FROG WENT A-COURTIN' by John Langstaff

Frog Went A-Courtin’ by John Langstaff and illustrated by Feodor Rojankovsky was an all time favorite with my children and by the reaction when I read (or sing) it to the children of today, it still is. This is quite a unique book which tells the old, old story of Froggy and his courtship with Miss Mousy. As the author of this work has stated in his forward, this song, or story, was first recorded in written form over 400 years ago in Scotland. It has gone thorough many changes since that time and has become a staple with American Folk Singers. I know I heard one of my favorite versions years ago done by Burl Ives. The Author has used a compilation of many of the versions of this song or tale, and there are many, and put them together to make this book.

The story starts with Frog putting on his shinny black boots, buckling on his pistol and sword, mounting his trusty steed and goes off courtin’ to the home of the ever beautiful Miss Mousy. The text begins,

“Frog went a-courtin’, he did ride, sword and pistol by his side….” The story ends with the lines,

“The Frog and the Mouse they went to France

And this is the end of my romance.

Frog’s bridle and saddle are laid on the shelf.

If you want anymore, you need sing it your self!”

Of course the middle part of the story goes though the entire courtship rite of the wedding, wedding feast and marriage of our unlikely couple, including getting permission from Miss Mouse’s Uncle Rat. The words of the entire version of this song are well written and the last page in the book gives you the music chords to use. The music is the mode used from the Southern Appalachian Mountains, which in my opinion, is the best. I must had heard at least fifteen versions of this song/story over the years and the author has done an excellent job of putting them all together in this one.

The art work in this book is the icing on the cake. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and extremely detailed. All of the critters, and there are many, are dressed in Victorian Garb or Early American all the way up through the mid 1950s. This makes for an interesting contrast. The colors are wonderfully blended and very eye catching. The painting simply pop out at you from the page and are busy enough to keep kids of all ages entranced.

I have found that this book can be very effectively either read or sung to a group of children with equal effect. It is meant for children from ages 4 through 8, but to be honest, I have used it in High School English Classes and it has been extremely effective, in particular with young men and women who are a bit better read, and more in tune with music history.

The little ones always get a kick out of this one and this is a work we need to keep in the public eye. One like this that is lost is a sad, sad thing. This one is certainly a keeper.

Considerations :::
Frog Went A-Courtin' has an Accelerated Reading (AR) designation of 2.7 which means that the average 2nd Grader in the 7th month of school should be able to read it without getting frustrated by the vocabulary. It can be read aloud to any age.

MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS by Robert McClosky

Make Way for the Ducklings by Robert McClosky has become a classic in children’s literature since it was first published in 1941. Children’s books have changed a lot over the years, but this particular work is substantial proof that change is not always best and more importantly, that quality will always stand the test of time.

The work has a lot going for it. First there is the story. Two Mallard ducks, Mr. and Mrs. Mallard are trying to find a safe home to start a family; one that is safe from foxes and turtles. As they fly, several locations are considered and after a lengthy journey they settle upon a small island in the Charles River, Boston, Mass. Before settling here and starting their brood, they visit the Public Garden in Boston, where at first the find food rather hard to find, but after they encounter the “Swan Boats” and the people riding these boats throwing peanuts to them, they decide that the park is a good place. After checking the area out, the settle on the small island in the Charles River where Mrs. Mallard hatches a number of ducklings; eight in all. At that time, Mr. Mallard decides to take a short trip to check the area out. In his absence, Mrs. Mallard cares for her young and one day, after the little ones can walk, swim and learn to line up in a straight line, she takes them to the park.

The story of the friendly policeman and his coworkers, the journey through the city and their eventual arrival at their new home makes for a wonderful tale. Actual place names are used in the story and are depicted quite accurately in the illustrations. Louisburg Square, Charles river, Mount Vernon Street, Beacon Hill, The Book Store and several others sites allow visitors to more or less trace the journey of the duck family.

The second thing this story has is the marvelous art work. All is done in charcoal, with wonderful shading and great detail. The buildings, cars, people, dress and stores all are accurate to that particular era. This does not distract from the story in the least, and indeed, adds to the charm.

This is a wonderful read along book and is suitable for ages four through eight. I have personally “kid checked” it with these age groups and get asked for many rereading.

This book received the Caldecott medal in 1941 and it was well deserved. Other children’s books by this author include Lentil, Blueberries for Sal, One Morning in Maine and Time to Wonder. All of these are excellent choices and should be included in any child’s library.

Considerations :::
Make Way for Ducklings has an Accelerated Reading (AR) designation of 4.1 which means that the average 4th Grader in the 1st month of school should be able to read it without getting frustrated by the vocabulary. It can be read aloud to any age.

ONE GRAIN OF RICE: A Mathematical Folktale by Demi

This wonderful Indian folktale is brought to life by some wonderful illustrations and art work. Demi is one of the better illustrators, and writers of children's books active today. I do not know of one book by this author that is not a complete delight to the eye and ear.

