Discovering Children's Literature

April 4, 2014

Elephant Dance

Elephant Dance: A Journey to India

Author: Theresa Heine

Illustrator: Sheila Moxley

Publishing Company: Barefoot Books

44 pages

Multicultural - India

I discovered the book Elephant Dance by Theresa Heine while looking for different examples of multicultural books to use within the classroom. When reading this book, I was very interested in the content. I found the way the illustrator explained India to be very interesting. Heine opens the book with Ravi’s, the young boy and main character within the book, Grandfather moving from India. Understandably, Ravi is very interested in what India was like for his Grandfather. Ravi asks question after question about India in order to understand this foreign land.

I thought the illustrations seen within this book were very interesting. They were all created with very bold, bright coloration as you can see from the illustrations on the cover of the book. Sheila Moxley did this with the use of acrylic. Her illustrations are all double spread as to fully depict all of the Grandfather’s stories of India. The text was spread across the top of both pages.

This book would be most suitable for younger elementary grades. With that being said, I think this is a great piece of text to use in the classroom. This text would be great in order to introduce India to students. This text not only includes information within the story about India, but it also includes a map in the story from where the Grandfather drew India with Ravi. At the end of this book is a great section introducing what it is like “Living in India.” This section includes information about the geography, religions, culture, animals and food seen within the India. I would also use this book to compare and contrast India to where we live. I think this would be a great way for students to see just how different, and similar foreign countries are to our own. The next way I would use this book within my own classroom would be for your students to discuss what they would tell someone about America much like Grandpa did with India. This would be a great activity to reinforce the idea that our own cultural can be seen very different from others.

Catch that Goat

Catch that Goat!: A Market Day in Nigeria

Author and Illustrator: Polly Alakija

Publishing Company: Barefoot Books

40 pages

Multicultural - Nigeria

When I first picked up this book while looking for different multicultural texts to use within the classroom, I was very intrigued by the cover. I feel that students would be intrigued by this as well. Therefore they would be interested in reading the story. In Catch that Goat by Polly Alakija, Ayoka is in search of a lost goat her mother asked her to watch while she is away. On her search, Ayoka travels all through the market place. All along her way the market people have one thing after another disappearing. Will Ayoka find her goat?

I really enjoyed the illustrations seen within this book. I was very interested in the fact that Polly Alakija completed both the story was well as the illustrations for this book. Overall, the illustrations beautifully depicted the market place. Alakija used very bright vibrant coloring that created interesting illustrations. These illustrations were created with mixed medium on watercolor paper. These illustrations were double spread in order to incorporate all of the details within the market place. The text was brilliantly placed within word bubbles throughout the text. Even though this seemed like a somewhat simple way to place text, I have not seen that very often within the books I have been viewing throughout my book blogs.

I really enjoyed this book. I would use this text within my classroom. I think this book is most suited for younger elementary classrooms. This is because the text is very simple, the biggest obstacle students would have with this text would be the unknown cultural terminology. I would use this book in my classroom to teach about the Nigerian culture. This book does a wonderful job of depicting their everyday market place. This book also has a great feature towards the end of the book that describes the Yoruba people. In this section of the text, Alakija has described the people, common dress, everyday life, location, and she also included information about the marketplace. I would also use this book to incorporate terms and language this culture commonly uses. This book includes counting and everyday terms the Yoruba people would use. Also, because this book incorporates counting, I would use this within a math lesson. Using this book in younger grades, you would be able to incorporate this into their math lessons.

My Diary from Here to There

My Diary from Here to There

Author: Amada Irma Perez

Illustrator: Maya Christina Gonzalez

Publishing Company: Children’s Book Press

36 pages

Multicultural - Mexico

I was really interested in reading this book. The cover was really inviting and it seemed to be unlike most other children’s books. As I started reading, I soon found that my theories were right. This book is written from a young girl’s point of view, Amada. Throughout this book she is writing diary entries. These entries tell her story. Her father has lost his job and plans to move to the United States where there are jobs for him. Amada is very scared by the thought of leaving her home to move to an unknown country. While confiding in her diary, we learn how Amada deals with this new transition in her life.

