Wallace Stevens

Wallace Stevens

Edited by John N. Serio

Illustrator: Robert Gantt Steele

Publishing Company: Sterling Publishing Co.

Copyright Date: 2004

52 pages

                                      Poetry Collection                                     

          I originally checked this book out just solely based on the few pages I saw while flipping through in the library. Based on this I had the assumption that this book was a collection of poems from different authors. When I actually sat down to read through it, I realized that it was instead a collection of poems by Wallace Stevens as indicated by the title. Due to the misconception I had of this book, I was even more interested in reading it. Each of Wallace Stevens poems in this collection vary in style. But most all of his works had one thing in common, nature. The introductory section in this book explains that this has always been a very large part of Wallace Stevens’ life, and this is seen throughout his work.

Steele’s illustrations throughout the book are done with watercolor. The placement of the illustrations are based on the length of each poem. The majority of these illustrations covered a single page and very few double spread illustrations were seen throughout this collection. I felt that the illustrations played a huge role in bringing meaning to his poems. The text is set up as most all poetry collections are. Each poem starts its own page as each poem in this book tells its own story. The majority of the poems were only one page, and very few covered two.

One aspect I really liked about this collection of poems is that an interpretation of each poem was included at the top of each page. I think this is an excellent way for children to read and understand poetry. Therefore this is one of the first ways I would incorporate this book into my classroom. Ideally I would have students first read a poem from this collection on their own and create an interpretation of what they think the author was trying to express in his writing. After they have written their own interpretations, I would have the students read what interpretations were included in the book. They would then share aloud the similarities and differences between these interpretations. The second way I would incorporate this book into my classroom would be within a poetry unit. This book has a wide variety of poems and I feel that my students would benefit from these different examples in their instruction. The third way I would use this book in my classroom would be in a senses unit. Steele’s poetry is absolutely full of different examples the students could find. I feel that they would love to make this connection to text. As you can see, this book is full of great teaching opportunities. I would definitely use this book in my classroom.  

                

Mrs. Brown on Exhibit

Mrs. Brown on Exhibit: and Other Museum Poems

Author: Susan Katz

Illustrator: R.W. Alley

Publishing Company: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Copyright Date: 2002

36 pages

Poetry Collection

          I was originally drawn to this book because it is unlike most other poetry collections I discovered. I found that most poetry books were not all that interesting for me to read, much less for children. Even though I know that this is most likely just due to the stigma poetry has, I believe poetry can be fun if done the right way.  Mrs. Brown on Exhibit is definitely the way to do this. This book is a fun-filled adventure through every possible exhibit imaginable at a museum. Mrs. Brown loves museums and her students love nothing more than to explore these museums with her. Throughout this book her students discover everything from insects to mummies. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who asks.

The illustrations in this book are beautifully done with watercolor. R.W. Alley’s work brings these different exhibits to life. The illustrations are both double-spread and on a single page. The text in this book is unique to its genre. As seen in most poetry collections, the poems stand on their own as each tells its own story. Therefore, there’s only one poem on most of the pages, while some of the smaller poems contain two to a page. But even with that said, throughout the majority of the book, there is  about as much text on a page as you would expect to see in a picture book of the same level.

I previously mentioned I really enjoyed this book. Therefore I would definitely use this book in my classroom. One of the first ways I saw an opportunity for using this book would be through an in-class field trip. Not many elementary classrooms I know of are able to attend field trips to museums. Therefore I feel like this would be a great way to bring the museum to my students. The second way I thought this book could be incorporated into the classroom would be through each section's topic as an introductory reading to a lesson. For example, the “Giant Heart” section introduces many great aspects of the heart that could be easily expanded upon in a science lesson on the topic. The third and final way I think I would use this book in my classroom would be in a poetry unit. This book includes many different fun poems that I think would get students interested in poetry. With use of any of these ways, I feel that this would be a great book to use in any classroom. 

