What an Imaginative Dog!

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The Adventures of Polo

by Regis Faller

published by Roaring Brook Press, 2002

Summary: "Polo the dog sets out from his home and enjoys many adventures, including sailing his boat on top of a whale, roasting hot dogs over a volcano, and taking a ride in a spaceship built from a mushroom."

Strengths: This book by a French author presents an imaginative story of a dog who travels to many interesting places. I like how Polo meets a variety of characters along the way who all return at the end of the book as he is reading a book called "Polo". All of the little things that Polo does, such as cooking hot dogs over lava and making his boat into a plane are all things that children could imagine doing. The pictures are bright and fun!


Concerns: I have no concerns about this book, as long as it is read by an appropriate age group. Older children may become bored of the book since it has many random elements.


Classroom Use/Other Comments: Teachers could use this book to introduce wordless books. Older students could write their own story to go along with the pictures. Ages 3 to 8 would enjoy reading this book.

A Glamorously Guilty Mouse

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Lily's Purple Plastic Purse

by Kevin Henkes

published by Greenwillow Books, NY, 1996

Summary: "Lilly loves everything about school, especially her teacher, but when he asks her to wait a while before showing her new purse, she does something for which she is very sorry later."

Strengths: This fun fantasy about a great mouse teacher and his biggest fan, Lilly. Lilly's character is very strong and fun from her red boots with a star to her vibrant dresses.
I like that the pictures do not take up the whole page and that a series of pictures show her action. I also like the dialogue that takes place in the pictures and the way that the text is in a variety of places. The book has very funny parts and really shows different emotions.

Concerns: I have no concerns about this book as long as it is read by an appropriate audience.


Classroom Use/Other Comments: Children aged 4-8 would enjoy the book. Teachers could read the book to discuss apologizing, guilt, and other feelings.

This Little Light of Mine...

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Let it Shine

by Ashley Bryan

published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, NY, 2007

Summary: Illustrated versions of three well-known hymns.

Strengths: The amazing illustrations in this book are extremely colorful and intricate. The words go well with the pictures and the illustrations provide an interesting context for these classic songs. I like that the music of the songs are shown at the end of the book.

Concerns: The concept of religion is present throughout the book, although the book does depict a variety of places of worship on one of the pages.

Classroom Use/Other Comments: Older children can be introduced to the concept of "Spirituals" through this book. Art classes can learn a lot from the designs and cut outs used in this book. Ages 3 and up would enjoy this colorful book!

Life Depicted Through Poetry

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Here's a Little Poem: A Very First Book of Poetry

collected by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters

illustrated by Polly Dunbar

published by Candlewick Press, MA, 2007

Summary: "Here's a Little Poem gathers poems from various parts of the English-speaking world, including Great Britain, the Caribbean, Australia, and the U.S."

Strengths: This excellent collection of sweet and funny poems are depicted in beautiful illustrations. I like the diverse characters and the fun interpretations of poems about everyday topics.

Concerns: The bedtime poems may be more appropriate for parents to read to children before bed than for school.

Classroom Use/Other Comments: Children aged 3 and up will enjoy these poems. Students can select a poem to improve fluency and learn about language.

Trick or Triqui

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Grandmother's Nursery Rhymes: Las Nanas de Abuelita

by Nelly Palacio Jaramillo

illustrated by Elivia

published by Henry Holt and Company, NY, 1994

Summary: "A collection of traditional South American nursery rhymes in both Spanish and English."


Strengths: These fun poems with flowing pictures provide insight into South American culture. Some of the poems provide explanations of their origins. The poems are also very diverse in length and type.

Concerns: Some of the poems involved figuring out an object or letter, which were at times somewhat confusing.


Classroom Use/ Other Comments: Children aged 3 and up would enjoy these poems. Children in elementary school can use these poems to improve fluency. Students who speak Spanish as their first language will be able to read the Spanish version of the poems and have a mirror to their experiences. Older students who are learning Spanish can use these poems to enrich their learning.

A Girl's Best Friend...

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Fred Stays with Me!

by Nancy Coffelt

illustrated by Tricia Tusa

published by Little, Brown and Company, NY, 2007

Summary: "A child describes how she lives sometimes with her mother and sometimes with her father, but her dog is her constant companion."

Strengths: This simple book with earth-toned illustrations has a message of constancy through divorce. Children learn how parents can work with their kids to problem solve or compromise if there is a situation. This is an excellent introduction to divorce and may provide a mirror to children with parents going through a divorce.

Concerns: I think that the font used in this book would make it difficult for children to read by themselves. The letter, k, for example looks like the cursive letter k.

Classroom Use/ Other Comments: This book is an excellent book to read aloud to children aged 4 and up. Students may be able to make self to text connections through the narrator's love of her dog and through her experience with divorce.

