Black Elk's Vision

Black Elk's Vision: A Lakota Story

By S.D. Nelson

Abram's Books, 2010

47 pages 

Traditional Literature

     In Black Elk's Vision, Nelson brings to life the vision and stories of Black Elk, a Native American from the Lakotas. As a young boy he learned to fear the Wha-shi-choo or white men. It was also during this time, 4 years old, that he saw a vision of which he told no one for fear of humiliation. A few years later, at age 9, he came down with a fever and was very sick. He saw a vision and walked into the clouds where he saw what seemed to be the Circle of Life in the clouds. He also saw the Six Grandfathers who gave him 3 gifts, a wooden cup filled with water (power to give life), a bow and arrow (power to destroy life), and a red stick that sprouted four leaves (tree of life). The men then faded into his parents waiting by his bedside. Black Elk kept his vision to himself. After that his people came to him when they were sick. At this point the Wha-shi-choo began to kill off the buffalo, start wars, and force the Indians onto reservations. When he was 12, the Wha-shi-choo attacked. The Battle of the Little Bighorn was a victory for the Lakota and Cheyenne Indians, but it caused them to flee and eventually led to suffering and starvation. They eventually had to surrender their way of life for there was nowhere else to turn. At the age of 16, he shared his vision with his people due to the guidance of Black Road, an old medicine man. Soon after Buffalo Bill Cody offered some of his tribe a job performing in his Wild West show. Black Elk took this as an opportunity to learn about the white people. He traveled across the world and then came back to his people. Soon after, in the battle at Wounded Knee, the Lakotas fought their final fight. Black Elk was shot in the stomach and lived to tell his story. They now live at the Pine Ridge Reservation, no longer free to roam the plains. He ends his story by passing the cup of water and bow and arrows on to us.

          Nelson's layout of this book is captivating and is what originally grabbed my eye. He includes some of his own artwork alongside images from the past. His images are created with acrylic or black pencil. He also includes one drawing from Red Horse. Nelson's borders are derived from traditional Lakota geometric patterns. I enjoy how the illustrations are shown like a history book yet the text is read like a story. It is a beautiful blend. This book seems more historical than traditional literature as it was classified. I assume it was classified as such because it was a story that was passed on through the Lakota people and eventually put into a book because of Nelson and his research.

          This story would not be appropriate for younger grades. I would probably not use it till the third grade, but there are a lot of neat features and ways to use this book. First you could use it as a multi-cultural book to tell the story of the Native Americans and their struggles with the white man. It is also a great history resource. The book contains many text features that would be appropriate for third grade also. This book would be a great discussion starter for upper elementary students. You could research and debate the two sides of this story, the white man and the Native Americans. 

Mouse and Mole

Mouse and Mole: Fine Feathered Friends

By Wong Herbert Yee

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009

45 pages 

Animal Fantasy

          Mouse and Mole: Fine Feathered Friends tells of the adventures of Mouse and Mole. One day they decide they want to go bird-watching and create books about the birds they see. As they go on their walk, they discover all the birds are running away from them. After thinking it is because the birds are afraid of moles and mice, the friends decide to creatively dress up like birds and build a nest. While sitting in the nest, they see many birds and are able to work on their books. After reviewing their material, Mole and Mouse discover they each have a unique talent and work together to create one book using Mole's pictures and Mouse's poems. 

          Yee's illustrations are very simple and small while still providing enough information to help tell the story. He uses gouache and pencil to create his images. This book is one of at least four books and are a great transition to chapter books. 

          This book would be very useful when discussing brainstorming. Every time Mouse and Mole come across a problem they brainstorm to come up with a solution. They try out ideas, for example sewing together the bird suits, and find ways to improve where needed, for example gluing on the feathers. This book would also be a great accompaniment to writing one's own storybook. it gives step-by-step instructions on how to write a book and doing so would be a great follow up to the story. This book could also be used when talking about birds, the different types, their songs, and their nests. Finally, this story could be used when talking about individual gifts each of us have. We all have something we are good at and things we are not so good at. When we use everyone's gifts and work together, we can produce even better results. 

My Lucky Day

My Lucky Day

By Keiko Kasza

G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2003

30 pages 

Animal Fantasy

          My Lucky Day is one of my favorite books. It is a story of a clever little pig who intentionally gets himself into a little predicament. Pig heads to Fox's house pretending as though he thought it was Rabbit's. Fox gets excited and thinks it is his lucky day because he loves pig roast. But clever little pig has something else in mind. Before it is said and done Pig has managed to get a bath, a spaghetti dinner with dessert, and a massage all while convincing Fox that he is going to get the best pig roast dinner. After Fox falls asleep from exhaustion, Pig runs back to his house with the cookies and decides whose house he will go to next. 

          Kasza illustrations are done in gouache. They are fun and entertaining. My favorite picture is the one with Pig beside the fire eating his chocolate chip cookies while planning who he will visit next. The text is mostly informal and the illustrations come in many formats including double-page spreads and vignettes. 

          This story could be used when talking about plot, characters, and setting. This story could also be used when learning about cleverness. That is one of my class' amazing words this week and it would be very appropriate for this word. This story would also be great for predictions. The classroom predictions during the story are likely to contradict what really happens and would create great discussion. 

Could be used when talking about cleverness.

When I Get Bigger

When I Get Bigger

By Mercer Mayer

Random House Inc., 2006

23 pages 

Animal Fantasy

          When I Get Bigger is a wonderful piece of the large collection of Little Critter books. Little Critter is a critter with human-like qualities that elementary students can easily relate to. This story tells of the dream of every young child of getting bigger and all the exciting things he will do. Little Critter can not wait till he can go to the store by himself, camp out in the backyard all night long, and wear his own watch so he can tell everyone what time it is. But for now he must go to bed "because Mom and Dad say he is not bigger yet."

          Mercer Mayer's books have become an essential piece to lower elementary classroom libraries. They are a great read for first and second graders. The illustrations are simple and use watercolor alongside some type of ink to create outlines and add details. 

           As mentioned this is a great introductory book for early elementary students. The books are easy to read and relate to the students' lives. Mercer Meyer and her books would also be a great author study. Due to the fact that she illustrates her own books, the books are easily identifiable for the students. This book could be used when discussing growing up in a kindergarten or first grade classroom. It could be followed by students writing a few things they are looking forward to as they grow up. 

Knick-Knack Paddywhack!

Knick Knack Paddywhack!

By Paul O. Zelinsky

Penguin Putnam Books, 2002

27 pages 

Traditional Literature

Knick Knack Paddywhack is a pop-up book created from the traditional counting song with the same title. The hands-on features of this book are a joy to all children and add an extra dimension to the fun song. I especially enjoyed the pull tabs with features that seem to pop out of nowhere. My favorite page was the one that has an old man rolling down the hill, when you pull the tab it turns into a dog. This book is most appropriate for younger children. 

The illustration and pop-up features are a lot of fun. The paitnings are very detailed and three dimensional. He uses lots of bright colors, especially yellows and oranges.

This book could be used in lower grades to teach number order. It could also be used to teach music and rhythm. Repetition and rhyme are also used frequently throughout the book and could be used in a poetry lesson. 

The Wolf Who Cried Boy

The Wolf Who Cried Boy

By Bob Hartman

Illustrated by Tim Raglin

G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2002

27 pages 

Traditional Literature

The Wolf Who Cried Boy is a perfect twist on The Boy Who Cried Wolf. It tells the story of a little wolf who is bored of the dinners his mother always cooks. He is tired of Lamburgers and wants some boy for dinner. His father promises that if he finds a boy they can eat him, but boys are hard to come by. Little Wolf decides to trick his parents into thinking he saw a boy and his parents fall for it, searching high a low for the little boy for dinner. Eventually his parents catch on to his tricks and end up not listening when a little boy walks right into their cave.

Raglin's illustrations are humorous and I love the lines and attention to details. Raglin uses lots of double page spreads and includes vignettes throughout the text. The text is very informal and emphasizes action words.             

     A teacher could use this book when talking about characters, setting, and plots. This story is very easy to understand and would not be hard for any grade to determine these features of the book. This book would also be great when talking about action verbs. Most actions in this book are emphasized with larger font. They also use a lot of variation in the verbs and are not constantly repeating the same actions over and over. Finally, this story could be used when talking about consequences of our actions.

Tan to Tamarind

Tan to Tamarind: Poems about the color brown

By Malathi Michelle Iyengar

Illustrated by Jamel Akib

Children's Book Press, 2009

30 pages 

Poetry

Tan to Tamarind is a collection of poems about the color brown. It emphasizes all the beautiful, tasty, and valuable things that are brown. It also tells of people from across the world who are different shades of brown. It was written by a young woman who grew up hating the color brown because she was teased. As she grew she discovered all the wonderful things and people that are brown and wrote a poetry book about them. As you read through the poems you can feel her deep love a appreciation of the many shades of brown. My favorite is Adobe, a poem about a grandmother treating a little boys wounds. " Grandmother...Her strong adobe hands look like the desert rocks, but her fingertips are soft as chamomile flowers."