This is a story of a "Wise Raja" and how he is tricked by a little girl. This ruler made the decision one day that he must gather all the rice in the land and store it away for future use. He left the poor people of the land in a state of starvation while he feasted at his palace from his over filled store houses. One day some grains of rice fall from the basket being carried to the Raja's home and a little girl gathers them up, but instead of keeping the rice, she returns it to the wise ruler. As a reward, he offers her anything she wants. She asks for one grain of rice. The Raja more or less insists she ask for more, so she tells him she would like one grain of rice, but would like to have it doubled every day for thirty days. The first day, one grain, the second two, the third four, and the fifth eight...and so on until the last day. You do the math. Needless to say at the end of the thirty days, the little girl has all the rice and the Raja has none.

This is an interesting story and an excellent lesson in math, in greed, in giving and in compassion, all wrapped up in one small book. The illustrations consists of full page pictures done in the style of India and is sprinkled with traditional miniature paintings as well. The detail and vivid colors are a feast for the eye.

This book seems to fascinate children. I have noted that they pull it from the shelf and sit and read and look at the pictures over and over again. As an adult, I know I see something different each time I read the thing to a class. The children are absolutely amazed when it finally dawns on them what the little girl has done and it makes quite an impact when they realize the power of numbers. This is a great read-a-long book as you can give a mini math lesson and a moral lesson at the same time. I never tire reading it. To be honest, the pictures are worth the price of the book alone.

Considerations :::
One Grain of Rice has an Accelerated Reading (AR) designation of 4.6 which means that the average 4th Grader in the 6th month of school should be able to read it without getting frustrated by the vocabulary. It can be read aloud to any age.

Ladybugology (Backyard Buddies)by Michael Elsohn Ross

We've been reading about bugs this summer. We have covered lice, dabbled in fireflies, and are now touching on ladybugs. Most of the books were good. They generally had interesting photos and they listed the essential information about whatever critter was being discussed; but none of them really stood out from the pack in the sense of format or style. That was until we ran across this Backyard Buddies series, and Ladybugology by Michael Elsohn Ross. With this book we discovered a whole new approach to bug studies.

Unlike the other books, the approach of Ladybugology is very much hands-on. Ross still covers the usual bug information. He discusses their life cycle, body parts, what they eat, and what eats them, but only at the end of the book. Before that he focuses on trying to get children to make their own observations. In essence to be kid-scientists!

"Aware Dare" is one of the games he uses to get kids thinking. It starts when a ladybug is placed inside a clear container. Kids then take turns making observations as the subject(s) flies and crawls around. They jot down the results, until no one can't think of anything new to say. The winner is the last one to make an observation!

While this game might seem simple, it actually brings together quite a few activities. Besides practice in taking turns, it helps children to exercise their powers of observation -- a principal task of a scientist-- and then it gives them a fun reason to practice writing.

Other projects involve arts and crafts, measurement and simple math. Everything from making a gym for the ladybugs, to designing costumes. Really, for being so small, this book is full of ideas.

Give This One a Try!!!

Finally, a bug book that's more than just a list of bug attributes. In this one there are lots of hints and ways to expand the experience: ranging from how to make a ladybug hotel to games.

Considerations:
The Accelerated Reading (ATOS) designation for Ladybugology is 5.7 which means that it is a book for the average 5th Grader in the 7th month of school. It may be read, of course, to children of any age. I have used the activities with a 6 year old, and they can probably be used, with supervision, with even younger children.

Kindness and Consideration -- the book emphasizes gentle handling of these small creatures, and releasing them after a day or so.

Reproduction - The topic of reproduction is handled well. On the one page where it is addressed, the author writes: "It is a common sight to see one ladybug on the back of another. ...But examination through a microscope will show that the ladybug getting a piggyback ride is a male.

"Like other male insects, the male ladybug has a special organ, called an aedeagus... through which he delivers sperm to the eggs of the female."

RAIN MAKES APPLESAUCE by Julian Scheer and Marvin Billeck

This strange, weird and fascinating work, Rain Makes Applesauce by Julian Scheer and Marvin Bileck, dates back to 1964. Fortunately it is still with us today, but is getting more difficult to find. This work consists of very strange and nonsensical sentences. Examples of these are “Salmon slide down a Hippo’s hide, and rain makes applesauce,” and “Monkeys mumble in a jelly bean jungle, and rain makes applesauce.” These silly words cover two pages in a scroll type script, across and through some of the most interesting illustrations I have ever seen in a children’s book.

The illustrations are well... I can only call them mind boggling. They first appear to be quite cluttered and are extremely complicated and detailed. Now this is important….the adult mind will quite often glance at these pictures, become instantly overloaded, and then move on to the next page. Big, big, big mistake here! I did this myself when I first opened this book, but then I started watching children reading it. I mean reading it over and over and over again! I stopped, took a second look, and now I find myself reading it over and over and over again! There is something new to see each and ever time you go through this work! Each illustration covers two pages, is detailed in the extreme and lightly colored so as not to be completely overwhelming.