Collection of African American Poetry

African American Poetry

Edited by Arnold Rampersad and Marcellus Blount

Illustrator: Karen Barbour

Publishing Company: Sterling Children's Books

Copyright Date: 2012

52 pages

Poetry Collection

As discussed in the introductory section of this book, African American poetry was very rarely seen during the 1700's to the 1800's. This was largely due to the obstacles  and misconceptions slavery produced for these writers. Even later on into the 1900's, many Americans would not read the works of African American poets due to their race. African American writers continued to pave the way over the years to free any and all restrictions they faced. This collection contains a great variety of poetry from many different African American authors that captures the struggles faced by this culture over the years.

The majority of the poems seen within this collection are short and each poem only covers one page. At the top of the page is a short description of the author’s life and literary history. Most all of the illustrations are single page due to this layout. The artwork does a wonderful job at depicting each individual poem while still looking similar throughout. The illustrations for this book were created using watercolor, ink, and collage.

Being that we are currently celebrating Black History month, I think this would be an ideal way to incorporate this book into my classroom. This poetry collection not only includes a very lengthy, descriptive section on the history of African American literature, but I also enjoy that each piece is by a different African American author. I feel that students will gain a vast new knowledge of some of the author’s experiences through this collection works. The second way I saw that this book could be used in a classroom was in a poetry unit. This book contains many different types of poems, and therefore students would be exposed to most all types of poetry in this single book. The third way I would personally use this collection of poetry would be for the students to further research an author within this book and give the class a reflection of what they have discovered. Since I would plan to use this book in an older classroom, I feel that students could really enjoy this. I think that they would gain great insight on these author’s lives through further research on an African American author. Overall, I feel that this is a very informative book and I would use it in my classroom. 

Kate and the Beanstalk

Kate and the Beanstalk

Author: Mary Pope Osborne

Illustrator: Giselle Potter

Publishing Company: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Copyright Date: 2000

36 Pages

Traditional Literature

While looking for books in the traditional literature genre, I was drawn to this book because of the illustration on the cover. I was interested to find out how this book was going to differ from the traditional story of Jack and the Beanstalk. This version of the story starts off immediately with the main conflict. Kate and her family do not have enough food after the cold, hard winter. Wanting to help, Kate sets off to sell their only cow. Much like Jack, she sells her cow for some magic beans, but when she arrives home to show her mother what she has gotten for them, her mother, horrified, throws the beans out the window. That very night, Kate gets up from a restless sleep and goes outside, once there she discovers a giant beanstalk has grown in the middle of the yard! So, again, much like Jack, Kate climbs the beanstalk. Once she gets to the very top Kate discovers a castle and an old woman in the woods out in front of the castle. This woman tells her the tale of a noble knight and his family and the monstrous giant who came to steal the knight’s many treasures. Kate is wanting to help and is determined to find all of the knight’s treasures in order to save his wife and child from starving. Will she be successful on her journey? Who will she discover along the way? What will became of her mother? You’ll find all of these answers along with many more by reading this wonderful retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk.

                Giselle Potter’s illustrations wonderfully depict Kate’s journey. These illustrations are completed with pencil, ink, gouache, gesso, and watercolor. These illustrations are varied between double spread depictions and single page illustrations. The text is placed at the top and bottom of almost every page with very little variation throughout. All of these elements Potter incorporates bring this version of Jack and the Beanstalk to life.
                    I think this book could be incorporated into the classroom in many different ways. One of the first ways I would most likely use this book would be in a comparing and contrasting unit. I would have my students read the original Jack and the Beanstalk before reading this version. Once they have read both stories I would have my student complete a venn diagram on the similarities and differences between the two versions. The second way I would incorporate book in my classroom would be through a creative writing lesson. I would read the story up to the section where Kate climbs the beanstalk, then after I stop, I would have my students complete a short story on what they think will happen next. After they have finished their stories, I would complete the book to see if what their predictions were correct. The third way I saw that this story could be incorporated into my classroom would be within a genre unit. This book would be a fantastic example of a fairy tale.  Kate and the Beanstalk incorporates all of the necessary characteristics needed to depict a fairy tale. Overall I think this is a great book to use in any classroom. 