Swirl and Whirl Away a Bad Day

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Mrs. Biddlebox

by Linda Smith

illustrated by Marla Frazee

published by Harper Collins, 2002

Summary: " With baking magic, Mrs. Biddlebox uses fog, dirt, sky, and other ingredients of a rotten day to transform it into a sweet cake."

Strengths: The dynamic illustrations and rhyming text make this book a memorable tale sure to change any bad day into a day full of laughter. Younger children will enjoy finding Mrs. Biddlebox's duck that is along for the adventure. The imagery and delightful pictures make this story a fun read. Children can imagine following Mrs. Biddlebox's actions in order to improve their own bad days.

Concerns: Students may not understand at first what exactly is being baked. Readers will need their imagination hats on!

Classroom Use/Other Comments: This book would be a great book to read aloud and to discuss rhyme. Only the second and fourth lines have an end rhyme, which is something that students can discuss. Children aged 4 and up would enjoy listening to the book and older students would be able to read this book on their own. This book could be a good introduction to imagery and figurative language. Children can write their own story about making something into a cake without using tangible, normal ingredients.

Growing Plant Vocabulary

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Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf

by Lois Ehlert

published by Harcourt Inc, Florida, 1991

Summary: "A child describes the growth of a maple tree from seed to sapling."

Strengths: This book is beautifully illustrated with very unique depictions of nature. The pictures are very well coordinated with the words and show unique perspectives of the tree as it grows and moves. This book offers a unique perspective of how the tree grows from seedling and then is moved to the nursery. I think that children would be able to relate to the child narrator and the word choice is great for children learning to read. Many of the pictures are labeled with words describing parts of the picture, such as maple tree roots, garden glove, and Black-capped Chicadee, which promotes science vocabulary development. I also liked the bright background colors used on each double page spread. I also like how the illustrations involve different mediums, such as string, foil, twigs, and cut outs, which allow the pictures to stand out.

Concerns: The book does not have a very moving plot, but does have a story described by a child to whom the student can relate.

Classroom Use/Other Comments: This book would be great for children aged 4 to 8, depending on the use of the book. Younger children could use this book as they are learning to read, as they develop their vocabulary, and as they learn about plants and seasons. A recipe and directions for making a bird treat is located at the back of the book, which would be a fun activity for children. Older children can use this book to learn about the process of tree growth and observation, as a lesson integrating literature with science. The end of the book also has a lot of information about different elements of maple trees, which can be useful for older students.

A Tear for a Red Balloon

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My Red Balloon

by Eve Bunting

illustrated by Kay Life

published by Boyds Mills Press, Pennsylvania, 2005

Summary: "A young boy waits with both excitement and apprehension for his father to disembark from the aircraft carrier returning to port after many months at sea."

Strengths: This picture book is full of emotion and provides realistic images that correlate with the realistic story. I liked that the people in the book were diverse and that the story explicitly stated that a father was waiting for a daughter as opposed to a son, which helps children understand that both men and women serve in the military. Children who are read this story that are at the same age as the boy will definitely relate to the way he talks and how he is feeling.

Concerns: The topic of this story could be a touchy subject for children whose parents are serving in the military and are not coming home very soon. The story may create sad emotions, which is okay if the class is mature enough to have a discussion of that nature.

Classroom use/ Other comments: Teachers could read this story for children to consider the military and the lives of families in the military. Teachers can suggest this book to older children who have parents in the military to read individually or with a parent at home. This book could be used as a tie into a community service project of writing letters to men and women in the military. This book is useful for children ages 4-8.

Chuckles for the Chicken Chaser

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The Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar County

written by Janice N. Harrington

pictures by Shelley Jackson

published by Farrar, Straus and Girous, New York, 2007

Summary: "A young farm girl tries to catch her favorite chicken, until she learns something about the hen that makes her change her ways."


Strengths: This picture book contains beautiful illustrations with a hilarious, but thoughtful message to which children can surely relate. I enjoy the variety of materials, such as cloth, buttons, paper, and letter cut-outs, used in the illustrations. This variety of materials provides texture and depth to the page which draws in the reader. The storyline in this book has an obvious plot of the "Chicken Chasing Queen" trying to catch her favorite hen. The ending adds a surprise and lesson that will delight readers. The characters have very distinct personalities and their thoughts and ideas provide much amusement. One of my favorite parts of the story is when the main character of the story pretends that she is a chicken so that they will not notice her and shares her thoughts of what a chicken thinks.


Concerns: Although I really enjoyed the story because of the unique illustrations, children may have difficulties reading the words that are cut-out and colorful, like some of the chicken sayings, because they do not standing out over the illustrations.