As to the text; it is a string of very silly statements, which by the way, is pointed out by a number of little pixie type kids hidden in the corner of many of the illustrations. You are reminded several times throughout the entire book that “Oh, you’re just talking silly talk.” If you read the text very closely and study the pictures very closely, you will find a common theme running throughout the book…Rain does indeed make applesauce!

Considerations :::
This book was written for kids from age four to eight. The reading level is not very high, but in this case reading levels really are not the point, but imagination and stimulation is. About the only people I have found that do not like this particular work are adults, and I am sorry to say that those that did not like it sort of fell into the category of “big people with little or no imagination who forgot what it was like to be a kid again.”

PLEASE TAKE NOTE: The title of this book is “Rain Makes Applesauce,” and not “Rain Makes Apple Sauce.” This makes a big difference when you go to buy the book. This book was out of print for some time, but happily is once again for sale.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks


Rain Makes Applesauce

Word Count: 181
32 pages
ISBN-10: 0823400913
Accelerated Reader: reading level: 2.5 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 31891
Lexile: NP
-- amazon

HUMBUG RABBIT by Lorna Balian

Lorna Balian is, in my opinion, one of the best writers and illustrators of children’s books we have. She is extremely prolific, and each book she creates in a little jewel within itself. Humbug Rabbit, of all her books, is my favorite. Even though this work presents itself and is perceived as an Easter Story, it is so much more, and can be read year around and still be enjoyed by all.

This particular work, Humbug Rabbit is actually two stories in one. We have the “top story” of a Granny getting ready to color Easter Eggs for her grandchildren when they visit on Easter morning. Secondly, we have the “bottom story” of a family of rabbits who live under Granny’s house, and I mean way under, getting ready for Easter. The children in the family of rabbits are convinced that their father is actually the Easter Bunny, and talk and deny as he may, he cannot convince his family differently.

This is a sweat story, but, just as importantly, it is a well told story and the author’s keen sense of humor shines through on each and every page. You, the adult, will actually find yourself laughing out loud. This is a story that not only will the children love, and they do love it, but it is one that adults can appreciate also. It is very, very well crafted. There is a myriad of characters; Granny, the rabbit family, a “devilish cat,” a mouse, (good grief, don’t forget the mouse!), chickens and (now this is important) the actual Easter Eggs!

Even though the story is well written and an absolute delight, it almost holds a secondary position to the wonderful illustrations by Lorna Balian. She has used a rather unique method of telling two tales in one and illustrating it as such. As the story unfolds telling of Granny and the chickens, et al on top of the ground, the bottom half of each page tells the story of the rabbits in their underground home under Granny’s house. The two stories run parallel. I cannot say enough about the art work in this one. At first glance one might feel that the illustrations are simple…no, no, no! With each reading of this work you will find more and more details here and there that you did not see in previous readings. Small birds, nests, rocks, roots, decorations, old buildings, critters, and yes, eggs! Each picture, and these pictures cover two pages, is executed perfectly and the artist has done wonder with colors and blends. Even though these are illustrations for children, the reader has a feel that they are actually a part of the two world represented here. It just does not get better than this!

This work has been kid, parent, grandparent and teacher tested since at least 1974 and is still around and still enjoyed as much today as when it was first published. Endorsements do not get much better than this. If you buy one book for your child this year, I do recommend that you give close thought to making this one that one. This work is suitable for those children between the ages of three and 101.

Considerations :::
The Accelerated Reading (ATOS) level for this book is 3.3 which means that it is a practice reader for the average 3rd Grader in the 3rd month of school. Humbug Rabbit may be read to anyone. (Teachers and school librarians can help assess what level children are comfortable reading at.)

Smelly Locker by Alan Katz

Alan Katz' lyrics remind me of the silly songs that we used to sing at Summer Camp. The principal difference being that the songs in Smelly Locker are definitely edgier than those of John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt (wiki link).

Here's a stanza to be sung to the tune of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game".

I don't want to do homework!
Please, I'm fed up with math!
Don't give assignment's I'll surely botch.
Let me relax, I've got TV to watch!
And on't make me study my English
I've learnt it real extra good!
So please say, "No homework tonight!"
'cause you know you should.

Avant-guard, edgy or not, I have to say that one of the reasons I like this book is because my children --currently 6 and 8 y.o.-- like to read it. I don't know whether it's because of the musical aspect but they are willing (even my little guy!) to plow through the text and figure out words they don't know.

As a consequence, I would recommend this book to school teachers as well as camp instructors, even though at least one teacher-reviewer at Amazon.com made an objection to some of the topics. (Myself, I tend to be VERY tolerant of any book that my children avidly want to read.)