The Three Pigs

The Three Pigs

Author and Illustrator: David Wiesner

Publishing Company: Clarion Books

Copyright Date: 2001

Traditional Literature

I originally stumbled upon this story while at my practicum school’s library. I was interested in the story just solely due to the fact that it was a traditional literature piece on The Three Little Pigs as I have read and enjoyed previous versions of this. With that being said, I was not expecting what this book has to offer. This book combines the perfect touch of what is familiar to us through the original Three Little Pigs and spins that into something completely new and unexpected. This story is recreated in a way I have never seen before. It is absolutely unique in every single aspect. This story starts off as you traditionally know, “Once upon a time there were three little pigs…” the first pig builds his house out of straw. But as the wolf huffs and puff the story takes a turn into another world completely out of the realms of the traditional three little pigs. The pigs are blown into a world away from the wolf. In this world they discover several other characters that are familiar to us as readers. These characters come together in an unexpected way to teach the wolf the same familiar moral seen in the traditional Three Little Pigs. Once this has been done, “they all lived happily ever after.”

I absolutely love the illustrations throughout this whole book. They draw out aspects of the story that I never knew to be possible. This book is so original in this way. I believe the different use of media is what brings to life the feeling that the characters are really traveling through different pages of books in a whole other world that parallels their story. The illustrations are created by Wiesner through a variation of watercolor, gouache, colored inks, pencil, and colored pencil on Fabriano hot press paper. These illustrations are mostly double spread as this creates a majority of the movement throughout the story. The placement of the text also plays a large role on the movement of the illustrations throughout the book. As the characters move from the traditional story to the new world, the text changes. When the characters are in the traditional literature, the text is placed at the top of the page as expected. In contrast when the pigs are in the new world, the text is placed mainly in speech bubbles woven in and out of the frames of the traditional story as the characters explore the realms of this world.  

I believe this book is great for use in the classroom. I see so many great aspects of this book that could be used in a variety of educational way. One of the first ways I would use this book in my own classroom would be in correlation with the original The three Little Pigs. Ideally, I would have students compare and contrast the two different variations of the stories using a venn diagram. The second way I see that this book could be used in the classroom would be an extension of the comic like illustrations. I would have students assess what they know through recreating the text through their own comic strip of the story. The third way I would use this book in my own classroom would be for students to recreate their own version of a story they know very well, just as Wiesner has recreated The Three Little Pigs. 

How Did Zeus Become God of Gods?

Young Zeus

Author and Illustrator: G. Brian Karas

Publishing Company: Scholastic Press

Copyright Date: 2010

52 pages

Picture Book

                I chose this book just solely based on the topic. While I never learned much about mythology in school, it has always interested me. With that said, I was not quite sure what this book would hold. As I started reading Kara’s story I was pleasantly surprised as this book takes you on the fictional tale of Zeus’s childhood and how he became god of the gods. Zeus grew up alone because his mother Rhea gave him to Amaltheia, the enchanted she-goat when he was just a baby to keep him safe from his father Cronus. As Zeus grew older, he began to wonder why he did not have any other gods to play with. Amaltheia told him the story of his father, his five brother and sisters, his mother, and his uncles. When Zeus learns that Cronus swallowed his brothers and sisters in fear of being overthrown, he and his mother come up with a plan to free his brothers and sisters.

                The illustrations in this book, in my opinion, are what make the book.  The actual content of the story is great, but the illustrations were easily my favorite part. With that being said, they are not like most illustrations in children’s books. Karas uses a combination of gouache and pencil on paper to create the story of young Zeus. These illustrations are muted in color. Most of the text in this book is placed on the top and the bottom of the page.

