Read Aloud – Page 87 – Unleashing Readers

Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

July 27, 2015February 20, 2014 by Ricki

Green
Author: Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Published March 27th, 2012 by Roaring Brook Press

Goodreads Summary: Die cut pages bring surprise after surprise in this magical new book from the “Queen of the concept book”—an intricate and satisfying homage to green, the color of all creation.
How many kinds of green are there? There’s the lush green of a forest on a late spring day, the fresh, juicy green of a just-cut lime, the incandescent green of a firefly, and the vivid aquamarine of a tropical sea. In her newest book, Caldecott and Geisel Honor Book author Laura Vaccaro Seeger fashions an homage to a single color and, in doing so, creates a book that will delight and, quite possibly astonish you.

Green is a Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Book of 2012.

Review: The limited words on each page allow the reader to get lost in the beauty of the illustrations of this gorgeous children’s book. I was expecting the typical greens but was pleasantly surprised to see the clever takes on wacky green, slow green, and no green at all. I glided from page to page, appreciating the clever cutouts and visual appeal of this incredible children’s book.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: This text could be used at a variety of levels. In my reading, I felt it is really asking readers: “How many different ways can you look at the color green?” We see objects, colors, and basic things in our world one way, but how can we interpret them differently? I would love to see this used in a creative writing classroom.

Discussion Questions: Where do we see the color green in our world? Go beyond the expected interpretations.; How does the author creatively present this book? What makes a book with so few worlds so very powerful?

Read This If You Loved: A Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss

Recommended For:

Marvin Makes Music by Marvin Hamlisch

February 19, 2014 by Kellee

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday is hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy and was started to help promote the reading of nonfiction texts. Most Wednesdays, we will be participating and will review a nonfiction text (though it may not always be a picture book).
Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy and see what other nonfiction books are shared this week!

Marvin Makes Music
Author: Marvin Hamlisch
Illustrator: Jim Madsen
Published November 8th, 2012 by Dial

Goodreads Summary: A true story from one of America’s most beloved composers

Marvin loves to play the piano and compose his own songs. But performing music over and over that’s composed by some old guys name Ludwig and Wolfgang just gives him knots in his stomach. When his father tells Marvin he has an audition with the most prestigious music school, how can Marvin overcome his nerves and get swept away by the music?

This endearing book is based on the true life story of composer Marvin Hamlisch, who, at the age of six, was the youngest person ever accepted into the Juilliard School.

My Review: Marvin’s story reminds me of why I build relationships with students and help them find who they are and what books they will like. Marvin is forced to play certain music and he hated it. He never understood why he had to “play music by composers with funny names, like Wolfgang and Ludwig,” but he loved his own kind of music. Being forced to play the other music was making him not want to play piano anymore–this is exactly what we do to kids with books!

Overall, I loved the book and think it is a great read to promote following dreams and passions–a great read aloud!

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: Marvin Hamlisch’s sister-in-law Charlotte Blair has created a classroom guide to Marvin Makes Music. You can view it for free here.

You Tube Videos:

Part of the book launch last November that also shares a song

A short interview with Marvin Hamlisch

Discussion Questions: How is Marvin’s parents helping him follow his dream? How are they hurting him although they don’t mean to?

We Flagged: “His father showed him how the people on the street below looked like ants, but to Marvin they looked like musical notes. That made him start humming a little tune. Marvin closed his eyes and listened to all the sounds around him. He wished he could play his piano right now. It would be a City Symphony.” (p. 11)

Read This If You Loved: Tito Puente, Mambo King by Monica Brown, Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald by Andrea Davis Pinkney, John’s Secret Dreams by Doreen Rappaport

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Anna Olswanger for providing a copy for review**

Hearts by Thereza Rowe & Never Too Little to Love by Jeanne Willis

February 14, 2014 by Kellee

Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

Today I wanted to share with you two picture books I have read recently that are perfect to read with your children on Valentine’s Day (or any day to promote love and kindness).

Never Too Little To Love
Author: Jeanne Willis
Illustrator: Jan Fearnley
Published February 7th, 2005 by Walker Books Ltd

Goodreads Summary: Whimsical watercolors illustrate a comical, cumulative tale of an amorous mouse who aims impossibly high — and learns that you’re never too little (or too big) to love.

Tiny Too-Little loves someone who’s very, very tall, and Tiny wants a kiss. What if he stands on his tiptoes on top of a thimble? What if he stands on his tiptoes on top of a matchbox on top of a thimble? Clever cut-away pages show Tiny’s precarious pile growing higher and higher, while the object of his affection stays just out of reach. When the teetering stack finally falls with a crash, will his hopes be dashed? How can a tiny mouse get the kiss he needs?