The illustrations in this book had a very distinct look. They are all created with very bold colors. Maya Gonzalez’s illustrations are painted and depict Amada’s journey from Mexico to her new home, the United States. Overall, these illustrations were double spread. The text is placed on one single page offsetting these illustrations. This book has a very unique feature. Amada’s diary entries are printed not only in English but in Spanish as well. The Spanish entries are placed below the English versions.

Overall I found this book to be very interesting. I would love to incorporate this into my own classroom. This book would be best for middle elementary school aged children. This book would be great to introduce the Mexican culture and language with a classroom. I would most likely use a Venn diagram with this book in order to compare and contrast the Mexican culture with our own. As an extension of this book, I would have students create journal entries discussing how they would feel if their families had to move to a different country. The last way I would use this in my classroom would be as a cultural connection for students. If I had any native Spanish speaking students in my classroom, I would introduce this text to them. I feel that they would really enjoy the translated diary entries seen with the book.

Friends on Freedom River

Friends on Freedom River

Author: Gloria Whelan

Illustrator: Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen

Publishing Company: Sleeping Bear Press

52 pages

Historical Fiction

This book was found much like Coming On Home Soon that was mentioned in a previous blog. I came across this book while trying to find different books that were historical fiction. As soon as I picked up this book I was immediately intrigued by it, and I wanted to read it right away. As I started to read I was not disappointed by the content. This book is an account of Sarah and her two children Lucy and Tyler. They are runaway slaves trying to escape through traveling the Underground Railroad. On one of the very last stops they meet a twelve year old boy Louis. He has been left his father’s farm for the winter. Before his father left, he told him one thing, “If you don’t know what to do, just do what you think I would have done.” So Louis did what he thought his father would do in a situation like this one. He helped Sarah and her children cross the Detroit River to Canada, where they would then be free. But they encounter some difficulties along the way. Will they make it to Canada?

I really enjoyed the illustrations that are seen within this book. I feel that Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen’s realistic depictions of the characters displayed great emotions. While never explicitly stated, I believe Frankenhuyzen’s illustrations are painted. His illustrations are double spread. The text is placed on one single page.

I really enjoyed this story. I believe that this would be a great story to use in an upper elementary classroom. I thought that Louis’s tale was a great way to teach several different concepts within the classroom. The first way I saw to incorporate this into my own classroom would be when teaching about slavery and the Underground Railroad. This is because this text is a great way for students to connect the information with realistic characters, giving the information meaning. After reading this book I would have students map out the different rivers the characters crossed. The students could also map out Sarah and her children’s destination. And finally I would use this book to teach theme. I found that this book has many great underlying themes that students could really connect with.

Going On Home Soon

Going On Home Soon

Author: Jacqueline Woodson

Illustrator: E.B. Lewis

Publishing Company: G. P. Putman’s Sons

44 pages

Historical Fiction

I discovered this book simply while looking for books that were historical fiction. The reason I chose to read this book was simply because of the illustration on the cover. Looking at the little girl, she seems so realistic, and I wanted to know her story. After reading I was pleasantly surprised by what I found out. Ada Ruth is the name of the little girl. In the book, her mother has decided to go to Chicago. Her mother has heard of the jobs openings available with the railroad due to all of the men away at war, so she decided to get one of these positions. Ada Ruth was, as most would be, very upset with her mother leaving. But her mother promised to write to her while she was away, so Ada Ruth and her Grandmother waited and waited and waited for a letter. As they did, they wrote to her constantly, but still they were waiting on their letter. Finally a letter arrives, all her mother has written is, “Tell Ada Ruth I’ll be coming on home soon.”

I really enjoyed the illustrations throughout this book. As I previously mentioned this is the main reason I read this book. E.B. Lewis’s illustrations are very realistic and help to bring the story to life. Lewis does this through the use of watercolor. These illustrations cover a full page and the text is placed on the opposite page with a very small illustration below.

