"One More Sheep"

One More Sheep
Written by: Mij Kelly
Illustrated by: Russell Ayto
Published by: Peachtree Publishers in Atlanta, GA in 2006
ISBN: 1-56145-387-1
Genre: Picture Book, Concept Book
Reading Level: Grade 2
Activity Level: Kindergarten

Summary: This book is about a man who brings his sheep home with him one night so that they did not get too cold outside or being eaten by wolves. He gave them all wool (irony) socks and hats and tucked them snugly into bed. But, when he tried to count all of his sheep, he fell asleep because that is what apparently happens to people when they count sheep. All are resting well that night until there is a knock on the door and Sam almost lets in a wolf dressed as a sheep because he believes he forgot to bring one of his sheep indoors. The sheep quickly shut the door to keep him from making that mistake, but have to find a way for him to realize that all ten of his sheep are inside without him falling to sleep counting them, so they decide to put on a show for him. Once Sam realizes that all of his sheep are with him, he almost lets the wolf in again when he tries to determine who or what could be outside his house dressed as a sheep! In the end, they all go back to bed, and, though mush excitement has occurred this night, Sam has not trouble going to sleep—he just begins to count his sheep—1,...2,…...3,………..4………………ZZZZZ.

Response: I think this book is absolutely adorable. It has the good sheep and the bad wolf and a humorous story—all of which young children would appreciate. Plus, it incorporates math into the book, which gives teachers a perfect reason for reading this book in their classrooms!

The illustrations in this book are very cute. They are a combination of single-, double-, and split-page spreads. (Sometimes the illustrator segments the pages into fractions and has multiple illustrations on a set of pages.) One page, where the sheep are putting on a show, even folds out, creating even more interest for readers. The colors are fairly dark and muted because this book takes place at night, so there are many shades of purples and blacks as well as yellows and reds.

Teaching Connections: This book could be used in a kindergarten classroom as part of a math lesson. The teacher could read this book to her students and on the pages where the main character counts sheep, she could point to each sheep and have the class count how many there are. From there, the teacher could begin her math lesson about the numbers from one to ten.

What Students Learn: From this book and the activity, students learn about the numbers one through ten and about rhyming words, as this book has a very distinct rhythm when read aloud.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.thechildrenbookshop.com/bookshop/images/703-1.jpg.

"¡Marimba!"

¡Marimba!
Written by: Pat Mora
Illustrated by: Doug Cushman
Published by: Clarion Books in NY in 2006
ISBN: 978-0-618-19453-7 / 0-618-19453-3
Genre(s): Picture Book, Concept (Alphabet) Book (Multicultural Work)
Reading Level: Grade 2
Activity Level: Grade 2

Summary: This book is about a monkey who lulls two zookeepers to sleep by singing and then leads a party in the zoo. It links every letter of our alphabet to an animal in the zoo. (For the letters “U” and “X,” the authors uses the fantastical animal the unicorn and the musical instrument the xylophone, respectively.) Although certain words are in Spanish in this book, the non-animal-naming words are in English, much to the advantage of the many teachers who do not speak Spanish. Each animal that the book lists is the Spanish cognate of an animal’s name (illustrated on that page) in English. The animals partake in several activities that are a part of the Hispanic culture such as: dancing la bamba and la marimba, eating enchiladas and flan, making piñatas, etc. Each page in this work rhymes with the next, so it flows very well and has a rather sing-songy appeal to it, with which younger children will absolutely be able to identify and enjoy. This book not only detail animals students are already familiar with, but also introduces them to ones they may not be aware of at all, such as manatees, nutrias, ocelots, quetzals, vicuñas, wapitis, yaks, and zebus/cebúes.

The illustrations in this work are very well-done. They are nearly all double-page spreads of vibrant colors of remarkable likenesses of the creatures they depict. Very few of the pages contain white backgrounds, most, instead, contain tera-cotta looking colors, which are, again, akin to the Hispanic nature of this book.

Teaching Connections:

Critical Thinking Questions:

1. Why do you think the money lulls the zookeepers to sleep once each year?

a. Possible answer: He does this so that all of the animals in the zoo can have their annual party!

2. There is a great deal of personification within this book. Some examples of this are when the sloths salsa, the otters make piñatas, gorillas play their guitars, coyotes conga, etc. Does anyone know what that word means? Can you break it down into its root word? Do you hear the word person in it? So, it must have something to do with people. Does anyone now have a guess about what this word could mean?

a. Possible answer: This term means animals acting like humans. The animals take on human characteristics.