Quick Summary :::
Like other Alan Katz' books, this one has unique songs that combine traditional tunes with goofy lyrics. The artwork is bright, full page, and attractively silly. The songs themselves are not meant for very young children who won't be able to appreciate the snide attitude nor the reasons for the whining complaints. If your children know the lyrics "On Top of Ole Smokey, all covered with cheese..." they would probably enjoy this book.

Considerations :::
Smelly Lockers has an Accelerated Reading (AR) designation of 3 which means that the exact level designation has not been determined. It can be read aloud to any age.

POETRY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE: CARL SANDBURG

This is another addition to one of the best literary projects to come along in quite some time…Poetry for Children. This particular work of course deals with the works of Carl Sandburg (wiki). It is illustrated by Steven Arcella whose semi-surrealistic art work is worth the price of the book alone.

This book, as with the others in this series, starts with an introduction to the poet. This is good stuff. It is good to know something about the author of the work you are reading, and children, probably more so than adults, need this information.

This volume includes Sandburg’s Fog, From the Shore, Young Sea, Last Answers, A Sphinx, Little Girl… Be Careful What You Say, Margaret, Arithmetic, Plowboy, Monotone, Phizzog, Mask, Summer Grass, Summer Stars, Sky Talk, October Paint, Old Woman, Buffalo Dust, a Coin and Doors.

I certainly am not going to remark on the quality of Sandburg’s work. Those who read him will be well aware of this. This collection though, is upbeat, delightful and gives a pretty good view of the poet’s range.

The art work which accompanies the poems is very appealing and relaxing and very well executed. Like the poetry, it has a dream like quality and is a delight.

This is a book which is perfect to read to your child or to an entire class. Poetry has fallen out of fashion in many of our schools now, which is not only a shame, but I feel almost a crime. Our kids are missing so very, very much. This little edition is an ideal start. It, and the rest of this series, should be in ever school library, in every class room and indeed, on your kid’s book shelf. This work is recommended for children ages 9-12, but to be quite frank, age has little to do with this poets work. A child under the age of nine may have problems reading the book on their own, but this is why parents and teachers exist! Reading poetry with a child is a wonderful experience for both the child and the reader. This particular collection of poem is idea for this activity. I do highly recommend this one.

Considerations:::
Full Accelerated Reading numbers are not available for this book. The general number "5" has been assigned which means that the book is on the 5th Grade level. But whether that is 5.0 or 5.9 has not been determined.

For a list of all the POETRY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE books see our list.

The Tiniest Tiger by Joanne McGonagle

The Tiniest Tiger by Joanne L. McGonagle offers every thing I like in a children’s book. It is quite readable, it is a great read along book, it gives the child lots of facts in a way that is palatable and the art work is “doable” and a joy to the eye. I enjoyed every page of this one.

The story, which is quite well written, is of a small, stray kitten that becomes lost and cannot find her litter mates. This happens while she is chasing butterflies, an obsession with kittens, I have noted. Our little cat happens to find herself at the local zoo and sees a sign stating she is at the “Big Cat Section.” This is where the story actually begins. Our little lost kitten goes from big cat to big cat asking if she could join them as she has lost her way home and really has no where to stay. The author has used this as a vehicle to introduce us to endangered species of cats from around the world. Our little kitten visits the Tiger, Lion, Cheetah, Clouded Leopard, Puma, Jaguar, Bobcat and Ocelot. While all the big cats are friendly, they all reject her for one reason or another. Now for those of you who read my reviews, you know I am not into injecting “spoilers” into my little write-ups, so I won’t here, but trust me; it all ends quite well for the little lost kitten.

There was much to like in this work and, as far as I am concerned, nothing to dislike. The author uses a straight forward s syntax that is easy to read and goes perfectly with the art work. Joanne McGonagle has provided information about each species cat visited, and has accomplished this in a way that leaves room for discussion with the children, while still giving them quite a lot of information right from the text. I did appreciate the fact that the author has introduced words that the average second, third or fourth grader may not be familiar with, ergo; we do not get the same old thing that the children have encountered in many previous books. This gives the individual reading the book with the child a good opportunity to discuss “words,” which, for me, is one of the most important parts of the learning process. If the child is not challenged, the child loses, and trust me, becomes bored rather quickly. The story flows quite well, is logical and Ms. McGonagle, who must have a great sense of humor, has been able to slip some pretty cute stuff in here and there. I like that.

I loved the art work in this little book. Having read to literally hundreds of children, I have found that so often they are simply turned off by art that is too “photographic.” By that, I mean, the child should be able to look at a picture, and in the back of their minds say “hey, I might be able to do that some day.” I like the natural colors the author has used and the way the colors have been blended. When you are actually out in the bush, everything is blended, it flows, and nothing is sharp. That is the way nature is. And the paintings in this work give us a feeling of actually being with the cats, in their natural surroundings, even if it is in a zoo. When I take kids on nature hikes, one of the things I stress is “LOOK.” Works such as this get their little eyes and minds use to such things.

While this is a nice little story that is bound to appeal to children, it also addresses a most serious subject. Each year our big cat population in this world goes down and down. If we do not do something, and do it soon, we are going to simply be without these magnificent creatures. This, for me, is a horrible thought. We simply cannot start our children out young enough learning the seriousness of the situation. Works such as we have here, go along way in starting the process of making our children and grandchildren aware.

This is certainly a book that needs to the in the local and school library and in addition to that, should be made available in the gift shop of your local zoo. I highly recommend this one!

Considerations:::
No Accelerated Reading designation could be found for this book.

Back to School is Cool! by Jim Jinkins

We borrowed this book from the library and my son (6 years old) loves it. In fact, he drags it to bed every night so we can read it, and he drags it downstairs every morning so he can look at it before school -- and I don't know of a better recommendation than that.

If you aren't already familiar with the television series and books, you should know that the principal characters are Pinky, her little brother Tyler, “Mr. Guinea Pig” (the family pet), and the 'word of the day'. I say the-word-of-the-day is a character because a big deal is made about introducing this word, and a lot of hoopla ensues whenever the word is used. On the television series there's a dramatic pause and ta-da horns are blown. In the book attention and fun is created by the use of funky large print.

As a mom, I love the party atmosphere and the effort that is made to make large-and-impressive words understandable and less intimidating. And I've found that my two kids absorb the definitions and begin using those words pretty quickly.

In “Back to School Is Cool”, Tyler is 'apprehensive' about his first day at school. To demonstrate that all the newness of school is nothing to worry about, Pinky tells Tyler a story about the worst school day imaginable. One where it's Picture Day and everyone has 'bad hair'. Pinky shows Tyler how she and her school mates worked past their apprehension, and how that led them to have a good day. And that he can do the same.

RATING ::: Extremely Good
This book is fun and educational. (Whoo-hoo!) Good Read-Aloud. The artwork is a combination of colorful drawings and pictures, with conversation bubbles and a variety of fonts that 'keep it lively'!

AR (Accelerated Reading/ATOS) level is 2.9

Snowshoe Thompson by Nancy Smiler Levinson

Snowshoe Thompson (Amazon link) was a real person. An immigrant from Norway, he came to Placerville, California in the 1850's in search of gold. While he did not strike it rich, he did become a legend in that part of the country by daring to transverse the frigid Sierra Nevada mountains in the dead of winter in order to deliver the mail: a feat, I should say, that was only made possible because of his knowledge of cross country skiing.

In order to make this story accessible to children, the author takes the essence of Snowshoe's story (wiki link) and weaves it around a the plight of a little boy. In the story, Danny O'Riley wants to send a letter to his father who has gone away to prospect. He wants to tell his dad how much he misses him and that he would really like to have him home for Christmas. The problem, of course, is that the roads are already closed, and Danny is told it will not be until Spring that his letter can be delivered. It is in response to Danny and his community's anguish, that Thompson asserts that he can get the mail through. And Danny and Thompson become friends as Thompson shows him (and us) how to make the skis that help him save the day!


Rating ::: Good
Good Read-Aloud. Okay artwork. The AR designation for this book is 2.2, but non-reading children should like it as well. Certainly my 6 year-old son did.

What I really liked about the book was that it provided us with a jumping off point to discuss the California Gold Rush and how immigrants came to the United States from all over the world. We talked about how Snowshoe introduced skis to his area, and how other immigrants had other 'inventions' that they brought from their homelands, which benefited everyone here in the States.

=========
Reading Level: 2.2

THE COUNTRY BUNNY AND THE LITTLE GOLD SHOES by DuBose Heyward

The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes by DuBose Heyward and illustrated by Marjorie Hack has been around for yours. In fact, it made its first appearance in 1939 and has gone through several printings since that time. The latest one I could find was 1974, which is far too long ago, as this is one that we had better not loose.

Briefly, this is the story of a little brown country bunny that happens to be a female bunny. In this mythological story, as told by the author, there are actually five Easter Bunnies. These five bunnies are selected for being the kindest, swiftest and wisest bunnies in the whole wide world. Our little brown country girl bunny states that when she grows up, she wants to be one of the five chosen bunnies. The Big White Rich City Bunnies who live in the fine houses laugh at her, as do the male Jack Rabbits with their long legs.

When our little brown country bunny, whose name is Cottontail, grows up she finds herself the mother of twenty-one baby bunnies and responsible not only for their care, but the care of the house and all that goes with it. Cottontail trains her children to be very responsible. They help her with her house work, gardening, washing, sewing, cooking and other skills useful in living a full life. Word goes out that one of the five Easter Bunnies has grown too old to do his job (thus far, all the Easter Bunnies have all been males), and that a new Easter Bunny must be chosen by the Old Grandfather Bunny. This old rabbit, being rather wise above all others, of course, chooses our Mother Cottontail. The story goes on in a sweet way, almost a quest adventure and in the end we find that Mother Cottontail is not only the wisest, kindest and fastest bunny in the world, but also the bravest. Don’t want any spoilers here, so will stop with the plot over view.

First, the art work. The artist, Marjorie Hack, has her bunnies dressed in late Victorian or possibly early Edwardian garb. It is quite detailed and quite fitting for the story. She has used very mellow colors and each picture is simple, while at the same time being extremely detailed. In many ways it is typical of the art work featured in children’s literature, of that time, but then she throws in surprises, such as in the winter sequence where Cottontail climbs the mountain. The art here jumps way beyond its years. Actually, I cannot see why this art work would not appeal to everyone, young and old alike.

As to the message of the story; if you do a search or some advanced research on this particular book, you will find that it has had a profound influence on at least two, possibly three, generations of small children, following them all the way into adult life. This influence has been extremely positive. You must remember that this book was written in 1939 and you must remember what the world was like at that time.

This is the story of a little girl rabbit that overcame economic, racial, social and sexual biasness and fulfilled her dreams. This is simply an overall good message. I read this particular work to a group of seven year old children, and every single one of them was able to pick up on this theme. I was so proud of them. Now this book has been accused of having a strong feminist message (as if this were some sort of dirty word…how sad.) I suppose it does, indeed, deal quite well with this subject. Again, this is good. I would suggest that, in my humble opinion, if anyone has a problem with any of the messages this work projects, then they probably should move back into the cave they came out of.

This is a work we do not was to lose. Highly recommend this one.

Considerations:::
The Accelerated Reading level for this book is 4.5 which means that the average 4th Grader in the 5th month of school should be able to read Country Bunny & Little Gold Shoes without becoming frustrated by the vocabulary.

TWILIGHT COMES TWICE by Ralph Fletcher

In this work, Twilight Comes Twice, the author and artist, Kate Kiesler, have explored my two favorite times of day: the two twilight periods, dawn and dusk. The text is done in a flowing, simple poetic type prose, and those who love poetry will love this one. As to the text, I do disagree with the brief paragraph published by The School Library Journal (who, more often than not, get it wrong anyway), in that they state that the metaphors used are sometimes more distracting than illuminating. This may be so for the adult, but I have not found this to be true with any child I have read this one with. This I fear is the mind set that seems to be in vogue of late, i.e. underestimating the intelligence of our kids. If a child is to grow into a truly literate adult, they need to understand metaphors, their meaning the their use. You cannot, in my opinion, start this process soon enough. What better way to begin than with a work like this. Yes, I will admit that this may take some actual work on some adults part,i.e. an explanation, but is not what adults are suppose to do? Even a bad metaphor is better than no metaphor at all when teaching. Anyway....

The art work in this book is stunning. The story, and there is a story here, deals with people, the environment and the creatures and critters around us. The entire book is a feast for the eye and ear. The story deals with the two areas mentioned above...what happens during these wonderful times of the day? Why are they so enchanting? Why have poets written about them for hundreds of years? It is enjoyable, the kids that I read this book with like it, which, when all is said and done, is the best endorsement, and it seems to never get old for the little ones. What is more fun, after reading and discussing this one with your child, take that child and go for a walk in the woods, fields, park or neighborhood. You will be absolutely amazed at how effective this work is and how it make an impression on their minds. This is certainly one you need to add to your child's library. Highly recommend this one.

Considerations:::
The Accelerated Reading level for Twilight Comes Twice is 3.5 which means that the average 3rd Grader in the 5th month of school should be able to read it without becoming frustrated by the vocabulary. It can be read to any age, of course.

SMALL BEAUTIES: the Journey of Darcy Heart O'Hara by Elvira Woodruff

Small Beauties, by Elvira Woodruff and art by Adam Rex is probably one of the most moving tales in a children’s book I have read in recent years. The story is simple but, unfortunately, a common story which affected many generations on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. The time period in which the story takes place is in the mid 1840s and the story begins in Ireland. The Great Famine, which more or less started in 1845 and lasted until at least 1851 is the background for the beginning of this saga. Darcy Heart O’Hara is a small girl living in a small house in Ireland. Her parents and Grandparents have a small holding or small farm, in which they scratch out a meager, at best, living. Darcy is fond of small things, a flower, a pebble, a blade of grass, a bird in flight and a bird's lost feather. All of these things make up Darcy’s world because the real world as she knows it is crashing around her as the first crop of potatoes fail and then the next. Darcy has the wonderful ability to see beauty where others see only hard work and ruin.

A very large number of Americans (and Canadians) today can trace their roots back to these horrible years in Ireland. It is as much our heritage as it is the Irish. They, in essence, are us. We tend to forget this and seem to be forgetting it more and more as each year passes. This is not a good thing as our children and grandchildren need to know just where they came from. This book reintroduces this disaster and, through a child’s eye, gives us a glimpse of where many of us came from. The book tells of the families’ forced movement from their home by the “Lords in Authority,” the burning of their home and possessions, and eventually their immigration to America. I will say at this point that the author has done a wonderful job of telling this story without the horrible details that were actually involved, something I feel would not be particularly good or appropriate for this age group to read, i.e. the age group targeted by the book. The story conveys the feelings and the trauma, without giving the gory details. This is good.

Through all this, Darcy, the little girl, keeps her small treasures of beauty. We have the telling of wonderful tales by her old grandfather and are able to see the unconquerable courage of a little girl and her people. This is a tale well worth telling and well worth remembering.

The art work is masterfully done in pencil, oil and charcoal by Adam Rex and the pictures alone are worth the price of the book. The text is simple, concise and quite understandable. It goes perfectly with the illustrations.

I do hope that we all have the ability to keep a bit of the burnt hearthstone with us always.

Reading level: There is quite a difference of opinion here. I personally feel this one is fine for grade level 2-5. It is a difficult call though, as most adults I know who have read this one love it as much as the kids.

Considerations :::
Small Beauties has an Accelerated Reading (AR) designation of 4.6 which means that the average 4th Grader in the 6th month of school should be able to read it without getting frustrated by the vocabulary. It can be read aloud to any age.

"Lets Make Rabbits" by Leo Lionni

"LET'S MAKE RABBITS" is a book I've been reading off-and-on to my children since my eldest was two. And what amazes me is that every so often, even after five years of reading it, I can still have an 'Oh-Wow' moment in which I discover some new aspect of the book that that hadn't occurred to me before.

At first, of course, I just read the story. We pointed out the names of objects and colors. Then when my children were a little older we talked about how the two bunnies were friends even though they were different. Then even later we digressed and discussed how the pen and the scissors both wanted to make bunnies and carrots and how they both succeeded even though they took different paths to do so.

Then, just yesterday, it dawned on me that part of what Lionni was demonstrating was 'space relations'. That line drawings didn't have shadows, whereas the 'real' objects did. It was rather effortless to explain this to my five and seven year olds, and to tie this particular lesson into my second grader's geometry.

I bring this all up because I want you to know that if you buy this book you aren't just buying it for the baby and toddler years. And that there is a depth of purpose here that you just don't get in most other books. Highly recommend this one. There is just a lot to spark a child's -- and a mom's-- imagination.

A+ ::: "Lets Make Rabbits" is one of those books that unfolds with each reading. Even my own 'take' on it has changed over the years. Good Read-aloud. Just-right artwork. No wonder Lionni has won so many awards.

Talking Points :::
Let's Make Rabbits is one of those books where there is conflicting information about what the Accelerated Reading designation is. We found 2.0 and 3.6. Given that most of Mr. Lionni's books are listed in the in the high 2's and 3's, we are going to go with the 3.6 number.

Let's Make Rabbits can be read to children of any age.

Pam
Somewhere in the X-burbs

Lets Make Rabbits

• Accelerated Reading level : uncertain
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (August 28, 2007)
• ISBN-10: 0394817494
• See-a-Sample

Related posts:

• It's Mine! by Leo Lionni
• Tico and the Golden Wings by Leo Lionni
• Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni

What Were "They" Thinking?

In her book, "Children of the Indian Boarding Schools (Picture the American Past)", Holly Littlefield covers a time in which the U.S. Government decided that the best thing for children was to take them -- by force -- from their families.

I have to wonder where the outraged mothers were while this was happening. I can only assume that either people's trust in authority was so great that they were reluctant to act, or else that the people of that time were so racially biased that they didn't think it was wrong to separate parents and their darlings because they were Indian. In any case, here is the review of this interesting children's book.

000

"The School Journal" and "Booklist" suggest this book for children as young as 2nd Grade. But given the subject matter, and given the reading level, I would think that 4th Grade-and-Up might be more appropriate.

The Accelerated Reading listing for "Children of the Indian Boarding Schools" is 5.4. This means that this book is generally suited for 5th Graders in the 4th month of school. That alone, of course, does not suggest that the book is inappropriate for younger children. However this book talks about the Government (ours... U.S.A.) coming and forcefully taking children from their parents. And, in fact, arresting fathers and sending them to prison when they objected to having their families torn apart.

To me, this is difficult material. And while it is handled quite well there are enough dark moments that come to light that I was not comfortable reading the book to my second grader. The author gives us, for example, excepts from letters, and quotes from adults, which speak of their sadness at being taken away from their families. We are also given some sad facts about how many children died in these institutions that were supposedly for their benefit.

Rating ::: Very Good
Summary ::: A moving book about a dark time in U.S. history. Holly Littlefield does a fine job in describing what was involved in the forceful placement of Native American children into Boarding Schools. She discusses how the children were taught English and the Christian religion, and generally made to present themselves in a western fashion. The presentation is somewhat biased towards the negative, although the author does give a few examples of children that appeared to benefit.

