maya but she never returns and the teacher later informs them that Maya's family has moved. Chloe realizes she will never get a chance to make it up to Maya.

This book is told from the  first person point of view. Young readers will be able to identify with the narrator having regrets about her behavior. Most children have done something to someone that they wish they could take back. Some young people may identify with the other character Maya because they were once a new person in a class. Even though we don't get to see Maya's thoughts we can sympathize with someone being rejected by others. This would be a good book to read aloud during Kindness week at elementary schools. Counselors could find it useful when teaching lessons on how to make friends or how to be a good friend.

This was an Coretta Scott King Author Honor book. Ms Woodson tells a important story in a way that children can understand. The pictures are pretty also. The cover shows a girl standing by herself. She looks alone and sad. The readers can tell this won't be a happy story. Using the title and cover, teachers can have a good discussion on predictions. "Why is the girl alone? What does it mean by Each Kindness? Was someone unkind to the girl on the cover?" Some illustrations are a two page spread but there isn't a lot going on in the picture. I think this helps narrow the readers focus on the subject. For instance on the page where Maya is jump roping, she is the only thing on the two pages. This exemplifies that she was really alone. No one was playing with her. The last page as well has one character in a scene spread over a double page spread. Chloe is small compared to the whole scene of the pond and trees around her. This helps the reader understand how lonely she feels while remembers how unkind she treated Maya. I thinks it shows her in a state of self reflection and that she is not happy with herself. 

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears

Aardema, V. (1975). Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ear. New York, NY: Dial Books.

In this African folktale Verna Aardema, takes readers through a forest to see a giant chain of events. It all starts with an iguana getting bugged by a mosquito. He doesn't want to hear the insect talk anymore so he puts sticks in his ears. Then a python tries to speak to the iguana, but since he can't hear, he keeps walking. The python becomes fearful thinking the iguana is mad at him and is trying to hurt him. He slithers into a rabbit hole to hide. The rabbit seeing this gets scared and runs off. A crow sees the rabbit running and sends out a warning call to the other animals in the forest. A monkey hears this call and assumes a beast is coming to attack the animals. He bounds through the trees and inadvertently knocks an owlet out of the nest and it dies.

This upsets the mother owl so much, she refuses to do her job, waking the sun. So the forest stays under a night sky. The animals have a meeting to find out why the night is lasting so long. King Lion asks the Mother Owl. She says she is too upset to wake the sun because the monkey killed one of her babies. The animals proceed to unravel the story and end up at realizing this is all the mosquito's fault. They decide to punish the bug. He hears this and goes into hiding. He goes around and whining in people's ears asking if the other animals are still mad at him. Thus the reason why mosquitoes are always buzzing around people.

As all folktales do, this one explains an occurrence in nature. The illustrations are bright and not the typical drawings. Children do like this story. I have read it every year when we study traditional literature. The onomatopoeia in the story is a unique way to show "animal speak". Teachers could use this as a lesson to show why it is always important to not lie or how one lie can cause a series of bigger problems.  I like to use it to show sequence and cause and effect in literature. 

Sector 7

Wiesner, D. (1999). Sector 7. New York, NY: Clarion Books.

I love a wordless picture book. Using these books in the classroom, force students to use their observations and imaginations to tell the story. By doing this students see there is a whole lot more to reading than just saying the words on the page. Illustrations can help a reader understand an author's tone. Illustrations can also narrate a story. Readers can be an observer looking in on the characters or they can be drawn from a character's point of view. 

The pictures in this story are so detailed. Every little thing on the page is part of the story. And because it's wordless, the reader can create their own story. It may be very different than another readers interpretation. That is what good literature should do- be something different for every person who reads it.

In Sector 7, a class goes on a field trip to the Empire State Building. It is a cloudy day, normally a bad day to go visit a tall building known for great views. A little boy goes up to the observatory at the top of the building. He meets a cloud. They begin to ham around. The cloud takes the boy to the cloud depot located in sky. As they float, the reader can see they are going higher and higher. They arrive at Sector 7. The main character is taken around and sees how clouds hang out when they are not hanging in the sky. The clouds seem to be upset at drawing showing what their intended shapes should be. The boy begins to create new plans. He draws massive detailed fish. This pleases the clouds but not the humans who manage the clouds. They abruptly escort him out. A taxi cloud carries him back to the Empire State Building. His friend, the cloud is waiting for him, but it is time for him to leave with his class. The cloud decides to stowaway with the boy.  When they get downstairs and go outside the sky is full of clouds with the most spectacular marine shapes. The clouds have used the boy's plans after all and turned the sky into a underwater scene. This pleases the people back on Earth. It appears that the cloud management group may have changed their minds about the boy's drawing. They are now passing them out to clouds for the job assignments.