Classroom use/Other Comments: This book can be read to children as a fun and silly story to teach students about why things may not be as they appear. The students can also discuss self to text connections about when they discover something and then change their behavior or when they don't do what their parents tell them to do. The story uses many noises that the chickens "say", like "pruck", "squawk", and "pee-o", which can help students learn the relationship of sounds and words. I think this story would be good as a Reader's Theater project for children to create with the characters of the main character and Big Mama. This story could also be used as an art project and lesson for practice using different types of fabric and material in illustrations. Children aged 4-10 would enjoy this book.

Warmth in a Grimm's Classic

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Little Red Riding Hood

by Jerry Pinkney

Published by Little, Brown and Company, New York, 2007

Summary: "A sweet little girl meets a hungry wolf in the forest while on her way to visit her grandmother."

Strengths: This picture book is beautifully illustrated with warm colors and detailed, delicate depictions. The people, animals, and nature in the book are presented with many colors and the pictures lure in the reader. Although the story of Little Red Riding Hood is well known, this book enthralls the reader with the illustrations, which correlate well with the words. I like the way that the illustrations are drawn from a variety of views: above, close up, far away, and looking into the house. The descriptive words in this book are a great introduction to new vocabulary, such as "cunning wolf", "frail voice", "crafty scoundrel".

Concerns: This classic story has some complicated or considerably negative elements, such as the grandmother and Little Red Riding Hood being eaten and the wolf being killed. In addition, students may be bored with the book if they already know the story.

Classroom use/Other Comments: This story can be compared to other versions of Little Red Riding Hood and spoofs on Little Red Riding Hood or can be used to teach about the importance of not talking to strangers. In addition, this story could be read and then acted out by the students to practice sequence of events. Teachers can also have students learn about adjectives through this book and have students write their own descriptive sentences. Children aged 4-8 would enjoy this book for these purposes, but all ages can appreciate the illustrations.

So Much Learning, So Few Words

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Anno's Counting Book

by Mitsumasa Anno

Published by Thomas Y. Crowell Company, New York, 1975

Summary: "Introduces counting and number systems by showing mathematical relationships in nature."

Strengths: This wordless, but simply and meaningfully illustrated book provides a wonderful visual and basis for learning or reinforcing number knowledge. Each spread shows a scene on a hillside with different objects, such as children, buildings, and trees, which are all in sets of the number on which that page focuses. I like that all of the sets of objects are not placed together, but that you need to look around and count all of the objects in each set. Each number also is expressed numerically and then with blocks, so that children can count the blocks and visualize how many a certain number is in comparison to a larger number. The book also shows the changing seasons and the development of a town throughout a year. Children may even notice that the number also corresponds to the month in which the picture takes place. I also really like how the clock on the church steeple shows the time based on the number of the page, so when there are sets of three on the page, the clock shows that it is three o'clock.

Concerns: This book needs to be used in a specific context because it does not have words or a plot. Children may wonder about certain things not being in sets of the number on the page, like the number of windows not corresponding to the number because the focus is on the number of buildings.

Classroom Use/Other comments: This is a great book to learn about "one to one correspondences", which the author mentions at the end of the book along with other instructional information. Children will enjoy finding each set of objects and this is a great integration of math. Teachers can have children write a story to go along with the story in order to provide a context for writing. Children can read this individually to practice counting and to work on their observation skills. This book would be enjoyed by all ages, but would be great for children learning to count, around ages 3-7.

A Japanese Lesson of Keepsakes, Helping, and Listening to Your Parents

Picture from Amazon.comThe Silver Charm

by Robert D. San Souci

illustrated by Yoriko Ito

published by Random House Children's Books, New York, 2002

Summary: "In this folktale from Japan's Ainu people, a pet puppy and fox retrieve their young master's good luck charm from the ogre who has stolen it."

Strengths: This beautifully illustrated picture book has drawn from the Ainu culture and has realistic, but mystical pictures that emphasize nature. Each page has an intricate border on the top of each page, which brings all of the pages together. I like how the story integrates Japanese words and designs, so children reading the book can learn about a different culture. The pet puppy and fox and their new friend the mouse are a great part of the story that provide an element of protection and fun. The story delivers a good message about following directions, losing keepsakes, and the nature of helping. I especially enjoyed the part of the story when the fox and puppy don't eat the mouse and then the mouse helps them to get the charm for the boy using a magic spell. The combination of fantasy and reality allows children to use their imagination.

Concerns: The children, teachers, and parents reading this story should be aware that when the child, Satsu, goes out on his own, he meets a fairly scary-looking ogre and then gets very sick with the threat of death. Children may be confused about the animals talking and the animals changing to human form if they are not aware that the story is a folktale.

Classroom use/Other comments: This story would be a great way to learn about the Japanese culture, through the illustrations, story, and Japanese words. Culture can be taught through the word choice in the story, as can be seen in the sentence "The charm was a tiny silver ship, with masts no thicker than a bamboo sliver and sails as thin as rice paper (n.p.)". This book could also be used to teach about family heirlooms and keepsakes. Children aged 4-8 would enjoy this book.