3. Outside of what we just read about in this book, explain how some of these animals get along in the wild.

a. Possible answer: These animals are not really friends in real life because the koalas and orangutans would likely be enemies, jaguars would eat birds if they could catch them, lions would prey on llamas, and otters and ocelots would also not be friends.

4. So, if the animals really would not get along in the wild, but they are personified (made to have the actions of people), then what can we as humans learn from this book?

a. Possible answer: We can learn that we all need to be friends with one another and try to get along as best we can and be accepting of others.

Activity:

A teacher could use this book in a second grade classroom. It is an alphabet book, but it is also a book of Spanish and English words and likely contains words that kindergarteners and first graders would not know. A good activity to do with these students regarding this book would be to read this book to them, ask them the above critical thinking questions, and then teach them about English and Spanish cognates. (The teacher can get some information regarding this from the author’s note in the back of the book.) The teacher could have pictures of all of these animals with their Spanish and English names on them in plastic bags for each of her students and give them the opportunity to look at the words and animals and see the difference between the words, if any, in both languages. Then, they could, as a class, read each word in each language and practice their pronunciation skills.

Once students are familiar with these words, perhaps the teacher could project this book on the board with a document scanner/projector and the class could read it together.

What Students Learn: Although these words are cognates and the majority of them are spelled very similarly in both languages, this activity would be very beneficial because it can help students see slight differences and learn pronunciation in both languages. From this book, the critical thinking questions, and the subsequent activity, students learn about animals that represent all twenty-six letters of our alphabet, the definition of personification, gain a lesson in accepting others, learn a little about the Hispanic culture (because many of the activities in which the animals participate are of that culture), cognates, and how to pronounce several words in Spanish.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.metrolibrary.org/graphics/spotlight/hispanicamerican/2007/easyfiction/marimba.gif

"This Little Piggy's Book of Manners"

This Little Piggy’s Book of Manners
Written by: Kathryn Madeline Allen
Illustrated by: Nancy Wolff
Published by Henry Holt and Company in NY in 2003
ISBN: 0-8050-6769-8
Genre(s): Picture Book, Concept Book
Reading Level: Grade 1
Activity Level: Kindergarten

Summary: This book talks all about manners. Although the main characters are pigs, they are personified and roller-blade, eat at the table, share their toys, have to wait in line to go to the bathroom, must clean their rooms, talk nicely to others, and go to bed on time. On one page one piggy will do as he is told or as he should and on the following page another little piggy will not follow the rules. One each page, the piggy’s friends respond to his actions either in a positive or negative way. This book teaches at the end that even though children sometimes forget their manners, people always react better when they remember to be polite.

Response: I enjoyed this book because it contained humor and seemed more interesting that other books about manners. It contained things that children might forget, such as eating with their mouths closed and sharing their toys.

The humor in this book was interesting. When the one little piggy remembers to eat with his mouth closed, his friend the rabbit says “I could watch that pig chew all day” (p. 5) and when the polite piggy compliments the wolf’s beautiful teeth the wolf thinks to himself “I guess I won’t eat him” (p.19)! These were subtle elements of humor, but were incorporated in a way that young children can appreciate.

I loved the illustrations in this book. They were definitely not muted colors and the illustrator utilized many different color combinations and several lines on each page to make the characters’ clothes and the backgrounds. She also used newspaper clipping with some paint over them to make certain parts of the animals’ bodies or clothing. This gave her illustrations a textured appearance.

Teaching Connections: A teacher could use this book with a Kindergarten class on the first day of school, or at least during the first week. She could read this book to her students and then ask them questions such as:

Why is it important for us to close our mouths when we eat?
Why should we share our toys?
Should the one little piggy have broken in line a the bathroom? Why not?
Is it important for us to clean up our toys after we are finished playing with them? Why?
Why should we speak kindly to others?

After this discussion, the teacher could then talk about the classroom rules and ask similar questions about why those are in place.

She could also use this book as a review of the rules after Christmas Break or anytime during the school year when the students seem to be forgetful of them.

What Students Learn: From this book and the activity students learn manners and about why they are important as well as about their classroom rules and their importance.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.holtzbrinckpublishers.com/images/Books/L/0805067698L.jpg

"Z Goes Home"

Z Goes Home
Written and illustrated by: Jon Agee
Published by Michael Di Capua Books/Hyperion in NY in 2003
ISBN: 0-7868-1987-1
Genres: Picture Book, Concept Book
Reading Level: Grade 1
Activity Level: Kindergarten

Summary: There are only thirty words in this book, but somehow that is just enough to make it very interesting! This is a book that teaches letters of the alphabet to young readers. Before the title page, readers see the letter "Z" leaving its spot as the "Z" in Zoo and heading home. Then, the author tells us all about each thing that the letter passes on his way home. Each beginning letter of a word that begins with the letter on that page is represented on that page by being incorporated into the illustrations. For example, the letter "P" stands for Palm, so the letter "P" is made by having the illustrations show the tree's leaves bending to make the curved portion of the "P!"

Response: I feel that I should explain why there are thirty words in a book that teaches about the alphabet. The last four words in this book are "Hey everybody, I'm home!," which "Z" says to his roommates--the other 25 letters of the alphabet! The humor of that is what makes me love this book.

Since I read Nothing by Jon Agee, I have become very excited about his books. This one is no less cute than the previous work of his that I have read. The words, though very few, have the ability to not only help students with their beginning letter sounds, but also to greatly increase their vocabularies. Some of the great vocabulary words Agee uses are: gargoyle, labyrinth, and xeroxes.

I really love the illustrations in this work as much as the words. Agee's way of incorporating the beginning letter of each word into a picture of that word is so creative! His artwork is very expressive, yet not highly detailed and his colors are muted greens, browns, blues, reds, and greys.

Teaching Connections: A teacher could use this book with kindergartners. She could read it to them on a Monday and have the unusual words within as the vocabulary words for the week, which she would quiz the students on on Friday. (Great children's level definitions are located in the back of the book.)

She could also give each student a paper with a die-cut letter on it and have that student look through magazines, newspapers, and maybe online throughout the week to find things that start with that beginning letter sound. When the papers are due on Friday, she could hang them up while the students are taking their short quiz on their new vocabulary words and the students would then have a visual representation of the alphabet and words that begin with them in their classroom!

What Students Learn: Through listening to their teacher read this book and doing this activity, students learn a plethora of new words as well as much about beginning consonant sounds.

Image Retrieved From: http://toyportfolio.com/Images/zgoeshome.jpg

"Spicy Hot Colors/Colores Picantes"

Spicy Hot Colors/Colores Picantes
Written by: Sherry Shahan
Illustrated by: Paula Barragán
Published by August House Little Folk in Little Rock, Arkansas in 2004
ISBN: 0-87483-741-3
Genre(s): Picture Book, Concept Book
Reading Level: Grade 1
Activity Level: Kindergarten

Summary: This is a concept book that teaches colors in both English and Spanish as well as some about the customs of the Hispanic culture through the things that represent the colors. On each two-page spread one color is being taught and there is a two stanza poem about something that is that color. The author writes about the item of that color and then describes that object or custom. Sometimes the author even uses onomatopoeia words to describe. At the end of each poem the author writes, in big, bold capital letters, the color represented and its Spanish equivalent.

Response: I really like that this is a concept book that teaches many concepts! It not only helps students learn about their colors in English and Spanish, but also introduces them to poetry! I also like that this book, when comparing colors to things, makes those connections to things in the Hispanic culture, like iguanas, chili sauce, corn, castanets, and the day of the dead.

One thing that surprised me about this book was that the color brown, that I learned as café, is now called pardo, a word I have not ever heard. Even I was able to learn something from this book!

Because this is a concept book about colors, the illustrations in this book are very vibrant. They are very simple, yet very striking. In most cases the entire page, as the background for the illustrations, is covered in a deep shade of whatever color is represented in the words on that page. (In other cases, there are also complimentary colors present in the background to make the illustrations in the color being reviewed, stand out more.)

Teaching Connections: A teacher could use this book with kindergartners to help them with their colors as well as to help introduce them to color words in Spanish. The teacher could get several musical instruments, or read this book to her students in the music room where she would then have access to those instruments, and then assign a student a sound and have that person choose an instrument to make the sound. When each child has at least one instrument to use to make a sound, the teacher should read the book again so that the students can help in the storytelling process by making the sounds described in the book.

What Students Learn: From this book and the activity students learn color words in English and Spanish as well as a little about the concept of poetry, use of adjectives, and the customs of Hispanic cultures. They also learn about rhythm and musical instruments!