A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever

Frazee, M. (2008). A Couple of Boys Have The Best Week Ever. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, Inc.

Life with boys. Thats the best quick summation of this book. James is going to visit his friend Eamon who is staying with his grandparents, Bill and Pam. While there, the boys will go to a nature day camp. However, the boys seem to enjoy spending more time indoors horsing around than exploring things in the outdoors. They spend their days playing with the air mattress, eating Pam's waffles, and watching TV. A side story is Bill wants to go visit Antartica and see the penguins. He repeatedly asks the boys if they want to visit the penguin exhibit at the museum. They don't seem too interested. After the week, the visit is drawing to a close. The camp is over. The boys spend a quiet night together and realize how interesting nature can be. They build their own Antartica display/exhibit for Bill using rocks and sticks.

The book is a sweet story on how boys can be when they are best buds. The best part is the snark included in the book. The text doesn't always match the dialogue and illustrations. The words say one thing, but the illustrations shows something else. For example Freeze writes, "He had never been away from home for an entire week, so he was very sad when his mother drove away." The picture shows James waving happily to his mother saying, "Bye" obviously not sad at all. The story is full of irony like this.  Adults would get a kick out of this part of the book. I did as it made me think of my son. I have well intentions but he has his own plans.

Blackout

Rocco, J. (2011). Blackout. New York, NY: Disney-Hyperion Books.

On a summer night in the city, the lights go out in the whole city. A family who was busy being busy now are "stuck" in the house with each other since nothing works. The parents try to keep the kids amused with shadow puppets and the such. Then it becomes too hot inside so they go up to the roof of the apartment building. After they enjoy the star watching and seeing other residents, they venture downstairs to the street. They get to enjoy the activities that are fun without electricity like playing in a fire hydrant, eating ice cream from a cart, sitting on the stoop enjoying each others company. Then the power comes back on. The members of the family begin to return to their normal routine. The girl in the story decides she likes it better with the lights off because she gets to spend time with her family. And they happily agree deciding that being back to normal isn't all it's cracked up to be.

A good book for young readers because there are few words on the page. The pictures also are inviting making it a good read aloud either for a class or at bedtime. This book would be a good springboard for discussions on how to spend time with family or what is really important in life. All students usually have spent time in a blackout. They may find something in common with the characters in this book. 

Caldecott and Caldecott Honor Books

Caldeciott and Caldecott Honor Books

Annotated Bibliography

1. Ness, E. (1966). Sam, Bangs, & Moonshine. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company.

This is a story about a girl with a problem with lying. Samantha (Sam for short) lives in a fishing town with her father a fisherman and her cat Bangs. She has told stories or fibs to all the people in the town. However there is young boy who believes her stories and one day goes out on a quest based on one of her lies. It ends up putting him and Sam's cat in grave danger.

This would be a good story for parents to share with young children about possible repercussions that could result from lying. Even though I felt Sam wasn't lying so much as she just was a child with a vivid imagination, the story does teach a good lesson for children that there comes a time when they must start telling the truth.

The word choice would make this a great mentor text to teach students how to use vivid words to describe a scene. Phrases like " menacing rumble of thunder" and "grey ribbed curtain of rain" paint the picture of a terrible storm taking place.

 The art work is unique being that only three colors are used; gold, black, and gray. They are complimentary and don't take away from the story that is taking place.

2. Lobel, A. (1970). Frog and Toad Are Friends. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers.

"Once upon a time there were two good friends". That is how each of these short stories in this book could start. Each story shows the reader how these two character are there for each other from helping the one who is not a morning person, to looking for a lost button, and helping one get over their embarrassment. Just the typical stuff that good friends do for each other. 

I have a personal connection to this book. It was one of the first books I remember reading on my own.  I read it over and over again. The vocabulary and content is good for emerging readers. Parents would enjoy reading it to or with their child.