My Review: This story of opposites attract will tug at the heart strings of its readers. It is so cute to watch the mouse try everything it can to reach up to give his love a kiss. It also has great opportunities for choral reading as it is much like “There’s a hole at the bottom of the sea” and I can see children reciting all the different things that Tiny Too-Little stands on. And the moral behind the story (everyone deserves to be loved) is one that every little reader needs to hear. This will be such a fun book to read to my son!

Hearts
Author: Thereza Rowe
Published January 7th, 2014 by Toon Books

Goodreads Summary: When Penelope the Fox drops her heart into the sea, she’s swept off on a perilous journey, dodging sharks and royal cat-guards until a cartwheeling chicken leads her to the land of lost things. Young readers will fall in love with Thereza Rowe’s bold and playful designs. And as they follow Penelope (and her heart!), they will learn what is truly precious.

My Review: This is a much more complex story than I thought it would be. The book is being advertised as “A first comic for brand-new readers,” so I thought it meant brand new, but it is actually more of a book that I’d use and share with soon to be school-age children. It’ll be so much fun to talk through the comic with a new reader as there is much that s/he could narrate and many opportunities to discuss what is happening. A great introduction to sequential comics (the back of the book even has”How to read comics with kids” tips). There are also lots of twists and turns that will keep the reader on their toes as they follow Penelope on her quest for her heart.

Wishing you all a day filled with love!

**Thank you to Candlewick Press for providing copies for review**

Romeo and Juliet by Garth Hinds

July 27, 2015February 7, 2014 by Kellee

Romeo and Juliet
Adaption and Illustrator: Gareth Hinds
Author: William Shakespeare
Published September 10th, 2013 by Candlewick Press

Goodreads Summary: Gareth Hinds’s stylish graphic adaptation of the Bard’s romantic tragedy offers modern touches — including a diverse cast that underscores the story’s universality.

She’s a Capulet. He’s a Montague. But when Romeo and Juliet first meet, they don’t know they’re from rival families — and when they find out, they don’t care. Their love is honest and raw and all-consuming. But it’s also dangerous. How much will they have to sacrifice before they can be together? In a masterful adaptation faithful to Shakespeare’s original text, Gareth Hinds transports readers to the sun-washed streets and market squares of Shakespeare’s Verona, vividly bringing the classic play to life on the printed page.

Review and Teacher’s Tools For Navigation: This graphic novel does for Shakespeare’s text what Leonardo DiCaprio’s Romeo and Juliet film did for the play. It makes it so accessible and helps the reader SEE what is going on in the play so that the Shakespeare’s words are easier to interpret. This graphic novel should be in every classroom and school library and should be used whenever the play is. I also found Garth Hinds’s afterword very fascinating and gives a deeper look into Verona.

Discussion Questions: Gareth Hinds decided to make his characters multicultural to show the universality of the story. How does making his characters multicultural make the story more accessible and show the universality?; Garth Hinds had to abridge the play a bit to fit it into the graphic novel. After reading the play and the graphic novel, what did he remove? Does it change the story?

We Flagged:

Read This If You Loved: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, The Odyssey by Garth Hinds

Recommended For:

Frog Song by Brenda Z. Guiberson

January 29, 2014 by Kellee

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

Frog Song
Author: Brenda Z. Guiberson
Illustrator: Gennady Spirin
Published February 5th, 2013 by Henry Holt and Co.

Goodreads Summary: Since the time of the dinosaurs, frogs have added their birrups and bellows to the music of the earth. Frogs are astonishing in their variety and crucial to ecosystems. Onomatopoeic text and stunning illustrations introduce young readers to these fascinating and important creatures, from Chile to Nepal to Australia.

Review and Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: I must admit–I am not a fan of frogs. They actually scare me quite a bit. They are so sporadic and unpredictable–one even jumped on my head at a party once! However, animals of all kind fascinate me and this is a book full of amazing facts about these slimy, jumpy creatures. The book is set up so that it is easy to navigate with quick interesting facts about 11 different frogs (& toads) with extra information in the back. I also liked the information given in the back about the trouble that frogs are in because of human activity. I think this book would be a great asset in any science classroom studying biology or ecology (would also be wonderful in a reading class or even a geography lesson because of the different places the frogs came from). Another wonderful way this book could be used in a reading class is because of all of the onomatopoeias within the book. I would love to hear the actual sounds of the frogs and then see the onomatopoeia that the author chose.

Discussion Questions: Which frog fact fascinates you the most? Do extra research about this frog and find other interesting facts about the animal.; Compare and contrast two of the frogs.; Write a fact book about animals like Frog Songs and include the sounds the animals make.