Image Retrieved From: http://www.bilingualbooks.com/mas_assets/thumb/883.jpg

"My Truck is Stuck"

My Truck is Stuck

Written by: Kevin Lewis

Illustrated by: Daniel Kirk

Published by Hyperion Books For Children in NY in 2002

ISBN: 0-7868-0534-X

Genres: Picture Book, Concept Book

Reading Level: Grade 1

Activity Level: Kindergarten

Summary: This is such a cute book about a truck driver's truck getting stuck in a pothole on the highway. Cars and trucks of various engine sizes attempt to help the stuck truck driver out of the hole in this story. Meanwhile, several prairie dogs "help" him by decreasing the load he is carrying (by taking the driver's bones from his truck). As each vehicles comes to help the driver, the book makes a point to count how many engines are then pulling the truck in order to help children increase their familiarity with the numbers 1-5.

Response: I love that this book takes special care to point out and have children count how many engines are pulling the truck. It will certainly help them learn their numbers from one to five. I also really like that the book is written as a rhyming, somewhat rhythmic, poem because I think that makes it more interesting to younger children.

The illustrations in this book are very vibrantly-colored textured works with a good deal of detail in each one. Each of them, except for the last one, is a double-page spread, which, along with the sing-songy words of the book, make the story go very quickly.

Teaching Connections: A teacher could use this book with Kindergartners to help them increase their knowledge of rhyming words, through having the story read to them, and learn about their numbers, one through five. She would have previously drawn and colored or printed pictures of each of the vehicles in this book before she reads it to her class. Then, she would give the vehicles to a student and have him or her put that picture on the board as she read the accompanying page. Each student with a vehicle would have to count the previous vehicles until the story is completed.

What Students Learn: From this book and the coordinating activity students learn about teamwork, rhyming words, and the numbers from one to five.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.linktoafrica.com/product_images/3_30987595.jpg

I Am Latino: The Beauty in Me

I Am Latino: The Beauty in Me
Written by: Sandra L. Pinkney
Photographs by: Myles C. Pinkney
Published by Little, Brown, and Company in NY in 2007
Genre: Informational Text, Concept Book (language and senses) (Bilingual Multicultural Work)
Ages: Grades K-2

Summary: This work is dedicated to celebrating Latinos. It deals with the language, music, the love of their families, and the rich foods that are part of their culture. The text and pictures alternate in that the first page will have a picture of a Latino child and read "I am Latino. Can you sense the beauty?" and the next page or so will detail an element of their culture, then readers see another Latino child with the same text as before and learn about another aspect of their culture until all of the aforementioned aspects are spoken of. This book introduces young children to simplistic elements of Latino culture in a format that will definitely grab their attention.

Response: This book does and excellent job at letting children know that no matter what their nationality, they are beautiful. I think that many times in our society we let our feelings about immigration affect our judgement of people before we get to know them and this book lets us see that Latinos are just like everyone else--beautiful. Although this children's book might not explicitly make that connection, I think that adults can learn that from this work.

The photographs in this work are excellent. I tend to enjoy more realistic art, especially in illustrations in picture books, so the photography in this book definitely suited my taste, as photographs are as realistic as illustrations can be! The colors in this book are vibrant. Each page has a new bright color on it, which will very likely intrigue younger students as will the many faces in the photographs. None of the pictures in this work are double-page spreads, but in many cases there are several pictures on each page and some of the pictures also have colorful borders to attract even more attention to them.

The text on the pages where students will learn about Latino culture have one large word an a few smaller ones. For example, on the family page, there is a large word--
See" and then the rest of the sentence is small--"the love in my family (mi familia)" (15). Then the book goes on to give adjectives for certain family members and even translates some of them into the Spanish words as well. This is the case for the entirety of the book.

Teaching Connections: Teachers could use this work to help ELL children become engaged in their reading because they would be learning about elements of their culture that they already know about, but would also be reading several English words. If their interest level is high, their reading ability might be improved.

Teachers could also use this book as a way to help ensure that Latino children are not excluded by others in the class. The teacher could read this allowed and help English-speaking students understand a little more about Latino culture. This would be especially helpful if the Latino students are shy and do not talk with their peers often.

This work could also be used as an introduction to a multicultural unit for younger children as it provided excellent information, but in a way that will not overwhelm younger students.

This book is also great for teaching adjectives. The teacher could read this work and then have students chose another culture that they might be interested in and then the teacher could bring in information about dances, families, language, and foods that are a part of that culture. Then the class could write a small book together about those elements of that particular culture and add in their own descriptive adjectives given by the students. The teacher could then make copies of the "book" the class wrote and have students illustrate the pages. Another idea is to take pictures of students in the classroom dressed like the people from that culture and doing those activities outlines in the book they helped write!

(Image retrieved from http://www.getcaughtreading.org/images/IAmLatino.jpg on 7 April 2008)