I really enjoyed this book. I would most definitely use this book within the classroom. I would recommend using this text within middle and late elementary classrooms. In these classrooms I would choose to use this text as a black history month book. I would also use this book as a realistic narrative while learning about World War II. While this book is realistic fiction, I still think that this account would be great to use as it is told from a child’s perspective. I believe this would make history more relatable for students. The last way I personally would use this book in my own classroom would be with a writing assignment. This assignment would be more appropriate to the younger grades you would use this book in. I would give the students the option to either write a letter from the little girl to the mother or finish the story telling what the little girl’s reaction will be when she realizes her mother has come home.

March 19, 2014

Only Passing Through: The Story of Sojourner Truth

Only Passing Through: The Story of Sojourner Truth

Author: Anne Rockwell

Illustrator: R. Gregory Christie

Publishing Company: Alfred A. Knopf

36 pages

Nonfiction

The story of Sojourner Truth is absolutely inspiring. While reading Only Passing Through: The Story of Sojourner Truth I was able to learn all about Sojourner’s life through Anne Rockwell’s literature. Sojourner was born into slavery. Throughout her youth and young adult life she had several different owners. After a state law in New York was passed in 1827, Sojourner finally had hope of freedom. Her master promised her freedom if she worked one more year for him. So she did, and she worked hard for her freedom in that time. Due to an injury, her master told her that she would stay one more year. Knowing what he was asking was illegal, she left his farm taking her freedom she was promised. After several more heartaches, Sojourner found her way. Her tale is absolutely inspiring, and is told very well throughout this book.

I found the illustrations to be very interesting. They are not like most illustrations seen within children’s literature. These illustrations are instead are somewhat abstract with only the facial features showing great detail. I found these illustrations to be very unique in style. These illustrations are completed with very bold watercolors. These illustrations are only single page with the text placed on the opposite page.

I really enjoyed this text and Sojourner’s story. I feel that this book could be used within any upper level elementary classroom. I would not recommend this book for classes below second grade. With that being said, I would use this book for Black History Month. I believe that Sojourner has such a powerful story. It should be incorporated into the classroom. I would also incorporate this text within any unit pertaining to slavery. This text covers many different aspects of slavery and would be very beneficial as a complementary piece of text. One final way I saw that this book could be used within the classroom would be alongside instruction of timelines. One really interesting element found within this book is a timeline of events that occurred within Sojourner’s life. I would have students sort these events in order after reading the text as a class. I feel that this would give students a really meaningful, hands-on way to connect to the instruction of timeline.

Ida B. Wells: Let the Truth Be Told

Ida B. Wells: Let the Truth be Told

Author: Walter Dean Myers

Illustrator: Bonnie Christensen

Publishing Company: HarperCollins Publishers

37 pages

Nonfiction

Ida B. Wells: Let the Truth be Told by Walter Dean Myers is an absolutely stunning biography of Ida B. Wells’ life and achievements. While I do have some previous knowledge of Ida B. Wells, I do not remember learning her story throughout any of my education. Therefore, I was able to look at this book somewhat as a child would have and I could not have been more intrigued. Ida B. Wells was born into slavery. After the thirteenth amendment, slavery became illegal and therefore all slaves were now free. Once free, she began to go to school and excelled quickly. Ida passed her teaching test and began her first job teaching. But all the while, she was noticing life around her for African Americans. This slowly began to shape Ida B. Wells, and she began to write in protest. She wrote about her own personal experiences as well as others. She began to shape the history we now know today.

I thought the illustrations throughout this book were wonderful. Christensen has very realistic depictions throughout the book that brings the story to life. These illustrations are completed with what seems to be watercolors and ink pen. The majority of these illustrations are single page. If the illustration does cover both pages, the second page is just a background. This works well with the text as it is located on one page, usually blank or with very little illustration as mentioned.

Through reading this book myself, I determined that this book is for use in older elementary classrooms. This conclusion is mainly due to the content covered as younger grades would not grasp some of the concepts. With that said, one of the first ways I would like to use this book within my own classroom would be within a social studies unit. I feel that this book would be a great addition to any unit involving amendments, court cases, equal justice, or suffrage as all of these aspects where included within this book. The second way I would use this book within my classroom would be a literature piece for Black History Month. I feel that Ida B. Wells played such a large part in our history that students need to learn about her story. A third way I feel that this book could be used within an elementary classroom would be in connection with biography instruction. Overall, I would definitely use this book within my classroom.