3. Lionni, L. (1967). Frederick. New York, NY:Alfred A. Knopf.

Everyone can contribute something to make society better. That is the message in the picture book by Leo Lionni. Frederick may not gather food or prepare for winter like the other mice, but when the supplies run low and the group needs a morale boost, Frederick's stories and imagination keep the other mice entertained during the winter season.

Sharing this book with young readers shows them that everyone has a part in a community whether it is a family, class, and or the world. No matter how small, each individual can contribute something. It also teaches tolerance for those that don't follow what others deem normal. The person who may be "inattentive" or "daydreaming" may indeed be absorbing the Earth's beauty in his or her own unique way and just waiting for the right time to share his or her vision with others.

4. Briggs Martin, J. (1998). Snowflake Bentley. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.

This book is a biography on the life of Willie Bentley.  The author cleverly used two types of writing styles to tell this story. It was written in narrative prose with non fiction text on the side of the pages. The main character Wilson Bentley is fascinated by snowflakes. He wants a way to share his love with others but off course snow melts easily.  He searches for a way to begin a collection but struggles.  Wilson was not satisfied with not finding answers. He very much was a self starter and problem solver. Eventually he figured out a way to pass snowflakes he finds to others. He used photography and magnified the image before he snapped the picture.  This allowed him to really narrow in on the intricate details of the snowflakes. 

5. Lester, J. (1994). John Henry. New Your, NY: Dial Books.

This picture book on the folk hero John Henry is more than just a folktale. It is an example of how authors can expertly transform readers to any place in time. Quality figurative language is used through out the book.  The author, Julius Lester, includes personification, hyperbole, and metaphors to tell his story. Students would enjoy the descriptive language and get a good sense of how strong supposedly John Henry was. It would be good to use during a unit on legends or folktales as well as during writing to show how a biography can be written.

John Henry was said to be extremely strong. From birth he commanded a the world take notice. He was faster than any horse and stronger than any machine. John Henry loved to compete to show off his ability. He used his strength to help build roads construct railroads by breaking through rocks and boulders (which are more like mountains). This competitive nature eventually ends up causing his death.

6.  Sendak, M. (1981). Outside Over There. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 

Ida's father is out to see. Her mother is upset. She watches over her sister. One night while she is playing her wonder horn to put her sister to sleep, goblins come in and kidnap the baby. They replace her with an ice sculpture. Ida doesn't notice that her sister has been substituted with an ice baby. Not even while she is holder her. When she does realize that her sister has been snatched, she dresses like her mother and goes out into the world to look for her. She steps out of the window backwards, and this apparently prevents her from seeing things correctly. She miraculously hears the voice of her father telling her to turn around. She does and finds the goblins. Only they are not goblins, they are babies themselves.  Ida plays her horn and the goblin babies begin to dance unwittingly. They end up dancing into a stream to what I can only assume causes them to drown. The only baby left that didn't get upset from the horn was Ida's sister.  She picks up the baby and they both return home.

This was a weird story. I can not see any reason to share it with young children. There is no positive message to be gained from it. In fact it may upset some really young readers or confuse them. That is what it did to me. Confuse.  I am left to wonder why this was selected as a Caldecott Honor book. 

7. Rocco, J. (2011). Blackout. New York, NY: Disney-Hyperion Books.

On a summer night in the city, the lights go out in the whole city. A family who was busy being busy now are "stuck" in the house with each other since nothing works. The parents try to keep the kids amused with shadow puppets and the such. Then it becomes too hot inside so they go up to the roof of the apartment building. After they enjoy the star watching and seeing other residents, they venture downstairs to the street. They get to enjoy the activities that are fun without electricity like playing in a fire hydrant, eating ice cream from a cart, sitting on the stoop enjoying each others company. Then the power comes back on. The members of the family begin to return to their normal routine. The girl in the story decides she likes it better with the lights off because she gets to spend time with her family. And they happily agree deciding that being back to normal isn't all it's cracked up to be.

A good book for young readers because there are few words on the page. The pictures also are inviting making it a good read aloud either for a class or at bedtime. This book would be a good springboard for discussions on how to spend time with family or what is really important in life. All students usually have spent time in a blackout. They may find something in common with the characters in this book. 

8.  Frazee, M. (2008). A Couple of Boys Have The Best Week Ever. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, Inc.