The Accelerated Reading designation is given as 5.4.

Note on AR designation: The AR description is a general "guide" that rates books on a relative scale of difficulty. Children can certainly read at levels above or below their group range, so that this number should only be used as a aid to help choose books that are appropriate and not frustrating.

To find this book at a library near you try World Catalog.

Town Mouse, Country Mouse by Jan Brett

As near as we can tell, Aesop’s Fables date back to at least the 6th Century B.C. I personally feel that many of these tales are even older and Aesop had probably recorded quite a number of old folk tales from the past. Be-that-as-it-may, this is a rewrite of one of my favorite of Aesop’s Fables. This story has been told and retold in countless languages, in countless countries and it would be almost impossible to find and read them all. I will say though, that with this offering, Jan Brett has done the tradition proud and pretty well proved that what was good in the 6th Century B.C. is good today!

In this story, we have the Town Mouse and his wife and the Country Mouse and his wife that, after a chance meeting, decide to trade places. You all know the story, and if you don’t, I don’t want any spoilers here, so I will not give a blow by blow rundown on the adventures of these four in their new environment.

What sets this particular version apart from so many others though, is the art work. I cannot remember a children’s book that was so well illustrated and to be frank, so interesting. The author alternates, page by page from Town Mouse back to Country Mouse. At the side of each illustration we have a sort of preview of what is going to happen next. This is not a “copy” of an upcoming page, but rather a general view of what might be. Once the child (and parent or grandparent catches on, this can be quite fun). But back to the art. The only way I can describe it would be Victorian. It is vivid, detailed, colorful and just down right interesting. The way the author has humanized the various critters does not come across as phony at all, and actually looks quite natural is a stage sort of way. I could safely say that most people could read and look at this book twenty or more times and each time find some detail they have never seen before with previous readings. Each page is a visual adventure; each page is an absolute delight. Now this does not mean this work does not have a strong and well written text. Far from it! The story flows well, is easy on the eye and the story is quite understandable to the targeted age group which would probably be kindergarten through third or fourth grade.

The obvious lesson learned from the story is to be happy with where you are, stop complaining and count yourself lucky you have what you have. What is nice about this work though, is that the adult reader can get much more mileage out of this than just the moral of the story. This is an ideal book to help children learn to really observe and look for details. It will be obvious after several readings, even to the little ones, that there is more to see if you just take the time to look. Absolute hours of discussion can be had just talking with the child about the different things seen on each and ever page.

This particular publication dates back to 1994. Let’s hope it is with us many, many more years.

Considerations :::
Town Mouse, Country Mouse by Jan Brett an Accelerated Reading (AR) designation of 4.0 which means that the average Entering 4th Grader should be able to read it without getting frustrated by the vocabulary. It can be read aloud to any age.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks


Town Mouse, Country Mouse

• Accelerated Reading level : 4.0
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (January 2003)
• ISBN-10: 069811986X
• Take-a-Peek
  (doesn't work in Safari)

IT'S ABOUT TIME! (MathStart) by Stuart Murphy

IT'S ABOUT TIME! is part of Stuart Murphy's MathStart series. It covers time by relating the hours of the day to a little boy's activities: waking up, meals, going to school, playing, going home, story time, nap time, bath time, going to bed, etc. [If you are wondering the early morning hours are spent frolicking with some friendly dream-monsters that dance and caper about.]

The book focuses only on the `hour' so it's only for beginning clock-readers. And I guess non-clock readers as well. You see, besides using this book with my 5 year-old daughter, I also read it to my 3 year old son. With him I bypassed the whole how to read a clock aspect of the book and we focused principally on the larger movements of time. How it passes and how we have certain activities that we do at the same time each day.

As to structure, each hour of the day is given a page which demonstrates not only how that hour is spent but both a digital and conventional (analog) representations of the time. The artwork is colorful and sweet and my only real complaint is that I wish they had separated the pictures of the analog clock from that of the digital clock because it makes it hard to `test' whether a child can read the traditional clock. (Let's face it, digital is so much easier.)

As with all of Mr. Murphy's books there are suggestions for how to teach time at the end of the book as well as various practice/exercise ideas.

In addition, in this book, the author has a recommended reading list of three other books about time: Clocks and More Clocks by Pat Hutchins; My First Book of Time by Claire Llewllyn (couldn't find source); and Train Leaves the Station by Eve Merriam.

Pam~


IT'S ABOUT TIME! 
(MathStart)
by Stuart Murphy
John Speirs (Illustrator)

Reading Information:
Word Count: 143
Page Count: 40
Accelerated Reading level: 1.0 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 86412
--sample pages available



I also found the follow Melissa and Doug Wooden Shape Sorting Clock helpful. (You might have one in the toy box. I used mine first for number recognition, and then for shape sorting.)




updated August 2013