            This would be a great book to use in the classroom. I feel that this book could be used in grades 2-4. I personally would use this book when discussing genres. This would be a great example of mythology. This book could also be used when teaching mythology, as an introduction to Zeus. This story is a great way to gain another perspective on this mythological god, as it is not often portrayed in this manner. As an extension of this book, I would have my students research another mythological god. Ideally these would then be presented to the class so each student could discuss what they learned about their mythological character.

How Does The Human Body Work? Read Now To Find Out!!

From Head to Toe: The Amazing Human Body and How It Works

Author: Barbara Seuling

Illustrator: Edward Miller

Publishing Company: Holiday House

Copyright Date: 2002

36 pages

Picture Book

  

This book gained my interest just simply because of the picture on the cover. It looked to promise something interesting inside. Once I started reading this book, I was not disappointed. This book held my interest all the way through. I have never really been interested in anything relating to science, so for it to keep my interest, I’m sure it would easily keep the interest of any student as well.

This book is not set up in the way a traditional reading book would be, instead it is broken down into different sections of the human body. These sections cover the bones, joints, muscles, brain, nervous system, organs, and other various other parts of the body. Each of these sections outlines every necessary part of the system it is covering. With the sections of the book, students are able to either read through the entire book to discover all about the human body, or just pick a section of the body to learn more about. Each section includes not only thorough descriptions and necessary definitions, but also labeled diagrams and student friendly experiments for students to better understand the human body.

The illustrations used throughout this book were very intriguing. Miller’s diagrams of the human body were very brightly colored and larger than life. These illustrations were double-spread. The text was placed around the diagrams as they explain the different sections of the body. All of the body parts are labeled throughout. While never directly stated, it seems that Miller created his illustrations on the computer.

I would use this book from third to sixth grade. As previously mentioned, this is not a book you would sit down and read from cover to cover to your students. But I think this book excellently explains every necessary element of the human body. Therefore, I would use this book by section. I think this book would be most helpful with teaching the digestive system. With this section of the book, students would learn the functions of the mouth, esophagus, stomach, liver, small intestine, and large intestine as well as how they all work together. I would also use this book to supplement a lesson on the skeletal system. I would have a diagram of the skeletal system and have my students label the bones. I would also use the “test your taste buds” experiment from the brain and nervous system section of this book. I feel that students would really enjoy this lesson as they explore their taste buds. 

What Will Become Of The Sandwich Swap?

The Sandwich Swap

Author: Kelly DiPucchio

Illustrator: Tricia Tusa

Publishing Company: Disney - Hyperion Books

Copyright Date: 2010

36 pages

Picture Book

I picked up this book because I was interested in the front cover. Even though I may have been judging this book by its cover, I was excited to find that the story was just as beautifully put together as the title had been. The premise of this story is two sandwiches, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a hummus sandwich. These sandwiches belong to two girls, Salma and Lily. They are best friends and do everything together, but when they ate lunch together they noticed that each other’s lunches did not look the same. Lily had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch every day, and Salma ate a hummus and pita sandwich for lunch. The outcome in this small difference between the two girls becomes even more than they could have ever imagined.

The illustrations in this book are very large and the majority of the Tusa’s drawings are double-spread. These illustrations are done with water color and the colors are very soft throughout. The text is kept very simple. The placement of the text is artfully positioned within Tusa’s illustrations as to keep you not only interested in the story but in the illustrations of the two girls as well.

I would use this book from kindergarten to second grade. I feel that this book has many great teaching opportunities. One of the first ways I would use this book would be to explain how to compare and contrast. Using a Venn diagram I would have the students investigate Lily and Salma’s differences to further show the diversity between the two. The second way I would use this book would be for character education. I feel that one of the best aspects of this book is the friendship between the two girls, and how they overcome their differences. So to create a connection for my students from this, I would have them build a sandwich and on each piece they would write a characteristic of a good friend. I would also use this book to teach cause and effect. Without the small differences the girls experienced, the book would have never ended the way it did.