Life with boys. Thats the best quick summation of this book. James is going to visit his friend Eamon who is staying with his grandparents, Bill and Pam. While there, the boys will go to a nature day camp. However, the boys seem to enjoy spending more time indoors horsing around than exploring things in the outdoors. They spend their days playing with the air mattress, eating Pam's waffles, and watching TV. A side story is Bill wants to go visit Antartica and see the penguins. He repeatedly asks the boys if they want to visit the penguin exhibit at the museum. They don't seem too interested. After the week, the visit is drawing to a close. The camp is over. The boys spend a quiet night together and realize how interesting nature can be. They build their own Antartica display/exhibit for Bill using rocks and sticks.

The book is a sweet story on how boys can be when they are best buds. The best part is the snark included in the book. The text doesn't always match the dialogue and illustrations. The words say one thing, but the illustrations shows something else. For example Freeze writes, "He had never been away from home for an entire week, so he was very sad when his mother drove away." The picture shows James waving happily to his mother saying, "Bye" obviously not sad at all. The story is full of irony like this.  Adults would get a kick out of this part of the book. I did as it made me think of my son. I have well intentions but he has his own plans.

9.  Wiesner, D. (1999). Sector 7. New York, NY: Clarion Books.

I love a wordless picture book. Using these books in the classroom, force students to use their observations and imaginations to tell the story. By doing this students see there is a whole lot more to reading than just saying the words on the page. Illustrations can help a reader understand an author's tone. Illustrations can also narrate a story. Readers can be an observer looking in on the characters or they can be drawn from a character's point of view. 

The pictures in this story are so detailed. Every little thing on the page is part of the story. And because it's wordless, the reader can create their own story. It may be very different than another readers interpretation. That is what good literature should do- be something different for every person who reads it.

In Sector 7, a class goes on a field trip to the Empire State Building. It is a cloudy day, normally a bad day to go visit a tall building known for great views. A little boy goes up to the observatory at the top of the building. He meets a cloud. They begin to ham around. The cloud takes the boy to the cloud depot located in sky. As they float, the reader can see they are going higher and higher. They arrive at Sector 7. The main character is taken around and sees how clouds hang out when they are not hanging in the sky. The clouds seem to be upset at drawing showing what their intended shapes should be. The boy begins to create new plans. He draws massive detailed fish. This pleases the clouds but not the humans who manage the clouds. They abruptly escort him out. A taxi cloud carries him back to the Empire State Building. His friend, the cloud is waiting for him, but it is time for him to leave with his class. The cloud decides to stowaway with the boy.  When they get downstairs and go outside the sky is full of clouds with the most spectacular marine shapes. The clouds have used the boy's plans after all and turned the sky into a underwater scene. This pleases the people back on Earth. It appears that the cloud management group may have changed their minds about the boy's drawing. They are now passing them out to clouds for the job assignments.

10.  Aardema, V. (1975). Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ear. New York, NY: Dial Books.

In this African folktale Verna Aardema, takes readers through a forest to see a giant chain of events. It all starts with an iguana getting bugged by a mosquito. He doesn't want to hear the insect talk anymore so he puts sticks in his ears. Then a python tries to speak to the iguana, but since he can't hear, he keeps walking. The python becomes fearful thinking the iguana is mad at him and is trying to hurt him. He slithers into a rabbit hole to hide. The rabbit seeing this gets scared and runs off. A crow sees the rabbit running and sends out a warning call to the other animals in the forest. A monkey hears this call and assumes a beast is coming to attack the animals. He bounds through the trees and inadvertently knocks an owlet out of the nest and it dies.

This upsets the mother owl so much, she refuses to do her job, waking the sun. So the forest stays under a night sky. The animals have a meeting to find out why the night is lasting so long. King Lion asks the Mother Owl. She says she is too upset to wake the sun because the monkey killed one of her babies. The animals proceed to unravel the story and end up at realizing this is all the mosquito's fault. They decide to punish the bug. He hears this and goes into hiding. He goes around and whining in people's ears asking if the other animals are still mad at him. Thus the reason why mosquitoes are always buzzing around people.

As all folktales do, this one explains an occurrence in nature. The illustrations are bright and not the typical drawings. Children do like this story. I have read it every year when we study traditional literature. The onomatopoeia in the story is a unique way to show "animal speak". Teachers could use this as a lesson to show why it is always important to not lie or how one lie can cause a series of bigger problems.  I like to use it to show sequence and cause and effect in literature.