The illustrations in this book truly emphasize the words in the poem. The paintings reflect all the beautiful shades of brown while capturing the beauty of the different cultures. From scenic landscapes to festive parties, Akib captures the beauty, variety , and excitement of the many shades of brown.

This book is a great collection when discussing different cultures. It mentions food and lifestyles of people across the globe while also depicting the natural setting of the people. It would also be useful when discussing many shades of a color and the words that describe them. Each poem is given the title of a different shade of brown, i.e. Sepia, Ocher, and Sandalwood. I would definitely use this book when using adjectives. Iyengar is very descriptive and uses lots adjectives in her poems. This book could also be used when teaching about metaphors and similes.

 

Dogku

Dogku

By Andrew Clements

Scholastic Inc., 2007

30 pages 

Poetry

Dogku is an adorable picture book written using only haiku poetry. The book captivates your attention beginning with the front page displaying Mooch's sweet puppy face. It tells the story of a stray dog who shows up on a young family's front door. It tells of how they fed him, his adventures through the day, and the eventual acceptance into the family. The entire story is written using haiku poetry.

Clements illustrations tug at your heartstrings. He uses oil paint on canvas to illustrate the emotional adventure of Mooch. Most illustrations are double-page spreads without gutters, but there are a few vignettes. My favorite pictures are the car ride adventure and the family meeting. Clements does a great job of making you feel like you are right in the story with his illustrations. The emotions on the people's faces are easily understood and the actions and positions of the puppy are so natural.            

     This book would be a wonderful read-aloud or an LEA because it is a story most children can relate to. It leaves lots of room for discussion. This book is obviously an excellent source for haiku poetry and makes a somewhat daunting and challenging poem much more fun. Thirdly, this book could be used when talking about emotions and feelings. The feelings of every character are easily understood through the emotions on the faces and leaves lots of room for further discussion.

Mathematickles!

Mathematickles!

By Betsy Franco

Illustrated by Steven Salerno

Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, 2003

31 pages 

Poetry

"words + math + seasons + fun = mathematickles for everyone"

Mathematickles is an adorable poetry book that would tickle anyone's brain. Who would have ever thought of mixing poetry and math? Franco mixes words from the different seasons along with symbols and simple math concepts to create fun poems. This book creates an unique way to introduce poetry to any elementary student. 

"pumpkin - seeds + face = jack-o-lantern"

Salerno's illustrations are bright and colorful and would catch any child's attention. She uses watercolor and gouache to capture the beauty of each season from the eye of a child. Her illustrations use a double-spread and leave no section of the page untouched. The text is very informal, it is as if they created chaos among order.  The structure of the math among the chaos of the bright, colorful pictures and layout is a wonderful blend and completely appropriate and unexpected. 

"dandelions x wind = white wishes"

     This book is great for creating literacy across the curriculum. A picture book is not the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about math and it creates a nice break from the sometimes mundane math problems. This book could be used when studying about the seasons. It could also be used when studying different types of poems. It is a great example of how poetry follows a structure but also allows for a lot of freedom.

"feet - shoes + grass = barefoot"

Once I Ate a Pie

Once I Ate a Pie

By Patricia MacLachlan and Emily MacLachlan Charest

Illustrated by Kay Schneider

HarperCollins Publisher, 2006

29 pages 

Poetry

Once I Ate a Pie is a specialized poetry book written about different types of dogs. The poems are quite humorous and are told from the dogs point of view. The choice of the words combined with the illustrations make you feel as though the dog is talking directly to you.  The pome Louis uses onomotopoeia. The poems take on many different forms all perfect for the individual dog.  "Tillie and Maude" is a comparison poem. Three appears to be a form of cinquain. Some poems are free verse and some are very structured.

Schneider does an excellent job with her illustrations making the dogs jump right off the page and into your heart. The flyleaf and frontis piece are a great introduction to the book. Her medium appears to be acrylic paint and she commonly uses a double spread without any gutter. The text in the book is very informal and matches perfectly with the poems and illustrations.             

     This book would be an excellent resource when doing a unit study on dogs or pets. There are some great vocabulary words throughout the book that could be used to teach young students vocabulary and context. But most of all this book is an excellent resource for different types and forms of poems from free verse to more structured poems. Though I do not know if it has won any awards, it would be an excellent piece in any classroom library.