We Flagged: “In Chile, the Darwin’s frog sings in the beech forest. CHIRP-CHWEEET! The male guards 30 eggs in the damp leaves for three weeks. when the tadpoles wiggle, he scoops them into his mouth. SLURP! They slither into his vocal sacs, where he keeps them safe and moist for seven weeks. Then he gives a big yawn, and the little froglets pop out.” (p. 16)

Read This If You Loved: Lifetime by Lola Schaefer, Actual Size by Steve Jenkins, Island by Jason Chin, Seabird in the Forest by Joan Dunning, Slap, Squeak, and Scatter by Steve Jenkins

Recommended For:

The Man with the Violin by Kathy Stinson (Ricki’s Review)

July 27, 2015January 23, 2014 by Ricki

The Man with the Violin
Author: Kathy Stinson
Illustrator: Dusan Petricic
Published August 8th, 2013 by Annick Press

Goodreads Summary: This gorgeous picture book is based on the true story of Joshua Bell, the renowned American violinist who famously took his instrument down into the Washington D.C. subway for a free concert. More than a thousand commuters rushed by him, but only seven stopped to listen for more than a minute. In The Man With the Violin, bestselling author Kathy Stinson has woven a heart-warming story that reminds us all to stop and appreciate the beauty that surrounds us.

Dylan is someone who notices things. His mom is someone who doesn’t. So try as he might, Dylan can’t get his mom to listen to the man playing the violin in the subway station. But Dylan is swept away by the soaring and swooping notes that fill the air as crowds of oblivious people rush by. With the beautiful music in his head all day long, Dylan can’t forget the violinist, and finally succeeds in making his mother stop and listen, too.

Vividly imagined text combined with illustrations that pulse with energy and movement expertly demonstrate the transformative power of music. With an afterword explaining Joshua Bell’s story, and a postscript by Joshua Bell himself.

Review: My aunt bought my son this book when she heard people raving about it in the bookstore. It is an absolutely wonderful story. People pay hundreds of dollars to hear Joshua Bell play his violin, yet few stopped to listen when he played in the subway. It begs the question—just what are we missing each day, as we pass through our lives bustling about, blind to the beauty in the world around us? I can’t wait until my son is a bit older, as I think this would be a fantastic book to read together and then head out into the world, stopping and noticing.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: This would be a great book to read before a field trip or an outdoor walk. I also love that the author turned a news article into a picture book. It would be really fun for students to choose a news article to transform.

Discussion Questions: Just what are we missing each day?; Why do you think children noticed Joshua Bell more often? What does this say about people, in general?

We Flagged: “Who is playing that beautiful music in the subway? And why is nobody listening?”

Read This If You Loved: Walden by Henry David Thoreau, Little Bobo by Serena Romanelli, Little Rat Makes Music by Monika Bang-Campbell

Recommended For:

Lifetime: The Amazing Numbers in Animal Lives by Lola M. Schaefer

January 25, 2014January 22, 2014 by Kellee

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

Lifetime: The Amazing Numbers in Animal Lives
Author: Lola Schaefer
Illustrator: Christopher Silas Neal
Published September 20th, 2013 by Chronicle Books

Goodreads Summary: In one lifetime, a caribou will shed 10 sets of antlers, a woodpecker will drill 30 roosting holes, a giraffe will wear 200 spots, a seahorse will birth 1,000 babies.

Count each one and many more while learning about the wondrous things that can happen in just one lifetime. This extraordinary book collects animal information not available anywhere else—and shows all 30 roosting holes, all 200 spots, and, yes!, all 1,000 baby seahorses in eye-catching illustrations. A book about picturing numbers and considering the endlessly fascinating lives all around us, Lifetime is sure to delight young nature lovers.

Review and Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: I learned so much reading this book. My friend Amanda actually read it first and kept yelling out the facts because they are just so interesting; obviously students would find them interesting as well. On top of it just being interesting, this book is a little book of gold! It is a perfect combination of reading, math, and science! Also, the illustrations are just so well done! Throughout the book, scientific facts about animals are shared with the reader (all with numbers) and then in the end of the book Lola Schaefer also shares with the reader even more information about the animals, how to find an average, and other math facts. And not once does the book even feel a bit boring–it is a perfect read aloud and cross-curricular text.

Discussion Questions: Which of the animals interests you the most?; Using how the author teaches you to find an average, pick an animal and determine the average number of offspring they will have in a lifetime.

We Flagged:

Read This If You Loved: Frog Song by Brenda Z. Guiberson, Weird but True! by National Geographic, Island by Jason Chin, Can We Save the Tiger? by Martin Jenkins, Actual Size by Steve Jenkins

Recommended For: